Facedown Worshipper

Daily Caffeination 07/07/08 - From Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.

2008-07-07T06:39:00.002-05:00

When God Seems Distant

"John the Baptist, who was now in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 'Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?' " -Matthew 11:2--3

Have you ever had something happen in your life that caused you to say, "Where is God?" No less than the greatest prophet who ever lived, John the Baptist, faced this struggle.

John had put it all on the line for Jesus Christ. He had baptized Him in the Jordan River. He pointed his own disciples to Jesus, whom he believed was the Messiah. John had clearly pledged his complete loyalty to Jesus.

Yet a strange series of events took place after that. One moment, he was out preaching to the multitudes and baptizing people. The next moment, he was in prison.

The great John the Baptist began to entertain some doubt. So he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, "Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?"

Jesus' disciples and John commonly believed that Jesus would establish His kingdom then and there. But they failed to recognize that before Christ would establish His kingdom, He would first come to suffer and die for the sins of humanity. John misunderstood the prophecies of Scripture, and therefore felt that Jesus was not doing what He was supposed to do.

Sometimes we, too, misunderstand God and His Word when He doesn't do what we think He should do or when He doesn't work as quickly as we would like Him to. But even when we cannot understand God's ways, His methods, or His timing, He still asks us to trust Him. And He is trustworthy.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Finally, In Ft. Lauderdale, FL at 2:00

2008-07-07T00:53:00.002-05:00

Lora and I finally arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl at 2:00 am. We are NOW ready to begin our vacation. After an amazing weekend of preaching four services at National Community Church, once at Ebenezers to an over packed house and three times at Union Station, I was already exhausted and was looking forward to getting to Florida at 7:30 to begin our vacation.

However, after 5 1/2 hour delay at BWI Airport, a 2 1/2 hour plane ride, a 25 minute wait in baggage claim, and a 10 minute cab ride we finally arrived at the Courtyard Marriot in Ft. Lauderdale.

Tomorrow at 1:00 pm, we head out of Miami on a cruise for 4 days with my parents, my brother and sister in law to Key West and Cozumel, Mexico.

Can I just say...Let the vacationing begin???

I am tired and have been awake since 5:30am Sunday morning. Love you all, but good night...

Make Us Doers Message

2008-07-06T06:44:00.004-05:00

Make Us Doers

James 1:19-27

-This weekend, we continue the One Prayer series, One Prayer is based around the question, if you had one prayer for the church at large what would that prayer be?

-Don’t you appreciate this series so far and the prayers that have gone out for the Church…Make Us Prayerful, Make Us One, Make Us Generous, and Make Us Dangerous…all these things are about action and doing.

-As we enter this hybrid weekend at each one of our locations. The one prayer that is on each campus pastor’s heart is that God would Make Us Doers. God has called us to be doers of His Word.

-Let us take a look at our passage for this weekend James 1:19-27. You can also follow along on the screen…

****19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

-In our world and especially in this city and the culture we live in today we are great talkers, poor listeners, and not very good at being doers…how about a little less conversation and a little more action.

-Before we dive into this message, one of the many things that I love about God’s Word is that it is full of doers, men and women of action…individuals who have done great things…as I meditate on Scripture, my prayer is let me be like those people. Let me be a person of action.

-A cliché that rings true…Our actions do need to speak louder than our words. We need to turn down the volume on what we say and amplify our actions.

-Pastor Mark often says,” we are far more educated than our level of obedience. We know what to do, but are we doing it?”

-Watchman Nee, an amazing author, once made a powerful statement. He said, "all knowledge is the outgrowth of obedience; everything else is just information." that is, you can believe the truths taught in the Bible, but they will remain just information until you obey it. Once you obey it, then it becomes knowledge. When it becomes knowledge then it becomes a blessing

-My greatest heroes are those that are doers. Those that I honor and respect the most are people that are proactive with their faith.

-Each weekend here at NCC we have so many people who are doers, I have the honor of serving along side these individuals. Our volunteers who faithfully serve each week, most behind the scenes are my heroes.

