.

What about the Change?

2011-06-01T17:50:00.000-07:00

I've been reflecting on a lot of things lately. I seem to have the gift of overanalyzing just about everything. Sometimes, that can be a good thing and sometimes it just gets me in trouble. Actually, this may be one of those times, but here we go anyway!

I grew up in a pretty serious "pentecostal holiness" church. These people were serious about being holy. When I was a kid, there was a period of time when I even thought I had their holiness thing figured out. If it was fun or enjoyable, it was of the devil, so we weren't allowed to do it. In other words, sometimes in their zeal for being righteous, they may have gone overboard a bit, but their hearts were in the right spot.

In those days there was no real room for gray. What was right was right, and what was wrong was wrong. As a kid and later as a teenager, I didn't always like what I was taught. In fact, there were times when I decided I not only didn't like it, but I wasn't going to do it. Let those old people have that "being holy" stuff. I'm going to have fun. You know what though? Even when I walked away from the church, I never tried to justify my sin. I never tried to open my Bible and find some out of context scripture to justify what I knew was wrong. I knew I was doing wrong. I may have done it anyway, but I knew it was wrong.

Somewhere along the way there seemed to have been a pendulum swing in the church. As I said earlier, I believe there were times when the "holiness" movement may have gone a little bit too far. There were some that made holiness way less about the condition of a heart and more a bunch of rules and regulations. In an effort to correct some overly zealous teaching the next generation began preaching all about freedom and grace. This is good right. Well, yeah, but just like those who overdo holiness, there are those who overdo freedom and grace. What??? How could we possibly overdo freedom and grace?

I know some of you are not going to like this but here we go. The line to let me know how ignorant I am will form on the right side, single file please.

Somewhere along the way, it became O.K. to sin. In fact, it has gotten kind of trendy.The new mantra is Grace will cover it. I have freedom in Christ, so it's O.K. Isn't Jesus wooonnnnderful!!

Now it's O.K. to drink, it's O.K. to do drugs. In the last two years, I have had more conversations about alcohol and drug consumption for Christians than I have ever in my life. Don't bother me with the Bible verses that tell me not to do this. Don't bother me with drug and alcohol consumption being like witchcraft. Never mind how what you're doing could affect others around you. I JUST DON"T CARE! Don't bother me, I'm more interested in being cool. Give me two shots of alcohol on Saturday, and a shot of Jesus on Sunday and we will be good to go. How about the Marijuana was created by God and it comes from the earth, so it's good. Puff puff. Yea man! Are Christians really becoming this ignorant?

And then there's this. Somewhere along the line sexual promiscuity became O.K. Churches across the country are being packed out every week with couples that are living together outside of marriage.I recently saw an advertisement for a Television documentary on two couples that were planning on getting married. But wait here's the CRAZY part. They were going to get married and they hadn't....GASP!!!....LIVED TOGETHER FIRST. Sex outside of marriage? No Big Deal. God's grace covers it. I have freedom in Christ.

Our churches are full of men AND woman who are caught up in pornography and have no conviction. They come to church and just want to be told that they are a champion and that God has a great plan for accelerating their lives, and making them rich and famous. Don't bother me with the repent from your sin stuff. God's grace covers me every time. I have freedom in Christ! Now what was that porn site again?

How about when the ladies come to church dressed more like they are heading for the strip club than the altar. How about they dress that way because it makes the "Christian" men give them all the attention they are really looking for. Hey, I can dress anyway I want. I can look at anyone I want. I have freedom in Christ. God's grace covers me every time.

How about the language that come out of the mouths of the people of God. Many think nothing of popping off with a few profanities, inuendos, and inappropriate jokes while standing in the sanctuary where they are about to "worship" God. I have people say stuff to my face as a pastor that would have gotten me a swift slap in the mouth by my parents when I was young............Hey wait a minute! That gives me an idea!

I could go on, but you are probably getting the point. My question is this. What about the change? I'm pretty sure when i read my Bible it tells me that although God's gift of grace is free, and his freedom absolute, it comes with a change. It is natural. It is not something that is attached to rules and regulations, it has to do with pleasing the God that gave you the gift. If there is not a change going on in our life after we receive Christ, then we have to SERIOUSLY take a look at our lives and see if everything is as it should be.

If no one has ever told you in your church, Sin is not O.K. In fact, The Bible says this:

Hebrews 10:26-29

Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received a full knowledge of the truth, there is no other sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 28 Anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Think how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God and have treated the blood of the covenant as if it were common and unholy. Such people have insulted and enraged the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to his people.

Uh-Oh I just went all hell fire and brimstone on you. But seriously, All of the sin that is going on in the church today needs to stop. This is a serious passage of scripture. It is time for the church to reclaim real holiness. If you are currently entertaining some form of what you know in your heart is wrong, and haven't addressed it. Do it now!! We really don't know how much time we have in this life. Don't be a fool who is treating the blood of Christ as common and unholy. Get your life right now!!

If you are a pastor and are reading this. Are you preaching the whole story. Are you preaching about being a champion and destiny and purpose and all of that, but leaving out the avenue to that life? GET A SPINE!! The Bible tells us that we will stand and give an account for what we taught. Are you ready for that? Or have you been "tickling ears" so you can try and get bigger offerings and more people? With a broken heart I have to say that I believe there are many pastors in the church who are currently in the process of gaining the whole world, but losing their soul. Many will stand before God and He will say "I don't know you."

I'm not saying this stuff because I am trying to get a rise out of people or get more people to read my ramblings.In fact, this stuff is really not what I enjoy writing about. I want to write about being a champion too!! I'm writing this after being broken by God at the state of affairs in the church today. The church really does need to wake up. Time is short.

.

Venting.........In love of course

2011-05-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

Usually it doesn't bother me, but today I must vent:

An Open Letter to the Christian Church......and everyone else.

To Whom it may concern:

Sometimes, I get really irritated when I hear people or I read posts by those who think they're particular denomination, or theological outlook is the only one that is correct. I'm no genius, I'll give you that, but I do understand that the Bible tells us that in order for us to be saved it can only come by GRACE THROUGH FAITH!!! Faith in what you might ask? Faith in JESUS CHRIST. Faith in the perfect sinless life HE lived. Faith in HIS death and resurrection. Faith that the blood HE shed covers our sins and brings us into right relationship with the Father. It is NOT faith in Jesus plus a list of rules and regulations that will determine salvation. They tried for a long time to live by the rules and regulations, but it wasn't really working out, so God came up with a better plan. There are quite a few verses in the Bible about this, you should check it out sometime.

Let's list a few things then, that salvation does not come by shall we. Salvation does not come by our denomination, our church, the day of the week we worship, the songs that we sing, the version of the Bible we read, the food we eat, the color of our carpet or any of the other idiotic things that we see being spewed out by supposed "Leaders" and "Christians." (The fact that you may not like what I'm saying now doesn't mean it's not the truth.)

There was a guy named Paul. In case you hadn't heard he wrote a good chunk of the New Testament. One time He said something pretty interesting. Paul said, "Even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach ANY OTHER GOSPEL to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." It's time we start paying attention to that verse. Paul wasn't kidding

As we sit by and smuggly push our pet doctrines and churches, looking down our long religious noses at everyone else, the world looks at us like we are a bunch of dopes who can't even figure out what we believe. Jesus said, "How terrible it will be for you teachers of the law and you pharisees. For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn him into twice the son of hell as you yourselves are." Whoops, I just quoted from the New Living translation so that verse probably doesn't count.

How many more people are going to miss their opportunity to find a relationship with Christ because they couldn't fit into one particular brand of Christianity? THIS IS NOT A GAME. HEAVEN AND HELL ARE AT STAKE HERE!!

