MIND OF TRUTH

I wanted to share this powerful message The Power of Weeping by Michael Youssef. I have felt the Lord stirring my heart lately that we must wake up to some very important things the Lord is trying to speak to His people. The church today seems to be going through a rebirth of sorts with a real, Acts-like, missional message, and I see truth in the midst of it, but that truth is surrounded by and often drowned out by many, many voices that bring mans voice and not God's. We must pray and seek God more than ever with a humble spirit, seeking a true personal revival and a new unyielding committment to serve our Master. We need a new found depth in our relationship with the precious Holy Spirit. We need to let Him have His way as we yield our time and thought and prayers, and our wants and desires, and our hearts. I am longing to see the real, power of the miraculous in our midst. I want to hear the Word of God being spoken like fire coming from His servants and the shephards of ...

Jesus said "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" John 7:38. I've been meditating on this verse a lot lately, and heard a good message on it by Bill McCleod . This is a powerful, yet simple verse. I am constantly amazed at how much we (me) ask God for things He has already given and already made provision for. We pray and seek a move of God, or a way to reach souls, or personal revival, but the answer is right here, a river of Jesus flowing out of His people as He intended. The problem is that there is a river of self flowing out of most believers. Maybe if that's the case we don't really believe Jesus. He says right here in the verse "He who believes in me...". If we truly believe from a transformed heart that Jesus is the answer to everything, then we would make a decision to do it His way and let the river flow. Many don't make that decision and they keep strivi...

Sorry I have neglected my blogging duties. I've been working on a new blog for our discipleship process at church. If anyone has any good CSS beginner resources, let me know. I heard the story of David and Goliath this morning. That story always amazes me and fills me with hope. Today God is still looking for warriors who will stand up and proclaim the goodness of the Lord and His power to deliver His people. I see this same scenario play out over and over again in the lives of believers today. The enemy will send situations and circumstances into our lives that threaten to take our life and enslave us. Our response is no better than Israel who ran and hid behind rocks. It take mighty men and women who are focused on the Lord to come break that stalemate. The enemy ties us up with this difficulties, and we are too weak and too immature to press forward and through to victory. Goliath had been coming out to threaten and curse Israel morning and night for 40 days and who kn...

Back to work after 11 days off. Junk mail piled on my desk. Voice mail light flickering. Email still pouring in. Good to be back I guess. Saw The Great Debaters last night. What a powerful movie. I was struck by the power of words to move people and change a nation. I am always amazed and ashamed at how the enemy has been able to perpetuate his hate against the African American people for centuries. Imagine how much more powerful the love of God can be if we allow it to be seen through our life. Also saw Price Caspian with the family last night. Great movie and some good lessons on spiritual warfare in my mind. Are we willing to stand against an overwhelming army with nothing but a sword in our hand? We can if we are confident that Jesus is with us.

My family and I are taking a much needed vacation this week. I came to the realization that I have a bad habit of surfing through life like I do on the web. I read a lot of blogs and email and other stuff and I tend to just skim through most everything just getting the main points here and there. Its easy to do life like that, skimming through from one appointment to another, one day to the next just hitting the highlights. I started vacation like that with a plan to get a few activities in, spend some time with the family, and then call it a week. We miss all the in between moments when we do that. God enjoys every moment with us. He know the plans He has for our life, but He wants to live out those plans with us and not miss one second. I am learning to live in the now moment and take into my being the richness, joys, sorrows, learning, and love that He intends for me. So my son and I went hiking through the woods behind our cabin just to see what was back there, and I went ...

I had to share these powerful videos. I love this song. Jesus You are all I need. I trust in You. Healer

Another chic flic this weekend. We watched P.S. I Love You . It was alright and an interesting twist on a romantic comedy, but it got kind of boring for me. I'll give it two stars.

Are you giving yourself away?

Check out this car I saw today. You might not be able to tell from the picture, but it is covered in duct tape and its decorated like the American flag. Its says "In God we trust" and has scriptures and "I love Jesus" all over it. Pretty Cool!

Last night we watched 27 Dresses . Not too bad, but all I can say is I've see this same movie a dozen times before. I don't mind watching romantic comedies, but they are usually all the same. And in case your wondering, my wife picked this one.

Saturday night is always crunch time for me getting ready for my class on Sunday morning. I try to do as much as I can throughout the week, but it always seems to come down to the last minute. I like it though when what the Lord has spoken is still fresh on my heart. I love to teach the Word. I still get nervous every time I get up there and I always think I'm not prepared enough, but for me there is no better feeling in the world than seeing the Holy Spirit teach His Word through me and in spite of me. That's the point when I feel the lowest in my own self ability and the highest in His. Tomorrow I'm finishing a course called "One LIFE" with a lesson called "One Thing". Paul says in Phil 3:13-14 "Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Are ...

