Is it "Walmart Or Church? Hmmmmm"?

 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1)

Saturday is usually Walmart day for the Shiflett household.What's so great about wally world? For one thing, Walmart has “Glad” bags. Gladness is missing in a lot of churches today. Where's the beef? Remember that commercial? I was perusing the shelves at our Super-Walmart in Romeoville...(its not just Walmart anymore) and thought how is it I can get a burger at Walmart and Target when some churches fail to deliver a meaty inspired sermon on Sunday Morning? The pulpit is now used for stylish infomericals.Look how great we are. We believe in giving back to our community! while people sit on the pews starving to death spiritually? Shouldn't be so! What's happened to the beef? Have we become spiritual vegetarians?Afraid to use our teeth? Afraid to take a bite or get bitten? Once bitten,twice shy? No doubt, you've seen the commercial about the filthy fifth-grader who came home with mud and grass stains on his jeans. His mother threw the clothes into the washing machine announcing, “I guess we’ll have to Shout it out!” If you have a tough stain Shout it out! Joshua authored that slogan some 2,500 years before the grocery clerk knew anything about it. Marching around the walls of Jericho, he cheer-led his troops with the words, “Shout for the Lord has given you the city” (Joshua 6:16). David echoed the Shout commercial. He believed in voice and volume – “O clap your hands all ye people, shout unto God with the voice of triumph” (Psalm 47:1)Uh not in some churches. Of course I also use “Sure”. Remember the line? – “Raise your hands if you’re sure!” If we’re going to sing “Blessed Assurance” we ought to be sure about our sureness! We are definitely blessed,but not totally sure. Peter warned us to “make our calling and election sure”. That is one reason why people in churches today don't lift their hands in praise; their not sure. Of course some get embarrassed, just like the commercial used to say, “Sure, not sure; sure, not sure…” Undecided today?

 

You can also go to Walmart and purchase “Dove”'Cheer", “Icy-Hot”…now there’s an oxymoron. The Christ in the midst of The Revelation Candlesticks demands that we be “cold or hot” (Revelation 3:15). He promises to spew loose, lazy, lethargic, lackluster Laodicean lukewarmness out of His mouth! Try saying that 10 times! Next, you can find “Bounty” down the Super Center aisle. “Bounty”, you know, is the “quicker picker-upper” and boy we could sure use a pick-me-up in church? I'm not talking about a beer summit after service,some might consider that an "Obamination".How about a "Cheer" party during worship? Some outreach programs could use some "Miracle Gro" and "Gain" Walmart or K-Mart,Target, any of those one-stop-shopping-sources, beam with religion.

So Walmart or Church? Well Walmart has great parking, but so does the church; great prices and great products. We too have all these things going for us, but there’s one problem, the parking lot at Walmart is always jammed while the parking lot at some churches is usually disgracefully empty. Why don’t we attract more traffic? Do we lack “Joy”? Where is your joy, under the kitchen sink? Nehemiah voiced that “the joy of the Lord is your strength”. Joy attracts. Oh, and I can’t forget that Walmart has those fabric softener sheets; you know the ones, they call ‘em, “Bounce”! We bounce when we shop. Why do some have to sit like wooden statues at church? Gotta close. I noticed there is one product missing at Walmart that we used to use on wood furniture at the Shiflett house, “Glory”. The corporate giant has no Glory! That is the one product we have sole rights over – “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord…” (Haggai 2:9) So where is the Glory? Joy? Bounce? Cheer? Are we consumers that would rather be entertained than truly give our "All"?? As the world turns we need to get with it because we only have One life to live and The days of our lives seem to be too young and restless for God's Guiding light into Another World but that's a sermon for another day.....