If you are reading this and are not a Christian, please let me apologize for all the ignorance and stupidity. I want to let you know this one simple thing. Jesus died for you because He and the Father love you. You can have a relationship with Him by simply putting your faith in what He did for you. It's not about what you can do for Him. Yes, your life will change. You will do things differently, but that is a result of your relationship with Jesus, not an avenue into relationship. You can't do enough good things to make Him love you, He already does. He loves you enough to die for you. I apologize for those who have misrepresented the gospel. I apologize for those who have tried to manipulate you for financial gain. I apologize for those who have tried to push you into a long list of rules and regulations so you can satisfy their feeble attempts at religion. We have failed you, but please don't let our failures keep you from knowing the God who loves you with an infinite and unconditional love. Trust in Him today. There are many good churches out there that preach the simple and true gospel of Jesus Christ. Please find one of those and learn more about the purposes and plans that God has for your life. His plans will blow your mind.

And to all of the Christians reading this KNOCK IT OFF!!!! PREACH THE REAL GOSPEL!!!

Love,

Tom

P.S. For more information on this subject, please open your bible and read it for yourself. The book of John is a great place to start

'Koinonia'—A Missing Ingredient in Today’s Church

2011-05-10T14:31:00.001-07:00

I came across this article by J. Lee Grady, contributing editor for Charisma magazine and thought it was right on the mark. Serious words of wisdom. Enjoy, Tom

'Koinonia'—A Missing Ingredient in Today’s Church by J. Lee Grady

A small congregation in Puerto Rico reminded me that we can’t build the New Testament church without supernatural love.
Last week I preached for several days at Casa del Padre, a small but growing church near San Juan, Puerto Rico. The congregation meets in a rented facility with tile floors and folding chairs. They don’t have a worship leader yet, so a CD player provides accompaniment for the singing. The pastor, a gentle guy named Luis, keeps a second job to pay his family’s bills. Up until a few weeks ago, the church’s office was in his garage.

Casa del Padre is not a fancy place. But the church’s lack of sophistication is overshadowed by an amazing level of love. When I ministered on Sunday morning, the meeting began at 10:30 a.m. yet I didn’t leave the building until 5 p.m.—not because I preached too long but because nobody wanted to go home.

You might be tempted to say: “That’s just the way Puerto Ricans are. They’re very relational.” It’s certainly true that Puerto Ricans love to party. And their food—especially the rice, beans, pork and mofongo (mashed plantains)—keep people coming back for more. But the authentic fellowship I experienced in San Juan can’t be trivialized as an expression of Latino culture. No, this Puerto Rican church understands a biblical secret many of us have forgotten.

The Book of Acts tells us that after the first disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit, they were “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42, emphasis added). The Greek word used for “fellowship,” koinonia, appears here for the first time in the Bible and then is used 18 times throughout the New Testament.

Koinonia, which can be translated “partnership,” is a supernatural grace that causes Christians to love each other deeply. It was not possible before Pentecost because it is a manifestation of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Just as dunamis power enables us to heal the sick or work miracles, koinonia knits our hearts and binds us together.

Christianity is the only religion on earth that invisibly connects its followers with supernatural affection. It makes us feel like a family—and our love for each other, if it is truly from the Spirit, transcends all boundaries of race, gender, age and class. It motivates us to pray for one another, bear one another’s burdens and lay our lives down for one another.

After the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2, koinonia caused the early disciples to share their possessions unselfishly (v. 44-45) and to share meals often (v. 46). Many people decided to become Christians when they saw this loving community (v. 47).

Koinonia was an essential ingredient in the New Testament church. It is what connected Paul, Timothy, Luke, Titus, Priscilla and Aquilla as a team. It is what held the early churches together in the face of persecution and caused them to lay down their lives for one another.

In many parts of the church we’ve forgotten about the essential need for fellowship and tried to build the church without it. We developed a sterile church model that is event-driven and celebrity-focused rather than genuinely relational.

We build theater-style buildings where crowds listen to one guy talk. The crowds are quickly whisked out of the sanctuary to make room for the next group. Many of these people never process with anyone else what they learned, never join a small group and never receive any form of one-on-one discipleship.

We need the apostles’ teaching of Acts 2:42, of course, but without the koinonia mentioned in the same verse, teaching can be come dry and clinical. The church is supposed to be more like a family room than a classroom.

Because we lack relationships today, we have tried to fill the void with technology. We think if we can create a wow factor with cool video clips, 3-D sermons and edgy worship bands, the crowds will scream for more. I don’t think so. Trendy can quickly become shallow.

Pastors and Christian leaders often tell me that they don’t have any friends. Close relationships are scarce. This is often because leaders felt betrayed in a previous relationship. Meanwhile, Many Christians have given up on church altogether—not because of doctrinal issues but because they were wounded by someone at church.

I am not an advocate of getting rid of church (like the spiritual arsonists who think all church buildings are outdated and irrelevant). The church is still God’s Plan A, and it will always be. Acts 2:42 contains the blueprint.

We must return to koinonia—but you can’t download it. There’s no app for it, and you can’t fake it. (If you want a concrete example to copy, I can give you the address of a church in San Juan.) We will have to scrap artificial, event-driven programs if we want to return to the relational Christianity of the Book of Acts.

Who Will Go For Me

2011-04-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

I was truly blown away and saddened last night to hear of the passing of someone that I consider to be a "General" in the army of God. David Wilkerson was in a car accident and was killed. One of the saddest things I think is that much of the current generation of the Christian church may not be that familiar with the life and ministry of a great man of God. That is regrettable.

I remember early on in my life, sometime in the late seventies, our church showed a movie called "The Cross and The Switchblade." I remember that being a big deal because, being raised in a pretty strict Pentecostal church, movies weren't really something that was, shall we say, encouraged. Here I was though watching this movie about this crazy preacher with a heart to minister to young gang members. As I think about it now, I understand the calling of God, and how that can lead you into some unusual situations, but at the time I just thought He was crazy. I kept expecting one of the gang members to kill him off and that would be the end of the movie. That never happened. In fact, as this preacher continued to tell of the love of God to these young men and woman, he began to have some amazing fruit. In fact, Several worldwide ministries were born out of the obedience of this "Crazy Preacher."

Over the years, David Wilkerson has done some pretty incredible things to advance God's Kingdom in some pretty dark places. He has also had his fair share of controversy, but what man following God's call does not? I think the world has lost a mighty man of God.

My thoughts though, have turned to the thought of who's next. Over the last few years there have been several, for lack of a better term, "Big Time" Preachers that have passed on. None of them were perfect men, but they have had huge impacts on the lives of thousands. Now another man of God has gone on to his reward, and another "General" Billy Graham may also be finishing his race soon. So, Who's next?

I notice as I read scripture that many times when a man of God has finished His race, another person will step in and take that "Mantle" of leadership. Moses had Joshua, Elijah had Elisha, even Paul had his Timothy. There are others, but you get my point. Who will be the ones to step up and say, "I will take this baton, and run with it?" Who will be the one to say I will be the voice of God to a generation. Where are the mighty men and woman of God that will lay down their lives and reputations, and aspirations to preach the gospel to a world that is living in it's final days?

How often do we look at the things going on in the world and say to ourselves, "Somebody should do something or say something about this." We wait for the next David Wilkerson, or Billy Graham to ride in on a white horse and "save the day." It seems that the somebody never shows up, and the something never gets said. When will we realize that we are the ones who have the opportunity to pick up the baton and run?

I love the story of the Disciple that comes to Jesus, and as they survey the huge crowd of people that has gathered, discuss how they are going to be fed. The disciple says, "Hey we should point these people to Denny's or Chili's or something so they can go eat. They are going to die. Jesus response was not what the disciple expected. Jesus said, "You give them something to eat!" What??? Me?? How am I supposed to feed them? It would take a years wages! Was Jesus Ignorant? Did He not understand they didn't have any food or money? No, Actually Jesus understood that it doesn't take great resources to do great things, it just takes faith and a little action to back it up. Jesus has the disciples sit the people down and proceeds to do an amazing miracle. Why do we think God can't use us to do mighty miracles as well?

