I am so excited for today! In fact I have been all week because my wife and I have been planning a surprise for my oldest son Kaleb. Earlier this week we have arranged to take him to go see The Avengers and not only that he is getting out of school early to do so. (For the record this is not normal, in fact I am the last to normally go for this) but I know how much he loves superheroes and how he has been counting the days down until this movie came out. But he has no clue, he is under the impression that something is wrong and that is why he is getting out of school early. So I can't wait to see he face when he realizes what is going on!
As I was on my way to his school to get him I was reminded of a passage in the bible about a good father. In case you don't know what I am talking about it goes something like this...
"If a son ask his father for a piece of bread would that dad give him a stone? Or if his son asked him for a fish would his dad give him a scorpion? The answer is no because a good father wouldn't do that. So if our earthly dad knows what's good for us and how to take care of us on this earth don't you think God, who is our father in heaven know how to the same in fact wouldn't he know how to do it better?"
So as I thought of this and how excited I am for something as small as surprising my son with an early out and a movie. I can only imagine how God feels when he surprises me! I am reminded of how Brant from Air1 made this comment one day, "do we truly think God has our best interest in mind?" And the more I think of this question and do things for my children I realize that he does even if I can't see it or understand what is going on.
So if you are like me sometimes and you think God has forgotten about you, I want you to know God does have your best at heartinter
Friday, May 4, 2012
Surprise!!!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Stinky Kid
This morning as I was driving my daughter to school I smelled something different. It was the smell of last nights dinner embedded into my clothes. Then I started to think that I really didn't like the smell and the only way to get to out of my clothes was to wash them. Granted I could use frabreze or some other "masking" agent but that would only work for a moment. As I sat there driving I started to think about how true that is with the world. We will be involved or around things of this world and it gets it's "stink" on us. I can think of countless times throughout my life that I gave into the things of this world and participated fully and the after affect was always worst. The guilt, shame, mental battles, etc (aka the stink of this world) and it seemed the smell would get into my life and even though others couldn't smell it I could.
As I have found that I don't care to stink! As for spiritually, I want don't want to have the stink of the world on my life, in fact I want a life full of blessing and abundance form Christ not shame and guilt of this world. So next time before you jump into the things of this world think if it is worth it to have the stink of the world on you, if it is worth the pain, the guilt, and the shame. But remember most of all that there is life more abundant in Christ, a life free of guilt and shame, and the smell of heaven on you!
As I have found that I don't care to stink! As for spiritually, I want don't want to have the stink of the world on my life, in fact I want a life full of blessing and abundance form Christ not shame and guilt of this world. So next time before you jump into the things of this world think if it is worth it to have the stink of the world on you, if it is worth the pain, the guilt, and the shame. But remember most of all that there is life more abundant in Christ, a life free of guilt and shame, and the smell of heaven on you!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Shine
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (Matt. 5:16)
So after reading this verse this morning I thought to myself, how much do I do to give glory to God and how much do I do for myself? It is funny how much "me glory" there is within the church. This concept hit me hard early last year as I saw a video called, "Mechurch" (You can check it out here). I know there have been many times in the past that I have done things for others to see and completely forgetting the most important thing, what does God see.
So as this day goes on today think to yourself, "what can you do today that will give praise to God?" Don't get caught into the trap that I have so many times that we do things in "the name of God" or "for God's glory" when truthful that is a lie and we are doing it for ourself. To make us feel good or to bring attention to ourself. As it says in Matthew, we should do things so that people will praise God. Do get caught in the web of "me glory" but live a life of "He glory" today!
So after reading this verse this morning I thought to myself, how much do I do to give glory to God and how much do I do for myself? It is funny how much "me glory" there is within the church. This concept hit me hard early last year as I saw a video called, "Mechurch" (You can check it out here). I know there have been many times in the past that I have done things for others to see and completely forgetting the most important thing, what does God see.