-I want to mention one group people in particular that I consider heroes. They are doing In Service ministry each weekend…people like Michael Florence, Kellen Dicken, Tyler and Lydia Lund, Sarah Shapack, Elizabeth Schloesser…lives who are making a difference making an impact by not just hearing God’s Word but they are on the frontlines each week doing it. They are sharing the Good News in a practical way. They inspire me to live out my faith in broader way. In my opinion, they are living out Matthew 6.

-Doers are people who make a difference, they are people who inspire, and they are people who influence…Lord, MAKE ALL US DOERS!

-Here is an observation - I have never heard anyone saying my favorite athlete is the one at home watching the game on TV, or the one playing Madden on Playstation 3. We have the tendency to say the one who is actually out there on the ball field or on the golf course or on the basketball court or on the ice rink are our heroes, the one that are actually in the game, involved and doing it.

-This weekend, I want to challenge and help you to get out of your seat and into God’s story and become doers. I want to encourage you to push back on your excuses.

-I believe each of us are a part of God’s production, we each have a part to play. We hold our own copy of the script and our ears practice the art of listening, we listen to our cues for our turn to speak, our turn to act, and our turn to obey.

-When we step into God’s story and begin to be doers; God’s story becomes more than static history; becomes more than white noise; it becomes living history. God’s story becomes our story, not through unengaged recollecting, but by diving in, by getting plugged in, by getting involved, simply by becoming doers and experiencing God’s Word in action in and through our lives.

-The biggest catalyst of me becoming a “doer” and getting involved in ministry is

****Jeremiah 1:4-9- The Lord gave me this message:

5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.

Before you were born I set you apart

and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

6 “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”

7 The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” 9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,

“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!

****SMy Personal History and Story****

…before we can truly become doers we need get rid of all excuses and doubt and learn to rely on God’s strength, provision, and anointing for us accomplish those this that he has called us to do for His Kingdom

-I do not want one of my regrets to be at the end of my life, that I did not do enough for the Kingdom of God. That I did not do enough…

THIS WEEKEND, LET US LOOK AT SOME ACTION STEPS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE US DOERS…

Doers Pays Attention Through Listening…The Hear God's Word

-We so often when listening we let things go in one ear and out the other

-As we lead by lstening, we must be receptive to and accept God’s Word

- In my opinions some of the best leaders, doers and people of change are great listeners…they might not be the best communicators…but when the rubber meets the road these people are great listeners and people of action.

-I feel that this passage of Scripture was written for husbands, when I say husbands I am really saying me. How often in the middle of a fight, if I just stop and read this passage, the whole trajectory of the argument would change.

-Verse 21 …”to humbly accept the word” means to welcome the word in our lives, to be receptive of His Holy and Powerful word.

-I believe as doers, when we listen we learn, learners are leaders.

-The word "listen" in Greek is the word for "auditor". If you audited a class in college you didn't take it for credit, no tests, no responsibility, no research. You were totally relaxed. You just listened, you didn't have any intention of applying it. We have a lot of auditors in the church. They come to church, walk in, hear the word of God, walk out with no intention of ever being changed.

-We need to practice the art of listening. There might be a reason why God gave us two ears and one mouth. Perhaps, we need to double our listening capacity versus our talking capacity.

*****Another Action Step For Doers…

Doers Puts Action behind What They Hear…by Accepting God's Word

-I believe we need to take responsibility with what we hear and what we know.

-I feel that sometimes we have to be good news before we earn the right to preach the good news.

-United States Air Force did a study and found that we forget 95% of what we hear within 72 hours. This statistic could cause a pastor to go insane if we let it. We spend all week preparing a message to give on the weekend. By Wednesday you've forgotten 95% of what is said unless you've written it down. James says, “Receive God's word with the right attitude, reflect on God's word by reading it, reviewing it, remembering it.” But even that's not enough.

-Too often we hear what needs to be done or what we should do even in the context of our own prayer time that we get calloused to it and we don’t do anything about it.

-We need listen to the call, answer it and take action.

-Doers are a people of action…doers get things done

-Doers, when they hear God’s Word say, I must do something about it, I must act on it.

-As Christ followers we are called to act on what we hear.

-I love this quote by the Hall of Fame NFL coach - Vince Lombardi

“It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever -- the one who recognizes the challenges and does something about it.”

