Joe Mayo's Blog

The Light Switch

2012-01-07T22:09:00.000-08:00

Let me begin this Blog post with the entry in my "Jesus Calling" Devotional the other day.

January 6 (emphasis mine) - I AM ABLE to do far beyond all that you ask or imagine. Come to Me with positive expectations, knowing that there is no limit to what I can accomplish. Ask My Spirit to control your mind, so that you can think great thoughts of Me. DO not be discouraged by the fact that many of your prayers are yet unanswered. Time is a trainer, teaching you to wait upon Me, to trust Me in the dark. The more extreme your circumstances, the more likely you are to see My Power and Glory at work in the situation. INstead of letting difficulties draw you into worrying, try to view them as setting the scene for My glorious intervention. Keep you eyes and your mind wide open to all that I am doing in your life.

Ephesians 3:20-21; Romans 8:6; Isaiah 40:30-31 (NKJV); Revelation 5:13

As I read through this devotional a couple of times, the phrase trust Me in the dark, kept jumping out at me. As I thought about the meaning of this I began think about my kids response to the dark. Allow me to explain:

When we come home and it is dark in the house, no one will go upstairs until either my wife and I go up first and turn on a light or two.

Funny thing is, I will often walk upstairs and walk right past the closest light switch to one of the rooms further away. I do this on purpose because I know the kids are behind me waiting for me to turn on the light. I want them to see that there is nothing to fear, even in the dark, when you know where the light switch is.

In our lives, when everything seems dark, God desires the same thing from us.

He wants us to trust Him and to not be worried or afraid because He knows where the light switch is!

So next time you find yourself in a dark room reaching for the light switch, why not take a minute and thank God that He knows where the light switches are in your life.

He guides us even when it's dark.

2011-11-11T05:32:00.000-08:00

It is a Soldier

It is the Soldier, not the minister: Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter: Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet: Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer: Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer: Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician: Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Thank you to all of our veterans and all of the men and women who are currently serving our nation in the armed forces. We appreciate your sacrifice for our freedom.

Forgiveness

2011-11-07T15:12:00.000-08:00

Do ever have those moments?
You know those moments of stupidity, when you do something that you know you shouldn't do but you go ahead and do it anyway?
Truth is we all have those moments.

That's why we need a Savior who understands our weaknesses and offers His forgiveness for our sins.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Jesus, our great high priest, longs for us to come to Him with our weaknesses. He longs to be our strength.

What assurance do we have that if we come to Him He will forgive us?

I'm glad you asked!

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are like crimson, they shall be like wool."

Psalm 103:2-3 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

Psalm 103:10-12 He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Micah 7:19 You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

So why is God so anxious to forgive us of our sins? Because of His great love for us!

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ dies for us.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

1 John 4:9-10 NLT God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

So maybe after reading this blog post, you're thinking, "Why all the scriptures about forgiveness and God's love?'
No reason in particular. Sometimes we just need to be reminded how great God's love is for us and that He is always waiting to forgive us and for us to grow closer to Him.

How about one more scripture?
Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes form God.

Walking With Jesus

2011-11-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

The other day I had this old song stuck in my head:
"Just a closer walk with thee - Grant it Jesus is my plea - Daily walking close to thee - Let it be, dear Lord, Let it be."

That song got me to thinking. Is daily walking with Jesus what we really long for? or are we too busy to even notice God throughout our day.

A few years ago I heard a pastor say, "Many start out walking with Jesus and end up working for Him."
His point was that we start out walking close to Jesus, but then we let busyness get in the way and instead of walking with Jesus, we just work for Him.

God is more interested in who I am than what I do.
If I spend all my time working for God and helping others find God, but haven't spent time with God myself, I am missing what is most important.

Last week as I read in my "Jesus Calling" devotional notice what it said:
LINGER IN MY PRESENCE A WHILE. Rein in your impulse to plunge into the day's activities. Beginning your day alone with Me is essential preparation for success. A great athlete takes time to prepare himself mentally for the feat ahead of him before he moves a muscle. Similarly, your time of being still in My presence equips you for the day ahead of you. Only I know what will happen to you this day. I have arranged the events you will encounter as you go along your way. If you are not adequately equipped for the journey, you will grow weary and lose heart. Relax with Me while I ready you for action.
(Jesus Calling Devotional, October 29)

Pretty incredible thoughts, don't you think?
So here's my question for you: Are you walking with Jesus or working for Him?

He wants us to walk with Him and to know Him intimately each and every day.
why not stop what you are doing right now and spend a moment with Jesus.

Who Are You?

2011-10-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

Today a I read and re-read my daily devotional "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young, the same question kept going through my mind.

"Who Are You?"

Read what Sarah wrote in "Jesus Calling" and hopefully you'll be able to answer that question for yourself.

BEWARE OF SEEING YOURSELF through other people's eyes. There are several dangers to this practice. First of all, it is nearly impossible to discern what others actually think of you. Moreover, their views of you are variable: subject to each viewer's spiritual, emotional, and physical condition. The major problem with letting others define you is that it borders on idolatry. Your concern to please others dampens your desire to please Me, your Creator.

It is much more real to see yourself through My eyes. My gaze upon you is steady and sure, untainted by sin. Through My eyes you can see yourself as one who is deeply, eternally loved. Rest in My loving gaze, and you will receive deep Peace. Respond to My loving Presence by worshipping Me in spirit and in truth.

As I read this devotion this morning, it was exactly what I needed to hear from the Lord.

"Who Are You?"

I am who I am, because God says that is who I am. I am not what people say or think about me.

So many times we get caught up in trying to please everyone around us, when all that really matters is are we living our lives to please God.

Remember Paul's words: "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Gal. 1:10)

Today, may you focus on pleasing God and not men. May you find your true identity in God's view of you and not someone else's.

May you come to understand, that we will all give an account of our lives to God so it is more important to live your life to please God rather than trying to please everyone around you.

God rewards faithfulness!

Hebrews 11:6 An without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Man pleaser = idolatry.

God pleaser = who I really am.

Who Are You?

Teach Us To Pray

2011-10-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

Recently we finished a series of sermons based on the Lord's Prayer.

We called our series, "Teach Us to Pray."

The title of the series comes from the disciples asking Jesus to teach them to pray.

If there was ever anyone who could teach us to pray, it is Jesus.

We used the Lord's prayer recorded in Matthew's Gospel. We also used the King James version.

Our reason for using this translation is simple: this is the way I memorized the Lord's Prayer as a kid.

When I try to quote the Lord's Prayer from a newer translation, I end up messing it up and confusing everyone. So we memorized the KJV as a church.

Below is a short summary of our 6 week series. I hope it challenges you to begin daily interacting with God through prayer.

Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

1 – 9 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

We start our prayer with thanksgiving. Thanking Him for who He is.

2 – 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

We are asking God to establish His reign and to reveal His will.

3 – 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

Our Father wants us to rest in His daily provision and depend on Him to take care of us in every area of our lives.

4 – 12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

God wants to forgive us and He wants us to learn to forgive others the same way He forgives us.

Remember: You will never have to forgive someone more than God has forgiven you!

"Forgiveness isn't saying they were right, forgiveness is freeing me from the hurts of my past, and empowering me to live free."

5 – 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

God wants to help us overcome temptation. Ask God to make you strong in the face of temptation and to help you live a pure and holy life.

"Why does God test us? To see what’s in us? No, he already knows.

He tests us so that we might know what is in our hearts." John Bevere, A Heart Ablaze, pg. 49

“God TESTS us to make us STRONG… the enemy TEMPTS us to make us WRONG!

6 – 13 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Our priority in life should be to build His kingdom, through His power for HIs glory. Anything less means we are living for our on glory and not His.

It is my desire that the people who follow me as I follow Christ learn to have a habit of daily intreating with God. I believe that we need to make spending time in prayer a daily priority.

Jesus prayed often. If prayer was a key for Jesus life, it should be a key for our lives too!

I hope this blog entry has helped you in your pursuit of knowing God.

Just Thinking...

2011-09-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to take a minute and write about something I saw as I was reading my Bible today.

Isaiah 43:11 NLT "From Eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done."

As I read this verse I stopped and just sat in awe.
God is B-I-G, big! And powerful. Yet just as big and as powerful as He is, He is also personal and cares so deeply about us that He holds us in his hands.

Check this next verse out.
Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much. 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.

He loves us so much!

Just taking a minute to share something that caught my attention.

You Can't

2011-09-19T16:50:00.001-07:00

The following Blog Post from Perry Noble a few weeks ago has really been challenging me.
Thought I'd share the post. I hope it challenges you too.

You Can’t

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 03:55 AM PDT

You can’t expect to be understood AND obedient.
You can’t do what God wants you to do and avoid conflict.
You can’t expect God to always make sense (it won’t always work out on paper!)
You can’t get to the next level without sacrifice.
You can’t follow Jesus and remain the same.
You can’t make a significant impact in the world if you are always playing defense.
You can’t honor God by trying your best to be someone else.
You can’t play it safe and please God (Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6)
You can’t avoid the tough decisions and make progress.
You can’t expect to impact the world if you are attempting to answer questions no one is even asking.
You can’t fail if you are doing WHAT God has called you to do!

Quitting is more about WHO you are than WHERE you are.

2011-04-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

Saw this on Twitter today from John Maxwell and wanted to share it!Joe

Quitting is more about WHO you are than WHERE you are.

By John C Maxwell

Back in December, I wrote about the importance of starting well. In the comments, many people agreed with me, but they also pointed out the critical nature of continuing after you start. They were right. Like I said at the time, starting and finishing are the two covers of the book. The main part – the pages – represents the day-to-day labor needed to achieve your goal.
Unfortunately, in many ways starting is the easy part. Ralph Waldo Emerson observed, “The great majority of men are bundles of beginnings.”
What about you? Are you merely a starter? When the enthusiasm for a new idea fades, when the passion cools, when the odds against you increase and the results diminish, when it looks as if success is impossible, will you maintain your intensity and keep going? Are you tenacious?
Consider the fact that Admiral Robert Peary attempted to reach the North Pole seven times before he succeeded. Oscar Hammerstein produced five shows that were flops on Broadway before staging Oklahoma, which had a record-breaking run of 2,212 performances. Thomas Edison failed in his attempt to create a workable lightbulb 10,000 times before creating one that finally worked. To achieve your dream, you need to be able to keep going when others quit.
To develop tenacity, keep in mind that…
Quitting is more about who you are than where you are.
Everyone faces difficulty when working toward a dream. And if someone fails, he can make excuses for what went wrong, how the unexpected happened, how someone let him down, how circumstances worked against him.
But the reality is that the external things do not stop people. Those who achieve their dreams don’t have an easier path than those who do not. They just have a different internal attitude about the journey. The great artist Leonardo da Vinci once declared, “Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed on a star does not change his mind.”
The one who achieves the dream sees the journey differently.
Instead of thinking, “Not enough people believe in me. I’ll never make it,” he says,

“My belief in myself is enough; I can make it.”

