Posts
Cannonball!
19 hours ago
6.10.2011
Honestly
Let’s face it we all need some change. The first step in change is honesty and often the hardest person to be honest with is ourselves. It’s so easy to see the change needed in the world, our city, school, friends, and family but in ourselves… it’s much much harder. It’s like we can see every situation and problem in 20/20 except the ones in us. We can see so clearly what everybody else needs to do… But what we need to do? Jesus spoke in Matthew about the plank in our own eye. We all have planks and sometimes these planks prove to be great microscopes of other’s specks. Look I’m not saying that the speck is not there, oh it’s there and is ever irritating but as long as you have that big old ugly plank impairing your sight, don’t think you’re qualified to do eye surgery. Because you are not. Like I said, the first step to change is honesty. Can I be honest with you??? No, really can I? If I can’t then you should stop reading right now… Really I mean it, if you’re not ready for a healthy dose of honesty then just stop… So you’re still here, that means whether it hurts or not you want to hear the truth. The truth is, Jesus. He is the beginning, middle and end, the way, truth and life. HE KNOWS BEST!!! He sits at God’s right hand, and God is still all-powerful and all knowing. He is all knowing, which means He sees and knows every situation and problem that you are facing. He is all-powerful, which means He could easily remove and destroy every situation and problem. We make statements like, “I just can’t take anymore”, “I’m giving 100%”, and “I’m doing my best”. Here comes that honesty… You underestimate what you can take, overestimate what you give and have no clue what your best is. Just saying… You can take more than you’ve taking thus far, can give more than you’ve given and your best is seated in the heavenlies. So let’s stop basing what we are and can do on those around us and come to the realization that each of us needs change. So find that plank and start removing it. Please don’t make the mistake of thinking one prayer of repentance is going to do the trick. This is a thing that we walk out daily and the situations and problems you’re facing are the tweezers God is using. Honestly
5.09.2011
Dagon-it
Dagon-it
1 Samuel 5:1-5 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.
Ya know it’s kinda funny how often we do this very same thing. We try to bring the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords and put Him in a place with all our lil’ fake gods. We try to give each of our gods a fare share of our time, talent and resources. Oh sure we all have lil’ Dagon’s that try to come in and steal what belongs to Jesus. We can try over and over and over but each time our lil’ Dagon’s are in the presence of God they fall to the ground and crumble. Even the Philistine’s after rats and tumors got the idea that every knee would bow and tongue confess… Let us choose this day who we will serve.
1 Samuel 5:1-5 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.
Ya know it’s kinda funny how often we do this very same thing. We try to bring the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords and put Him in a place with all our lil’ fake gods. We try to give each of our gods a fare share of our time, talent and resources. Oh sure we all have lil’ Dagon’s that try to come in and steal what belongs to Jesus. We can try over and over and over but each time our lil’ Dagon’s are in the presence of God they fall to the ground and crumble. Even the Philistine’s after rats and tumors got the idea that every knee would bow and tongue confess… Let us choose this day who we will serve.
4.29.2011
Acceptable
Hey
I just wanted to drop a quick note letting you know some of the stuff God's been speaking. Jesus lived, died, was buried, rose and ascended all out of the Father's love for you. That is how important you are. Once we lived a life of sin. This life was Not acceptable... But now through the mercies of our Father we have the opportunity to live a life that is. A life that is acceptable. This kind of life Romans says is our reasonable service. It is our reasonable service to give ourselves as a living sacrifice. It's not just our reasonable service it is God's perfect will. I call God's perfect will for my life, "destiny, purpose, the plan". So we have the opportunity to discover destiny as we give ourselves as a living sacrifice.
Join us Sunday at Pursuit for more!!!
Love ya
Pastor Joshua
I just wanted to drop a quick note letting you know some of the stuff God's been speaking. Jesus lived, died, was buried, rose and ascended all out of the Father's love for you. That is how important you are. Once we lived a life of sin. This life was Not acceptable... But now through the mercies of our Father we have the opportunity to live a life that is. A life that is acceptable. This kind of life Romans says is our reasonable service. It is our reasonable service to give ourselves as a living sacrifice. It's not just our reasonable service it is God's perfect will. I call God's perfect will for my life, "destiny, purpose, the plan". So we have the opportunity to discover destiny as we give ourselves as a living sacrifice.
