Rayner Resources

Rules From God

2012-01-16T21:10:00.002-06:00

Rules from God for the Year

1. Wake Up! Decide to have a good day.
"Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.

"He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand Up! For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.

"Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good." Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up! To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up! For something higher.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up! Your Prayers.
"Do not worry about anything; Instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING." Philippians 4:6

Remember, God answers prayer.

Bible Study Websites

2011-12-08T22:17:00.004-06:00

http://www.bible.ca/
http://www.apologeticspress.org/default.aspx
http://www.tftw.org/HTML/TFTW_Home.html
http://www.gospelway.com/

Apostasy

2011-12-05T16:00:00.002-06:00

Possibility of Apostasy or falling from Grace.

Its Cause. The marriage of the sons of God and the daughters of Men (Genesis 6:1,2).
Its Effect on the Human Race. Men forgot God and became giants In wickedness (Genesis 6:3,4).
Its Effect on the Creator. "And the LORD repented that he had Made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart" (Genesis 6:6). The word "repent" always describes a change in something. There is a sense In which God cannot change (Matthew 3:9; James 1:17). He is always God, omnipotent and eternal. There is a sense in which He changes His Purposes toward us, otherwise forgiveness would be impossible (Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:12). God has declared that the soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:4), but the sinner who turns from his sins and obeys the Lord, has the promise of salvation (2 Peter 3:9). God therefore changes His purposes toward men, but He is always God!
A child of God can "Die"—Romans 8:12-13, Revelation 3:1-5.
A child of God can be "Disinherited" Numbers 14:11-12.
See also James 5:19-20, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, Galatians 5:4, 1 Corinthians 10:12 & 9:27, 2 Timothy 2:17-18, Hebrews 3:12, 1 John 1:7-10, 2 Peter 3:17, Revelation 2:4-5, 2 Peter 2:20-21, Hebrews 10:26-30, Matthew 13:40-42, Galatians 6:7-8, Ezekiel 18:24,
Eternal life already given like, Joshua 6:1-2.

GetComparisons Compares Two of Nearly Any Tech Product to Ease Your Buying Decisions [Shopping]

2011-10-15T22:12:00.001-05:00

GetComparisons Compares Two of Nearly Any Tech Product to Ease Your Buying Decisions [Shopping]:

If you're stuck deciding between two products but can't really tell the difference between them—whether it's two video game systems or two pieces of software—web site GetComparisons will compare product reviews side-by-side to help you find the right one. More »

Youth Minister

2011-10-09T11:47:00.000-05:00

Good ministry sites for youth ministries.
http://gospelglow.com/

Ministry

2011-10-09T11:44:00.001-05:00

Ministry Ideas:

Every minister needs a
M.A.P. = Ministry Action Plan

Who Am I?

2011-09-02T22:06:00.000-05:00

I Quit

2011-08-19T20:12:00.000-05:00

I Quit!

What to do when life is too big for you!

You are a gifted and special person. You are not designed to do everything. God never meant for you to be super human. He wants to help you become the person He created you to be.

Recently I came across a little piece called "I Resign!" It probably describes the feelings of many of your friends.

I Resign!

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult. I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year-old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant. I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make a sidewalk with rocks. I want to think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them. I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer's day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you knew were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care.

All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset. I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good. I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again.

I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.

I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow.

I am officially resigning from adulthood.

Ever feel that way? You know the feeling.

I suggest that instead of giving into the defeat, that you connect to the power of God to make a difference in your life. There are four areas you can choose to make your life worth more. I want to help you restart the life you were meant to live.

I Quit Making Excuses

What do you hope to be different about your life? The first thing you can do is quit making excuses. Not that it is easy, but not too many people are looking out for you, so take responsibility for your life.

Now, we can "talk" about many good things, but getting them done is a different story, mainly because the evil one is out to destroy us. As soon as you decide to be different, Satan gives you excuses to stay the same. My prayer is that you will see it in your own life like we see it in others.