Who is going to be the next great man or woman of God? It could be you, if you will just believe, be patient and stand strong. Who knows what God could do in your life. Pick up your baton, whatever that baton may be, and run your race. Don't wait for tomorrow! Start right now, and watch God do great things.

Facebook, Twitter and Fortune Cookie Christianity

2011-04-07T12:16:00.001-07:00

I'm sure we've all done it at one time or another. We enjoy our delicious Chinese food, and then the waitress comes by with those funny little cookies with the fortune inside. Now to be honest with you, I don't like to eat fortune cookies, but I am always curious what it says on the inside. So, I crack open that cookie, rip out that tiny piece of paper and read what great wisdom it has for me today. It's usually something really deep like "Friends are good." Wow! now there is some revelation. After I have digested this amazing piece of advice from my cookie, I usually throw the paper on my plate, and go pay for my food and leave. For that one moment, I can't wait to see what the paper says, but after that it's on with life.

I LOVE Social Networking. I've loved it for quite a while now. I started out on MSN Spaces, until everyone migrated to Myspace. You know, Myspace, You remember that don't you? Well anyway, All of the sudden, after all the time I spent choosing my song and choosing a super-cool background, getting some sweet music videos and getting all of my BFF's up on my page, everyone bailed on myspace. Myspace became "so five minutes ago." Everyone was talking about this thing called facebook. I resisted at first. I mean surely there is nothing more cool than myspace. After a while I realized that resistance was futile, and I signed up for my very own facebook page. Shortly after signing up for facebook, everyone started talking about "twittering." I thought to myself, what is this "twittering" the people speak of? Is it some sort of condition you need medication for? Is it something that requires a restroom? I don't know! What is twittering?

Then I found out. Twitter was another avenue for social networking, where I would face the incredible challenge of taking this vast sum of information in my head and condensing it down to 140 characters or less. I MUST do it! So, I signed up for my twitter account. Then I found out you could link it to your facebook account so you would only have to make one post and it would post on both pages! I Can't believe it!!! I'm in Social Networking heaven!!! Now I, Tom Osborne, can let the whole world know that I am going to get gas in my car. Or that I'm way excited that my favorite football team just scored a touchdown, or that I'm having an amazing cup of green tea with just the right amount of honey, and that it is YUMMY!!! Followed up by a couple of these :) :) so you now I'm very happy about it. You know, it's the stuff the entire world is waiting on pins and needles to hear from me. Come to think of it, I guess Social networking does have it's ridiculous side.

On the flip side though, as a pastor, I've found social networking can be a pretty useful tool. I can share information, or announcements. I can share what I feel like God is doing in my life and the life of the church, and on several occasions, I've been able to have some very serious discussions with people that don't go to my church, or that live in other places. Sometimes, I just read a scripture in The Bible that inspires me, and I want to share it with everyone. Social networking also has a very useful and powerful side.

There is one thing though that I've been pondering. For the Christian, Social networking can become sort of a place for "fortune cookie Christianity." What I mean by that is, I see people all the time posting scripture, or quotes by famous Christians, or maybe just some deep thought that came to some persons mind. That's all great, but the question is this. Does it become like a fortune cookie? I mean honestly, we can read a quote someone posts and think, wow they must be some sort of spiritual giant. When the truth is, maybe they googled "Cool christian quotes," and posted the first thing that popped up, but it really doesn't have any true impact on their lives, or ours.

How about us? We read that tweet or facebook post or for that last 2 or 3 of you that myspace post, and we say to ourselves, wow that's cool. However, just like me after my Chinese food, we scroll right on down to the next tweet or post and forget what we just read. Do we post a cool scripture on prayer, but at the same time we spend more time on facebook, than actually praying? Do we post our 140 or less character Bible verse without really stopping to consider how that verse applies to our life? Worse yet, are there times when we live our entire lives like a giant tweet. Everything is quick, fast and in a hurry. No time carved out to really seek the deep things of God, or to hear the voice of God. Just a quick 140 characters worth of "devotion" and then off to the rat race.

I'm not trying to throw some hyper-religious condemnation at anyone. It's just a thought. Do we really think about what we are posting, or think about what someone else is posting, or is it just another fortune cookie to us. Sometimes, right in the middle of the ridiculous, we can find some real wisdom from God, if we would just slow down and pay attention. You never know, maybe God likes social networking too. Instead of having an @IAMGOD account, maybe He just likes to borrow yours and mine. Maybe when I read someone elses tweet or post, God is trying to break into my crazy paced life, and speak to me in 140 characters of less. Am I paying attention?

BTW if you don't follow me on twitter(@TRC3) or facebook(facebook.com/pastortomosborne), you really should. My posts and tweets will be the most inspiring, thought provoking and life-changing things you will ever read!.................or they may be completely ridiculous. :) :) Be Blessed Tom

Kudos Corner 2/13/11

2011-02-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

We want to thank Shane Rogers for his countless hours spent at The Refuge electrical panel. Shane has been working hard to give us the power and convenience that we have been looking for. We also want to thank Shane for His dedication and passion for the Sunday Morning Discipleship group. Thank you Shane for everything!!

Kudos Corner 2/6/11

2011-02-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

We would like to thank all of those who have continued to fast and praying even after our corporate fast has ended. We are looking for a great move of God in our Community in 2011

Letter from Franklin Graham

2011-02-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

Turmoil in the Arab World
Dear Friend,

The media is full of reports of turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa. Uprisings have rocked the governments of Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan. Angry crowds are protesting in Lebanon, Syria, Algeria, and Yemen. South Sudan has voted to secede from Sudan, and demonstrations have broken out in the capital city of Khartoum.
This is a critical time of unrest and uncertainty, and Christians need to join together in prayer for this volatile region.
I've probably spent more time working in this part of the world than any other. Over the years, Samaritan's Purse has helped hundreds of thousands of suffering people with medical care, food, and other aid. We have helped train and equip hundreds of pastors, distributed thousands of Bibles, and even built over 400 churches in Sudan. More than 2.5 million children in the Middle East and North Africa have received shoe box gifts from Operation Christmas Child.
Please join with us in praying for the Christian minorities who could face increasing persecution in the days ahead. Pray that God will use these current crises to open doors and hearts to the Gospel and that many will find "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Ultimately, we know, true peace will come to this region only when Christ returns in power and glory.
One of our most faithful ministry partners sent a note saying, "Throughout the Middle East, there is a new generation of evangelists ready to continue the work of our Lord until that blessed day when He returns to us. I ask you to pray that they will be fearless in their work in any circumstance."
We are committed to lifting up Christ in the region in any way that we can. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Sincerely,

Franklin Graham
President, Samaritan's Purse

David Wilkerson message on anguish in prayer

2011-01-17T19:46:00.000-08:00

Fasting- The Worship

2011-01-15T16:46:00.000-08:00

Got this from Jentezen Franklin's fasting blog. Thought it was really good you can check out the fasting resources from Jentezen Franklin at jentezenfranklin.org/fasting. It's a great site for encouragement and information while you are fasting

As we conclude our first week of fasting I want to share with you a simple truth that the Lord made very real to me today. Let me start by saying that we must remember that fasting is an act of worship to the Lord. The scriptures say that Anna the prophetess, “served God with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37.) In Acts 13:2 the scriptures say that a group of prophets and teachers “ministered to the Lord and fasted.” You see fasting is all about worship. I am not saying that we should worship on the fast; I am saying that fasting is worship.

In order for our motive to be right in fasting, we must remember this truth. The only way our rewards can be limited in the kingdom of God is if we have impure motives. The Lord spoke very clearly to my heart and said, “Up until today you fasted for yourself, but now it is time to fast for Me.”

