EPIC

My Jesus Has Dazzled Me

2011-03-11T08:36:00.003-05:00

"My Jesus has dazzled me." These were words spoken by one of those baptized at Harvest Bible Chapel, West Olive this past Sunday. All 10 of the baptized gave great testimony of the magnificent work of the Gospel in their lives. I loved it...and my Jesus dazzled me through their stories.

How has Jesus dazzled you? Have you seen it? Maybe there is a bigger question for you to answer...do you CARE to be dazzled by Jesus or are you doing just fine dazzling yourself? Well I, no the Lord, has a Word for you. And it is Psalm 104. Take a moment and read this EPIC Psalm and be dazzled by the greatness of our God!

What Do You Want?

2011-03-04T15:51:00.003-05:00

In Matthew chapter 20, beginning at verse 20, we see a mother with her two sons approaching Jesus, and as the mother kneels before Him, Jesus presents her with a question for the ages. He asks, "what do you want?" And with great boldness, she responds by telling (not asking) Jesus to make a couple of "Kingdom Reservations." Kingdom Reservations...the seats to the right and to the left of Jesus. One for John and the other for James.

I have been wrestling with Jesus' question for the past couple of weeks and have been wondering what my response would have been. What would yours be? And what would your response reveal about who you are?

I hope you wrestle with this question as well. "What do you Want?" To serve or to be served...

2010-08-11T09:16:00.003-04:00

Charles Spurgeon once said, "In contemplating Christ, there is a balm for every wound; in musing on the Father, there is a quietus for every grief; and in the influence of the Holy Ghost, there is a balsam for every sore. Would you lose your sorrow? Would you drown your cares? Then go, plunge yourself in the Godhead's deepest sea; be lost in His immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated."

Wow, what a perspective from a 20 year old pastor! What about you? Can you claim the same or are your contemplations and musings fixed on your wounds and your sorrows?

Words of Wisdom

2010-08-04T14:48:00.004-04:00

August 2 was the tenth anniversary of Andrea's (my late wife) death. And today, I was catching up a bit with her mother. This is what she said: "This path I would never have chosen. And 10 years of His grace experienced, I would never change." I praise God today for His abounding grace and infinite wisdom.

Overjoyed

2010-08-03T13:43:00.004-04:00

There are many things in life that possess the ability to make me happy. There are, however, very few things that bring me joy. I just received information regarding a friend I haven't seen in a year and a half. He and his family are coming to visit for the weekend and it has me very much overjoyed. I am lost in anticipation for their arrival.

This is a picture of him. Don't be fooled by his appearance. He is normally very well groomed and his personality is quite inviting. He loves Jesus and his life is an obvious reflection of it.

So, I have a question for you. What is it that would have you overjoyed?

The Comeback

2010-07-30T15:17:00.002-04:00

When a blogger goes a total of 7 months in between blogs, one begins to wonder how serious he really is about blogging. Well, if you would, please extend to me the grace that it will take to once again return to the ranks of the blogging community. And since there is no graceful way to return to blogging, I will just jump right in.

Everbless!

Way to go Metaphor!

2009-12-16T19:42:00.006-05:00

Metaphor, the young adult ministry at Harvest Bible Chapel, West Olive, deserves a really big "WAY TO GO METAPHOR!" The group just finished working through the book Crazy Love, by Francis Chan, and the challenge was put before them to step outside of themselves and give generously...and the giving would go toward blessing families in need during this Christmas holiday. What did they do? They gave!...And they gave!...And they gave! I am ashamed to say that with a group of 25 I expected that we might get $200.00. After all, they are either college students or very early in their careers. To my great surprise and joy, they dug deep into their pockets, gave up on the half off appetizers, and raised well over $900.00! I am blessed to be a part of your ministry, Metaphor. I pray that God's blessing would shower upon you this Christmas! "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now."

Cut Me To The Heart

2009-12-04T10:17:00.005-05:00

Acts 2:36-38. ...Know this for certain that God made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you..."

Three thousand people were "cut to the heart" that day and experienced the spiritual death that comes as a result of accepting the Gospel Message...that Jesus is the Christ and He died because of you and for you.

Take a moment and put yourself back at Pentecost. What would your response have been if Peter would have pointed his finger at you and told you that you were responsible for the death of Jesus? Would you have been cut to the heart? Or would you have been like those in Acts 5:33 and 7:54 who responded with rage and grinding teeth?