Join us Sunday at Pursuit for more!!!
Love ya
Pastor Joshua
2.14.2011
Yeah I'm soft
Yeah I’m soft
On every occasion a gentleman ought to show the ladies in his life how important they are. Some fellas have asked me why I do flowers or chocolate and cards for mothers, daughters, and sisters. Why not just your wife? Well, my friends, I for one believe daughters in our day and age ought to be taught by daddies how precious they are and how much they are loved. Keep in mind, dad, that daughters need daddies who are not afraid or forgetful and who notice the little things. Every son ought to think of his mom on Valentine’s Day. Dads, its good training for your son to look out for his mom and if he doesn’t learn it from you, then who? What about sisters? Well every brother’s sister has had a Valentines Day that they hated. So why not take the opportunity to let her know that there’s one guy who will always look out for her and love her. Now if you’re a husband asking why should you do something for your wife… Wow! Well just because she is the missing rib, flesh of your flesh, bone of your bone, and has decided to make the most binding earthly covenant with a mug like you. Trust me if you’re asking then your not the easiest chump to deal with and she probably deserves an extra dozen roses just for putting up with you. So gentlemen take it from the brother of two sisters, son of three moms, father of 4 girls and the husband of one amazing wife… Its worth it!!!
On every occasion a gentleman ought to show the ladies in his life how important they are. Some fellas have asked me why I do flowers or chocolate and cards for mothers, daughters, and sisters. Why not just your wife? Well, my friends, I for one believe daughters in our day and age ought to be taught by daddies how precious they are and how much they are loved. Keep in mind, dad, that daughters need daddies who are not afraid or forgetful and who notice the little things. Every son ought to think of his mom on Valentine’s Day. Dads, its good training for your son to look out for his mom and if he doesn’t learn it from you, then who? What about sisters? Well every brother’s sister has had a Valentines Day that they hated. So why not take the opportunity to let her know that there’s one guy who will always look out for her and love her. Now if you’re a husband asking why should you do something for your wife… Wow! Well just because she is the missing rib, flesh of your flesh, bone of your bone, and has decided to make the most binding earthly covenant with a mug like you. Trust me if you’re asking then your not the easiest chump to deal with and she probably deserves an extra dozen roses just for putting up with you. So gentlemen take it from the brother of two sisters, son of three moms, father of 4 girls and the husband of one amazing wife… Its worth it!!!
2.02.2011
Reaper #2
What you sow today is what you will reap tomorrow. If you sow your time, talent, resources, assets and all the good gifts God has placed on the inside of you into the bottomless pit of your flesh you will from the flesh reap death. Why? Because from the moment Adam sinned flesh was corrupted, corrupted with sin. The wages of that sin is death. BUT!!! If we make the choice today to sow into the Spirit we will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Not just eternal in quantity but eternal in quality.
1.31.2011
Reaper
A fact of life; we are all reapers. What goes around comes around. And everyone takes a sigh of relief and says “Thank God for grace”. Grace gives us the opportunity to wipe the slate clean. To start over in the process of sowing and reaping. Scripture tells us not to be deceived God cannot be mocked, what a man sows he will reap. If one sows to the flesh, he’ll from the flesh reap death; but if he sows to the Spirit he will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let’s face it, we’ve all sown alot to give our flesh what it wants. Whether it’s the newest phone or car, or perhaps it was just telling that little bit of gossip that we just couldn’t keep in. You see sowing into our flesh is not just fornication and sexual promiscuity. Sowing into our flesh could be that little white lie that you told at work to get ahead. One way or another we’ve all done it, and still do it. Again a sigh of relief and say thank God for grace. Each of us is so very unique and special full of gifts and talents and just good stuff God has blessed us with. Time, talents, attributes and assets deposited on the inside. Many times we waste much of the gifts deposited on trying to satisfy the bottomless pit of flesh. This pit is never full and can never be satisfied. But wait repentance means we have the ability to not just say sorry but change. Change the place we deposit what has been deposited in us. Instead of trying to fill the bottomless pit we can give more to the Spirit and reap eternal life. You see the cool thing about eternal life is it is not just a quantity of life but it is also a quality of life. The heavenly quality. Yeah that’s what I want to reap. I’m gonna sow a little more of me into eternity.
