Truth – Pastor Dave

We began our “ER” series yesterday. From my vantage point God was in the house in an incredible way. You might say, “That’s a big statement! How do you justify that?” Well, what causes the Lord’s presence to be among us?
The Bible says, “God inhabits the praises of His people.” So our worship attracted Jesus to the service. When Jesus is attracted to a place where people gather there will be change in our lives. Wherever Jesus went He brought change. I know of a couple of people that were healed. I saw some come back to the Lord and say, “I really need to get reconnected with Jesus.” The presence of God will change us. The truth is that we can be anywhere and worship God. We worship with our lifestyle, our conversation, and in the gatherings of believers to glorify the Lord.
Secondly, when you present the WORD of God, Jesus is attracted to that moment. John 17:7 says, “Thy word is truth.” John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” So when we present TRUTH Jesus is there. Now, we presented TRUTH in a different way than just preaching a sermon. But Jesus presented TRUTH through various illustrations. For example, and you can read about this in the gospels. He presented TRUTH in Mark 11, when He cursed the fig tree. Again, in Matthew 18:2-3, Jesus called a child into their midst and said, “except you be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Our presentation yesterday in its simplicity was filled with worship and Truth. And those two elements will attract the presence of the Lord and bring change in peoples lives. I know I was touched and changed yesterday. I challenge you to create a time in your life where worship and Truth (WORD) will change you.

Pastor Dave

Pursuit – Pastor Dave

Yesterday I was thinking about the blessings of God and the goodness of God. Even in what some might see as small things, God’s blessing can be seen. I had been in town and received a phone call that Ayden had been running and ran into the corner of a wall. When I got home, it was obvious he needed to go to the emergency room. Debra and I have been there many times with Faith. I asked Debra to go because if Ayden had said “Papa lets go”, I would have been tempted to take him. So I stayed at home and prayed he wouldn’t have to have stitches. When Rachel returned, Ayden didn’t have to have stitches but the doctor glued the cut on his head! Praise God! That may not seem like much to you, but to me it was another place where God’s goodness is seen.
Now I could have been upset with God and said “Lord, we had such a great service today. Many people were ministered to, so why did you let this happen?” That question can be the difference between seeing how God works and becoming embittered in life. Things happen to all of us. If you allow circumstances that are outside of your control and determine your pursuit of God or your service to God, then you’ll miss the opportunity to view the goodness of God.
The Bible says in Romans 2:4 “Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” If when we were sinners God gave us glimpses and snapshots of His goodness that would draw us to Him, then how much more as we live for Him should we not look for His goodness in every situation.
No matter what your circumstances are today or what you are going through, why not look for God’s goodness in the midst of it all? I promise you if you look for Him, He’ll be found

Pastor Dave

Vital Hours of Prayer – DG

Every year we conduct a 21 day fast. One in which I always anticipate. I have always seen and experienced a move of God like never before through these encounters. However the Lord has laid it heavy on my heart more so than before, how crucial this 21 days fast is.

Friend, we are living in critical times!! Never before has the possibility of seeing the literal fulfillment of the Great Commission been greater. As a result, never before has the spiritual warfare around such a possibility also been more intense. Jesus calls us to live in a perpetual state of being awake, alert, and watching (Luke 12:37). Part of this call is understanding the spiritual nature of the times, in international perspective and local perspective and responding accordingly with vibrant faith, uncompromising righteousness, and a wholehearted commitment to act and partner with God and his church to bring forth His Kingdom purposes among the reached and unreached.

The Bible and church history display the power of the emerging generation of believers in helping to usher in God’s purposes in every era. Around the world today it is no different. God is on the move among the emerging generation of believers, aligning hearts with His own, strengthening their spirits to trust Him, crushing the obstacles and clearing the way, renewing vision and purpose, and saturating them with an ever-growing intensity of love for Jesus.

The enemy, however, is deeply disturbed by this and is using every counterfeit attempt to confuse, disrupt, sidetrack, lie to and deceive, accuse, and rip-off this generation. It is critical that we wage spiritual war now among the emerging generation and recognize what God recognizes – the potential to bring about the fulfillment of the Great Commission and the return of the King for the reward of His glorious sacrifice. This is not a pipe dream, but an absolutely plausible outcome if we will but seek God with wholeheartedness for it.

