Is Your Check Engine Light On?

I had the opportunity to get away for a few days this week. Yeah! I anticipated them very much, and if I do say, they were very much needed too. I went to our District's Minister's Enrichment, which is a three day event at our District Conference Center in Carlisle, PA. We had a great speaker, Rev. H. B. London from Focus on the Family. He spoke on many different topics that were pertinent to the pastor and his life.

One message, in particular, that was a good reminder to me; and I thought I would pass on because it is important for us all, was in regard to "Watching the Guages." From I Timothy 4:16, he tells us "Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you." Truth is, we all must pay close attention to ourselves in the Lord - it is our duty as we are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Four guages he told us to watch are the:
#1 - Spiritual Guage
#2 - Physical Guage
#3 - Emotional Guage
#4 - Family Guage

All of which can change at any given moment. Good words of advice for the Pastor, as well as the lay-person. Because each day, one guage reading can vary from the next. We experience things, and go through events that change on a moment's notice, making life all the more fluid - and sometimes dangerous. Dangerous, because if we are not careful, and watchful, we can be lead into poor choices and bad experiences all because we didn't watch our guages that were meant to be warning signal to us as we try to "keep it between the lines."

He also went on to mention that there are times we get the check engine light on too. These are crisis moments that must get our full attention so that we don't crash and loose sight of it all.

Today - check your guages and watch for the check engine light so that you can continue to more forward on the course of life without any snags or regrets.

Thanks H. B. London!

Mission on the Home-Front

Week #2 was underway for Mission on the Home-Front. We were at Renee Kelley's home today with several men, and a couple teens, who did some much needed work there...

The two existing decks on the house were secured and a third was started. The frame-work was completed, and now it can be measured for the floor and the railings. Then, they got working on some railing for the steps to the basement...there were none before. That will be completed in the future as well.

Missions on the Home-Front will continue in the next two weeks...

Stay tuned for more updates!

And don't get caught sleeping on the job like Greg here...we need your help!

All-Mighty!

I have been trying to improve myself lately by expanding my vocabulary. So I have been recieving a word a day from dictionary.com to help me do just that. Words like panjandrum, turpitude and doof have been regularly coming to my e-mail and I have learned a few and can relate to a few too.

One particular word that made me immediately think of another was this...panacea. Panacea is a noun that is defined as "a remedy for all diseases, evils and problems; a universal medicine; a cure-all." You are probably thinking the same way I am. I immediately thought of Jesus being this world's PANACEA! He is the cure-all and universal medicine for all of man-kind's evils and diseases. Not just in the physical, but in the emotional, mental and even (and most importantly) the spiritual! He is the cure all for us with all of our deficiencies and failures...aren't you thankful? I know that I am!

Two Scriptures for your consideration...

Isaiah 53:3-5 - He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. [4] Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. [5] But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
Ephesians 1:22-23 (NASB) And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, [23] which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.

Jesus is our panacea!

He abrogated our moral turpitude so that we are now unabridged.

Blame it on ... myself?

It seems that in the society we live in today, the idea of blame is very accepted. We even hear it in Church all the time, "It's his fault I am like this. It's my job... It's my wife..." It seems that it is everyone elses fault that things go bad in our lives but our own. Excuses and blame - they are as old as Methuselah. Adam blamed Eve for his eating the apple; Eve blamed the serpent; and we blame Adam and Eve for our problems.
Today, the criminology world will tell us that people are a product of their society too. The same thing. It isn't little Johnny's fault that he stole from someone, his mother was mean to him. How silly does that sound? Very. True is that we become who we choose to become. We are what we choose to be. I gave illustration of this on Sunday by siting my own life - raised in a non-Christian home, and yet I am a pastor today. Make sense? Not really, but yet it does to me. Because I made the choices to be what I am today, in conjunction with Christ's working in me. Understand?
I happened to read this in Proverbs today. Proverbs 19:3 - "People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord." Isn't that the truth? We make bad choices in life and try to blame it on everyone else. What's more is that people believe this stuff, but not God! He makes us face our own music and take responsibility for our actions. The truth is that we will one day too.
So, instead of blaming the world for your problems - take responsibility for your troubles and face up to the need to make some changes in your life. Don't be angry at God anymore, but instead come to Him for help to bring about changes in your life for the better. He won't make you change, but you can do it with the resource of His power being available to you to do so. 1 Corinthians 4:20 (NLT) - For the Kingdom of God is not just fancy talk; it is living by God's power!

JUST DO IT!

These are the words of Jesus in John 14:15 - "If you love Me, you will keep my commandments." As I read them, it made me flash back to yesterday's message I shared in the morning service...

Once again, the Lord laid another message on my heart during the Worship Service, and instead of preaching what I had prepared, I shared from the book of Acts in second half of chapter 5. This is where the disciples are preaching, and once again placed into prison. BUT, an angel of the Lord came and opened the prison doors for them to get out and begin to preach once again in the streets. The next the Sadducees knew of these guys was when they were actually preaching. Very cool!

My poin that I wanted to make with this passage of Scripture was in regard to how we get put into a common prison, just like the apostles were; but not because we are standing up for the Lord, but by the bad choices of our lives. We "christians" sometimes get caught up with the things of this world and the appetites of the flesh and what begins to happen is that we find ourselves bound up in a prison with no witness, when we should be outside the Church walls sharing the Gospel of Jesus with others who need to hear.

Now - everyone agreed that we want to see the world come to know Jesus as Savior...and everyone also agreed that we are supposed to be the ones doing it. The trouble is that we get side-tracked. So we have to determine to stay focused and win some victories over the enemy who so easily entangles us in his traps.