Jesus tells us a simple story in the Bible. In Luke 14:16-18 it says, "Jesus said to him, "A man gave a big banquet and invited many people. When it was time to eat, the man sent his servant to tell the guests, 'Come. Everything is ready.' "But all the guests made excuses. The first one said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go look at it. Please excuse me.'

Here is the reality; most people don't do what they can do. Take for instance, resolutions. Every year many people make them. By the end of January, 40% of people give up. By February 15, 75% of people quit. That is not many days where people go back to living the average life. There is so much greater life to enjoy if we don't give up.

I believe in people. I believe in you. Great people with good intentions. That is just it. The real problem is "We have good intentions, rather than God intentions." If what we want to do is not in line with what our Creator wants, what we really do will be a failure over time. Good intentions are “Me Centered.” God intentions are centered on God.

Here are some questions to ask:

What Does God Want To Be Different About Your Life? Think about it, pray about it and write it down. Maybe write it in the margin right here. This may be a difficult question if you are new to the study of God.

Then ask, Why Does God Want This Part of Your Life to be Different? When you connect the “Why” with the “What” there is significant spiritual motivation. It is the key to understand what God wants and why.

The problem is we all make excuses when God wants something for us and our will doesn't match His. Take Moses for example. When God called him, Moses says in Exodus 4:10-12 "But Moses said to the Lord, "Please, Lord, I have never been a skilled speaker. Even now, after talking to you, I cannot speak well. I speak slowly and can't find the best words." Then the Lord said to him, "Who made a person's mouth? And who makes someone deaf or not able to speak? Or who gives a person sight or blindness? It is I, the Lord. Now go! I will help you speak, and I will teach you what to say."

This is the man God chose to work through and give us the Ten Commandments. Read that again and see how small Moses thought of himself and the God who made him. The lessons we must learn in life and living for God are twofold. First, do what you can do. Then, trust God to do what you cannot do. God is not unrealistic and usually we cop out on making the excuse that it is too difficult.

Resolve to quit making excuses.

I Quit Complaining

What are you tempted to complain about? Here is a common list of things I hear real people complain about each day.

1. The job you have or not having one.

2. Too much to do verses being bored.

3. Some parents complain about their children, while others are not able to have children.

4. Some wives complain about their husbands while others are single.

5. Then during times of travel, they will complain about the traffic, bad drivers, and pot holes.

6. Maybe the most universal complaint is about money, time, things. We live in a time of making more money, tools to help us save time, and the abundance of material things our parents did not have. Maybe it is time to see the possibility of the problem being our attitudes.

Here are a few Bible complainers to consider: 1) Eve complained about Adam in the beginning. 2) Job complained. Job 10:1-2 says "I hate my life, so I will complain without holding back; I will speak because I am so unhappy. I will say to God: Do not hold me guilty, but tell me what you have against me." 3) The Israelites in the wilderness. Exodus 16:2-4 says, "Then the whole Israelite community grumbled to Moses and Aaron in the desert. They said to them, "It would have been better if the Lord had killed us in the land of Egypt. There we had meat to eat and all the food we wanted. But you have brought us into this desert to starve us to death." Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will cause food to fall like rain from the sky for all of you. Every day the people must go out and gather what they need for that day. I want to see if the people will do what I teach them."

This is why complaining is dangerous:

First, complaining offends the heart of God. Numbers 11:1-2 tells us, "Now the people complained to the Lord about their troubles, and when He heard them, He became angry. Then fire from the Lord burned among the people at the edge of the camp. The people cried out to Moses, and when he prayed to the Lord, the fire stopped burning."

Second, complaining carries significant consequences. Numbers 14:26-30 says, "The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "How long will these evil people complain about me? I have heard the grumbling and complaining of these Israelites. So tell them, 'This is what the Lord says. I heard what you said, and as surely as I live, I will do those very things to you: You will die in this desert. Every one of you who is twenty years old or older and who was counted with the people-all of you who complained against me-will die. Not one of you will enter the land where I promised you would live; only Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun will go in."

Therefore, let me encourage you to start restraining our complaining.

What? Do Not Complain. Yes! Philippians 2:14 says, Do everything without complaining or arguing. Ephesians 4:29 says, "When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need-words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you."

