Rick Cockrell

Trials

2010-07-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." - 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

People who live with chronic pain tell us that after a while the real hardship is not that it hurts but that they have little hope that it will ever stop hurting. Trials can present themselves as never-ending: Will this grief ever end? For believers, time often allows us to see that God is in fact working all things together for good (see Romans 8:28).

Meanwhile, lasting trials fit within the following five biblical borders:

Omnipotence has its limits. When you say God is all-powerful, that doesn't mean God can do absolutely anything you can conceive of. There are many things God can't do. God can't make a round square or even a married bachelor. God can do anything that can be done. God can't contradict or contra-act Himself.
The world God made is good. In its original form the world was perfect. But God wanted a world in which people were free to choose. God wanted meaningful relationships. In order to have heartfelt worship and meaningful obedience, there had to be the possibility of meaningful disobedience.
In a world in which people are truly free to choose, not everyone chooses God. God could not make a world in which people were free to choose and, at the same time, guarantee that everyone would choose Him.
Given the kind of world God created, the effects of sin randomly visit themselves on creation. Created free to choose, we chose to sin. Because of sin, creation is broken (see Genesis 3:17-18; Romams 8:20). The world doesn't work right. People get cancer, die prematurely, and suffer accidents. Marriages fail.
God could prevent the effects of sin. God intervenes to prevent the effects of sin; but normally, God allows broken creation to function and horrible events to happen. God doesn't cause those things, but He allows them. But after the event occurs, He promises Himself to the people who face the trial so that we can display the superiority of a life lived in God.

We go through the same hardships that people who don't know the Lord go through. Yet our experience is very different. We know we will leave every trial behind when we enter God's presence.

A Restful Beauty

2010-07-23T07:06:00.001-07:00

A geode is a rock with beautiful crystals inside. These are formed as water, high in mineral content, flows through the rocks. When the minerals become trapped in the rock and the water continues to flow, the crystals are created. The more the water flows – the more beautiful the crystals become - on the inside. The outside of the crystal; however, suffers underneath the wear and tear of the weather and fades from any form of beauty it once held.

That is the picture of someone in whom and through whom the Spirit of God is flowing. Although our outer appearance may age with time, and wrinkles may begin to show, we are to grow more exquisite inside with each passing year. This happens when we look to God for inner transformation. God works on our spirits, resulting in a glorious beauty.

One way God works within us is by teaching us to rest in Him.

Have you ever seen eagles fly? They are known for soaring and gliding as their wings catch the wind. But did you know that if eagles could not soar, they would crash? Their wings are too heavy for them to flap continually the way some birds do. So eagles flap their wings until they catch an air current, and then they soar.

God has designed each of us to soar on the wind of the Holy Spirit. He says that He will do the work; we only need to be still and rest. He wants us to position ourselves in Him and glide in His power. As we rest in Him, He will transform us into the beautiful reflection of His glory that He has created us to be.

Life's Greatest Pursuit

2010-06-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

There are many things in life that are worth pursuing. For example, a fine education, a promising career, and financial security are frequently pursued with great vigor. Interestingly, once these pursuits come to fruition, they frequently lead to a false sense of self-worth and fulfillment. There is nothing wrong with pursuing these interests; however, if our primary focus is limited to these or other pursuits, we will assuredly miss the greatest pursuit of life – KNOWING GOD. It demands that we accept His revelation of Himself which, in turn, leads us to a changed life.

In Jeremiah chapter 9, Israel is in a bad situation. There is a pronouncement of future judgment upon the nation because of Israel’s decision to trust in other things rather than the one true God. God spoke these words to Israel, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might; let not a rich man boast of his riches,” verse 23. Placing human achievements first in our lives will never bring true meaning, value, or fulfillment that we all crave; however, knowing God will. To know God means to know Him beyond being a mere acquaintance. It involves more than attaining information gathered from a book, being fascinated about His abilities, or even having emotional religious experiences. Knowing God means plunging to the depths of His being in a personal, intimate relationship, spending undistracted time alone with Him. Appropriately, God says that we should boast about knowing Him!