Listen, I am a very "black and white" type of guy. What I mean by that is that if we say we are going to live for Christ, and be a witness, then we just must do it. Nothing frustrates me more than to see a "Christian" sit and struggle and strive in their sin when they know they should not be in it in the first place. Does anyone agree with me. If that is so, then we better "turn right, and go straight" as they say. As my Assistant Pastor says all the time to me, using the Nike slogan, "Just Do It!" And we must...

Which brings me back, full circle to John 14:15 - "If you love me???" That really could stand to be the question, couldn't it? Do we love Him? Are we really in this for Christ, or just so we don't end up in hell? We have to ask ourselves these questions sometime!!! Ask youself even now..."do I love Him?" Then, if you say you do...then, keep His commandments!

Blessings to you, and keep your head in the fight! Fight faithfully! Semper Fi!

MISSION on the HOME-FRONT

Matthew 22:37-39 tells us this...You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. [38] This is the great and foremost commandment. [39] The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
With these few verses in mind, it has been an ambition of mine to see our Church be involved in helping others in our own area. We have taken three missions trip to the Gulf Coast area to help the victims of the infamous Hurricane Katrina, and we have loved it and know it is the right thing to do. However, I have always felt that we ought to be involved with people right around us in PA too. Now, my dream has finally come to pass. This weekend our Youth Group kicked it off by helping a widow in our Church get her lawn raked and seeded so that it would not be full of rocks and weeds. They are doing a great job! I am so proud.
We are going to continue to help by having a group of men go over next week and begin to secure a couple decks, build a new one and install some light fixtures. Then, in the coming weeks we hope to put up some insulation and other things too. Hopefully this will spill over into other people's homes and lives.
Plus, what I am trusting to see is that while we are a blessing to this mother of three, we will in turn, be blessed by serving. That is what it is all about...helping, serving, and blessing others! Jesus did it when He fed the 5,000 didn't He?
Now, let me throw one other verse in for good measure...Matthew 7:12 - Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Just as Matthew 22:37-39 wraps up the whole Law, some 600 Jewish laws; Matthew 7:12 encompasses them all. All would agree that it is a great principle to live by. Give it a whirl! That is what we are doing!

Who do you chauffeur around?

Please don't be offended by this joke I came across, but I thought it was great - plus, it has a great point if we want to see it.

Billy Graham was returning to Charlotte after a speaking engagement and when his plane arrived there was a limousine there to transport him to his home.

As he prepared to get into the limo, he stopped and spoke to the driver. "You know" he said, "I am 87 years old and I have never driven a limousine. Would you mind if I drove it for a while?" The driver said, "No problem. Have at it." Billy gets into the driver's seat and they head off down the highway.

A short distance away sat a rookie State Trooper operating his first speed trap. The long black limo went by him doing 70 in a 55 mph zone. The trooper pulled out and easily caught the limo and he got out of his patrol car to begin the procedure.

The young trooper walked up to the driver's door and when the glass was rolled down, he was surprised to see who was driving. He immediately excused himself and went back to his car and called his supervisor.

He told the supervisor, "I know we are supposed to enforce the law... But I also know that important people are given certain courtesies. I need to know what I should do because I have stopped a very important person." The supervisor asked, "Is it the governor?" The young trooper said, " No, he's more important than that." The supervisor said, "Oh, so it's the president." The young trooper said, "No, he's even more important than that.

The supervisor finally asked, "Well then, who is it?" The young trooper said, "I think it's Jesus, because he's got Billy Graham for a chauffeur!"

I know, it may be a little corny, but it does have a great point. It was because of who Billy Graham was that made the officer believe Jesus was there in the back. Which makes me contemplate just who would people believe you or I am chauffeuring around if we were there. The hope is that Jesus would be assumed too.

It is like that old saying which was so popular some years back, "If you we accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to prove it?"

Matthew 5:16, Let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.

Be Encouraged!

One of my Board Members said this a few weeks ago, and I haven't been able to forget it since he said it. It is pretty cool...

Don't break down, break through!

Be encouraged to press through and gain victory over that which wants to gain victory over you. Remember that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus our Lord!

Looking Ahead!

It seems that I have been dealing with people a lot lately who have trouble with looking on their past and allowing it to hold them down. Now, I know that there should be a fair amount of remourse for our sins, but we should not be condemned by it - especially if it is under the blood. Romans 8 tells us that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ! For as much as the enemy/devil/satan would love to condemn you with your sins and horrible deeds of the past, you MUST not stay focused on it. In fact, you have to look forward to your future in the Lord!
Paul put it like this, Philippians 3:13 - Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. We too, have to forget the past and press on towards what lies ahead of us. Another warning of sorts is in Luke 17:32, which says, Remember Lot's wife. Why? Well, she looked back and should not have. She let the past bring death to her life, and if we look back, we only do the same thing - die. Because satan will use it as leverage against us. And, even though we have already been forgiven and set free from it because of the work of Jesus on the Cross, we (by looking back) are overwhelmed with it and are condemned!
I have heard it put like this... You can't drive your car forward by looking in your rear-view mirror. How practical is that? You have to look straight ahead! So - LOOK AHEAD!
Hebrews 12:2 - fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Stay Sharp!

I came across this short story that makes a great point. Let me know what you think...

Two lumberjacks challenged each other to an eight-hour woodchopping contest.
The first contestant chopped for hours on end, taking only a ten-minute lunch.
The second challenger chopped at a steady pace but took several breaks throughout the day, including a long lunch.
At the end of eight hours, the first lumberjack was irritated to discover that his opponent had chopped more wood than he had.
"How did that happen?" questioned the first lumberjack.
His challenger smiled and replied, "Every time I took a break, I sharpened my ax."

