Opportunity knocks!

So this is it, my final blog for the year of 2008! This is actually the first year that I have blogged the entire year. I ofcourse have taken off weekends and some holidays(as I will the remainder of this week). I talked this past Sunday about setting yourself up for New Years resolutions. The importance of working from the inside out and understanding what you have influence over and making sure God is the leading influence. I also talked about the importance of what Paul said, "Forgetting what is in the past."
Now I want to quote another group of passages. If we fully understand what we control and how to handle ourselves then we will understand every minute is an opportunity. Every second that we are alive presents an opportunity of some sort. It's a second that we have not lived before. I am in the same office, at the same time every morning, typing the same blog. But it isn't the same because I have not been here at this exact moment before now.
15 Be very careful, then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
We have to know how God expects us to live. If we apply GOd's word to our lives on a daily basis, then we make the most of every opportunity. And that is all set up by our walk with God.
I have quoted Oswald Chambers before, you know I love to read My Utmost for His Highest every day at lunch time. His little devotions are so full of life and intuition. My favorite quote from him is this, "The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and oneness with Him.
So putting that into action along with Paul's words in Ephesians we realize that spending quiet times alone with God is where we gain our strength. And people will realize it when they see us acting Christlike, that we have spent hours alone with Him in recent days just to prepare us for that moment of sharing with them.
Remember that, if you want to make a big difference in 2010 in the lives of the people that you influence, then you need to be driven and influenced by Christ on a daily basis, then and only then will your public service be of value to others.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

The fruitfulness of Grudges

Have you ever had an argument and then forgotten what you started arguing about? Have you ever gotten caught up in a discussion and then figured out that what you were in difference about was silly? I know I have many times. I have seen churches split right down the middle over carpet colors, sign wording and music choices. It's sad that instead of nipping it in the bud, so to speak, people choose to allow the anger to grow inside of them until they lose sight of the Cross.
I can remember once when Tara and I had only been married for about a year, there was friction and we were at odds for the majority of a week off and on. I am not the kind to go to bed mad or to not talk things out, tara is the kind to go to bed mad and try to sleep it off so this difference in philosophy added to the tension. We go through the week and on Friday afternoon I asked her a simple question, then we realized we had allowed a week to get away over something so simple that it should not have even wasted 10 minutes of our time.
Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. But the king said, "He must go to his own house; he must not see my face." So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king (2 Sam 14:23-24).
In this situation Ammon had raped his sister Tamar, Absolom was extremely angry about it, and so was David. These were afterall David's children all making major mistakes. David says to Joab, don't let him see me right now. Send him away to his own house. And, instead of dealing with it right then, with Absolom and Ammon he allowed it to get out of hand. The end result was Absolom eventually killed Ammon because it was not handled correctly.
This is an extreme case of what happens when families and friends don't work through things before they get out of hand. We must make it a point to forgive our loved ones no matter how bad of a thing they have done, we must make it a habit to help others forgive when we see them really struggling with it. In the end we stand to lose a whole lot more by remaining silent than by acting in the moment.
Grudges fester, they grow and they eventually blow up. They either blow up on the person or on someone else but the end result is always the keeper of the grudge being the most damaged by the situation.
So forgive others, forgive them quickly so that you can move on and they can as well.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

A small continuation from yesterday

Yesterday, I discussed the things that we need to do to get ourselves prepared to make new years resolutions. One of the main ones I focused on was dropping grudges. Those feelings you have inside when you know someone did you wrong, and you can't let it go. Because the main thing that it does is destroy you. I once knew a man who had said something to offend another. For over 3 years the one who was offended harbored a grudge against the man who had made the statement. They went on as acquantances but it was different. The offender never knew he had offended the other. One day the man who had harbored the grudge confronted him about it and found out that he had no idea about it. That's how it is with a grudge, you are only hurting yourself when you allow them to fester and grow inside of you. It's your blood pressure that is messed up, your mind, your attitude that takes the beating.
So, if that is true then what do we do to get rid of the grudges? Pray for them. Yes, it is the first step to forgiving others and avoiding grudges.
You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matt 5:43-46).
Right there Jesus says it perfectly. Anyone can love their neighbors and anyone can hate their enemies. BUt, God's chosen will forgive everyone equally. We must pray for those who hurt us, because if we don't we will have no power whatsoever over the grudges that grow inside of us.
SO pray for your loved ones, pray for your own life, and make sure you pray for those who have hurt you. Pray specifically for them, for their needs and for their families. Then ask God to empower you to forgive them in a way that you will not carry any form of a grudge against them. It's about living for today and building for tomorrow. If you allow grudges to grow you'll be stuck in yesterday and completely miss the opportunities for today and tomorrow.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Why do you do it?

