Friday, May 28, 2010

The Call Of God

Romans 11:29 (GW) God never changes his mind when he gives gifts or when he calls someone.

It’s interesting how many times people come to me and tell that at one time they felt called into ministry or felt called to do something for the Lord. When asked about why they weren’t doing it – a whole myriad of excuses begins to come forth. God is serious about His calling on your life and the gifts He has endowed us with. We often become very flippant and don’t realize that God gave them those gifts to us for a reason. When you or I am not using our gifts we are short changing ourselves and we do harm to the body of Christ. I am most fulfilled when I’m doing what God has called me to do. God gave those gifts to me for a reason. We must trust Him that He knows what is best for us and step out and use what He has given us. It is then that I am most fulfilled and blessed!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Wife Of My Youth


Proverbs 5:15-19 (NLT) 5:15 Drink water from your own well— share your love only with your wife. 16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone? 17 You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers. 18 Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.

In just a few days, I will celebrate my 37th wedding anniversary to the wife of my youth - Denise. It’s hard to fathom being married that long. We met in High School and dated until our second year of college. Together, we have learned the joys of just being together and enjoying the company of one another. Our journey has allowed us to pastor three wonderful churches. It has allowed us to be the parents of two beautiful daughters who walk with Jesus on a daily basis. We have had the privilege of being grandparents to Jonathan, Kyle, Caleb, Cassidy and another grandson to be born in early November. We’ve had some wonderful highs and have traveled to many places in the United States and abroad. We’ve also endured some tough times, hurts and disappointments. Through it all we have been able to lean into and trust in God almighty. We are truly each other’s “best friend.” It has been my pleasure to call her my wife and BFF. I look forward to many more years of waking up next to her and enjoying the smile that she has no matter what. I am truly a blessed man today.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

My Favorite Verse

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

As a young child – this was one of my favorite verses in the Bible. I memorized it and I lived it out in my life. God has never been unfaithful to me and has always led me in the right path to take. I can’t say that I’ve always been obedient to in following Him but I have for the most part lived by the principles of this verse – to just trust the Lord with all my heart and to not follow my own understanding. Life is always filled with twists and turns. It throws obstacles at you in every way possible. Without the Lord’s help – we would be lost and wandering aimlessly. As we seek God – He promises to lead us and show the right path to take on a daily basis. God is such an awesome God. I am overwhelmed with His love, grace and mercy. Today is a new day and He promises to walk with me and to take my hand and lead me through. I praise Him for who He is and what is has done and what he will be doing.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Take Authority Over Sin

Romans 6:12-13 (NLT) 6:12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

We never get away from it. From the day we are born to the day we die we deal with sin issues in our lives. Sin comes in and tries to control everything about you – your actions, your conduct, your speech, and on and on. But there is hope. It doesn’t have to control you and you have authority over it. As you surrender to God and become dead to sin – you can turn the curse of sin around. Instead of it controlling you – you can control it. God gives us the power and authority to have victory over sin every day. We can instead, use our bodies as an instrument to honor and bless God almighty. Instead of our body being a weapon for sin we can now channel it to be a powerful force for the glory of God. Instead of hate – we show love. Instead of gossip we speak words of blessing. Instead of lust – we show love. Surrender to God today and allow Him to work on your behalf to bring about the victory that you so desire in your life.

Monday, May 24, 2010

The Reason For Difficulties

Romans 5:3-5 (NLT) 5:3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Whenever we face difficulties in life we wonder why and for what reason. Our finite minds don’t grasp the greater meaning and the trials seem more like an annoyance then anything else. Paul gives us understanding into the heart of God in this passage reminding us that problems and trials have a purpose by adding to us endurance and strength of character that strengthens our salvation. We are reminded that God loves each and every one of us and He desires to fill our hearts with His love. Ultimately, it is remembering that God is sovereign and knows what is best for our lives. He loves us more then we ever would know and He knows what is best for our growth in the Christian walk. Trials cause us to lean “into” God and depend upon Him for our daily walk. He fills us with hope and He leads us through each and every difficulty because He loves and cares for us so much.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Way Of The Lord

Psalms 97:11 (NIV) Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

As I write this today I am looking backward in the way and leading of the Lord in my life. As a young man – there we’re a multitude of possibilities that lay before me. I could have gone in any number of directions in ministry. Was I to go into missions? Was I to be a pastor? Was I going to pursue education? Was I to pursue music? Etc. The list could have gone one and on. But as I began to pray and seek the Lord - the possibilities we’re narrowed down and became more specific. Light began to shine on my way little by little. It has continued shining on and directing me to this day. Unlike some people who are able to map out the whole of their life I have been given only enough light for this day. When I say light – rarely has it been huge sunbeams bursting down on me making the path clear and navigate able. For me, it has mostly been a shimmer here or a quick burst of light in some other place. It think this keeps us on our toes and causes us to really depend on the Lord for the next step. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like had I not carefully kept my eyes on way of the Lord. This verse promises to give us those beams of light and promises to shed us with His joy. Every day is a new adventure for me and every day is a new day for me to look for the way of the Lord in my life knowing that He is going to lead me in the right direction.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