Instead of, “It’s taking too long to realize my dream,” she reminds herself,

“Dreams are realized one day at a time.”

Rather than, “Enough is enough! I’ve taken enough hits!” she declares,

“I’ve come too far to give up now.”

Instead of, “I don’t have the strength to hold onto my dream,” he tells himself,

“Hold on a little longer. The darkest hour comes just before the dawn.”

Novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe said, “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
And I love how H.E. Jensen expressed an achiever’s way of thinking: “The man who wins may have been counted out several times, but he didn’t hear the referee.” The only real guarantee for failure is to stop trying.
So when things go wrong, when the obstacles seem too great, when the difficulties get to be too much, when your dream seems to be impossibly far away, your job is to simply keep going. If you stop, it won’t be because of what happens around you. It will be because of what happens in you. Choose to see things differently. Success is probably closer than you think. Just keep moving forward.

Just a thought or two...

2010-12-06T08:47:00.000-08:00

Just a thought or two...

Luke 1:26-38

Mary was the instrument God used to fulfill His promise.
Mary questioned the particulars, but she never questioned the promise.
Mary accepted the honor and the reproach both as God's will for her life.
God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

I'm glad God is a God who always keeps His promise!

Encourage Yourself

2010-09-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

Last week my friend, Pastor Randy Snow, shared a devotion from 1 Samuel 30:6 which says, "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."

I'm not going to recap Randy's devotional, just believe me when I say it was excellent.
Every since that day I've been thinking about the last part of that verse: "...but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."

There's a lot of stuff happening in my life right now, and I'm sure in your life too. Many days fly by and it seems we get little or nothing accomplished. Often it's easy to become discouraged.
1 Samuel 30 tells of an account where David and his men had been dealt a hard blow, and when the people became discouraged and afraid, they decided to take things out on their leader.
But notice David's response to his own discouragement and the threats of the people... "...but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."

He encouraged himself in the Lord. He found reasons to rejoice, to be happy, to trust in the Lord his God.
We must daily trust in the Lord. We must daily give Him praise, in good times and in bad.

I've also been thinking of the words of the prophet Habakkuk, Habakkuk 3:17-18 says, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

The Joe Mayo translation, "Even though nothing is going right, even though I'm broke and not sure how things will work out, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

We must daily be encouraged in the Lord our God. He is our hope!
I heard a statement years ago that I think applies here, "If that don't light your fire, your woods wet!"

"David encouraged himself in the Lord... I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

Maybe today has been one of "those" days for you. Maybe it's been one of those weeks, months or years.
Encourage yourself in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord.

Earlier today I listened to a sermon by Missionary Mark Buntain. At the end of the sermon he said, "I do not pray for an easy life. I do not ask for an easy road. I only pray for consistent, righteous, faithfulness, humility, honesty, sincerity and obedience to the divine Word of God."

Pretty powerful statement!

Be encouraged. God good, He is faithful and He is our hope.
Rejoice in Him.

1910

2010-08-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, I recieved this as an e-mail from my friend Billy Ray.
Thanks Billy Ray!

1910 Ford Model R

THE YEAR IS 1910

This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
************ ********* ***********
The year is 1910
One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!

Here are some statistics for the Year 1910:
************ ********* ************
The average life expectancy for men was 47 years.

Fuel for this car was sold in drug stores only.

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower !

The average US wage in 1910 was 22 cents per hour.

The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year ..

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,

A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .

Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.'

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

The Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars ....

The population of Las Vegas , Nevada , was only 30!!!!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and

Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school..

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.

Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the
stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health' ( Shocking? DUH! )

Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help ....

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !

I am now going to forward this to someone else without typing it myself.

From there, it will be sent to others all over the WORLD - all in a matter of seconds!

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.

IT STAGGERS THE MIND!

Life is Precious.

2010-08-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

Later today, I'll be attending the funeral of the mom of a 12 year old who was on my son's baseball team.
It's sad when a loved one is suddenly gone.
So many times we forget how precious life really is.
We rush through days and weeks, many times taking life for granted.
We get irritated and become impatient with friends and family members. Sometimes we get down right angry.
Never once thinking that we should make things right and part on good terms becausee that could be our last meeting together.

I am reminded of the scripture in James 4:14 that says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

Life is short. Let's make the most of everyday we have with each other.

I'm thankful that death is not the end, but simply the beginning. The Apostle Paul reminds us that to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ. Paul also said, "O, death. Where is your victory?Where is your sting?"

Jesus Christ said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me even though he dies, yet will he live."

Death is not the end. It's just so cruel and difficult for us to deal with.
But Jesus told us in John 14:1-3 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am."

Just some wondering thoughts.
Enjoy your day. Make the most of every opportunity. Say "I love you" to the ones you love.

Worried?

2010-08-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

Do you worry?
Why?
Silly questions, I know.
But seriously, why do we worry?
When we worry about things, we are saying we don't trust God to take care of things.
Remember Jesus words in Matthew 6:25-34?
Go ahead and take a minute to read this passage. I'll wait.....

Pretty clear, isn't it? Jesus simply said, "Don't worry."

We know this truth and yet some many of us still worry.

The other night as I went to bed, I was praying for my son, who I think is stressed and worried about the start of a new school year, and a new chapter in his life.

As I lay in bed praying for him, I prayed, "Lord I don't want him to be stressed or worried." As soon as I prayed those words, I heard the Lord respond to me, "Now you are seeing worry from my point of view. You worry many times and I do not want you to worry or be stressed. I want you to trust me."

Wow! I hadn't ever looked at worry through God's eyes.
Our loving heavenly Father, hurts when we hurt. And we we worry and stress over things. His desire for us is that we would not worry.

Notice what Jesus said in verse 27, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

All worry does is raise or blood pressure, give us a headache, cause other physical problems. But worry doesn't really change anything.

A few weeks ago I heard one of my pastor friends say, "We should hold everything before God with open hands." And then he said this, "When we worry and fret, it's because we've closed our hands on something."

Instead of worrying over things (jobs, promotions, finances, marriages, kids, etc) hold them before God with open hands. letting Him take care of all those things.

Trust him.
Trust means letting go!

"God, I pray today for each one who reads this blog. You know everything about them. You know everything that has them worried or stressed. Father, remind them who You are. Remind them of Your great love for them. And remind them how You have always been faithful and trust worthy. Thank You for never letting us go, but for always holding us in the palm of Your mighty hand. Let today be the end of worry and the start of holding everything before You with open hands and simply trusting You. Amen."

Stand in Awe of God

2010-08-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since my last blog post.
It has been a busy summer. Someday, I've got to make blogging a daily habit.

The other day, a friend told me that she regularly read my blog. I was surprised. I didn't realize how many people were reading my blogs.
If you're someone who regularly reads this blog, please sign-up as a follower. Maybe seeing who actually reads my blog will inspire me to blog more.

Today's thought.
Yesterday during my quite time I read Habakkuk 3:2 which is part of a prayer that Habakkuk prayed.
By the way how would you like it if your name was Habakkuk? (Thanks mom for going with something simple like Joe!!)

Anyway, the verse says, "Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." (Hab. 3:2 NIV)

Have you heard of God's fame? Do you remember the great things He has done in the past?
Do you want to see Him do great things today?
God is still God! The greats things He has done are just the beginning. He is wanting to do greater things for us today. Perhaps He is just waiting for us to remember His fame, and for us to ask and expect Him to do great things.

I love what the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Today, stand in awe of God. Start praying like Habakkuk, "I stand in awe of Your deeds, O Lord.Renew them in our day..."

God is up to something great. Are you ready?

Expectations

2010-06-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

Just got home from Kids Camp.
What an amazing 4 days hanging out with 8-12 year olds and watching God do amazing things in their lives.
One of the boys in my cabin taught me a huge lesson about expectations.
The other night during the altar time after service, he walked up to me crying and said, "Pastor Joe can you pray for me?"
I said sure, what for? He replied through his tears, "I don't know?"
Moments later as I simply prayed with this little guy, he began to be baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.
For those of you doubting, yes God still baptizes people in the Holy Spirit and yes tongues in a real experience. (See Acts 2:4, 1 Corinthians 12:4-10, 28)

Anyway, as I was texting this little guys mom to let her know what her son had just experienced, she replied to my text by stating, "He went to camp on a mission. Before he left he said, Mom, camp is not just about the lake, water slides and fun, Camp is about getting closer to God."

Here's my thought, how often do we expect God to do something in us?
Tomorrow is Sunday, are you going to church out of habit or because you are expecting God to do something great in you?

What are your expectations?
Let's go to church tomorrow, expecting God to move and meet us there!

10 Hard Questions

2010-06-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to take some kids to Kids Camp. Thought I would clear out some of the e-mails still riding along in my Blackberry. As I was clearing them out I ran across this blog post from Perry Noble earlier this month. It was too good to read and delete, so I decided to share it with my blog readers.

One thing before you read Perry's post. Don't just read it, but find a way today to apply it to your life!

Perry Noble: 10 Hard Questions

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10 Hard Questions
Posted: 03 Jun 2010 04:54 AM PDT

Too many times we believe that being busy is equal to being godly…when the Bible says quite the opposite.
Psalm 46:10 SLAYS me every time I read it…CONVICTED!

David said in Psalm 23 that the Lord makes him lie down in green pastures and leads him beside still waters.

The LONGEST, most detailed command in the 10 commandments is the one on rest.

Yet, all of us…especially those in the ministry…wrestle with this. One of our MAIN temptations is being busy…here are a few questions we can wrestle through to see how busy those of us in ministry are…

#1 – How many times a day do you check your email? Is there really any reason to check it as often as we do?

#2 – How many times a day do you check twitter?

#3 – How many times a day do you check your facebook page?

#4 – When you go home to do spend time with your family…or merely “tweet” about how you are spending time with your family?

#5 – Do you tell your kids you are too busy to go to their game…but then go to the game of the church members kid so you don’t get into hot water with them? (BTW…good luck explaining that one to your kids in 20 years!)

#6 – Do you have a time during the day when you turn off your cell phone so that you can uninterrupted study time, prayer time and time with your spouse?

#7 – Do you always have to have noise around you…such as do you always have to have the radio on in the car OR the TV on at home, even if you are not listening to/watching it?

