Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-8  Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be open to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be open.

NEVER I repeat NEVER take this scripture out of context.  God is not offering free genie wishes here.  It seems like we are so apt to tell God what we want and expect it to be given.  With that mindset, you will only be discouraged, defeated and done with God. 

Ask; have you ever stopped to think that God already knows your needs.  He already has in His hand what he wants you to have? All you have to do is ask for it.  "Dear LORD, I want to receive what you have for me." 

Seek;  This isn't a game of hide and seek.  Life can be distracting with all the hurts and hardships we face. In the  midst of our trials we tend to quit looking for God because we think He has left us.  The truth is, He is right there with us.  We have just allowed our struggles to blind us.  Seek Him daily, you will find him.

Knock;  God is not home sleeping.  And He certainly isn't hidden behind a closed door.  What He is saying is this; pursue a personal relationship with me.  Come join me, I will let you in.

Robbing Quality from the LORD

Stating the obvious; people desire relationships.  Do not most people want to be liked, acknowledged, recognized and even respected?  We seek relationships at home, at school, work, church, and even more so on social media.  We may even find ourselves justifying our value by the number of so called friends or followers we have.  We count our tweets, re-tweets, favored tweets, likes, re-shares, followers, friends, favored’s, and so on.  We are so focused on quantity and being quantified, that we have neglected quality. 

Society has come to this place where we have robbed relationships of quality.  Without quality, what you have is nothing more than superficial, non-dependable, unreliable, broken connections.   You may think you have gained the world in popularity by counting numbers, but in fact you have robbed your soul of one of its greatest desires.  We want to be connected to others.  Friends will unfriend, followers will quit following, re-tweets will be forgotten, favoreds will be filled away, pretty much all the quantity and quantifying will amount to nothing more than empty shallow meaningless numbers. 

Have you ever been in a crowd and yet still felt totally alone?  I have.  In robbing ourselves and cheating others of quality communication, we have created gatherings of two, three, and even mass multitudes of physical and digital congregations of lonely people.    

Although people will come and go in life, there is one who will never leave you or forsake you, He wants to be your friend forever and He will always favor you.  His name is Jesus.  He desires your friendship, following, favoring, re-tweets, re-shares and so much more.  He gave everything just so He could become a friend of yours.  He desires quality. 

Have you robbed yourself of the greatest relationship this world has ever known?  Have you chosen not to have Jesus Christ as your friend?  Even worse, are you a Christian who is robbing your savior of quality communication? Have you chosen to rob the one who gave it all so that you could follow Him?

This may be a stretch for some, but here it is.  In Matthew chapter 21 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling, He overturned all the tables and ran them all off.   He was angered because the temple was being dishonored for monetary gain.  Right after, Jesus said “My house will be called a house of prayer, and you have turned it into a den of robbers.”  In 1 Corinthians 6:19 we are told that our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit.  Now, if our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit and Jesus himself said in Mathew 21 that His temple is a house of prayer, then are we not robbing Jesus Christ of a quality relationship if we choose not to communicate with Him? 

I cannot help but believe that we are obviously called to a quality relationship with Jesus Christ.  In order to have quality we must communicate and interact intentionally, purposefully, and routinely.   If not, then you are forming nothing more than an empty religious gathering.  Although you may call yourself a Christian, attend church regularly and even share your religion, you will still feel lonely.  Quality, that is what makes it all real.  I challenge you to make your relationship with Christ all about quality each and every day. 

 

 

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

Setting up Stones and Start Leading the Way:

Seated deep along the continental divide in Wyoming in the Medicine Bow National forest there are stone markers.  These stone markers were set by Poppy, my wife’s grandfather.  Poppy owned several acres of untamed wilderness land surrounded by the national forest.  In and around this land you could find ghost towns, old mines, artifacts, rivers, streams, fields of flowers, tall pines, complete solitude, peace, quiet and of course wildlife. 

Up above the land Poppy owed was one of the most beautiful rock and flower laced mountain ridges.  Leading up to that ridge you would find the stone markers that were set up to lead the way.  If you carefully followed these markers, they would lead you to a fresh mountain spring. From this spring bubbles out the sweetest, freshest, most refreshing mountain water I have ever tasted.  Strategically Located by the spring you will find evidence of Thomas Edison’s hunting camp.  Built into the side of a tree is his desk, close by is the horse corral, and between the two you find the stone camp fire. 

Honestly, I do not know for sure if this site really was Thomas Edison’s hunting camp.  I just know that was the story Poppy told us.  It may or may not be true.  I like to think it is, because it was known that Tomas Edison did camp and hunt in that area.  Either way, my point is this; every time we go up to Poppy’s land we always look forward to the hike following his stone markers leading up to one of the most beautiful and breath taking places on earth.  Without Poppy’s stone makers, you would for sure get lost and not find this hidden majestic location.

In the Book of Joshua, Joshua set up 12 stones on the other side of the Jordan River after they had crossed on dry land.  The purpose was to honor the LORD and to leave a lasting memorial for those who would come later.  The memorial was there to tell the story of the journey of how God rescued the Israelites from oppression and led them to the promise land. This is a story of miracles, God’s provisions, and deliverance from bondage.  This story would show the way for those who have not been there before.  A story filled with God markers leading the way to freedom and redemption. 

Is your life filled with rock solid markers?  Are you making a mark in history for your family, friends, neighbors, strangers, or anyone who may follow?  Are the defining moments of your God story set in stone so that others may find the way to the one true King?   If your testimony is hidden in the secret places of your heart, then who will ever be able to follow and find the way?  I challenge you to make some marks, obvious marks that stand out and last.  Set up those so-called stones markers by telling your story, making a lasting impact, and start leading the way.  To God be the glory in my life and the lives that follow.