God is building a prayer movement for the nations among the emerging generation and the emerging church! Its focus is on seeking His face for more abandoned devotion to Jesus and wholehearted commitment to this local church and a  global proclamation in our lifetime. To help propel this focus, Pastor has launched a corporate 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting in January. There is STILL TIME to participate.

God is waiting for a generation of believer who will do whatever it takes to see the gospel planted in today’s most unreached areas by long-term message bearers. I believe, through this fast, ministries are uniquely being positioned for developing deep and mature devotion to Jesus Christ, resulting in cultivating the characteristics necessary for fruitfulness among the church and un-churched today.

Together, connecting in these vital hours of prayer, we will see  revival among the emerging generation that will thrust the supremacy of Christ to the forefront of every ministry and cause multitudes to respond to His supremacy by giving themselves in full surrender to His role for their lives.

Get Connected. Get Involved. This isn’t about a prayer meeting. It’s a about a prayer movement that changes things.

I love you deeply!

Daniel Guerra

Run to Win – Daniel Guerra

In a recent visit with family in the plains of Texas, the Lord revealed himself to me in a unique visitation through a dream. A dream where many were racing through life. As I was awakened in the night, The Lord’s picture to me was about life, and the game life really is about.

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain” (I Cor. 9:24). 

Did you know that if you are a Christian, you are in a race? Imagine being in a race and not knowing it! When this writer turned 40, he realized he was in a race against time, and time was running out! It was time to get serious about life! As Christians, we too are in a race—not against each other, but against time, and time is running out! (Rom. 13:11-14). Its time to get serious about the things of the Lord! 

While the ancient Olympic games were held in Olympia, the Isthmian games were held in Corinth, and so Paul was using an analogy, the details of which these Corinthians understood, but which must be explained to us. For instance, the “prize” they raced for was not Roman citizenship; you had to be a citizen in order to compete in these games. Likewise, Paul is not speaking about racing for heavenly citizenship, for you must be saved in order to compete in this race. Additionally, it is said that participants in the Isthmian games had to be free of all legal entanglements. If a man were guilty of a felony, or even up on charges, he could not compete. Thank God, grace has freed us from all legal entanglements! We are “free from the law,” and cleared of all charges by the blood of Christ! 

At the Olympic or Isthmian level, no runner would even think about taking a step backward during a race, for such a step would take you in a direction opposite of your goal! And so it is when you sin, you take a step backward from your goal, and you are losing ground spiritually! Then too, no runner would think of taking a step sideways, for every runner knows that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Sometimes Christians ask if it’s acceptable for God’s people to watch TV, gamble, or engage in other such marginal activities. While such things are not always wrong, they are often steps sideways, and won’t help you win the race at the eternal level. 

The writer of Hebrews seemed to understand this too. He challenges us to “run with patience the race that is set before us” (12:1), and his advice is to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” Obviously the weights he has in mind are not sins, for he mentions them separately. Doubtless he was thinking of these marginal issues, things that are not steps backward, but things that will weigh you down and make it more difficult for you to run the race successfully. 

This writer was once working as a house painter in an apartment building that had two sidewalks that led to the door. Since trips back and forth to the truck for equipment take time—and time is money—pacing had to be employed to determine which was the shorter route! But in the race in which we are engaged as Christians, time is much more important than money. Thus it behooves each of us to examine our Christian lives and cast aside any extra weight, straighten out the curves, and eliminate all steps backward and sideways. 

When Peter walked on the water through the storm to our Lord, do you think he meandered hither and yon to admire the crashing waves and great ocean swells? Hardly! No doubt the raging sea caused him to set a straight course for the Lord. May the storms that rage in your life cause you to do the same! 

Peter’s experience teaches us another valuable lesson, “for when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid” (Matt. 14:30). In order to see the wind, he must have taken his eyes off the Lord, and the writer of Hebrews tells us that we should always be “looking unto Jesus” (12:2). Runners know they must focus on the goal. Sin and marginal issues are a distraction that cause us to take our eyes off the prize! 

Our Lord is described here in Hebrews 12:2 as “the author and finisher of our faith.” Many race courses are straight lines, and the starting line is different than the finishing line. Obviously, Hebrews 12:2 speaks of the more circular form of race course, where the starting line is the same as the finishing line, for our Lord is the beginning of the Christian life, but He is also the goal! 