People are already starting to ask the questions. Why do you do that Jeff? Why are you acting as pastor, youth pastor, maintenance man and all otehr jobs involved in the church? Why do you go and visit people in the hospital that are not members or don't have any desire to be? Why do you help out families at Christmas that you can't talk to, reach out to or even invite to church? Why do you go to the church each day and pray for everyone, clean and take care of setting up the worship service each Sunday? Why do you get to church at 8:45 even though Sunday schoolers don't even start getting there until 9:30 or after? Why, why , why?
Because it is my calling, it is my passion and my hearts desire. I get up each morning with a plan to reach atleast one person, to invite atleast one person to church, or do everything I can to allow them to see what JEsus has done in and through me. Why again you may ask? Because I know it is never in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
I'm not ever going to let anything move me. I'm not going to slow down, or give in because it isn't growing. I will never stop doing what I am doing because it is never in vain. I will always give myself fully to the work of the Lord. Even at the races on my little half day excursions to break away from the ministry I am finding myself listening to people's problems, praying with people and witnessing. It is a 24 7 job, and to be completely honest it doesn't even seem like a job. It's more like a hobby at times if that sounds right. I enjoy it, all of it. From painting, to cleaning floors, to hanging out at lunch at the schools, to going to sporting events, to preaching, to visiting hospital rooms. It is all for the Lord and never will I tire of it, never will I slow, and most importantly, never will the Lord allow it to be in vain.
So do what it is that God calls you to do each day, know that you may not reap the benefits but, someone somewhere will and it will never be in vain!
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful Christmas!

Leadership needs guidance

I don't care who you are or what you are in charge of you need guidance. You need to seek guidance and accept criticism when it comes. I have worked in several different fields through the years, I started out in a family business where the leader was willing to accept criticism and for the most part listened. I have worked in several other settings where you just don't go there. There was such ego and pride involved that you don't dare tell them that maybe we shouldn't take on that job, or maybe we shouldn't charge so much, or maybe we should try a new angle in this area of our ministries. Over and over I have watched leaders being offered loving advice in the form of what they took to be criticism and attacks on them personally.
I as a Pastor am looking of place people all around me who will feel perfectly comfortable coming to me and letting me know when something isn't up to par, or doesn't work out right. Instead of me thinking that all is well, I want someone to stop me and tell me it needs some work, or it needs to be completely gone, or whatever the case may be. I need this so badly that there have actually been times in my ministry where I appointed a person or persons to that specific role. I actually asked them to be critical and make sure each area of my ministry is where it ought to be.
Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone." (Ex 18:17-18)
While Moses is considered a great leader, he needed some guidance. From all people, his father-in-law steps up and lets him know that what he is doing is not going to work. Moses not only listened, but he heeded that advice which makes for a much better working atmosphere.
You basically have two choices in your leadership. Listen to the advice of others that you know is from credible people who care about your particular position. Take it listen to it and apply it so that they feel confident in you and that they can be a part of your leadership. Or, you can choose to take offense and be offended by it. In the second case you can almost gaurantee yourself that they will be talking about you and complaining for years to come. If you listen then, they are in a state of feeling validated as a companion and happy to keep it to themselves.
So, find someone who can compell you to be a great leader, listen to their advice and heed it lovingly. God places people in our lives for a reason, so cash in on it every chance you get. It will make for a much better and more respected you.
Thanks for reading and have a great day.