Is it possible that we could be fasting for ourselves? By now we have shed a few pounds and we “feel” better about our spiritual condition, but those are only by-products of fasting. In Matthew 6 the Lord talks about 3 spiritual disciplines that should be a part of the life of every believer: giving, praying and fasting. His objective is not to encourage us to do them, but rather to instruct us regarding the posture of our hearts while doing them. His discourse on each discipline begins with, “when you give…, when you pray… and when you fast…” Through those scriptures we see it is possible to lose the rewards of fasting because of impure motives.

So then what should be the posture of our hearts while fasting? Simply that He is worthy for our entire lives to be laid before His feet. He is worthy of the sacrifice of 21 days. Look with me at Mark 14:3.

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.

For the first few days of the fast I have been asking the Lord to anoint me for the upcoming year. But my prayer is changing. Is it impossible that the Lord would allow me to anoint Him? I could imagine for three years the crowds thronged Jesus to receive miracles and healing. The disciples huddled around Him to receive special revelation of parables. This appears to be the first time since Jesus’ birth that someone entered His presence only to bless Him.

In John 12 the scriptures tell us that this woman is Mary and that the oil she anointed Jesus with was equal to, if not more than, one year’s income. In other words, she poured out an entire year upon Jesus. That is our motive for fasting. He is worthy of our entire 2011. We are pouring our lives out to Him in an act of worship because He is worthy to receive it.

Jesus responds to Mary by saying, “…wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” (Mark 14:9). Jesus spoke to Mary’s destiny and future as a result of her worship. Isn’t that what we want, for our Father to speak His blessings over this entire year?

My friends we should not ask for His anointing until we have first anointed Him. We should not ask for His blessing until we have first blessed Him. Out of the entire universe we possess the only thing that God does not have and that is “ourselves.” Yes we belong to Him in an omnipotent way, but our affection and worship must be offered to Him willingly.

It is not wrong to ask Him for healing, wealth and favor for this year, because He is our Father and He desires to show His blessing in our lives. However, when we pour ourselves upon Him, He will pour Himself upon us and in Him is everything we need.

Mary is told that wherever the gospel goes, her story will be there too. As we pour out our lives to the Father, He will allow us to accompany the gospel. Where He is working this year, we will be there. There will be natural disasters, financial loss and major tragedies this year; as well as great salvations, revivals and miracles. Whether in disaster or revival it is those whose lives have been poured out that will be where He is working.

Anna and the group of men that I mentioned earlier ministered and served the Lord through fasting. Before we preach, prophesy or serve people; we are starting this year by ministering to the Lord. That is our ministry to people, to first minister to Him. When starting the year with fasting He anoints us to be where the gospel is at work!

Hungry?

2011-01-12T15:17:00.000-08:00

Do you have a hunger for God? If we don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because we have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Our soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. If we are full of what the world offers, then perhaps a fast might express, or even increase, our soul's appetite for God. Between the dangers of self-denial and self-indulgence is the path of pleasant pain called fasting. --John Piper

Fasting- The Lifestyle

2011-01-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

Matthew 17:14-21(NKJV)
14And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16“So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21“However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Every year those of us from The Refuge join with believers all over the country, and even around the world for 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of every year. I have personally found that this time has been very profound and impacting on my personal life as well as the life of our local congregation. During these 21 days we lay aside all of our agendas, wants and desires and say, Jesus you show me what you want in my life this next year.

We have to realize though, that fasting isn't supposed to be a once a year pursuit. When this man brought his son to the disciples, he needed a solution to his problem right then. He couldn't afford to wait. I'm sure the disciples prayed with all of their might. I'm sure they tried every "trick" that they had seen Jesus use for casting out devils, but nothing worked.

It's incredible that when Jesus comes on the scene, there is no big prayer, there is no shouting, or any kind of weird antics, Jesus rebukes the devil and it goes. So, what was the difference between the disciples and Jesus? Fasting and prayer! Jesus said it Himself. This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.

Now wait just a minute! I must have missed something! There must be some scripture left out of The Bible. I'm sure that when Jesus saw this child, He must have ran up on the mountain and spent 40 days praying and fasting. Then when He came back down, He rebuked the devil. That had to have been what happened.

The problem is, The Bible doesn't say that because it didn't happen. So what can we learn? Jesus didn't run off and fast and pray before casting out the devil. We get that. At the same time, Jesus says this can't be done without fasting and prayer. What conclusion can we draw then? Jesus was living a lifestyle of fasting and prayer. He didn't do it in the moment a need arose. Jesus fasted and prayed all the time. Then when a need arose, He was already prepared to spring into action.

So Here's the question. If Jesus Himself had to operate out of a lifestyle of fasting and prayer, do we think we can do otherwise?

The truth is 21 days of fasting and prayer at the beginning of the year is great, but it is not enough. Fasting and prayer needs to be a lifestyle. Does that mean we quit eating for the rest of our lives? Umm... I don't think so. What it does mean is that we need to have regular times during the week, or certain times in the year that we set aside and seek God.

I know there are some who say fasting is not for today. That it was just for the old times. Let me ask you a question. Is the church in The United States operating in a consistant flow of power to cast out devils, heal the sick, open blind eyes, etc. Are we seeing the "daily added to the church" like in Scripture. I know there are pockets here and there where God is moving in great power, but it was never meant to be a "here and there" gospel. We are supposed to be prepared to handle anything, anywhere at anytime like Jesus was. Can you say that you are in that place in your life? If not, it may be time to make fasting and prayer part of your lifestyle like Jesus did.

B Blessed, Tom

Kudos Corner 1/2/11

2011-01-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

Ann and I would like to give props to Teresa Lambert. Right now she is our van driver on Sunday's and Wednesdays. Teresa has been doing a great and extremely faithful job getting people to and from church. Thank you Teresa for your commitment!

Fasting--The Humbling

2011-01-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

Fasting is about a whole lot more than just not eating food or certain types of food. Anyone can do that. In fact, whenever my doctor tells me he wants to run some lab work, he always tells me to fast before hand. Should I expect God to do some big break through miracle in my life just because I didn't eat before I went to the doctor. I don't think so.

Fasting is way more than just not eating. Fasting is a time to come into God's presence and humble ourselves. The sad truth is that we live in a time that could be called "the culture of me" Everything that happens has to be viewed through the lens of how it affects me and my life.

When we consider our life, we mostly think in terms of the physical body. What we look like, are we hot, cold, hungry, thirsty etc. What we need is to come to an understanding that our true life has little to do with the physical. We are not just physical beings. We are being that have a spirit, soul and body. Our physical bodies are obviously important, but one of these days this body will quit working, but our spirits and souls will live on.

Let's talk about our soul for a minute. Our soul is made up of our mind(what we think), our will(what we want) and our emotions(what we feel). Isn't that how we live our lives? Making decisions based on what we think, want or feel? More often than we like to admit, what we think, want and feel can pull us a million miles off track from God's plans and desires for our lives.

What am I talking about? This morning I woke up starting the third day of my fast. I'll be honest with you, I didn't feel very spiritual. I felt like I wanted to throw my alarm out the bedroom window and go back to sleep. Not only did I want to go back to sleep, but my body was telling me that what I needed to do was go in the kitchen and cook up some eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy, toast, Jelly, ham. That may be a little excessive I realize, but it IS my third day of fasting. Immediately my mind starts telling me I could eat and no one else would even know. My thoughts, feelings and desires were not very spiritual to say the least.

What I did, however, was put my feet on the floor and say this day I'm going after God. I told my stomach it would just need to shut up, and my feelings to get out of my way......I still didn't feel very spiritual.

It's not really about the feelings though. It's not about what I think or want. What fasting is really about is telling God, I want you more than I want even the food that I eat. It is about humbling myself and shifting my thoughts and focus to God and His plan.