-Two types of sin:

-Sins of Commission

-Sins of Omission – This what happens when don’t do the things we are called to do

-As we live out our faith the perfect law of the grace and love of God it guides what we do and what we say.

-Our faith and actions must work together, we cannot have one without the other

-In verse 23 - James uses an illustration here. God's word is like a mirror. The purpose of a mirror is to evaluate us. We use mirrors to evaluate ourselves. We look in a mirror to assess the damage from the night before. Then we do something about it. What good is a mirror if we don't do anything about what we see? God says a mirror reflects what we're like on the outside. God's word reflects what we're like on the inside.

-I feel like often we get like that with the basic disciplines of our faith, we forget the things like meditating on God’s Word and prayer…

-Here is a question we need to ask ourselves…As Christ followers are we reflecting the same attitude that Christ Himself lived out?

-What are you going to do about what you already know?

- James says it's self-deception when we don't let what we know change us. We think that just gaining content is making us spiritually mature. The test of maturity is not knowledge. The test of maturity is character. A lot of people have great Bible knowledge. I need to practice it, apply it, put it in my life.

-And knowledge increases responsibility. The more we know the more we're accountable for. What am I doing about what I know? Jesus said, "To whom much is given, much is required."

- I don’t believe we can walk away from mirror of God’s Word without be changed and transformed by it.

-I also don’t believe as we can walk away from the mirror of God’s Word without it affecting how we live our life through our actions.

The Final, Action Step For Doers…

Doers Practice the Word…Simply Just DO It

-It is the perfect law of God’s word put into practice that transforms and sets people free.

-It was not until I started living out, practicing God’s Word in my journey that I began to see my life set free and transformed.

-We have a core value here at NCC, “Don’t let what is wrong with you. Keep you from worshipping what is right with God.” I think the same can be said when we practice the Word of God in our life, don’t allow what is wrong with you keep from practicing and doing God’s Word in Your life.

-Until I started to practice and doing God’s Word, I really didn’t have a love people and care for the spiritual needs of others. To be honest, I couldn’t people. Even though I had major issues in my life, I started to understand God’s Word and started to put those things I was meditating on and reading about into practice.

-This is when my attitude and motivation began to change...and I started having a heart for people and to serve them.

-Doers are motivated by love for God and love for others

-The motivating factor for us to be a doer of God’s Word is because we love Him and as Christ follower we have this desire to practice and to live out His Word in our life.

Matthew 22:37-39 – Is a great motivational passage…

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

-If we are motivated by our love for God, we are going to live in such a way that displays that love and pleases Him.

-We will not allow ourselves to be corrupted by world, but instead we will live our lives with Character and integrity.

-Romans 12:1-2 gets at the heart of it by saying… ¹ And so, dear brothers and sisters,^[ I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.^] ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

-Doers live life with intentionality. We are intentionally living out the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22 –

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

-James brings into focus one the fruits mentioned…self control.

We need to have control or a tight rein on our tongue. I think so often this is the hardest thing to have control over.

-The other motivating factor is a love for others and caring for their needs the way we love others is by acting on those needs.

-Matthew 25:34-40 sums what it means to love others and care for their needs…

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. ³⁶ I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

³⁷ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? ³⁹ When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

⁴⁰ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,you were doing it to me!’

- So what are few of the ways you can know that you are Practicing the Word of God you have…

- A controlled mouth.” "If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless."

-A clean mind. "refusing to let the world corrupt you." Spiritual integrity.

-A caring heart. "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress. Social concern, a caring heart.

-James 2:14-18 (THE MESSAGE) - Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department."

Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.

-The practice of our faith is done through our works. We cannot have one without the other. Our Faith is synonymous with practicing and doing God’s Word.

-Personal Story - Growth in my faith and start of my ministry journey began when I didn’t just listen to what God was speaking to me, I stopped making excuses for myself, started doing and practicing God’s Word in my life.

Conclusion -

Make US DOERS!

That is genuine Christianity.

What is James asking of us? He's asking… "What are you going to do about what you already know?"

What are you going to do about it today?