#8 – How much time do you spend commenting on blogs and social media sites? (honestly, don’t know too many certified blog commenters that are actually changing the world!)

#9 – Are you accessible at any time of the day by anyone who needs you? (LOTS of pastors LOVE to make this claim…usually at the expense of their family and their own walk with God. If you want to walk with Jesus you can’t do it by always having a crowd around…you’ve got to have some time set aside.)

#10 – Are you willing to make the adjustments that you need to make based on the nine questions above? If not then you are most likely addicted to noise and being busy…which looks good to others but absolutely destroys our walk with God.

PSALM 46:10!

ONE MORE THING…this is absolutely the most convicting blog post I’ve ever written…He’s PRESSING into me to make some major adjustments in regards to the noise in my life, would appreciate your prayers as I try my best to fully obey Him.

Good stuff courtesy of Perry Noble. Leave a comment and let me know what you thought.
Well I'm off to Kids Camp!

Courage and Risk Taking

2010-05-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday afternoon, as I was preparing for a board meeting and a special business meeting. I walked into my office grabbed my Zondervan Leadership Bible and prayed the following prayer, "Lord, I need something, please speak to me through Your Word."
Moments later I turned to Numbers 14:1-10. After reading these 10 verses, I then read the daily leadership lesson on courage/risk taking. Here is what I read:

It was one thing when the children of Israel murmured and complained about their provisions and their leadership during the first two years in the wilderness. It was far more serious when they decided they could no longer trust the Lord. The tragedy at Kadesh was not caused merely by grumbling, but by outright rebellion against the purposes of God. The Israelites had convinced themselves that their children would be killed if they attempted to take the promised land, and they therefore drew back in disbelief. Ironically, it was their children who later occupied the land under Joshua's leadership.

By pursuing a pain-avoidance strategy rather than trusting the Lord, the Israelites actually inflicted far more pain upon themselves. As a result of their lack of courage, the generation of the exodus was consigned to an additional thirty-eight years of wilderness wandering until they died and the new generation was ready to take the land.

Obedience to the precepts and principles of Scripture does in fact require significant risk, because to trust God is to pursue the invisible over the visible. But if we hedge our bets by resisting the prompting of the Spirit and chasing the promises of the world system, our growth will be stunted. "For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith" (Hebrews 4:2).

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). Knowing this, God asks his people to take a step of faith and trust in his presence. God is the ultimate source of empowerment; he is the eternal source of the godly leader's courage. The Leadership Bible, New International Version® © 1998 by the Zondervan Corporation

Good stuff, isn't it? It gets better!
Today when I checked the mail, I received a book mark from a Father's Day promotion company. In bold letters across the top it read: Men who walk with God never walk alone. The following scriptures were also on that bookmark:

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Isaiah 2:5 Come... let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Proverbs 4:11-12 I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.

Now I know to many this may seem like a coincidence. But if you only knew where God was leading me right now and the things He has been showing me, this would understand how incredible this is.
When you trust God and walk with Him, many times by faith. He gives you the courage to keep walking and keep trusting, even when what is before you seems impossible.
I know you have no idea what I'm referring to, but many of you do! And I promise, at a later time I will write about the whole story/journey that I have been on for the last two months. It's a good story and we're only at the beginning!
Have courage. Keep Trusting Him and walking by faith.

Why Do We Worry?

2010-05-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

The other day I read this incredible post by Pastor Perry Noble. It has challenged me in so many ways, so I had to post it for my readers!

Church leaders…we’re such hypocrites at times aren’t we?

We know what Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34 by heart!

We tell people that God is Sovereign and that He reigns over their situation.

We recite I Peter 5:7 to people as they are completely stressing out in front of us.

I could go on…but you get the point…we know how to confront and encourage others when THEY worry…and yet…

We freak out about the sermon every week.
We are scared to death that the set list is not going to come together.
We stress out about attendance numbers.
We worry about the offering.
We lose our minds when we hear someone is upset.
We allow the voice of the enemy to convince us that everything is about to fall apart.

WE DO THIS…and we’ve got to stop! Reality is…

Jesus loves the church way more than we do!
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion! (Philippians 1:6)
He has SO MUCH MORE in store for your church than you could imagine! (Ephesians 3:20)
He will reveal WHAT we need to know…WHEN we need to know it!
He has a plan for our church…and He actually wants us to know it WAY MORE than we could imagine!
If it is HIS WILL then it is HIS BILL…what the KING wants the KING pays for!!!
He is at work right now…doing things that we are completely unaware of but will one day BLOW our mind!

He has placed us in this time and in this place to make a difference!

My prayer to overcome worry has consistently been to ask God to enlarge my view of Him…the larger HE becomes to me the smaller my problems and circumstances are.

He reigns…what HE started He will finish…

“Do not worry…” Jesus

Thanks Perry Noble (http://www.perrynoble.com/) for an amazing post.

The Necklace

2010-04-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

This has always been on of my favorite stories, and a great picture of our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite."

"That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."

And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style.

As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy; this is for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure. So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures.

He is Worthy!

2010-04-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

This passage of scripture has really been challenging me this week.

Revelation 5:6-14

John spends a good deal of time describing the scene in the throne room of God which is amazing to think about. But then you get all the way down to verse 11 and he writes "Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand... 12 in a loud voice they sang: 'Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!'"

Now here's what has challenged me... if this is what it is like around the throne of God, angels declaring He is worthy, what should my life be like right now?

John goes on in verse 13 and writes, "Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them singing: 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!'"

Wow! Every breath I take should declare that He is worthy. Everything I think, say and do should bring glory to God. Simply because He is worthy.

I don't think we have to wait until we are in the throne room of the heavenlies to worship and declare that He is worthy. I'm thinking we should be doing this now. The fact that Jesus is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise should change the way I live right now!

No matter where I am or what I'm going through. No matter what I have accomplished or failed to complete.
He alone is worthy. And I must make sure that each day I am giving Him praise.

I guess a better title for this post would have been, "Joe's wandering mind". But I just had to put into words as best as I could what I've been thinking about lately.

Today is done. Did I give Him praise? Tomorrow will begin soon, will I acknowledge He is worthy of all praise, and will I praise Him all day long? Whether I do or not... He is Worthy!

7 Keys to Unlocking Growth Potential

2010-04-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I attended a minister's meeting where Kendall Bridges, pastor of Freedom Life Church in Carrollton was the guest speaker.
His topic was 7 Keys to Unlocking Growth Potential.
Kendall started out by mentioning that growth is not equally comparable to someone elses growth. The same principles, ideas or systems someone else is using may not work in my world. Therefore we should always remember never to compare ourselves, our ministries, or our churches with anyone else!

Here are the 7 keys:

1. Passion - Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do must have compassion.
Passion is contagious.

2. Preparation - 2 Timothy 4:2
There is no excuse for not being prepared.
This applies both in the business world and in the church!

3. People - Acts 20:20
People matter.

4. Purpose - Colossians 2:2
Know your purpose. Show your purpose. Don't blow your purpose.

5. Prioritize - Luke 14:28
What is most important?

6. Pray - Jeremiah 33:3; Psalms 46:10
          S - silent
          T - time
          I - inquire (make your need know)
          L - listen
          L - learn

7. Preach - 2 Timothy 4:2
Know your message.
Rehearse it. Rehearse it. Rehearse it.
Know your audience. (This is huge!)
Know your strengths and weaknesses.
Know how to give an altar call.

How He Loves.

2010-03-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Our worship team sang this song and few weeks ago and every since that day, it's all I can think about.
Take a moment and just watch and listen to this video. I promise you that this will be the most powerful 8:52 of your day!

http://tinyurl.com/5qxkkb

Something to think about!

2010-03-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my friend Nathan, who is also a missionary, posted the following quote for his facebook status:
"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply." - Missionary Hudson Taylor

Yesterday as I was preparing for my day, I was praying about somethings that are happening in my world. I remember saying something like, "What's up God I haven't heard from You in a couple of days. I am frustrated and confused."
To catch you up, for the last week everyday, God has been confirming something in my life. Everyday! It would be through a scripture, someone's story, just many different things were used to confirm what I felt God leading in my world. Thus the reason for yesterday's prayer/question.
Moments after praying this, I turned on my Blackberry and was clearing messages when a facebook message popped up. As it was loading I caught a glimpse of Nathan's post. As I read the Hudson Taylor quote I again found myself saying, "Thanks God I got it!"

Let me type that quote again,
"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply." - Missionary Hudson Taylor

Now that's a thought to think about!

Steering Through Chaos

2010-03-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today I am reviewing Scott Wilson's new book, Steering Through Chaos. Scott Wilson has written an incredible book that every church leader should read. He uses his own experiences to help teach principles that are vital to navigating through transitions and changes that come at different seasons in every ministry.

Back in October of 2009, I went to Red Oak and spent the day with Pastor Scott. He is an incredibly talented and anointed leader. Many of the principles he covers in Steering Through Chaos are prinicples that he shared with me that day. At the end of the day, I was somewhat overwhlemed but very encouraged and eager to read his new book.

This book is an incredible tool that I have purchased for my team. I have read every page, marking each principle and idea that personally challenged me. Reading Steering Through Chaos helped me realize
the season of change and transition that is affecting my own church.

Scott Wilson "hit the nail on the head" with Steering Through Chaos. I loved this book. It is not a book written to tell you how to be like Scott Wilson. It is a book written by a man accomplishing God's dream for his life, and sharing the principles he learned along the way.

I highly recommend this book to every church and ministry leader. Even if you're not a top level leader, you should read this book. Steering Through Chaos ignites passion and vision in your life and ministry.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ChurchZondervan?feature=mhw4#p/u/5/sBd2FUsAtw0

Still Listening!

2010-03-11T11:10:00.000-08:00

Recently God has been challenging me with somethings. Right now I can't sharee specifics, but a couple of people close to me told me I need to write everything down that God is saying, the challenges and what is happening as a result.

So today I decided to look back at what started me on this journey.
Before I begin though, in a conversation today I told someone that I felt like I was at the beginning of a great story. I feel like I am living out the introduction and the story is yet to be written. And everything within me tells me it is going to be an amazing story.

I know this is kind of cryptic, but the journey I'm on started with this video clip of Pastor Perry Noble.
Watch Perry Noble // Catalyst West '09 on Vimeo! http://vimeo.com/9304430

As Perry talked about "God doing great things through Noah" God began to stir in me that He also wanted to do great things through me and I needed to "pick up the hammer!"

That was Feb. 11, 2010. Since then I've been listening to and waiting on God. Today I am amazed at the opportunities that stand before me and all I have to go on is trust in God.

