Riverpark E-Stream
August 2008
Greetings!           
 

How is your posture?

Posture affects everything from a healthy back to a good golf game.  For instance; a church that has wet eyes, bent knees, humbled hearts and high praise is typically in good health.  In John 20:24 Jesus talks of a grain of wheat that is only as good as it's plant ability. In other words; for wheat to produce, it must posture itself to die.  Being postured correctly is so vital to producing fruit in The Kingdom.

With this grain of wheat in mind I'm referring to brokenness as a correct posture -

·         Brokenness is involved in the process of surrendering to Christ.

He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
John 12:25

 

·         Brokenness is the difference between being alone and creating a mighty force.

"Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone"

Generally speaking, there is no comparison to be made between the value of a diamond and that of a grain of corn, yet all depends on the disposition you make of the corn. Put both of them away, and at the end of a hundred years the grain of corn will still have no money value, while the diamond's value, running up into the hundreds of dollars, will be undiminished. At the end of a thousand years the same thing will be true. But suppose, instead, we bury the grain in the warm, moist earth, and year after year throughout the centuries let it go on producing and reproducing. In that time it will have produced a store that the whole earth could hardly contain. Its production represents a money value that makes the diamond's price not more than an atom in comparison. To have saved the grain of corn would have been to lose all it was capable of producing.

"We need to remember that we cannot train ourselves to be Christians; we cannot discipline ourselves to be saints; we cannot bend ourselves to the will of God: we have to be broken to the will of God." Oswald Chambers

·         Brokenness produces fruit

"but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit"
 

The mango tree is an interesting object lesson. All its branches hang with fruit, it is then assailed with stones and clubs by passersby. How does it respond-by dropping fruit at every blow at the feet of those who assail it. At the close of the season, it stands scarred and battered, its leaves torn off, its branches broken. But the next year it bears more fruit than the previous year.

 The Lord does such a better job with me than I do with myself. Being in a posture of brokenness before Him is a simple as letting go and submitting to His will. It's the one time that being broken feels great! We can see the end result - "much fruit".  So, go ahead and take a break!

Upcoming Events
 
Senior Potluck
(Ages 55+)
Contact Lynda Everett for more info
@ (318) 309-2119

Choir CREW
August 14 & 21
 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. 
                                     
Baptisms
August 3 & September 7
Sign up at Information Table.
 
Membership 201
Sunday, August 24
 
OASIS Events 
 
Up With God service project
Saturday morning, August 9th
 
Pool Party
@ the home of Lina Brou
Saturday, August 9th
Phaze 2 & 3
 
Get Plugged In
or Request Prayer ...
(Phaze 1-JrHi & Phaze 2-HiSchool)
 
(Phaze 3 & 20 somethings)
Up With God returns to Shreveport Bossier
this year we are "Taking the City!"
 
September 6th & 13th
UWGCrowd
Gates open @ 6:15
Different bands each night, bring your friends & rock out!
Bring school supplies to benefit
Shreveport Bossier Community Renewal
 
Prayer Meetings
Friday nights, September 5th & 12th
@ 6:30
 
UWGHands
 
myspace.com/upwithGod
 
Comments from last year
 
I definitely knew God was there, it was wonderful.
 
It was a Christian rock concert for free with a message.
Mark Briggs



Be blessed!

Mark Briggs
Senior Pastor