A Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Coming Soon)

Anyone that has been around me lately has seen that I have been a little distant.  This is partially because my grandfather went on to his heavenly reward and I am feeling a little homesick.  The other part of my distance from the real world is that God is literally dumping massive amounts of knowledge into my life.  From how we look at God to, what does salvation really mean.  All of these words will find there way onto this in the coming months as God refines them.  Right now, I am so overwhelmed with life that I can hardly think straight.

Don't worry though, these words will come because like Jeremiah "his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot" (20:9).  In short, stay tuned.

Living Waters: Fruitful Life 3

In this, the final installment of "Fruitful Life", I would like to take a look at the most important part of a plant making fruit.  Going back to my tomato plant I noticed one very obvious thing about the fruit bearing process.  I had to water the plant twice, sometimes three times, a day.  The plant was just sucking down water like you wouldn't believe.  It was in this moment that I came to the last realization, to bear fruit we need an over abundance of water.  Furthermore, we need fresh water to be poured into us on a regular basis or we will dry up faster than a cup of water in Phoenix.

Let's see what Jesus says about water and look at the woman at the well.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14. 

How awesome is this, just like my observation about the plant needing water constantly, Jesus shows us that the water that he pours into our lives is never ending.  It is eternal!!!   To access this holy wellspring of water we only need Jesus and then let Him work in your life.

So I realize that this was a shorter post than most but it's the simplest and therefore the most profound.  Jesus is the wellspring of living water and all we must do is believe in Him.  In short, the next time your life, your soul, your heart feels dry; seek Jesus.

Giving it All: Fruitful Life 2

Okay, so I know it has been a long while since last we spoke but I have been gaining some perspective and a little knowledge to set forth in this, as I believe, important lesson from a fruit tree.

Here in Alaska we have had snow for almost two weeks and a two weeks prior to that it dropped below freezing so our tomato plant took residence in our dining room to finish producing fruit.  Being that it is now closer to me I was able to observe it and I noticed an amazing thing.  In the last week all of the leaves have died but the tomatoes are plump and turning red.  This is when God showed me an important lesson from the story of the fig tree.  It says in Matthew 21:18-19:

Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. 

Now like many of you, I have seen this verse many times and have even sat in sermons shaped around this verse but it never became clear until I saw my tomato bush.  My tomato bush sacrificed its leaves for the sake of the fruit.  So why is that such a big deal?  Let's think about the role of leaves.  They protect the tree from too much light, too much wind, too much well anything.  They conceal imperfections in the tree.  They are the lifeblood of the tree that contains everything the tree needs to sustain itself.

Now let's delve a little deeper and apply each of these functions to our lives.

1. They protect the tree.  How many of us build walls around ourselves to protect us from getting hurt?  We spend most of our lives living in fear of being hurt and continually justify these walls as essential to our survival.  God tells us to lay our burdens at his feet and allow Him to be our shield.  We do not need the walls for God is our stronghold and our fortress and trust me His walls are perfect while ours are nothing more than cardboard.

2. They conceal imperfections.  How many of us put on our "happy face" and conceal our true identity to the world?  Does anyone really know the real you?  It says in Revelation 3:15&16:  "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth."  How do you become lukewarm?  You say your hot while your soul is cold aka two faced.

 3. They are the tree's lifeblood.  The fig tree was sustaining itself and had many leaves, i.e. it was healthy yet Jesus cursed it, why?  I believe that it is because the tree was not doing its purpose and giving up its life to produce its purpose.  Just like Jesus on the cross, we must also give up our lives to God's purpose.  It says in John 14:6: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'  Jesus is our life so we do not need to survive on our own.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13.  Sometimes we are not asked to give up our lives physically but God is asking us to lay down our lives so that he may use it to reach our families, to reach our friends, and ultimately reach the world.  Like my lowly tomato plant I challenge you as I challenge myself: Sacrifice the leaves for the fruit, sacrifice your will for His purpose.

Fruitful Life?!?

So it's been a while since my words have graced this blog.  Over the last week and a half I have been doing some soul searching, studying, and generally reevaluating my current situations.  I realized that my life was beginning to spiral into a rut.  This particular rut is one that many people fall into and sometimes stay in all their lives.  The one I speak of is routine.  My life was beginning to become boring.  Wake up, take my daughter to day care, go to class, do homework, go to more classes, pick up my daughter, go home, make dinner, clean up, do some more homework, do a little ministry work, and go to bed.  I realized that my life was becoming so scheduled that there was no room for God to show up and add some adventure.