But while Christ is our goal, what specifically are we racing for? I’m glad you asked! God doesn’t expect you to engage in a race for an unknown prize. Philippians 3:14 says: ”I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” 

So what is “the prize of the high calling of God”? Well, before we can determine what “the prize of the high calling” is, we must first define “the high calling of God.” Paul speaks here of our high calling as opposed to Israel’s low calling. While believers in Israel were promised an earthly hope, believers today are promised a heavenly hope. Thus Israel’s hope is a low calling only in a geographical sense. 

But what then is “the prize of the high calling”? Again, we find the answer when we compare what we have to what Israel has. The prize of Israel’s low calling was greater opportunity to rule and reign with Christ on earth. The twelve apostles were promised thrones in Christ’s earthly kingdom (Matt. 19:28), and faithful Jews in general will be rewarded with authority over the peoples of the Gentiles (Luke 19:17,19). As the parable in Luke 19 indicates, the extent of their reign will be in direct proportion to the extent of their service. What then is “the prize of the high calling”? Surely it is the extent of our reign with Christ in the heavens, which will be in direct proportion to our faithful service for Him. 

To win this prize, Paul says that he concentrated on “one thing” (Phil. 3:13). Before 1871, D. L. Moody was interested in many things: the YMCA, social issues, Sunday School work, etc. But after the great Chicago fire devastated his city and took many lives, he determined to focus on one thing—evangelism! Similarly, there are many issues that Christians today can be distracted by: politics, protesting abortion and gay rights, etc. But let us, like God Himself, focus on one thing, and work with Him to “have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2:4). 

But after we extend a lifetime of effort in this race, can it be that only “one receiveth the prize” (I Cor. 9:24)? No, Paul offers this by way of contrast to the way participants in the Isthmian games were rewarded. How heartening to read Paul’s words earlier in this epistle, where he speaks of how when “the Lord come…then shall every man have praise of God” (I Cor. 4:5). His words in Chapter 9 are given to encourage us to run as if only one were going to receive the prize, that is, with the same intensity as the Isthmian runners. 

“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible” (I Cor. 9:25). 

Here Paul turns our attention from the racetrack to the Isthmian wrestling arena. We know from Ephesians 6:12 that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” the demons that currently reign in the heavens, fallen angels who aren’t looking forward to members of the Body of Christ taking their place. We must wrestle against the “doctrines of devils” (I Tim. 4:1) that these rulers of darkness teach. We must try to enlighten those whom they would keep in spiritual darkness. 

As we strive, we must remember to be “temperate” or moderate in all things. Pastor Stam’s father was a workaholic city missionary. He died a premature death, and Pastor Stam never forgot this lesson. He tempered his own ministry by occasionally taking time out for his diversions, which included photography, chess, and other interests. 

The Isthmian wrestlers strove for “a corruptible crown,” a leafy laurel that time would corrupt in just a day or two. But we strive for an “incorruptible” crown. Today we often use the word “corruption” to apply to government, when elected officials abuse the public trust. Thank God, when we receive our crowns and begin to rule and reign with Christ, there will never be any corruption in our heavenly government, as there was ages ago when a third of the angels abused God’s trust and corrupted the government in the heavens. 

“I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air” (I Cor. 9:26). 

As we run this race with Paul, there are three things we are not uncertain about. First, we are not uncertain about our salvation, for as we said, we are not competing for heavenly citizenship. Second, we are not uncertain about our rewards. We trust God when He says that every man shall have praise of Him. Lastly, we are not uncertain as to the rules of the game. The rules in professional football have changed over the years, and one thing is certain: if you play by the rules of a previous era, you’ll be penalized! Likewise in the dispensation of grace, if you play by the rules that God gave to Israel, you are certain to be penalized! 

When Paul says “so fight I,” he has switched arenas again, this time to the boxing ring. Boxing is a studied art, but it all boils down to two essentials: hit, and don’t get hit! A hard-hitting boxer who can’t avoid his opponent’s blows will not succeed. But an artful dodger who can’t strike a blow is just as ineffective! As Christian boxers, some chant: “We don’t smoke and we don’t chew, and we don’t run with them that do!”—but they don’t do anything else either! They can dodge Satan’s darts, but can’t land a punch for the Lord. But we also have the opposite type, heavy hitters who are preaching and teaching and have the devil on the ropes, but who never learned to duck, and soon are down for the count, having disgraced their ministry by falling into sin. 