*****Let me ask you, what conversation have you had and done nothing about? What things have you verbalized and haven’t followed through with? What God ideas do you have that you are not doing? Where is God calling you to go and you are not going?****

Practically, what can you do? What is the next step? You can start by serving. Getting involved. You can get plugged into one of our ministries. You can go on a missions trip – Thailand in October.

****What are ways you can become a doer? In your bulletin there is a NEXT STEP card, where you can make some easy practical steps that to become a doer.***

We have several weekend ministry opportunities you can get involved in here at NCC.

Ways you can get involved in Convoy of Hope

· Budget of 150k dollars

· Leadership team needs for Medical, Connections & Food Prep

· Support and Donations from local businesses

· Volunteers for Day of outreach.

****Baptism by the Bay announcement – Following God’s Word and getting Bapitized a next step in being a doer in your faith.****

Don’t pray about it…just do it!

THIS WEEKEND LET THIS BE OUR PRAYER…

Make a difference, make an impact – MAKE US DOERS!

Daily Caffeination 07/04/08- Happy Fourth of July

2008-07-04T12:16:00.002-05:00

From Ordinary to Extraordinary

"The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." -2 Chronicles 16:9

A conversation took place many years ago between D. L. Moody, before he became the great evangelist, and another man. The man said to Moody, "You know, the world has yet to see what God can do with and through the man who is totally committed to Him."

Those words went deep into Moody's heart, and he prayed, "Lord, I want to be that man." He sure came close.

The Book of Acts is a story of ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things because they allowed God to have His way in their lives. In the same way, God wants to use you to turn your world upside down for Christ.

It starts with you saying, "Lord, I want to make a difference. I don't want this world to turn me around. I want to turn it around. Use me."

The world has yet to see what God can do with and through the man or woman who is totally committed to Him. Will God find such people today? I wonder if you would say, like Moody, "I want to be that person."

If you will, then your life can make a difference. It will be exciting in the days ahead to see what God will do through and with you. But He wants you to be available to Him.

One of these days, your life will come to an end. What will you say of your life? What will others say?

How great it would be to say, like Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful" (2 Timothy 4:7).

What will you say?

Daily Caffeination 07/03/08

2008-07-03T16:53:00.002-05:00

Unwavering Faith

"And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!" -2 Timothy 4:18

One of the things that amazes me about the apostle Paul is how he always seemed to rise to the top of every situation and seized every opportunity to preach the gospel.

We read in the Book Acts that when Paul and Silas were thrown in prison, they began to sing praises to God at midnight. An earthquake struck, the walls fell, and the next thing you know, the very jailer who was responsible for chaining them up and whipping them asked, "What must I do to be saved?"

Then, when Paul was brought before the various dignitaries of Rome, he became master of every situation. For example, when he was before Felix, he reasoned with him regarding righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. When he stood before Festus and Herod Agrippa II, he said, "Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?" He posed the question to Herod Agrippa II, "Do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe." He was a prisoner on a ship, and in a short time, the crew, the captain, the soldiers, and the Roman centurion were taking orders from Paul---and everyone was listening to him!

Paul was bold. He didn't seem to be afraid of anything. He never seemed to get down. His life wasn't always easy. In fact, it was very difficult. But the words he penned to the believers at Philippi seemed to always hold true: "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content" (Philippians 4:11).

He was fully convinced of the faithfulness of God and was sustained by that conviction.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Amazed by the Beauty of God's Artwork

2008-07-03T13:22:00.003-05:00

I absolutely love this picture. Pastor Mark posted this on his blog...what an amazing work God's creativity. Awesome!!! This has to be one of my favorite pictures...

Daily Caffeination 07/02/08

2008-07-02T19:52:00.002-05:00

Never Alone

"For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, 'Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you. ' " Acts 27:23-24

Time and time again, God reminded Paul of His presence, no doubt when he needed it the most. God knows what we need, and He knows when we need it.

He knew when Paul could use that extra assurance. When he was in that prison cell in Jerusalem, the Lord appeared to him and told him to be courageous (see Acts 23:11). Then from prison in Rome, he wrote to Timothy, "But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength . . ." (2 Timothy 4:16).

