Jaycee

Have you ever wondered what will happen to your child. I often do. I wonder what she will look like, how her personality will be and how will she deal with victories and defeats. Last night while restlessly tossing and turning I heard a small voice say momma. I thought Jaycee may be waking up at 1:45. While hoping that she didn't I also began to cherish just the sound of her voice. How when she spoke that simple word mamma, things changed. I wasn't thinking about myself or my discomfort. I was concerned for her well being. I wanted to know if she was alright. I wonder when we hear another still small voice does it arouse something within us. When God speaks to your heart do you change, do you see things differently. Do you begin to not think selfishly but to think about the Father and the things of Him. I hope so. I want to encourage all sets of eyes reading this to seek ye first His Kingdom and His righteousness. Blessings

Grounded

I couldn't believe my ears. I had a student come up to me in the halls of school and tell me that she is grounded from church. Can you believe that? I'm actually kinda excited about the thought. While others are being grounded from their cars, computers, cellphone and even myspace, I have one that has been grounded from church. Amazing. That would be like someone telling their child that they can not got to bed early, take a bath and brush their teeth, almost like telling your kids they can't do their homework or go to school. I wish I had been grounded from go to school a few times, but church. Who would have thought. I never want to undermine the authority of a parent, but Chuch? WHAT DO YOU THINK??? WRITE A COMMENT!!

Bleeding

Have you ever been doing something manly, maybe like working on your car, and as you return a tool or tighten a lugnut you look down and there is a pool of blood from somewhere. You relize that it is not transmission fluid and you begin to check all over you body looking for the source of the pool. then you notice that you have scrapped open a piece of flesh and you are seriously bleeding, enough to go to the hospital or at least something more than a Dora Band Aid can remedy. Well, My life I've been working and doing and I'm beginning to recognize that metiforical pool of blood. I've diagnosed it not as transmission fluid but a real injury. God is showing me that I have been hurt and now is the time to get it taken care of. Time to quit fumbeling around ignoring the problem and solve the situation at hand. I hope that is you are hurting out there that you can resolve to resolve the situation. May God give you the strength not your self but God!

See you on the other side.

God's a Warrior

Ex. 15:3 says God is a warrior. An I want to be like Christ. Christ defeated death and the grave and sits at the right hand of the father ever waiting to make intercession for us. I'm tired of being a mall friendly, man walking around passive about my faith, so called window shopping or selecting those that I want to come to know the Lord. My desire is for the nations to know Him, So here we go time to declare war on those who do not know Him and battle. Will you battle with me. It time to man up!!

Jude 22-23

Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear- hating even the clothes satined with corrupt flesh.

Lsat night I had a bizarre opportunity to return a church where I had previously served to help in Judgement House. I was nervous walking up to the door, not seeing so many of them since the last time we met. Would I be welcomed. As soon as I opened the door lots of people came up to me and hugged me and Loved me. That was nice. I like hugs. But then it soon hit me, I needed to prepare for war. The theme of Judgemet house is Land of the Free Home of the brave. And that theme really hit me when walking back to the counseling room.

I looked at the room where literaly hundreds if not thousands of people will be sitting listening to the good news about Jesus and His salvation.

We need to be about snatching others from the fire. and to show others mercy, but mixed with fear. As eyes focused on me last night I was praying that others would see past me and see a passion for Christ. A passion to live for Him, and a passion to Die for Him.

I hope that today you have an opporunity to snatch somone from the fire.

Blessings

utterly amazed

Last night was incredible, we had students show up from everywhere, excited to be at church. We had the largest group that we have had since I have been here and was blown away by the response. Our students are doing an incredible job of reaching their lost friends, and the drama was great. I can't wait to see how God will continue to reach this community. I'm reminded of the every popular verse in Habakkuk 1:5 that says, "watch and be utterly amazed. For I'm about to do something in your days that you will not believe. even if you were told." I know that this context God is getting ready to unleash His fury on Isreal, but i can't help in thinking that God is doing something beyond belief in our little group here way out in the sticks, not unleash his fury, but praying that He unleashes His grace on us and we can see more and more lives turned to the Father.

Speechless

Have you ever had mornings where you are trying to gather your thoughts, and it doesn't seem you have any to gather. That is me this morning. We had Bible club this morning and still some were overcome with the donuts rather than God and His word, but my prayer is that God will us those artifically flavored, sugar saturated, cholesterol balls to move in the students this morning.

