Girls...

Having 2 girls is great and very rewarding, yet at the same time very challenging and sometimes even scary. Being a dad I am more and more realizing that for my two little girls it is SO huge for them! I found myself at JcPennies the other day wanting to buy dresses and little pink shirts for my girls to keep them little girls! The world we live in does not really care about morals, ethics or Jesus! By my desire is for me and my house to be ROCK solid in Jesus, to be people of high integrity, of great morals, yet as I work at this as a Dad, the world seems to be pulling at them with all kinds of sick and evil things! My prayer is Lord keep them safe, yet make them extremely dangerous for the Kingdom, fill them up to over flowing with the Holy Spirit and then place your thumb in their back daring them to be different. Being in the world as Jesus put yet NOT of the world, is a very challenging occurrence that seems to going on and on! Lord Jesus, I place Kailey and Lauryn at your feet, protect them, keep them, hold them in Jesus Name, I plea your blood over them, and I ask that they become grounded in You, rooted in you, and live life to please you! Bless them Father, and empower them in everything they do, and thanks for allowing me the awesome honor of being their daddy! Amen!

I AM BLESSED!!!

I met with a pastor friend of mine just the other day, as we shared one of the constant phrases that was spoken from him was just how blessed he really was! Well, I since then have been reflecting on just how blessed I AM! The truth is I AM BLESSED! I live in the land of the Free, I know Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, I have been called by God, which I have answered to with a glad heart. I have the most awesome wife in the world and our marriage ROCKS I am BLESSED, I have the worlds most beautiful girls in which I am very proud of! I drive a nice car, rent a nice town home. I have an electric blanket with several other blankets, I have a roof over my head, I have Great health, with a great appetite, I AM BLESSED! I love life, I love and enjoy living life to the full to the glory and honor of my King, I am BLESSED! I have great friends, who love me enough to be honest with me, I AM BLESSED! I have a hamster that loves me and eats the food I give, I AM BLESSED! I enjoy living with the JOY of the LORD who IS MY STRENGTH, I am thankful for the cross that Jesus died on for me! I love laughter, and making people laugh, I AM BLESSED! I am surrounded by prayer warriors who are lifting me up daily, I AM BLESSED! I am love by HIM who knows all, sees everything yet LOVES ME unfailingly, I AM BLESSED

Tis the Season...

Well, it is this time of year again, where the Christmas tree goes up, the stockings are hung and excitement feels the air. This time of year also seems to be covered in hurry. Taking time to smell the carrot cookies and enjoy that hot sip of cider is I believe to be very important if this season is going to be enjoyed! Life is so short so it only seems right that we slow down just a hint in order to grasp what really matters! This is a great time of year to just love people to show extra kindness, to give extra compassion and to find oneself filled a new with the true Spirit of Christmas - which is Christ! The red, green and white lights come out all over while the Santa and the reindeer's prepare for flight! This is such a fun time of year, this is a time where I remember as a child putting up the tree, putting up the lights and laughing until it hurt just because having fun was Christmas! Kailey and Lauryn are so looking forward to fun filled, Jesus centered Christmas. Our family loves to take time and really pause to celebrate, Jesus birthday, family and a warm place to celebrate! Tis the Season to laugh, to truly enjoy each other and to sing from our hearts because Christmas really does matter! Thanks Jesus, for coming as a babe in a manger.

Laugh...

I love waking up feeling so good that it just makes you want to laugh and then laugh some more. Laughter is God designed and so healthy for us. In fact they say that laughter is healing, if this is true then this could mean that taking some time just to laugh out loud might just be in our best interest! It is so funny and awesome how God made us all with our own unique laugh! Some people laugh out loud with their hand over their mouth, or some people snort, or some people even get this twitch when they get laughing real hard! Life is funny, perhaps your reading this thinking hey my life is not funny, but you know every situation we are in, will be always give us time to reflect upon and even give some laughter about! My wife is really funny when she starts on a laughing spree, it is like an explosion of fun just come out of her. It is so funny to watch and hear her that it gets me laughing! I am a firm believer that some people take life so serious that if they tried to smile they would crack the skin because it has been too long! My prayer is that I would live life having fun, laugh over the good and the bad and have the courage to do it out loud! Thanks giving is coming up and I am so thankful God made me a fun hearted person a lot like my mom! LOL!