PB-

TERRIFIC TUESDAY! "Unmasked"

We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God. (2 Corinthians 4.1,Message Bible)


Is there an area of your life that you keep secret? Under wraps? Refuse to let people take a peek? Its a difficult life to live a life of secret identities.And no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.Remember that song? Diana and I just hosted a party where we gave access to everyone every area of our home.For me,that takes courage,Some might mistake it for bragging or boasting but its the soul's transparency that allows people to have a peek.Some soul's beg for an intimacy where masks can be removed, differences celebrated rather than questioned or condemned,where recognition is complete, acceptance total, admiration mutual and both parties complementing instead of the guarded cautiousness we label as "discernment" and tend to hide behind.Not hiding,being truthful with others involves integrity.Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy, in that it regards internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs.Honest hearts produce honest actions but hurting people "hurt" people.Our first parents’ intimacy was easy, natural, and honest because Adam saw his own reflection in her eyes. No secret identities-no lies....When Eve walked through the door it hit him – “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh…” (vs 23) People connect because they see something of themselves mirrored in the other. A covenant was made – “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his own wife…” (vs 24) There would be leaving and cleaving. True friendship can be liberating.

For better or for worse accepts the blemish, the scars, both skills and the lack thereof, morning breath and shifting moods. It tests patience for sure but at the same time allows unrestrained access. Continued friendship is now not a matter of performance but of invitation. I allow you to be you; will you allow me to be me? No judgement and total forgiveness engaged.No one is more vulnerable than the unmasked. There is no oneness without transparency.If life doesn't strip us from all masks and facades then our enemies will do it for us. When trust is broken it can be restored but that takes work and effort.Super Heroes wear masks to conceal identity,to protect themselves and the ones they love from reprisal.Who are what are you protecting today?

Repentance is the deliberate undressing of the soul. It restores wholeness to our life. In this context, inner and outer integrity is the sense of "wholeness" deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency of character. As such, one may judge that others "have integrity" to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold.Our job is to expose our every weakness so we can depose that weakness. The greatest of ministers are those most transparent. Those that are hospitable.Hospitality is a requirement for transparency.“Behold, you desired truth in the inward parts…” (Psalm 51:6) Truth in the inward can't help but flow outward.Its the same with the invited God into our fleshly residence.Most though keep the sign on the door-no trespassing.Until we are comfortable with our own nakedness we will never be able to open up in intimacy with God. I’m not talking about nudity, rather nakedness. There is a huge difference. Jesus hung on the cross exposed for our sins. He held back nothing, could we say, bared all.Jesus the Son of God-Unmasked. So that is how we should come to Him, spilling it out and spelling it out. If only friends and family could be as accepting of the bare facts as our forgiving Lord and if only we could become as vulnerable. Anyway, that is the cry from the inside. It longs to be known on the outside...........Transparent,Real,True,Unmasked......................

Nuff Said,

2 Hospitals,A Lego and an Engagement......

Originally Posted June 18,2008..In celebration of our 3 year anniversary engagement,I am re posting this devotion today!


"The peg driven in so firmly shall be wrenched out and give way, till everything that hung upon it shall come down" Isaiah 22.25

Stormy winds
What is the main Lego that holds the world in place? What holds your life together?.Each having their little house. Isaiah prophesied a day when the master-Lego (peg) would be wrenched loose and once expunged the whole society would drop like ten-thousand cables on a suspension bridge snapping at once.Do you know what is holding your life together today?What are your hopes pinned on? Diana and I had quite a week leading up to the "Official" engagement this past Sunday.What was to be an awesome day could have been disastrous.Our big day arrives and I wake up to stormy weather, get disturbing news that my best man had a heart attack late Saturday night, and on my way to pick Diana up for service,I get a second call that my house maybe burglarized.Oh yeah,and then there's my bloody ear,don't ask..please don't ask.Nothing in our world is stable or sure unless it has a secure foundation. Our master Lego has a nebulous name called God. Some see it as a higher power, morality, Law, perhaps truth but whatever name you give “it”, actually “Him”, we are all aware that there is a central “something” that holds it all together. God certainly held us together while it seemed everything and everyone was falling apart around us last Sunday.