Paul was not “one that beateth the air,” and neither are we! The only time a boxer engaged in beating the air, or “shadowboxing,” was when he was training, and you and I are never without an opponent! Our Berean Bible Institute students may be in training, but as far as God is concerned, they are already engaged in the conflict! 

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (I Cor. 9:27). 

The phrase “keep under” is a peculiar phrase used only one other time in the Bible, and in a way that tells us precisely what Paul means. In II Chronicles 28:10, we read: ”And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you….”

Obviously, when Paul says we should keep under our bodies, he means we should keep them “as bondmen and bondwomen” unto us. Our physical bodies make wonderful servants, but poor masters. We must keep under them lest we find ourselves “a castaway.” 

This doesn’t mean we might lose our salvation. In Romans 11 we read that God “cast away” the people of Israel (v. 1-15), but that didn’t mean that faithful Jews who died in faith lost their hope! It rather means that as a people they were sidelined from competition, because they didn’t follow the rules! 

Paul knew from personal experience what this was like. After he had “preached to others” that we are not under law but under grace, he took a Jewish vow (Acts 21:18-26) that would have ended in an animal sacrifice (v. 26). Rather than let him cast such a dishonorable shadow on the Cross of Christ, God interrupted the vow (v. 27), had him arrested (v. 32) and subsequently imprisoned, cast away or sidelined because he didn’t follow the rules. 

Indeed, it is this unfortunate event in Paul’s life that prompted the passage we are now considering. In I Corinthians 9:20, Paul regretfully admits: 

“And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law; that I might gain them that are under the law.” 

Paul says that he did this “that I might by all means save some” (v. 22). But are we to use all means to reach the lost and teach the untaught? No, we must be careful “lest that by any means” we are too zealous and break the rules! Paul’s words here are not given to encourage us to emulate his methods, but rather as a warning not to follow in his footsteps. He means for us to admire the zeal that motivated his actions, but to temper this zeal with an unwavering determination to play by the rules. 

We know that Paul was willing to give up his rewards and be “accursed from Christ” for his brethren in Israel (Rom. 9:3). This sounds noble, and we are tempted to say, “Amen! You go, Paul!”, and be willing to give up our own rewards for the sake of those about us. But Paul learned the hard way that God doesn’t approve of it, and it doesn’t work anyway! Compromising the rules never accomplishes the goal, it only brings loss of rewards. Thus Paul tells Timothy: 

“And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully” (II Tim. 2:5). 

This passage in II Timothy has yet another tie to our text in I Corinthians 9. The Greek word for “castaway” is the negative form of the word translated “approved” in II Timothy 2:15. Thus, if we don’t rightly divide God’s Rule Book, we will end up a disapproved castaway! Every Isthmian contestant knew he must do more than just follow the rules of his competition, he also knew he must not mix the rules with those of other events. For instance, while it is perfectly all right to punch an opponent in the boxing ring, a runner who slugs a man who is gaining on him will find himself disqualified! It is likewise within the rules for fencers to use a foil, but the boxer who tries to use one is disapproved! In the same way, Christians today must be careful not to mix the rules given to us through the Apostle Paul with the rules given to the people of Israel, or we will end up “ashamed” at the judgment seat of Christ. 

Perhaps you are thinking that you aren’t concerned with obtaining rewards, you would be embarrassed to reign with Christ, you are not the type who wants to rule and reign over anyone or anything. When you get to Heaven, you’ll be content to be “a doorkeeper” in the house of God (Ps. 84:10). If this describes you, you should know that while rewards may not be important to you, they are important to God. God is tired of watching the Academy awards and all of men’s other award shows, and seeing all the wrong people rewarded for all the wrong things! God is eager to see the right people rewarded for all the right things. May God help us to be as eager to be rewarded as He is to reward us! May God help us to get in the game, and live fervently for Him!

Run to Win! You can do it!

I love you deeply.