The fear of the Lord...

Matthew 21:43-44 says, Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." Just living life as a church goer does really nothing for the believer. In our Christian life we are commanded to bear fruit, yet bearing fruit takes time, work, and even struggles. I think the church has become very complex because we have made it that way. We wrestle with this and that yet watch as the Kingdom goes by us! We the church I believe are called to step back to the plate of a very healthy fear of the Lord. ONLY can the church thrive when a true Fear of Him is lived in our daily lives! I wonder how many of good church people if Jesus was to say to them the Kingdom is going to be taken from you might debate with Christ over doctrine rather than repenting of sin and then following the Master in obedience! In fact earlier in scripture Jesus even states to the legal Pharisees that the prostitutes and tax collectors are entering the Kingdom of God ahead of You! Mainly because they chose to believe, instead of debating doctrine or giving excuses the prostitutes and tax collectors wanted what Jesus was offering! Have we settled for the statuesque, are we really okay with doing life and church our way? I believe it is time for us the bride of Christ to truly listen to our Master, and then repent and then live in obedience! Wake up, for the hour is near!

Believe...

Have you ever tried to so hard to believe in what seems to be impossible? Sometimes that might just be getting up in the morning depending on the day before that you might have had. Believing in the impossible is tough, believing for God who can do the impossible and does the impossible every day, to specifically do the impossible in your area of concern! Why is it that believing in the impossible is so hard? How is it that we find ourselves always looking and trying to figure out impossible tasks? I believe, but just that in and of itself is not enough. The bible says that the demons in hell believe there is God and shudder and the sound of His name, so just to believe is not enough! I think life is full of impossibility yet so often we try to figure out how on our own we can make it work! What is it today that is looking you directly in the face and screaming out IMPOSSIBLE? God knows just because He made us that we are unable to do anything with out HIM! I know I need Jesus, and I know that apart from Jesus no mountain is going to get out of my way! But still the question is how can the impossible be accomplished, how can the task that lies ahead be overcome with victory, and when if ever will we see the results that so hard you find yourself searching for? Jesus today help me in my unbelief, enrich my faith, and empower my walk today, in CHRIST!!!

COME DOWN...

My prayer this morning is Lord come down and powerfully show me your ways that I may walk in them, guide me in your truth, teach me, I am yours! Isaiah 64 says, Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him." It really hit me that I serve THE Living God, who more than I can even fathom wants all of me! I desire for God to truly REND the heavens and come down and so meet with us! Help us to follow Him, help us to trust Him, help us to understand that life is not about us, BUT JESUS! He said the mountains trembled before Him, WOW! I want God to do the unexpected in me, in His church for this is when the awesome things will take place! I am thinking this morning that there is no other God who acts with such mercy, compassion, and grace for those who wait for Him, am I waiting for Jesus, or am I running ahead giving Him orders, Father help me to listen to your still small voice and just simply trust and obey, help me to tremble in your presence and to be AWE struck by your love for me, AMEN!!!

Psalm 91

WOW! God is so good, not only did he send His one and only Son to the Cross to die for me, but He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. God is our refuge, God is our protector, God is our Shield, God goes before us, God goes behind us, and God is right beside us! God says, that because we love him He will rescue us, because we acknowledge His name He will protect us. God says I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. What an amazing God we serve who is above all, who is robed in glory, and who knows me by name! I love Jesus!!! I wonder, do you think we give to Jesus from a heart perspective the way he calls us to? Are we falling in love with our creator daily? Wondering if the challenge in the North American church isn't because of a lack of devotion and heart commitment to our God who really does love and care for us His children! Our world is so lost and yet so often we just tend to go on our Mary way, Yet the Living God desires that all would come to believe in His Son and have life! Jesus never did ministry where he wasn't pointing to the Father first! Let us Point in everything we do to the Father First who loves us and desires for us to Love Him! Learning to Lean on Jesus, Learning to Trust in The Living God!

