Pass It On!

What a week it has been and it is only Wednesday! Monday, I spent all day at the hospital as a 38 year old member of my Sunday School class had open heart surgery. (He is doing well, praise God). Monday night my son got ill. He has the flu. Tuesday night I had my first Seminary class (Biblical Hermeneutics---I had to look the meaning up too). I got home last night around 11:20 and tonight it is 17 minutes until I have to be downstairs and I am writing my first blog of the week...Thanks for the encouragement Sara.



I always thought that whenever I read God's Word that the ultimate goal was to take what God says and apply it to my life. I have always thought that whenever I taught a lesson that the ulitimate goal was that my students take what was taught and apply it to their lives. It sounds good and application is part of what God wants from us. However, it doesn't end with just application for our own lives.



No, God wants us to teach others so that they may in turn teach others. The ultimate goal of any lesson I learn is to be able to teach someone else. The ultimate goal of any lesson I teach is that my students be able to teach someone else.



This "teaching" could be leading a class, preaching a sermon, or it could be helping my son or daughter understand God and His Word, or help my wife grow in Christ (although most of the time she helps me). In any case, my challenge for you today is that you not only spend time learning God's Word but you also apply it. And not only apply God's word but teach or share it with someone else.



Well, gotta go to Wednesday night service. I get to go find out what I am suppose to apply and pass on tonight!

Proud Daddy

As I am continuing in my PDL study, it brought a smile to my face today. I was reading of how I was designed to bring pleasure to God. I immediately thought of Friday nights. You may be wondering, "What's so special about Friday nights?" "What great spiritual thing happens then?" Is it a great sermon, a concert? No. It's.......basketball!

Now, it is not just any basketball. It is 1st and 2nd grade basketball. My daughter is on a co-ed team here and her daddy is the coach. To watcher her on that court having fun, giving everything she has got makes me proud. She doesn't even care who wins (She gets that part from her mom not her daddy).

Everything she does makes me smile. When she shoots the basketball, I hang on every shot. She's a good little ball player. She usually covers and is covered by boys on the other team. But you know what...even if she wasn't, her daddy would be proud.

Every Friday night, I get a glimpse of my heavenly father's feelings about me. Sometimes in life I stumble and fall. Many times I shoot an airball spiritually. And yet when my Father in Heaven looks at me trying my best, giving everything I have for his glory....He smiles. The Creator of the Universe smiles because he is proud of me. That's amazing!

The Simple Life

As we continue in the Purpose Driven Life, I am reminded of the value of the simple life. I think if we are honest, many of us have lived or are living lives that are too chaotic. We are too busy. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done.

If you can identify with any of those statements, there is good news. God doesn't intend for things to be that way. Sure we all have seasons of times where we are too busy, but this shouldn't be our lifestyle. If you are too busy and life is too chaotic, odds are that you have said "yes" to something God never intended for you.

Being in ministry, this is a constant struggle for me. There is always something that needs to be done, someone in need, a new study that needs to be started, a new ministry idea. The most powerful word that I have ever learned is "No".

Knowing my purpose allows me to say "No" to things I shouldn't be doing in order to focus on the things that I should be doing. Today's challenge is that if you are too busy, ask God to reveal to you the things that you are doing that are not from Him.

Warning: Odds are you probably know what this is but cannot let go of it.

Tomorrow we will look at FOCUS, and how knowing our purpose will help us focus.

Purpose Driven Life Day 1 and 2

Thank you to those of you going through this study at church again with me. As I read days 1 and 2, I realize that of all the times that I have taught this study God has us studying together for a reason. In fact, if you are reading this blog right now it is because of God's plan for your life. It is no accident, even if you thought you were just randomly surfing the net.

I am reminded during these two days that God created me for a purpose, His purpose. Though we live in a world that constantly teaches us that "It's all about me." in reality, as the first sentence in the book says, "It's not about (me)." God cares about me. God loves me. God created me. But I was created for His plan not my happiness. He loves me, but if it will accomplish His purpose more for me to be Job than to be Solomon I have to be ok with that....so am I?

