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!