Thursday, January 31, 2008

God's Word for Today

"For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." (Psalm 100:5)

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Dad or Nurse?

Today my daughter is sick and I am having to take care of her at home. It is a stomach bug of some kind and so I am staying home and working here in my home office. Hopefully she is doing better tommorow and I can get back on schedule. I am sure this will pass. God bless everyone and have a great day.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

There's Power in Christ


"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
(Philippians 4:13)

Monday, January 28, 2008

Staying in the Word of God

When we are struggling in our faith, it is very tempting to stop reading the Bible on a consistent basis. After all, we don't feel we are getting anything out of it. We just don't feel like opening it. But a lesson most of us learned as children, and still learn as adults, is that sometimes we have to do things we don't want to or feel like. And there are consequences if we do not. If we don't keep up with homework or study for tests, we might fail a course. If we don't pay our taxes, the IRS will find us and make us pay or charge us criminally. If we don't nurture a relationship, the relationship might die. There are consequences to not reading the Bible regularly, too; we just don't always readily see them. But they are there. When we are having dry times in our faith, it is crucial that we read the Bible every day, even and actually - especially when we do not feel like it. Otherwise, we drift farther from the Word and it drifts farther from our consciences, from our hearts and minds. Also, I can tell you from personal experience, that even when I thought I wasn't getting something out of Bible-reading, I was - the effects may not show themselves immediately. But every time we read a verse from the Scriptures, it is pushed a little deeper into our hearts and minds. Satan would be delighted for us to stop reading the Word when we don't feel like it. It fits right into his plan. And God wants us to delight in His word. We need to pray to Him to help us crave it. 1 Peter 2:2 says "like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." We must read the Word every day. We will not grow close to God as long as we don't study His word, for He has provided this for our salvation and growth, and as a means for us to learn about His character, as well as for encouragement, and helping us to live the life He wants us to live. Paul tells us in the book of 2 Tim 3:16-17 "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; {17} so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." God wants us to have abundant life. He wants us to have a joyful life. John 10:10 reads "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." Later on Jesus said in John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." We will never have the abundant life or the joy that God wants for us, if we do not digest His word on a consistent basis.
In summary, when we are having doubts we need to pray and study God's Word often. We need to associate with Christians who are strong in their faith. We can also benefit from reading the testimony of such Christians, and from writing a journal during our struggles.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

I Got the Hint


My wife is always telling me, "Way too Much Cologne Honey.." I think after seeing this cartoon I got the hint. I will use my fragrances in moderation from now on.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

A Great Movie for the Whole Family


I recently watched a wonderful movie entitled "Facing the Giants" which is the story of a Christian High School coach who overcomes incredible obstacles and turns his team of young players into champions. The movie has a great Christian message and anyone who loves rooting for the underdog will love this movie. I encourage you to rent or buy it at your local video store or Christian book store. It's worth it.


Have a great weekend everyone and God bless.

Friday, January 25, 2008

God's Word For Today

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you." (Jeremiah 29:11-12)

Thursday, January 24, 2008

You Can't Hide It

I love to watch funny commercials. My favorite of all is a snickers commercial, where a bald-headed man tries to cover up his balding head with a toupee made of snickers. His fellow employees try to tell him they know he's bald and should stop wearing the snickers. Truly a funny commercial. And the thought came to me that we can't hide anything from God and we can't cover up our sin. God knows the selfish motives for the good deed we did today. The grudges we harbor against someone who hurt us or angered us are visible to God. He is aware of our indulgent fantasies, our "little white lies" and what goes on "behind closed doors," whether it's domestic violence, addictive behavior (which is notorious for secrets-that's a key clue a family is dealing with addiction - family secrets), hateful words or whatever. We can hide our true selves from our friends, our coworkers - and to some extent, even our families. But we can't hide anything from God. So when we pray, we may as well be bluntly honest - since God already knows anyway. It may be startling to think about how transparent our lives and hearts are to our Heavenly Father. But the flip side is that even though He knows every sin we have committed or ever will, He loved us enough to provide for our salvation through Christ - and He continues to love us. He wants us to repent (see 1 John 1:9), but He loves us unconditionally. That's not to say that he won't hold us accountable for our actions. There are conditions on blessings, but not on love for His children. (See the Prodigal Son for a parable that reflects God's love for his straying children.) Love that is conditional isn't true love. And as God's word says, He is love. Not the kind of "love" (a.k.a. lust or coveting) portrayed in some media presentations today. Rather, the 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love. Let's "get real" with God and ourselves.