I cannot tell you specifically what I am feeling, partly because I'm not really sure. But I know God is up to something and I am thrilled to be a part of what God is doing.

Several years ago I learned that our prayers should not be, "God bless what I am doing", instead we should pray, "God let me be a part of what you are blessing". Every since I learned this principle and changed the way I pray, it has been incredible to watch as God works and let's me be involved.

I titled this post "Still listening" because that is what I am doing. Still listening, with the hammer in my hand, waiting for God to tell me what to do next.

Years ago there was a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that said something like "there's no better place on earth than the road that leads to heaven". I can honestly say, there is no better place to be than listening and waiting for God's directions as He accomplishes His dream for your life. As you wait and listen you begin to realize that you have the privilege of being a part of an epic story! God's story of your life!

Are you listening?

2010-03-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

God is doing amazing things. I know that is a hugely profound statement!
But hang on, really, the past few weeks I have been amazed to watch as God works all around me, even in and through me.

I'm reading Scott Wilson's book Steering Through Chaos (I'll be posting my review of this book on this blog next week!) and in one chapter he mentions that we need to "PLOW - pray, listen, obey, and God will send us the wow factor or answered prayer."

Now I already kenw this, but experiencing the things God has been saying to me and reading Pastor Scott's book and helped me amp up my desire to hear from God.

A few weeks ago I was praying about something, during my prayer time my Blackberry began buzzing due to an incoming e-mail. I usually ignore this during my prayer time, but on this day, for some reason I picked up my Blackberry and the e-mail instantly opened. What I read amazed me. It was another pastor's blog that I often read. He started his blog by saying, "These verse recently jumped of the page at me..." so I grabbed the nearest Bible and turned to the passage. It was like God was speaking directly to me. I had to read it again to make sure, and yep, these verses were a direct confirmation to what I was feeling and praying about AT THAT VERY MOMENT!

So guess what? Now I am making sure that I PLOW (pray, listen, obey, and wait for the wow) everyday. and I can honestly tell you that God talks, impresses, confirms something every time I am expecting to hear from Him.

So I guess my question for you today is.... Are you listening?

As I was writing this post I am listening to a Mercy Me song called "Word of God Speak". Kind of seemed appropriate! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JK_6osCH74

He's speaking, are you listening?

A Call to Action

2010-02-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

Today I want to share Perry Noble's blog post (http://www.perrynoble.com/). I have been praying about some things and this weeks many times God has used others to confirm what He is telling me. This post by Perry Noble is kind of like the icing on the cake for me.

I hope it challenges you too!

A Call To Action
Posted: 26 Feb 2010 04:56 AM PST

Deuteronomy 1:7-8 jumped out at me the other morning…as I had this thought…

God has NEVER led anyone to the point of indecision…it’s NOT that we don’t know what to do most of the time…but rather we know EXACTLY what to do, but in order to obey it will cause us to break out of our comfortable routine and actually put forth some effort.

God had promised the Israelites the land they were going into…He had spent years preparing them for the takeover…but when it came time to make things happen He didn’t tell them “Sit here while I go do it all,” but rather, “Break camp and advance…”

Translation…

“Break camp…” – Get out of your place of comfort.

“Advance” – In other words…DON’T try to keep things the way they are…there are MUCH better things in store.

I love how God doesn’t call His followers to be passive…to sit back and do nothing. We serve a living and active God…which means if we seek to imitate Him then the same should be said of us.

So…any decision that you’ve been putting off that you KNOW He’s clearly spoken about?

“Break camp and advance…”

Be Still.

2010-02-25T11:17:00.000-08:00

It's been a really busy week. Sunday's are crazy but this past Sunday after doing two servics, we also had a board meeting and a workday for our upcoming Easter Eggstravaganza.
Then Monday started by running back and forth between two hospitals to be with families and check on two people having surgery at the same time. Then Tuesday was anbother busy day filled with a ministers meeting and hospital visits.
All of a sudden it is Thursday afternoon. I find myself sitting at my computer wondering where the week went and how will I get everything done that needs to be done for Sunday?
In the midst of my busyness, I began to think about Psalms 46:10 which says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Be still, he says. Do you ever think,"if only I could be still, that would be nice." Even in the midst of our busyness and accomplishing this and that, we must make tim to be stil and know God. Many times we rob ourselves by being "too busy to be still".
Why not try it right now. Just stop for a minute. Take a deep breath. And just say "God I'm listening, speak to me."
We could learn a lot by learning to take time each day to be still. How much do we miss because we're too busy? How much less stressed out would we be if we just took a moment to "be still"? As we make time for God, He is exalted. He wants to be the focus of our lives, and to focus you have to be still!

Let's stop the ride and focus for a moment. Be still and know He is God.

The Bait of Satan - part 4

2010-02-19T05:18:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of quotes from John Bevere's book "The Bait of Satan".
As you can tell, this is an incredible book. I personlly think everyone should read this book.
I have posted all these great things on my blog to minister and challenge my readers, but also for me. I read somewhere that if you re-teach the new things you have learned, you retain more of the knowledge you have gained. So this has been my way of re-teaching what I have learned through John Bevere's book.

Seriously, get yourself a copy of this book and read. You'll be glad you did!

Now for today's quotes from the book.

"The Bible does not record that Jesus reacted to any of the men who left Him. His only delight was to do the will of the Father. In doing so He would benefit the greatest number of people."

"When you live for the will of God, you will not fulfill the desires of men. As a result, you will suffer in the flesh."

"The way we forgive, release, and restore another person is the way we will be forgiven."

"Bitterness is a root. If roots are nursed - watered, protected, fed, and given attention - they increase in depth and strength."

"Our degree of maturity determines how well we will handle an offense without injury."

"We grow in tough times, not the easy times... If you choose to run from them, you will seriously hinder your growth."

"It takes maturity to walk in humility in order to bring reconciliation. But taking the first step is often harder on the one who is hurting. That's why Jesus told the person who cause the offense to 'go to him...'"

The Bait of Satan - part 3

2010-02-18T16:48:00.000-08:00

This is day #3 of blogging quotes from John Bevere's book "The Bait of Satan".

"We will be judged according to fruit, not gifting. A gift is given. Fruit is cultivated."

"God never created us to live seperately and independently of each other... An isolated person seeks only his own desire, not God's. He recieves no counsel and sets himself up for deception."

"When God does instruct you to leave, you will go out with peace, no matter what the condtion of the minstry... Spiritual growth is a function of obedience... Our knowledge of Scripture is not the key. Obedience is... When God releases you in peace, you will not have pressure to justify your departure to others."

"The way you leave a church or a realtionship is the way you will enter into your next church or relationship."

"Many times God will allow people to run from situations He desires them to face if they are set on running from them in their hearts."

"How you react under pressure is how the real you acts."

"Trials in this life will expose what's in your heart - whether the offense is toward God or others. Tests either make you bitter toward God or others or stronger. If you pass the test, your roots will shoot down deper, stabilizing you and your future. If you fail, you become offended, which can lead to defilement with bitterness."

"Love is the bottom line in our relationship with the Lord - not love of principles or teachings but love for the Person of Jesus Christ."

"If you preach the truth you will offend people, and they will be uprooted and leave. Do not grieve over them, but rather continue to feed and nurture the ones God has sent you."

"Stay in your authority, or someone else will take it from you and use it against you."

The Bait of Satan - part 2

2010-02-17T06:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I started blogging quotes that challenged me from John Bevere's book "The Bait of Satan".
Here are some more...

"God tests His servants with obedience. He deliberately places us in situations where the standards of religion and society would appear to justify our actions. He allows others, especially those close to us, to encourage us to protect ourselves. We may even think we would be noble and protect others by avenging ourselves. But this is not God's way. It is the way of the world's wisdom. It is earthly and fleshy."

"You are not the one who choses where you go to church. God does."(1 Cor. 12:18)

"Remember that, if you're in the place where God wants you, the devil will try to offend yo to get you out. He wants to uproot men and women form the place where God plants them. If he cannot get you will not budge, even in the midst of great conflict, you wil spoil his plans."

"When you're out of the will of God, you will not be a blessing or help to any church."

"Once you leave the place God has chosen for you, your root system begins to dwarf... You end up coming to the place where you have little or no strength to endure hardship or persecution."

The Bait of Satan

2010-02-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

I just finished an incredible book by John Bevere, "The Bait of Satan".
This book was so incredible becuase I began reading it and then noticed how God was teaching me lessons in my own life as I read it.
The book deals with the issues of offense. Everyone has been offended or hurt by someone and the way we deal with that offense or hurt determines if we grow or become stagnant.

Just thought I would blog a few quotes from John Bevere that really challenged me.

"The knowledge of God's Word without love is a destructive force because it puffs us up with pride and legalism."

"A minister or a Christian is what he lives, not what he preaches."

"When you resist the temptation to be offended, Godbrings you great victory."

"Absolutely no man, woman, child, or devil can ever get you out of the will of God! No one but God holds your destiny."

"If you stay free from offense you will stay in God's will. IF you become offended you will be taken captive by the enemy to fulfill his own purpose and will."

There are many more quotes from this book that challenged me. Think about what I've already shared and I'll share more next time. Or hey, why not head out and pick up your own copy of "The Bait of Satan". I promise you it will challenge you too!

Snow Day

2010-02-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

The other day as I was visiting with a friend, asking how things were going, she began to tell me that she needed a "snow day". This morning we got up and had 4 inches of snow on the ground. God must have been listening to my friend's cry for a break!
Actually, I know He was listening because I know Him!
Remember Jesus words in Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Did you catch that part? "You will find rest for your souls." God knows when life becomes to much to bear. He's waiting for us to come to Him and find rest for our souls. So may times we just keep on going, even when life becomes too much for us to bear on our own. The "P" word keeps us from going to Jesus to find rest. Yes I mean pride. Pride keeps us from admitting we can't handle things on our own. Many people think admitting you can't handle things is a sign of weakness. But the apostle Paul cried out to God and God told Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." And then I love Paul's response, He says, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulities. For when I am weak, then I am storng." (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

So when life becomes too much to bear, run to God and tell Him you need a "snow day". He's waiting for you to come to Him so He can help you find rest for your soul.

Wet Pants

2010-01-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

I received this story in an e-mail from my good friend earlier today.
Perhaps we need to change the way we see people and situations!

"Come with me to a third grade classroom..... There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.'

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been
discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward him, a class mate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher
rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful.

But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.
She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!'

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'

May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good.

A Pure Heart

2010-01-07T09:38:00.000-08:00

Today is the 4th day of our annual week of prayer.