Psalm 23:1

The first verse of Psalm 23 says this, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." Let that sink in for just a moment, the Lord, Jesus Christ the King of Kings, David was declaring was his shepherd, and then to top it off he says and I shall NOT be in WANT! This sounds like a crazy thing to even suggest, but the more I begin to open up my mind and heart to this verse I am totally blown away by the power behind those few words! Since God is the shepherd of my life does that mean all my wants should come from and through His hands? My wants should perhaps no longer be coming through my ability to achieve those wants. My wants when placed in His hands seem to diminish little by little when I pause to think of Jesus being more than enough for me, so with this being said, IF THIS IS TRUE, then wants are satisfied because Jesus is my shepherd and my wants are in His hands, for He more than anything should be my greatest desire! Jesus is my shepherd, therefore I want nothing more, I confess I want to be at that point in my life, I want my wants to simply be for more of HIM! This seems to go back to the word intimacy for this is what the Father is looking for from us His children, and nothing less than our all! Father be more than enough for me, and be my shepherd, so my wants are for more of YOU!

Jesus is more than enough...

My prayer, has often been Jesus your more than enough, yet recently the Father has reminded me that I have not been totally depending upon Him as more than enough! I am under the realization that depending upon God is far greater than just moving your lips with the words. Our God is a relational King, and more than having a large body of church goers, God longs for a body of intimate followers, that live the life of the Father truly being more than enough. Recently I have been praying sometimes 3 or 4 times a day asking the Father to be more than enough in the right now of my life! It is so easy to get caught up in the things of the world and yet still go to church, still teach SS, still live life available yet if not careful missing out on making the Father more than enough everyday! Living out in Sedalia, MO I working on a restart of the Nazarene church, and in this process, I am reminded that God is Faithful! I can't build the church and the crazy thing is God told me just the other day, STOP working on building the church, build my KINGDOM and the church will follow. So I am really striving to being a Kingdom builder instead of a church builder. God has all the blue prints I need, I just have to learn daily to trust and depend upon HIM! Father, be more than enough for me today! Bless Kailey at school today, bless Lauryn at home today, and encourage Carly in her Beauty work! BE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ME!!!

New beginnings...

Well, today marked the beginning of a new day that has been really hard as my Little Kailey is growing up and today started Kindergarten! It was a very hard morning driving to the school, all of us in the car, and then to watch her until I couldn't see her anymore, tough stuff and hard to realize that she is growing up so fast! I remember when I was in Kindergarten, it was the funnest place, so cool. I loved every bit of being able to read and sing and play! This morning we all held hands and prayed for Kailey, I am still praying Lord Jesus build a wall of your Angels around Kailey to protect her emotionally, spiritually, & physically. Help Kailey to live bold and strong for you, to remember what her mother and I have taught her since she was just a baby! Jesus you are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, So hold Kailey in your arms of grace, and when she is scared, empower her with your love driving the fear away, and Lord when she is upset, help her to cast her frustrations upon you and to always remember you love her! Thank you so much for my family! I am so thankful for my beautiful wife, my 5 year old and my 3 year old, they mean so much to me! Have your will in our hearts in our lives and in our hopes! I can't wait to pick up Kailey as she comes running, I will embrace her with all my heart, trying to hug her before mom does, LOL!

3 Weeks...

Well, the other day I heard from one of the ladies in our church that she only has three days to live according to the Dr. What a mind boggling thing to hear from your Dr. yet our faith in not in the hands of the medical teams but in the great physician Jesus Christ! I am praying Lord if it be your will, please reach through me and Heal my sister in Christ! Jesus said in His word you will go out and do EVEN GREATER things then I have done! WOW! I want to be so used By God to make such an impact upon the very community we live in, and even upon our world like Jesus did! What do you really do with those words, 3 days to live! It seems like lately in my life I have been wrestling with this fear that I am going to die of a heart attack and leave Carly and the girls with nothing! Life insurance is needed, but fear has a way of creeping into our lives to where we find ourselves worried and perhaps even afraid! I know that my sister in Jesus is ready to go to heaven yet, I long to be so used by my Father, to speak the words and it happens, all because it is His will and because I am standing on the authority of the Living God! Jesus be with my friend who has only been given a 3 week left on life, touch her, and heal her in Jesus Name, Amen.