What doesn't make sense
Does anything make sense without God? An atheist has been described as “a man who has no invisible means of support”.We had a wonderful move of the Holy Spirit Sunday at church.An awesome time of fellowship afterward and while on our way to visit Ed in the hospital we get a call that our beautiful little niece Mallory had lodged a Lego up her nose!...again don't ask ,please don't ask! When the going gets rough we need an unseen anchor. No matter what happened Sunday, what made Fathers day special is that our Father God was the center of our fathers day holding us together. If God isn't there, then we have no framework, no star to steer our little boat by, and we are tossed from wave to wave of inane and meaningless existence, with no star, and hence no harbor.Everything else is a house of cards and fallen Lincoln logs.Is everything that hung on your original Lego starting to fall? Your hopes,your dreams? Look at your life today,your relationships and center them with the foundation of the Father's perfect love.

A Rainbow Connection
David asked, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3) Foundations.Our forefathers took the mallet of freedom and drove the Lego of righteousness into its hole and hung the hopes of a new world upon it. Our new world is held together by our Heavenly Father and this is his day! When we get a secure footing on biblical truth and learn to trust, fear, obey and love God; Our Dad's hand will hold our life secure . Rousseau said, “If there is no God we would have to invent one to keep people sane”. Well there is a God and He alone can keep us sane and centered when all else is seemingly crumbling around us. As we fellow shipped and prayed with Ed,(who will be ok by the way) We get the call Mallory and the Lego are no longer symbiotic.Crisis averted! Oh,and no one broke into my house,it was just one of those Romeoville wind's that unlodged the garage door.The ear is fine,again I would appreciate it if you didn't ask! Please don't ask.On Fathers day-Engagement day God proved to be the master Lego himself holding us and everything together.Romans 8.28 with a lemon slice at Chili's.In the end,we had a rainbow connection.Our Father's day ended with sunshine and pizza.He even arranged for Diana and me to get a free Starbucks...............
What a mighty Papa we serve!

Nuff Said,

Just Drop It

“The woman then left her water pot…” (John 4:28)

Ever meet know someone who is constantly living in the past? The kind of person with a rear view mirror mentality.Can't let things drop? Jesus was such an attraction that when people met Him they had to drop what they were doing, they dropped what was in their hands, dropped everything to follow Him. It was impossible to do both. His magnetism was so strong that it summoned all faculties. Earthly concerns were weakened and cancelled out. Peter, Andrew, James and John let their fishing nets drop. “They immediately left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:20). That would include net worth, net gain, net income and all other nets.Our hands have to be free to receive heavenly gifts.

The Samaritan woman let her water pot drop. She had returned empty to Jacob’s well day after day after day. Married five times and living with the sixth she knew how momentary and unsatisfying earthly thrills were. Her bucket was symbolic of her life. She would leave full but return empty. Drugs, booze, pleasure, money, sex, boats,cars,they all are like the water pot. Hebrews says the pleasure of sin is at best “for a season”.Yeah sin can be a blast for a moment,but what happens (cue BB king) "When the thrill is gone'? Jesus offered her “living water” that would be in her “a well springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). She came with a empty bucket but left with the whole well. With new energy, excitement and a new lease on life she let her water pot drop and ran to town proclaiming, “Come see a man that told me all things that I ever did”. If you want to be well, you have to let your past drop.