In some special way, God reassured Paul of His presence. Acts 27 tells us that the Lord sent an angel to reassure him.

You can take heart in the face of danger or uncertainty because of your awareness of God's presence with you. When your heart sinks, when it seems as though your life falling apart, you must remember the Lord is there with you.

You are not alone. No, there are not always easy answers. But we can be sure of this: He will be with us through the storm.

God was standing by Paul's side, and God is with us in our storms as well. He may not necessarily send an angel. We may not necessarily hear an audible voice. But if we pay attention, we can hear the still, small voice of God. And certainly, He will speak to us through His Word.

Then we, like Paul, can reassure others that the Lord is in control.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

This Weekend...

2008-07-01T20:07:00.002-05:00

I just want to say how much I am looking forward to this weekend. Not because of Fourth of July in the Nation's Capitol. I am looking forward to this weekend because I have the honor and opportunity to preach this weekend at NCC at the Ebenezers and Union Station locations. That is correct, I get to preach four times in one weekend. I am super excited.

The four Campus Pastors will be preaching at each of our locations. We will continue the One Prayer series with an unified heart and prayer...Make Us Doers. I will post my message notes on Sunday after I preach.

Then after having the honor of preaching, Sunday afternoon Lora and I get on a plane and head down to Ft. Lauderdale and then head to ship for a four day cruise with my parents and brother and sister in law to Key West and Cozumel. I will also be taking a blogging break next week as well. I will try to take this time to totally unwind and recharge for the second half of 2008, which will include our new little baby boy.

Expecting a great weekend.

Daily Caffeination 07/01/08 - 1st Day of July...WOW!

2008-07-01T20:02:00.001-05:00

Through the Storm

"So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.' " -Acts 27:25

Sometimes we may think that when we're in the will of God, it will be smooth sailing. But many times it is just the opposite. Doors slam in our faces. Obstacles appear in our paths and storms arise that threaten to drive us off course.

That is why we need to remember there is a devil who wants to stop us from doing what God wants us to do.

As the apostle Paul was on his way to do the will of God, he hit some tough times. An incredible storm arose that caused the people in his boat to despair of their lives. But there was no obstacle big enough to stop Paul. He always seemed to rise above his circumstances.

As he went through the storm, he knew God had shown him what to do, and he would let nothing deter him from that course.

When a hard time hits, when a crisis hits, when a tragedy hits, we often want out. We ask God for an airlift out of our problems.

But many times, God wants us to learn in the midst of them. Romans 8:35--37 says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (NIV). Notice the phrase, "in all these things." It isn't saying we won't face some of these things. But it says that in them we are more than conquerors.

If you are seeking to obey the Lord, expect opposition. Expect obstacles. Expect difficulties. But also expect God to see you through.

Daily Caffeination 06/30/08

2008-06-30T09:38:00.002-05:00

Wanted: New Believers

"And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." -Acts 2:47

I love new believers. They are the lifeblood of the church.

When I have the privilege of speaking to other pastors, I tell them that if they don't have a constant flow of new believers coming into their congregations, they will become spiritually dead. We can either evangelize or fossilize.

Show me a church in which new believers are not coming in, and I'll show you a church that is stagnating. Show me a church that has new believers coming in on a regular basis, and I'll show you a church that has vibrancy and life.

That said, new believers need older believers to stabilize them. New believers' hearts are full of zeal, but they don't understand the ground rules yet. They need older believers to teach them.

Older believers also need new believers. They need their zeal. They need their passion. They need their excitement to remind them of what they have forgotten.

Sadly, it is usually the new believers who want to do the most when they know the least. When we ask people to help out with something at Harvest Christian Fellowship, we often have new believers who come and say they want to help: "I will do whatever you need. I would like to sign up for six ministries."

While we are very appreciative of their willingness to serve, we want them to have a good foundation first, so they can be properly trained and equipped to do what God has called them to do.

On the other hand, there are older believers who have known the Lord for years, maybe even decades, who don't give a passing thought to helping out at church. It should be just the opposite.