Pause for a moment before you answer and consider the reality of the death that comes from being "cut to the heart" by the Truth of the Cross:

You have been looking for the Messiah, someone to save you, but not one riding on a colt to His death on a cross.
You are confronted with the reality that you must give up the life you are accustomed to in order to enter one that does not make sense.
All that you have learned from very gifted teachers is being shot full of holes.
You are surrounded by family/friends/mentors who will disown you...and worse.

Hey...those who responded with rage and grinding teeth were not willing to give up the life they were living. It meant too much to them.

So...look at your life today. Yes, you may have experienced the initial "cut to the heart" that led to your belief and acceptance of Jesus, but does the message of the Cross still have the same impact today? Does it still "cut you to the heart?"

One final thought. What is Jesus asking of you that makes you grind your teeth at Him...that thing or those things from your former life that serve as a steel plate of selfishness, keeping the Cross from cutting?

November 09 Liberia Trip

2009-11-23T14:03:00.007-05:00

The first Harvest, West Olive team to Liberia. What a very special group of people. Very sweet memories were made...memories that will be visited often. "How good and pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters) dwell together in unity...for there the Lord has commanded blessing...". The bond that this team developed and shared together spoke volumes to our Liberian brothers and sisters. May the Lord bless you, team! I miss you all!

Do not be fooled by the look on her face. She loves me! Just a bit camera shy. From the first trip to Liberia, Ruth has stolen my heart. Join with me in praying for her..."that the Lord would bless her and keep her; that He would make His face to shine upon her and be gracious to her; that He would lift up His countenance upon her and give her peace."

Some of the most blessed experiences while in Liberia were the baptisms. They were performed in the ocean...which the Liberians are not fond of. This man could have easily broken my arm with his little toe...and this was his first time to ever enter the ocean. He was visibly shaken by the experience. I don't believe his head had ever been under water. I envisioned arms flailing wildly breaking noses and blackening eyes as he was taken under. Praise God for his baptism...and sparing our lives!

2009-11-20T09:45:00.002-05:00

It has been awhile since I last blogged. The craziness of planning for a trip to Liberia became a bit consuming. To the very few that follow my blog, I apologize. I am back up and running! It is good to be back! Blessings to all.

2009-10-23T14:29:00.004-04:00

Before October 13, I had never considered that one of life's biggest leaps starts with an expression of complete humility. Well, on October 13, our oldest asked his girl for her hand in marriage. Mitch has always impressed me, but upon hearing of the events of the proposal, I became well aware that Mitch has "got it goin on!" As I listened to my wife give her ultra detailed recount of the evening's proceedings, I experienced both pride and humility. Proud to call Mitch my son, I am humbled to know that the tender and chivalrous way that abounds in him did not come from me. I know where he got it. Yes Mitch, I am very proud of you. Just as Christ humbly put the needs of the Church before His own, I see you responding the same with your bride to be. I am very excited to see what the Lord has in store for you and Laura!

Things To Marvel At

2009-09-18T10:54:00.015-04:00

Things I marvel at. Let me share just one. The coastal redwood tree, also known as the Stratosphere Giant, is the mother of all woodland mind bogglers. Consider these facts. The tallest recorded redwood exceeds 379 feet. That's...really tall! The oldest to be recorded is more than 2,200 years old (22 centuries!). That's...really old! It would be silly to ask if Jesus took the chance to swing by and visit this tree. After all, He planted it! Get this. A redwood seed, which rarely germinates, is smaller than a tomato seed. That's...really small! So, to go from...really small to...really tall, and to grow to be...really old gives much reason to marvel. Not done. The redwood has proven to be the most resilient tree to exist. It is impervious to harmful diseases and insects. Mostly due to the thickness of its bark. The average thickness of the protective layer of bark that covers a redwood is 1ft. That's...really thick! And with skin that thick, even fire has proven to be no match for these ancient giants! If only I had skin that thick. Again, I marvel. But marvel at what, the tree? I think not. For the tree is no more than an expression of the Creator's might and majesty and glory and strength and power and...the list goes on. When I marvel at such a creation, two things happen: the Creator God gets...really big and I get...really small!