Dg

Forgiveness – Pastor Dave

I was listening to a young man share his testimony. As I listened, the Lord impressed me again about the power of forgiveness.
Mark 11:22 – 26 is very clear that unforgiveness can become a mountain in our life that hinders our spiritual life. Jesus states in verse 24 that “what we desire, when we pray, believe that we receive them and we shall have them.” There is only one problem in some of the teaching that I’ve heard. If we discount verses 25 & 26 we miss the whole point of what Jesus is saying. That is, if we don’t forgive, then we can’t be forgiven.
In Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus, “How many times do I have to forgive? Seven times?” (Because Jewish law gave Peter the right of retribution often someone had trespasses seven times.) Jesus responds quickly and declares, “Not seven times but seventy times seven.” In other words four hundred and ninety times. Jesus is really saying to stop counting. Because as long as you are counting, you really haven’t forgiven.
This is not an easy thing to do. Forgiveness is not an emotion, it’s a choice a choice that releases us from captivity and brings freedom in our life. Forgiveness causes the “mountains” (or obstacles) in the way of progress and success in our life to be resolved. When we forgive we release God to deal with the person that offended us. Let me remind you that we can not stop offenses from happening in our life. But we can make the decision to forgive and not allow those offenses to control us. Jesus gives an outline in Matthew 18 for dealing with offenses. However, it seems that in the church we’d rather talk to other people about how someone offended us, our unforgiveness and our bitterness than to deal with it.
Many years ago I learned a principle that I call, The Principle of the Last Encounter. If we have a falling out with someone, we only remember that person in the context of the offense. However, years pass and we see that person and only remember the conflict. We may forget that over the years, the other person has changed and we hopefully have changed. It’s important to remember that in the context of relationships offenses and unforgiveness.
Be quick to forgive and I know God’s blessings will be released.

Pastor Dave

Poison – Pastor Liz

“Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

I read this quote last week and it really hit me hard. I even posted it on my facebook status. Because it is SO true! We choose not forgiving someone and we think we’re hurting them. When in all actuality, we are only hurting ourselves. So I did a little research on unforgiveness…

First of all, unforgiveness is a very powerful stronghold that Satan uses to cut and pick away at our heart. A stronghold is a mindset of wrong beliefs where Satan has control because we’ve given in willingly and repeatedly over time. Unforgiveness can lead to broken relationships and can lead to us walking away from God.

There are consequences if we choose to have unforgiveness in our heart:
If we don’t forgive, Satan can take advantage of us.
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 – “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”

You give Satan even a little way in and he’ll end up taking and corrupting your entire heart. He’s out to kill, steal, and destroy and the other way to overcome is with Jesus who came to bring life and righteousness.
If we don’t forgive, bitterness and resentment spreads throughout our body and can lead to a “heart attack.”
Think of your heart relating to your spiritual life. You have a healthy heart as you read your word, dig into prayer, and live a righteous life. On the other hand, when we eat bad food, and don’t care of our bodies, plaque can build up, and this can eventually lead to cardiac arrest or a heart attack. The same way the sin in our life such as unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, etc. can suffocate life out of us. When unforgiveness is a major stronghold in our life because of a conflict we may of had with someone, it causes us to obsess over that person/situation and consume our life.
If we don’t forgive, we don’t prosper and God withholds forgiveness from us.
Matthew 6:14-15 – “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

This is why the act of forgiving is VERY important in our spiritual life. Choose to forgive unconditionally. Don’t wait on your feelings because your feelings take time to heal. Giving it up to God can set you free immediately.

Ephesians 4:31-32 – “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

The last thing I want to say is that forgiveness is not always a one time process. There will be times where the enemy will put thoughts of what happened into your head to bring up the past, but you must choose to get rid of those thoughts and forgive over and over.

Matthew 18:21-22 – “Lord how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to 7 times? Jesus answered, I tell you, not 7 times, but 77 times.”

Now the question is: Who do you need to forgive to allow breakthrough in your life and Satan to lose his stronghold in your heart?
Is it yourself? A family member? A friend? A past relationship?

Are you thankful? – Pastor Liz

Are you even thankful!?

We are a nation of spoiled brats.

We have daily miracles at our fingers tips, and all we can do is complain.

Push a button, and heat comes on. Flip a switch, and you have light. Turn a handle, and hot or cold water gushes forth. Imagine what folks would have thought about this 100 years ago.

For a small fee, people will haul away your garbage, provide you with endless clean water, and assure the continuation of your electricity, telephone and Internet.