3.04.2010
Haiti day 1
Haiti day 1
Yesterday we flew into Miami. Had a really good time eating Cuban Food, drinking Cuban coffee, and just having a really good time. We awoke before dawn and on a plane by 8 am. My normal enjoyment of the sight, smells and heat was nonexistent today. It was not the tent cities or cracked structure of the airport I remembered from my childhood. I walked off the plane via jetway... I was half way down the jetway when I realized I was not out in the open air. It was short lived; as soon as we got inside we were escorted outside to a bus. From the bus to a hanger made into a make shift immigration station.
As we stepped out of customs I saw many of the familiar faces of those that work outside the airport. Some I've know for 15 or so years. Happy to see they were well and alive. I listened to their stories of how some lost some and many lost all. Everyone living in the tent cities. At the Haitian Governments recommendation most have left their houses to do the structural insufficiencies. Even those that still have houses right now are not living in them. Pastor Antonio's is pretty hard-core, he's not left his house. He still sleeps in his own bed. Though right now it’s all alone as his wife and children are still too scared to.
Pastor told us the stories tonight of the first earthquake. He was driving down Delmas when everything started shaking violently. Many fled the cars to seek safety in nearby buildings only to find that would be the last bad decision they would ever make. How often do we as people seek refuge in the things of this world only to have them cave in on us? A few days later there was a large after shock at around 2 am. Pastor was asleep in his bed when it hit. He stayed in his house, kneeled in the corner and began to pray.
I drive past the heaping piles of rubble. And I mean heaping. You shouldn’t throw 9.0 earthquakes if you live in a concrete house. Some houses are completely flat and I drive by wondering if there was someone's child inside. Other houses are deformed like a teeter totter broken at one end. Streets are filled with debris, dust and broken concrete. Yet as I look at the people they haven't changed. They are not broken. Instead they take it as they always have one step at a time. Trying to scrape some form of happiness in a place where it can be hard to find. As we eat dinner with friends that are more like family, I see the smiles, hear the laughter and listen to the conversations in Creole and I am happy. Happiness still exists in Haiti.
Yesterday we flew into Miami. Had a really good time eating Cuban Food, drinking Cuban coffee, and just having a really good time. We awoke before dawn and on a plane by 8 am. My normal enjoyment of the sight, smells and heat was nonexistent today. It was not the tent cities or cracked structure of the airport I remembered from my childhood. I walked off the plane via jetway... I was half way down the jetway when I realized I was not out in the open air. It was short lived; as soon as we got inside we were escorted outside to a bus. From the bus to a hanger made into a make shift immigration station.
As we stepped out of customs I saw many of the familiar faces of those that work outside the airport. Some I've know for 15 or so years. Happy to see they were well and alive. I listened to their stories of how some lost some and many lost all. Everyone living in the tent cities. At the Haitian Governments recommendation most have left their houses to do the structural insufficiencies. Even those that still have houses right now are not living in them. Pastor Antonio's is pretty hard-core, he's not left his house. He still sleeps in his own bed. Though right now it’s all alone as his wife and children are still too scared to.
Pastor told us the stories tonight of the first earthquake. He was driving down Delmas when everything started shaking violently. Many fled the cars to seek safety in nearby buildings only to find that would be the last bad decision they would ever make. How often do we as people seek refuge in the things of this world only to have them cave in on us? A few days later there was a large after shock at around 2 am. Pastor was asleep in his bed when it hit. He stayed in his house, kneeled in the corner and began to pray.
I drive past the heaping piles of rubble. And I mean heaping. You shouldn’t throw 9.0 earthquakes if you live in a concrete house. Some houses are completely flat and I drive by wondering if there was someone's child inside. Other houses are deformed like a teeter totter broken at one end. Streets are filled with debris, dust and broken concrete. Yet as I look at the people they haven't changed. They are not broken. Instead they take it as they always have one step at a time. Trying to scrape some form of happiness in a place where it can be hard to find. As we eat dinner with friends that are more like family, I see the smiles, hear the laughter and listen to the conversations in Creole and I am happy. Happiness still exists in Haiti.
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