The beautiful thing about pursuing an intimate relationship with God and accepting what He reveals about Himself is that He changes us. How do we know if we are experiencing God? “I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” verse 24. We know we are experiencing God when His character begins to “rub off” on us through the pursuit of intimacy. We find ourselves doing things we normally would not do because of the change that is occurring within, change that begins to affect our normal activity. Through intimacy, God is revealing loving kindness, the unconditional mercy, grace and love that God has toward us. This loving kindness, in turn, becomes a part of who we are, and we, in turn, express it toward others.

Have a great day!

Your Spiritual Responsibility

2010-05-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

Every one has been give a garden, a sphere of influence that God holds us responsible to manage. In managing this garden, we need to know who we are, legal representatives of the Kingdom of God. From this viewpoint, we discover that God has created each one of us for a purpose and has divinely ordained a special work for us to complete. Here are three reasons why we should press on towards our divine purpose.

We were saved to work for the Kingdom of God. We need to know who we are in Christ to successfully rule God’s way. By the perfect work of Jesus Christ, we are saved by grace and placed in a position to accomplish good works for the Kingdom. God has given us legal authority and resources needed to rule. We are His workmanship, made suitable for the work assigned to us.

We were created for a purpose. God has made each one of us special. We are divinely created and uniquely made. We are created for a special work that will have an eternal effect in the kingdom. God is involved in crafting our lives into masterpieces of art as we serve Him. The ultimate purpose of one’s life is to accomplish the work of God.

We must take the responsibility for completing our assigned work. Every believer has a particular assignment that God wants him to accomplish during his earthly lifetime. Every decision made has a direct effect on the plans God has predestined for us. Our purpose is fulfilled when we make choices that align with the Kingdom agenda and take responsibility for our actions.

Every believer has been created to accomplish good works for the Kingdom. God has given us the legal rights and resources to complete pre-determined tasks. Everyday we are faced with decisions that fulfill God’s plan, our divine purpose. We each have to make decisions and take responsibility in completing our God-given works.

Today's reading: Ephesian 2:8-10

Trusting the Lord

2010-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

"To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me." - Psalm 25:1-2

Our passage for today covers one of the basics of what it means to really live a life of faith in God: "O my God, in you I trust." How's the trust-in-God thing going with you? Because trusting God is really the centerpiece of the Christian life. If you're doing well at trusting God, you're doing great with your faith. If you're not doing well at trusting God, you're not doing so great with your faith.

Here's some good news. Each time we open our Bibles, we are opening a primer on trust. God has given us in His Word everything we need in order to trust Him. Trusting God is a decision. It's a choice that every person has to make. The decision to trust God or not is unavoidable. You will choose to trust or not to trust God - but you will choose.

Think for a moment of life as a car. In that car, either you're driving or God is driving. When you're holding the wheel, you're taking charge. When you're driving, you're not trusting. Here is the truth. God really is a better driver, so if you haven't pulled over to the side of the the road and switched places, perhaps today would be a great day to do so.

The good news about the Christian life is you get to ride. You are in the car - in the front seat. You get to talk to the Driver. He's interested in your input, but as the trip unfolds, God is the One who's making the calls. God determines where and how fast your life is going. He checks the map and provides the GPS. God is driving. That's the life of trust.

Have a geat day!

Expect Great Things

2010-04-30T06:42:00.000-07:00

If you want to rise up spiritually, you need to hang out with people who will inspire you to higher expectations and help you reach them. If you want a better job, you hang out with the experts in the field, not with unmotivated, unfocused people. If you want to see God move supernaturally in your life, you hang out with people who believe in God’s power.

Too many Christians have put a lid on God, expecting little from Him because they don’t know the power of His name. The apostles, Peter and John, gave the lame beggar at the gate, Beautiful, something more valuable than silver or gold.

The apostles offered the lame man the name above every other name with all authority: Jesus! There’s power in that name, and you TOO can expect great things from that great name.