My favorite verses

So I share regularly what my favorite verse was growing up. It was Psalm 47:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. That is a verse that had taken me through a lot of different phases of life from late middle school to about 5-6 years ago. I am slowly shifting over the past 5-6 years to another set of verses that I think exemplify what I want to share with people.
Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8)
These verses offer so much, but one of the main things is that Christ was God. He was God in the form of man, but He didn't share that with everyone He came in contact with and He never used it as a contact.
I have contacts all over town, I use them to get presentations with the Betty Griffin House, I use them to get help in different areas of life and ministry. But I never leave them at home, I am constantly networking and building my group up so that I can accomplish great things(hopefully). Jesus, had the greatest contact of all but He didn't think it was something that people would grasp, and He realized that servanthood was His role anyway so why bother. The important thing was that people understood Him for who He was and not necessarily what He was.
He also was so humble as to die on a cross for us. A death that could never be repaid. These verses tell us so much about the personality and character of God. The last time you had a title that was noteworthy or praiseworthy, did you flash it, tell everyone and use it for connections. Or did you just put it in your pocket and go about your business as a believer and a servant for Christ?
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

A gift

Do you ever really spend time thinking about what a gift is? A gift is not that thing that you bring to the gift exchange. It really isn't putting something under the family Christmas tree, or in a stocking. A true gift is giving someone something that they cannot return. It's going the extra mile and put others before yourself. Jesus exemplified this when He left Heaven to come to earth just to be treated as a nobody. He again exemplified this as He died on a cross for our sins. Joseph exemplified putting others first when he was going to quietly break things off with Mary upon the news she was pregant. Then again, by immediately marrying her and taking care of her and the baby.
"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Phil 2:4).
Throughout the Bible there are countless acts that show putting the needs and interests of others first. A true gift is giving a homeless person a blanket or a meal. A true gift is sometimes just spending time with someone who will never return the favor. A true gift if giving with the heart, meeting all or some of the needs of another person while being completely unconcerned about your own needs. It's setting aside your busy schedule or your desires to help out someone in need and doing it as if it is the most important thing you can do in that very instance.
So help someone out, spend time with someone, do something to show Jesus' love this Christmas season, and do it without any thought of repayment. The blessing is in giving and not receiving.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Scent

So have you ever been around someone who just stinks? Or someone with bad breath? It's something that you just can't take your mind off of. I can tell you as a Pastor who is the youth pastor on Wednesdays that scents can be very strong. I pick up a van load of kids each week, we take them to the church. Some play video games inside the church, some sit and talk, but the majority of the middle school boys go outside and either play basketball or football. I usually get them there an hour early so that they have plenty of time to get it out of their systems. The van ride to church is fairly pleasant with jokes, and laughter. The ride home however is quite different, almost no matter how cold it is we need the windows down because of the aroma that is building inside the van from the sweat and the pits.
Ephesians 5:2 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.
Paul in essence says that if we live a life of love for others, just as JEsus loved others we will put off an aroma similar to that of Jesus, the supreme sacrifice. Aromas are overpowering, in the office at teh Betty Griffin House some of the ladies have candles and such burning, every office has a different smell. Aromas are very powerful. The sexual assault therapists say that the number one thing women who have been raped recall is the smells. They said that they can notice the cologne or deodorant or whatever smell anywhere they go because of the strength of smell. It is the strongest sense linked to memory. Therefore, if we live a life of love, we will be leaving the strongest form of memory and impression on those we come in contact with every day. So love others, live a life that shows love for others, and smell good doing it!
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Proactive not reactive

One of the things that I have been studying is attitudes and how to gain an absolute attitude of success. The latest book I am tackling is 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It's an awesome book that teaches people how to have a highly effective life. The first step is very interesting, you must first learn to be proactive and not reactive.
Being proactive is not the same meaning today that it was many, many years ago. Today it means you are acting upon another object, then it meant that you were in control of things. Reactive is obviously when you are taken back by something and react to it.
Well, in his book Stephen Conyer tells us to understand ourselves and fix ourselves before we try to fix anyone else, or even try to lead anyone else. He says that being proactive is understanding that you have a circle of influence. Those things that you personally have control over, many people do not have control over the things inside this circle. For instance, someone says something to you that you do not like. You have choices to make, you can get angry and fight back, you can get sad and sulk or you can let it slide off your shoulder like it never happened. Getting mad is your choice. Being sad is your choice. You make the decision, whether it is subliminally or not to be either sad or mad. You can also chose to be happy when good things happen.
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?" (Ps 13:1-2).
King David had a very extreme life. In that, it was either full of extreme highs, or it was packed full of extreme lows. In this situation he is blaming his feelings(which he chose) on God. Circumstances are out of our controls, most of our actions and our feelings are not. I know I can think of a lot of times in my life where I have blamed outside sources for my attitude or my feelings. The truth is, I chose them. And the more influence we allow God to have on us, the more good choices we will have. Road rage has been out of my bag of tricks for over 10 years now. People cut me off, if it doesn't endanger my kids or myself, then oh well it happened. It's because I chose a long time ago to get rid of it, and now I am able to chose to let it slide.
So think about your attitude, what influences are a part of your decisions in attempting to decide your actions. Become pro-active and watch life get better for you, control the things you can control and don't let the things you can't control control you.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