Monday, January 21, 2008

On Call WIth the Hospital

This upcoming week I am assigned to serve as a volunteer chaplain for the local hospital here in town. I personally am looking forward to meeting and helping the hospital patients. It gives me an opportunity to minister and offers a touch point for my own personal ministry that will effect many lives and present opportunities for evangelism and encouragment. I am reminded of the words of Jesus who said in the scripture that "when you have done it unto the least of these, you have also done it unto me." I ask for your prayers that God will use my life and ministry to touch others. Have a great week everyone and God bless.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

It's Cold Here In Indiana

I woke up this morning to get ready for Sunday services and noticed the temperature was -2 degrees outside and the windchill was -16 degrees below zero. It is very cold here in Indiana right now. It is supposed to be a very cold couple of days here and I just hope that it warms up soon. Everyone have a blessed week and God bless.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Wrong Turns In Life

Ephesians 5:8-"for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light."

Almost everyone can point to a time in life when the road we were traveling on was a dead end. Probably without exception we must all admit that, at times, the turns of life have not exactly steered us down paths that were good for us. So it was with a woman in Florida who made one wrong turn too many and found herself on a runway at Tampa International Airport. "She was on a runway staring at a 737", said Scott Loper, assistant director of operations. What have been your 737's, or DC10's? How have you stared them down and gained victory over them? How has your faith in the reconciliation you have found in Christ aided you in your wrong turns? If you have ever stumbled back into the right path, having gone the wrong way for a time, the answers to these questions should be remembered. Why? I hope to explain a little. One reason why we should remember our past struggles and failings, even when we have had victory, is because this helps us remember from where we have come. We have come from darkness and turned to light. We have come from practices and habits that were destructive and, in Christ, we live anew, a life of victory. Quite honestly we have come out of death and into life. The change that Christ brings into a life is nothing short of comprehensive and complete in its scope. "Old things have passed away, lo, new things have come." In thinking of our past, from where we have come; our present, where we are; and our future, where we are headed, we remember that the victory was won by Christ. What a great advantage Christ has been for us. We used to stare down 737's, now we look into the loving eyes of Christ. And rather than cringe from the coming impact of our wrong turns, we now melt into the caring arms of Christ the Lord. We are all, to some degree, figuring out which road ahead of us is the right turn or wondering if we have made the right turns in the past, but let us not forget the victories that we have had in the past. Having victory over failings or wrong turns are important moments in our lives. They give us hope when we are struggling, they remind us that, no matter how hard the battle seems, in the past, we have, through Christ, prevailed over sin. (That last phrase is so important! Don't ever fall trap to the misconception that you prevail over sin without Christ.)

Friday, January 18, 2008

God's Word for Today

Jeremiah 29:11-12

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."

Thursday, January 17, 2008

What is Prayer?

Prayer is basically talking with God. It is simply expressing your heart and spending time with Him. It is not a one way activity, God speaks, we listen, we speak and God listens to our hearts. Prayer can be exciting, powerful and fulfilling. I am going to be focusing mostly on intercession, but I also wanted to provide an overview on other types of prayer that will hopefully inspire you to pursue your own personal study on this subject.

Types of Prayer

A. Thanksgiving - Giving thanks to God for all things in your life. We are commanded to give thanks in all circumstances. Being thankful is being grateful for his protection, provision, blessing, and most of all for his Son.