In Scripture it tells us:

Humble yourselves in the sight of The Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10(NKJV)

In the New Living Translation that same verse reads:

When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor. James 4:10

That's it right there. How many of us want to be honored by God, not for how great we are, because we are not, but because we come to Him humbly realizing our total dependence. One thing we constantly miss in the church is that our talents and abilities, no matter how significant they are, cannot accomplish the plans that God has for us. It takes more than our talent and ability, to really live for God and have an impact for His Kingdom.

Total dependence is what we need. Humility. We see humility as a weakness in our culture but God says humility is one of the keys to Kingdom greatness.

As you progress in your fast, come before God with humility of heart. Tell Him of your total dependence on Him. Don't just mouth the words, really seek to realize your dependence on Him. He is the God of the universe, and us? Not so much. We need God more than we even realize.

Anchored

2010-12-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

I remember a few years ago, a ship called the New Carissa ran aground on the beach. It was big news in our little town as everyone began spreading rumours about how it happened and speculated about how they were going to get it loose. At first, it didn't seem like that big of a deal, they would just bring in a couple of big tug boats and pull it free. No Problem! But then there was a problem. They couldn't pull it off the beach, it was Really stuck.

The Ship was full of fuel, so they decided the best way to get the fuel out would be to set off an explosion that would burn off all the fuel. If I remember correctly this would burn off the fuel, thus averting an environmental issue and lighten the ship so they could more easily pull it out of it's sandy predicament. I remember the explosion vividly, I was dropping some kids off at a child care providers house because we had a big event going on at our church. When I walked out of the house, I heard a large boom. I remember wondering if this was actually going to work......it did not.

What they actually succeeded in doing was blowing the ship in half. Eventually they were able to pull a large portion of the ship off the beach and took it out and sunk it. The other part of the ship, however, would not move. Over the course of years, they finally ended up dismantling the ship right where it sat. It was not going to be moved.

I was at a Men's Bible study recently and somehow the conversation turned to "counseling" people. Helping people to deal with their issues and finding true freedom in Christ. One of the guys mentioned that sometimes people can't seem to put their faith into practice because they are dealing with too many things outside the church. For example, the married man or woman can't really focus on God because of all the issues that may be going on with their spouse. An individual can't get their head around an unexplained death. A young man can't come to terms with the abuse he suffered as a child. There could be a thousand examples, but the point is, I can't do the "God thing" right now because I have to figure out my problems first.

That may sound crazy to you, but the truth is there are a lot of people that seem to find themselves in a similar situation. They may not even realize it. Unintentionally, they put God on the back burner in order to deal with life. The problem is, many times, they can't find a good way to deal with life while the answer is right in front of them. The very thing that is being put on the back burner IS the thing that can help them.

What we have to do to find true freedom is to become a little like the New Carissa. We have to ground ourselves in God's word. God's word anchors us to an unchanging and always successful direction for our lives. If we need freedom from pain, abuse, addiction, dysfunction or anything else, the route to that freedom is the same. If we simply need direction for our lives, the answer is the same. The Holy Spirit empowering God's word in order to bring change,freedom and purpose to us.

The problem is, when we put God on the back burner to deal with our issues, our lives will always be at the mercy of our issues. We will be tossed around in our lives by the winds of whatever adversity comes our way. When we anchor our lives to God's word, however, the storms may blow, but we will not be carried off and destroyed because God's word simply will not move. The Bible says:

Matthew 7:24-25(NLT)
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock.

It also says:

Isaiah 40:8(NLT)
The grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.

How often do we say "I can't trust God's word right now, I have to fix my problem." We may not say it out loud but somewhere in there we are afraid to, as the saying goes, Let go and Let God. God's word will NEVER FAIL US. The problem is not with God's word, the problem is in our lack of trust and our lack of focus on the truth of scripture, and not our waves of adversity.

What issue do you have in your life right now that needs to be resolved?

Anchor yourself to God and His word and He will guide you through your storm. I promise. How can I make that promise? Because that promise is backed up by God Himself.

Joshua 1:8-9(NKJV)

8“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Matthew 6:33(NLT)

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.

Philippians 4:19(NKJV)

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6(NLT)

Dont worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.

Stop and meditate on those words for a minute. I mean really think about them. Do you need to make your way prosperous and have good success? Do you really need to be set free in some area of your life. The answer is in anchoring yourself to God and His word. He will not let you go! He will give you what you need and lead you where you need to go.

Revelation Song

2010-12-24T11:25:00.000-08:00

I've heard this song a thousand times and it still puts me on my face in worship.

Kudo Corner 12/19/10

2010-12-23T11:03:00.000-08:00

We want to thank Sarah Wood for organizing the Kids program and the Church Christmas party as well as your participation on the worship team. You are a huge blessing to The Refuge Church

Genuine Revival Isn't Free

2010-12-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

Amos 9:13(NKJV)
13 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it.

I read this scripture this morning in my devotion time. I love this verse! The promise that harvest will come so fast that there will hardly be enough time to plant the seed. As a pastor and a God Chaser, I dream of a day when the harvest of people coming to know Christ as their Savior will occur so rapidly, we won't even have time to sow the seed, they will just come. I've heard it preached that way for a long time. A Revival of Souls so great we just can't contain it is right around the corner! And I believe it too.

But, as the great Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith might put it........HOWWWEVA!!!

There is a great big however to this line of thinking. Christians, especially westernized Christians are so quick to latch on to the "good" promises of God and make them our own, we leave out the other promises that are also equally important. Sometimes we even like to pull the good ones out of context to make them mean what we want them to mean, but check this out!

Amos 8:11-12(NKJV)
11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it.

How come us fired up Christians aren't posting this little encouraging word on our Facebook status, or on our twitter update? If we are going to believe in the former promise, do we not also have to believe the latter?

The point I'm trying to make here is that we can't just pick and choose what we want to believe about revival. If we choose to believe there can be a great awakening in the United States and around the world, we also have to believe there can be a famine of the word of God. A time of sin and Idolatry that can cause God to send judgment.

Uh-Oh there I went and said it! We're not supposed to talk about judgment. It's not politically correct. We're only supposed to talk about the 24 hour miracle or the ten thousand fold return on our 1 dollar we dropped in the offering last week. We are supposed to water down the true gospel so far, that it is barely recognizable as Biblical truth, so we can draw as many "Christians" into the Kingdom as possible.

No, I'm afraid it's not supposed to work that way. The Old Testament Prophets, almost all of them, have a message that goes something like this. You were my people, I was your God. I blessed you in huge ways, but you took it for granted. You turned your back on me and followed after idols.(In The Bible, Idols were things like Asherah poles, and baal statues, Today Idols are things like money, power, wisdom, and popularity. Same Problem just different Idols. But I digress) Because you turned your back on me, I'm going to rain down judgment on you(followed by a lengthy explanation of what that judgment would look like) UNTIL you and your people turn back to me with your whole heart, at which time I WILL POUR OUT MY BLESSING!

See, The problem is we want to shortcut the process. We love to quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 that says, "If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." We say we want God to hear us, to forgive us, to heal us, to bless, us but.......cant' we do it without all that Prayer and repentance and humble, contrite spirit stuff? Couldn't we just do what we want, when we want, and how we want and still have God bless us?

The truth is, it has never worked that way, and it never will. God will never shortcut His process in order to make us comfortable in ours.

As I'm writing this, we are about to come into a new year, 2011. I'm not one for New Years Resolutions, because they usually just set us up for failure. I do have an idea though! What if we come into the New year with humble, contrite hearts and spirits? What if we really focused on the first half of 2 Chronicles 7:14 and let God take care of the second half?

I really believe a great harvest is very close. I really do. I also know that it will not be free. Let's start a movement this next year... In fact, why not today, why not right now? A movement of those who are so consumed with Knowing God and seeing Him become known in our Cities and in our world, that we would be willing to pay any cost.