So the question that needs to be asked is, "Are you working harder or smarter?"

It seems that we sometimes work fevorishly to do for the Lord, and we forget to pray and seek His face. Then we wonder why we have little to no response. Have we been working too hard? Have we forgotten to be smart? By that I mean, that we have to remember this is God's deal, and He is the one who makes this all happen anyhow, not us. So we have to, and must, lean upon Him to accomplish the work. Our might will never work.

Zechariah 4:6 - "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord!"

Reconciliation!

As I have briefly mentioned in the last blog, we are holding "revival" meetings in our Church this week with Evangelist Carl Harris. I must say that God is doing some beautiful things in these meetings. One word to sum it all up is this, RECONCILIATION!
What we are experiencing and seeing take place is just what we read of in I Corinthians 5:18 & 19..."All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others." NLT
Now, I know that there was an original reconciliation that took place when we were first saved, we were accepted and brought back into fellowship with the Lord. However, it seems that God also is doing a restorative work of drawing in people who have lived on the fringe for so long. No longer do they have to live that way though. God is revealing Himself to them and they are being fast-forwarded into an intimate relationship with Him like when they first came to Him. Which reminds me of one other verse...Joel 2:25 - "Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten..." NASB Again, God restored and reconciles, amen?!

Let me tell you, it is like seeing the pieces of a puzzle come back together in the lives of people once again. Awesome! And that is something that only the power of a loving God can do through the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why we still need the Holy Spirit today - and that is why He is still here working on this earth today too.

Let me tell you, if you are in need of restoration and reconciliation, simply call upon the Lord, and you will find Him, and He can do the same in you...

What a summer!

Wow! What a summer it has been. It seems that it has just flown by with a flurry of activity. We had a week of revival in DuBois, PA where several churches joined together to seek God, and I was able to speak one night on the subject of the Holy Spirit. The local Ministerium hosted a great outreach with Steve Carrier from The Power Team in conjuction with our County Fair. A great praise the Lord to that weekend because about 200 people made commitments to live for Jesus Christ. Then, we also went on a missions trip to New Orleans with 21 of our people. Can anyone say "too busy?" I can.
With all that happening, my family and I were able to go to Plymouth, MA for a few days and enjoy a whale watch and I got to go deep sea fishing. Fun!
With all that said, I am currently trying to just get back to a normal cadence, and also hold a week of revival services with Evangelist Carl Harris - this week. Yesterday was a great day in God's house too. It is great to see people hear from God and then respond to Him. A lot of that was happening, thank God. Looking forward to more of it as the services continue...
Well, I have got to run - always busy - but I will try to get more regular here once again. Phew! LOL!

People are the Purpose

Here is an interesting quote that I came across in a commentary or somewhere recently...

"People are not your problem, they are your purpose!"

This quote can certainly bring conviction to any of us at one time or another, because we are all guilty of being bothered by people and their silly ways at times.
Recently, God brought this Scripture text to life in me with regard to this quote. That text is Acts 3, when Peter and John went to the Temple to pray and come across the lame man. They did not try to avoid him, but instead told him to look at them. Because they were about to give him something that he did not expect!
They tell this lame man, "Silver and gold have we none, but what we do have, we give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene - WALK!" That particular day, the man was not a problem, he was their purpose.
Jesus left us with a purpose too. It is called the Great Commission. To go into all the world and preach the Gospel. To who? PEOPLE!
Oh, how we have to remember that people are not the problem. No, instead, God has made them our purpose, just as they are His. We are His. Thank you Lord!

Prickly Problems

The Lord laid this verse on my heart yesterday in our prayer meeting at the Church - II Corinthians 12:7-10. It is the portion of Scripture where Paul pleads with the Lord to remove this "thorn in the flesh" that he had been contending with. You would think that God would do this for Paul; after all, it is Paul, I mean, come on! But God doesn't! Surprising. Which would then make one wonder why. Because we all believe that God has nothing but the best in store for us, and He would never want any of us to hurt. But I came across a statement recently in one of the many books that I have been reading lately, and it said something like, God doesn't have our here-and-now in mind, He has our eternity in mind. With that said, and it being true, then we might be able to understand why we have to go through some of the problems we do.
For Paul, the problem he had was more than a little antagonist, but it was huge. The word used for "thorn" in the text here does not refer to a sliver, but it actually inffers a stake - something like an 18" tent stake sized problem. This was not small thing that Paul was up against, yet it seemed best in God's eyes to permit it to remain. Things that make you go, "Hmmmm?" Why not remove it Lord?

Well, there is some reason to believe that God was using this "thorn in the flesh" to keep Paul humble and leaning upon Him. After all, Paul just got done talking about boasting in the verses previous this, and maybe this was the Lord's way to keep Paul in a humble and yeilded state before Him? I think we all know that pride is the one thing that found its way into Lucifer's heart, and lead to his expulsion from Heaven, and pride will do that very same thing in us as well. Pride seperate us from God.

I guess the lesson that we can gain from this is that God allows such "thorns" to remain in us so that we will stay humble upon the Lord. Why did God strike Jacob's hip in Genesis 32? That injury was a permanent thing, and God did it to him, why? I like to think of it as a way the Lord was able to constantly remind him that he had met with God, and that limp was a reminder of that, and of how he now had to lean on the Lord for strength to stand that day and each day after that. That is just what we need to be reminded of too.

We have to lean on the Lord for everything in every day. However, at times we have difficulty doing that, so the Lord will permit prickly problems to come our way to get us in a place where we will be overwhelmed and admit that we can't make it without Him, and we can't. The Bible tells us that "with God, all things are possible," Matthew 19:26. The key - WITH GOD. We have to be reminded of that, and that is just what a prickly problem will do.