Prepare the Way!

2010-03-01T06:19:00.000-08:00

In ancient days, most roads were hardly more than dusty paths. When a king was about to visit a certain place, a runner would run some distance ahead of the king and shout, "Prepare! The king is coming." And the people would immediately begin to clean and level the road for the coming king.

John Mark begins the Gospel of Mark with the good news that Jesus is coming and quotes the prophet Isaiah, who said, "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" Mark 1:2-3. The prophet was making reference to John the Baptist. "John was saying, "I am but a voice crying, 'Make ready! Prepare! The King is coming!'" John's purpose was to make the roads (people's hearts) clean and help them prepare for the coming of Christ. He preached a heavy message of turning from sin and returning to God. To the amazement of the religious establishment of the day--the people did. John became the official washer of people (baptism). It was a sign that people had repented, had been forgiven, and had aligned their hearts and lives with God.

The message of Isaiah has not changed, "Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming." Now, the messenger isn't John the Baptist, but people who have received Christ and have chosen to follow Him. We are to be runners with the same purpose as John the Baptist--to help prepare people's hearts to receive Jesus Christ. We do this by loving them, showing them acts of kindness, becoming their friends, speaking truth to them, and allowing our testimonies to become a light in a darkened place. To put it simply, we are to be Christ's disciples. The good news is we don't run by ourselves, but we have a running partner called Holy Spirit. He does what we cannot do on our own. He brings hope, conviction and a clear understanding of Christ. We make an excellent team together. The Holy Spirit's purpose and ours is the same. May we always remember to run with a divine purpose--"Prepare the way!"

It Can Happen In A Flash

2010-02-22T11:50:00.000-08:00

It all happened late Saturday night. A truck in front of me was sitting a the light about to make a left hand turn into the Battlefield Mall. We were right behind him about to make the same left hand turn. The truck proceeded to make a left not realizing that the two cars coming from the other direction were driving at excessive speeds (they were racing). All of a sudden, a black camaro flashed by and then a dark green firebird crashed into the back rear of the truck, ricochet off him, hit me and the mini-van behind me. The mini-van was then pushed back into another vehichle. A total of 5 cars involved in the incident. (My car is the top and the firebird is the bottom) Apparently, the camaro and firebird decided to have a race from the previous light where they were sitting. The black camaro stopped long enough to realize something serious had just happened and then proceeded to race off. Here's the amazing part...no one in all five cars involed was seriously injured. My whole family didn't have a scratch. I wish I could say the same for my Nissan Altima!

Since the accident I've had this impression. I come to understand that God's protection was on my family and then some. There was a curb between my car and the firebird. The curb turned the firebird as my car was being hit. Otherwise, he would have hit the driver's door, where I happened to be sitting. I know, my car doesn't look that bad, but the impact on my wheel broke my front axel, suspension and drive shaft. The wheel was the best place to take the impact. The mini van behind me, his front end was totaled. Poor guy, he just bought his van the day before. Was this coincendentally or was something more going on? I believe because God's protection was upon me and my family, that protection also covered everyone else in the accident. People kept asking about what happened to the people in the cars. I would say things like, "this car belongs to those standing over there" and "here's the driver of that car" and on and on. They would just go, "wow!"

Does it always end up like this? Of course not. However, this time God was up to something. I now have a broader view of God's protection. His realm of provision goes beyond the boundaries of just my home. God is not only concerned with our lives, but also with the lives of those we come into contact with. I wonder how may lives have been impacted because God's protection or provision was with us?

Have a blessed day!

Taking The Risk

2010-02-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

In Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft, Thor Heyerdahl tells how he and a crew of five crossed the Pacific Ocean from South America to the South Pacific Islands on a crude raft of balsa logs bound together with hemp rope. During the three-month journey in 1947, they had little control of the direction of the raft and no way to stop its forward progress. They learned early in the voyage that anything dropped overboard was almost impossible to recover once it passed behind the raft.