Daily Caffeination 06/27/08

2008-06-27T11:34:00.002-05:00

Contemplating the Cross

"How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!" 1 Corinthians 15:57

I heard about a man who was trying to start his own religion, but it wasn't going very well so far. He decided to approach the French statesman, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, and ask him what he should do to gain converts. The statesman told him, "I recommend that you get yourself crucified, die, and then rise again on the third day."

Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection on the third day is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. It is what sets our faith as Christians apart from the faith of all others.

Many view Christ's crucifixion as a rude interruption of what was an otherwise successful ministry. But the cross was at the forefront of the mind of Jesus Christ from the very beginning. This is where He knew He was headed, and He spoke of it often.

The Bible even tells us that before He even came to this earth, a decision was made that He would ultimately go to the cross. Scripture calls Him "the Lamb who was killed before the world was made" (Revelation 13:8).

It was at the cross that the righteous demands of God were satisfied. It was at the cross that God and humanity were reconciled once again. It was at the cross that a decisive blow was dealt against Satan and his minions. It was at the cross that our very salvation was purchased.

Therefore, we cannot talk about the cross too much or contemplate it too often.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Prayers Of God's Promise for Torin Christopher - Day 7

2008-06-26T12:22:00.002-05:00

Psalm 91:11 - For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

Lord, we indeed pray that you will command the angels to guard our little angel Torin. Guard him in all of his ways as seeks and lives out his faith and he walks according to You will and plan for his life. Thank you for you care over our son. In Your Most Precious Name, the Name above all names we pray. Amen

Daily Caffeination 06/26/08

2008-06-26T05:48:00.002-05:00

By Faith

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." -2 Corinthians 5:7

It is no coincidence that the phrase, "walk by faith," is used in Scripture. Notice that Scripture doesn't tell us to sprint by faith; it tells us to walk by faith. To walk speaks of continual, regulated motion. The Bible says Enoch walked with God.

Many believers have their bursts of energy. For a few months, they run. Then they collapse for a while. They need to learn what it is to walk with God.

Of course, we like things fast. We have microwave dinners, e-mail, cell phones, and instant messaging. We have so much technology to make our lives a little easier and, most importantly, faster.

Then, when we come to the Christian life, we say, "All right, what's the angle? What's the shortcut?" Here it is: "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17). It's a day-by-day process.

We are always looking for the angle, for the inside track. But it's very simple. The Bible declares that the just shall live by faith. Not by feeling. Not by emotion. Not by fear. Not by worries. By faith.

I know that sometimes it seems like nothing is happening in terms of our spiritual growth. There are times when we don't really feel like we are changing, because as we look at ourselves every day, we don't necessarily see any changes. But as we are walking by faith day by day, month by month, and year by year, we are being transformed.

Colossians 2:6 tells us, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."

That's it. The just shall live by faith.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Prayers Of God's Promise for Torin Christopher - Day 6

2008-06-25T08:20:00.000-05:00

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Dear Lord, we continue to give You praise for our little boy. It is our hope that Torin Christopher would exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in his life. We pray that he would love others like You love him. He ask that he would experience such a great joy in his that only You can provide for him. We pray that he would live a life of peace that transcends all understanding. We pray he can live out his life with longsuffering. We pray that Torin would live his life with such gentleness. Lord, as Torin experiences Your goodness, I pray he would share that goodness with others. We ask that Torin would live a life of faith. We ask that Torin would be meek in spirit and attitude. Help our little guy have a life full of temperance. We pray these fruits over Torin's life because we know against such things there is no law. In Your Precious Name Jesus we pray, Amen.

Daily Caffeination 06/25/08

2008-06-25T07:44:00.002-05:00

Striking at the Root

"For I decided to concentrate only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross." -1 Corinthians 2:2

Over the years, I have received many letters inviting me to get involved with a certain cause or to join a boycott or a march. I admire people who get out there and want to stand up for what is right, and I think that we as Christians need to make our presence known in this culture and society.

But I personally have chosen to strike at the root of the problem, which is sin. I have chosen to seek to help this society by preaching the gospel, because I have found that a change in one's lifestyle does not bring about salvation. But true salvation will always bring about a change in one's lifestyle.

When the apostle Paul went to Rome, there were many social ills that he could have addressed. Instead, he chose to strike at the root of the problem.