Thankful for New Joy!

Learning daily that more than anything being a Christian leader is about falling more and more in love with Jesus! Having a lifestyle of great devotion to my King who died for me! We have a new Leadership team at our church and it is awesome, there is great movements of the Holy Spirit, there is unity, there is hope for a brighter tomorrow, there is peace, there is a hunger to reach lost, broken, and hurting people! After reading 1 Peter I have been praying Father renew the joy of my salvation! Living life for Jesus Christ is the only way to live there is nothing that can compare! The bible talks about Being full of JOY, well, I can say that I have much joy, yes our congregation is only 11 people but it is not the size of our church that makes the difference it is the size of our God! My hope and prayer for CCCN is that we live to bless others, we live to serve others, we live to bring glory and honor to our King, we live life abiding in Christ and His word in us, that we would be risk takers for the greater good of reaching man kind, that we would be faithful in giving, faithful in following and faithful in Leading! I love Jesus Christ more than anything, and I am so blessed to be able to be the vessel that God himself fills up and uses! All of Jesus is more than enough for all of ME! I am praying for God's people, I am praying for our love for Jesus and for others to over flow from our lives! Today I am learning to lean on Jesus and to Trust him with all of my heart, to lean not in MY own understanding, but to acknowledge Him and He will direct my paths! Today is a bright day, and today is a great day, and today is going to be good, because I am walking with Him who knows all, sees all, and loves me unfailingly! I love my wife and my two girls, I am blessed! Thankful to be able to serve as Restart leader and Pastor of Crossroads Community Church of the Nazarene.

Life goes on...

Well, life @ CCCN has been very eventful in the last few weeks! We have had 5 people decide to leave and get away from what God is so wanting! I praise God today for people who left who so needed to be gone! My heart grieves for them, but the truth is our services have been so FREE and wow does that feel good! Not real sure what I am to do as far as building the church! This is tough, and I am asking God to make clear for me His direction that He is wanting me to take! At this time in my life I am even questioning am I really supposed to continue in being a pastor, well I know that I am until God tells me other wise! My wife has been broken, hurting and even angry over the issues that have been at hand in our church! For sure what ever the Lord's will is for CCCN it for sure has not been what has been going on for the last 9 months! Well, we took a trip to Iowa just to get out of dodge and that was a real blessing because it was what we all needed! I love the church, but am really bothered by people who try to make the church fit around what they want. We must remember Life goes on, and the church of Jesus Christ is HIS bride not ours! We need the church, we need Jesus, We need each other! I love Jesus, and love the fact that Life Goes On!

Missing YOU...

Well, today being the last day before we go to Iowa and see our girls and I am so thankful! I miss Kailey and Lauryn so much! I miss their little voices, and the play times, I miss their laughter, I miss dad will you get up with me, I miss going outside with them and just that wonderful time together, I miss you girls so much, yet I am so glad you were able to go and spend some time with PaPa Paul and Grandma Cindy, I am so glad your loved by other people, I am so glad you are my daughters! I am reading this book by Dr. James Dobson, "Bringing up girls." My desire is to be a father that richly influences you both with Jesus, Love, Compassion, Forgiveness, but also health, and I want to instill in you both just how beautiful you are! I was convicted today by some of the TV shows I allow you to watch that are wrong just because I am seeing how they are trying to so influence my little girls into something that GOD never called them to! Kailey and Lauryn I am so blessed to be your daddy, and I love you both for a 100,000 reasons but most of all I love you just because your YOU! Keep smiling because Jesus and DAD love you very Much!!!

BE STRONG...