Plus, the Lord gave a word of assurance to Paul as an answer to his prayer, "May grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in your weakness." The point - God wants us to get to this weak place in our lives, so that we will lean upon Him and find that we can only do and be as we have found it in Christ. Paul's response was that he would boast in nothing, but in the Lord from now on, and isn't that what we are to do in the first place?

Seems like the Lord can use these prickly problems to produce in us a revival of dependancy upon the Lord!

Graduation Day!

Today I skipped out of the office for a few hours, put on the "daddy hat" and went to something very special - my little girl's graduation from Pre-School! It is hard to believe that"little" Abbey is 5 years old and is growing up fast.

They had a nice little presentation with a variety of songs they sang for their family and friends, as well as poems and fun activities to share. She did very well through the year and is poised to get into Kindergarden.

Pray for us as we go into this next year of school. We are going to attempt to home-school both Alex and Abbey this coming year. We have been very disappointed in the schools here for a variety of reasons, (as are many parents in this community) so we are going to take things into our own hands. It should be fun!

Mourn with those who mourn...

It has become another sad day in VA, and around the world. News is spreading of Rev. Jerry Falwell's death this morning (Tuesday; May 15).

The Bible tells us in Romans 12:15 that we are to rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn. So today, we in Christiandom, mourn with the Falwell family and the congregation of Thomas Road Baptist Church. Not to mention Liberty University.

Regardless of whether you agreed with him or not, Rev. Falwell did his best for the Kingdom. He took stands on some things that were necessary, as well as those that we erroneous (like the telletubbies) but nonetheless, he was a servant of God that will be missed, I am sure.

All in all, we have to remember the words of Jesus in Luke 9:50, when the disciples complained to Jesus that others we using His name to cast out demons, and heal the sick. Jesus wasn't alarmed liked they were. He simply said that if they are not against us, they are for us.

Which tells me that whether you liked him or not, he was with us, and on our side. One day we will see him in Heaven and rejoice around the throne of God together. Oh, what a day that will be!

Happy Mother's Day!

I know... I know... I am a day late, and a dollar short; as they say. However, they also say it is better late than never! So here are my greetings to all you moms who deserve many kudos for all you do. Bless you!

I am blessed to have a wonderful wife named Angela, who is a fantastic, top-knotch mother to our two great children. To them, she is the best - and she is!

As it typical for us, I always have her preach the Mother's Day message in our Church. Like always, she did a bang-up job and brought a good Word for us all to hear, and grow from. I am so proud of her.

While she shared, she read a fun thing for the moms, and all, to enjoy, and I thought that I would share it here for some fun. So I hope you all enjoy it. We did. I am sure that some parents, and moms especially will identify with it.

THE EVOLUTION OF MOTHERS

Being a parent changes everything. But being a parent also changes with each baby. Here are some of the ways having a second and third child is different from having the first.

Your Clothes
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your doctor confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don’t bother practicing because you remember that last time, breathing didn’t do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your 8th month.

The Clothes
1st baby: You pre-wash your newborn’s clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby’s little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can’t they?

Worries
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pickup the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your 3-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

Pacifier
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby’s bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diapering
1st baby: You change your baby’s diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their diaper every 2 to 3 hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

Activities
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.

Going Out
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home 5 times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if shesees blood.

At Home
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of every day watching to be sure your older child isn’t squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

I know we have all been there. No one is in this parenting thing alone, so try to lighten up and enjoy it!

Until next time...

WANTED: Laborers in the Harvest Field

The Bible (Luke 10:2) tells us that we are to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest field. Why? Because the harvest is plentiful; in other words - there is a lot to do! I believe that with all that is in me - there is tons to do. However, there is the ever-increasing problem of seeing people get involved, and be committed to doing something for the Lord and serving in ministry to others and to the Body.

There could be a variety of reasons why this is so, but I came across this list of reasons why from an e-newletter from our District Church Development & Men's Ministry Director, Tom Rees. He snagged this from another blog from what I understand. I feel it is worth repeating, so here it is again...

Drop me a line and give me an idea of why you think people do not get involved anymore. Maybe we can add to this list. Thanks...

Reasons why people don't serve in The Church... (From PJ Tibayan)
1 - Don't know gifts
2 - Lazy
3 - Don't feel part of the church
4 - Shy
5 - Selfish
6 - Indifferent
7 - Unappreciative members
8 - Angry/critical members
9 - Lack of delegation from leaders
10 - Lack of follow-up
11 - Lack of initiative
12 - Leaders not asking
13 - Fear of what others might think
14 - Parents
15 - Pride
16 - No love
17 - Already have a ministry
18 - Difficult circumstances
19 - Burned-out/frustrated
20 - Unaware of church needs
21 - Handicapped
22 - Misplaced priorities
23 - Rides
24 - Unqualified for the ministry they want
25 - Don't feel gifted
26 - Hog face servants
27 - Not seeing "leaders" serve
28 - Inconsiderate members
29 - Not enough time

We have been doing a study in our Wednesday Night Bible Study at our Church about "Exploring Personal Ministry", which is right in line with this topic. Prayerfully, there will be a renewed motivation to be involved in ministry in the coming weeks as we attempt to help people find their gifts as well as see the need.

Hope to hear from you! Blessings!

Spiritual Warfare

Many times over I have heard people talk about how we are are not very aware of the Spiritual world here in America. Throughout the world, there is a cognisance of evil as well as the battles in the heavenlies; however there is an almost total disconnect here in the States. Plus, the Bible tells us that, "My people perish for a lack of knowledge."