Another character, Bartimaeus, let his beggar’s garment drop. He didn’t need that identity any longer. “And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus” (Mark 10:50). Elisha did the same when he took his clothes “and tore them into two pieces” (2 Kings 2:12) in preparation to receive Elijah’s mantle of power. To receive the new we must discard the old. We can’t gain the new life while clutching the old life. Let it drop. The disciples had to drop old methods. Before they caught fish, now they would catch men,The Samaritan woman had to drop old habits and living patterns. She had trekked the trail to the well in Sychar same time, same route, same routine, for probably years. It is difficult to drop a bad habit.But we have to let our water pots drop.The things that enslave us,the sin,the weight that does so easily beset us. Try letting go of your coffee pot. That will prove the dominance of daily routine. When circumstance, perceived reality, the cynics and skeptics and even your own self sees you as a blind beggar, you become a blind beggar. The prejudices you hold on to, the fears, the security blankets, nets, water pots and acquired mindsets must be dropped. Pry your fingers loose if you must like the woman at the well: Jesus saw something in her, that made her see something in Him.His living water can’t be embraced with the water pot of the past still in your hand.............

PB-

Excuses

 One of the things I like most about my favorite bible character David was that he never made excuses for his sin rather always owned up to it.

If you have been in the ministry more than a week you hear them all the time. Those lame excuses. One night Diana and I were shopping and I came across the funniest little book. It’s called "Excuses and Lies" Pithy proclamations for the workplace, loved ones, self deceptions and behaving badly. Since I know most of the lies, I thought excuses might give me some insight to the rationalized self deceptions that even some Christians hide behind.
Here are some rather humorous excuses given to teachers...
Dear Teacher,"

My sin is under a doctor’s care and should not take P.E.today, please execute him

Please excuse Lisa for being absent, she was sick and I had her shot

Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating

Dear school: please ekscuse john being absent on Jan, 28, 29,30,31,32 and also 33

Please excuse Roland from P.E.for a few days, yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip

John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face

Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football, he was hurt in the growing part.

 The lord is my strength and he is now my excuse? It’s sickening really that some today are even using God's love and grace as an excuse to SIN. An excuse to live in debauchery, even an excuse to ignore God's own words. God's grace teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, (Titus 2.12) One day all excuses won’t hold water. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.(Romans 1.20)

I have learned over time to put my excuses aside, bury them and never dig them up. There are no excuses to hide behind.What you were created for, is what God also built you for.

After all if God be for us?

A Mouth Full of "F" Words

Luke 15. 11-32
Feeling footloose and frisky, a feather-brained fellow forced his father to fork over his farthings. Fast he flew to foreign fields and frittered his family's fortune, feasting fabulously with floozies and faithless friends. Flooded with flattery he financed a full-fledged fling of "funny foam" and fast food.Fleeced by his fellows in folly, facing famine, and feeling faintly fuzzy, he found himself a feed-flinger in a filthy foreign farmyard.Feeling frail and fairly famished, he fain would have filled his frame with foraged food from the fodder fragments."Fooey," he figured, "my father's flunkies fare far fancier," the frazzled fugitive fumed feverishly, facing the facts. Finally,frustrated from failure and filled with foreboding (but following his feelings) he fled from the filthy foreign farmyard.Faraway, the father focused on the fretful familiar form in the field and flew to him and fondly flung his forearms around the fatigued fugitive.

 Falling at his father's feet, the fugitive floundered forlornly, "Father, I have flunked and fruitlessly forfeited family favor."Finally, the faithful Father, forbidding and forestalling further flinching, frantically flagged the flunkies to fetch forth the finest fatling and fix a feast.Faithfully, the father's first-born was in a fertile field fixing fences while father and fugitive were feeling festive. The foreman felt fantastic as he flashed the fortunate news of a familiar family face that had forsaken fatal foolishness. Forty-four feet from the farmhouse the first-born found a farmhand fixing a fatling.Frowning and finding fault, he found father and fumed, "Floozies and foam from frittered family funds and you fix a feast following the fugitive's folderol"? The first-born's fury flashed, but fussing was futile. The frugal first-born felt it was fitting to feel "favored" for his faithfulness and fidelity to family, father, and farm. In foolhardy-fashion, he faulted the father for failing to furnish a fatling and feast for his friends. His folly was not in feeling fit for feast and fatling for friends; rather his flaw was in his feeling about the fairness of the festival for the found fugitive.His fundamental fallacy was a fixation on favoritism, not forgiveness.Any focus on feeling "favored" will fester and friction will force the frayed facade to fall. 