2 Timothy 2:1, "You then, my son, BE STRONG in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." Be Strong, well I confess today this word Be is standing in my way! BE, live it, not asking me to DO strong things, it is asking me or telling me to BE! Strong is not the problem, I believe Strength is in the eye of the beholder, but am I really strong, or is that just my smell! LOL! The bible makes it clear that we are to BE Strong, to live and breath, and act STRONG even in the face of adversity! This for me is one of the most difficult lessons I could even imagine trying to accomplish, BE STRONG! I want so bad to BE STRONG, yet I feel as though with the challenges I am facing that to BE Strong is one of the most difficult if the NOT the most difficult part of life I am facing today! The church is unattached in so many areas and the easy thing to do is just blame the messenger! Here it is again for me, BE STRONG, I want to BE Strong, for my family, I want to be strong for the church, I want to BE Strong for friends, I want to Be Strong for someone who needs that strong shoulder to lean on! BUT am I BEING STRONG am I standing STRONG, am I living daily STRONG, for Jesus? I want to go beyond try, I want to BE STRONG! Some people might say well your in a very difficult time, YES I am but all excuses aside, I WANT TO BE STRONG!!!

SORRY...

Clearing your heart is such a relief even when your not in the wrong! To say I am sorry and to get the load off of your chest is really a blessing! God never intended for us to walk around life having this crazy feeling of can't amount to anything, hanging over our heads! SO often lately I have been feeling as though this is true! I know deep in my heart that this a lie from the enemy! Today I sent some letters out where I have been blamed on driving people out of the church, HOG WASH! But I truly shared my heart I am so Sorry if I came across this way! Some people feel like I am pushy. Today in the church people want there heart tickled but do not really want the word of GOD declared to them! The problem is this is complacency and complacency in the Church, the bride of Christ should not be! We are just okay with where we are with what we have and with what is going on as long as it helps me or encourages me some how! My prayer is more like, transform me, change me, offend me, and help me to get out of my shell and be what you want, loving people all the way, but this type of passion in areas of the church today is not welcome! Jesus help us! For we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed but of those who believe and are saved! Help me Jesus to stand for YOU!!!

SOS...

Help me Jesus, I know and believe you are able, just say the word! Psalms 110 - "The word of God to my Lord: Sit alongside me here on my throne until I make your enemies a stool for your feet. You were forged a strong scepter by God of Zion; now rule, though surrounded by enemies! Your people will freely join you, resplendent in holy armor on the great day of your conquest, join you at the fresh break of day, join you with all the vigor of youth. God gave his word and he won't take it back: you're the permanent priest, the Melchizedek priest. The Lord stands true at your side, crushing kings in his terrible wrath, Bringing judgment on the nations, handling out convictions wholesale, crushing opposition across the wide earth. The King-Maker put his King on the throne; the True King rules with head held high!" WOW! When thinking about what an awesome GOD we serve it is very moving just to think that God our God loves us so much that even our enemies will be our footstool! God the Father does not tolerate enemy victory over His children, Who are the children of God? Who obeys, listens, trusts, bearing the Fruit of the Spirit, and who is living in daily devotion to the Living HOLY GOD! Jesus help me, I love and am in Need of Jesus!!!

BLA...BLA...BLA...

Not sure just what I want to say, my heart is heavy today with much that needs to be accomplished and with the things that are going on in the church! Today I am going to really try and see if I can get a lot DONE! I woke up this morning after a very powerful thunder storms all NIGHT, Had some coffee, and had some devotions out of JOB, worked out for 30 min. and cleaned up and now in the office to make the most out of this day by the GRACE OF GOD! Today, I honestly feel BLA, I am quick with the girls to disciple yet my frustration is not with them! I feel as if LIFE is BLA, right now and I need Jesus and HIS POWER to help me to stand because, "I am not of those who shrink back and are destroyed but of those who believe and are saved." (Hebrews 10:39) I guess today I am just going to pour everything on the alter and allow Christ to work it out and to help me out! Jesus, Here I am today, I confess I feel BLA today and broken, along with angry! I lay my life at your feet, and I pray that you would please empower me to be your man, strengthen me to stand for you, give me HOPE in the circumstance I find myself and now give me the courage to face it and conquer that which stands against me! Give me your grace today and help me every step I take to trust in you, and to KNOW that I KNOW that you are in Charge! AMEN!!!

