I've got to just say that life is coming at us so fast, that it is hard to slow down and reflect and try to make sense of it. I love God. Everyone in my family loves God. Most of the people I deal with daily love God. It hasn't always been that way, though. I got saved over 10 years ago and it has been a complete change in my life. I just began reflecting on everything that has changed. One of the things that I notice the most, however, is that there has been a real presence of oppressing evil in my life that I never fully noticed or regarded as evil before I found the Way. Recently, Pastor Schooley found a wonderful resource of John Eldredge's Epic (book, DVD series, teaching resource, Church Kit, etc.) that we began teaching in our Wednesday night service. For those of you who have read this little book, let me know what you think. For those who have not read it. Please read it. Go here to find out all about it and how to get it.

What I am thinking about today is something that Eldredge covers and is something that he mentions we seem to forget. There is a Villain in our story. If you look at all the great stories, each one has a villain and he is the cause or if more than one, they are the cause of all the grief, problems, or need for the hero in each story.

We as Christians need to understand that we are facing a villain. THE VILLAIN. He is satan, the devil, the prince of lies, the roaring lion, etc. He wants to kill, steal, and destroy everything about our lives. We must not be surprised when he attacks. It is what he does. If you are Christian, then you are a threat to his quest for complete world dominance. If you think that little old you and little old me have nothing to do with him, then you are very sadly mistaken. Think about it. If you have been a Christian for very long at all. Look back at your history. When did the real attacks begin to come at you? Probably when you made a commitment to do something important and vital for God and those around you in God, huh? Our enemy is pretty good at this game. He has been playing it all throughout our human history. This is why we must learn our instructions in the Bible to understand how to withstand the attacks, but further, how to counter-attack and prevail over the enemy of all mankind. The war is won, we just haven't gotten to that point in history. The question is: Are you and I going to wage our piece of the war and win the battles that God puts us in command over?

Was this what you were expecting when you became a Christian? Me either, but it is really okay. The war was won a long time before history caught up with us, that is why we can have the hope and the patience to win this thing. In the long run, short run and any part of this run, satan cannot overcome you, if you just put you trust in the Victor, our Hero, Jesus. I know that at times it seems that we cannot keep going. Sickness, divorce, depression, anger, strife, rebellion, raising teenagers. Whatever the trial is that you are going through. We may not end up where we were before the trial, but we can and always do win. These really are the promises that we have. This is the proof in testimony after testimony of the children of God down through the ages and in the present time, as well. Talk to your family. I'm talking about the fellowship of believers. I mean really talk. Find out each other's burdens. Find out each other's victories. Find out each other's failings. Find your place in each other's stories. I know not everyone believes that the way church is is the way God meant for it to be. But, the best place I know of for finding fellow, like-minded believers is in church. Go, find your place in the family. Find out that you are not alone. Don't be alone in your battle. We can and do encourage one another. 

How many times God manages to help me out, even when I'm not looking for it or how many times He points out something to me that I'm not aware is a problem or how many times He works on me in things I didn't know I needed work on.

This morning while I was praying, He pointed out to me that my faith was no longer like a child's. I remembered what it was like when I turned to Him and gave my life to Him, I had to just realize that I couldn't do it. I had made a mess of things doing it my way and it was time for me to just let the Creator work a re-creation in me. All without my guidance or input in any way.

How far from that I catch myself being. In fact this morning as I read Luke chapter 6, I caught myself not liking at all what I read. In fact I do believe in my mind I was rejecting the words that Jesus spoke concerning turning the other cheek. As I prayed God pointed out to me asking me the question "How's that working for you?" He is able to do that in such a way that I was called to repentance not condemnation. I guess that is where conviction leads us to, isn't it?

I realized once again, what a mess I can make of things relying on my understanding of His words, even. I think I get something and run with it without another look back. My friends, that just doesn't work. I am reminded of where the Word says, "Be careful when you think you stand. Take heed, lest you fall." I can tell you, I couldn't get on my face fast enough to repent of my running of my life. I gave it to him 100%. I can't try and take it back. That is when it goes all wrong. Every time I try to take control, it is amazing, I still can't do it right.

Thank God He can and does get us straightened out. Even when we think we are sailing along in grace just fine. Take a hard look at yourself today and see how you're doing with going to our great Daddy in heaven. Are you using that child like faith?

God bless each one of you.

I have been out of the loop for a while and I apologize to any and everyone who reads my blog for whatever reason they might. It has been about a month and what a busy month it was. For those who don't know, I work full time at our church, but am bi-vocational, so I must support my family through a J-O-B. Anyway, I started a new gig last month and learning it has pulled me away from many of the things I was doing before then. If you noticed, my blogs started trailing off to once every few days to once a week and then now a full month without writing one. My learning curve went through the roof about a month ago and after the Easter production of our church's Living Last Supper and my spending a week with my youngest boy, I have now asked for help in the administration of my business and that takes a good 10-20 hours off of my back a week to let me do what I love - research and write about the things I love most - God and His Word.

One thing that God has spoken to my heart about these past few weeks is that I do not feel guilty for throwing myself into learning my new vocation. It took a lot of discipline for me to do this. Hours and hours of studying to receive the required licensing. Hours of due diligence to receive appointment by companies as an independent contractor and then the many hours spent learning the products that I present to clients in order to help them get exactly what they need and seek me and my business out for.