 

Joshua 4:19-24 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' 22 tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' 23 For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s Love!

Never Been That Way Before

The devotion I am sharing today comes from the book of Joshua.  Specifically from the chapters describing the crossing through the Jordan River.  Keep in mind what the Jordan River represents and how it relates to your life as well.  The Jordan is what separated the Israelites from the Promised Land.  During the time of the crossing, the river was at flood stage.  Simply put, crossing the Jordan River was an impossible task. 

Right now and even in your foreseeable future do you see the impossible?  What is it that you believe is an impossible obstacle in your life that keeps you from moving forward in your faith and even your relationship with God?  For me I see a lot of things.  Financial struggle, medical bills, Huntington’s disease, doubts, fears, and random life circumstances.  For you maybe it is the same things or other things like addictions, anger, broken relationships, etc... Only you know for sure what your Jordan River is.

Just prior to crossing the impossible, Joshua instructed the Israelites to wait.  They were to wait for the Levites to go before them with the Ark of the Covenant and then follow.  Why?  Well because they had never been that way before.  They needed to be led so that that would not stray and go the wrong direction.  They were also instructed to stay back a ways from the ark.  Another way to put it; they needed to keep the ark before them and not pass it up or get ahead of it. 

Have you ever stopped to think and realize that none of us have ever been on the path that God has planned before us?  Sure others have gone before us in the faith and service.  But just like a finger print God has a path, a specific plan, for my life and yours.  It is just as special and unique as your own finger print.  Sure there is a common goal and that is to grow in our faith, make disciples and glorify God through service and worship.  However each one of us has a unique set of gifts and life circumstances. 

If the Israelites did not follow the LORD what would they have done when they reached the Jordan?  I’m sure they would have stopped for sure.  Would they have waited for the floods to recede, turned left, turned right or even turn completely away?  Either way, they would have missed out partially in experiencing God if not completely missing out. 

May I encourage you to face your Jordan River by keeping the LORD before you as you follow Him.  In my walk with Jesus Christ, He has parted many impossible rivers and has faithfully delivered me to the other side. 

I took the picture in 2001 during a flood on the White River in north Arkansas.

 

Joshua 3:3-4 giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it."

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

Jehovah Rapha Will Heal Your Broken Scarred Heart:

Ok, so I was reading out of the book of Deuteronomy today for my quiet time.  In chapter 29 I was reminded of a scar I have.  When I was little I had kidney surgery that left a rather large scar on my abdomen.  Odd place because most scars for kidney surgery are on your side.  Mine however is across my abdomen.   That scar reminds me of the problems I had as a kid, and all that was associated with the kidney problems I had.  I wet my pants day and night, I had surgery, I was bullied because I pee’ed my pants often, and on and on.  I won’t go into details because I have shared all of this in my testimony through status on my blog, Google+, and HOPE for the Hopeless Facebook page.  I will say this, that scar reminds me of a lot of other scars in my life.

Have you ever stopped to think about the scars in your life?  I am not just talking about physical scars.  I am talking about emotional and psychological scars as well.  Scars that maybe you had no control over and maybe scars you brought upon yourself.  Maybe your scars have to do with abuse, mistakes you made, accidents you had, regrets, anger, lies, bitterness, strife, addictions, failures, disasters you may have faced, and the list can go on and on.  Maybe these scars have kept you from trusting God, maybe they have prevented you from experiencing the LORD’s presence, and maybe they have kept you from trusting Jesus Christ.

 I don’t know what your scars have done to you, but I do know some of my scars became calloused and hard.  Many of my scars kept me from trusting the LORD Jesus Christ.  There are scars in my life that left me with pain on a daily basis.  I have physical scars, emotional scars and even psychological scars.  These scars affect my appearance, my mind and my emotional well-being.  Many of them have one thing in common, they hardened my heart.  With a hardened heart, I am kept from experiencing the healing power that the living God the LORD Jehovah Rapha (The Lord is my healer) can offer me.  Through His healing, He has brought me life and set me free from the scars of my heart.

The picture is our DRAMA QUEEN puppy Maddie, she was sick last winter from too much snow exposure. 

 

Deuteronomy 30:6 The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s Love!

The Justification, Sanctification and Glorification of Salvation

 

Are you who you were yesterday, last week, last year…?  Are you still the same person you always have been?  I hope not.  I accepted Christ as Lord and Savior over 20 years ago.  I can honestly say, I am not who I was before I surrendered my life to Christ.  I have changed and changed a lot especially those first couple years as a Christian.  Regretfully I share with you that most of the years that followed I changed very little.  That should not have been.

This morning our pastor preached on Romans 3:11-14.  I was about the sense of urgency we must have as Christians.  Especially as we see signs of the end times approaching.  During the sermon he was sharing about salvation and how it is not a one-time event from our past.  Salvation is a timeless process.  It has a beginning, a process and a future.  The beginning of salvation is when we make the decision accepting Jesus Christ’s offer to be Lord over our lives.  The beginning is when we are justified by Christ’s life, death and resurrection.  The process of salvation is the maturing of our faith as we grow and change to become more like Christ.  The process is called sanctification.  The future of our salvation, well that is when we enter into heaven.  It is the eternal time that will be saved from the trials, hardships, and downfalls of this world.  It is a time of glorification. 