IMITATORS OF GOD...

Be Imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved Children and live a life of LOVE, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to GOD. (Eph. 5:1-2)
We are called to be Christ Like in our actions, in our reactions, in our attitude in the way we love others! TOUGH!!! This is SO TOUGH, to love people who are so unlovable who don't seem to understand that loving the church and taking the time to invest in the lives of others truly works hand in hand in the life of the CHURCH! We the church are to be Copy Cats of Christ! We are to imitate Christ in every area of life so that the world around us is reached with the light of JESUS CHRIST! We (the church) are to truly take this sharp message and LIVE life to the MAX in Christ! Instead the church gets worked up about the color of the carpet, the money spent on a ministry projects, the lack of money, yet not digging any deeper! We the church if not careful find ourselves pointing our finger at each other instead of directly at the enemy! We who are to be imitating Jesus, need so passionately to do so with the hope of reaching the lost, loving the unlovable, and just being Jesus with skin on to somebody! STOP - PRAY - LIVE

IT's My Birthday and I'll Cry if I Want TOO...

Well, Today has been a day to remember, I woke up this morning around 6:45 and then watched a little bit of TV with my two girls. We then all got cleaned up and dressed and took off for Country Kitchen, in which Kailey kept calling Country Chicken, LOL, went looking at Motorcycles, Trucks, Cars, and then to a HOME improvement store! There we bought some tomatoes, a sandbox, had lots of fun, then took off went home and set up sandbox, planted our garden, and enjoyed the day with my family to the MAX! We grilled Hamburgers, Peppers wrapped in bacon, we then ate it all! I believe that God created us to live life full of joy, passion, with purpose, and with lots of FUN! I am so glad that God did not create us to be boring and dull! LIFE is so short and we need to live it to the MAX every day because is precious and is worth the living! It was fun just to kick back and not worry and not frustrate over anything except where to put the sandbox! It was fun looking at my beautiful girls and my HOT wife knowing God really has blessed me far more than I can even put into words! I love my wife, she is one of a kind, she is not only beautiful but she is So much FUN! It is so awesome living life with your BEST FRIEND! Life is so Good, and I am so thankful!!!

OUCH LIFE...

Life hurts, and the truth is Life can right down stink at times! In James 1:2, it says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds." What in the world? Come on, Allow the joy to just pour out of you when your going through the very OUCH of LIFE? This not only seems crazy but is very difficult to do, I find myself saying this should not be, But James just says let the Joy out when in the face of life it hurts! Don't punch back, don't fight back, don't even respond in a negative way, just consider it pure JOY! WOW, and ouch all in the same sentence. This not only hurts but has tremendous truth for the believer when JOY is coming out in the midst of the TRIAL of life! I believe more than ever in North America the Church of Jesus Christ has powerfully quenched the Holy Spirit in many ways! I believe we quench the Spirit when first of all we get more absorbed in our own importance instead of God himself. When we are not living out our purpose in full daylight and choose to get caught up in the inner church fights we miss out on the Joy in the midst of the Ouch! life hurts, and yes it can even stink, but what is my Response going to be to someones action that is not only wrong but hurtful! I pray that even in those moments JOY is pouring out of me so that my Creator will be pleased with ME! For I know my Redeemer lives!!!

Standing - and Standing MORE!!!

Standing in Jesus is not an easy thing to do in the very face of opposition! Standing really isn't even standing if were not being opposed to what we are standing for! Jesus makes it very clear in His word that for the Believer standing in the authority of the Living God is where we are to be and IF we are not living there, He will not be pleased with us! I am praying that now more than ever GOD will radically help me to stand no matter what or who is standing against me! Living for Jesus is my hearts desire but for sure is not a cake walk, NO NO NO! The enemy is attacking me with every ounce of weapons that he can pull out of his arsenal! He is hitting me with anxiety, fear, doubt, depression and discouragement! In The name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior, my prayer is that you would help me to stand completely devoted to you! Help me not to stand for the praise of man or for anything! I want to be a man like JOB that after it was all over the BIBLE says that he came out pure as gold! That means a complete STANDING in the Living God, that means NO backing down, that means Living completely surrendered to Jesus no matter the Cost! GOD HELP ME TO STAND and to NEVER BACK DOWN!

