"May all who come behind us find us faithful!" Those words ring in my ears today as Senator Ted Kennedy is remembered. I am reminded that despite one's popularity, fame, and even fortune, it is what we leave behind, that speaks the loudest.
Despite what many will say, Senator Ted Kennedy did not leave a positive legacy as it relates to the values and beliefs of a large majority of society. When he entered politics it was as a pro-lifer, however, he was pulled to the other side by fame and fortune.
I am not here to debate about the life of someone. However, it has caused me to reflect on what I am doing now, understanding that this is what will be remembered. There is an album entitled something to the effect of "The line between the two." The meaning is that what really counts is not the day you were born or the day you enter eternity. What really matters is the time that you were alive, (i.e., the line between the two).
May this be an opportunity for you to reflect on the legacy that you will leave behind should Christ tarry. Is what you do each day, impacting the kingdom of God or the kingdom of self? "May all who come behind us find us faithful!"
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
A Beautiful Creation
As I sit and attempt to update this blog, I find myself staring through a window in my study at home admiring God's handiwork. As the breeze blows and the sun shines, I can't help but praise the Lord that of all that He created, He chose to give me life and was willing to give His Son for my redemption.
Let me challenge you that if you have not praised the Lord lately for all that He has done for you and blessed you with, that you do so immediately. Take a few moments and reflect on all that His hands have done. He is amazing!
May the following words from Psalm 150 be the catalyst for you to praise the Lord: "Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!"
May today be a day of praise to the One who is All-powerful, loving and gentle. Praise God for what He has done, who He is, and just because He is!
Let me challenge you that if you have not praised the Lord lately for all that He has done for you and blessed you with, that you do so immediately. Take a few moments and reflect on all that His hands have done. He is amazing!
May the following words from Psalm 150 be the catalyst for you to praise the Lord: "Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!"
May today be a day of praise to the One who is All-powerful, loving and gentle. Praise God for what He has done, who He is, and just because He is!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Sorry, been so long
Greetings from India. Sorry that it has been so long. Things have been really moving since we arrived. I have now taught the 7 Laws of the Teacher twice and preached twice using an interpreter. Today, Thursday, June 25th, we had 5 saved in VBS. PTL!!
The weather is hot, humid and right now it is raining. Hopefully the electricity will come back on before bedtime. That way the fans will keep the air moving.
Thank you for all your prayers. God is clearly working through us and in us while we are here. The group is really working well together. We have two more days of VBS (Friday and Saturday). I will be teaching on Friday and then preaching one time on Sunday.
We are headed toward home on Monday. We will spend a couple of days in Bangkok before we head home. It will be good to see my family and church. Not enough time to share here, but will at a later date. Have a great day!
The weather is hot, humid and right now it is raining. Hopefully the electricity will come back on before bedtime. That way the fans will keep the air moving.
Thank you for all your prayers. God is clearly working through us and in us while we are here. The group is really working well together. We have two more days of VBS (Friday and Saturday). I will be teaching on Friday and then preaching one time on Sunday.
We are headed toward home on Monday. We will spend a couple of days in Bangkok before we head home. It will be good to see my family and church. Not enough time to share here, but will at a later date. Have a great day!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Wow! I'm on my way!
Well, I'm on my way. I am presently in Bangkok, Thailand getting ready tonight to fly to Kolkata,India. The rest of the group is doing well, and we are excited about this opportunity. It is going to be hot, but that is tolerable. Our prayer is that no one gets sick!
It seemed like it would never get here and now, here it is. Thank you to all are praying. Your more of a blessing than you know.
I will do my best to update this blog as often as possible. Will probably not be everyday. Have a great day and God bless!
It seemed like it would never get here and now, here it is. Thank you to all are praying. Your more of a blessing than you know.
I will do my best to update this blog as often as possible. Will probably not be everyday. Have a great day and God bless!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
400 and Counting
As I prepare to go to India I was informed that there are presently at least 400 children signed up for the Vacation Bible School that we will be holding while in India. That's right, 400 children. I am overwhelmed by that number. It will definitely be amazing to see so many children ready to hear the Word of God. A lot of planning has gone into this trip and I believe with all my heart that we will see many of these children come to realize their need of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
I covet your prayers not only for the group as we travel and minister but also for those of our families that will remain at home. Being gone for almost 3 weeks may not seem like a big deal. However, we all know that it is not necessarily the time but the distance.
To my wife I say thank you for your encouragement and support as I participate in this trip. You will constantly be in my thoughts and prayers. To my son, be a great boy for mommy and have a great time in all that you will be doing while I'm gone.
To my church family, pursue Christlikeness and be visionary. I love you all and am honored to be your pastor.
I will update my blog as often as is possible while I'm gone. Please return frequently to read updates. I will also do what I can to post pictures taken on my facebook page. Have a great day and remember: the greatest gift we can give to the Lord is ourselves!
I covet your prayers not only for the group as we travel and minister but also for those of our families that will remain at home. Being gone for almost 3 weeks may not seem like a big deal. However, we all know that it is not necessarily the time but the distance.