I wanted to share this blog post from Out of Ur called Taking the Shack to the Shed . I thought it was important that those of you reading The Shack , especially those whom I've recommended the book to, should read the criticisms and positive comments for yourself. I disagree with most of the critical comments. This book is fiction and its an allegory. Its not an attempt to form doctrine. It is supposed to be, I believe, an attempt to give us a picture and better understanding of some difficult theological questions as well as a glimpse into a place of intimacy with God. No one, no matter how knowledgeable in the Word could paint an accurate picture of the trinity and express the aspects of our relationship with Him. Thats just not possible. I believe this book is the author's creative attempt to describe how he sees it. If the reader is not able to allow the Holy Spirit to guide them through the book and reveal different aspects of truth, then they should stick to som...

Kristen and I don't get much time to watch movies together, but we really enjoy that when we can. Usually we get to do that on Sunday nights. My Sunday morning class is over for another week, our LIFE group is done, and we have a few hours to do nothing until the week starts again. I thought I'd share some reviews once in a while on Monday mornings. Oh, and if your not using Blockbuster online or Netflixs, I'd recommend it. We watched two movies this weekend. Jumper - All I can say is man I wish I could do that. I'd find some really awesome places to get alone with the Lord everyday, and date night with Kristen would be a whole new adventure. August Rush - I really like this movie. Good music always makes you feel warm inside. I think letting yourself get immersed in good music gives us just a taste of what awaits us in Heaven.

I found this quote today. Man it hits the mark for me. I don't like living in the questions, in the uncertainty, in the waiting, but I have learned that its necessary. I have also found that only if I can somehow die to my desire to live in the answer will I learn to love living in the questions. That place then becomes one of joy and peace. It becomes a place of rest and discovery in the perfection of the Master's amazing dreams for my life. Live the abundance of every moment. Live the questions and you will find you are living Jesus. He is the question. He is the answer. He is everything. “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.” Rainer Maria Rilke

What is it about people that compels them to live their life online? With My Space, blogging, and other sites, we create an online identity for the whole world to see. We avoid relationships and accountability, and value our privacy yet we post our deepest thoughts an emotion out there in front of everyone, and now with stuff like Twitter, you can post all day long. I think deep down people have an insatiable desire to share life with others. We need each other no matter how much it hurts sometimes. Relationships are the vehicle God has created to share His love. When we connect with Him, we receive His love. Then when we also connect with other, they too receive His love. I think God is trying to tell us something but we're not listening. People are desperate to receive God's love. They don't always know that and they may not be able to define it, but thats what they need.

Our dog Cooper loves to steal shoes and play keep away, and of course, my kids love to chase him.

I was thnking today about the story of Lazarus and how Jesus let him die so that God would get the glory through that miraculous situation. You know, we often pray God will intervene in our life and give us the miricle we need. Then we add that we want Him to receive all the glory through the situation. We never expect it to lead to a death of the thing we desire. We don't expect to loose what we are holding on to so tightly, but we should expect it. Jesus said he who clings to his life will loose it, and it we want that seed to live, then we must let it die. That can only be done with the help of the Holy Spirit. Then when we finally release that thing to God, we are free, and now Jesus can come and resurect it with a new abundance of life. I like to think about Mary in this story. Picture it in your mind. After this resurection, many come to follow Christ and I'm sure there was a big celebration with everyone coming back to their home. Can you see Martha in the kitchen singin...

Are you willing to run after what God has spoken to you and look foolish in the process? If you try to do it while constantly worrying about what others think, you will never get there. Did David care about what he looked like when he went out to face Goliath ? He was a shepherd boy, not a seasoned warrior . Maybe Saul wanted to put his armor on David to save him some embarrassment . David was focused and resolute and accomplished the task. I'm sure it felt good to David to have God vindicate his actions. Sometimes though we go after what God has spoken, we make a fool of our self , and then we don't get the victory in front of the whole army. Sometimes God has another way and we have to walk away with everyone still thinking we're crazy. Would you still step out in the beginning? That's the only way we will ever really chase down that lion. David did not have an exit plan. When he stepped on that field and challenged Goliath, there was no turning back. Eve...

I read this in one of Willie Young's (Author of The Shack ) blog post and I like it. Let me know what you think or what it means to you. Venturing out to the edge … of the precipice Staring into the Grand Canyon of Papa’s love, Letting the wind blow in your face the freshness of a breeze whose scents you’ve only barely tasted before You take the risk …it’s time… You take the step …it’s time… You plunge…and suddenly… You are flying…

God's been blowing me away with some things lately. Just a warning, if you don't want God to change your thinking and strip away all your self dependencies, then don't ask. I'm convinced there is only one thing standing in the way of God fulfilling every dream He has for my life. That one thing is me. I think God may laugh at times when I on one hand ask Him to work in my life, and on the other hand I am preventing Him from doing it. Why do we fear releasing our self grip of control for even one day to such a loving God who knows the plans He has to prosper us and give us a hope? We have to learn how to trust Papa and hear His still small voice. "Live loved one day at a time" - Willie Young