I was praying also for the students by name this morning and I just came to a loss for words. I want so much for God to rise up this generation for His glory and see an amazing outpouring of His mercy and grace on these students that I would be willing to do anything for it. But while mentioning up the names I found myself speechless. I didn't know what to say to God. And the overwealming feeling of humility came over me. That I'm trying to compose words in my mind to the creator of the universe and thought to myself, i will remain silent before him and await His presence.

I began thinking of this song by David Crowder "I need words, as wide as the sky, and I need a language as large as this feeling inside. I need a voice so much bigger than mine, and I need a song to sing you that I've yet to find. I need you! I need you!"

Father today we need you!!!

Child Bungee Cords

Do you rememberwalking in the mall and seeing those kids straped to harnesses and running throughout hte mall screaming at the top of their lungs knocking things into the floor and then the parents finally notice and see how far their kids have gotten away and jerk the dog water out of their harness. That harness was attached to a leash type of thing, kids would be cought off guard and you could see parents dragging there kids up and down the labrynths. You may be asking what in the world are you talking about. Today felt like one of those days, It has been 4 days since i really got into the Word and prayer and i have felt like the little kid running amuck. Gid brought me back in line. I got jerked back into his line. Now being a parent of a two year old I'd love to have one of those harness things, Jaycee may hate it, but i would enjoy it, but only for a season. Soon I would expect her to learn to behave. Why can't I?

I hope that if you are having a hard time in this today that you will feel the often gentle knudgings of the father or the abrupt halt of a angry father. What ever it may be I hope that you get back in line with the father. May the dust of the father cake upon you this day!!!


Jer. 29:14, "I will be found by you," delcares the Lord,"and will bring you back from captivity."

Lord, I want to grow up!!

Point of Difference

Can you imagine a place where we are able to concentrate on the only things that matter,which is His renoun. in the 1st few verses of Colossians 3 says we are to in that in this very place, not having to imagine. We are to let the things of this world that are binding us to fall away around us so that we can concentrate on Him, our Hero, our Savior. My prayer this morning is that all the false idols that i've built up in my life that I'm continually polishing will fall away, so that I can consentrate on my Father.

"Open the skies, flood the earth with Your light. This is Love to break a world indifferent. As we lift our eyes, fill our heart with Your fire. In a world of the same we will be the different, the difference."

Short Circuit

There was a movie that come out in the 80's, I think, called Short Circuit. It was about a robot that somehow had a mind of his own and he began acting quite human. He was Alive. He would laugh, joke, be sad and had a whole gamit of emotions that are common to you and I. But he had one of the cooloest names, Number 5. Yeah nothing out of the ordinary, maybe just a stock number, but I can still remember the arabic decendent calling out, "Number 5 is alive." I know that's just Hollywood, but it also reminds me of My relationship with the Lord. Many times in my daily walk with the Lord I'm being robotic. Working to get this done, or running to meet with this person. Colossians 2:13-15 says that have been made alive with Him. that he bore my penality and sin and nailed it to the cross, and later aross and is alive at the right hand of the father anticipating and making intercession between Me and my Heavenly Father. God knows me, and you too. He knows our weeknesses and strengths and desires for us to live outside of the normal parameters of life. He Want us to have a John 10:10 kinda life. You may feel like just a stock number. No one that sticks out in the crowd, but God has redeemed you and reconciled you and me to himself so that we may know him and truly be ALIVE.

No Secret Handshake

You know sometimes I fall victim to not fitting in with the crowd that I often run with. Probably because most of the time thay are between the ages of 12-18 and I'm a whopping 33. Yeah, being in Youth ministry you feel as though you grow older twice as fast. I seems like only yesterday I was like the kids older brother now I've even been refered to as Grandpa. But when ever we go somewhere with students i see almost a right of passage. The Sacred Handshake. If you don't know the handshake you don't fit in. Have you ever fallen victim to not knowing the handshake? It seems with students that if you know the handshake you break through years trying to gain trust.

Colossians 2 11-15 says that there is nothing secretive about your relationship with Him and nothing that is mutually exclusive too your relationship. He says I've came to conqure the grave for all and that those who would simply call on my will be saved. He destroyed the power of sin on the cross. Our sins forgiven, we have a clean slate with Him.