So with salvation being an eternal process and not just some specific point in time, then shouldn’t our transformation be without end as well?  If I am still who I was, then maybe I was never saved to begin with.  The bible teaches that if I am in Christ, then I am no longer who I was; but now someone new.  Salvation requires sacrifice.  The sacrifice Christ made and the sacrifice of your old life so that Christ can make you new! 

I was not until recent years that I truly understood the justification, sanctification and glorification of salvation.  I can honestly say I am not who I was yesterday, last week or even last year.  There is no greater satisfaction than being right on the path of Christ’s sanctification in my life.  I have found no greater joy or pleasure than maturing in Christ. 

The picture is me baptizing one of our youth.

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

I am not ashamed and will not shut up:

It is kind of crazy, but I have been accused of posting too much and being too religious on various social media.  Facebook even threatened to close my FB page, because I was accused of spamming.  I will admit I was posting on walls that ALLOWED public posts.  Many were liberal sights like lil Wayne, Oprah, and some other pages.  Truth is I don't share enough. I wish I could share more, but sadly life and some of its obligations limit my time.  I will say this though, my life and all I do and say is about Christ and the faith I so freely chose to surrender to.  If all I could do is ministry, I would do it.  Why?  Because Jesus is that good, and I can't help but talk about it.  I am not ashamed and I will not shut up.

The picture is me on medical mission in Romania.

Acts 4:20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

God Makes the Implausible Totally Possible

Things, stuff, garbage always happens that place a sense of urgency in your life.  Most of the time is has to do with something out of your control.  Things like tragedies, natural disasters, accidents, illness, disease and such.  When life altering life changing events happen, your perspective on life changes rapidly as well.  All of the sudden there is a sense of urgency, a desire to move and act quickly.  There is that "Oh wow! Now what do I do moment."  Huntington's Chorea disease was one of those things for our family. 

We were just trotting along in life and smelling the roses, when all of the sudden "BAM!" "Your family has Huntington's disease."  Now what are you going to do about it?  Our trotting along became a trap and our roses all became rotten.   This is not just a season or an event that will pass, it is now the rest of our lives. 

A sense of urgency is an understatement.  We wanted to scramble and act fast.  However, that was not possible.  There was absolutely nothing we could or can do about it. It is during this kind of crisis that you actually have two choices.  One is to surrender, suffer and let it takes its course.  The other is to fight like there is no tomorrow. 

We chose to fight.  By fighting, we surrendered our lives to Christ and gave the battle to Him.  In exchange, we were called to fulfill the great commission, reaching the world for Christ.  Reaching the world for Christ always starts in your own life and spreads from there. 

In the spring of 2007, an opportunity came up for a mission trip to Satu Mare, Romania.  My immediate reaction was this: "We can't afford it, there is no possible way."  Carri's initial reaction was, "I am going."  I was the doubter and Carri was the believer. 

While we were out jogging one morning, Carri abruptly stopped and said, "If money had nothing to do with this mission trip, would you go?"  "Of course I would go."  "Who do you feel should go?"  "You, me, and Mackenzie without a doubt should go."  "Then what is the problem?"  "I'll pray about it." "While you are praying about it, I'm going to sign us all up."

May of 2007, Carri, Kenzie (oldest daughter) and I went on our first foreign mission trip to Romania.  The cost was nearly $6,000.  The out of pocket expense for us never amounted to more than a couple hundred dollars.   God said go, we said yes, and He provided the means. 

We are so blessed that we chose to fight and not surrender to Huntington's disease.  God has taken us to places physically and spiritually that Huntington's disease would never have allowed.  What should be implausible, God has made totally possible. 

When God says go somewhere, do not doubt Him.  Why would He tell you to go if He really did not want you there to begin with? 

The picture is the yellow brick road in Satu' Mare, Romania.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

 

Compromising Faith and Ministry is Not Negotiable:

During the spring of 2010, Carri and I had to make a very difficult decision.  This decision had a direct impact on our financial future, the security of our home and our family.  Like most people we made our mistakes and as a result placed ourselves in bondage to debt.  I am not proud of it and wish I knew then what I know now.  Never place yourself in bondage to debt.

The effects of Huntington's disease had taken enough toll on Carri mentally and emotionally, that her job as a nursing instructor had become too much.  We knew that this day was going to come. Our hope is that it would be after our children were grown and graduated. Guess what? It did not wait.  After a season of sincere prayer, Carri and I both agreed that it was time for her to resign the teaching position that she held at the local college.  Carri had been teaching students to become registered nurses for over ten years.

After making the decision that Carri would resign, I began the pursuit for another job.  We both knew that if we were going to survive financially, I was going to have to have a second income.  We also were going to have to find a way to pay off a huge amount of irresponsible debt.  Prior to Carri’s resignation, our household income was pretty much split 50/50.  Yes, we were living check to check.  The scary part of this decision; knowing we were going to lose half of our income.

The first thing we did was cash in Carri's retirement savings.  We saw no other option other than bankruptcy.  Bankruptcy was not an option.  We acquired the debt; we were responsible for paying that debt back.  It was hard closing her retirement account, but it was rewarding at the same time.  Cashing out retirement early does not come without a significant penalty.  We lost about half of the money to penalties, fees and increased taxes.  Our financial advisor advised strongly against cashing in this account.  She understood how great the financial loss would be. In spite of what seemed logical, in our hearts we knew paying off debt was the right thing to do.  We had to take the loss in order to ensure our future.  More importantly the ministry God had given us.  In paying off most of our debt, we had a piece of mind.  A large portion of the debt we owed had been redeemed.