What would that look like?
What kind of impact would that make?
I have a feeling I know and I want it! How about you?

Let's do it!
Let's try it and see. I have a feeling the results could change the world.

Kudo corner 12/12/10 Peter Belastegui

2010-12-15T10:44:00.000-08:00

We want to tell Pete thank you for your involvement in so many areas. It seems whenever help is needed Peter just shows up. Your help and encouragement are very much appreciated.

It's All About The Big "A"

2010-02-05T23:13:00.000-08:00

1And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 3So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4“for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”--- Luke 21:1-4(NKJV)

"There goes that preacher again!!" " All They ever want in the church is my Money." "Money, Money, Money!!" I know as a pastor, and simply as a believer in Christ, that nothing seems to invoke such strong emotion as the topic of money. However, the truth is that the Bible talks about money... ALOT! In fact, there are approximately 800 verses in the scripture concerning money.

There are Scriptures about how to spend money, how to give money, how to save money, the dangers of loving money, the proper place for money in our lives, and exhortations not to worry when it seems we don't have enough money. No matter how much some would like to avoid the subject of money and finances, it is impossible to do with even a quick skim through the Bible.

And let me get this out of the way before I go on. There is good reason that many of those who are not believers in Christ, and to be honest many in the church, have a skeptical view of the financial side of the church. A quick scan through the channels of most "Christian" T.V. programs will find "Ministers" begging for money, and making ridiculous claims and promises about what will happen if you give to THEIR ministry.

"If you will just sow a seed of 23 dollars in response to Psalm 23, then their will be a hundred fold return to you in 23 hours. Pick up that phone and dial right now." This kind of fraudulent and manipulative garbage has caused more than a few people to say, "Forget it, I'm not giving at all." Many will use the false teaching, false premises, and lack of financial accountability in the church and Christian world to not be obedient to God in the area of finances. BUT!!!

The Disobedience of others does not mitigate our responsibility to be faithful to God and the Scripture in every area, including financially.

Herein lies the problem, The Bible gives us 800 scriptures about money to teach us one main thing. Money is not the point at all!!! WHAT! How could 800 scriptures about money tell us that money is not the point?

It's like this. Money is a tool. Money can neither be good or bad. Money is not righteous or evil. It is simply paper and metal.

The key to understanding God's desire for us in the area of finances is not about how much or how little, or even how we spend our money. The key to understanding is in the attitude. Luke tells this story of a widow who throws a couple of pennies in the offering plate and Jesus says she gave more than those who were putting money in by the hundreds. How can that be?

The answer is not in the amount given but in the attitude with which we give. The widow gave more because out of her poverty she desired to give to God because He deserved it, and He was the source of it anyway.

Everything we have, every penny, every blessing, our homes, cars, food, provision, it all comes from God.

The false idea that many have about money and possessions is that they belong to me. It's my money, my house, my car, my stuff. That makes it very difficult to have a good attitude in giving because we are sacrificing my stuff. "I don't want to give MY money." "I don't trust those people with my stuff." As I said this is a false and hurtful philosophy. The truth is without God You and I would have nothing. Not even breath and a heart beat.

The correct attitude is not that it is my stuff, but that everything I have, down to the breath I breathe, belongs to God, and it is my privilege to give to Him. That was the attitude of the widow in Luke. I only have two pennies, but they were given to me by God and I choose to give back to Him. In Gratitude for what He has provided, and in faith that He will continue to provide.

So the question is, How is your attitude when it comes to the area of finances. Do you give and trust, or do you hold back and live in faithless denial of God's promise and provision? It's up to us to choose how we will live. What are you going to do?

Recovering the Axe Head of Genuine Anointing

2010-01-27T10:39:00.000-08:00

Recovering the Axe Head of Genuine Anointing
By J. Lee Grady
editor of Charisma Magazine.

We've faked the power of Pentecost long enough. Let's set aside the imitations and reclaim the real deal.

Shortly after Elijah was carried to heaven in his fiery chariot, a group of young prophets asked Elisha to go with them to build new living quarters near the Jordan River. While one of the young men was cutting down a tree, the blade of his axe fell in the water and sank into the murky depths of the riverbed (see 2 Kings 6:1-7).

The construction project came to an abrupt stop. This was before the days of flashlights and sonar devices. These guys were in trouble.

"Let's ditch our counterfeits and our cheap substitutes, and ask the Lord to restore the axe blade. Let's cry to Him for a pure, unadulterated, genuine, life-changing, planet-shaking revival."
Knowing that his friends could not replace this expensive iron tool they had borrowed, the young prophet cried to his mentor Elisha for help. The wise prophet threw a stick in the water where the axe head had sunk. Immediately the heavy iron blade floated to the surface—defying the laws of physics and proving that nothing is impossible with God. Elisha's faith saved the day.

We can gain so much comfort from this story. It reminds us that God has power over the natural world. It also proves that He cares about the seemingly trivial details of our lives—and that He is even willing to bail us out of the messes we make.

As I have meditated on this passage in recent days I've also applied it to our current situation in the American church. It illustrates how desperately we need to recover what we've lost.

Perhaps you've noticed that our blade is missing. I don't know exactly when it fell off the handle, but it seems as if we've been trying to build God's house without the sharp edge of His genuine anointing. We've traded the real for the phony. We've cheapened Pentecost to the point that it's been reduced to dry religious programs and circus sideshow antics.

We've mastered the art of hype. We know how to fake the anointing. We push people to the floor during our altar times. We know how to manipulate music and crowds so that we can create the atmosphere of the anointing. But in so many cases the real anointing isn't there. In its place is a hollow imitation.

Some charismatic leaders today are even selling specially handcrafted oils that promise the Holy Spirit's power. Others sell scented candles that claim to bring God's presence. And last year one brother was traveling the country with feathers in a jar—claiming that these belonged to an angel with healing powers.

Lord, forgive us for our charlatanism. We need the blade back! We must cry out to the God Who has the power to raise iron from the bottom of a river.

We are not going to advance Christ's kingdom, or build His victorious church, using scented oils, fake charms, ear-tickling prophecies and goofy charismatic gimmicks. This is all wood, hay and stubble destined for the furnace. What we need today is the sharp blade of the Word that is empowered by the Holy Ghost and fire.

In my world travels during the past few years I have met humble Christians who carry the genuine anointing of the Spirit. I've spent time with Chinese believers who see miracles inside their prison cells. I've met an Indian evangelist who has seen six people raised from the dead. I've met a Pakistani apostle who regularly sees Muslims healed during outdoor gospel meetings.

Last week I interviewed an Iranian church leader whose ministry is leading 5,000 Iranians to faith in Christ every month. In the midst of persecution and political upheaval, a New Testament—style revival is erupting in that Shiite Muslim stronghold-all because the church in Iran is weilding the axe head of genuine Holy Spirit anointing.

Where is the God of Elisha? There is a cry in the American church today that resembles the cry of the desperate young prophet in 2 Kings 6. We have not been good stewards of the Holy Spirit's gifts, and now the precious power of God has eluded us. We dropped it. Yet we are beginning to acknowledge our blunder.

Let's fully humble ourselves. Let's repent of fakery and fraud. Let's ditch our counterfeits and our cheap substitutes, and ask the Lord to restore the axe blade. Let's cry to Him for a pure, unadulterated, genuine, life-changing, planet-shaking revival.

21 days of consecration

2010-01-23T17:03:00.000-08:00

21 Days of Consecration
Authored By Billy Wilson

Billy Wilson is executive director of the International Center for Spiritual Renewal and executive officer for Empowered 21: Global Congress on Holy Spirit Empowerment.

America's greatest need is spiritual revival. The United States has seen an awakening in every century of its existence—except this one.

In the 18th century, the First Great Awakening swept thousands of colonists into the kingdom of God, and the courage to break free from Great Britain germinated in the soil of awakened hearts.