One of my favorite quotes is,

"Normal man spends his life avoiding tense situations,
Fruitful Man spends his life getting into tense situations"

Are you the normal or fruitful man?  If we look into the Bible and study the Gospels, it is plain to see that Jesus was a fruitful man.  In Acts the disciples were fruitful and multiplied their numbers.  What did they have in common?  They did not shy from speaking the truth regardless of the consequences.  They spent their lives getting into tense situations and as a result changed the world.

Let's talk about fruit trees, have you ever seen them grow.  I have a tomato plant, that I work on every day.  I noticed that the fruit of the plant does two amazing things.  1. The fruit grows on the end of limbs and is on the outside layer of the plant.  2.  The fruit sucks an amazing amount of water from the rest of the plant.  So what does this mean to us.  Well I'll let you think about them and will answer that question in my next post, until then let me leave you with some words of Jesus found in Matthew 7:19-20:

"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut  down and thrown into the fire. 
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." 

Summer Reflections

At the onset of this summer I was given a word from the Lord that stated, "Prepare for greatness."  At the time I thought this would mean that I would spend the summer in the Word of God and prayer.  I would become a better man through the study of God himself.  These are in themselves all noble goals but, as I came to find, not what God had planned for me.  Instead my family's finances were attacked, our emotions were tested, friendships were strained, trust in others was put to the test, and even our family ties were strained.

Now if you are not new to this blog then you have joined me on this journey and have seen my pain.  Posts like "Daddy Help Me" and "Walking through the pain" illuminated the trouble my family was experiencing.  But other posts like "A Visit from Mick" and "Wave Bound Miracles" allowed me to show how God met us where we were and ministered to our needs.

Now as I sit in a new year of collegiate instruction, I look back and realize that God used the trials and tribulations of this summer to prepare me in a way I never expected.  I learned over the summer, not a new scripture or method of prayer but I learned how to truly rely on God and not to forget Him amongst the good times.  This lesson is not one that can be taught from a book or a tape but must be learned through living through it.  As I sit reflecting on the trials of the summer, the pain of them fades and I begin to see the good that came from all of it and thank God that He counted me worthy enough to endure it.

Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Job 1:8

Wave Bound Miracles

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." Matthew 14:25-33

Yesterday I was at my wits end.  If felt as if a storm had enveloped me and would not let go.  Like Peter, I had looked at my current circumstances and began to sink.  Desperately I cried out for the Lord to help me as I joked about how I was loosing it.  It was then that the Lord, like in Matthew 14, immediately reached down and pulled me from my predicament.  Through the kind acts of others, God met me right where I was and not only met my need but also gave me a blessing.  It was then that I realized, much like the disciples in the boat, that we serve a God that helps us even when our faith is faltering. 

I find it amazing in this scripture that Jesus walked out to them.  Most of the time we are told to go to the Lord with our needs.  In this scripture, it was impossible for Peter to get to Jesus.  The waters had surrounded him and as far as he was concerned this was not the most ideal situation to be in.  It was then that Jesus, the God of the universe, immediately went and caught Peter. "Immediately", I've always liked that word here. Peter did not have to pray for years or even minutes but immediately Jesus caught him.  How awesome is it to know that when the world is closing in around us, God will immediately run to our aid.

Thank You Lord for meeting me where I am, for I could never get to where you are alone.

Does it Ever End?

Today I feel as though I am being repeatedly kicked in the stomach.  Just when I think things cannot get any worse, guess what, they do.  I feel like I am loosing it a little as anger and insanity creep into my mind.  My mind sounds much like the ramblings of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:21-28:

What anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 

On the one hand I understand that those that have been called of God to do great things must, and I do mean must, go through the fire a few times but on the other hand I'm saying "Oh, come on!"  Now I know that may sound childish but I am sure there are others out there that have felt the same way.  It's the feeling, like in all the good hero movies, where the hero spends half the movie fighting an evil force only to find out that when it is gone, it was only a minion of a greater evil.  Its the feeling of many gamers that fight and fight for hour after hour, they get to the final chamber, beat the boss, start to cheer, and are killed when the boss reappears somehow.  Are you with me?

The only comfort I have through all this is that if I am tried and tested this much then there must be great things about to happen.  So, if you are in the same predicament remember these words, "Satan only pays attention to threats."  If you want revenge, go and take it by doing something great for God.

Parents that Drugged Us

As a small treat and lighthearted fun I wanted to pass this onto you, a new blog post is currently in work so stay tuned.  For all those that are wondering, the picture is of my parents.  You know the ones that drugged me.  Love you Mom and Dad.