Frankly, the father felt the frigid first-born's frugality of forgiveness was formidable and frightful. But the father's former faithful fortitude and fearless forbearance to forgive both fugitive and first-born flourishes.The farsighted father figured, "Such fidelity is fine, but what forbids fervent festivity for the fugitive that is found? Unfurl the flags and finery, let fun and frolic freely flow. Former failure is forgotten,folly is forsaken. Forgiveness forms the foundation for future fortune."Four facets of the father's fathomless fondness for faltering fugitives are

1. Forgiveness
2. Forever faithful friendship
3. Fadeless love,
4. A facility for forgetting flaws

Written By Timothy E. Fulop

PB

The Prayer Box

The last few months I have been spending time with various members of our church in prayer.It's been a joy to my soul to hear  the good reports that God has miraculously answered.If you have never been witness to a miracle,I challenge you to begin praying for someone.Prayer is our way of paying God a great compliment and you'll only be a recipient of prayer if you are a participant of prayer.One Sunday after getting an awesome report from a dear lady it jogged my memory back to a time when I put out a prayer box at work.My objective was to try to engage with  my coworkers on a spiritual level,get to know a bit about their lives and religious (if any) backgrounds.I sent a memo to all the office personnel that they could write down prayer requests,drop them in the box-anonymously if need be and then our bible study group would pray over them.I explained to my co workers it didn't matter to me their faith,their church background even their views on God,we would take their requests seriously and every one of them would be prayed over.The requests poured in,one co worker was losing their home,another was dealing with a sick relative,you just never know what that person in the office is going through,you know the one you pass by with a casual superficial hello? One lady had given us a written request for her brother in law.He was having some testing done,the doctors feared the worst,the family hanging on and hoping the test results would be negative but all signs and symptoms were pointing toward cancer.We took this burden before God that Friday night believing God for good things.As I walked into the office the next Monday,Joyce (not her real name) approaching me with a huge smile.Test results negative! God is good.The power of prayer can't be over emphasized and the prayer box is a perfect -non threatening, faith building way to open up spiritual dialog in any environment,after all revival delays when our prayer life decays.
Sure God knows what we need,but why should we keep the anxiety to ourselves? God has answered many prayers for me since that time 5 years ago and each answered prayer is a faith builder.But God can't answer a prayer that has never been prayed.The tragedy in our lives is not unanswered prayer,but prayers that were never prayed..Lets's not shortchange our selves,lest ask in faith,believing that God will hear.

PB-

The 7 Stages of A Marital Cold

A husband’s reactions to his wife’s colds during seven years of marriage

First year: “Sugar dumpling; I’m really worried about my baby girl. You’ve got a bad sniffle, and there’s no telling about these things with all the strep throat going around. I’m putting you in the hospital this afternoon for a general checkup, and a good rest.

Second year: “Listen, darling, I don’t like the sound of that cough, and I’ve called Doc Miller to rush over here. Now you go to bed like a good girl, just for Poppa.”

Third year: “Maybe you better lie down, honey. Nothing like a little rest when you feel lousy. I’ll bring you something. Have we got any canned soup?”

Fourth year: “Now look, dear, be sensible. After you’ve fed the kids, and got the dishes done, and the floor finished, you better lie down.”

Fifth year: “Why don’t you take a couple of aspirin?”

Sixth year: “I wish you’d just gargle or something instead of sitting around barking like a seal all evening.”

Seventh year: “For Pete’s sake, stop sneezing! Are you trying to give me pneumonia?”