So, you ask why not complain? The spiritual counsel is "so you can become more like Christ." Philippians 2:15 says, "Then you will be innocent and without any wrong. You will be God's children without fault. But you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the dark world." Luke 6:45 advises and instructs us that, "Good people bring good things out of the good they stored in their hearts. But evil people bring evil things out of the evil they stored in their hearts. People speak the things that are in their hearts."

You want to know how? Choose to rejoice no matter what. Philippians 2:17-18 tells us, "But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

With God's help you can stop complaining.

I Quit Living in Fear

God wants you to live by faith but the evil one wants us to live just the opposite.

As babies we have two natural fears; falling and loud noises. As we grow we develop new fears.

New fears we develop are things like darkness, spiders, storms, snakes, etc. Four of life’s most common fears:

1. Fear of Loss = financial, control, and important things.

2. Fear of failure = job, sports, etc.

3. Fear of rejection = peers, family, and clothes.

4. Fear of the unknown = health, job, and relationships.

Well, God didn't create us that way. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us, "God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love and self-control."

Fear is faith in the wrong things. We have stronger feelings of fear than faith usually. Fear is placing faith in the "What if's?"

A good example again is Moses. In Exodus 4:1 we learn, "Then Moses answered, "What if the people of Israel do not believe me or listen to me? What if they say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?"

You ask, Why Do Your "What if's" Matter? They matter because: 1) What you fear reveals what you value the most. 2) What you fear reveals where you trust God the least.

Ask yourself what you are not trusting God with right now.

Then you ask, How Do We Face the "What if's" of Fear:

First, acknowledge Your Fear and Choose To Trust God.

Psalm 56:2-4 reads, "My enemies have chased me all day; there are many proud people fighting me. When I am afraid, I will trust you. I praise God for His word. I trust God, so I am not afraid. What can human beings do to me?"

Second, seek God until He takes away your fears.

Psalm 34:4 reads, "I asked the Lord for help, and He answered me. He saved me from all that I feared.

I Quit Comparing

We love to compare in America. In fact, it just seems like the right thing to do. What we compare:

1. Possessions: Things like our house and car.

2. Appearances: Girls compare hair, men compare their bodies.

3. Performance: Like jobs or our child’s success.

4. Circumstances: Situations like your career or spouse.

So you say, what is the big deal, everybody does it. What does God care? Why Does God Hate it When We Compare?

First, comparison is the death of contentment! 2 Corinthians 10:12 says, "We do not dare to compare ourselves with those who think they are very important. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing." In modern day terms, "Success is about being what God wants you to be and not who you wish you were."

Second, comparison makes us prideful. Luke 18:11-12 says, "The Pharisee stood alone and prayed, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people who steal, cheat, or take part in adultery, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I give one-tenth of everything I get!'"

Third, comparison makes us resentful. 1 Samuel 18:6-9 says, "After David had killed the Philistine, he and the men returned home. Women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul. They sang songs of joy, danced, and played tambourines and stringed instruments. As they played, they sang, "Saul has killed thousands of his enemies, but David has killed tens of thousands." The women's song upset Saul, and he became very angry. He thought, "The women say David has killed tens of thousands, but they say I have killed only thousands. The only thing left for him to have is the kingdom!" So Saul watched David closely from then on, because he was jealous." You see, "we resent God's goodness in other people's lives and ignore God's blessings in our own life!"

So you might ask, "How Do We Overcome Comparisons?" Help me be bigger than I am today.

First, know what you have. Count your many blessings. Stop taking for granted what you are blessed with today. Philippians 4:11-13 tells us the apostle Paul's attitude. "I am not telling you this because I need anything. I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough. I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength."

Second, know who you are. Who does your maker say you are? Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, "God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing."

Finally, it is sad to say, but many people don't care as much about you as they do about themselves. Therefore you must really be the one who turns to God and let Him be the one who determines the life you live. The sooner you yield to Christ and let Him be in charge of your life the better you will be and those around you. God will help you not only quit the things which rob you of the best life, but He will give you the life that is real life.