Found this on the internet and thought you would like it.

The other day, a friend of mine read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question.
 "Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?"
 I replied I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.
 I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was  also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.
 I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity.
 I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flowerbeds and cocklebur's out of dad's fields.
 I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul, who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood; and, if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.
 Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today's children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place.

God bless the parents who drugged us.

Unforgivable

Who is a God like you,who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.  Micah 7:18-19

Where do we go wrong?  We have a loving God who promises us that he will forgive our sins and forget them, but why can't we do the same?  There are so many times that I have asked for the forgiveness of a sin but then it has taken years to forgive myself for it.  You spend all of your time beating yourself up for it.  Or you are asking yourself how you could fall so far.   When I was in that place I was miserable, I had escaped into a shell and told God that he couldn't use me because I was too weak.  Just like Elijah in 1 Kings, I escaped into a cave and didn't want to come out.

So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.    
And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."     

 1 Kings 19:8-10

I was there until God asked me what I was doing there.  I told him that I was ashamed and felt that I was too weak to do his work.  It was at that time that God revealed something to me.  We need to forgive ourselves for the sins that we commit.  If we don't it becomes a foothold.  Guilt quickly moves in and begins to control our lives. My life had gone from an on-fire, go for the goal Christianity, to a man hiding in the backs of churches hurt from what life had thrown him.

I would like to tell you that I forgave myself and overnight I was transformed with joy in my heart and dancing bound up in my feet but this wasn't the case.  Like being bound with many ropes and chains, my unforgiveness took time and a lot of soul searching to unwind.  With God's help, I discarded past guilt, old sins, and pains piece by piece until only the core of my guilt remained.  After forgiving myself for the wrong that God had already pardoned, joy reentered my life and my step once again became lighter.

Soon after God began to use me and open doors to minister to others.  One of these ministries you are currently reading.  So I pass onto you what God imparted to me, if you ask God for forgiveness for a sin remember to also forgive yourself.  Only then can the sin be cast into the sea of forgetfulness. 

Wounded Warriors

It is said that the most dangerous animal is a wounded one; it has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

A lot of us have been hurt, cut, bruised, broken, etc. but have all survived. Some scars still remain others have faded into the past but all have changed us. More and more of our childish innocence disappears with every pain but we learn and we adapt. Some have fallen into their pain and use it as blanket that hides all of their actions. Others channel their pain into different pursuits, some good and some not. Then there are the rest of us, we feel the pain, we see the scars, but we live on.

In Ephesians 6:10-17, Paul talks about putting on the armor of God to protect ourselves from the evil one. Is your armor dented? Is it scratched, dented, or cracked from years and years of assaults, pains, and trials. As I look at my armor, I can see the dents of past afflictions and remember the pain but no longer feel it. Cracks have been repaired and filled with the grace and peace that only God can provide. The gleam of newness has faded but the luster of God's love still makes it shine. My armor is like me, far from perfect but still made strong through God's power and might.

Are you a wounded soldier, repeatedly hurt but never killed? Do you need God to fix your armor? To fill the cracks, smooth out the dents and wipe away the scratches? Ask him, he will answer.

If you answer that call soon like a wounded animal, we will know we have nothing to lose; our salvation can never be taken away, but everything to gain. Then we all will be able to stand against the wave of evil stretching around the world. To answer God's calling to stand as Warriors in this dark world.

"After you have done everything, STAND." Ephesians 6:13

Walking in a Straight Line

As a kid, one of my jobs was mowing the lawn. When I started, I would weave back and forth making the lines in the lawn look more like waves than the traditional straight pattern that my dad preferred. The next time I went to mow the lawn my dad walked out with me and told me not to look directly in front of the mower. He told me that I should instead look at what would be the end of the pass. In our yard that was about 50 yards away and I thought there would be no way this would work. I thought that I would end up missing parts of the lawn and again mowed the lawn looking at the front tires. Of course, the lines were once again crooked. A week later my dad walked out with me one more time and told me to look at him the whole time. When I voiced my concern, he reassured me that he would tell me if I missed any grass. Reluctantly I took his advice and looked at him the whole way. At the end of the pass he would walk to the other side and again I would walk towards him. This went on until the front yard was done. After turning off the mower, my dad took me out on the lawn and showed me the perfectly straight lines that I had made. I was amazed at how looking far in front of me yielded a perfectly straight path.