Two months into the voyage and thousands of miles from land, Herman Watzinger lost his footing and went overboard. The raft, driven by a strong wind in heavy seas, moved ahead faster than he could swim. The five remaining men were horrified for their friend. They tried to throw him a life belt on a rope, but the wind blew it back at them. In seconds, Herman was all but lost to their sight in the tumble of waves.

Suddenly Knute Haugland grabbed the life belt and dove into the water. He swam back to Herman and wrapped his arm around him, holding his exhausted friend and the rope while the men on the boat drew them back to the boat.

Effective evangelism requires that someone risks and takes the gospel to the one who is lost.

Thoughts on Fasting

2010-02-19T18:04:00.000-08:00

“Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer.” 1 Corinthians 7:5

For many of us, fasting is a foreign—and perhaps uncomfortable—experience. Consequently, while we recognize its place within Scripture, we often find ourselves unable to makes sense of why we are called to do it. Are we trying to impress God? Restrain the flesh? Focus our thoughts? In as much as the mandate to “fast and pray” is a biblical one, I offer the following thoughts.

Fasting in Scripture is typically associated with great need. We fast because we have a desperate desire to hear from God in this matter, at this time. It is the natural expression of our soul-hunger for God. We fast because our circumstances, whether personal or corporate, have grown beyond us. We fast because we need the grace of God to shower upon us in fresh new ways.

It seems to me that fasting is not a direct means of igniting spiritual hunger, but rather of paving the way for, and preserving, an already present spiritual hunger. Fasting is a form of preparation, an intentional cleansing of all distractions that would come between the believer and the God whom he desperately seeks to lay hold of. It is David laying aside Saul’s armor in preparation for the giant. It is Elijah girding his loins before his desert flight. It is the man rushing into a room with the long sought treasure map and, with the sweep of his arm, clearing the table in order that he might make undistracted use of the map. We fast because we want nothing—not even food—to distract us from our desperate desire to encounter God. It is the same logic found in 1 Corinthians 7:5, where Paul talks about a husband and wife fasting from sex in order to focus on prayer. Sex, like food, is a good thing. But there are times when that which is good must be laid aside to seek after that which is best. And so we fast because we deeply desire to lay hold of God and because we want nothing to dull this desire.

In many ways, fasting—whether it be from food or sex—is a form of mourning; a refusal to go on with “life as usual.” Like the bereaved lover who does not desire to be comforted, so too we fast because we do not want our earnestness to hear from God lessened by a numbing slide back into normalcy. Fasting sanctifies our desire and serves as a constant reminder that things are not right—that we must hear from God in this matter, at this time. When we have arrived in such a state of mind, eating becomes a sacrilege, a profaning of a holy moment—like boisterous laughing at a funeral. To eat is to squelch the soul-hunger, and desecrates our profound sense of holy dissatisfaction. We fast because we have arrived at that particular place where nothing but a fresh encounter with God will suffice; a place where must see the hand of God move. We fast because the status quo is no longer acceptable.

The convicting thing then, is not that we fast so little. It’s that we feel so little need to fast.

So let’s all pray together that God would spark in us a hunger for more of Christ. And let us fast together that nothing would stand in the way of us realizing this desire.

Joy

2009-12-12T08:06:00.000-08:00

"Joy is not the absence of problems, but the presence of God"

The true story is told of the translation of the New Testament from the English into the Eskimo language. Problems arose for the translators when they encountered certain words in English for which there is not corresponding word in the Eskimo languge. For example, there is a passage which tells us that the disciples are filled with joy in seeing jesus. But since there is no word for "joy" in the Eskimo language, the translators had to find another way to express the meaning of the passage. In their research, they discovered that one of the most joyful time for an Eskimo family is when the sled dogs are fed in the evening. The dogs come barking, yelping and running about wagging their tails furiously, and children are squealing with delight. The neighbors too become part of the happy commotion. It is altogether a "joyous" time. Consequently, the translators used that particular event to help them convey the meaning of the Biblical passage. As a result, when the passage was translated back into English, it read: "When the disciples saw Jesus they wagged their tails."