With that in mind, I certainly do not want to be caught unaware. I have tried to be aware through prayer, and in reading about it. To be honest, I have read a lot about it through the years, especially when I was a teenager. After some break from the subject matter, I have picked up a new book (to me) written by Lester Sumrall called "Demons: The Answer Book." I have not completed the book yet, but have enjoyed it thus far. It has helped me to understand a bit more of how the enemy works in the world, and even in people, at worst.

One thing that I wanted to comment on is in regard to the devil though. He, being the beginning of all the evil and trouble that we have come to know today, is the root of where any and all evil comes from. I am not saying that we can use the old excuse that "the devil made me do it," but I am saying that we find we battle in the flesh with the same trash that lucifer spewed out at the beginning of time.

I have always known that the devil's pride was a major downfall. He wanted to be God, and to be praised like God was. So, the reason of pride always made sense and I never went further than that. Then, in this book, I came to understand that he also was full of greed. Not for money like we would think of in this nation, but greed for what God had. Maybe I am slow, but this seemed to make sense to me all of the sudden. In addition to that, I came to also understand just how elusive greed is in our lives. When you get right down to it, any sin can lead one astray just as these two things did with lucifer when left unchecked. Thus, the reason why we have to guard our hearts...

What I am trying to say is be aware of the battle that we are all in. Ephesians 6:12 tells us, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." The Lord has let us know of this Spiritual battle. So don't be ignorant of it, be aware of it and engage in the battle friends. Because whether you are aware or not, or are engage in it or not - know that you are in it!

As one TV ad says, "Get in the Game!"

Selfishness...

My family and I has a weekend off, and the week was spent with other pastors from around our district at our Ministry Summit in Pittsburgh, PA. It was a nice time away to be refreshed and rejuvinated.

Over the weekend, Angela was able to give a concert at her dad's church in Greene, NY which went great. The people were blessed by her ministry and loved the opportunity to bless the Lord in praise and worship along with her.

It was from there that we came home on Monday, for a short lay-over and to pack for the trip to Pitt. This one time we were able to go by ourselves; Angela's mom watched the kids for us which was a nice blessing, and I know that the kids had a ball with her. A great thing since we live so far apart.

Anyhow, what I really enjoyed was a message we heard on Tuesday Night from Rev. Charles Crabtree about selfishness. Rev. Crabtree is the Assistant Gen. Superintendant of the A/G, and he mentioned that he has his concerns about the Assemblies right now, one of which is the gift of the Holy Spirit, but he said beyond that, his foremost concern was selfishness. Which took me back for a minute because there is a "percieved" disconnect from the Gift of the Holy Spirit and his function in our churches and lives, but after I heard the message from Bro. Crabtree, I knew why.

The message was a great one coming from the parable of the Good Samaritan. But before you read it, back up to read the lead-in to that parable. A lawyer is confronting Jesus about what he must do to be saved, and Jesus gives the lesson about the Good Samaritan. The whole idea is that to be saved you must love the Lord with all of your being and the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. That is the clencher... It is easy to say that you love the Lord, but quite another to love your neighbor because it demands that you do something with it.

THAT is the essence of what seems to be lacking in the Body of Christ, according to Rev. Crabtree - and now that I have thought about it, I have to agree. It is easy to say that we love the Lord, but it seems much more difficult to love your neighbors because it requires us doing something about it. Moving beyond our own comfort zones, and actually getting involved other people's lives. His driving point was to the pastors about the need to be better that the high priest and the religious person who passed by the beat-down man, just wishing him well. WE HAVE THE GOSPEL! We must do better than just good wishes for people, we have what they need and we are to share it. Like with Peter and John who went to the temple one day and met a man at the gate, Beautiful. Silver and gold, they did not have, but what they did have, they shared. We have this treasure in clay vessels the Bible descibes...we have to share that treasure. Our salvation is the treasure, Jesus is that treasure. However, it is a treasure that is not to be hoarded, but shared with all - there is plenty of Jesus to go around.

Who was it that assisted the man? The Samaritan, who in that day was a half-breed, and looked down upon. Who would have thought he would have anything to offer? But, he did what we shoudl be doing. Have you ever heard people talk of how someone outside of the Church was so nice and helpful. We wonder, "Is that possible?" Yes! They can do it too, just like in the parable. But, we have to wonder how many "Christians" and "religious people" passed by the needy before he recieved help from the less likely? I am sure, far too many. Listen, I am not preaching - I know that I have been guilty of this, and I have a feeling that you are too. :)

Well, I want to ask you to give this some thought and prayer. I hope that this short synopsis did justice to what I had dropped in my spirit on Tuesday night. I pray this thought transforms your thinking towards selfishness, and gives you an opportunity to search your heart to see if there be any need for repentance. As with all who heard this message in person...I am sure there will be.

How Great is our God by Chris Tomlin

Check this out - great scenes and a great message. Remember...to worship the Lord and not just endure it when you are in church next time.
(See previous blog)

REAL Worship...