Feel like talking to friends or relatives 3,000 miles away? Rather than waiting six months for a letter, you merely press a few buttons and viola – instant communication.

Feel sick? You can visit a doctor who can look inside your body without hurting you. He can use marvelous diagnostic tools to determine what’s wrong. He’s even unlikely to apply leeches to balance your humors. How amazing is that?

Feel hungry? Walk into any football field-sized grocery store and take your pick from tens of thousands of food items. You didn’t have to milk a single cow, grow a single vegetable, or grind a single grain of wheat. Others did that for you.

Feel like going somewhere? You don’t have to hitch up the horses and travel for hours through inclement weather. You can hop in your car or take public transportation.

Feel unsafe? Not to worry, there are thousands of soldiers thanklessly laboring in foreign countries under dangerous circumstances to protect you. This is in addition to all the domestic police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and other emergency personnel whose sole duty it is to protect or take care of you.

We can fly through the air, for crying out loud. For how long has mankind longed to fly? Now we can do it anytime we wish.

When nature calls, we don’t have to trudge outside in subzero weather and freeze our fannies in an outhouse. Nor is our public health endangered from water contaminated by human waste. Only by reading about the horrors of such diseases as cholera or dysentery can we appreciate the freedom from such conditions.

We can know what’s happening on the other side of the planet within seconds. We can purchase consumer goods from any country in the world. Where is our appreciation for these miracles?

We don’t have to fear our children will die of smallpox, the plague, scarlet fever, or malnutrition before they reach maturity. Instead, we can look forward to someday seeing our grandchildren because our children, unlike earlier generations, are likely to make it to adulthood.

Though we are the daily recipients of these and other amazing miracles, what do we do? We complain. We could be suffused in awe and appreciation for all these wonders, but nooooooooooooo. None of this abundance is good enough. We want more, we want better, we want newer. We want the government to give us stuff for free, stuff like health care and housing, food and employment. These are things that earlier generations knew were our own personal responsibility to provide for ourselves.

Instead we prefer to whine and gripe and moan our way to socialism because we’ve become a nation of professional victims.

How about we put things into perspective? If we counted our blessings as often as we carped about our problems, we would be overwhelmed with gratitude. Read that last line again because it’s important!

Sometimes it seems that all we do is complain. Our jobs, our spouse, our kids, our finances, our politicians, the economy, the weather, the traffic, the credit card bills, the car payments, the run in your pantyhose, the ding in your car, the malfunctioning CD player, the long lines at the mall, the waiter who forgot your bread rolls … Stop! Take a deep breath, and count your blessings for once.

In a world plagued by illiteracy, your children can read and write. In a world plagued by people living in cardboard boxes, you live with indoor plumbing. In a world plagued by diseased children running naked through the streets, your kids are warm and well fed and clothed. And yet we gripe when our Internet service is interrupted, when the traffic light turns red, or when we didn’t get the diamond earrings or big-screen TV we “really wanted” for Christmas.

You see where I’m going with this? When we complain, we forget about our blessings. I’m sure anyone who has ever traveled to Bangladesh or the Sudan came home overwhelmed by their good fortune. Or maybe not. Maybe they complained that the high-speed Internet service on the airplane wasn’t fast enough or their luggage was delayed at the baggage carousel.

This is an awesome quote “Everything is amazing right now and nobody’s happy.” We live in an incredible world, and it’s wasted on us. How quickly we have come to think the world owes us something. Why are we no longer falling down in gratitude for our prosperity and relative affluence?

In fact, it’s our prosperity and affluence – and the loss of a strong religious foundation – that’s caused us to forget our blessings. When you raise spoiled brats, they’re unlikely to learn to appreciate simple truths such as moral character, a work ethic and gratitude.

Geez, folks, grow up. Stop acting like spoiled brats. Look around you. Learn to be grateful to God. In this upcoming year of economic uncertainty, make a resolution to stop taking it all for granted.

(from free lance writer, Patrice Lewis’ blog)

Treasure = Heart – Pastor Dave

I had an event take place in my life last Thursday that opened my eyes again to the words of Jesus. In Matthew 6:21, Jesus said, “For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” Whatever you declare is important in your life, the heart will follow. Your heart is not that muscle that beats in your chest and pumps the life flow through your body. But your heart is the seat of your emotions and desires.