"So we can now rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God--all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God" (Romans 5:11).

2009-10-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, a radio station ran a contest. Disc jockeys invited their listeners to tune in their clock radios. "Just for fun," they said, "when you wake up to the sound of FM-106, call and tell us the first words you spoke when you rolled out of bed. If you're the third caller, you'll win $106."

It didn't take long for the contest to grow in enthusiasm. The first morning, a buoyant disc jockey said, "Caller number three, what did you say when you rolled out of bed this morning?" A groggy voice said, "Do I smell coffee burning?" Another day, a sleepy clerical worker said, "Oh no, I'm late for work." Somebody else said her first words were, "Honey, did I put out the dog last night?" A muffled curse was immediately heard in the background, and then a man was heard to say, "No, you didn't." It was a funny contest and drew a considerable audience.

One morning, however, the third caller said something unusual. The station phone rang. "Good morning, this is FM-106. You're on the air. What did you say when you rolled out of bed this morning?"

A voice with a Bronx accent replied, "You want to know my first words in the morning?"

The bubbly DJ said, "Yes, sir! Tell us what you said."

The Bronx voice responded, "Shema, Israel ... Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might." There was a moment of embarrassed silence. Then the radio announcer said, "Sorry, wrong number," and cut to a commercial.

Try to remember. What did you say when you rolled out of bed today? Chances are, those words set the tone for the rest of the day. For the Jew the first words of each morning are always the same, and they were the words spoken that morning on FM-106. They were first spoken by Moses, who said, "Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Teach them to your children and talk about them when you lie down and when you rise" (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

I'm curious, what did you say this morning when you rolled out of bed? Mine sadly were, "Ah, I can't believe I have to get up already...sigh."

Who Should I Pray To?

2009-10-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

One of the questions that usually comes to the forefront when people from different streams of Christianity come together is who should we offer our prayers to? The Father? Jesus? The Holy Spirit? The Virgin Mary? Various Saints? Our Common Unnamed God?

Scripture makes it pretty clear that we are only to pray and worship the one true God, the triune God of the Bible. The apostles never allowed people to pray to them or worship them when they were alive (Acts 10.24-26), and I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t want us to pray to them now that they are dead.

The worship of the Virgin Mary is a Roman Catholic phenomenon. Millions of Catholics pray to her in the hope that she will influence her son to move on their behalf. While we should always be very respectful of how we talk about Jesus’ mom, there is no indication that anyone considered praying to her in the early Church when she was alive. In fact, praying to Mary is a relatively recent development (the last several hundred years) and is of questionable origin. It doesn’t represent a truly Christian approach to prayer.

It is also fashionable at secular gatherings to pray to “our common God”. While I realize the intent of the practice is to help us get past our religious differences, I find it a bit challenging. Who are we praying to? Who is our common God? If we are speaking of the Judeo-Christian God of the Bible, I probably am great with it. If it includes Allah, Buddha or others, then I certainly have a problem with it.

What about the Trinity? The traditional Christian position has been to direct our prayers to the Father as Jesus taught us to do (Matthew 6.6). To conclude the prayer in Jesus’ name signifies our identity as His followers and our trust in Him as our redeemer (1 Corinthians 6.11, Colossians 3.17); and to pray under the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit is something that is encouraged in Scripture as well (Ephesians 6.18, Jude 1.20). I have never encountered anything in the Bible that forbids us to direct our prayers to Jesus or the Holy Spirit as long as we understand their part in the Holy Trinity and the importance of the Father.

I am interested to know how you have processed these questions and issues. What do you think?

Prayer

2009-10-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

Isn’t it interesting that the disciples didn’t ask Jesus to teach them how to preach, how to witness, how to organize a major church event? They asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.

In their time with Jesus, the disciples watched Jesus start His day with prayer. As they watched Him commune with God, the Father, the disciples couldn’t help but notice that Jesus was energized and empowered by His contact with the Father. They wanted to know how ordinary humans could make that kind of contact with God, the Holy One! Jesus’ model prayer shows us how to make contact with God. In Matthew 6:9-13, the first half of the prayer focuses on God, and the second half on our petitons.