Paying off most of our debt was still not good enough.  It was going to take more than that to manage our mortgage, utilities, and keep food on our table.  I began to working extra with my current employer as an RN and a medic.   Carri accepted a part time job with a Hospice program.  That may seem like more stress, but it has actually become a ministry for Carri.  She can relate to dying and has something more to offer.   At the same time I was also searching for a second job.  It seemed like every opportunity I found had a direct impact on my ability to continue leading youth group on Wednesday nights and Sunday morning bible classes.

Needless to say, I became extremely frustrated.  I knew in my heart God had called me to ministry.  I remember thinking; “If God had called me to ministry then why would He take me out of it because of the need for income?”  He wouldn't.  I began to pray; "Lord you know my needs, and I trust in you to provide.  Committing to a job that involves working on Wednesdays and Sundays in not an option. I refuse to compromise the ministry you have called me to."  Let me tell you, that prayer and vow pretty much eliminated every plausible option I had for a stable income.  There were no other options left.  Yes I became stressed and worried.  I had no idea how I was going to provide for my family.  I was willing to sell all we had in order to make it happen.  However, some things you just can't sell.  Like medical debt.  Over the previous few years and even recent months we had acquired medical debt that weighed a heavy burden on us financially.  Like every other debt, we were going to pay back what we owed and still owe.

I was sincere in my vow that I was not going to compromise the ministry God had called me to.  Even in my sincerity, I also needed a sign. I was hoping for something only God could reveal to me assuring that I was being faithful and doing the right thing.  Randomly one Sunday after church services, our pastor said he needed to talk to me.  I thought for sure he knew the problems we faced and he was going to find a youth pastor to fill my role.  Someone who could be more committed and less strained.  To my surprise he said this "The church affirms your call to ministry and we want to ordain you into the ministry.”  Now that was a sign!  He went on to say; “We also want to hire you part time.  We cannot afford to pay you much, but we feel led to pay you something."  "WOW!" I was thinking, “Are you serious?” Tears poured out of my eyes.  It was so surreal, my mind was questioning; “Did I really just receive the sign I had asked God for?  Yes I did!”

Matthew 6:31-34 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own

Easter Sunday April 4, 2010 I was ordained into the ministry.   It was one of the greatest highlights in my life.  Sure things are tough, but that does not matter.  The investment Carri and I are now making is not in a retirement, it is not in things that will fall apart, waste away or be destroyed.  We are investing in something money cannot buy.  We are committed to investing into people’s lives.

 

 

The picture is me sharing the gospel with some children during a MFUGE mission trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was using an evangicube.  The Boy next to me is playing with it. 

Matthew 6:19-21  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

The Effects of God's Will on His Youth Ministry

After discovering God's will for His people and the church I quickly changed what I was doing. No longer was I trying to entertain teens with games and then sneaking in a quick devotion. I began to incorporate intentional fellowship, encourage meaningful worship, and devotions became sermons focusing on discipleship and evangelism. I also encourage missions work organized and impromptu. When I changed my focus to God's will, everything changed. My brother in faith, Randy, was so right when he advised me; "Do what God says to do."


It takes time and serious prayer applying God's will to youth. It is constantly evolving each and every day. Anyway, the overhead laminate film projector did not seem to matter anymore. It became cool to project the lyrics on a wall with a plastic sheet and play contemporary worship music over the sound system. Instead of sounding like bad karaoke, the youth were singing as to please The Lord. The quick devotions became 20-30 minute sermons. Every week I faithfully pray and seek what God has willed for that weeks sermon.


After several months of the same old routine with 9-12 youth, God began to move. The more I found myself surrendering to His will, the more youth He was drawing in to our youth services. Literally it seemed like overnight that we went from an average attendance of 9-12 to 20-25 teenagers. God was obviously blessing "His" youth ministry in our small town. Most people may think 20-25 teenagers is really not that impressive. Maybe it is not for most towns, but for our town it is. What impresses me the most is the number of youth who continue to come every Wednesday night and worship the Lord in a way that is not the norm for today's youth ministry.


Since May of 2009, God has taken the network of 12 students that I had been blessed to minister to and multiplied it now to an average attendance of 40-50. Through it all, God has truly blessed me by allowing me to network and build relationships with nearly 100 teenagers in our area.


Now forget about the 12, 40, 50, and 100. My real point is not numbers, numbers mean absolutely nothing if all a ministry does is entertain teenagers. What I really want to draw attention to is the faithfulness of the youth to worship in the way God has called us to worship Him. I find it fascinating how God reaches youth and keeps their attention so unconventionally compared to what we think is needed. I have seen teenagers grow spiritually in ways I never imagined. I have also seen students turn from sinful lifestyles that most people would have written off as a lost cause.


When we are within God's will and His plan, He moves. We should never think that our plan is greater than His. We simply do not have in mind the things of God nor could we ever dictate or plan His heart's desire. We simply must come before Him in obedience to His will and submit. We must seek His desire and earnestly serve in such a way as to please Him alone if we are to truly be an ambassador for Christ.

I want to encourage you to apply God's will to your daily life. You will discover blessings beyond measure. I assure you, there is no greater place than to be in the midst of The LORDS will. What I shared in my last post as God's will is this; repentance, following Him, fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions. I certainly have not arrived so to speak and neither has the youth group I have been blessed to minister to. My life and His ministry are constantly and continually evolving and hopefully will continue to do so until The Lord brings me home! I never want to come to the place where I think "I have arrived."


The picture is the most recent I have of the Flippin FBC YOUTH Group! A least some of them from from 2012.


Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.


May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

God's Will for His People and His Church:

As I was seeking God’s will for His church, I did so with extreme sincerity. Over a period of several months, I found myself digging deeper and deeper into God’s word more than ever before. I also found my relationship with Christ maturing exponentially. By exponentially, I mean significantly deeper and with greater sincerity than ever before. The more the relationship grew, the stronger the desire, hunger and thirst I had for Christ became. All the while I was asking the BIG question; “What is God’s will for my life and for His church?” I think most want the answer to that question.


I quickly discovered, God was not about to give me a road map of His will for my life. Like everyone else, wanted a clear concise picture of how I was going to get from point A to point B. I believed if I had a map, so to speak, then I could easily obey God’s will. Sounds simple right? Wrong, spiritual obedience requires faith. Where is faith if life is spelled out by a road map? There is none. Faith is believing in what is not seen.


As I faithfully searched for the answers to my BIG questions, I found certain desires naturally surfacing. They way I worshipped became sincere and so much more than music. Worship was no longer about what pleased me, but how my life and song blessed God. I developed and increasing hunger to know and learn more about the Holy Bible and how it applied to my life. I no longer was satisfied with who and where I was. I wanted to grow and mature in my faith and character. Being around other Christians became more important and necessary to me. Missions work became more important to me and leading others to Christ became a daily passion.


Without becoming all theological, here is what God revealed to me through His word and through His Holy Spirit. Christianity is not about a specific plan or road map. God's will for our lives simply begins with this; repenting from our sinful self in order to follow Him. When Christ comes knocking on the door of your life, He reveals to you the gravity of your sin and the separation it creates between you and Him. If you are sincerely convicted by your sinful life, then you will desire change.


In order to open that so called door, you must repent. Not become perfect and sinless, but turn away from your sinful desires and nature. It is dying to a self directed life and surrendering to a Christ directed life. Paul said it best "I no long live, but Christ lives in me." In this way, your sinful self no longer directs your life, Christ does. Through this, you literally follow Him.


In repenting from sin by dying to self and following God's will by living in Christ; that is when those seemingly natural desires and passions emerged with in me. I am certain it is the work of the Holy Spirit within me. Gods will for our lives is not about a road map, it is about becoming what He has called us to be. As we become more like Christ, then we discover God's direction. At times He may give very precise instructions. Predominantly His will is that we trust Him in fulfilling the great commission in and through us no matter where you are in life. In our homes, at work, at school, during leisure, when ever and where ever God's greatest commission and will for our lives is making disciples (Matthew 28:19)


In short, God's will for our lives is to repent, follow Him, become a part of His body of believers and make disciples. In and through this process certain themes or practices emerge that are God's will for His people and for His Church. Here they are: Fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions.


Ironically, after God revealed to me His desire and will for me and for our youth group, I came across a book called “The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry. Written by Doug Fields.” I purchased the book and began to read it. Initially I expected to find what everyone else was doing. I expected to learn how to entertain teenagers most effectively and get them in through the church doors. To my surprise, God affirmed everything He had already placed upon my heart.


In The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry book, Doug outlines the purpose of the Church in these scriptures:


Matthew 28:19-20 therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.


Matthew 22:37 "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.


Matthew 22:39 Love your neighbor as yourself.


Evangelism, that is what making disciples is all about. We are to go out and reach people for Christ, leading them to salvation through repentance and entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ.


Fellowship, thats the product of baptism. when someone is baptized they are symbolizing the fact that they have given their life to Christ. When you give your life to Christ, you become a part of the family of Christ. As a family, we must fellowship in order to strengthen our relationships and build one another up. We are called to be a body, not divided individuals.


Discipleship, is teaching others how to obey the word of God. It is also learning how to obey the word of God.


Worship, is all about loving The Lord with all your heart, soul and mind. Worship permeates every aspect of our expression. It effects our song, speech, character, obedience, works, discipline, habits, ethics, morals, values....


Missions, is loving your neighbor as yourself. It is about doing things for others. Maybe it's your neighbor next door, or maybe it's your neighbor on the other side of the world. Missions is being the hands, feet, mouth and heart of Jesus in this world.


So what is God's will for my life and for His Church? It certainly is not a road map although there will be times when God will give very specific direction. God's will first and foremost is that we repent and follow Him. Jesus himself said "unless you repent, you to will perish." (Luke 13:3,5) Repeatedly Jesus Christ is quoted throughout the gospels saying "Follow me." In following Him, He certainly wills our lives and His church to be centered around five specific areas. Fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions. Think about how the life of Jesus Christ clearly defined, expressed and set the example for all these areas?

In my personal testimony I experienced, if your life is truly in Christ and you align your life around these areas, you will no longer find yourself searching for the answers to God's will, you will find your life guided in God's will. You no longer are consumed about tomorrow, next week, or next year because you know God will lead guide and direct you each and every moment of each and every day. What I have discovered is that knowing God's will is directly related to the degree of my obedience and dependence on Him.


May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

The Search for the Purposes of Church

During the time I agreed to lead our Wednesday night youth and the day I surrendered to the ministry, I was attempting to mimic other youth pastors and their methods of ministry.  I really had no budget to work with and not much money of my own to invest.  What I did have I spent on trying to make our Wednesday night youth appealing to our local students.  Honestly, that was an epic failure.    God had called me into His ministry not my ministry or the ministry of someone else.  My failure was trying to fulfill and mimic what others were already doing.  I was not seeking what God wanted to be done. 