In Psalm 16:8, David says: "I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." It is amazing how the same lesson my father taught me to mow a perfect lawn is the very same lesson God teaches us to follow Him. God asks that we should keep our eyes on Him and we will not be shaken. Just like looking at the front wheel of the mower, when we obsess about our current circumstances our path becomes crooked and our trip to God is longer. When we keep our eyes on our heavenly father, just like looking at my dad, we are able to stay on the straight and narrow path to God.

Dancing in Fire

Well...here I am once again banging my head against the wall and praying to make it just one more day without my head exploding. Yes, I had succumb to a form of depression where you know that there is nothing more you can do but allow the world to unfold around you as it will. While living in this virtual land of self pity I came to an epiphany (to all the jokesters that are reading this: No it didn't hurt). In the Word of God, I found a scripture in the book of Romans that I have read many, many, times but never quite read.

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! Romans 5:3-5 MSG

"We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in (surrounded) with troubles" I don't know about you but this is exactly how I felt this morning, completely and utterly surrounded with no way out. Even still, through my tears this morning I shouted, "Give up Satan, I will never stop doing God's work." Even though that line may never be in a praise and worship song, I believe to God's ears that is sweeter than sugar. Believe it or not, once I said this I felt better. It was then I remembered what God had told me so many months ago, "Prepare for Greatness," according to this verse this is how we prepare. Troubles are what create our character more like God's. These are the times that forge us into the person that will one day carry God's greatness to the world.

I love how the verse goes on to say that through these troubles we will develop into the man or woman that God wants us to be. Like always God then ends it with a promise, we will eventually see all the things that God has poured into our lives. I know as I look back at some of the hardest times in my life, I see the incredible blessings I was allowed to be a part of. Whether it was at Basic Training where I was able to speak to over 60 men for 7 weeks about God and Jesus by praying for them every night. Or coming to Alaska and finding the job I was offered was gone and being able to come to Fairbanks to lead a young adult ministry. No matter where life takes us, if we praise God through our troubles, it will be alright because God will direct our path and will make sure His will is done.

Okay, so why the old man sticking out his tongue. Answer, because that's what I feel like doing to those that are causing my current predicament. I know that the troubles are good for me but I don't have to like them.

Carrying Darkness

It's said that when a soldier has seen death they carry a piece of that death with them for the rest of their lives. Some no longer fear it, others become jaded to the death of others, and still others push the limits of their own lives because they know that our lives are precious. Having this in mind I started to wonder if someone sees the darkness and evil in this world if they carry a little of that darkness with them.

Why ask this question? As I walk through this world I have met, in recent years, those that serve the Lord above but are not all rainbows and roses about it. What I mean to say is that a majority of Christians see the world through brighter glasses. The world is a place that God made and the sun is brighter, the sky is bluer, and the grass is greener because God is with them. I have zero problems with these people and in fact wish I could be one of them. But unfortunately I am one of the few that see the hurt in the world, the destitution, and the evil. Am I jaded or is this a gift from our Holy Savior? If you are like me then I want to tell you that it is not wrong to see the evil in the world. Jesus saw the evil in the world, read the account below from Mark 5.

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"

"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

Seeing the evil in the world makes you alert. Like the soldiers that have seen death. You know the value of good, you know the value of God! You know that God is the only true thing in this world and you hold on to Him with all you've got. To all of those out there that sit with you're Christian friends and feel completely out of place, know that there are more of us out here. Keep fighting the good fight and keep the faith. May God bless you and keep you, may His face shine upon you and be gracious to you, May His face turn toward you and give you peace.

Walking Through the Pain

A few years back I injured myself while serving in the military. Though I had round after round of physical therapy the pain never truly went away. To this day the pain is still there in the same place it has always been. This being the case I have on occasion pushed the pain out of my mind so I could do what needed to be done. Now this doesn't mean that I wasn't in pain but that for the present moment I was numb to the pain due to my circumstances.

As a man running after God, sometimes I have to do the same thing in my Spiritual walk. Though someone may have hurt me or I may not "feel" like ministering, I have to push those feelings out of my mind so that I can do the work that God has for me. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12 that "there was given me a thorn in my flesh" he goes on to say "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 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 difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

In short, God's strength is made perfect in our lives when we are walking through the pain.

A Visit from Mick

Today as I was trying to come to terms with everything that is going on around me I received a phone call from an awesome friend. During the call, he told me how I was on his mind and that he was praying for my family and I. After the call, I sat in shock at how someone more than a thousand miles away was praying for me and inspiring whole churches to pray for us as well. I was on the virtual ropes of life and here was someone cheering me back into the battle. As the night wore on I remembered Mick from the Rocky movies and how he would yell and scream at Rocky to keep him in the fight.