Isn't it nice we are already in, we are that insider. He knows us as we are and continues to love us anyway. No secret handshake, just hold onto the nail pierced hand of Christ.

Simply Amazing.

Blessings

Telescope, Microscope, Horoscope

This morning after reading the 1st half of chapter 2 of the book of Colossians i thought you should read it as I have.

Colossians 2:6-10

6-7My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.
8-10Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything.

Amazing simply amazing. Get out there and LIVE!!!

Set Your Mind at Ease

This morning I'm reminded of why i do the things that I do how how I need to focus my efforts on the way that I do them. I'm always wanting to be the best and see the most results. You notice the I in that previous phrase. My goal or verse tht has inspired my life is from the incredible book of Colossians 3:17. It simply states that whatever I do whether in word or deed I do I do for the Lord Jesus Christ. i love this verse, it keeps me aware of my surroundings at all times and continually lets me know that it's not about me it's about Jesus. This morning I was reading in the last verses of Colosianns and it sank in. A spiritual aphifinanny (whoa really don't know about spelling there, but you get the point) Paul is in prison and remarking about His love for the Church, amazing in itself, but he comes back and challanged me and my ministry right here and right now it says,

Colossians 1:26-29
This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.

May that be my mission here and yours. No more, no less Christ!!!!!

What would Jesus do with Pizza or Donuts?

Today starts like every other wednesday, waking up and realizing that God must have chosen the wrong person for this caliber of work. But I roll out of bed and by the time i finish brushing my teeth i'm ready to "seize the day." Over the past couple of days i've noticed a disturbing trend. Yesterday while going to bible club i noticed a large amount of people from one particular class. I wondered where was everyone else. One of the responses i had is hay more pizza for us. This morning a similiar response. While at another school, the frist students appeared and they asked if they were the only 2 students if they would get all the donuts for themselves. Is that were we are now. We don't want to invite more people to bible club so we can gorge ourselves on our own greed. We want pizza but non one to know the Lord. I'm appalled honestly. I love the students, but i'm appalled that the cost of a souls for us accounts for little more than a donut or a extra slice of pizza. Come on Jesus died for all those who would call on his name.

Anyway this morning I notices that Paul must be going through the same thing while addressing the church. He Mentions at the endo f the 1st chapter that Christ died for the church and that he was now a servant to the church. I've coem to realize that servants don't always get the shiny happy jobs. They are constantly looking after the needs of the owner. An as a servant to His church I need to constantly be looking after the things of Jesus.

Does Jesus like donuts and pizza. I'm sure He would, but He would be more than willing to give away His share to share His love with you.

Are you unwilling to invite others to church because you may loose your seat for a week, are you unwilling to share the love of christ with someone because you may loose you fictional status of sole dependence. COme on Let's act like children who know our Father and are proud of Him. It's not about YOU it's all about HIM!!!!!

Delight

This morning I was reading a chapter from the book The Name by Franklin Graham. And in the second chapter of the book Franlin explains that he was asked to speak during the memorial services for the Columbine students. He said that He didn't know what exactly to preach or share, but he prayed prior to speaking that the name of Jesus be lifted up. So he spoke a powerful message i'm sure and after finishing turned it over to Vice President, Al Gore. They then made their way to a memorial site that was littered with cards and flowers and notes to the victims and a man approached Franklin and told him he was offended. And Franklin replied, "Yes sir." After thinking about that it is amazing that he had the spiritual boldness to step in front of a mourning country and turn a "mess into a message," as Drew would say. I'm here writing this encouraged not by the message that Frank gave, but by the response to the man. His unwillingness to apoligize inspires me. I should not have to apologize for the way that I believe, as long as my life is lifting up the name of Jesus.

Colosians 1:15-23 tells us of the way that God loved His Son and how he found delight in Him. That delight or even a that-a-boy when His death reconciled us back to Him. I can only imagine one of the roman soldiers after Christ had arose going to him while He was with His disciples and telling Jesus that he was offended when the water and blood sprayed him in the face. I think Jesus would have simply said Yes, sir. He was not willing to back down off the cross for you and me, the least we should do is not be willing to back down for Him.