Folks, life is not easy. Becoming professional and knowledgeable in whatever you are seeking to do requires a lot of front-end effort and discipline. It is easy to give up. Why do you think only 10-25% of all the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who are accepted to their respective service's special forces/operations training, actually complete the training and continue on in the field of specialization that they have volunteered for? When it gets tough, many people give up, decide it really wasn't for them, or just plain get overwhelmed with everything that is thrown their way. Believe me, I know. Everything in life has a price. The price is discipline, learning, and correction. If you can live through that, then there is nothing that you cannot accomplish. Most of the hardest work comes in the initial learning phase, because there is no immediate reward for what you are setting out to do. Once you have got the grasp of it, and you are doing the work and you receive the compensation, whether it is monetary, a warm fuzzy feeling, or just the respect and fulfillment of doing what you have set out to do and love to do, it becomes much easier. But the only way to get to that point is pressing through the ignorant and developing phases to get to the "been-there-done-that" phase of the old hand and experienced person. God gave us some wisdom and insight for this in Psalms 12:1 (The Message):

If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it— how shortsighted to refuse correction!

This is what we need to remember. Take a longer view of whatever you are learning and struggling with today. The learning never stops in life, so this is a message we can take to the bank through all times in our lives.

God bless everyone of you!

Thankfulness is one of the most important things that God wants us to have for Him and His grace. In order to have a truly thankful heart towards anyone and God, we must humble ourselves and recognize that this someone has done something that we are grateful or should be grateful for. How many of you have done something, not for the thanks, but received a heartfelt thanks in return? It makes our day, doesn't it? Since we are made in God's image, we can recognize a reflection of who God is and how he must feel when we truly are thankful for everything he gives us. 

God, however, takes it one step further. He, as He does many times, tacks on a promise for the truly thankful. He says in Psalm 50:14-15 (NLT):

 14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
      and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
 15 Then call on me when you are in trouble,
      and I will rescue you

That pretty well sums it up for me. If I wasn't thanking God before, reading this gives me pause to consider God's response to my thankfulness. Isn't that just wonderful and powerful? Thanking God in the true spirit of gratefuleness brings rescue to me when I call on Him in a time of trouble. Who would have put that one together? God did . . . and I thank Him for it.

God bless each and everyone of you!

"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." 1 John 2:27 (NIV)

"21So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." 1 Corinthians 3:21-22 (NIV)

One of the observations that I have made while teaching, talking, and fellowshipping with brothers and sisters in Christ is that a very large percentage of these believers have a tremendous lack of self-confidence in their knowledge and understanding of the Word, their walk, and even the Master, Himself.

I wanted to share with you these two verses that opened my eyes to the possibilities of growth and the heights of understanding that the Holy Spirit promised us through these writings of the apostles. We can and do have the anointing of the Holy Spirit to "rightly divide" the Word.

When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we are immediately indwelled by the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus taught in John 14 will teach us all things and bring to our remembrance what Jesus said. Holy Spirit is our Helper. Holy Spirit is our teacher of truth. He is in you, if you have received Him. He is in you and willing and ready to take the Word and saturate yourself in it.

Too many people today want it the easy way. There is no easy way in your relationship with the Lord. We have to follow His way. His way requires that you get to know Him. You have to be the one that makes the move toward Him. He does not push Himself on anyone.

How do you gain this knowledge and insight? I cannot stress enough to you the importance of gaining intimate knowledge of His word. That won't happen by putting your Bible out on the coffee table so everyone can see you're a Christian. It won't even happen if you put your Bible under the pillow. I tried all those things. You have to open it up and dive in head first. You must read and read and read and read and read . . . I'm sure you get the point. Saturation means to be so full that it is pouring out of you - so much so that you can't contain it. Saturate yourself in His word. I don't know how much that is for you, but sometimes I can spend 5-6 hours a day just reading the Word. I promise you if you give it a chance, it will be impossible to put it down. Something then begins to happen. The Word in its entirity begins to make sense. You start seeing how it all works together. You begin to see how one portion works in relation to another portion. You begin to see how that applies to your life. Turn off the TV. Slow your life down. You will find you have more time to get those things done (bonus). Make the effort. Step into the perfection of the Word. Hebrews says that it is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and that it cuts straight to the morrow.

The Bible will help lead you to that anointing within. That anointing within will lead you to the Word. It is all relational and dependent upon the other. It is not legalism and the amount of time and amount read is not important. The quality of that time and amount is, though. It still means that we go to the well of the Word drink until we are full.

This means that you don't HAVE to depend on preachers, teachers, pastors and gurus to teach you this Word of God. He will teach you Himself, through His Holy Spirit dwelling within you. Does that mean you forsake teaching? No. It just means that you can have a lot more confidence in where God will lead you in understanding His word. Then you are answering to no man. Just God. This is what counts. In the end it will be you and God and He will be the perfect Judge. We understand that and we can then know whether the person teaching or preaching is in line with what God had taught you. You can then question them and discuss their beliefs and know whether or not they are teaching truth or heresy. That is why. While those who teach falsely will be held accountable, themselves, to God. We are held accountable by Him, as well, if we can't determine the falseness of the teaching, as it applies to our lives.

So, go read the Word and trust the anointing within. God will lead you down His paths of righteousness, for His name's sake.

God bless each of you reading this!