This prayer is like a sandwich – it starts with God and ends with God, and the concerns of our hearts are the meat in the middle. Jesus demonstrated that our focus in prayer should always be on God. To Jesus, praying was like breathing. Prayer was an intricate part of His life, and He wanted it to be that important to His disciples.

Just as Jesus required prayer to make it through His day, we need intimate communication with the Father to live this life.

Read: James 5:13-20; Psalms 145:18-19

Hang In There

2009-10-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

"So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing...Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not" (Matthew:25-27). "And He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern" (Matthew 6:33).

How often do you wake up int he middle of the night with burdens on your heart that keep you from going back to sleep?

It happened to me last night. The clock said, 4:30 am and I was wide awake. Baggage from yesterday and worries about tomorrow weighed heavily on my mind and heart. What Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 is true. "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."

Do you start you day thinking, "I don't have enough on my mind. I'm going to borrow trouble from tomorrow and make up some new problem?" Yeah, me neither. The word trouble means adverse circumstances, problems, hardship. Certainly, each day has enough of its own.

In effect, Jesus is saying that you can't carry the weight of your past, that's what forgiveness is for and you can't carry all the uncertainties of your future because that's what faith is to do Simply, we are to focus on today and deal with what we can. I must admit, I struggle with this principle, but I also know that peace only comes when I learn to apply it. Can anyone relate to my struggle?

If someone poured sugar in our gas tank or introduced a virus to our computer we know the possible results. Usually something breaks down. That's exactly what worry does to the human spirit. When you gather up in your mind on a regular basis a list of all the unknowns of the future and repeatedly review and extrapolate, the uncertainties become so large that it will cause a break down. Everything gets sideways when you're on the anxiety program.

You were not fashioned to fear.

You were not wired to worry.

You were not made for anxiety.

You were made to live today--"Today's trouble is enough for today"--to focus on the thing that you can affect and to work on the thing that you can improve that are right in front of you. You and I have limited capacity. I can't carry yesterday or my imagined tomorrow. I've got to trust the Lord today and so do you, even if it's from one day's 4:30 am to the next.

Generous Living

2009-09-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, I thought I would give this another opportunity. I'm not sure how people find the time to twitter, blog, facebook, myspace and etc. Any way, I thought I would give blogging another month or so, before I choose to quit.

I've been thinking a lot about the recession that we are going through and all the rhetoric about taking care of self. In challenging economic times it’s easy to retreat to one’s comfort zone and focus on self and individual concerns. The reasoning goes something like this, “I’m pretty stressed right now. I need to take care of myself, my business and my family. I don’t really have time to give to others. I’m worried about my job. When things get better, then I’ll have extra (money, time, energy) to give back in some way.” The belief is that generous living comes from abundant resources, but the fact is that generous living occurs regardless of one’s circumstances.

While healthy limits are important, there’s a problem with the logic that we wait until we have excess before reaching out to others. Research in the area of positive psychology points to what many faith-based sources have been saying for years, namely, that focusing on one’s self does not produce the desired outcome of a peaceful heart and satisfying life. Not only does a “me driven” focus produce a poverty of personal spirit, but it also leads to poverty in the community in which one lives.

In this season of uncertainty, I would challenge all of us to strive to live a life of generosity. How can we ever pay it forward if we don't find ways to be generous with the little we have right now?

I hope you have a great day!

FROM THE MOUTH OF BABES

2009-06-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

I thought this was very funny. I'm not sure if I laughed out loud because I'm a pastor or a parent.

Have a great day!

2009-06-11T10:34:00.000-07:00

Working out can be tiresome, and for me it's NOT what I live for everyday. I know, some of you love working out. It makes you feel good, gives you an adrenaline rush and you get incredible results. However, some people like me question..."Is it worth it?" We look at ourselves and we don't see any major changes in how we look. Our body aches in way too many places and can you believe no one hasn't even noticed that we lost 5 lbs. Well, of course not. It takes several of those 5 lbs to began to make changes in our bodies.