Each day we have a different prayer focus and an ongoing list of prayer request.

Today's prayer focus is: Forgiveness and a Pure Heart.

I wanted to share some of the scriptures listed on today's prayer guide.

Psalms 24:3-6 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. 5 He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Psalms 51:10-12 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalms 19:12-14 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalms 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Here a few things to help as you seek God for forgiveness and a pure heart:
• Pray that God would give you a pure and honest heart.
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to search you and reveal any hidden or un-confessed sins.
• Pray that He would help you to purify your mind.
• Pray that God would help you to begin to desire the truth of His Word more than anything else.
• Pray that God would help you to offer forgiveness to those who have wronged you. Even if they haven’t asked.

A few additonal Scriptures: 1 Timothy 1:5; Philippians 4:8; Ezekiel 11:19-21; Matthew 5:8

I challenge you to make this your prayer not just today, but everyday.

BHAG anyone?

2010-01-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

At Christian Center, we sing this song called "God of the City". It has a part that says, "Greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city."
Are you expecting greater things? What is your dream or goal for this year, this decade, or simply this season in your life? Realize God's dream and destiny for you is bigger and better than you could ever imagine.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work with in us,"
Think about what Paul is saying, God will not only do what we ask or desire, but even more than we could imagine.
As you dream and set goals for this new year, dream big. Don't just have a goal, have a BHAG! (Big Hairy Audacious Goal).
If your dreams are only big enough for you to accomplish on your own, you haven't dreamed big enough. We need to have a dream that is so big we can't accomplish it without God's help.
Greater things are yet to come!

New Year! New Blog post!

2010-01-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

Alright, we are 4 days into 2010 and I am finally updating my blog. My goal this year is to be more consistent with blog posts.

I haven't been able to get away from this scripture for a few days, so it seems like a good place to start this year.

"May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalms 19:14

Here's what the Lord has shown me through this verse. If I watch what I say and what I think about, I will do a better job of being who God wants me to be. Think about it. If every moment of every day we give consideration to our thoughts and our speech, and we allow the Holy Spirit to help us keep our speech and thoughts in line with the Word. We are beginning to live a life that pleases God. Remember Jesus said that out of the overflow of our heart, the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34). So if I watch what I'm allowing into my heart and I watch what is coming out of my mouth, those are good indications of how I'm doing spiritually. If I don't like what is in my heart or coming out of my mouth, then I need to get alone with God and His Word and change what I'm allowing into my heart. Remember Paul's words in Philippians 4:8; "Finally, brothers, whatever true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

So make Psalms 19:14 your prayer today and watch what you say and think about!

Temptation

2009-09-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

James 1:12-15 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

1. THE ROOT OF TEMPTATION v13-15
A. We invite temptation to exist- it’s not temptation if we don’t want it
B. The best way to stay away from temptation is to stay full of God
C. We should work on doing what is right instead of worrying about doing what is wrong.

2. THE REASON FOR TEMPTATION v12
“We can stand up under the test, be approved”
A. Temptation is a chance for us to choose.
1. We prove our love by our choices.

Why does God test us? To see what’s in us? No, he already knows.
He tests us so that we might know what is in our hearts. John Bevere, A Heart Ablaze, pg. 49

B. Temptation shows what’s in our heart.
1. Our private life is the real us
2. 1 Timothy 5:24‑25 The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden.

3. THE RESULT OF TEMPTATION v12
A. Some people fail the test.
1. Sin is choosing something over God
2. When we disobey God we harden our hearts
a. Hebrews 3:8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert

B. Temptation makes us stronger
1. The devil brings temptation to destroy us, but God turns it around for good.
a. Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
b. Luke 4:14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
c. 1 Peter 1:7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
d. Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
2. So why does he try? He’s willing to take the chance that we will mess up

4. OUR REACTION TO TEMPTATION v12
A. Use the Word of God
1. Jesus did- Mt 4 “It is written”
2. Ephesians 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
3. John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

B. Treasure your relationship with God.
1. Psalms 66:18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;
2. You don’t want to do anything to disrupt the clean and open relationship you have with him.

C. Look for a way of escape
1. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
2. If you get stuck in a situation - run
a. Genesis 39:12 She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
b. 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality

D. Don’t think you are above temptation
1 Corinthians 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!

E. Never give up
1. If you fall
a. Proverbs 24:16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
b. Micah 7:8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.
2. If you don’t feel anything
a. Habakkuk 3:17‑18 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Just a few thoughts.

2009-09-14T14:01:00.001-07:00

1. What a great day at Christian Center Assembly of God yesterday!

2. We officially changed our service schedule to two services.
I never knew going to two services could be so much fun!

3. Congratulations to our friends Angel and Jason.
I had the honor of officiating their wedding Saturday night.

4. I am beginning to realize how hard blogging is!
Coming up with fresh, insightful and interesting stuff to write is harder than I thought.

5. Looking forward to this Sunday, when we get to do two services again!
Yes this will become the normal thing at CCAG.

6. Making more room for people to be impacted by the Gospel of Christ!

7. Let Love Live.

8. Love Wins.

Hunger

2009-09-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

Read this post on hunger. It was written by a friend of mine. Good stuff Michael Fleming!

http://mdfleming.wordpress.com/

I hope you are challenged by Michael's post!

Lessons From Disney World - Part 3

2009-08-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

3. Dream Big

Many times I read the story about when they first opened Disney World in Florida. The story says that someone there said something like, "I wish Walt Disney could have seen this." To which someone else replied. "He did!"

I loved visiting Disney World and experiencing Walt Disney's dream.
Guess what, God has a big dream too. And He wants us to dream big.
If your dream is not unreachable, chances are it my not be from God. God wants us to dream big, He wants to accomplish great things in and through our lives.
One of my favorite worship songs lately has been "God of the City"; there's are part that says, "greater things are yet to come." Man I believe that.
Greater things are yet to come for me, my family, my church my city, and out nation.
We just need to dream bigger dreams and by faith follow God as He leads us in fulfilling those dreams.

And the truth be told... you don't have to go to Disney World to learn to dream big. All you have to do is read your Bible and you realize how amazing God is and how much He is waiting for us to catch His dream for our lives!

Lessons From Disney World - Part 2

2009-08-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

Here's another lesson I learned while visiting Disney World:

2. Focus on kids and mom and dad will come!
Everything at Disney is kid friendly and done with excellence.
Imagine if Walt Disney had built a church! It would have world class children's ministry and probably world class youth ministry.
Why is it that we in the church world today have a tendency to spend most of our resources on the adults while children and youth ministry seems to get the "left-overs"?
Seems to me that God's desire for building His Kingdom and His church is first of all excellence. I get tired of seeing people and churches do things half-way.

What if Christ only half-way provided our atonement on the cross? What if He only half-way forgave your sins? Or half way provided for your needs?

What ever you do, do it all for the glory of God! The means do things with excellence.

Remember, excellence is doing the best you can with what you have!

My desire is for the church to have quality children's and youth ministries. I have learned that the parents will follow.

Remember Jesus' words:

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matt 19:14-15 NIV

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."Matt 18:3 NIV

Lessons From Disney World

2009-08-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

Lately I've noticed many of my contemporaries are posting lessons they learned while visiting Disney World. I too visited Disney world while in Florida, so since it seems to be the common theme in the blogging world, here are my lessons from Disney World ...

1. It's a small word after all!

Right now the words to the song are most likely playing in your head! You're welcome!
As my family worked it's way through the massive crowds at the Magic Kingdom, I realized that no one knew who I was. Sometimes this can be dangerous. Let me explain.
When we find ourselves in a place where we think no one knows us, we are tempted to lay aside our integrity and character. We reason, "Well no one knows me so it doesn't matter what I do or how I act."
Remember, character and integrity are best defined, "Who you are when no one is looking."(Thanks Bill Hybels for writing that book!)
If I am really a person of charter and integrity, I am going to do the right thing and live a life worthy of a Christ follower, even in a strange city and a large crowd where chances are no one knows me.
And for the record, there's always someone who knows you, every where you go!
On day three of my visit to Disney World, I ran into a friend and his family also enjoying Disney.
I may have been on vacation from being "Pastor Joe" but I wasn't on vacation from being "Joe the Christ follower!"

So the lesson is, be real and be who you're supposed to be no matter where you are.
It's a small world after all!

The Cussing Pastor

2009-08-12T11:11:00.001-07:00

Here's a post from Ed Young Jr's blog.
Makes you think about the things that come out of your mouth!

The Cussing Pastor

Blocking "HolyGod"

2009-06-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine send me a link to read this blog post of one of his friends. It was too good not to post here for you to read.

The following comes from http://www.jenniferstair.blogspot.com/

Enjoy. Hopefully next week I'll get back to posting my own stuff!

Friday, June 26, 2009

Blocking "HolyGod"

About a year ago, I finally caught up with the twenty-first century and joined Twitter. For those of you who have been living under a rock, or perhaps are not technologically inclined, Twitter is a social messaging website where you post short updates (140 characters or less) that can be viewed by your “followers,” people who have permission to be included among those who are able to receive a regular feed of your posts.

At the advice of Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson and cutting-edge business leader, I began viewing my Facebook and Twitter accounts not only as ways to keep up with my friends and family, but also as opportunities to begin building an online “brand.” In his blog on the subject, Hyatt reveals, “By the way, I accept all friend requests on both Twitter and Facebook. Period.”

A few weeks ago, I took Hyatt’s advice and began accepting all “follower” requests on Twitter. The results have been fun! I’ve discovered many other people involved in the publishing industry, church planting and ministry, and families just like ours. I’ve also accepted follower requests from marketers, real estate agents, life coaches, and completely random people I have nothing in common with. And you know what, it’s been fun to read their updates and begin to get to know these people in a casual way.Now, I’ve gotten a few bizarre follower requests along the way, but the one I got yesterday tops them all. Literally.

Yesterday, I was contacted by “HolyGod”—who requested to follow me on Twitter.

Huh?

I checked out the Twitter profile, and sure enough, it’s someone who is pretending to be the Creator of the universe. He (she?) tells people when to expect rain, gives status reports on his ongoing fight with Satan, etc. Surprisingly, in the post-Christian Twitterverse, “HolyGod” has more than ten thousand followers.

Before I go any further, let me assure you that I do have a sense of humor. I don’t take myself too seriously, and I appreciate tongue-in-cheek biblical humor as much as the next person.

But to me, what “HolyGod” was posting on Twitter crossed the line. It wasn’t just satire; it was sacrilege. (Note: this is my own opinion; I am in no way criticizing anyone who does follow HolyGod on Twitter. Please, no irate e-mails.)