weekend, weeewwww!

Friday I was able to speak to a group of elementary school students in the cafeteria at Liberty Pines Academy. Then, I went into the gym for the second group which filled up a gymnasium. What an interesting experience to speak to a gym full of students(if only I was talking about what I wanted to talk about).
I got off from work and stopped by softball practice at St. Augustine High as I am now switching hats to start helping coach girls' softball at St. Augustine High School. I watched them during their "open field" Friday and then took off. Myself, Tara and the girls all went to my work Christmas Party at the boss's beach house and had a great time. We went from there over to town to look at Christmas lights a little and then home.
Saturday I got up early and met the Suburban Propane guys at the church and got the heat fixed(and ofcourse it isn't even cold the weekend we finally get everything fixed), then I went and watched the Hasting Parade with P.J. and Tara while Alexa was in it. ALexa rode in a float while singing, and ringing a bell with the performing group at her school. It was an interesting parade of "if you want to be in it, by all means make a poster and join in."
Then, back to teh church to put another coat of paint on the pump house out front under the sign, and some touch up on the green trim on the roof gables.
Then home to get ready to go to my dad's work party. We always look forward to taht one, because you get to cook your own steak on the grill. They aren't just any ordinary steak either, they are huge, tender mouth-watering steaks. We did a gift exchange and P.J. got a neck massager traded to her, and she was kind of proud of it. She sat patiently with it until the very end watching everyone opening their gifts. At the end they had a gift left over and for whatever reason felt bad for P.J. because they didn't think she got a good enough gift and they let her open one. She opened it, didn't like it and dad's boss Robert let her trade it for a box of Smores and Hot Chocolate with Christmas mugs and everything. So she quietly made out quite well. Alexa got the same Smores/Hot CHocolate set up and actually traded to get it and was happy. My dad got a mug, mom got movie tickets and so did I. Tara got some kind of candle I think, but we all made out well.
Sunday was another day of knowing I had everything set up but still getting there at 8:30 concerned. I am very much for attention to detail and I worry every week that there is something that is undone that will make it look like we don't care enough to prepare for the service. All was well and we had what I thought was a pretty good service, followed by a great time of food and fellowship at Sonny's with the Gumble clan. Donnie and Kayley, Rico and Jeannie invited Jordon and I to join them for lunch since the girls had gone shopping so we went along.
So it was a good, busy weekend with lots of things going on.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Perception is reality

THis is a truth that I have sought to teach our young people for years. Think about that statement, Perception is reality. Think about your co-workers, your acquantances, your fellow church goers and how your perception molds the way you think about them.
I have many times met people and at first impression or first glance thought one way about them. I have met people in the church that seem to care very little for the church. They don't seem to imput much, they don't seem to offer to do a lot around there, it just seems as though they are content with pew sitting. Then, something happens and it gives me the opportunity to get to know them better and boom! It hits like a ton of bricks, my complete opinion of them is forever changed.
It's important that we think of these things when we are going about our business. We need to remember that perception for many is reality, and there are so many people that we work with that we will never be able to get to know well, therefore what they see of us is what they believe to be true of us.
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of Truth.
We need to be ever so diligent in the way we present ourselved to others, so that our actions can be approved by God. If we spend time immulating the things we study in Gods word then this will filter over into the way we act and interact with others.
This is a story that tells us how to think about others as well. It was written by a young man in the military upon a ship.
Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was extremely poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all of the activities.
Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, "Light bearing on the starboard bow."
"Is it steady or moving astern?" the captain called out.
Look out replied, "Steady, captain," which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship.
THe captain then called to the signalman, "Signal that ship; We are on a collision course, I advise you change course 20 degrees."
Back came a signal, "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees."
The captain said, "Send I'm a captain, change course 20 degrees."
"I'm a seaman second class," came the reply. "You had better change course 20 degrees."
By that time, the captain was furious. He spat out, "Send, I'm a battleship. Change course 20 degrees."
Back came the flashing light, "I'm a lighthouse."
We changed course.
In this story the young man was perceiving what was on the other side of the light, instead of investigating it. We need to be careful of what we give off as far as a perception, and we need to be careful not to perceive others until we get a chance to know them. It will most likely change our course!
Thanks for reading and have a great day.