So as this day goes on today think to yourself, "what can you do today that will give praise to God?" Don't get caught into the trap that I have so many times that we do things in "the name of God" or "for God's glory" when truthful that is a lie and we are doing it for ourself. To make us feel good or to bring attention to ourself. As it says in Matthew, we should do things so that people will praise God. Do get caught in the web of "me glory" but live a life of "He glory" today!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Looking Back
You know I had an original intent for this blog, but I think it is time to make it a little different. You know today I got a link for a Revival Movement taking place down in Alabama (yes i know it would be the last place I would think of two :-) ). But God is not picky, He is just looking for people to praise his name. But anyways as I was watching and seeing key leaders from the Brownsville Revival there and watching these guys that I sat under for four years I started to think back to everything I had experienced in my time in Pensacola. Then I started to think of how much I live in/ on past experiences of God and not looking for new ones. I mean how many of us think, "Wow you remember that one service or that one mission's trip, or that one camp?" and we dwell on that experience and then go on with our lives and wish we could go back into our past. But you know personally I don't think that was ever God's intent for our live to live on past experiences.
Now let's think for a minute if Jesus did this, I can see it now: Jesus sitting with the disciples, "Hey Peter remember that one time that that blind guys saw again? Man those were good times" I mean if Jesus had this attitude how effective would His ministry had been. Instead He continued each day with the thought of how can I show god to the people around me today? How can we together have God move in our presence? I think sometime for myself I think of all the cool things God has done in my life and in the lives of those around me. I think of being in revival meetings until 1 in the morning and then going out to eat only to have another prayer service in Denny's, or of summer camps where it felt that the heavens had opened up so big and God was just pouring by the truckloads His glory, heal, and blessings. Or on mission's trips where worship gets so amazing that people are just on their faces before God in complete silence. And the stories could go on and on, but the thing I have realized that these has all just become "great memories" where Jesus saw His Father move and then Jesus would just build upon that.
So all in all I think the plan we should set out is when we look back to what God did it should push us to look to what God is going to do next. What is the next blessing, touch or movement He is going to do in your life. So let's not get into the habit of living in the past but instead build off the past. Like Chris Tomlin's song God of the City says, "Great things are yet to come, Greater things are still to be done in this City." So take up everything you have experiences, seen, and heard and apply them to the dream of what God is going to do next. Because I am sure if you can dream God can do it!
Now let's think for a minute if Jesus did this, I can see it now: Jesus sitting with the disciples, "Hey Peter remember that one time that that blind guys saw again? Man those were good times" I mean if Jesus had this attitude how effective would His ministry had been. Instead He continued each day with the thought of how can I show god to the people around me today? How can we together have God move in our presence? I think sometime for myself I think of all the cool things God has done in my life and in the lives of those around me. I think of being in revival meetings until 1 in the morning and then going out to eat only to have another prayer service in Denny's, or of summer camps where it felt that the heavens had opened up so big and God was just pouring by the truckloads His glory, heal, and blessings. Or on mission's trips where worship gets so amazing that people are just on their faces before God in complete silence. And the stories could go on and on, but the thing I have realized that these has all just become "great memories" where Jesus saw His Father move and then Jesus would just build upon that.
So all in all I think the plan we should set out is when we look back to what God did it should push us to look to what God is going to do next. What is the next blessing, touch or movement He is going to do in your life. So let's not get into the habit of living in the past but instead build off the past. Like Chris Tomlin's song God of the City says, "Great things are yet to come, Greater things are still to be done in this City." So take up everything you have experiences, seen, and heard and apply them to the dream of what God is going to do next. Because I am sure if you can dream God can do it!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Confession One: I'm Not Always Focused part 2
So yeah, it has been awhile since I have blogged anything, I guess you can say that I am not always focus. It seems that in my life that life make me too busy. It is a rare occasion for me to just sit and do nothing, in fact I don't think I even know how to sit and do nothing. They say that there is a pot of gold at the end of rainbow and that silence is golden, so do that mean at the end of every rainbow there is a pot of gold? I mean the purpose of the rainbow according to the bible is that it is a promise from God. So if I put all this together, is it that God is saying that his promise is for us to receive the reward of silence, or even more important peace after the storms have all past? I don't know for sure but it is something to think about.