Now, almost everyone knows that I take pride in my yard, vehicles, and really everything I have. Not the pride thats resistant to God. But the pride that is a result of some possession that God has blessed you to have. I believe we should take care of, and be good stewards of what God has given us. However, if those possessions begin to rule our life and take priority over family and God, we’re in trouble.

Last Thursday, I was visiting a lady in the nursing home. When I came out, a lady in front of me asked, “Is that your car?” I responded, “Yes it is.” She told me, “Well, someone just backed into it.” My heart sank and my emotions began to run wild. I’m sure she saw the blood drain from my face. because I’ve only had this car since June. As I walked toward my vehicle, I had to purposefully remind myself, “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” On the inside I was telling myself, “Its just a car.” Then I began to talk to the Lord and tell Him, “Lord, You blessed me with this car. And I’m going to use it to do your work and glorify you. Whatever has happened, I’ll be alright.

When I arrived at my vehicle, I looked and couldn’t find any damage at all. Praise God!
The lady that was with me asked, “Aren’t you upset that someone backed into your car and never said anything?” I told her that there was no damage and it’ll be ok.
You see, my point is, with everything happening others will know where your heart and your treasure is.

Remember, with all of God’s blessings and all the possessions God has blessed us with, we really don’t own anything. If you don’t believe that, then think about this. What can you take with you and what do you possess when you die? You only have your relationship with Jesus and your relationships with others. Think about that the next time you get upset about, STUFF.
Lets be good stewards over what God has given us and use those things for God’s kingdom and His GLORY.

Pastor Dave

“I Love You” – Pastor Liz

God wants you to know ONE thing…
I Just Want You To Know That “I Love You”

“No matter what you do, I love you.
No matter where you go, I love you.
You can deny me, walk away from me, spit on me, hang me on a cross.
But I Love You!”

These words hit my heart and I am broken to pieces.
How? How can He love me like that?
I hardly think about Him, I constantly sin against Him, I hurt His heart every day following other loves, but there’s a voice in the back of my head saying He loves me.

Maybe you’re in that place today.
You’re caught up in your life, caught up in the party life, caught up in your story and are pursuing everything but God.
Your life’s dreams, passions, and longings are toward football, automobiles, friends, music, boyfriend/girlfriend, something crazy, knowledge, anything but the one who created you.

But He’s calling out to you right now saying,
“I LOVE YOU! I don’t care where you’ve been. I don’t care how bad you are. I would do anything to spend 5 minutes with you. I’ve been thinking about you all night. I’ve been thinking about you all day and I was hoping that sometime in your busy day you might notice me, the one who is holding your life together. I care for you. I know life is rough and that stuff doesn’t always go your way, but that is just because I want you to see me. I will bring you joy, I will bring you life. I will give you to story you’ve been dreaming of because I LOVE YOU!”

“I saw you the other day. I saw my beloved, my child, with another lover. I saw you pour your heart out to that thing, the thing I created and watch you give up your life. I watched as you gave yourself over to the less wild lovers. I saw you give yourself to those prostitutes of life. I watched them steal your heart, steal your joy, steal your innocence, and my heart burned. It hurt me more than you will ever know to see you chase after something that doesn’t give you the love you deserve. My heart burned to see you waste your life. Tears swelled up in my eyes as I saw you fall away from me because you lost focus. Don’t you remember? Don’t you recall all the things I’ve done for you? I came to the earth for you. I was mocked and humiliated for you. I was persecuted for you. I was whipped for you. I was spit upon for you and I was hung on a cross for you, because I Love You! How could you turn away? I’m right here and I’m waiting for you to return to me. My arms are open and I will give you the love you have sooo longed for. I LOVE YOU and I would do anything for you and in fact I have. It’s now up to you.”

Purpose – Daniel Guerra

Serving in the local church, and as a motivational communicator, I am accused often of being more positive than the norm. Actually, the bubbly, enthusiastic spirit often finds people in question of whether or not I am ever serious. Well, more often than many can see. I have asked myself so many times; have I always been like this? Happy? Hopeful? Bubbly? The answer is no of course, however one day in my prayer time with God, I asked him to help me find a light at the end of my dark tunnel, and this is what I have found – Passionate Purpose.