Metaphor Prayer Furnace

2009-09-08T19:59:00.008-04:00

There are few places I'd rather be than fellowshipping by a fire with Metaphor, the Harvest West Olive young adult group. And one of those places is kneeling before The Throne of Grace offering my prayer's of thanksgiving and supplication. How humbling it is to know that my Lord would even care to have me approach His Throne. In Hebrews 4, He tells me I need not fear...that I can come to Him "with confidence." And to think, approaching Him is always for my good. When I approach Him, I am always amazed at how freely His mercy and grace flows. His endless surplus of these does not simply trickle. It is a downpour that washes away self imposed burden from my shoulders and refreshes my weakened body from the pride of my own efforts. Hey! We need only to respond and come. And that is what Metaphor did Friday night. We "approached with confidence The One who will bless with mercy and grace." Way to go Metaphor! I am excited to see the result of the Lord's downpour of mercy and grace upon your group!

The never ending list of "shoulds".

2009-08-28T13:49:00.004-04:00

"Today, I promise to not should on myself." What a tough promise to keep. How often do we find ourselves creating a list of things we think we should do in order to earn position in The Kingdom? I should get up before daylight and pray. I should spend time in God's Word. I should give. I should feed the hungry and I should provide shelter for the homeless. I should, I should, I should! ...Agreed. These are not bad things. As a matter of fact, they are Scriptural. But it does lead to a very crucial question that should be wrestled with by every citizen of The Kingdom. What is it that REALLY drives me? What is it that causes me to do the things I do? Is it a belief that I "should do" because that's what it takes? Is it a fear of condemnation? Is it a past that has been riddled with experiences you consider to be unfair? If we are doing all of these good things, but with the wrong motive, we will wear ourselves out under the burden of trying to "earn."

Praise God for His great love and for Jesus on The Cross. For it was there, through His love for us, that Christ turned our "should do's" into "doesn't matters." "It is by grace we have been saved, through faith. And this is not of our own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that we cannot boast." (Ephesians 2:8, 9) In the end, God won't want to hear about all of the things we did for Him. That would be boasting. What He will want to hear is that we were so compelled by His love for us, that it drove us to love Him in return.

Nutshell: What drives you? It should be nothing other than "the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge!" (Ephesians 3:19)

Oh Glorious Paradise!

2009-08-23T08:50:00.008-04:00

The Moana Surfrider. She is called the "Queen of Waikiki." And she holds a very special place in my heart...and Wendy's. It was on the Surfrider's Banyan Court, pictured to the left, where Wendy and I shared our first dinner together as husband and wife. The moment was perfect. Romance was in abundance. I can still see my beautiful bride. She was the Surfrider's crown jewel that evening. Stunning. Captivating. Intoxicating. I was in all of my glory...and it had nothing to do with me! Thank you Jesus for my wife.

The Beauty of Liberia

2009-08-21T15:13:00.004-04:00

After spending a bit of time in Liberia, I have concluded that it takes but a moment to find where the country's true beauty lies. Check it out.

Long Suffering

2009-08-14T13:43:00.000-04:00

So, this morning, I had the opportunity to "establish my heart" by expressing patience in a difficult situation (James 5). Nine years ago, in the midst of an incredibly challenging trial, I was given a book on prayer that has become the foundation of my prayer life. Because it has become so important to me, I have done the very best to preserve this book...that is, up until this morning. Well, as I was engaged in my "beach chair prayer" enjoying the beauty of God's presence and creation, with my prayer book in hand, the blessing that I so often find in a cup Starbucks coffee quickly turned into a horrifying curse as it found its way all over my handbook to prayer! It wasn't my fault...never is, right?:) In that instant, my patience was put to the test. I utterly failed. Offering a few choice words with reserved gusto to the listening trees, I brought upon myself the ever-so-familiar experience of the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the resulting confession of my ugly sin. What does it say about a person that can, in one instant, be worshipping the Creator God with Psalm 104, and in the next instant blowing his top?

Here is the painful conclusion. It wasn't the words uttered that hurt my Savior, but the black speck of impatience that continues to stain my heart. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Luke 6:45

Blog? Why?

2009-08-14T12:39:00.000-04:00

Is having a blog being a bit presumptuous? Does anyone really care about what i think, have to say, what i like, etc.? My concern is this: is blogging really, in the end, all about the blogger and what other people have to say about him/her? Still working through this one:)