Fortunately, Twitter has a function that allows you to “block” people from being your followers. So instead of hitting “Follow” (in return), I simply clicked the option that says “Block.” After being prompted by a screen making absolutely certain I want to block this person (yes, I did), I then got a bold, large message scrawled across the top of my Twitter page:

YOU HAVE BLOCKED HOLYGOD.

I couldn’t help but snicker at the irony of the message. And then I thought…

How many times in my own life do I actually block Holy God? (The real, almighty Creator of the universe, not the Twitter version.)

When I sense God’s nudging to pray for someone or call a friend, do I act on it—or do I “block” Holy God, thinking I’ll get to that later, when I have more time?

When I have the opportunity to share the gospel or help someone in need, do I act on it—or do I “block” Holy God from using me in that way?

When I have the time to study God's Word or deepen my faith through our church's growth groups and Bible studies, do I joyfully take advantage of these opportunities—or do I “block” Holy God from growing my faith through these outlets?

I could go on, but I think you get the picture. So here’s my challenge to you (and me) today:

Today, and in days to come, when you sense God nudging you,
will you “block” Him, or will you “follow” Him?

Change. Change. Change.

2009-05-12T12:29:00.000-07:00

I really like this recent blog entry from Ed Young at Fellowship Church in Grapevine.
Liked it so much, I decided to post it on my blog.
Enjoy!

EdYoungBlog
Change. Change. Change.
Posted: 07 May 2009 12:20 PM PDT
If it ain't broke, break it.

In other words, change. Just to change. That may sound like an odd statement, but it's vital. Why? Because change is the guts of creativity.

We all want to be creative. But to do that, in any venue of life, we have to be willing to change. Something. Anything. And we have to do it before we need to do it.

One of the biggest pitfalls we find ourselves in is the inability, or unwillingness, to change. We lock ourselves into a style, a look, a time zone. And after a while, everything we do and say looks and sounds like circa 2002.

When you drill it down, the lack of change is all about fear. Many people and leaders resist the need to change because of the resistance of change. But there's a spin cycle of success when it comes to change.

Change. Conflict. Growth.

If you want your life and your leadership to reach the level God wants it to, you have to change.

At Fellowship Church, we change all the time. There's a running joke that FC stands for "frequent change." But it's true. We've discovered over the past 18 years that when we change, yes, we face conflict. Yes, people do the push back. Yes, some people even leave the church! But as we stick through the changes, we also discover tremendous growth on the other side.

So what does change really look like here?

Change Your Preparation
I don't always prepare my messages the same way. I vary the books I read, the articles I research and the people who help me craft the weekend messages. I even change the places I study.

If I stick to doing things the same way, I fall into a rut. And there's no less effective place to be than in a rut.

Change Your Worship
Over the years, we've blown up the entire dynamic of our worship department. And not just once.

This is one of those areas that, when it's "working," people are afraid to change. But it's one of the greatest ways to keep the church on its feet with its arms raised in worship rather than folded in familiarity.

Change Your Style
I'm not talking about just your clothes (though, yes, please change those as the years go by). I'm talking about the style of your leadership. In other words, change the people you have in leadership positions.

Even as I write this, we're in the process of changing the entire leadership scheme of Fellowship Church. Because we've discovered that new perspectives, new viewpoints help elevate our church to heights we never dreamed possible.

Don't be afraid of change. Instead, be afraid of what could happen if you don't change. Be willing to face the conflict change will bring. And get ready to experience the growth on the other side!

Come Home - part 2

2009-05-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on my previous entry. This afternoon around 3:00 the two teens who were missing were found hiding here in town. They are both safe and sound.

Thanks to everyone who prayed for these kids and their families. Please continue to pray for the families as they work through the past 24 hours.

Nothing's Too Hard For God!

Come Home

2009-05-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

Did you ever stop and think about how great God's love is for us?
I always love reading and teaching from Luke 15:11-32, the Parable of the Lost Son.
I always get choked up talking about the part of that story where the Father runs to his son and welcomes Him home.

Last night as I stood outside the home of a family whose teenage daughter had ran away. I couldn't help but think of that story. I watched as the desperate Father kept looking down the street, waiting for his daughter to come home. She never did. We're still looking for her and a friend, believing they are both safe and will return today! Please keep these two family's in your prayers.

Anyway, as I ministered to this family, watching as they were waiting and watching for their lost child to come home. I couldn't help but wonder what it must do to the heart of our Heavenly Father when we walk away from Him. He loves us so much. Scripture tells us that "while we were still sinners Christ died for us". John 3:16 reminds us that God has so much love for us that He gave His One and Only son for us. That through his sacrifice on the cross,we might have eternal life.

We're still waiting for these two teenagers to come home. And if you've wandered away from home, your Heavenly Father is waiting for you to come home too!

Stop running. Go home. He loves you. He created you, not because He had to but because He chose to create you as an expression of His love!

Think there's no way you could go home? Think you've done too many things, carry too much baggage? He's waiting to welcome you home. He offers forgiveness to everyone who asks.
Stop running away, turn around and run home. You Father is waiting for you!

Big Storms

2009-04-30T10:46:00.001-07:00

Big storms rolled through our area last night and early this morning.
At least they sounded big. The lightening was bright and the thunder was loud.
I woke up when my six year old came and crawled in bed with me. As the Thunder continued my daughter soon began to holler for "mom"! As the third round of storms rolled through, I noticed it was just me and Andrew in the bed, Jennifer had to get in Bonnie's bed!
As the thunder boomed loudly I could tell Andrew was awake and scared. I reached over and pulled him close and assured him everything was alright.

As I lay there with my arm around my son, comforting him during a storm, I couldn't help but think again about my heavenly Father. I'm so thankful for the times when He has pulled me close and assured me everything is going to be alright.

Wouldn't it be nice if we never had to face storms and hard times in our lives. But storms come, sometimes often, into each of our lives. I think God wouldn't trade our storm moments for anything. Because during the storms of life many of us have a tendency to move in close to Him. The stormy times of life produce some very intimate moments with our heavenly Father.

Maybe your in a storm now. Move closer to your heavenly Father. He's waiting to comfort you and to assure you everything will be alright. During storms I often think of a song I heard that said, "Sometimes He calms the storm and sometimes He calms His child." Either way we know God is in control!

Storms are coming, it's alright He's waiting for you to move in closer to Him.

Are you connected?

2009-04-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

What a great time we live in. You can always be connected to everyone all the time!
We have internet, cell phones, ipods, text messaging, instant messaging, facebook and for the cool people myspace (I am not cool enough for myspace!) and now twitter.

I am not using twitter. Not sure why though. I mean does anyone really care what I am doing every moment of every day? It's fun learning something new though.

Twitter got me thinking about my relationship with God (it's what pastor's do you know!).
Anyway, imagine if we stayed as connected to God as we do with each other. I remember one time Jeanne Mayo made a statement, she said, "Short prayers are adequate when you're close to the Throne." What a great statement. When we stay close and connected to God we are in the right place.

Are you connected? Can you hear Him when he whispers your name?
Take some time toady and disconnect from your world and connect with God, you'll be glad you did!

Father's Heart

2009-04-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm sitting in my office at home working. Can't help but overhear my 4 year old daughter as she is in the next room listening and singing along to a kids worship CD. She is having her very own little worship service!
As her father, my heart is encouraged to hear my child worshipping God.

I was just thinking, "what must our heavenly Father's heart feel like when we take time to worship Him?" Does His heart leap for joy because His children are calling out to Him and loving Him? Or does His heart ache because He longs for us to spend intimate time with Him?

Take a minute today and acknowledge God in your life. He created you, He formed you. Not because He had to, but He chose to create you as an expression of love.

"God my I continue to live a life that brings honor to You. May my children continue to learn how to worship You, how to honor You, how to love You as they see me doing these things. Let Your love live through me today. Thank You for Your amazing love, grace, and mercy. Thank You for calling me Your child."

Let Love Live.
Love Wins.

Great Day!

2009-04-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

What a great day.

Got to have lunch at my favorite place (Chipotle) with a good friend I haven't seen in a while. He was such an encouragement. I'm glad we were able to meet and catch up! Thanks RbJ!

Tonight I had the privilege to speak in our youth service. I was blown away by the response of our teens tonight. We have some students who have a passion for God!
We are blessed with awesome youth pastors (easy to say since they are also related to me!)
I am so blessed to get to pastor an amazing church and work with a first class team.

Just wanted to brag on my church for a minute!

And yes I still believe "Greater Things are Yet to Come!"

Greater Things?

2009-04-12T18:44:00.001-07:00

Whew! What an amazing weekend. We have just finished celebrating our Risen Savior.
Easter weekend 2009 has been totally amazing.

On Saturday, we hosted the 4th annual Christian Center A/G Easter Eggstravaganza. This year was definitely the best yet! We had a record attendance on Saturday. I'm told we had around 700 people in attendance. Close to 8000 Easter eggs, we cooked 700 hot dogs, gave away hundreds of drinks, chips, cotton candy and snow cones. Plus there were so many prizes and give-a-ways that it's hard to count! Watching the kids faces who won bicycles was a priceless moment.
Thank you to all my Christian Center friends who gave of themselves to serve our community. Thanks to Kelli, Amie, Tanya, Tina and all the others who helped make this years eggstravaganza a huge success. I believe Greater Things are yet to come!

Now let me reflect on Easter Sunday!
God is so great and amazing!
We had a record attendance! We broke a number barrier that has never been broken in the history of CCAG! But the greatest moment today was praying with individuals who came forward to receive Christ. I'm so excited to see how God is changing lives!
Greater Things are yet to come!

For the Love of the Game

2009-04-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

What a great day today. Beautiful weather and baseball.
Today was opening day for Krum Little League Baseball. I am coaching an 8 and under team that one of my sons plays on.
Baseball is such a fun game. I love being outside throwing a ball around or watching two teams square up and play hard!

I was thinking about a Pillar song that I heard on the radio recently called "For the Love of the Game". Can't remember all the lyrics but what stands out in my mind is "We live our life for the love of the game."

That's how Christ wants us to live. Not boring, stale lives. But lives with passion for the Love of the Game! Remember what Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief comes to steal and to kill and to destroy. But I have come that you may have life more abundantly."

That abundant life Jesus was talking about is life to the fullest. Living life with passion, pursuing the dream and the destiny God has for you. Finding His purpose for your life, and then living out that purpose. That is living life "For the Love of the Game!"

Just a little something to think about!
Let's Play Ball!

Convoy of Hope

2009-04-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe I haven't posted here since January.
I wish I had a good reason. The best I can come up with is I've been busy!