Now back to the topic at hand how do you take someone, as myself, and get them to focus on that task at hand. As many people I have a million and one things going through my head at one time and I sometime can't process what all needs to get done and which items I am thinking need to be chopped. I guess to start is to look at where I lose focus. Everyone is different but for me there are several areas I will lose focus in and when I do it seems to effect all areas of my life.
I want to start with the first one and that is: Purpose. There have been many times that I have lost focus on what my purpose is. My purpose as a pastor, parent, spouse, friends, and child of God. I have found that once I lose this focus everything seems out of balance in my life. I know that most of you have experience this before or have ask the question, "What am I here for?" Which I think is an important question. If we don't understand what we are here for then what good are we. But then comes the question, "Can we fully know what we are here for?" and I think that is a complex questions with a simple answer, "no". At this point in my life I would have to say no, but I could come back in tens years and change this answer, but here is why I say no. I think God uses each person differently and there are many ways that he uses us that we are aware of, but there are a lot of things that we do that God uses that we never know about. I don't think we will fully know this until we reach heaven. But should this stop us from trying to reach our full purpose in this life and once again I say, "Noooooooo!"I think each of us should strive to fulfill God's purpose for our lives daily and this is how I regain my focus. When I realize that I am losing site of where I am and what I am here for. I use scriptures, dreams, and words that were from God to remind me that I am here for a purpose, even if I don't what it is. As a pastor I have the purpose to share the word of God. As a spouse and father I have the purpose to love, provide and protect my family. As a friend I have a purpose to be there for those who I call friend in good times as well as bad times. And as a child of God I have a purpose to love and obey my Heavenly Father with everything that I have.
Here soon I am going to put up part three in which we will look at signs that we are losing our focus and some other areas that I have lost focus at times.
Now back to the topic at hand how do you take someone, as myself, and get them to focus on that task at hand. As many people I have a million and one things going through my head at one time and I sometime can't process what all needs to get done and which items I am thinking need to be chopped. I guess to start is to look at where I lose focus. Everyone is different but for me there are several areas I will lose focus in and when I do it seems to effect all areas of my life.
I want to start with the first one and that is: Purpose. There have been many times that I have lost focus on what my purpose is. My purpose as a pastor, parent, spouse, friends, and child of God. I have found that once I lose this focus everything seems out of balance in my life. I know that most of you have experience this before or have ask the question, "What am I here for?" Which I think is an important question. If we don't understand what we are here for then what good are we. But then comes the question, "Can we fully know what we are here for?" and I think that is a complex questions with a simple answer, "no". At this point in my life I would have to say no, but I could come back in tens years and change this answer, but here is why I say no. I think God uses each person differently and there are many ways that he uses us that we are aware of, but there are a lot of things that we do that God uses that we never know about. I don't think we will fully know this until we reach heaven. But should this stop us from trying to reach our full purpose in this life and once again I say, "Noooooooo!"I think each of us should strive to fulfill God's purpose for our lives daily and this is how I regain my focus. When I realize that I am losing site of where I am and what I am here for. I use scriptures, dreams, and words that were from God to remind me that I am here for a purpose, even if I don't what it is. As a pastor I have the purpose to share the word of God. As a spouse and father I have the purpose to love, provide and protect my family. As a friend I have a purpose to be there for those who I call friend in good times as well as bad times. And as a child of God I have a purpose to love and obey my Heavenly Father with everything that I have.
Here soon I am going to put up part three in which we will look at signs that we are losing our focus and some other areas that I have lost focus at times.
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