Purpose...

I was created to Love God and to Love others! I was created for intimacy with the Living God! Living life with purpose is what life is all about. IN fact when you choose to live without purpose your choosing to live life in self instead of in Christ! Over the ministries of my life I can tell you that there is nothing like living it completely in the Shadow of the Living God! God really is for me and nothing that the enemy will do can separate me from my Heavenly Father. I want more than ever to be a person with great purpose and intention. I find myself so easily getting caught up in the applause of man in stead of the GLORY of my Father! I think we all struggle with wanting people to like us and for sure to love us and when that does not happen we, I find myself struggling as if for some reason I am living for the love and affection of People instead of for the Living God! Jesus help me! I am tired of living my life for the applause of man to find that no matter how hard I strive to make people happy they never are and that is because my purpose is not to make people happy and love and like me! My purpose is to love GOD, love people and to live my life all for the glory and honor of the KING of KINGS.

Burdened...

Life is so tough at times and the burden of building the very Kingdom of The Living God seems to weigh heavy on my heart today! Living for Jesus is simply not for the faint of heart and building the Kingdom is for sure NOT for the faint of heart! Building anything takes courage, takes a will, takes heart, takes passion, takes a longing, takes a desire, takes a heart throbbing desire for more than the status-quo! Building the Kingdom of Jesus Christ takes a faith that literally screams out to the enemy bring it on! When we choose to stand for Christ, when we choose to stand up for Christ and not be silent, we are quickly attacked by people who warm the seats in the church but who never make an attempt to further and deepen their walk with Jesus Christ so what they do is just throw out words of the enemy! Here it is - WAKE UP and GET A LIFE - JESUS IS LONGING TO WORK IN THE CHURCH TO REACH PEOPLE! SO today I give to Jesus my burdens my concerns and even my doubts! I know that Jesus is able to do more than I can even imagine! I need Him today to just lift me up! I have crossed over and made up my mind I am going to live for Jesus no matter the cost! I am a Jesus Freak! Living with life with purpose!!!

Fantastic Friday...

I love Fridays! The truth is I love life! The Bible reminds me that God Almighty so loved me that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to give me Life, Life full, and Life overflowing! Today I am so thankful for the Power of the Holy Spirit, The Love and compassion of Jesus Christ, for my family, my wonderful best friend of a wife, my two beautiful daughters, & for Fridays! The end of the week is here and my life is blessed by the Living, Holy God who knows me by name! I am excited about this Sunday, Preaching a message about building the Kingdom, building the church! Out of the book of Haggai in the Old Testament, God stirs the hearts of His people to give Careful thought to their ways! So often I believe we get out in left field because our focus gets off of Jesus and onto our plans and agenda! Life is full of all kinds of things to do and to often the real important things of life like building the body of Christ, like helping however we can with the people in Haiti, like loving people even when there not real lovable! Jesus help us in America to give Careful thought to our ways, and see if we are being what you want us to be! Thanks for the Power of your word, EVERY PROMISE IN THE BIBLE IS YES AND AMEN IN JESUS!!!

Don't even think about it...

Stopping, Letting up, Giving up, Losing heart, Getting weary, I don't think so! Let us instead keep on Keeping on in Christ! Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest 'IF' we do not give up." Stepping it up and being bold for Jesus is really where I need to find myself absorbed in Christ not in worry! How easy it is to get caught up in the rift raft of life and miss out on the over flow of the blessing of Christ Jesus who is Lord! Being a pastor, doing ministry can be so difficult, frustrating, hard, and even heart wrenching, therefore it makes giving up so convenient! But the enemy I am convinced is longing for our thoughts to be impressed more with giving up and giving in, instead of BEING BOLD, STRONG, and living life with an attitude of BRING IT ON! I want to live life daily for the honor and glory of my God! I want to be the kind of Dad that my children see Jesus. I want to be the kind of Husband that my wife sees Jesus! It's not about me, it can't be, it won't work! It must be, I must be, making all of my life about Him! Jesus today, help me to make the most out of what I have, and to do with it what would be pleasing in your sight! I need your empowering strength!