The 19th century witnessed the Second Great Awakening, which shook the American frontier with dramatic results. Entire denominations doubled their memberships in just years.

In the 20th century, the Pentecostal-charismatic movement had a global impact. During the last 100 years, nations of the world have been touched, and more than 640 million people now claim to be Spirit-filled.

America's history has been informed consistently by significant spiritual renewal. However, we are now one-tenth of the way through the 21st century and, as far as we know, the U.S. has yet to experience a fresh awakening.

The ineffectiveness of the American church pushes us to ask some hard questions of God and ourselves:

Have we allowed ourselves to be preoccupied with political, social and peripheral issues more than with the nation's greatest need? Have we spent billions fighting political and social battles while losing the spiritual battle for the souls of a new generation? Have we chosen the easier way of carnal weaponry while neglecting God's more challenging way of spiritual intensity?

Have we picketed more than prayed, fought more than fasted and lashed out more than loved? Have we been duped into hoping that righteousness would be installed from the top down rather than recognizing that true awakening comes from the bottom up?

Does the church in America need to experience a fresh grace through repentance? Do we need a deep cleansing and renewal?

I believe that the answer to these questions is a painful and convicting yes.

Today's church is desperate for a deep and transformational revival that will change the spiritual landscape of our country again.

The question is, what would an awakening in 21st century America look like? What would happen if God shook this nation during the next decade? How would we know if revival and awakening were occurring?

Answers to these questions were discussed several months ago in Northampton, Massachusetts, during a gathering of more than 75 Christian leaders in the city once known as an epicenter of the First Great Awakening. These leaders identified 20 significant indicators of a contemporary awakening—10 in the church and 10 in the culture. You can read their conclusions online at Awakeningamerica.us.

The leaders, who represented a broad spectrum of evangelical denominations and ministries, also banded with several hundred ministries in the Awakening America Alliance to seek God for a new Christ-awakening in the United States.

Now, as a way to pursue the spiritual renewal we need, we have an opportunity to unite at the start of this second decade of the century to humble ourselves through fasting and prayer.

The Awakening America Alliance has designated January 1-21 as "21 Days for a New Awakening" to answer God's call through the prophet Joel to "declare a holy fast" (see Joel 1:14).

Fasting from a pure heart with proper motives will help lead us into the brokenness required to receive God's next move in our nation. Fasting brings spiritual benefits because it helps us humble ourselves, presses us toward personal cleansing, focuses our hearts and weans us off earthly distractions.

It allows for heightened sensitivity to God's voice and positions us to bring deliverance to the captives. Fasting and prayer facilitate a personal renewal of our connection and intimacy with Jesus. His presence and pleasure become our reward.

Ultimately, the renewal of the church and of the nation will depend on people who respond to His call. True spiritual awakening in this century will be a grass-roots movement in which intimacy with Jesus is restored one heart at a time, producing the fruitfulness and freshness we all desire.

Why not let the 21st century awakening start in your church. More importantly, why not let it start in your heart?

Food Suggestions for 21 4 10 fast

2010-01-02T15:22:00.001-08:00

Suggested foods for Daniel fast

Day 1 Liquids Only

Day 2 through Day 21
Suggested foods:

Whole Grains

Legumes such as: red beans, kidney beans, Black-eyed beans, black beans, Pinto beans

Fruit, Vegetables, Sprouts

Brown Rice

Liquids
Water
Soy Milk
100% vegetable or fruit juice

Foods to avoid:
Meat, poultry, white rice, fried foods, soda, preservatives, sugar, caffeine

Planned Parenthood Director Quits After Watching Abortion on Ultrasound

2009-11-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

The former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in southeast Texas says she had a "change of heart" after watching an abortion last month — and she quit her job and joined a pro-life group in praying outside the facility.

Abby Johnson, 29, used to escort women from their cars to the clinic in the eight years she volunteered and worked for Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas. But she says she knew it was time to leave after she watched a fetus "crumple" as it was vacuumed out of a patient's uterus in September.

'When I was working at Planned Parenthood I was extremely pro-choice," Johnson told FoxNews.com. But after seeing the internal workings of the procedure for the first time on an ultrasound monitor, "I would say there was a definite conversion in my heart ... a spiritual conversion."

Johnson said she became disillusioned with her job after her bosses pressured her for months to increase profits by performing more and more abortions, which cost patients between $505 and $695.

"Every meeting that we had was, 'We don't have enough money, we don't have enough money — we've got to keep these abortions coming,'" Johnson told FoxNews.com. "It's a very lucrative business and that's why they want to increase numbers."

A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood told FoxNews.com that it offers a range of services at it 850 health centers nationwide, providing pregnancy tests, vaccinations and women's health services, "including wellness exams, breast and cervical cancer screenings, contraception, and STD testing and treatment."

"Planned Parenthood's focus is on prevention," wrote Diane Quest, the group's National Media Director. "Nationwide, more than 90% of the health care Planned Parenthood affiliates provide is preventive in nature," explaining that a "core component the organization's mission is to help women plan healthy pregnancies and prevent unintended pregnancies."

But Johnson said her bosses told her to change her "priorities" and focus on abortions, which she said made money for the office at a time when the recession has left them hurting.

"For them there's not a lot of money in education," she said. "There's as not as much money in family planning as there is abortion."

Without a doctor in residence, she said, her clinic offered abortions only two days a month, but the doctor could perform 30 to 40 procedures on each day he was there. Johnson estimated that each abortion could net the branch about $350, adding up to more than $10,000 a month.

"The majority of the money was going to the facility," she said.

Johnson said she never got any orders to increase profits in e-mails or letters, and had no way to prove her allegations about practices at the Bryan branch. She told FoxNews.com that pressure came in personal interactions with her regional manager from the larger Houston office.

But she said she got involved with the clinic "to help women and ... [do] the right thing," and the idea of raking in cash seemed to go against what she felt was the mission of the 93-year-old organization.

"Ideally my goal as the facility's director is that your abortion numbers don't increase," because "you're providing so much family planning and so much education that there is not a demand for abortion services.

"But that was not their goal," she said.

A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood refused to answer questions about Johnson's accusations, but released a statement noting that a district court had issued a temporary restraining order against the former branch director and against the Coalition for Life, an anti-abortion group with which Johnson is now affiliated.

"We regret being forced to turn to the courts to protect the safety and confidentiality of our clients and staff, however, in this instance it is absolutely necessary," said spokeswoman Rochelle Tafolla.

It is unclear what made Planned Parenthood seek the restraining order. Johnson said she did not intend to release any sensitive information about her former patients at the clinic.

A hearing is set for Nov. 10 to determine whether a judge will order an injunction against Johnson and the Coalition for Life, which has led protests outside the clinic and joined her in a prayer vigil there last month.

Johnson hasn't found a job since she quit on Oct. 6, but she said she's enjoying the time off to be with her 3-year-old daughter.

"It's been great just to spend some time at home and get a break," she said.

John Piper's message to the president

2009-09-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 4:7-11

2009-08-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

7But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 9Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Tears of The Saints(powerful video)

2009-08-26T23:39:00.001-07:00

Quote for the day

2009-08-25T16:51:00.001-07:00

Today, even amongst Christians, there can be found much of that spirit that wants to give as little as possible to the Lord, and yet to get as much as possible from Him. The prevailing thought today is of being used, as though that were the one thing that mattered. That my little rubber band should be stretched to the very limit seems all important. But this is not the Lord's mind. The Lord wants us to be used, yes; but what He is after is that we pour all we have, ourselves, to Him, and if that be all, that is enough. --Watchman Nee

This Christ thing ain't no joke

2009-08-21T00:55:00.000-07:00

Romans 5:10(NLT)
10 For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life.