Worship, at times, seems to be a lofty idea...that we can worship the Living Almighty God. But, it is possible, and desired of us from God. In fact, it is an awesome opportunity that we have to do it. However, I wonder if we ever do miss it in church. I know that we all "worship" at our churches - it is a good thing. But, I have to ask myself sometimes, are we really worshipping?
I woke up Monday morning with this Psalm on my mind, 100 - "Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing." It goes on, but I will reserve the space for this page - look it up and read it.
I think it was A. W. Tozer who said of worship that it is "the missing jewel in the Church." I think that this is sometimes true. I know for me, that I feel that there can be so much more to worship than what we really experience on a given Sunday morning. We are good at singing the fast songs, and praising, but when it somes to the slow ones, and worship is given a chance - we seldom take advantage of it. Not that our leaders or musicians are doing a poor job, but we worshippers are failing to see it for what it really is.
It saddens me when I see people enduring worship, and not entering into it. We tend to see it as a means to an end (ie, the preaching - and eventual dismissal from service so we can get on with our lives) rather than a God-moment to worship the Lord who IS WORTHY! And, He is.
I don't know...I just know that there is something more to it than singing a song. It is about giving to the Lord the glory that is due His name because He is good, because His mercy endures forever, and because it extends to every generation - even our kids, and grand-kids will know of the awesomeness of God!
So, when you go to Church this Sunday, don't just endure; instead, enter in and enjoy the opportunity you have to worship God! Lift you hands, and your voices, and priase the Lord!

Hey, enjoy the clip above. I love this song, and this song says it well for me and helps me to enter into worshipping Him because He is truly great!

ROCKY

Getting hit hard...

It seems lately that people in The Body are being hit hard by multiple attacks from the enemy. I wish that it were different, but it seems to be coming on strong. In any event, I believe that we have to hold on strong to the Lord, and trust in Him. In fact, I feel the Lord has put that upon my heart for our Church here. Keep your trust in the Lord, and don't fall back!

I like this Rocky clip (above) from the 6th in the series...it says what we need to hear. "How hard can we get hit, and still keep going?" Because we HAVE TO keep going for the Lord. Then enemy of our souls wants us to quit, and fail God. Don't make a bad choice Christian.

All in all, the verse of Scripture in Hebrews that tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, even more so as we see the day approaching; that verse becomes a reality in times like these we are experiencing. Why? Because we need to be there for one another, and to encourage each other in the Lord. See you in Church on Sunday! :)

A Creation Seminar

We have had the privledge of having Steve Grohman here this week to teach about Creation. It has been an eye opening thing for the Body here as we have come to understand things about God's creation of the world, that we sometimes miss in the reading of Genesis.
I would encourage you to check out his web site for more information about he and his ministry. The content is top-notch and I know that you will be blessed by it all. Maybe you would want to have him come to your church?
www.creationseminar.net

More about the Moore's

For more information about the Moore story, you can check out this blog...
www.msmission.blogspot.com
This is the blog of Monty & Susan Scales, the Missionaries we worked with here in MS.
Also, you can see news stories done on this family through www.wlox.com search the "Convoy of Hope Speed Build" and also the Sun Herald & The Mississippi Press New papers. It was the front page story on Sunday for the MS Press.

In Mississippi...

Well, I should have been logging our day to day events, but things have been to busy and exciting around here to even check my e-mail, which were many.

When we arrived on Thursday, we started by going to visit Mike and Faye in the hospital. Mike will be there for a little while yet to heal up from his surgery.

Then...the shopping began. Our Church took a love offering up to bless the Moore family with some new items they lost from the hurricane. And boy, did the ladies make that money strethch! We were able to by a new set of dishes, pots and pans, baking pans, utensils, silverware, a microwave a coffee pot, a table and chairs, a king size bed and the fixin's for that. Towels and many beutiful decorations for the two bathrooms. Plus, much more. You can see it all in the pictures. All the decorations and the things in the home were by our group. It was a blessing to the family and added to the "wow" effect when it was revealed to the family on Saturday.

And, WHAT A DAY THAT WAS! Words cannot describe that day. It was awesome. It was life changing. It was powerful. I would say that there were 200 people there when the home was dedicated unto the Lord and presented to the family. God really blessed my by allowing me to be a part of it. I was asked to speak for a few moments, and then to pray the prayer of dedication. It was awesome!

Continue to keep this family in prayer, and ask the Lord to continue to keep and bless this family and community. They can leave a lasting impression on this community by letting their light shine for the Lord there in this new home.

Mike Jr., thier son, gave his heart to the Lord this past week too. AND, he was in church this Sunday. Not to mention, many others gave their heart to the Lord throughout this 6 day speed build of their new home. We have to give a shout out to the team from Fairmont, West Virginia, and Joe West for their faith and hard work. Plus, many from The Refuge here in Gautier...they all made this happen. We really got to see The Church in action this week and it was powerful. Oh, that God would help us all to get it like this around the world. We can do it!

It is time to be a witness!

My wife spoke in our Church last week. It was National WM's Day. She did a great job and encouraged the people to be "Compelled by Eternity" and shared a great quote that I really was impacted by. Maybe you will be too. Listen to what Howard Hendricks said,

"In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering."

I think it is safe to say that we have all "stuttered" at one time or another. And, we cannot cry over spilt milk. However, in the days ahead, may the Lord equip and strengthen us to be bold to speak into this generation with a message of relevance - the message of Jesus Christ!

Things that make you go, "Hmmm..."

I ran across this quote the other day and I thought it was really good.

Try it on for size...

"Talk is cheap because the supply exceeds the demand."

No Lord?

I had a chance to hear our Assistant District Super. speak last night, it was good. The intent was to speak about the Apostolic Movement and equipping the saints for service as we read of the 72 Jesus sent out doing in Luke 10. Well, through the course of the night, he said something that has stuck with me, and I wanted to repeat here for all to think about...

He had made mention of Peter, and how he often was one who said, "No Lord!" When Jesus said that He was going to be offered up and was going to die on the cross in Matthew 16, Peter said, far be it from you Lord. NO LORD! When Jesus was washing his feet in John 13, he said, you shall never wash my feet! NO LORD! Even in Acts 10 when the sheet comes down from heaven with all kinds of animals on it, and God speaks to Peter saying, take, kill and eat. Peter says NO LORD!