leave it all on the field

If you have watched any amount of sports in your life you have many times heard coaches use this line. "Leave it all on the field." Letting their players know that if you truly want to win, if you truly desire to make big things happen you need to play like it's your last game. Play every play like you may never get to play again, and walk off the field knowing you did all you could.
One of my favorite quotes is "the biggest gap in the world is the gap between I should___________ and I did." In other words there is no greater feeling when you lay your head on the pillow each night than knowing that you did everything you could do that day. On the flip side, there is nothing worse than trying to go to sleep knowing that you could have done so much more.
Lamentations 2:19 "Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord."
Man, what a statement. We are to pour our hearts out like water in teh presence of the Lord. Think about that, what that sentence is saying. When you pour out water, it's gone. When you pour a drink out in the sink, in the grass or wherever you know that it is forever gone. But we put a little bit of our hearts into what we do, leaving more for later. That is exactly what God does not want. If we half heartedly worship, half heartedly witness and half heartedly live for God we will never fully know the power of the Holy Spirit. There are two wonderful feelings in ministering to people. One is pouring everything you have into something like a sermon, event or whatever. Second, is knowing that you have exhausted every ounce of energy and heart in doing that for God, and feeling the Holy Spirit hit you and keep you going.
I hear runners talk about the "runner's high", it's that moment when you have run so far and the second wind is kicking in and you feel like you could run for days and weeks on end. That is nothing compared to the feeling of having the Holy Spirit empower you to not only accomplish all that you can, but to actually still feel energized when you are done.
So pour it all out, give it all you have for God and rest better knowing that you did indeed pour your heart out before God, and His people in each and every day.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

move over pride

So I finished up the book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and I have embarked on a different type of journey. I picked up a book recommended to me by a Pastoral acquantance and friend. THe book is 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He recommended I get the secular writing of Stephen Covey and then move on to the Christian version which I have as well. The book is very interesting and starts out talking about being inside out. Fixing everything inside ourselves before we worry about what we project on the outside. I started this book off during a fast so I feel that I am on my way to that already.
One of the first points he makes is judging people, based on ourselves. Not understanding what is going on inside the other person thereby making a fast judgment. He talks extensively about changing paradigms, views and beliefs when it comes to dealing with outside forces. He tells a story of a man gettting o the subway and his kids running around and annoying everyone on the subway while the father seemingly closed his eyes and dozed off. Stephen said he walked over to the man and told him to get his kids undercontrol, the kids were clearly making everyone on the subway uncomfortable with their behavior. THe man sat up in his seat, opened his eyes and said, "You're right I should probably say something.'
Then he told him his story. The father said that he didn't know what to say to the two little ones because their mother was about to pass away and they were on their way to the hospital to say goodbye. I'm sure you can guess who was feeling the most awkward at that moment.
Matthew 7:2 states, "With what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."
In other words, let's not be so fast to make decisions and judge people when they come into our lives until we get to know them and their situation. I can honestly say that I have run into people in the work place, in the ministry and in life that I honestly did not think I would get along well with. usually, they turn out to be the ones I am closest to in the long run.
So don't make judgments until you are ready to get to know the people around you whom you are judging.

Have a great day and thanks for reading!