It is funny how we have it in our heads that God needs all the fancy gadgets and latest technology to reach the lost.  The irony was in what I did have.  The digital projector was broken, I had no laptop, and the youth building was and still is the old church with no pews.  We did have an old pool table, a ping pong table and one basketball goal.  The floors were and still are bare.  The walls are just a plain white with grungy smudges everywhere.   No fancy lights, no fancy décor, no band, and no cool place to just hang out. What we had and still have is the blah boring bare minimum, a scratchy sound system, and an old school plastic sheet projector.  Most youth would walk in and think “really, are you for real!” and walk out.  In spite of all this, we are blessed beyond measure, we really are.  Today we do have a working computer projector and a somewhat working laptop. 

After several weeks of leading the youth, reality set in.  God wanted something different than what I was attempting to create and mimic.  If He really wanted what I was trying to do He would have provided for those needs.  So the big question was; “What was it that God had planned?”

The first night I led youth, there was 9 students in attendance.   Several weeks later there were 12-15.  Obviously something was wrong.  Please do not be mistaken, it’s was not about how many kids you can draw in and entertain.  It is about making an impact in the life of a student for Christ.  If you have a hundred or even a thousand and not one life is reached for Christ, then it is all in vain.  If you only have one and that one life is changed for Christ, then it is all worth every effort you have made. 

One fact I knew for sure was; we had more than one in our community that needed to meet the Lord.  I also realized that what I was doing really wasn’t what The Lord wanted.  The kids I was ministering to were the kids of parents who had been attending our church for years.  They all grew up in the church and they were expected to be a part of the youth group.  Not that this was a bad thing, because it was not.  The problem was our youth ministry was bound by the walls and membership of our church.  God never intended it to be that way. 

I began to pray faithfully, “Lord, what is it that our youth need? How do you want me to lead and minister?”  As I became more faithful in praying and more in tune to listening to God’s voice instead of making sure God heard my voice, I began to hear what He desired.  I began to realize that what God wanted was not entertainment it was church.  I began to see what God’s church looked like.  It had no walls or fancy comfortable interiors.  God’s church was the people.  With that in mind, I began to focus on what we did have and not what I thought we should have.  I no longer sought after the images of other youth groups; I sought after the images of Christ’s church and its purpose.

God began to put things on my heart and my mind of what He wanted.  It seemed like every time I asked He would respond “Church!”  As I would read His word and pray, I began to realize what Church was suppose to look like and what its purposes were.  When we make church what we want it to be and not what God has called it to be it may look attractive and nice on the outside, but in the inside, it is dead.  In my next post I will share what God showed me, and how He confirmed the purposes of His church. 

 

The picture is of a church in Romania.  the inside was absolutely gorgeous.  The outside was surrounded by homeless people with great need. There is something wrong with that. 

Matthew 23:27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

God Does Not Call the Qualified, He Qualifies the Called

I spent the next several months after the youth mission trip to Mobile Alabama debating with God.  He was calling me to youth ministry and I was trying to convince Him that I was the wrong guy.  I promise I had more excuses that Moses’ ever dreamed of having.  At times, I would think to myself; “I can do this.  All I need to do is be more like this youth pastor or that youth pastor.”  I was always looking at the ministries of other pastors trying to figure out how I could mimic their gifts, talents, abilities, and methods.  However, I would always come to the same conclusion; I cannot be that person.  Then I would say to God "see I told you so."

Sunday February 14, 2010 is the day it all came to a head between God and I.  I was sitting in the front pew of the church waiting for the morning services to start.  Everything seemed routine and normal; there was nothing out of the ordinary.  All of the sudden I began to hear in an audible voice "Are you, or are you not going to surrender to ministry?"  I know it was not an audible voice that others could hear, neither was it an audible voice I heard in my own ears.  It was however an audible voice I could hear coming from within my soul.  I cannot explain it, but I just know it was audible and it came from my heart not my head.  I tried to tune the voice out and ignore it, but I could not. 

Worship music started and I began to sing.  The louder I sang the louder the voice inside my soul spoke.  Again I tried ignoring it, but I could not.  My heart began to pound in my chest and my voice began to quiver as I was singing.  It got so bad I could not sing any more.  When I could no longer sing and all I could do was listen, the music began to fade. Then, God said something different.  I heard this; "The answer is either yes or no.  If yes, I will do great things in and through you.  If no, I will be finished with you and I will ask no more."  Immediately tears began to stream from my eyes and I said "yes!" 

After saying "yes!" to God, I walked over to our pastor Brother Steve.  The worship music was still playing but that did not stop me.  I told him I was surrendering my life to ministry.  Brother Steve smiled, patted me on the back and said, "It's about time."  At the end of the service, I went before the church and made my profession of commitment to ministry public.  I never felt so excited about my faith before than like I did that day.  God was not looking at my qualifications all He wanted from me was a simple yes.   Yes meant that I would surrender all my trust upon Him.  He would do the qualifying for His calling on my life. 

The excuses I had were all about me and not about what God could do.  Ministry should never ever be about the pastor or leader; it should always be about God.   God created us in His image and we try to recreate God in our image when we try to justify God by our qualifications.  How sinfully wrong we are in this thought process.  God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.  Therefore any ministry built apart from God’s qualifying abilities is a failed ministry.  May I go as far as saying that any ministry built apart from the qualifications of the living God amount to nothing more than idolatry. 

The picture is CHAGY the Clown ministering and sharing the gospel with some kids in Nicaragua.  If you know anything about clowns, they can act pretty foolish.  CHAGY is one of the most God qualified evangelists I know.  