If you haven't seen the Rocky movies and have no idea who I am talking about, pay the 99 cents and rent the movies from the old movie racks. They are well worth it.

Mick was a retired boxer that trained Rocky and acted as his coach during his rise to greatness. What made him such a great character is that he did not give Rocky any slack but instead would push Rocky past his pain and to ultimate victory. As I laid in bed, ready to go to sleep, I remembered one of my favorite quotes from the Rocky movies, "it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!" Paul told Timothy in one of his last letters, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7). That is the legacy I want to leave. Sometimes we hit the ropes after a devastating blow and God uses these special people to push us past our circumstances to our ultimate breakthrough. In Ephesians, we are told that when we can do nothing else, stand. In a fight sometimes we just need to keep standing to win the battle. (Watch the final bout in Rocky 2)

To that special individual that acted as my Mick, thank you, you are an amazing blessing and mentor.

Help me Daddy

Quiet, finally quiet. The days events pulled at my heart and the tension wound up my shoulders into virtually rocks of muscle. The steady steam of hot water pounded against my neck and drowned out all noise in my head. For the first time I found a shred of peace that allowed me to reflect on the days events. Where am I going to find the money to pay our bills, I thought. Where Lord, where? All my plans have failed, where would the money come from. I thought of how I should be quiet and wait upon the Lord. The only problem, I thought, is that I had been quiet and waited on the Lord but the bill is still due tomorrow and there are no prospects that are in sight. I pounded my fist against the side of the shower and continued to struggle in silence. From my mouth I finally muttered, Daddy, oh Daddy, please help me, please help me. Tears mixed with the water that cascaded down my face and I pleaded with my Father. Like a small child pleads for attention I went to the throne of God and reached upward.

Why share this with you? I'm sure many of you have been in this place. Totally vulnerable, totally in need, and "feeling" totally forgotten by God. I know personally, this is a place that I frequent. When I am in this place I am given a choice of two actions.

1. I can feel sorry for myself and climb into seclusion.
2. I can remember Romans 8:15 and cry out to God.

I choose the latter. Romans 8:15 states, "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" By this simple verse I know two things that I want to pass on to you.

1. God does not want me to be a slave to fear (aka worry, apprehension, stress, etc)
2. I am considered a son of God and by that I can cry out Abba (or Daddy).

When I think of calling God, Daddy, images of when I was a child come to mind. Those nights when I would have a nightmare and scream out Daddy. Minutes later my father would come into my room and comfort me. Now as a father I sit on the other side of the looking glass. When my daughter screams out Daddy in the night I am immediately stirred from my sleep and run through the house to get to her. When I arrive at her bedside she reached for me and buries herself in my arms. As she weeps in my arms I calm her with gentle words of assurance that I am there and will protect her. In this way I believe through my tears God runs to us and wraps His arms around us. Through His Word he comforts us and shows us how He will take care of us. In short, our Daddy loves us and will always be there for us.

Never Back Down

There is a verse that I cling to when life becomes difficult. Ephesians 6:13 says "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

The part that gets me through life is that when we have done everything that can be done God only asks one thing of us...Stand. In my mind I get the visual of standing against wave after wave of life. Like a rock on the seashore I stand my ground and never back down from the waves.

A few years ago a movie came out that was called "Never Back Down" the premise of the movie did not strike me as much as the theme of never backing down no matter the cost or pain that may come as a result. As a man running after God, I want to live my life either moving forward or standing my ground. I never want to be known as a man that gives up or a man that is always taking ground only to give it back to the enemy.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-38

What an awesome promise straight from the throne of God. We are not only more than conquerors but God promises that nothing, and He means nothing can keep us from Him and in Him nothing is impossible (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27). So when the waves of life hit you remember that it is possible to stand against those waves and always be the person that never backs down from a challenge.

The Ending is Greater than the Beginning

Take a little journey with me and read the famous story of Jesus feeding the 5000 as recorded in Matthew 14:15-21, it reads:

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."

Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

"Bring them here to me," he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Now this is a pretty awesome miracle, with only seven items Jesus multiplied it to feed what some say over 15,000 people (including women and children). Lets see Chef Robert Irvine from "Dinner Impossible" win that kind of challenge. The part that I really love and want you to see with me is verse 20 which says after everyone was full the disciples collected twelve basketfuls of left overs. Now lets do this math, with 5 loaves and 2 fishes, even with small baskets, that would only fill up 7 baskets, but God doesn't do that. God even multiplies the leftovers. In John 6, the story says that the loaves and fish had belonged to a boy. Could you imagine this small boy wondering what his parents would say when they found out he had given his food away. But the awesome thing about God is in the end, the boy did not sacrifice anything but actually received a blessing of more food than what they started with, twelve full baskets of food to be exact. I can just see the analytical mind of Matthew trying to wrap his head around this.