Friends, living every day with passion and purpose; is important to make life more meaningful, it makes goals more achievable, life more enjoyable. Passion with purpose is the spark and fuel of what drives us as believers to accomplish our God-given set goals. There is the thrill, push, and excitement when we experience the passion to achieve those God-given goals, and the purpose to carry it through. Without passion, you may be able to see where you want to go but you may not necessarily have the motivation to drive you to get to where you want.

When we find purpose through God, we find clear direction. And, where there is passion, it will ignite and fuel the purpose that we have in God. And the key to unlocking the passion is God-purpose. It is literally interlinked. Friends without a clear purpose, we are not directed and we drift away, being more influenced by circumstances, the weather or the state of our economy.

How do we live life with passion and purpose? I believe we need to dig deep into ourselves and find our true purpose. Friends you have to know that you were created here with and for a mission that only you, uniquely you can accomplish. Take time to consider why you are here. Seek your purpose. Talk to Papa for clear direction on why are here, and what you are meant to do.
I love what Elizabeth Kubler-Ross says, “Learn to get in touch with the silence within your self and know that everything in life has a purpose.” Friends we have to realize, that without a true God-given purpose in life, it’s easy to get sidetracked on your life’s journey. It’s easy to wander and drift, accomplishing very little in life for God.

When we find our sense of purpose, we become focused. We are open minded, and we truly have something to live for and our lives become more meaningful. Friends, THERE IS a why for living. Victor Frankl has noted that those who have a reason for living survived even the harshest of life conditions over and above those who didn’t. They are looking beyond the present circumstances to something bigger. Think about that!!

Having a purpose in life need not be profound. Purpose may stem from a talent, a hobby, an experience or a social injustice. Or a plain desire to want to do something, or leave a mark.
Generally speaking, having a purpose is to do something that you love, or you think you can make a difference, positively. There are as many purposes as there are lives on earth.

Your purpose could be building a better life for the poor and hungry, or creating a contraption or a system or a device that will make life easier for those in your community or church. Or you may want to be a certain kind of person to make a difference in the world or in the lives of others. It doesn’t need to be fantastic. It could be simply be, for example, a purpose to be the most understanding, firm and loving mother on earth. Or the most comical yet inspiring leader in your church or community. You can create as many purposes and goals and be passionate about them when you know it will make a positive difference, beyond yourself, knowing that you are truly making God’s name known.

“The men who build the future are those who know that greater things are yet to come, and that they themselves will bring them about. The blazing sun of hope illumines their minds they never stop to doubt. They haven’t time-Author Unknown”

By being involved in something bigger than you, you have no time to be self absorbed in the pettiness and grinds of daily life. They are small and insignificant compared to the purpose in God for which you came to achieve.

Unless you give yourself to some great cause, a purpose beyond yourself, you haven’t really begun to fully live. Having a purpose in life through Christ will give our lives meaning, and will make us feel special and more important, and will give us permission to express our often hidden passions.

Most of us think we have to do exceptional things to find our true God-given purpose. However, It is, strangely, right in front of you. You must be willing to uncover it and discover it for yourself. Papa-God is right here to help us see it.

Friends, think about what you love, what moves you. Think about what you can do to make a difference in this world for Christ. Think about how you will want to be remembered when you leave. Or what you can do to better the situation, or correct a wrong so that others need not undergo the suffering you may have undergone. Think about your talents, what comes easily to you, and how you can make your talents count and be worth it. It could be put to better use, perhaps creating better value for others and perhaps monetizing your talents.

We all have passions and purposes, but a lot of people are afraid of pursuing it. They may feel it to be at a great expense- of their time, their privacy, their enjoyment. It is on the contrary, more fulfilling than living a life of non-passion and non-purpose in God.

It doesn’t have to start big. It all starts one step at a time. For instance, Abraham Lincoln didn’t set out to change the world. He only wanted to do the right thing in a time when the right thing wasn’t easy to discern. Mother Teresa took care of the starving people on the streets of Calcutta , and started in a small way.

If you already have a passion and a purpose for doing something for the good of mankind, and to make our Wonderful Master known, go for it and pursue it right now. Think of the consequence if you could actually see it succeed.

Have a mission, vision and purpose. Persist and succeed. You will be glad you did.

I believe in you & Love you deeply!
Dg

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