B. Petition - We ask God for the specific things we need in our life. Give us our daily bread. Give us the things we need to survive, a roof over our heads, employment etc. Petitions are usually self orientated, presenting our personal needs to our Heavenly Father, in trust that He will provide. Be specific in your petitions, pray in details and not in generalities.

C. Prevailing Prayer - fervent consistent insistent prayer until a breakthrough takes place, whether in your personal life, or for someone else (intercession). Example Believing for emotional or physical healing. Biblical Example: Luke 18:1-8.-"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, `Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, `Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

D Intercession - Love on its knees in prayer, for others. Pleading on behalf of the needs of someone else. Standing in the gap, that is, praying prayers of repentance, etc., identifying yourself with the sins of those for which you are in prayer. Biblical Example: Nehemiah, a godly man, identified with the sins of his people, praying prayers of repentance, asking the Lord to forgive and to have mercy and to raise up once again the nation of Israel. Nehemiah 1:3-10 "They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. "Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, `If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.' "They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favour in the presence of this man."

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

The Importance of Sticking to the Basics


"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:42, ESV)

How are you doing with those New Year commitments, resolutions, or goals? We are now a full two weeks into the New Year, and I bet there may be a few of you who have already failed in your well-intended promises for the New Year of 2008. I wonder if our failures have anything to do with the complexity of our lives. You hear coaches and teachers in all sports frequently discuss the basics to be successful. For instance, when I was in high school, my baseball coach would hit hundreds of pop flies and ground balls just so we could practice fielding the proper way. With that being said, for the point of our study, let's stick to the fundamentals. I believe that our New Year's resolutions, especially as they relate to our spiritual life, can be greatly improved by sticking to the basics. Today's passage from the second chapter of Acts describes what was happening in the early church, the fellowship of believers in its earliest state. Yet, the activities they describe would be very good goals even in our "fully developed" church of today. Later in this passage, we read, "The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved" (v. 47). I should say so! Look at all they were committed to: being taught, having fellowship, eating together, praying (v. 42),unity (v. 44), selling their possessions and giving to those who had need (v. 45), worshipping God corporately, being thankful (v. 46), praising God, and having good rapport with all the people (v. 47). Wow! No wonder God was adding to their numbers those that were being saved every day! These fundamental things they were doing are the very things that show the world we are Christ's disciples. Let me encourage you this year to commit yourself to sticking to the basics, so God can use us to show others that we are His.

I Am Dreaming of a Sunny Beach


I have come to the end of a very busy day....and ironically it's supposed to be my day off. To make matters worse, the weather was very cold and it snowed most of the day. It's still cold this evening and even though I have a fire in the fireplace and it's very peaceful and relaxing, I sure wish I were on the beach right now where it's warm and sunny. To hear the ocean waves splash the shore and the soft ocean breeze. I guess it's okay to dream.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

James 5:8 "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, age five and Ryan, three. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson so she said; “Now boys, if Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.’” Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus.” This story cracked me up, but how true is it of our lives? We want what we want and we want it now! M.H. Lount taught that “God’s best gifts come slowly. We could not use them if they did not. Many a man, called of God to a work in which he is pouring out his life, is convinced that the Lord means to bring his efforts to a successful conclusion. Nevertheless, even such a confident worker grows discouraged at times and worries because results do not come as rapidly as he would desire. But growth and strength in waiting are results often greater than the end so impatiently longed for. Paul had time to realize this as he lay in prison. Moses must have asked, ‘Why?’ many times during the delays in Midian and in the wilderness. Jesus Himself experienced the discipline of delay in His silent years before His great public ministry began.”
Perhaps you’ve been waiting on something for a long time and you’re weary. You’re not alone! Let’s ask the Lord to renew our hearts and desires today, and give us a fresh infilling of strength to wait on His perfect timing. Good things come to those who WAIT!