The cool thing about this is that we get a glimpse of God's character when it comes to the miraculous. Like a father doting on his children, God asks us for very little so that He can give us even more. This is a lesson that we hear when the preacher asks for our tithe but we rarely think of it in any other context but our finances. I challenge you to think outside of this box and think about what God is asking you for. In my personal life, God has asked me to give all sorts of things. Some were easy like giving someone groceries, helping someone move, or giving someone a vehicle. The easy ones are usually fun to do and make you feel good. The harder ones are like giving someone forgiveness when you feel they don't deserve it, giving God time that you do not have to spare, or admitting your wrong. These are uncomfortable and sometimes painful but the cool thing is that God takes these small things, blesses them, and returns them back to you in greater numbers.

Don't believe me, I dare you to try it.

Praise Him in New Ways

If you watched the video above and are worried by this music being associated to Praising the God of heaven and earth, don't be. Let me point you to Joshua 6 and the fall of Jericho, for six days the Israelites circled the city praising God and blowing trumpets but on seventh day they circled the city six times and on the seventh: "When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city" Joshua 6:20. That sounds like a party to me. I'm sure there were some that thought this was different. When God worked in Egypt it was never this loud but this was a new generation and God was doing a new thing. It was no longer about survival but about conquest. God had given this generation a promise and it was up to them to seize it.

In the same way God has given the young of America a promise, we have heard it from birth and it is ingrained in all of our subconscious.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Like the generation that took Jericho in a new and different way, this generation of young men and women have been given a promise and are taking it in a new and different way. A wise man once told me that God's message never changes but the vehicle in which it is brought to the people must always change, less it becomes obsolete.

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Amped Up Voices

In that day you will say:
"I will praise you, O LORD.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.

Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation."

With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.

In that day you will say:
"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you."

Isaiah 12

Today I had an experience that tugged at my conscience for the remainder of the day. I was standing in line at my local supermarket and when it came to be my turn I swiped my store card as I normally do and began to engage in some pointless small talk about how the cashier's day was going. He divulged that he was a little bummed that he had to work the holiday and how he would miss BBQing like he had done every other year. Now instead of inviting him to come down the road on his lunch break and break some bread at our church's BBQ I let the moment slip through my fingers. It was not until I was driving away that the Holy Spirit revealed my folly.


Why is it that I can get angry about politics and discuss it with such passion and conviction but when it comes to the souls of men I can be callous and let times of divine opportunity slip away?


One answer that comes to mind is that I do not fully believe in the message that I spread. This morning during Sunday School we discussed this very fact. We used the analogy of speeding on the highway. If we do not see a police officer it is so easy to let that needle make its way passed the posted speed. In the same way if we let our faith become cold then we begin to believe that God isn't watching us therefore "what He doesn't know..."


This is what has been nagging on me today and I decided to spend sometime searching for His will. During this search I came across a few things. The first was an old song called Pitiful by Blindside. In the songs it talks about how we pretend that the eyes of God are not on us so that we can do whatever is comfortable. Today the eyes of God were watching to see what I would do with that young cashier and instead of being the man that God sees me as, I pretended that he wasn't watching so that I could be comfortable and not have to put myself out.

The second thing I found was Isaiah 12, it talks about how God was angry with us but his anger is turned away so that He can comfort us. Because of this simple fact we should praise His name, praise everything about Him, sing, and even shout about all His glory and goodness. How awesome is that? How awesome is it that God may be disappointed by us and even angered by what we do but He will turn from His anger so that He can comfort us. Through His comfort we can forgiveness not only from Him but also from ourselves. I don't know about any of you but I am my own worse enemy and critic so forgiving myself can only be done with God's help.

In the spirit of Isaiah 12 I will begin to praise, begin to sing and shout. I pray for the strength to not miss any other opportunities. I pray that my voice will be amped up and never be silenced again. Join me if you will.

Ending Segregation

Back before the civil rights movement of the sixties it was perfectly acceptable to segregate people according to their skin color or ethnic background. Not only was it acceptable but it was considered normal. From birth every one was educated on their place in society and it was taboo to step out of that place.