God will always be there to help you, even when you have that feeling of “I quit!” Also, Christ’s church is here to help you when you are at a point of wanting to make a positive change.

We Care,

Kevin Rayner

Minister with the

Highland Church of Christ

Phone 598-3514

http://www.hcoct.org

The Winner's Creed

2011-08-17T13:51:00.003-05:00

If you think you are beaten, you are;

If you think you dare not, you don't;
If you'd like to win, but think you can't
It's almost certain, you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost;
Since out in our world we find
success begins with a person's will,
It's all in your state of mind.

Life's battles don't always go
to the stronger or faster hand;
But sooner or later
the person who wins
is the one who thinks....."I CAN".

Linda E. Knight

20 SECRETS TO HAPPINESS

2011-08-13T17:51:00.001-05:00

20 SECRETS TO HAPPINESS

*Return everything you borrow.
*Stop blaming other people.
*Live within your means and within your seams.
*Be humble.
*Listen more; talk less.
*Every day, do something nice and try not to get caught.
*Strive for excellence, not perfection.
*Be on time.
*Don't criticize anyone for 24 hours.
*Be kind to other people.
*Be even kinder to unkind people.
*Take time to be alone.
*Admit it when you make a mistake.
*Understand and accept that life isn't always fair.
*Let someone cut ahead of you in line.
*Don't argue.
*Know when to say something.
*Know when to keep your mouth shut.
*Don't make excuses.
*Don't sweat the small stuff.
*It's all small stuff.

Generations

2011-08-12T11:17:00.001-05:00

Generations

Baby Boomers = Born 1946 - 1964 (23% of Population)
Generation X = Born 1965 - 1976 (15% of Population)
Net Generation = Born 1977 - 1997 (27% of Population)

Feel free to help me add generations or define more accurately generations.

This information from a lesson given by Duane Dixon at
http://www.universitycofc.org/podcasts.html
On July 24, 2011 - Jesus And Campus Ministry

Amazing Child Singer - Star Spangled Banner - National Anthem performed ...

2011-08-05T21:39:00.000-05:00

Gold Box

2011-07-29T22:38:00.000-05:00

We often learn the most from our children. Some time ago a friend of mine punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "this is for you daddy." He was embarrassed by his earlier over reaction, but his anger flared again when he found that the box was empty. He yelled at her, "Don't you know that when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside of it?!" The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes an said, "oh daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness. My friend told me that he kept that gold box by his bed for years. Whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us as parents has been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children.

Osama bin Laden

2011-05-02T10:55:00.000-05:00

Reaction to the report of the death of Osama bin Laden.

From a fleshly perspective -- I feel a little more secure.
From a evangelist perspective -- He will never know Jesus like I pray he would have.
From a government and Bible perspective -- Romans 13 says there are powers in authority to protect the innocent and punish the evil doers.
From a national perspective -- I hope Americans don't stir up other nations by being perceived as gloating.
From God's perspective -- His will be done.

To read what others are thinking, go to

Link

Kevin

Women Walking With God

2011-04-27T16:28:00.000-05:00

Women Walking With God

Next Conference

April 20-21 2012

http://www.womenwalkingwithgod.org/

On My Father's Side by The Barn Again Gang

2011-04-21T16:24:00.000-05:00

Bookmarks

2011-04-20T14:43:00.002-05:00

I will continue to add bookmarks or favorites to this blog post as I discover relevant ones. If you have any suggestions, feel free to send those to me and I will consider there relavance to this blog. If I feel they are as valuable as you, I will add them. Thanks!

Links, Bookmarks, etc. below
raynerresources.podOmatic.com
http://www.studyjesus.com/

Thoughtful Poem on Judging

2011-03-02T14:36:00.000-06:00

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Bob, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why is everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said,
'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

JUDGE NOT!!

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a
Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST...
Every sinner has a FUTURE!

Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil...

It has no point!