The Beginning is Near

 If you have been around church for any period of time,you may   have heard "Jesus is Coming soon" The Rapture could happen any moment" We are living in the last days" and a myriad of other end time warnings.Then again you may not have heard them.When was the last time your Pastor stood up with conviction and passion and said Jesus is coming soon? It seems we've stopped preaching it. For the last 8 years I have yet to hear anyone from the pulpit,in a conference,at a pastor's retreat say we are living in the last days" "Jesus is coming soon" Could it be that we don't believe it? Could it be we really think that "This same Jesus" will not come again in like manner (Acts 1.9) Are we so full of our righteous works that we have become desensitized to the moral decay that is now made it's way and infecting the church itself? Many have given up  simply accepting rather than choosing to fight and defend God's moral laws. Pastors are fearful to preach about hell even seeking to avoid controversial topics but have no problem speaking out on social justice issues .Jesus spoke more about the former than he did the latter; could our social justice motivations like inclusion and equality become the platform for the coming Antichrist and his False Prophet?  Is God allowing the LGBT agenda to separate the wheat from the chaff? I believe we are nearing the beginning.The beginning of sorrows,the continued  persecution of Christianity for taking a stand against Homosexuality the coming moment of no return when the revealed persons of the False Prophet and the beast-The Antichrist are revealed.Is it time to start preaching every human being will stand before the Great White Throne of Judgment and those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire?  (Rev. 20:11-15).Pastors it's past time.Never have we lived as close to the precipice of end time fulfillment.Major religions are anticipating the appearance of their "savior", variously called, "Messiah","the Twelfth Mahdi", "the Fifth Buddha", or "the Tenth Avatar". Within ecumenical circles, there is a growing awareness that one single man might fulfill all these expectations. A one-size-fits-all messiah would bring all the world's religions together.So where is the outpouring of Gods Spirit? How about Instead of another financial seminar to line our pockets,or another church potluck,or the spineless preaching of a user friendly watered down gospel to fill the pews, Lets begin preaching on Paul's warnings that the wrath of God is coming on rebels and sinners (Eph. 5:1-6; Col. 3:1-6). Let's start preaching on the day when Jesus will say to those who are not His, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41) Maybe these sobering words will have their effect and spark a revival within our walls? Pastor's if we don't believe it with passion,then neither will our congregations.The great evangelist,preacher Billy Sunday once said " When may a revival be expected? When the wickedness of the wicked grieves and distresses the Christian" You and I are just not that grieved,are we?  

"In My Opinion"

 Over the past few years Diana and I have enjoyed the CBS show "The Good Wife" The past few seasons it seems to be turning raunchy so we are going to let it go.There is a reoccurring character though that is a lot of fun. Its a Judge, the very funny SNL alum Ana Gasteyer, the" in my opinion judge,” Those of you that have followed the show know the character I'm referring too.Every argument made before her has to be prefaced with the words "In my opinion" While it makes for very clever fiction as well as lighthearted moments in a somewhat serious drama based show,"In my opinion" is a paralleled commentary on how we have so easily replaced God's opinion of sin with the counterfeit opinion of Satan.When we stand before the judgement seat of Christ,we will not be given a right to "our opinion" Lots are willing to  live and die by their opinion,plea bargaining to get their way,even attempting to outsmart the Holy Judge himself with some self absorbed technicality. Renowned Christian Author Michael Brown asks the question in his latest article "Do you think gay activists and their allies would throw in the towel if the Supreme Court ruled against gay "marriage"? Obviously not! Then why should we? Did the pro-life movement throw in the towel after Roe v. Wade in 1973? God forbid" It's these false argument's that totally  disengages with a reverential awe of a holy Creator and Judge, and it is that lack of reverential awe that leads us to our own devices,seeking to justify and rationalize our sin.The fact is we have taken our eyes off of God's justice and wrath, we have become more afraid of conviction,defiantly opposing the one who sits on the bench.We are failing in our selfishness and have no defense in our disregard of truth.On that day when the great ,the small,the strong and weak are summoned and stand before the white throne God will not grant you the appeal of "your opinion" . It's all going to come down to his righteous judgment.Did your opinion of Jesus determine the way you lived? Did you live by the book or did you live by your "opinion of the book"Better seek to get it right now...."In my opinion"......