To my wife I say thank you for your encouragement and support as I participate in this trip. You will constantly be in my thoughts and prayers. To my son, be a great boy for mommy and have a great time in all that you will be doing while I'm gone.
To my church family, pursue Christlikeness and be visionary. I love you all and am honored to be your pastor.
I will update my blog as often as is possible while I'm gone. Please return frequently to read updates. I will also do what I can to post pictures taken on my facebook page. Have a great day and remember: the greatest gift we can give to the Lord is ourselves!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
A Pastoral Challenge
Over the last several days, I have been bombarded by Scripture as it relates to my role and responsibility as an shepherd to a flock of believers. It is now time for me to begin taking what I have been challenged with and instituting it not only in my personal walk with the Lord but also in my role as a pastor. The influence of the Holy Spirit is crucial to the effectiveness of all that I believe God wants me to do.
There is so much to say, and yet I am still coming to grips with much of it. However, let me say that in the weeks and months to come, I believe that God is leading me to, not necessarily make sweeping changes, but to systematically, in my own life, become in ALL areas what God wants the church to be like.
Ultimately, it must be my goal to become as Christ-like as possible so that I lead not only through the preaching and teaching of God's Word, but also through my personal and public life. Basically, I must strive to be an authentic disciple of Jesus Christ so that others see what is expected of them and that it is possible through Jesus Christ.
Is it going to be easy? NO. Will there be bumps in the road? YES. Yet, when I do it for the Lord, then it will be His strength I am seeking and using, not my own. And that will result in God receiving the glory, not myself.
There is so much to say, and yet I am still coming to grips with much of it. However, let me say that in the weeks and months to come, I believe that God is leading me to, not necessarily make sweeping changes, but to systematically, in my own life, become in ALL areas what God wants the church to be like.
Ultimately, it must be my goal to become as Christ-like as possible so that I lead not only through the preaching and teaching of God's Word, but also through my personal and public life. Basically, I must strive to be an authentic disciple of Jesus Christ so that others see what is expected of them and that it is possible through Jesus Christ.
Is it going to be easy? NO. Will there be bumps in the road? YES. Yet, when I do it for the Lord, then it will be His strength I am seeking and using, not my own. And that will result in God receiving the glory, not myself.
Friday, May 15, 2009
An Encouraging Word
Proverbs 12:25 (NLT) "Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up."
A struggling economy. Hatred. Self-indulgence. War. Poverty. Pain. Depression. Disease. And that is just on the front page of the newspaper! We live in a world consumed by all of this and more. Every day we are surrounded with negativity and a focus on self. Our society is lost and hopeless. To many there seems to be no light at the end of tunnel. The result is that "worry weighs a person down." More people are frustrated, upset, disgusted, tense, stressed, and sick. All because of worry.
What our world needs is Christ. What people in our sphere of influence need is an encouraging word. They need to know that God loves them. They need to know that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). They need to know that in Christ there is hope.
It is time that we as believers start focusing on encouraging. We all enjoy an encouraging word. Several years ago people would stand on a street corner or in a mall with a sign that simply read: "Free Hugs." The goal was to simply give people a hug. Why? Because God created us not to be independent, but to be interdependent. We need each other. We need companionship. We need friendship. And what great group of people can be the encouragers in our society than those who have been encouraged through the grace of God?
Are you an encourager? Do people want to be around you? Practice JOY: Jesus, Others, You! Allow your life to be a source of love, gentleness, kindness and encouragement to those in your circle. Strive to cheer up at least 3 people each day. When that becomes too easy, double it. After awhile, you won't even think about it. It will happen naturally.
Oh, and by the way, let me encourage you today. Psalm 145:18 tells us: "The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth."
A struggling economy. Hatred. Self-indulgence. War. Poverty. Pain. Depression. Disease. And that is just on the front page of the newspaper! We live in a world consumed by all of this and more. Every day we are surrounded with negativity and a focus on self. Our society is lost and hopeless. To many there seems to be no light at the end of tunnel. The result is that "worry weighs a person down." More people are frustrated, upset, disgusted, tense, stressed, and sick. All because of worry.
What our world needs is Christ. What people in our sphere of influence need is an encouraging word. They need to know that God loves them. They need to know that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). They need to know that in Christ there is hope.
It is time that we as believers start focusing on encouraging. We all enjoy an encouraging word. Several years ago people would stand on a street corner or in a mall with a sign that simply read: "Free Hugs." The goal was to simply give people a hug. Why? Because God created us not to be independent, but to be interdependent. We need each other. We need companionship. We need friendship. And what great group of people can be the encouragers in our society than those who have been encouraged through the grace of God?
Are you an encourager? Do people want to be around you? Practice JOY: Jesus, Others, You! Allow your life to be a source of love, gentleness, kindness and encouragement to those in your circle. Strive to cheer up at least 3 people each day. When that becomes too easy, double it. After awhile, you won't even think about it. It will happen naturally.
Oh, and by the way, let me encourage you today. Psalm 145:18 tells us: "The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth."
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