Fast forward to today...racism is a thing of the past. People spend their lives trying to meet new people, learn different cultures, and embrace the people of all creeds. Now I am not so naive to think that racism is completely dead, but the view of race from the generations pre-X is completely different than that of Gen X and later. My view of other cultures differs greatly from my parents. For them it is a conscience effort to look past a person's race but for me it is natural.

Now let us take this lesson to the Christian community. It is a natural tendency for people of faith to classify believers by their denomination and even sometimes to their local church. When planning outreaches, the thought of including churches even within one's denomination is considered taboo much less to include those of other denominations. The older generations have brought up their children to believe that their particular view on the scriptures is right and everyone else just doesn't know any better. The interesting part is that Gen-X and later are rejecting this view. For this they have been labeled as rebellious and written off by many churches, hence the rise of the NON-Denominational church movement.

Like the abolishment of racial segregation, the church needs to be willing to put their views of denominational segregation aside and realize that we need to reunite to meet the needs of this world. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, "United we Stand, or Divided we Fall," we must come together, put the details aside and realize that we all have been saved by grace from a loving savior that died for us and rose three days later. An old t-shirt that my father wore when I was a kid stated all so simply, "Jesus Saves! everything else is just details." When we come to the realization of these words and come back together as a body of Christ then we will truly show what Jesus spoke about,
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

Tattletales

Scripture says in Luke 18:16, "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." There are a multitude of commentaries and interpretations of what Jesus meant here but since becoming a father I see this scripture very differently. I see the kingdom of God in my daughter and have derived a ton of biblical truths since her birth three years ago.

One truth that just recently I have seen is the idea of a tattletale. According to Websters the word tattletale means "informant". So a tattletale is like a snitch in a mob movie. To stay out of trouble they quickly point out the faults in others. Hmmm...sound familiar?

In Matthew 7:2-4, Jesus asks: " 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?" Now I know many of you know this verse and use it often. It has been the cornerstone of the anti-gossip movement in the modern church however I want you to take it one step further. When God, asks you why you haven't done his will do you complain about not having what others have, or how your spouse isn't helping, or how your kids take up all your time. Guess what, this is a blame shift and you are being a tattletale.

Back to my daughter, I get so annoyed when I here tattletales when we go out. I am very strict about my daughter not being one either. As I look around at other parents, I am not alone by a long-shot. I think God places that intolerance of tattling in us and if He does then shouldn't we also keep that in mind when we are talking to God. Now I am not saying that we shouldn't have venting sessions where we complain to God, that's human and God asks us to give Him our burdens. What I am saying is that when you go to God, don't tell Him about all the bad everyone else is doing and how they are hindering you because in the end it will be you and you alone that gives an account of your life. God Bless.

Standing on the Edge of Forever

17 "Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 1:17-19

Have you ever been in a place in your life where God brings you to a place where the road ahead is laid in front of you? You see the twists, the turns, the highs and the lows and you know that the road will be hard but rewarding. Welcome to my present. I see God's plan in front of me and can't help but be amazed and humbled by it.

"Am I worthy to carry this mantel, no, not a chance!!!" I scream it at the top of my lungs, "God can I really do this?"
"No", God replies, "but I can!!!"

You see God only asks of us that we make ourselves available for Him to do the work through us. The very minute that we believe it is us and not God doing the work, our endeavors come to a dismal demise. The moment we revel in the greatness of the past and forget to pray for the future, we fail. And the moment we put our faith in the programs and not the Creator, we meet a very large brick wall. So I ask you, where do you stand? What is your faith in? How can we reach the world for Christ?

Answers: I stand on God's promises, my faith is in His Word, and we reach the world for Christ through His truth. Once we realize these essential truths then everything else just falls into place because God is now running the show.

Til next time, May God Bless and Keep You.

Impossible Expectations

How do you confront something that can be right but is totally wrong? I look into the book of Matthew and I see Jesus sit with sinners. I see Him go into the houses of the imperfect and teach the rift-raft of society to carry His message. I look at the painting "Forgiven" and feel His arms around me but at the same time see those that love Him as well not show the same love.

I am sorry if this is coming out a little scattered but I am dealing with this in my own heart as I write every word. I try to understand the motives but are unable to. I read the Word, pray to the Lord, and fight the good fight but still I am troubled so let me put this as plain as I can. Ministry is not something that can be controlled by men. Ministry is something we do unto the Lord, in laymen's terms: We minister to the Lord. A great student of the Word once told me that ministry is our way of loving on the Lord. Like a child creating a masterpiece at school to give their parents that night so do we create our masterpiece to give to the Lord.