To be honest many days I am not. Just because I am a minister does not mean that I do not struggle. It isn't easy for anyone to go through disappointments, hurt feelings, and hard times and I fail God more often than I would like to admit.

But somewhere along the way, God has assured me that He is still in control. It is no accident that I am where I am today, doing what I am doing today. And through it all, God continues to bless.

I love the story of Joseph. He was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, and placed in prison...all to become the second most powerful man in the nation at the exact time his brothers (the very ones who threw him into the pit and sold him into slavery) needed him.

God, may thy will be done here on my earth (in my marriage, in my family, in my church, in my nation) as it is in heaven!

Silent Night

Today, I am reminded of a Casting Crowns song that I recently heard. It talks about how long ago it was a silent night for Bethlehem. That night the Messiah was to come to earth, yet there was no room for Him, therefore, the King of kings was born in a lowly manger.

I wonder. Would that have changed if they knew the Messiah was coming? Would Bethlehem have made room for Jesus if they only knew?

And yet here we are over 2000 years later and the church for the most part is silent. We accept the fact that nothing can be done to change the world we live in. We accept mediocrity from ourselves, our leaders, and our politicians. Now, tolerance is the new god. The right way according to the world is "bringing people together" and Christianity by its very nature goes against this world veiw because Jesus said "I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE." Yet the world wants to replace "THE" with the word "A" so that there can be other alternatives.

And hence, another silent night approaches. But make no mistake, the Messiah is coming. This time, He will make room. And he will reign!

Be prepared. Make room for Him now! Accept Jesus now...and reign with Him later!

May God bless you this Christmas!

You Better Recognize!

Step 2 in Breaking the Cycle of Disobedience is recognizing that there is a problem. Actually this should be Step 1 but I didn't place them in the right order. In 2 Chronicles 29:6-8, Hezekiah realizes what his father's generation had done before him and the consequences that they were suffering because of them.
I wonder how many Christians are mad at God for the things going on in their life, all the while not even recognizing that what is going on is a consequence of disobedience to God. Hezekiah recognized the problem and then began the process of breaking the cycle.
Satan wants to keep you and I blinded to the truth. He wants us to blame God for every bad thing that happens to us. He wants us to forget that there are "wages of sin", but friends the fact is that we do "reap what we sow". Therefore if you are reaping the bad consequences of your sin and you are tempted to blame God instead of taking responsibility for your own actions and repenting....you better recognize!

Now, go back and read STEP 1 which is really STEP 2...May God bless you all and have a great Christmas!

Note: If you have never accepted Christ as your savior or have any questions about the whole "Jesus" thing, contact me at lfbcedu@verizon.net . I would love to discuss my Jesus with you.

Take Out The Trash

Ok, so you want to live for God but nobody has ever taught you how. Your parents didn't teach you. Your school never taught you how. Maybe even your church never taught you how to break the cycle of disobedience in your life. How do you do it?

2 Chronicles 29:5 gives us Step 1. Hezekiah says, "Hear me , Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place." In order to break the cycle of disobedience to God, the people had to first remove the trash!

It is the same for us. Every one of us has trash in our lives. Some of it is easy to see (such as sin). Some of it is not so easy to see (such as our overscheduled calendar or favorite Tuesday night drama). Anything that stands in the way of our relationship with Christ is rubbish which needs to be removed. Let me give an example. My children watch and often imitate what daddy does. If they see me spending 3 hours watching TV and never see me spend time with God, which do you think they will think is more important TV or God? TV because that is where I spend my time. Therefore, in this instance TV is rubbish and should be removed. Also, I love to golf and fish. However, if I do this and never spend time with God it is trash that needs to be taken out.

I look at the many people who grow up in families where the man and woman are living together and having sex, and think that it is ok to do so. Friends that's trash that needs to be taken out.

Much of the way we believe, speak, and act we learned from observing others. If it goes against what God teaches, I don't care if momma did it, daddy did it, or my best friend did it, it is trash and has no business in my life.

Today's challenge for all of us is to take out the trash. Look at our lives. See if there is any trash lying around and if there is....take it out.

Next blog: STEP 2: You better recognize!