God's Word for Today

Matthew 19:26

"But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Praising Him

I have been impressed recently by the fact that we should praise God often! Praising God is part of worshipping Him. I have heard it said that our work in Heaven will be worshipping God, and we should be doing that now, too! There is so much to praise Him for! Of course I can't touch on them all, but here are some things to think about:

We should praise Him simply for Who He is!
Deuteronomy 4:39 (NIV) Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.

We should praise Him for His holiness:
Psalm 29:2 (NIV) Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.

We should praise Him for providing for our salvation:
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV) And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of His glory.

We should praise Him for His dependability -- His faithfulness:
Psalm 40:10 (NIV) I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of Your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and Your truth from the great assembly.

We should praise Him for providing for our everyday material needs -- not always our wants, but our needs:
Luke 12:27 "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!

I hope you will join with me in trying to remember to praise God every day, for both eternal and temporal benefits!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

God's Word for Today

Colossians 3:1-3

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Staying Faithful to God's Word

My hometown of St. Louis is the world headquarters of Joyce Meyer Ministries and her ministry's theme is "There is Life in the Word" and I couldn't agree more. God's word is the bread of life that feeds our souls and sustains our spiritual lives. When we are struggling in our faith, it is very tempting to stop reading the Bible on a consistent basis. After all, we don't feel we are getting anything out of it. We just don't feel like opening it. But a lesson most of us learned as children, and still learn as adults, is that sometimes we have to do things we don't want to or feel like doing. However, if we don't do certain things, there are consequences. If we don't keep up with homework or study for tests, we might fail a course. If we don't pay our taxes, the IRS will find us and make us pay or charge us criminally. If we don't nurture a relationship, the relationship might die. There are consequences to not reading the Bible regularly, too; we just don't always readily see them. But they are there. When we are having dry times in our faith, it is crucial that we read the Bible every day, even and actually - especially when we do not feel like it. Otherwise, we drift farther from the Word and it drifts farther from our consciences, from our hearts and minds. Also, I can tell you from personal experience, that even when I thought I wasn't getting something out of Bible-reading, I was - the effects may not show themselves immediately. But every time we read a verse from the Scriptures, it is pushed a little deeper into our hearts and minds. Satan would be delighted for us to stop reading the Word when we don't feel like it. It fits right into his plan. And God wants us to delight in His word. We need to pray to Him to help us crave it. 1 Peter 2:2 tells us "as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" NKJV. We must read the Word every day. We will not grow close to God as long as we don't study His word, for He has provided this for our salvation and growth, and as a means for us to learn about His character, as well as for encouragement, and helping us to live the life He wants us to live. Paul told writes in 2 Timothy 3:16-17- "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" NKJV. God wants us to have abundant life. He wants us to have a joyful life. Just as Jesus said in John 10:10-“I have come that they might have life, and more abundantly.” We will never have the abundant life or the joy that God wants for us, if we do not digest His word on a consistent basis. Get in the word of God and God's word will get into you.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Just Another Problem for the Pastor


This week we had a minor water leak caused by a water pipe busting...so I can relate to this pastor's delima.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

God's Word for Today

2 Corinthians 13:14

"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

I Am A Friend of God

Many of us have people in our personal lives that we consider to be friends. Throughout our lives we are blessed to have special people who we can talk to and share life’s joys and sorrows with, along with developing the special bond of friendship. The Bible tells us in Exodus 33:11,“So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” Moses and God shared a unique relationship. The Bible tells us that God spoke to Moses like a dear friend would speak to another; and I am sure that Moses talked with God much the same way. Many Christians see God as a mighty, awesome, all powerful, being, whose throne is in heaven and we can only hope to reach him with our prayers. In fact we think that we have to come to God with piety and reverence and we fail to realize that our Heavenly Father loves us and is full of grace and mercy and desires to spend time with us. We should feel as comfortable talking to God in prayer as we do in the fellowship of a friend. God is our friend, and he wants us to feel the freedom to come to Him in prayer no matter what the circumstances may be in our lives. This is what the write of Hebrews meant when he wrote in Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly before the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” When we come to God in prayer, it is important to remember that He is our friend, and we should remember the words of the praise song we sometimes sing at my church, "I am a friend of God, I am a friend of God, I am friend of God he calls me friend."