Rome was a city filled with slaves, yet Paul would not center his preaching on slavery. Rome was a city of rampant immorality, but Paul's message did not center on moral reform. Rome was a city of financial corruption, but Paul would not center his preaching on the problems of the day.

His message was simple. He struck at the root. He gave them the gospel.

I can work to bring reform and morality to my culture and society. I can even work to help get laws passed that would slow down the spread of sin and corruption.

But if I can lead others to Christ, then their morals and their lifestyles will ultimately change. Not only will they have the hope of heaven, but they will also be different people in our society and culture.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Cornhole Feeds my Competive Fire

2008-06-24T11:01:00.002-05:00

I have recently become an active competitor of the game cornhole. Simply put I love the sport of cornhole, very intense and draining on the the physical body and the mind. I put a lot of mental preparation into becoming the best cornhole player that I can be. I have also gotten back in the gym as of late to train physically. I will never back down from any competition and I will always bring my "A" game.

Now there is a Mockumentry for the sport that I am involved in. With the sport becoming so big I am just worried about the potential of steroid and HGH abuse from those players who are going try to get an edge in this game.

Check out Cornhole - The Movie

Prayers Of God's Promise for Torin Christopher - Day 5

2008-06-24T08:37:00.003-05:00

Psalm 32:7 - For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.

Lord, we lift up Torin Christopher to you, it is our prayer for our precious son that he would make You his hiding place. That he would find safety and protection in your presence. We pray Lord, Your promise that You would surround him with songs of victory, as he find safety in You. Lord, protect Him from all trouble even now we pray in Your holy and most awesome name. Amen

Daily Caffeination 06/24/08

2008-06-24T08:20:00.001-05:00

People Reaching People

"Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news--the Good News about Christ." -Romans 10:17

It is worth noting that no person in the New Testament came to faith apart from the agency of a human being. Have you ever stopped and thought about that? We can find example after example.

There was the Ethiopian (see Acts 8:26-39). There are many ways that God could have reached this man from a distant country. He could have sent an angel to meet him. Instead, the Lord sent an angel to Philip and told him to go. So Philip went and proclaimed the gospel to that man, and he believed.

Then there was the Philippian jailer (see Acts 16:27--34). God could have reached him in many ways. Instead, He allowed Paul and Silas to be incarcerated and to ultimately proclaim the gospel, bringing that man and his family to faith.

We can think of Cornelius, a man who was searching for God (see Acts 10). An angel spoke to him and told him he needed to meet a man named Simon Peter. The angel explained where to find him. The angel could have given him the gospel. But God chose to use Simon Peter.

What about Saul? While it is true that he was converted through an encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road, his conversion was sandwiched between experiences with two people who influenced him. First, it was the witness of Stephen that softened Saul's heart and made it receptive to the seed of the Word when he was confronted by Jesus Christ. Afterward, God sent Ananias to follow up on Saul and pray for him to receive the power of the Holy Spirit.

So you see, God used people. And He wants to use you.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Prayers Of God's Promise for Torin Christopher - Day 1

2008-06-20T14:37:00.005-05:00

I am going to use my blog to pray God's Word, His promises for our son Torin Christopher. I know I will not be a perfect father, but I do know God's Word is perfect and all of God's promises are yes and amen, For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory - 2 Corinthians 1:20.

Each day, Lora and I as we do our devotion time together we will specifically pray the power of God's Word over our little boy. It is my hope that when Torin gets older he can look at the prayers that his mother and I prayed for him and it would be a marker of his spiritual heritage. I also hope that each of you would stand with us in agreement with these prayers that we are praying from our hearts, "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19-20.

Prayer
Psalm 116:6-I will guard those who have a childlike heart.
Lord, we pray this promise over Torin. We pray that Torin will have a childlike heart even as grows older, that he would keep his innocence and stay pure before you. As Torin, keeps this childlike heart, Lord we pray that you would guard and protect him from the things that enemy would try do to destroy his life. We thank you oh God that you will guard our son as He keeps a childlike heart according to Your promise in Your Word. We thank you Lord for this precious promise. Through the power and the authority of You Holy Word and the power of Your name, Amen.