Last weekend our church participated in Convoy of Hope in Denton. What a great experience. It was a cold March morning, but I was so proud to see over 570 volunteers come out and serve the community of Denton.

I know that Convoy of Hope has made a lasting impression on many in the Denton area, volunteers and guests who enjoyed everything that was offered.

If you served at Convoy. Thank you. We appreciate your willingness to "let love live" in our community.

Do you have a plan?

2009-01-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

Wow what a great day at CCAG!
We are truly blessed with an awesome, anointed worship team.
The new song they introduced was great... it's still bouncing around in my head (if only I knew all the words!!!)

Thank you Gary Paschal for blessing us with a great message today. (If you missed it you should get the CD!)

Here are the notes I took from Gary:

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

4 Principles for life:

P - Please God with your choices.
We should ask ourselves about everything in our lives, "God is this what pleases You?"
We must be above what culture is demanding and seek to please God.

L - Let the Spirit Lead Daily!
Are you Full of the Spirit? This is not just for the ability to speak in tongues!
When you're full of the Spirit:
1. You'll be a witness for Christ.
Tell people about the New Life you've been given through Christ.
2. What spills out?
You can tell what you're full of by what spills out!
What spills out of you when things fall apart? When your Full of the Holy Spirit,
He spills out of your life!!!!

A - Ask Somebody.
There is wisdom is a multitude of counselors.
Truth spoken in love brings freedom.
God call us in the Body of Christ to accountability!

N - Never, Never, Never Give Up!

What's the most important decision in life?
Accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior.

What's the second most important decision in life?
What are you going to do if you stumble and fall? (will you get up and brush your self off and keep going, or will you just quit?)

God's plan is for you to receive His grace and keep moving forward.

Awesome job Gary.
Alright all you CCAG readers, get out there in your world and let the love of Jesus live through you! God's got a plan for your life. Nothing's Too Hard For God!

Do you Pray?

2009-01-21T18:56:00.001-08:00

Just wondering, how often do you pray?

Tonight we started a study based on Philip Yancy's book, "PRAYER - Does It Really Make A Difference?"
In the first chapter, he states, "According to Gallup polls, more Americans will pray this week than will exercise, drive a car, have sex, or go to work. Yancy states that nine in ten of us pray regularly, and three out of four pray everyday."

This got me to wondering, do you pray? How often?

A little further into his book, Yancy writes, "There was a time, Genesis informs us, when God and Adam walked together in the garden and conversed as friends. Nothing seemed more natural to Adam than to commune with the One who had made him, who gave him creative work, who granted his desire for a companion with the lovely gift of Eve. Then, prayer was as natural as conversation with a colleague, or a lover. At the moment of the fall, for Adam and for all who succeeded him, God's presence grew more remote, easier to doubt and even deny."

So do you pray? When you pray is it anything like Adam communing with God?
Can you imagine the intimacy they must have had. Each day Adam had an appointment with God. Genesis says they met. "in the garden, in the cool of the day".

I think it's time we start making daily appointments with our Creator, the One who formed us and desires for us to know Him intimately.

Do you pray, the answer should be yes, often!

Weekend Reflections

2009-01-19T19:07:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a great day at Christian Center Yesterday.
If you weren't there, we missed you and will be looking for you next week.

Here's a few of my thoughts about Sunday:

1. I love pastoring this amazing church. We had another day of great attendance. As I look back over the last almost 2 years(my 2 year anniversary as pastor at CCAG is coming up April 15) I am truly amazed at what God has allowed me to be a part of.

2. We are so blessed to have the musicians and singers we have.

3. Yesterday's prayer time was very powerful. It always humbles me when people come forward for prayer. Yesterday was no different. I can't wait to see how God answers the prayers we prayed yesterday! Nothing's Too Hard For God!

4. Speaking of Nothing's Too Hard For God. I'm exited to see how many of you are excited about our new campaign. I am believing that we will reach a lot of people this year as we focus on a few areas where we need to be reminded that nothing is too hard for God! (If you'd like a yard sign of a NTHFG wristband let me know. We have ordered more and can place another order if we need too!)

5. Yesterday we had our monthly Board meeting. I was reminded again how God has blessed this church with some great, godly leaders.

6. Hey did you notice this Sunday reflections post was posted on Monday??? At least I made a new post!

7. Have a great week and let love live through you!

Still Trusting!

2009-01-16T15:29:00.000-08:00

This has been as busy week! Which is obvious since I haven't had a blog post in several days. Sorry about that.

This past week, I have had many conversations with people who are going through tough times.
I still can't stop thinking about Psalms 73:25 look how it reads in the New Living Translation: "My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever."

I don't know what your week has been like, but one thing I know: God is STILL God!
No matter what comes or way, no matter what happens to us, God is faithful and in control!
When your health fails, He is your healer. When spirit grows weak, He is your strength. When your finances seem to be getting worse and it's harder to make ends meet, He is your provider.
What is it you need? God can provide. Nothing is Too Hard for God!

Are you still trusting God?

Strength

2009-01-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

This weekend I preached a sermon out of Psalms 73. One verse in this incredible psalm stands out to me still (even though I forgot to mention it in the sermon!!!)

Psalms 73:26 My Flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

As I continue to think about this verse, here's what I come up with:
All that I have may fail, my health, my relationships, my ministry, everything, but God will still be my strength. If I put my trust in anything besides God, I will be disappointed.

But when I trust in God, He is always faithful. When I turn to Him to be my strength, He strengthens my health, my relationships, my ministry, everything!

God is my strength, without Him I am nothing!

Grace Flood - Part 2

2009-01-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

Still be thinking about James 4:6 which reads, "But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"

So here's the thing... God has a great supply of grace and He readily makes it available to us!

Grace is not "the big cover up". Grace is the ability of God in me.
John 1:17 says "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

God continually provides His grace to us to empower us to live in obedience to Him and His Word. We need His grace to make through each and every day. Without His grace we are hopeless.

So each day our prayer should be, "God give me more of your grace, enable me to live my life today in complete obedience."

Again, just something to think about!

Grace Flood!

2009-01-07T21:02:00.000-08:00

This morning during my time I regularly call "having coffee with Jesus", which is my prayer time, I was reading in the Book of James when verse 6 of chapter 4 stood out in my mind.

James 4:6 But he [God] gives more us grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

God gives us more grace. God gives us more grace. Yes that is not a typo, I typed it twice. Read it again, God gives us more grace.

Think about it, God has a never ending supply of His grace to see us through any situation, trial, temptation, or whatever we may be facing. When it seems like we can't go on, God gives us more grace. When we feel like we've failed Him again. God gives us more grace. When we can't see through the clouds that seem to hover over our lives, God gives us more grace.

As I thought about this verse, God gives us more grace. I started thinking, why? Why does God give us more grace? Isn't what He's given us already enough?
Then I thought of Paul's writing in 2 Corinthians 12:9; "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"
God gives us more grace, because when our strength is gone we need His. The more we rely on His grace and His strength and His provision, the closer we cling to Him. In our moments of weakness, He is strong.
When we can't, He can! When we think it's over, He's not finished!
Just something to think about.

My Church

2008-12-16T08:12:00.000-08:00

I know...I am doing a terrible job at keeping my blog updated! Sorry about that.
Anyway, today Perry Noble had something in his blog that was amazing. It was a quote he read from Brian Houston. I wanted to put it in my blog too...

“The church that I see is a church of influence. A church so large in size that the city and nation cannot ignore it.
A church growing so quickly that buildings struggle to contain the increase.
I see a church whose heartfelt praise and worship touches heaven and changes earth. Worship which influences the praises of people throughout the earth exalting Christ with powerful songs of faith and hope.
I see a church whose alters are constantly filled with repentant sinners responding to Christ’s call to salvation.
Yes, the church that I see is so dependent on the Holy Spirit that nothing will stop it not stand against it.
A church whose people are unified, praying and full of God’s Spirit.
The church that I see has a message so clear that lives are being changed forever and potential is fulfilled though the power of His Word. A message beamed to the peoples of the earth through their television screens.
I see a church so compassionate that people are drawn from impossible situations into a loving and friendly circle of hope, where answers are found and acceptance is given.
I see a people so kingdom-minded that they will count whatever the cost and pay whatever the price to see revival sweep this land.
The church that I see is a church to committed to raising, training and empowering a leadership generation to reap the end-time harvest that all its ministries are consumed with this goal.
I see a church whose head is Jesus, whose help is the Holy Spirit and whose focus is the Great Commission.
Yes, the church that I see could well be our church.”
Wow! This could be our church... let's make it happen!

Surviving A Crisis

2008-12-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

3 Levels of growth God desires to take us to:

1. Mature
James 1:4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature...
Mature is to be fit for the purpose and the assignment that God has for us in our life.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

“God is too good to be unkind. He is to wise to be confused. If I cannot trace His hand I can always trust His heart.” — Charles Spurgeon

When crisis comes into our lives and we’re mature in Christ, the crisis doesn’t throw us into a panic and we don’t bail on God.

Maturity = unwavering consistency.

2. Complete
James 1:4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete...

Crisis will do something to your character — it will always introduce you to yourself.

Crisis reveals your integrity (who you are in the dark)

Completeness comes through perseverance — not only the ability to bear things, but also the ability to turn them into greatness or glory.

Completeness comes through contentment:

Philippians 4:11, 12 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

3. Not Lacking Anything
James 1:4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

When we learn to face crisis correctly, we experience survival frequently.

God is our invisible support.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

When we have nothing to lean on or cling to, we’re in good shape because we have nothing to reach for except God.

Battles produce maturity — maturity brings completeness — completeness is lacking nothing.

We need to allow our faith to carry us through times of crisis.

Nothing

2008-11-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been thinking about Jeremiah 32:26-27 which says, "Then this message came to Jeremiah from the LORD: "I am the LORD, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is`anything too hard for me?" (NLT)
This is the theme of the Assemblies of God media plan entitled, "Nothing's Too Hard For God".
This thought has been rocking my world lately. Everyday, we meet people who are facing touch situations or circumstances. They need to know that Nothing Is Too Hard For God.
Just recently I met a teenage girl who asked me to pray for her dad because he had a tumor. I prayed and gave her a bracelet that says, Nothing's Too Hard For God. Then I encouraged her that when she wore the bracelet to pray for her dad and believe that Nothing's Too Hard For God.
I also met another couple that is going through some tough circumstances. They told me a pastor actually refused to pray for them concerning what they are going through because he didn't believe in the institution offering them help! That makes me so angry! People don't need a judge, they need someone to be Jesus with skin on to them!
I've visited this couple, gave then a NTHFG bracelet, and now I am praying that God proves to them that Nothing Is Too Hard For Him!