Come on Mt. Dew do your magic

This is one of theose rough mornings, It seems like i'm moving around with a 50 lbs. weight on my back. But that's common for how i feel after Wednesday nights. I'm so excited to see the growth and health of our youth group lately. Last night i was able to see many faces that i hadn't seen in a very long time.

Are there times in your life that you may seem tired. It's around 9:30 am and i still can't seem to get going. Once agiain God shows and reveals a glimpse of Himself in our time of need.

Col. 1:10 or so says, "We pray that you have the strength to stick it out over the long haul- not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives."

You know the Red Bull commercial were it says it will give you wings. Rather than a fading and temporary boost of energy from a Red Bull I hope that you can soar on wings like eagles and find your strength in Him this day!

Sausage Biscuit and Diet Coke

Well, what an already amazing day. God is going to do something huge today I can feel it. Have you ever felt that way just going into the day anticipating that something incredible is going to happen. Joe and I were able to lead Bible club at a local elementary and middle school today and it was incredible. Joe is an amazing guy incredibly humble and willing to serve the Lord in any and every capasity. Thank the Lord in heaven from saint that are willing to step up and answer the call.

I stopped and got a biscuit and Diet coke from Mickey D's and all is well with my soul and my belly!!

Today i didn't make it far before God said stop listen to Me and my word here. Paul and Timothy are writting to he Church at Collose and and Paul is trying to reel in the Christians as they are substituting other teachings in with the Word of God. Incredibly the church of yesterday is similar to the church of today. Paul is attempting to restore Jesus, the Messiah to the center of their lives. Why do we allow our lives to become offcentered? It's much like a car that needs an allignment; the car is constantly fighting the operator to veer off the road and crash. Why do we want to crash so badly. But Paul mentions that he continues to praise the Lord give thanks for them. Col. 1:3-5.

Here is the part that is amazing to me. Col. 5-8 says in a paraphrase, that God's words is true and it never diminishes or weaken over time. Anybody know anything about Economics? I know that I may loose a few of you out there by an even mention of the word, but their is a law of economics that is called the Law of diminishing returns. It simply states that if I'm dying of thirst and I find a large glass of lemonade and take a drink at first it will be incredible and being to quench or thirst, but the second glass may not take as good at the first, then the 3rd won't be as good as the second, and by the 4th glass of lemonade we fill like we want to vomit. Well, the Word of God says that it never diminishes. It is like a 5 couse meal for the hungry, and if we being to eat of it we can never be satisfied.

Are to being satisfied with the things like the Church of Collose? Are cosmic forces getting equal billing with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If so begin to feast on Holy Word of God and be truely satisfied.

Have an incredible day!!

Inspired?

Well, here we go. The mission behind this blog is to hopefully inspire you to live this day for the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are reading this as a critic maybe you should stop. This Blog will be updated every morning immediatly following my quiet time with the Lord. I will share with you what God is saying to ME through His holy inerent word. Currently, i'm just beginning a study of my favorite book. Colossians. I'm excited, I just spoke with the Pastor, that from this point on I will call Drew, and he was telling me of an intrest to begin a study on ther book of Colossians. So obviously, God has something amazing in store for us. Let me mention I may not be a master grammatician. I'm just trying to relay God and His majesty through the written word of this medium, the internet. Once again, this is not meant to be a subistitute for your own quite time, This is simply how the spirit revealed His word to Me on this particular day and time in My life. Hope you enjoy this adventure together. There may also be some tidbits of non essentials in here so bare with me if you will.

Grace and peace to you from God the Father. Col. 1:2b

Grace and peace. God is the giver of all things good. What is Grace, other than a beautiful name of a little girl i know, the unmerited favor of God. There is nothing in myself that is good and God looks upon me through the blood of His Son and loves me anyway. Man I really don't reserve His love for me. I've often wondered how much grace does He have for me, I'm sure that He has run out. But the price of his grace for me was paid with the Blood of Christ. God is Good.....!!!! Praise him for His grace.

so what about peace? one onf the Fruit of the Spirit. If I allow the spirit to be in control of my life things will be peaceful, even in the midst of storms, even thouse wonderful, beautiful trajedies that God allows us to go through. The creator of peace the creator of grace. What can I say we serve a big God.

I'm praying that each of you this day will be inspired to live, seriously, live, not exist, but live!!!!