Isn't that the same question we ask spiritually, "Is it worth it?" I don't see any major changes in my spiritual life. No one has even noticed that I'm trying so hard to live right. My pain seems to be increasing instead of decreasing. Why am I having so many problems. But the truth is, things are changing and you are growing spiritual. You just haven't been able to see it yet. You may be only growing 1-5 lbs spritually at a time, but your are GROWING and the results will eventually be seen.

Bottom line...don't stop working out physcially and spiritually. The results are coming. Just continue to do your part and TRY to be patient. Here's the scripture for today.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).

2009-06-08T05:58:00.000-07:00

We began Oneprayer at church yesterday. It's absolutely amazing to think that 1747 churches and 966, 477 believers have partnered together through Oneprayer. It's going to be exciting to see the results of the CHURCH standing together to advance His kingdom.

Jesus prayed in John 17 to make his disciples ONE. What could truly happen if we, the church, prayed that same prayer? There is such power that comes through unity. If there is any thing the church needs today, one of them certainly should be a demonstration of His divine power working in our lives.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire (2 Peter 1:3-4).

May His divine power be evident in your life this week as you join your hearts with believers all across this great nation. Also, may those "precious and very great promises" become a part of your daily experience as you walk close to Him.

2009-06-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Steps

A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?” Proverbs 20:24 NIV

Lately, I have been busy with our leadership making plans for the future of our church. Some of our goals are very audacious, yet achievable. The way to achieve larger, more complex goals comes down to taking the right steps. One of the reasons many people do not achieve what they want in life is because they never get started. The way to achieve larger goals is to break them down into doable steps on a daily or week-by-week basis. That's exactly what we have been doing in our leadership meetings. Here's the goal, here's the necessary steps, let's begin with step one. We are now starting to walk toward our goals.

I think these principles apply in our own personal lives as well. I've been trying to lose some weight. I've decided to do this because my son, who is 6'2" can now over power me in basketball (I'm only 5'8") My only advantage is my speed. The extra weight has slowed my speed down, thus the reason for losing it. I've started taking small steps...no more diet cokes (that's hard!), no sweets for a while (even harder), and no chocolate candy (the hardest). The results...so far about 15lbs.

Have you ordered your steps lately or are you simply avoiding getting started? Large goals should not intimidate you…they should challenge you to become disciplined to put the right priorities and actions in place to make your goals not only achievable, but virtually inevitable. Got big goals? Think “steps.”

2009-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Starting is Easy

I don't know about you, but I have enthusiasm for starting new projects and making needed changes, but I don't always finish strong. Have you noticed it's always easy to start something new, but often harder to complete it. For example, it's easy to start the remodeling, it's easy to start the diet, it's easy to make promises, it's easy to eat right the first day, it's easy to say, "I'm gonna change." How many time have we started with good, even great intentions?

Proverbs 12:27 "The lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions."

You’ve got to give the lazy guy in this Proverb a little credit. At least he took the initiative and went hunting. He even killed something in the process. But apparently, he stopped short. What good is it to kill an animal if you’re not going to cook it and eat it?

Many of us succeed in obtaining information and knowledge, but we fail in applying and utilizing it. In other words, it's easy to make the kill but we don’t roast our game.

What good is it to attend another class if you’re not going to make any changes based on the wisdom you collect? It's easy to collect information, but difficult to apply it.

What good is it to read the Bible or hear a sermon if you’re just going to let it sit in the same notebook as the last sermon you heard and did nothing about? It's easy to nod your head and perhaps give an appropriate amen, but it's hard to make the application.

What good is it to ask for advice from a trusted friend if you’re not willing to put it into practice unless, of course, she gives you the advice that lines up with the decision you already determined to make anyway? It's easy to agree with those who agree with you, but it's harder to choose your on path.

The real test of character is in becoming a finisher. Is there something you have started over and over and have never completed? What good is making the kill if you’re not willing to roast your game?