Think about it...Is there anything we face that God can't help us overcome or delver us from?

Post Election Statement

2008-11-05T12:52:00.000-08:00

Great words from Dr. George O. Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God.

The election, at long last, is over.
As fellow believers, we offer to our new leaders the pledge of our prayers and our commitment to be good citizens in this wonderful land that the Lord has privileged us to live in.
In this moment as I talk with you, I do not know the results of the election because this was recorded prior to the election. I wanted to bring these comments to you without knowing who won – because our responsibilities as Christians transcend politics – and we must be who we are regardless of who wins.

The first century Christians lived in a time far different than ours.

The government was a repressive dictatorship. Life was cheap. Slavery was practiced. Infanticide was common. Romans chapter one outlines the steep and deep degradation morally and ethically in the prevailing culture.

Christians then, unlike us, did not have the right to vote. In fact, throughout the first 200 plus years of the Church, Christians were a persecuted minority. Yet, those early Christians turned the world upside down and right side up. How did they do it? Through the ballot box? No. Through electing leaders that were preferential to their point of view? No. They changed the world by being what Jesus called them to be – salt and light.

I must confess that during these past long months of electioneering, I let the externals of
politics take too much of my time and interest. Perhaps you did as well. It’s easy to get so overly
absorbed in politics that we lose sight of the fact that our citizenship is really in heaven – that
governments, presidents, senators, and political leaders come and go – but the kingdom of God lasts forever.

I am not saying that we should not be involved, as citizens, in political issues; but I think it is
vital that we keep perspective. Our focus should be more on winning people to Jesus than winning elections. We need to be more concerned about the progress of the Gospel than the progress of a political party.

I want to call you to refocus on the health of the church – that the real answers to eternal
issues lie not in the government – but in a revitalized body of believers that transforms neighborhoods and communities through our witness in word and deed.

For more from Dr. Wood go to http://www.ag.org/.

Something to think about

2008-11-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

Received this e-mail from a friend this morning. Thought it was good enough to publish on my blog . Makes you think!

Ever wonder if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several time a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
Makes you stop and think, where are our priorities? And no dropped calls!

What a day!

2008-11-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

Sunday was a great day!
We had an amazing attendance.
We baptized 4 people. Always fun welcoming people into the Kingdom.

One of my great friends blessed me with tickets to the Dickie's 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. That's quite an experience!

While at the race, I noticed several people around me wearing headphones attached to a scanner. They were listening to the different racing teams talk to their drivers.
This got me to thinking. I wasn't able to hear what was going on because I didn't have one of those radios! Now here's the thing. How often do we not hear what God is saying to us because we aren't tuned in. I enjoyed the race without having a radio to listen to the teams and drivers communicate. But I wouldn't want to go even one day without being tuned in to what God is saying to me.

Are you tuning in and listening as God speaks to you? How does He speak? Through His Word, through the Holy Spirit, through pastors, teachers and through people around us!

Tune in and listen to God. Especially as you head out to vote tomorrow. Pray before casting a ballot and let God lead you in voting for the leaders He has appointed for our nation, state and city!

Enough Already!

2008-10-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

I have lost count of how many negative e-mails I have received concerning this Presidential election.
So just for a moment allow me to get on a soapbox!

Obama is not Hitler and not the anti-Christ.I didn't vote for him nor do I agree with his views. However, if he is elected as president I will accept that as God's divine will for our nation. Romans 13:1-2 reminds us that all authority is established by God. Therefore we should pray for our leaders and authority's and we are to submit to and honor them even if we don't like them or agree with them. So we right now should simply be praying for our nation, and for John McCain and Barak Obama.

The important thing is get out and vote. I don't care which candidate you vote for but just vote.
Then after the votes are counted commit to pray for our President.
And whether your candidate wins or not, decide that you are going to honor and submit to the position of authority over us. When we as followers of Christ lead by example it speaks volumes into the lives of the people who are watching us. When we bad mouth, disrespect, and rebel against authorities, this too speaks volumes to those who are watching us.

Okay, I feel better now. Guess I can get off of the soapbox now.

Can you see where you are going?

2008-10-29T08:10:00.001-07:00

So I was thinking the other day...(I know scary huh?)
Anyway... Psalms 119:105 says "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
To rephrase this scripture, the Bible is our flashlight that helps us see where we are going.

So the thing I was thinking about is this: How many times do we find ourselves too busy to read the Bible. Each day we make time for things like, Facebook or MySpace, Instant Messaging, Text Messaging, reading e-mail, and news stories, and other pointless information on the Internet...yet we say we don't have time to read our Bible!
If God's Word is a light for our path, shouldn't we keep it with us and use it often? Just a thought.
Instead of stumbling around in the darkness, why not turn on the light!

Death of the Blackberry!

2008-10-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Early Friday morning...my blackberry died!
If you've been trying to reach my by calling my cell #, you probably got my voicemail, which I can't check because I HAVE NO CELL PHONE.
The people at the AT&T store very very uncooperative, so here I sit Monday morning waiting on AT&T to send out a replacement that I'm not even sure is what I needed, but how could I know since the guy at the AT&T store blew me off and had me call the warranty 800#.
Anyway, there's a bit of frustration in this post...I am not a big AT&T wireless fan right now.
Guess I need to pray that the Lord will help me forgive and forget.
But boy, it sure is frustrating not having a cell phone for several days.
So if you need to contact me, call my home # or the church. I always at one of either of these places.
Thanks for letting me vent my frustrations to my blog readers ( if there are any!!!!!!)

What else can they fry?

2008-10-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

Just got home from a day at the State Fair of Texas with my family.
Couldn't believe all the food booths and the things they offered. Living in the south is great!!!
I saw a booth that had chicken fried bacon, another one offered fired lattes, still another had fried banana splits, and even fried s'mores and fried cheesecake. And if that wasn't enough they even had something a bit healthier...fried green beans.
I think I heard my arteries clogging just walking through the food booths.
What's even worse is I didn't get to try any of the things I listed above.
But buddy, that chicken fried bacon sure was tempting!!!
I guess here in the south you can fry anything!

Just thought I'd share some of the sights and smells I experienced today.

that which cost me nothing

2008-10-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

Ran across this while cleaning out some old youth ministry files.
It comes from a resource I used to receive from Jeanne Mayo.
I is taken from 2 Samuel 24:24 where David says, "I will not offer to the Lord that which costs me nothing."

Thanks "Aunt Jeanne" for sharing your awesome resources. (She's not really my aunt but that is what I call her. f.y.i.)

On the windows of my heart,

I hear the tappings...

Voices, needs, and drives

That peer through the "glass" of my heart

And beg for entrance to my soul.

"The fantasy dream"...

"The fantasy desire"...

"The fantasy person"...

BUT I WILL NOT GIVE TO THE LORD MY GOD THAT WHICH COSTS ME NOTHING.

For though the tappings be quite constant

And the glass be fogged by tears...

I have a higher "fantasy" than most--

a "fantasy" of pleasing HIM...

The God of every dream I hold...

The God of every desire I pulse...

The God of every person I pursue...

And though my "fantasy" may cause me

Lonely moments...

Unfinished sentences...

And even aching's from within...

I WILL NOT GIVE TO THE LORD MY GOD THAT WHICH COSTS ME NOTHING.

And what of you, my friend?

How high is your "price tag?"...

How quickly will you sell your soul?...

Or your moment?

Or your worth?

You scream of the cost

And selfishly murmur to yourself

Of the "price tag" of it all...

Yet the God of all my "fantasies"

Never said it would be easy...

Never said the crowd would cheer...

Never even said the crowds would know...

He just quietly, patiently

Taps at the window of your heart...

Peers through the glass to your soul...

And soberly whispers,

"Will you also go away?"

I pause for a moment...

Hold my breath...

Raise my eyes to His...

And slowly answer...

I answer slowly because

Answers that are given quickly

Are often forgotten quickly ...

"I WILL NOT GIVE THEE, LIVING GOD, THAT WHICH COSTS ME NOTHING."

Good Day vs. Great Day

2008-09-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Do you know the difference between a good day and a great day?

A good day is any day the sun comes up, you wake up, get to spend time with your family, maybe even get to go to work. A good day can be every day of the week. A good day is every day.

A great day is one of those good days, but with a little something extra. A great day is any day you get to lead someone in accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. This could happen every day!

Each Sunday people ask me if we had a good day. It's always a good day. Any day we get to meet together, worship an amazing God and be challenged by His Word is a good day.

But a great day is when God takes the mess of a sermon I have prepared and uses it to break down the walls in some one's life, and at the end of the service they decide to surrender their life to Christ. That is a great Sunday. Today was a great Sunday...I'm looking forward to next Sunday, hoping it too will be a Great Sunday and the first day as a Christ Follower for someone who came in looking for something!

Jesus makes everyday a Great Day!

The Law of Compensation

2008-09-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

Read this incredible devotion this morning by Leroy Brownlow entitled "The Law of Compensation." It was based on Jesus words in Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
The devotion stated that the world operates on the bases of paying each other by what we receive from each other. If someone smiles at us we usually return a smile. If they frown, we might frown back. If we sing, we might be invitedto join the choir. If we think, someone might ask our advice. If we love each other, we will be surrounded by loving people. And if we criticize, hate, and discriminate, we will suffer the same from those who are around us. The Law of Compensation.
Sounds a lot like the Law of sowing and reaping!
This week I've been thinking about what it means to let Jesus "shine" in us and through us.
I tried a little experiment with a total stranger. I kept seeing this person as I was walking around... one time around I just smiled at the guy. He hadn't looked very happy all morning. When I smiled at him, slowly a smile crept across his face! The Law of Compensation.
For the rest of the day I kept remembering two different songs:
1 - "Shine, make them wonder what you've got, make them wish that they were not on the outside looking in."
2 - "Shine on, shine on, and on to something new, its long and overdue, I will remember you.
Shine on, shine on."
So today as you go about your day, think about the law of compensation and remember, if you've got Jesus in your heart... "Shine on"!!

Here we go again

2008-09-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

Alright,
Several people have asked what happened to my blog.
I deleted it! Didn't feel like anyone was reading it and thought I could find a better way to use my time and share my thoughts.
I WAS WRONG!!!
So today I am creating a new blog. I hope that it encourages and blesses you. And most importantly helps you grow closer to Jesus.

Hope to see you all tomorrow (Sunday, 9/21) as we begin our new series CSI (Christians Should Investigate).