When the Church Doesn't Like You

A few years ago I had the honor and privilege of being a part of a Church Plant.It was a wonderful experience and I loved being a involved in it.I did a lot of hard work to get the credentials from the denomination that sponsored it.,I wrote papers,attended meetings,read books,spent money,went to counseling,and passed a barrage of psychological tests- all with flying colors I might add.I dug deeper into my soul more than any other time in my life and ministry.In the end I made a few compromises,some of which I'm ashamed of today. 

In March of 2012 I became ill and decided it was time to downsize life a bit.The bad? I'd have to leave the Church plant.The good? I'd get to worship again with my wife.For over 2 years we had not sat together on a church pew with the exception of the Sundays I got to preach,she would visit If she could and vice versa,After it became clear to me I couldn't keep up the grind of "Church in a box" every Sunday,I resigned my position there so that I could devote time to recuperate from my illness.The ugly? In the process of that exodus I was denied the opportunity to re apply for my credentials.This particular denomination has what they refer to as "called and gifted" You have to be called and gifted to a specific church and concurrently that Pastor and Board has to publicly assert your call.Imagine my surprise and heartbreak when the same pastor and virtually the same board that affirmed me 3 years prior ignored my request for renewal.It made my heart glad I had decided to retain my ordination and credentials from another denomination that I've had for 13 years.Nonetheless the disappointment and depression of it all brought up some interesting questions.Who gets to decide who's called to what and gifted in what? It took a lot of forgiveness to remain a part of that church which I still do at the writing of this.I admit there has been times I tied a knot and hung on.But what do you do when the church doesn't like you? When the pastor,who you chose as your mentor,walked with you through the sometimes painful process of almost 3 years passively turns his head? I'm sure Jesus was hurt in a similar way when he went back to his hometown and "could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them".(Mark 6.5) Labeled as the Carpenter's son.(Matthew 13.55) Does that mean The Son of God was powerless somehow? No of course not,I really believe he simply chose not to engage with them.It is crushing to our spirit when the people you have trusted fail to value you,then label you, and refuse to acknowledge you're gifts in the kingdom. Believe me,I know.

So what do you do when the church doesn't  like you? The pastor won't use you?  Do what I did,show up anyway, tithe anyway,pray for other's anyway,participate in mission trips anyway,host small group bible studies anyway,make hospital visits anyway.counsel people anyway,encourage anyway.You preach,you teach,you baptize and you minister anyway,You find a way to use your gifts when you can, in any way possible or necessary.There is plenty of  God's work to be done outside the stained glass windows of structure,so dont' allow it to shackle you.Find the will and God will make a way.Look on the bright-side,it could be worse,they could have nailed you to a cross...........

Mud Wrestling with God

A few years ago I was seeking the Lord about a situation in my life.My life felt out of control,the future uncertain.Over the summer of 2007 I prayed,I fasted,but something wasn't right.It seemed prayers were bouncing off the ceiling and answers weren't coming.One day I broke down completely and desperately before God,in of all places,the shower.I fell on my face and in despair cried out to God,not caring where I was,who heard me,what I had to do that day and lost all recognition of time.After sobbing a river I heard the gentle voice of God respond to my soul,"Why should I answer your prayer when you are not willing to change your life and behavior? That hit me like a ton of bricks and after some soul searching I knew the Lord was right,Like a spoiled child I had expected him to show up on my behalf,answer my prayer and make life right again,but me,I wasn't willing to budge on my selfishness,my insecurities or my secret sins.So I decided to change,I made a conscience decision of my own will to say no to self,to my lightweight spirituality and by the time I dried off and dressed that morning my phone rang and at the other end was  the answer. God had finally answered my prayer.Not that he didn't hear me months before, but I truly had an "Its not you it's me" moment.You see,in me,there was no deep sobriety,no sense of spiritual urgency.We callously think we can get want we want from God without any such commitment on our part,without the slightest thought of how we live,carelessly disregarding the Spirit's conviction giving him the least,while at the same time expecting the best .While it's true God's merciful grace  is extended,there are other times we have to be like Jacob,get into the dirt of our lives and wrestle in the mud with God,allowing him access to the places we have kept closed off.Having the courage to be completely and utterly vulnerable to him.If we do,if we get so desperate for God's blessing that we refuse to let go of him while letting go of us,we will rise up to meet the challenges of a new day,never to walk the same again,with a new name,a new destiny....Transformed.