Facing those doubts

Have you ever been at a place in your life where there is someone who needs to be changed? A person who is near and dear to your heart is making bad decisions or doing things that are contrary to the way they were raised or against their beliefs. It may be that child that you raised up in love and compassion. It may be another loved one who has gone wayward or a close friend who has gone astray. Well, don't feel alone as many hundreds of Christians are walking through the same types of things you are dealing with. As a matter of fact, the disciples struggled with some of the same things.
Mark 9:29 says, "He said to them, 'This kind of unclean spirit can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.' "
You see the disciples were acting on their own and believing that Jesus would back them up. They were in many ways almost arrogant in their striving to change the person in question, they were trying to chase out a demon. But, that's just the problem they were trying to do it.
So I ask you now, that loved one or close friend whom you are seeking to change. Who is it that you are counting on to make the change? How much are you truly focusing on God as the only power that can truly change them? That is teh point you need to bring yourself to. A place of powerlessness rather than power and control. When you are so exhausted and so beaten up over it you can rest assured that God feels the same way. He has been patiently waiting for you to turn it over to Him and just lift it up continually in prayer and by all means do some fasting. Fasting will empower your mind to once again trust in God. If you really think about it in fasting you are trusting God to nourish you and keep you going, food isn't doing it any longer, God is in total control of your strength and well being.
So put your total trust in God, stop lifting it up to God and then exhausting yourself to fix it by your own means. List it up to God, place them in God's hands and pray, pray, pray allowing yourself to completely focus on Him for the change.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Law of Nature

In the oldest context the laws of nature means the natural ways of human nature. Today it means gravity and speed and things like that. But, I just started reading some of C.S. Lewis's writings. Mere Christianity is an interesting read that I started on yesterday, I read the first few chapters and already I am intrigued. The book is based on his monologues made originally for him to share on the radio. One of the more interesting things that he brings up is his studies of ancient and current cultures.
He shows how back in teh farthest time frame, deep into unreached, third world countries the basic law of nature is the same. THey have the same basic beliefs about basic behavior. They share the same outlook towards murder, adultery, stealing, cheating and all the basics. WIthout any written law or any type of court systems they live by the same basic law.
Galatians 5:24 says, "Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
Think about the context of what Lewis is actually pointing out and the context of what Paul is showing us in Galatians. Lewis tells us that if we act "good" and don't break any of the basic ten commandments then we aren't any different from people groups who probably haven't ever heard of the Bible or the ten commandments.
Paul reiterates that by saying that we need to understand that we know far better as Christians. Meaning we have to crucify our flesh, its desires and passions. Until we do that, as believers we aren't that different from those who have never even heard the message of Jesus Christ. Those who have no real reason for following the laws of nature or the basic codes of life. In James is says, you believe in God, so do teh demons and they tremble. We are no different because of our being good citizens, we are different because Jesus Christ lives inside of us, meaning that we should put Him first, and our fleshly desires should be thrown away for ever.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Torn

Have you ever been absolutely torn in a decision? I can think of many times that I have been torn over a decision, usually I have no problem making decisions but there are those times when my decision effects a vast majority that we need to seek more guidance from God than usual.
There are also times when you are so torn, that you overlook the obvious. Just this last few weeks I have been torn about some decisions affecting our youth ministry, some decisions that affect several lives. I sought God's divine leadership in those matters and found that when I am patient the decisions are made more easily than I expect.
Just today, I received a devotional via email that I read on a not so regular basis. The devotional was about a lady who had a television network and needed to gain more revenue. She had to reach a bigger crowd so she sought some bigger name shows. She looked all over and narrowed it down to a company that would allow her to broadcast Rush Limbaugh on the television station during the day while kids were at school. THere was a catch, she could do this only if she took on the Jerry Springer show as well. She was a devout Christian and she knew that this would anger her peers, and leave her feeling sick. She prayed hard and came up with a decision that was no doubt God led. She decided to allow the Jerry Springer show to run, but during the whole show she ran a scrolling line along the bottom that listed a phone number, contacts and a help line. That help line went straight into a local church's prayer ministry. Where people could call and share their concerns and the things that they needed prayer for. She took something dirty, and made it into something that God could be proud of. Many, many, many phone calls rang through and the church actually had to get extra people to answer the phones during the hour that the show was on. It makes perfect sense, after all in Matthew 9 Jesus shared His heart with us.
On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners'" (Matt 9:12-13).
There you have it, take those opportunities to reach to lost, to share with the dying and love the condemned. I don't recommend using the Jerry Springer show, but there are things that go on around you that can become major blessings if you just introduce the power of JEsus Christ to those situations.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Excuses