I Corinthians 1:25-31 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. 26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

Test of Faith and Dependence

February 5, 2008 our faith in trusting The Lord was put to the test. I was at home with a 103 F^o fever feeling horribly sick. The weather that day was warmer than normal for our area of the country.  It was actually pretty nice out all day that is until that night.  I remember the high winds and dark clouds rolling in.  I stepped outside the house and saw what looked like a wall cloud to me.  Then all of the sudden, my work pager went off; "We need immediate help, an imminent tornado has been spotted and headed towards Gassville." I ran to the kitchen, swallowed four ibuprophen and rushed out the door.


I was driving my suburban into the town of Gassville, when all of the sudden debris was flying all around me.  First it was shingles, then pieces of roof, then power lines, then pieces of house walls, and then a couch and other miscellaneous furniture. I had driven right into the path of the tornado.


The test did not come that night in the midst of the tornado; it came a few days later.  Our oldest daughter Kenzie was helping clean up the tornado damage when she accidently stepped on a nail.  At first it didn’t seem like a big deal.  That night I got a prescription for an antibiotic from one of our ER doctors that was on duty. The following day we took her to get a tetanus shot.  To our surprise, her doctor admitted her to the hospital for intravenous antibiotics.


What happened next was very complicated.  So I am going to make it as short as I can.  Kenzie did not get better.  Whatever was going on from the infection caused by the nail in her foot traveled throughout her body.  It started in her right foot, then up her leg, right side, right arm, into her head, down the left arm, left side, left leg and finally her right foot.  She was developing excruciating pain throughout her body, experiencing uncontrolled muscle contractions, loss of motor function and bizarre rashes. Tetanus is what we thought. However after several doctor visits, tests, exams, and studies at numerous hospitals no one could figure out definitively what was wrong.


Since no tests or studies revealed anything abnormal, we were turned away repeatedly by various doctors.  Most had decided that our daughter who was a 4.0+ grade point average high school student was a behavioral problem.  We were even told that she was attention seeking and drug seeking.  As her parents we knew better and her bizarre symptoms just simply were impossible to self induce.  For example, one night she said her legs felt strange.  I pulled the covers off to look and one leg was blue and hot to touch, the other was red and cold to touch.  Those symptoms lasted about 20-30 minutes and resolved on their own.  Frequently, portions of her veins would turn bright red like someone had taken a red marker and traced them.  Like her legs, the vein symptoms would last several minutes and then dissipate by themselves as well. There were numerous other bizarre symptoms, but like I said it was very complicated. 


We eventually ended up in Saint Louis Missouri at the Children’s Hospital.  Finally someone was willing to listen.  A neuro specialist told us, "I have no idea what is going on.  I believe it is a compilation of a few things, but nothing specific that I can identify and treat specifically."  He decided to continue the treatment she was currently on.  He was completely opposed to stopping her medications completely like the previous doctor had suggested we do.  The plan was to continue treatment as prescribed and hope that she would take a turn for the better or something obvious and more definitive might emerge.


Kenzie's condition had continued to worsen significantly.  She missed pretty much the remainder of her school year.  We did not know if she was going to become permanently disabled or even die. Being that Carri and I are both medical professionals, we knew something was horribly wrong.  Sadly for the most part every doctor and specialist we had seen blamed her condition on psychological issues, except for the one specialist in Saint Louis.  By the way, Kenzie graduated high school as the salutatorian of her class and now is a pre-med major in college.


There were so many days and nights that Kenzie would just cry. All she wanted was for someone to believe her and figure out what was wrong.  The best we got was in Saint Louis.  Even there we had no answers.  Kenzie wanted her life back.  Carri and I wanted our daughter back.  It was so hard not having answers and not being able to help our own child.  All we could do was pray and trust the LORD.


I remember telling my daughter on numerous occasions; "God does not need a diagnosis, or even a doctor.  He knows what is wrong and He can choose to heal you if He wants to. We just have to trust that He will be glorified through all of it, and He will use this someday."


After several months, Kenzie was completely healed.  We never did find out what was causing all her pain, disabilities and bizarre symptoms. We do know this; God did not use one doctor to restore her health.  He taught Kenzie some very valuable lessons about depending on Him.  I learned that Kenzie really was His, I was not in control.

 

This was a pretty good test for us.  We could have turned away from God for allowing our child to suffer.  Instead we trusted in Him growing stronger in our faith and developing an even deeper dependence on Him because of it.  Also, I can’t help but realize how much sin is like this bizarre illness.  Sin ravages our body and takes control of our lives.  The bible even says we are dying in our sin.  Nothing in this world can help us and nothing of this world can save us.  The only hope we have is Jesus Christ. 

The picture is of a house damaged by the tornado in Gassville, Arkansas

2 Corinthians 1:9-10  Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, so that we would not trust in ourselves  but in God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from so great a risk of death, and he will deliver us. We have set our hope on him that he will deliver us yet again, 

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

Huntington’s Chorea Disease, True Hope in the Midst of Hopelessness

This story is a little bit long; PLEASE do not let that stop you from reading it.  I promise it is POWERFUL!

Even though our faith had become lukewarm and complacent, life was still going good for us by the world's standards.  In spite of our good life, we were still only going through the religious motions.  I really did not have a healthy dependence on God. There really was not a need for dependence since things were going pretty good, so I thought.  In my mind, I pretty much had things under control by my own power and will. 