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Why Do We Suffer?

Sometimes we seem to have the idea that if we are suffering, if things are not going smoothly for us, we are not in God's will. In actuality, the opposite is often true. Sometimes God lets us go through trials in order to teach us, to refine us, to strengthen us. Romans 5:3-5 says "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Some suffering is simply a result of living in a fallen world. As long as we live on this Earth, we will encounter illness, physical and emotional pain, financial distress etc. Only in Heaven will there be no suffering at all. Some suffering is brought on by our own mistakes and sins. Sometimes people are quick to blame satan for financial problems, work problems, marriage problems, and the like. Sometimes he is the cause. But often, it's easier to blame satan than to admit to our own responsibility or do the hard work required, in order to overcome the problem. However, some suffering is inflicted by Satan, in hopes of discouraging us and leading us off the difficult, narrow path. If we are trying to do things God's way, the devil certainly isn't going to make things easy for us. Sometimes we underestimate Satan's power. The Bible tells us that we should expect difficulties. Jesus was unequivocal about this. He told us in John 16:33-"These things I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." He didn't say, "you may have trials and sorrows." He didn't say, "if you stray off the right path you will have trials and sorrows." Nope. He says "you will have tribulation and trials and sorrow." So how are we to deal with them? Instead of being bitter or depressed or discouraged, we should hear the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:18-"In everything give thanks."Paul didn't say "if things are going your way, be thankful." He said "no matter what happens," be thankful. Be thankful for God's grace and peace that will keep you in the trials.

Friday, January 4, 2008

I'm Not the Only Pastor Who Blogs...


God's Word for Today


Psalm 62:7

"In God is my salvation and my glory;The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God."

Thursday, January 3, 2008

The Jellyfish

This past summer, while on vacation with my family, we had an opportunity to visit an aquarium and see all the different types of oceanic creatures and marine life. I was especially intrigued by a jellyfish as it was displaying its range of beautiful blue colors. I was told by our tour guide that jellyfish, whether in or out of the ocean, are very dangerous and its tentacles contain poison that paralyze its victim. When the jellyfish is in the ocean, it is translucent- blending in with its environment. It is lovely and graceful, and you would not realize the danger it possesses until you are stung with its almost invisible tentacles. This jellyfish reminds me of Satan, for he can offer himself, looking lovely and inviting, and he can tempt us in very subtle ways. The Apostle Paul reminds us of this truth, and he admonishes us to be on guard, “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” (2 Corinthians 2:11) Satan is deceptive and cunning, alluring us and beckoning us daily. His tentacles of greed, lust, selfishness and other temptations can reach out and grab us- infecting us with his poisonous sting -- either in or out of his comfortable environment. This is why we must hear the words in James 4:7 which tell us, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” We must defy temptation by praying for strength to resist and by saying "no" when we are tempted. A temptation does not turn into a sin until we give in to it. So let us beware of the enemy of our souls “and do not give the devil an opportunity.” (Ephesians 4:27) Just like the tentacles of the jellyfish, sin can sting us because it is presented in such an appealing manner. It often offers a quick route to financial gains or social acceptance; or, it may also masquerade as love or give a false feeling of security. Sometimes sin will invade our lives when we are unaware-but most often it knocks on our door tempting us with delights. Sin prevents us from serving God effectively, and can harden our hearts toward things of righteousness. Our sins were nailed to the cross with Jesus, but temptation is not erased from our lives when we become Christians. So remember that Satan is seeking to steal, kill and destroy and he can and will deceive us in order to cause us to stumble. Pray for God’s strength and you will be able to win out over the devil.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

God's Word for Today

Psalm 118:1

"O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever."

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Happy New Year 2008

Happy New Year to everyone and I pray that 2008 will be a year of blessing and prosperity for everyone. May God bless you and your family and may you experience His riches blessings in your life this year.