I have never been a person that is real big on excuses. I try my very best not to make them and I rarely accept them. I don't like being around(especially in the ministry) people who settle for excuses. That is exactly what excuses are to me, settling for far less than what you are capable of. You allow some outside experience or occurrence to rob you of what you should be doing for the Lord or whomever it is for.
People who don't go to church quickly make excuses. I hear: I got hurt at church, it's full of hypocrites, it always asks for money, they always sing songs I don't like or don't know, or my favorite I don't like the people there. Well, guess what there are close to 100 different churches in St. Johns County each is different but all of the Christian Churches are seeking to reach the community in their own way. THere has to be a church where you will like the people or the pastor somewhere, but most people settle and make excuses.
Romans "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse"
Here we are being told that through out creation God has been at work, you can clearly see and fell Him at work, therefore there is no excuse.
No excuse for not sharing, because if we don't know the word, we don't know how to share our testimony, we do know how to point out instances of God at work even in things so simple as nature and creation, or in the stars, sun or moon. THose are obvious examples of God's Divine power at work.
No excuse for not knowing that God is at work. Therefore there is no excuse for the non-believer to not accept God, because of the fact that His works are seen all throughout life itself.
SO stop making excuses and start sharing. THere is no reason for it to not be a successful experience for you and the recipient.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

What's missing in most prayers?

Attitude is everything. That's a quote we hear a lot in sports, in life, in the business world even in Christians living. If that is so then attitude is a very important part of prayer life. Each morning I pray for my day that is ahead, I pray for the specific people who are sick and I pray for my family and our needs. I then read a devotional and read portions of the sermon I am going to preach the following Sunday. Then, I go on and type out my blogs and get started with my work day at the BEtty Griffin House. At lunch hour most days, some days I go after work at 3pm. But regardless of time I go and pray over our care list at the church. I pray specifically for each member and regular attender in the church, I pray for their specific needs and for God to use them in our ministries. I then pray for the church and its needs and for vision in my dealings with the church, and for God to guide me and my steps all along the way.
I do this somewhat automatically and I have to pause some times and make sure I am focused on teh prayer and the studying and not just going through the motions. Because if I am just going through the motions then I am not following what the Psalmist shares in chapter 5
Psalm 5:3 says, In the morning,O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
So I would ask you these things:
First of all, are you praying in a way that you fully acknowledge that God is listening intently. He isn't just hearing a voice and some words, he is listening as it is a conversation with your Creator.
Secondly, are you laying your requests before him? Are you truly laying all the things that are on your heart before Him? I make sure that I know my heart and my attitude before I start praying and reading the Word because I want to make sure I dump my heart out completely in my prayer time.
Last, are you doing the first two steps and waiting in expectation. Do you pray for things expecting to see them happen? Or do you pray simply expecting to be praying for those things forever? We as Christians are believers, the word most commonly used in teh new testament was beleivers, if we are believers then we better be believing in the power of prayer.
So pray each day, lay your requests before God and then wait expectantly. You see, attitude really is everything when it comes to your prayer life.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Where is our joy resting?

In my first few months at Freedom we studied through the book of Philippians. In doing so we realized a resounding theme in that happiness is circumstantial and Joy is everlasting. What I mean is we can be happy because of things going on around us, we can be happy because we got a promotion, or a raise, or our children accomplished some great feat. At the same time we can be unhappy when our children are sick, when we are sick, when money is tight and when things just aren't going our way. But, regardless of how those things are going we must be joyful, because our joy comes from know JEsus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Our joy is unaffected by the things that are going on in our lives. Happiness and Joy are two totally different things that we possess as believers. But Romans 12:12 tells us something else about Joy.
Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
We should be joyful in hope? How exactly does that work if our joy comes from Jesus and knowing Him isn't that the answer? Well, exactly what is being said here is that hope is the power behind our joy. Every emotion, every experience and every thing that goes on in life is powered by something. Our joy in the context of this verse should be powered by our relationship with Jesus Christ and the Hope that He brings. Jesus brings us hope in so many things, hope for a better world, hope for healing through prayer, hope for the lost, and hope for eternal life in HEaven in complete and total oneness with Him. That is what our joy is resting in, our hope, and our hope is found in Jesus Christ. If we understand these two things then the rest of that verse is a piece of cake. We will be patient in our affliction because of our joy, and our hope found in Jesus Christ. We will be faithful in prayer because that is where we connect our hope up with Jesus Christ to meet our needs.
So there you ahve it, the keys to hope, patience and peace all in a nutshell. It all revolves around Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Listening and waiting