So why do I bring this up? Well...and here's the hard part...of late I have noticed that some believe that ministry is to be earned. To minister to Lord we must first meet a certain criteria. Let me be the first to say that this is not the case. We all minister in different ways, I reach out to the forgotten generation and long to introduce them to the Father. Others minister through the written word, music, art, and a vast array of other ways. At the same time that we minister we also have problems, struggle with sin, and stumble at times. At these low points, ministry is where we should turn, "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31 Hope is proactive not apathetic, if we are to hope in the Lord that means we minister even when it seems we cannot. I urge any of you that are in leadership positions, do not take ministry away from the hurting, allow them to minister, allow them to love on God! I think I've said enough to all those who may be offended by these words I ask for forgiveness for the offense but not the words. If you disagree then please tell me why. To everyone, May God Bless you and Keep you, may everything you put your hands to be blessed.

Miniature Skyscrapers

“Whoa is me.” “Why is God doing this to me?” How many times have we felt this way? We believe that the world itself is against us and feel content in having our own pity party. Lately I have had the displeasure of watching a pillar in the faith self destruct because of these feelings. Even though I will be the first to tell you that life is hard and never fair. I can also tell you that God is bigger.
“But you just don’t understand what I’m going through…” Now I’m going to be a little harsh here but I don’t have to, and furthermore it doesn’t matter. As I read through the book of Job, I see a man that loses everything and I mean everything. His family, possessions, and even his health are all taken from him. His friends tell him to curse God and die but he refuses and is, at the end of the ordeal, rewarded for his faithfulness. That’s great but I find it interesting that if you read chapters 26-31 you will see Job’s cries of desperation. Right after this, Elihu, who like me is telling Job that he can see Job’s hardship but reminds Job that God is greater than his problems. In Job 33:8-14 Elihu lays it on the line when he says:

8 "But you have said in my hearing—
I heard the very words-
9 'I am pure and without sin;
I am clean and free from guilt.
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
he considers me his enemy.
11 He fastens my feet in shackles;
he keeps close watch on all my paths.'
12 "But I tell you, in this you are not right,
for God is greater than man.
13 Why do you complain to him
that he answers none of man's words?
14 For God does speak—now one way, now another—
though man may not perceive it.

After Elihu speaks then God speaks, I love how God comes to Job and is very straight with him. “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge (referring to Job 26-31)? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you and you shall answer me.” Job 38:2&3. God then shows Job his creation and asks Job a bunch of rhetorical questions that show how great God really is. In Job 42, Job gives a speech of repentance:

1 Then Job replied to the LORD:
2 "I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."

It was only after this repentance and the prayer by Job to save his unbelieving friends that God restored Job to twice as much as he had begun with.

So what is the moral of the story, remember that as you go through the trials of this life that God is bigger. I found a quote the other day by Mark Batterson that states: “The more we grow, the bigger God should get. And the bigger God gets, the smaller our lions (problems, obstacles, trials) will become.” If today you are going through a struggle that seems impossible then I challenge you to remember the greatness of our Lord. Once you get a grasp on the greatness of God then I guarantee that all of those insurmountable obstacles will become nothing more than speed bumps.

Pink Elephants

Okay now that I have your attention, read on and I’ll explain the significance of the "pink elephant" as it pertains to my life. Have you ever had the answer to a problem and no one will listen to you? For example, back when I was in school if I knew the answer to a question I raised my hand to give it. Unfortunately, more times than not the teacher wouldn’t let me give the answer due to me knowing the answer most of the time (I am not trying to be prideful just making a point). Needless to say it was frustrating to wait for someone else when I had the answer. In the same way when I listen to the problems and concerns of others I usually cannot give the answer to them b/c they do not want to hear it causing the same frustration. Sometimes it is because they know what I’m going to say and other times they think they know more and do not need my advice. So here is what I have to say about a couple subjects, more to come in later posts.
As most of you know I am a believer of the Bible and everything held therein. The blessing/curse of that is when someone who is also a believer tells me their problems I have a hard time being compassionate towards them. The Word of God says "by his wounds we are healed" Isaiah 53:5. To me this encompasses emotional, physical, and spiritual healing, so why do so many Believers complain about their sickness. The Word also says "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." Psalms 55:22, so why do we fear what may happen. These as well as many other lessons are hard to learn for all of us but if we are to become successful children of God we need to learn these things.
So what is the deal with the pink elephant you are still asking? Well in my parents house if a subject is off limits to talk about we say "Pink Elephant" and the subject is changed. When I began to think about writing this and future post the subjects that God is giving me revelation in are "Pink Elephants" to most Christians.