Health Clinic Receives Grant from Kaiser

God just answered a prayer request for the Health Clinic by providing funding to expand and grow the free clinic.  Dr. Leonard Ranasinghe and the Medical Clinic team had requested a grant from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation to support growth of the clinic.  God answered their efforts and prayers with a $25,000 grant from the Kaiser foundation to help us continue our free medical services to the community.  Prayer works!

Wasting Time With God

Sometimes we get so caught up doing “good things” that we forget to the “best things” (at least I do). A few months ago I read a book by Klaus Issler called “Wasting Time With God”. I’ve spent 32 + years “serving” “ministering” and “doing”…SO, I figured it was time to “Waste Time With God”…and just hang out with Him for a while! I felt guilty at first, but I’m getting used to our early morning walks and talks together. I’m mad at myself (and some of my mentors for not telling me to do more of this earlier in my ministry!). How much time are you spending with God… just “Wasting Time With God?” It’s really worth the time..and effort…I promise!

Anyway, I read an article that made me think; and will hopefully make you think too. Take time to read it..if you’re not too busy…Glenn

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Thomas Merton wrote, “To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is itself to succumb to the violence of our times. Frenzy…destroys the fruitfulness of our work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.”

Perhaps the greatest assault against us living this life is the belief that we hold deeply in our heart about who we are, what we have to offer and how life works. This belief or image that has been formed over decades of interaction with our world has everything to do with the type of life we choose to live; in other words the plan that we form of how we will interact with our world. Prov. 20:5 says that “a plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of understanding draws it out.”

Years ago I asked God to reveal to me what I truly believed about myself since He knows my heart better than me. Instantly, Radar O’Reilly in the TV series M.A.S.H. came to mind and it made complete sense. You see, Radar O’Reilly was accepted in the “player’s circle” because he could do things for them. He was needed for what he could do, not wanted for who he was; which had become my personal philosophy – the life-plan which had been scratched into my heart over the years. Therefore, my life was filled with trying to prove myself and earn my way into relational and work circles through carrying heavier loads and working longer hours. It was not a life of “noble simplicity and quiet grandeur”, but rather to have “succumb to the violence of our times” as Merton wrote.

Paul said that we can “exchange the truth of God for a lie” (Rom. 1:25) which is exactly what I had done because the lie remained in darkness unaddressed.

I confessed my accepting / agreeing with this lie, renouncing it and announcing the truth of scripture about my life.

Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31)

Peter wrote, “I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you… to stir you up by way of reminder.” (2 Peter 1:12)

Paul admonishes us to “stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth” (Eph. 6: 14)

Let us strenuously pursue this magnificent (lofty) and yet unpretentiousness (genuine), majestic (splendid) and yet unobtrusive (humble) life God has given us and called us to – that we my alter the world.

From The Noble Heart E-Letter by Gary Barkalow.

[PhotoCredit:bdgamer]

Welcome to Our New Website

Thanks for visiting the new Natomas Crossroads Church website.  We hope you like what you find here.

We are always looking for better ways to reach more people, share church news and make new friends.  This new website allows you to find out about Crossroads Church, comment on things you read, and learn new things.  You can even read our church blog written by myself and a few friends.  I really hope you will return soon and see what new things we will be adding in the future.

Glenn