Do you ever watch a football game or a baseball game and wonder what the guys on the bench are doing? I have walked many sidelines both as a player and as a chaplain. I have played a whole lot of baseball and coached girls' softball. It is in my opinion that there are 2 types of bench players. In the same way we have made Christianity into a spectator or bench player type of setting. We think if we aren't preaching, teaching or singing we must be needed to just sit back and listen. Well, that is partially correct, we need to sit back and listen to God.
You see in sports, espectially highschool sports there are 11 players on the field fro each team in football, 9 in baseball and softball. The rest are watching, but I love the ones that follow their coaches on teh sideline. They are not the starters, but they live for the minute that a starter gets tired or needs a play off or a break of some sort. Those players don't have to be called, they are standing there ready to go(some of them even with their mouthpieces already in, I've seen it!) in the game on a seconds glance. Then you have those who are just wandering around, enjoying the company of their teammates, not into the game and hardly found by the coaches. Proverbs speaks to these types of attitudes.
Proverbs 8:34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors,waiting at my doorway.
My days as a baseball player saw me slowly slip into the roll of relief pitcher on many occasions in highschool. THat meant that I was on the bench watching most of the game, I would make a few trips to the bullpen to warm up and stay loose but for the most part, I was right there on the bench. I made the most of those moments by sitting as close as I could to the coaches, I would learn from them so that when I was in teh game I could almost for sure know what they were thinking before I even got the sign for the pitch or the defensive set up.
GOd is looking for believers who are listening to Him, watching daily at his doors and waiting for His leadership. He doesn't have use for those who are complaining that they aren't being used enough, or those who are just there to pew sit(bench sit) He's looking for people who are attentive to His voice and His leading and ready to spring into action. That's what your greatest trait for God can be, not ability but availability.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

When all else fails?

As a kid my mom was always making little comments to let me know how she felt about things. Anyone who knows her has experienced some sort of little remark from her during a trying time.
When I was about 12 I went to the Flea Market and watched these grown men racing remote control cars, really fast remote control cars. I decided I wanted one so I started saving up my money, birthday money, allowance, Christmas money it didn't matter it was all game. This car cost about $300 and it took me over a year to save up the money but it was well worth it. It got there about noon one day and I tore into the boxes. I got the remote set up and the batteries in it, got the power pack charger out and plugged in with the power pack for the car charging. Now it was time to start putting the car together. I took the chassis out, put the tires on the wheels and bolted the engine to the chassis. Then I took the body outside and painted it. THen I spent the entire rest of the afternoon scratching my head. I couldn't get everything in sync so I was quite frustrated. My mom came out in the garage to see the car go and realized I had it about 3/4 of the way together and ha dno idea what I was doing. Then she said it, as she walked back through the door "Well, when all else fails read the directions." How many times has she said that to me through the years. I get something, I know how it works and how it should look, I just often times don't know how to get it there. The first thing we should do is read the directions and then use them to get there.
Many times I have heard people say, "When all else fails, pray pray pray!" That is a terrible statement to make. Here's why, Colossians 4:2-4 tells us:
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
Does that sound like a last resort. Does it sound like Paul is saying, well if nothing else works go ahead and try prayer. No, not at all. Prayer should be our very first line of defense. Your prayer life is a daily part of your life, and if you continue to pray through your life and the people in it prayer will be your first line of defense and not your final line of defense.
So pray, pray, pray because Paul tells us to devote ourselves to it. Daily prayer is a lifestyle that makes use of a life for God. Prayer is our main source of power when it comes to our daily walk. We are powerless outside of prayer and a connection with God on a daily basis.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!