February FAST

I woke up Friday morning on January 30 with so much on my mind.I felt impressed to fast during February.So I put the challenge out to my friends on my Pastor Batman page to do it with me.When you feel as though things in your life,your body, and ministry are slowing down ,that's's the time to kick it up a notch.So for February I am fasting at least one meal a day-equal to 6 hours per day,Sounds easy,but so far it hasn't been.You see I am also keeping up with 3 new years resolutions I made, Running at least one mile a day,no soft drinks and no Starbucks.I feel there's something inside of us that refuses to be patient with aspects of life,how have we become so spoiled? 7 days in God is showing me speed is not always the issue.Its not how fast you get where you want to be.The wise man wrote  in Ecclesiastes 9:11"The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong" Progress is as much a process just as patience is a process.

There is an art to simply waiting on God.There is a holiness in turning down the volume of life to experience silence,there is a skill and discipline to being patient,there is even a value and power that is found in our weakness.God meets us there in the waiting,silence and discipline,when we slow our pace,we can really find his peace,that is if we apply the brakes...............

Go and PUPPACHINO NO MORE

We love our little dog Scooter,and one of his favorite activities of course is to go for a ride in the car to one of our favorite places, Starbucks for what we have affectionately called a Puppachino.Oh don't worry,it's not coffee,just a little cup of harmless whipped cream,he loves the stuff.Just a few weeks ago  I had Ace in for his yearly checkup and shots I asked the Vet if whipped cream was OK to give to our boys.I had read and heard varying stories,Dogs are lactose intolerant here,it's not a good idea there...So I got it from the horses mouth sort of speak and unequivocally the answer was no.NO MORE PUPPACHINO'S. Although Ace and Scooter are in great health,Diana and I decided to take no chances in risking their well being so we cut them off..It kind of breaks my heart because as a doggy dad I want them to have what they enjoy,but not everything we enjoy is necessarily good for us is it? I think of the heart of God,and how his heart breaks,when he has to say no to us.It's not good for you,I have rules,I want you to be healthy not just happy. "Go and sin no more".It reminded of the verse from Matthew 7.11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? When God says no it's for our good.God promises good things yes,but not everything we like or enjoy is good.God sets up the boundaries for our health and Spiritual longevity,not because he is a cosmic killjoy,It's simply because he truly loves us.

Sticky Note Love

At times when Diana is off on her ministry adventures I find little reminders of her love for me and in the most unlikely places,the fridge,the shower,even in my gym bag.Sticky notes.All though I know she loves me and she assuredly know's I love her its great to be reminded,especially when days are hard,loneliness creeps in and it's just me and the boys.(Ace and Scooter) I look back on my life and I see God's sticky notes of love to me,the times he hung in there with me when I was acting a fool,other times when I clearly rebelled and did my own thing convinced that I deserved more than what God's love could provide.Now that my life is a little more settled and I can see my way clear in Spiritual things the sticky notes of God's love still pop up from time to time and in the most unlikely of places.They remind to be patient,be kind hearted,and at least try to see beyond faults to the needs of the lost.I am filled with gladness of Gods little reminders today,but more so that he became human and posted himself up on a cross so that all could see and know......Maybe with enough reminders,enough sticky notes,it'll sink in someday............