I honestly believe that this is the problem with most Christians; life seems good so we forget that we really need God.  Truth is we do not have control as much as we think we do.  Every moment we are one second, one heartbeat, and one breath closer to death.  The strongest Christians I know are the ones who have had their days numbered.  The days are numbered by cancer or some other incurable disease.  It seems when the end of life has become imminent and foreseeable, a sense of urgency arises.  It is then that we have hit rock bottom and realize; we do not have control.  The only hope we have left is God and His mercy.  Family and friends cannot help us, doctors and medicine cannot heal us, and we cannot save ourselves. 

Our family has been given a “hopeless diagnosis.”  My wife Carri and I had been going to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, (HDSA) Center for Excellence in Saint Louis Missouri at Barnes Jewish Hospital.  For three months, we had been traveling to Saint Louis for a series of hospital visits.   Our first visit, we both had to undergo psychological evaluation.  Our second visit we were psychologically evaluated again and blood tests were drawn. It was during our final visit that we were once again psychologically evaluated to determine if we were mentally and emotionally stable enough to receive the results of the blood test.   The doctor and the social worker both agreed that Carri and I were mentally, emotionally and psychologically stable enough to receive the results of Carri’s blood test.

December 19, 2005 we received our “hopeless diagnosis.” Carri tested positive for the genetic disease Huntington's Chorea.  We sat together hand in hand with tears flowing from our eyes as we heard the doctor say, "I am so sorry, Carri is positive for Huntington's disease."  I could not help but notice that both the doctor and our social worker had tears in their eyes as well. 

For Huntington's Chorea, there is no cure, no medicine, and no treatment.  Within this genetic disease itself, there is no hope.  If you have the gene, you will have the disease.  Each of your children stands a 50% risk of carrying the gene as well.  We have four children.  If they have the gene, they will have the disease also.  Statistically two of our four children have Huntington’s disease and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.

You may be asking “What makes Huntington's disease (HD) hopeless?”  It is not just the fact that there is no treatment or cure, it is what the disease does that makes it so bad.  The symptoms of Huntington's are similar to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and psychosis combined.  HD destroys the brains pleasure centers and its positive capabilities such as self-control, happiness, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and such.  The victim is left with anger, rage, depression, hate, frustration, and loss of cognitive abilities, loss of self-control, and all the other negative things you can imagine.  Those ravaged by this disease also lose their ability to physically control their own bodies.  The length of time that it takes from the onset to death can take several years.  That is if suicide or murder does not come first.   Huntington’s disease victims have the highest rates of murder and suicide.  This does not just solely occur with the carriers of the gene, it occurs amongst loved ones as well.  The physical, emotional, and psychological impact is devastating.

As if that is not enough, HD destroys families, marriages, friendships, and jobs.  It ruins anything and everything.  As I said, the victim's brain is robed of everything positive and left with only the negative.  Relationships become hostile and typically fall apart.  Families turn on one another, marriages fail, friends leave, and employers fire.  Most caregivers cannot stand to work with Huntington's patients because of the physical and verbal violence associated with it.  I could go on and on about how bad it is and the numbers of lives that have been destroyed because of it.  I will not.  I hope that what I have said helps you understand how hopeless and grueling of a disease it is.

The first part of our four and a half hour ride home from Saint Louis was in complete silence.  Tears just flowed from both of our eyes.  We both had the thoughts going through our heads about how bleak and hopeless our future had become.  The “good life” did not matter anymore.  I remember thinking “How are we going to deal with and endure what was before us.”  Seriously, we were just given news that was worse than a death sentence.  It was like someone saying "I have bad news and no good news, your lives are about to be destroyed and your suffering is going to last for years.  It is going to affect your marriage, your children, your friends, your job, your neighbors, your finances, and well pretty much everything.  And by the way, there is no hope and there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it, welcome to hell."

The silence finally broke after a couple hours.  Carri and I both agreed God was in control.  We knew we had two choices.  The first choice was to surrender to Huntington's disease letting our lives be destroyed and the other was to surrender it all to God.  I do not remember my exact words, but I know I have said this before, "Huntington's does not have to be a monster, and our God is bigger than this.  If God has allowed it, then He will be glorified through it if we are willing to surrender to Him." 

We could no longer live a lukewarm faith just simply going through the motions of religion being complacent with where we were in our relationship and dependence on God.  It was not going to work, not for this.  We prayed and that day we both made a covenant with God.  Our covenant was this, we surrender our all so that you can be glorified through us, let our lives be the proof and evidence of your love.  Use us to reach others so that they may come to know you as well.  We know that true hopelessness only exists apart from you. 

You see by the world's and by medical standards, our lives are without hope.  There is absolutely nothing anyone, any medicine, or any treatment can do.  Nothing can make any of it better or tolerable.  But by the grace of God, He can.  As I write this story, it has been nearly seven years since Carri was diagnosed with this dreaded disease.  In those years, God has taken us to places we never would have imagined.  I can honestly say that we are blessed because of Huntington’s Chorea disease.  Sure we have our hard times and challenges, but God has magnified Himself in and through us in ways I had never thought possible.  Spiritually, we both have been on fire since that day.  God has given us a passion and a hope that just refuses to burn out.  God has taken our hopeless curse and turned it into a blessing.  He is showing the world who He really is because of it.  In the days to come I will be sharing more about what God has done since that time. 

Please allow God to use us to encourage you, not matter what you are facing.  His HOPE is real and true.  Feel free to message me or even send an email.  Our desire is that we can share with others what God has done for us so that they will find the same living hope we have. 

the picture is Carri sharing her testimony about Huntington's disease in Nicaragua, 2011.

John 9:3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

May My Life Be the Proof and Evidence of Christ’s Love!