Again no Fear...

Well, here I am again reflecting on living life with NO FEAR! Well, God did it again, He took me to the scriptures and brought me to John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and DO NOT BE AFRAID!" WOW, living with the Peace of Jesus is what it is all about! Sometimes I wonder what in the world I am doing, but what I am doing or needing to do is press in closer to Jesus Christ! Instead, fear comes in and puts it's hands around my throat and instead of standing with boldness and power I find myself backing down and letting those things that should not just slip by! Why is it that FEAR is such a battle in the life of Christians, What are we, what am I afraid of! People perhaps can push, and pull at your heart, people can even say things that are very hurtful and wrong, people, people who call themselves Christians if they are not 100% for Jesus Christ find themselves being used for the work of the enemy through the power of words! I pray today, that Jesus would give to me the empowering I need to be all He wants me to be, not giving up, or letting go, or being afraid! Just like my little girl Kailey who finds herself being afraid of the dark, FEAR comes and as a parent I tell it to get out in Jesus name, but in the church, among people who at times can be so negative, I find myself cowardly backing down, JESUS GIVE ME BOLDNESS TO STAND FOR YOU ALL THE TIME, IN JESUS NAME!!!

Being a Slave of Righteousness

Starting this new work out and eating healthier takes lots of determination and constantly a beating for your body, telling it no, or wait, or later! Making my body my slave is like disciplining my daughters, it is constantly wait a little bit or in a few minutes or even NO! Our bodies if not trained for Gods glory will rule our lives and demand that we give in to take that simple bite or slack off on the work out, you name it and it is so critical that we make our bodies our slave instead of the other way around! Living for Jesus is so much more than merely going to church and singing songs, but its having a heart completely devoted to the Living God! The Bible calls us to be slaves of Righteousness for the Kingdom! In fact the Apostle Paul says he believes it is a privilege to be a slave for Christ! Life is so full of things to do and choices to make we need to be sure or for sure I need to be sure that I am consulting my master about what choice is best and how exactly I can be a Slave of Righteousness all for His glory! My 50 min. work out today liked to kill me, but I pressed on and made my body get with it and make it happen! Spiritually speaking works the same way, taking time to read the Word and Pray takes discipline, but if we will do it we will truly reap a harvest of Righteousness in Jesus Christ!

FEAR...

Wrestling with fear is no fun, in fact it just seems to grab a hold of your life and not want to let go! In Jesus name we must stand up under His authority and demand that fear get back and out of our life! In Joshua 1:9 it says, "Have I not commanded you? Be Strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." That is the promise we need to stand on, and claim every day, because fear is knocking at my door and it is longing to master me! I failed last night by taking my frustration out on the one who is in my corner constantly backing me up, Carly my wife is amazing and yet I allow the frustration of ministry to get me sideways with her! NOT COOL! She is really challenging me to be BOLD to be STRONG and yet I feel like its an almost impossible task, because I hate conflict, and yet there seems to be more conflict in church settings then the work place in the world, this should not be! I don't believe God is pleased with the church in North America because we have become so self focused instead of Christ focused! I am tired of living life afraid because I am so concerned about what people may think of me! God through your Son Jesus Christ, give me Holy Spirit boldness to walk and live daily for you with no FEAR, give me the strength and power to stand up for you and not to waiver to the right or to the left! I am your man, and just like Joshua, help me Father to stand up for you even in the face of GIANTS, please in Jesus name give me victory to yield to you so that in all things I might be one who is used to defeat the Giants of the enemy! I again surrender my life to you, knowing I am nothing without you, but am able to do all things through Christ who gives me the STRENGTH!!!