A Shepherd's Heart

Psalms 78:52 (NLT) But he led his own people like a flock of sheep, guiding them safely through the wilderness.
Psalms 78:72 (NLT) He ca
red for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands.
This chapter reveals so many things that God did for His people but it also shows their lack of appreciation for the things that He did. Over and over we see that they kept testing Him and rebelling against Him. Yet… He keeps loving and caring for them. The greatest part of this chapter is the unrelenting love and care that God has for His children. In spite of their constant rejection and stubbornness – He continues to lead them through the wildernesses of life and bring them to His promised land. When we get to heaven I think that we will be amazed at how much God brought us through and what He did for us. We will finally see how much He really loves us and how much He really cares for us. So often, we are compared to sheep in the Bible – unable to navigate our way through life. I am so thankful that God is such a loving God and that He wants to be my shepherd today. I am so blessed to have such a loving shepherd in my life.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Trusting In God

Depending On God’s Power
2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT) So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.


I am struck by this verse this morning for some reason. Paul simply asks that God would give us the power to accomplish what our faith is prompting us to do. As I’m writing this I’m thinking about of all the things that I have been prompted to do “by faith” over my years. I’m thinking about the wonderful blessings and successes of the Lord. But I’m also thinking of some of the failures and disappointments. Was I not moving in God’s will? Did I not have enough faith? Should I have “pushed” a little harder or perhaps a little longer? I have also been talking to myself about the future and what horizons that God still wants me to attain. I sincerely don’t want to fall short of what God wants me to accomplish. I guess it simply comes back to what Paul is praying in this verse – that “he (God) would give me the power to accomplish all the good things that your (my) faith prompts you (me) to do.” I need his power for without Him I can do nothing.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Amazed By God

Psalms 30:11-12 (NCV) 30:11 You changed my sorrow into dancing. You took away my clothes of sadness, and clothed me in happiness. 12 I will sing to you and not be silent. LORD, my God, I will praise you forever.

There is a song that we sing a lot called “I Am So Amazed By You.” Every time I sing it I get kind of choked up because that is truly how I feel. I am so amazed of what God has done in my life. He turned my life of sadness and sorrow and turned it into joy. I am a joyful person because of God’s grace and mercy. I will forever continue to praise Him for all that He has done and continues to do. I saw something that caught my eye. It said, “Work as if you don’t need the money. Love as if you’ve never been hurt. Dance as if no one is watching.” So if you see me dancing today – don’t shake your heads in disgust but just smile with me that I’m basking in the love of my Savior and remembering all that He has done for me.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

God's Promises Are True

Psalms 55:6-7 (NLT) 55:6 Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! 7 I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness.

Not all went in a good way for King David. It seemed that he was also dealing with people who didn’t like him on every front. By his own admission – it wasn’t the outside enemies that bothered him but those who we’re close to him that turned from him. At times, he just wanted to have wings like a dove to fly away and rest. He wanted to run to the quiet of the wilderness and not have deal with it anymore. It’s interesting to read the Psalms because you see how David’s mind worked. On one hand – you will see the situation and David’s frustration. On the other hand, he declares his trust in God almighty. He vacillated between the two but ultimately reminding himself that God would take him completely through and would travail. There is the tendency for all of us to want to run away from things but when our senses kick in – we know that we have to face the giants before us and that we need to depend upon God to be with us. It’s alright to feel like David – wanting to run and hide but it’s important most of all to trust fully in God and His grace to take you through whatever is before you. God’s promises are true and you can trust that He is not going to leave or forsake you.

Monday, May 10, 2010

I Am Not Afraid

Psalms 56:3-4 (NLT) 56:3 But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 4 I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

There are times when all of us deal with fear in some form or another. For some, it is much deeper and stronger then for others. Either way, it hinders and hampers our lives. Instead of living boldly, we live cautiously, timidly, and with lots of restraints. It holds us back from really doing what God wants us to do. David felt fear often as he was being hunted down by ruthless men who wanted him dead. He acknowledges this issue of fear by admitting it and showing his need to “just trust God.” We all have to remember that God is with us. He is greater then any person or situation that would come our way. He is able to dispel all fears and He is fully able to take of whatever is before us. We need to trust in God and His promises and realize that there is no person alive that can thwart the promises of God in our lives.