It just hit me that we often do say, NO LORD just like Peter did. It stuck with me, and caused me to say "forgive me Lord!" I say it on occasion...and so do you, I am sure. Rev. Paul Grabill made the point saying that "NO LORD" is an oxy-moron. You cannot say "no" to your "Lord," otherwise, He is not Lord. It is like the old saying that goes, "If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all." It is so true, isn't it?

So, the next time the Lord calls you to do something, don't be so quick to say, NO LORD. Instead, swiftly say YES LORD, YES LORD, YES, YES LORD!

Maximize God!

It is amusing to me how we humans get in tough situations and we begin to immediately minimize God. We get looking inward and fail to see the Lord working on our behalf. We minimize Him, don't we? I know that I have, and I am certain that you have too. We all know what it is like to be in this kind of situation, and to fail to see where the Lord is and how He is working on our behalf.
What got me thinking about this today is someting I was reading...the Bible. Who would have thought? ;) Psalms, several of them in fact. 145:3 - "Great is the Lord, and worthy of praise!" 147:1 - "Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises..." 147:5 - "Great is the Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit." WOW! It hit me...great IS the Lord! He is above all that we know and struggle in. He is in control, even when we might feel that He is not. After all, we have to remember that we don't live by feelings, but by faith, right?
Then, an old song came to mind. "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised!" Well, that is in Psalm 48:1-3 It ends with the thought that God is the stronghold. He is!
Which causes me to praise the Lord today, just knowing that He is great!
So, instead of my attitude and discouragement causing me to minimize God...I have to do what my Spirit-man wants and MAXIMIZE Him at times like that. Do the same with me. Because our God is a BIG God, as the old Imperial's song says!

ONE Thing

David made it a prayer of his to live in the house of the Lord forever. In fact, he said, this "one thing I have desired of the Lord..." The one thing that any of us need is the Lord! To dwell in His presence and to walk with Him all the days of our lives.

In Genesis 5, there is a man named Enoch who "walked with the Lord" -Genesis 5:22 He walked with the Lord in such a way that the Lord actually took him. Verse 24 says that "Enoch walked with God; and he was not..." It would be amazing to be taken away to be with the Lord, (we will in the rapture - since we walk with God) but even better is the idea of it being said of me that we "walked with God."

Let me ask you, how is your walk with the Lord? Is it what it should be, and needs to be?

After all, this is just what God has wanted from us...fellowship. To be with us. It says in Genesis that in the cool of the day, God would come down and walk with Adam and Eve. That is what God wants to do with each of us...not so much walk now, but to fellowship with us.

This ONE THING David said. He was a man after God's own heart. I wonder if that is said of Him because he desired ONE THING...to be in the house of the Lord all the days of his life.

I encourage you today to be focused on this ONE paramount THING. Be intent on ONE THING - to be with the Lord and in His presence. Be like Moses who said he would go nowhere without the presence of God - Exodus 33:15.

Be Dynamic & Daring!

Recently, I have felt lead to study a bit from the book of Acts. Last year my book was Joshua, and this year, it is to another "power" book.

I like this book, especially being that I am Pentecostal, since it holds the verse that is the hallmark of Pentecostalism - Acts 2:4, "and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Not to mention Acts 1:8, "But you shall recieve power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." These are great verses that we love...especially we who do believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and Spirit-Filled living.

But, that is not my point...my point is that God has chosen to use us to fulfill the great comission given in Matthew 28:19 & 20, "To go into all the world, and preach the Gospel." Well, what Jesus began in his own physical body, He now carries out in His Spiritual Body...the Church. What a great thought that is! However, it requires something more of us...and then, we need something more to do it. The "more" that we get is the power of the Holy Spirit! Remembering that God never calls us to do something, that He doesn't first equip us to do...we know that the Holy Spirit is the "equipping" that we need for the task of doing the work of the ministry of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, I would encourage everyone to seek and experience the power of the Holy Spirit. Certainly in the dage and age we live in, there is a dire need for the power of the Holy Spirit, because the people in the world need to experience the power of God's Holy Spirit, PLUS, they need to see it demonstrated THROUGH my life. How can I (or you for the matter) properly demonstrate the love of the Father to this world? How can we let our light shine so that they will see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven -Matthew 5:16? Through the power of the Holy Spirit, and by allowing Him to help us to live according to the Word of God.

There is a dire need for the Church to be the Church, as it is said. For the Body fo Christ to LIVE for Jesus in such a way that people will be drawn to Christ. Our key to success in this regard is the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Today, the Church can be nothing less that a dynamic and daring people. We see the launching of the NT Church in the Book of Acts with these fingerprints...and we need to see that kind of identity in the Church today as well!

Determine to be DYNAMIC & DARING as you live for Christ!

What's with the weather???

I don't know about you, but I have enjoyed the mild winter that we are having so far. In the Northeast, the temps have been mild, where it always seems to be cold and blistery any other year. What is remarkable to me is how the weather has been so harsh in the West, and Mid-West - in stark contrast to what we have be having. We were talking with some friends in Mississippi not long ago, and they told us how the temps were in the 30's...we were warmer up here! What's going on with the weather??? They tell us it is all because of this El Nino thing in the Pacific Ocean. Plus, there is a huge scare about global warming and everyone is in an uproar.
Well, I have had this verse/story on my heart a lot lately...I Kings 17-19. The story is about Elijah, who was a great prophet of God. He prayed that it would stop raining and it did. Jezebel was furious about it, and Ahab too for that matter. But, God's judgment on the land was severe...as no rain came, famine increased tremendously.