HTC EVO

2011-01-17T19:21:00.000-06:00

I love my HTC Evo. It is an amazing phone. I continue to be amazed at how fast phones improve and the price gets better. Amazon is practically giving away this top notch phone.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T18:13:00.001-06:00

Hope you have a happy new year. May the Lord bless you in year 2011. From our family to you, make it a great year.

Link

Christmas Greetings

2010-12-23T22:38:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year.
Follow the links below for the greetings.

Merry Christmas

FirePlace

E-card for you.

Another E card

The Digital Story of the Nativituy

Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

Various Real Life Resources I'm Sharing

2010-12-11T09:52:00.000-06:00

Launch pad for stuff I feel is valuable.
http://raynerresources.blogspot.com/

Humor Stuff
http://off-the-church-walls.blogspot.com/index.html

Sermon Illustration stuff
http://parable-illustrations.blogspot.com/index.html

Quotes for sermons and real life
http://reallifequotes.blogspot.com/index.html

Practical Articles for daily living stuff
http://reallifeenrichment.blogspot.com/index.html

Articles to help Christians become the mature people God wants
http://oaks-righteousness.blogspot.com/index.html

Information to help Christians keep Christ at the highest place
http://magnifyjesus.blogspot.com/index.html

Restoring the ideal church as Christ's wanted.
http://christs-church.blogspot.com/index.html

Basic information for the church I serve.
http://tecumsehcofc.blogspot.com/index.html

http://www.hcoct.org/minister.html

Hope

2010-12-10T14:01:00.008-06:00

Hope - I have a Living Hope.

Hope & Answered Prayer

Quotes on Hope

Is There Hope?

U.S. Capitol Tour with David Barton

2010-09-17T16:34:00.001-05:00

Acappella Rescue

2010-07-30T19:43:00.000-05:00

Celine and Elvis on American Idol Good Quality

2010-05-08T17:48:00.001-05:00

Circus Guide Entertainment Agency-Chinese Entertainers-Bike Acrobatics

2010-05-08T04:11:00.000-05:00

Rayner Resources Audio

2009-10-20T20:22:00.000-05:00

Sermon Perspective

2007-07-18T09:45:00.000-05:00

Sermon Perspective

A local church had a big time TV evangelist come in for revival. On the Sunday morning at the start of the revival the visiting minister preached hell-fire and brimstone for two hours straight when the sound finally system gave out and went dead.

Concerned that people in the back of the packed sanctuary couldn't hear him the preacher asked, "Can everyone hear me OK without the microphone?" Someone on the back row raised his hand and said, "I can't hear you back here."

A lady on the front row, who'd had about all of the sermon she wanted stood up, turned to the guy in the back and said, "I can hear him fine from up here. Wanna trade places?"

Links to my resources

2007-06-09T10:59:00.000-05:00

Hi,

I wanted to let you know about the resources I'm offering.

This page is my home page for my blogs and pages.

Our congregations web page is
http://www.hcoct.org

and my podcast at
http://raynerresources.mypodcast.com/

Thanks for your allowing me to be a real life resources.

Kevin Rayner
Highland Church of Christ
Tecumseh, OK

Latest News About the Kevin Rayner Family

2006-08-05T14:16:00.000-05:00

Wow! 16 years ago on this date our family with the Carney family began a congregation in Rochester, MN. This year we have complete 25 years of church planting (being supported by the Memorial Road Church in Oklahoma City, OK. Two years before that we worked and preached for congregations in Arkansas. 27 year total years of full-time ministry.

Now, in 2006 the Rayners have moved to Tecumseh, OK. The Highland Church of Christ invited the Rayners to work with them and continue to make a difference in the community. They can be reached at the church office 598-3514.

This is a great opportunity because we are closer to our parents, family and even closer to our two boys in College at Oklahoma Christian.

Kevin

Checkout the Daily Quote List

2006-04-08T13:07:00.000-05:00

Do you enjoy that timely quick quip and quote that simulates your thinking? Each weekday I share a few quotes on a topic with the purpose to cause people to think, reflect, and look at life from the perspective of great and successful people. Check out the list by clicking on the "Inspirational quotes" to the right.