It was during this time that Elijah possed a challenge to the prophets of baal, and won that challenge. If you are not familiar with it get your Bible and read it. However, after Elijah took on the prophets of baal, and killed all 450 of them, and all the people came to trust in the Living God that day. Something else began to "trickle" in...

There was a sound that was heard...in the Spirit. Elijah hears it! Elijah tells Ahab to go eat and drink, because there was "a sound as of the abundance of rain!" Then, Elijah went to the top of Carmel, and began to implore the Lord to send rain again. The Bible tells us that seven times he sent his servant out to look for rain. He came back and kept saying, I see nothing. But, on that seventh time, there was a cloud that the servant saw, about the size of a man's hand.

I say that to say this...I wonder if God's hand is coming over the earth and is about to send a Spiritual rain??? At our Monday morning prayer meeting today, the Lord laid something on my heart in regard to the weather changes - you see, what seems to happen in the natural sometimes does relate to the spiritual. I felt like the Lord spoke to my heart and said that the weather changes we have seen here in the US lately are a sample of the Spiritual changes that are about to take place in the US. Places that were once cold and closed to the Lord, will be opened to Him. Places that have been cold in Spirit will begin to experience the fire of the Holy Spirit! I not sure if this means the Northeast in particular, or all the US, but I just am trusting God to pour out His Spirit.

Joel prophesied that in the last days God will pour out His Spirit. I beleive that He is still going to do that. My only prayer is that we will see the hand of the Lord rising up over us all, and the we will hear the sound of abundance of rain! Are you looking for it!

Happy B-Day Alex!

Just wated to give a shout-out to Alex, our 11 year-old. His B-Day was on Wednesday, the 10th. Here he is about to enjoy his cookies-n-cream cake his mama made.

Love you Buddy!

I'm following you daddy!

Those were the chipper words I heard from my daughter, Abbey, this afternoon while walking into the house. "I'm following you daddy!"

A whole array of images came to mind when she said that... Not so much about the physical path we were on, but on the spiritual level I knew immediately that she is watching me there too. Which forced me to remember the responsibility I bear as a father, Christian, and Pastor too. I began to think: I better lead her in the right path. I better walk carefully. Do I know where I am going? Where I go, she will go. And, on and on...

I remembered how Paul the Apostle said, "follow me as I follow Christ!" What an awesome statement that was. Not just for the people he was speaking to, but in regard to his life. Because, when one says that, one must be certain that they know the ramifications of such a statement. It bears a great level of responsibility for that kind of example. When we claim to be such an example, we best BE that example too!

At some level we all bear that responsibility though. I know that a parent does, whether they like it or not. Maybe if parents realized this, the kids of today would be better. ??? But, on the Spiritual end of things, we who say we are Christ's, better act like we are. People are watching us, whether we like it or not. We could say, "don't judge me" or "I am just human"; but we have to remember that once we join in the Lord's Army, there is a level of responsibility that we bear, and we have to be ready for it. We are reflections of Christ to this world. It is like the saying goes, "We might be the only Bible some people read."

Well, these are just some simple words to jog all of our memories that we have people watching us everyday. We have children watching us, and following us. So, leave a path behind that is worth being on. We can't fall back on the saying from a bumper sticker that I once saw, "Don't follow me, I'm lost too!" That just won't work with God.

Compassion

You will often hear in the Gospels of how Jesus "had compassion" or was "moved with compassion" towards someone.

This thought came up in prayer meeting tonight, and we certainly did think that was good. We were praying for the sick, and trusting God for healing for so many people. However, there has to be more that we can do - that is where the compassion thing comes in.

It is like the idea that we get in the James 2, that "faith without works is dead". It is so true. And, we kind of felt that our prayers were only going so far, don't misunderstand, we know they prevail and are important, but we felt there was more that we could do too. We needed to do something too - we were moved with compassion. The verdict - DO SOMETHING.

As we left the meeting, I encouraged the people to do something, as well as pray for these people. Love them, visit them, send them a card, do something for them, etc., etc.

You too...be moved with compassion and share the love of Christ with someone today! That is real faith, isn't it?

Are you sleeping???

I usually give a mini-message on these blogs, but today, I just want to vent a bit. Please indulge me...

I have picked up this book, The Slumber of Christianity by Ted Dekker, and have begun to read it a bit. What caught my attention about it, was the title. I thought it might be going in a certain direction, however it was going in another. Still good. It brings to light the fact that Christians have kind of left our purpose and focus behind. We scurry around in life, and read books like the Purpose-Drive Life (of which I am not speaking against) to give our lives some sort of meaning. I know that it works, and has done that for many many thougsands of people. But, the premise of this book is that we have forgotten one speacial focus that every believer in Christ has. HEAVEN!

I remember preaching on Heaven one time, and told the people (basically) that even though life here on earth is kind of "stinky", we should not be dismayed, because this world is not our home, but it is just a pathway towards what will be our home forever...HEAVEN! One lady piped up and said, "Yeah, but shouldn't we have some kind of joy here, while we are on earth?" Man, I couldn't believe that I was interrupted for one, but secondly, I wondered, why should we expect it? I know that we can have joys here on earth and all. However, when we do, I believe that there can come a great temptation to all of us to love the world and the things in it. I John 2:15-17 Not that God can't give us any pleasure here, because He does...I just think that it is all about perspective at times. When we need to get our focus in focus.

In any event, it is time for us believers in the Lord to believe once again, isn't it? Christ really is coming back! Instead of becoming so consumed with what is on this side of Heaven, maybe we need to get re-focused on what really matters...like seeing Jesus one day, face-to-face. That is our goal after all...