Tonight at our couples bible study we were breaching the topic of forgiveness. As we were working through our study we came across several verses about the love that God had for us even before we came into relationship with Him. It dawned on me(not that I didn't know before, but sometimes lightbulbs come on) that this Christian thing is no joke. So many people see Christianity as this fluffy, sissified crutch that is for the whimps, the weak, and the losers.

The truth of the matter is that it takes a ridiculous amount of guts to live a Christ-like life. As you study the requirements that scripture gives us, you quickly realize it is difficult, actually more than difficult. It is impossible. It is impossible to have the kind of love that Christ showed us, and the kind of forgiveness that Christ offers us. The Kind of love and forgiveness that is supposed to be our model for relationships with others.

Think about this verse for just a second, our relationship with Christ that was, or maybe is if you don't know Christ, completely severed and destroyed because of our sin and our failures was restored because of His willingness to be mocked, beaten, spit upon, nailed to a cross and speared through the side. I defy anyone to tell me that someone who would go through that willingly, while all the while having the power to stop it at any time is weak. He did this for you. He did this so that the relationship that had been broken because of YOU could be restored. He did this even when you were his ENEMY!

Why would Christ do something like this? It doesn't make sense does it? Why would someone go through all of that in order to restore a relationship with someone who lives every day in rebellion against everything He(Christ) is about? Why?

It's because of His love for you. I'm not talking about the fake and fluffy kind of love so often attributed to Jesus. This sissy white guy with girlish wavy brown hair and a cool white robe and birkenstocks floating from place to place spouting off some kind of 60's love child philosophy. Jesus was not the "make love, not war" hippy so many make Him out to be.

No, quite the contrary, The love of Jesus was a violent love, an unconditional love, a love that had nothing to do with you deserving it. A love that could stand through every test and trial. A love that could stand through every act of rebellion, every sin, every failure that you could possibly conceive. When you fail in the biggest possible way, His love still remains. When you deserve absolutely no forgiveness for your offenses against God, He still stands ready to forgive.
That kind of love is not a joke.

Now here is the mind blower. The same love and forgiveness that Christ offers us, is the same kind of love and forgiveness that He expects us to give to others. WHAT??? Are you kidding me? He wants me to forgive that jerk that cut me off in traffic? He wants me to love that busy body in the church that has been lying and spreading rumors about me? He wants me to forgive that monster that hurt me physically or mentally or spiritually?

The answer, as tough as it may seem is yes. Forgiveness is not an option in Christ's plan. In fact, He says very plainly, forgive others as I have forgiven you. Love others as I have loved you.

Christianity, a religion for the weak? I don't think so. This kind of love and forgiveness is definitely not for the weak.

So what is the key to all of this???

GRATITUDE!

What???? Gratitude! What does that have to do with any thing?

It comes down to this. When we get off our high horse of pride and anger and unforgiveness and understand the kind of love we have been shown, we need to, as one of the young ladies in our group shared tonight, pay it forward. There is NO ONE on this planet that has wronged you to the extent that you have wronged God. If Christ, after everything you have done, could forgive you, then those who really get it, and are grateful for it will give that same kind of forgiveness to others.

Is that easy? No Way. No one ever said it would be. The cool thing about it though, is that once you decide to love and forgive on a level beyond your capacity, The Spirit of God will come in and give you the extra stuff you need to do what is impossible to do on your own.

So how about it Christian, it's time to man up(or woman up :) ) whatever the case may be and embark on the adventure of love and forgiveness. It starts with saying, Jesus I thank you that you loved me and forgave me, when I was your enemy. Please help me to learn this kind of love and forgiveness for others.

If you don't know Christ as your savior yet, then it starts with saying, Jesus I recognize that I have done things that have offended you. I have sinned against you and against your love, and I ask you to forgive me for that. I accept your forgiveness and your love, and I will spend the rest of my life living for you in the light of that love. Help me to live for you and to love like you do.

Is this easy? I don't think so.

Is it worth it? Absolutely

B Blessed, Tom

LIFEHOUSE- EVERYTHING DRAMA

2009-08-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

Awesome Video very powerful

Christians killed for.........being Christians

2009-08-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

As U.S. Citizens we complain about so many things, even in the church. When you read a story like this though it kind of brings things into perspective about how easy we have it. At least right now. The real problem is this kind of stuff is happening all over every day, it just doesn't get press attention. For more info. you can check out voice of the martyrs at http://www.persecution.com/

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
From foxnews.com 8/12/09

Four Christians working for an NGO that helps orphans in Somalia have been beheaded by al-Shabaab, according to the human rights watchdog International Christian Concern.
The Christian orphanage workers were reportedly kidnapped on July 27 in the coastal Somali town Marka, some 56 miles from Mogadishu.
The reported executions come as residents of Mogadishu say the extremist group has been forcibly removing their gold and silver teeth using rough tools — or even just their hands
The group alleges that such artificial teeth are used for fashion and beauty, and therefore break strict Muslim religious law, residents from Marka told Reuters.
Al Shabaab has been rounding up anyone seen with a silver or gold tooth and taking them to a masked man who then rips the teeth out with basic tools, Reuters reported.
"I never thought al Shabaab would see my denture as a sin. They took me to their station and removed my silver tooth," resident Bashir told Reuters.
"I met several men and women whose dentures were being pulled out by a masked man they called a doctor. The doctor used a pincer or his gloved hand depending on the strength of the tooth," Bashir said.
Related Stories

"As you smile your silver tooth accuses you. I was at a counter with my friend when three armed al Shabaab ordered me to follow them," he added.
"I am afraid they want to make money from taking all this precious metal."
Al Shabaab officials declined to comment.
Al Shabaab, which means "Youth" in Arabic, is an Al Qaeda-inspired militant group that has taken control of large portions of south and central

Psalm 18 New Living Translation

2009-08-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.
1 I love you, Lord; you are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold.
3 I will call on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
for he saves me from my enemies.
4 The ropes of death surrounded me;
the floods of destruction swept over me.
5 The grave wrapped its ropes around me;
death itself stared me in the face.
6 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry reached his ears.
7 Then the earth quaked and trembled;
the foundations of the mountains shook;
they quaked because of his anger.
8 Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
10 Mounted on a mighty angel, he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.
11 He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.
12 The brilliance of his presence broke through the clouds,
raining down hail and burning coals.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the Most High gave a mighty shout.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused.
15 Then at your command, O Lord,
at the blast of your breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He delivered me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
18 They attacked me at a moment when I was weakest,
but the Lord upheld me.
19 He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.
20 The Lord rewarded me for doing right;
he compensated me because of my innocence.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
22 For all his laws are constantly before me;
I have never abandoned his principles.
23 I am blameless before God;
I have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord rewarded me for doing right,
because of the innocence of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.
26 To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
27 You rescue those who are humble,
but you humiliate the proud.
28 Lord, you have brought light to my life;
my God, you light up my darkness.
29 In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
31 For who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is a solid rock?
32 God arms me with strength;
he has made my way safe.
33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
leading me safely along the mountain heights.
34 He prepares me for battle;
he strengthens me to draw a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation.
Your right hand supports me;
your gentleness has made me great.
36 You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.
37 I chased my enemies and caught them;
I did not stop until they were conquered.
38 I struck them down so they could not get up;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You have armed me with strength for the battle;
you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
40 You made them turn and run;
I have destroyed all who hated me.
41 They called for help, but no one came to rescue them.
They cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer them.
42 I ground them as fine as dust carried by the wind.
I swept them into the gutter like dirt.
43 You gave me victory over my accusers.
You appointed me as the ruler over nations;
people I don’t even know now serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit;
foreigners cringe before me.
45 They all lose their courage
and come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock!
May the God of my salvation be exalted!
47 He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
he subdues the nations under me
48 and rescues me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.
49 For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;
I will sing joyfully to your name.
50 You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.

Thought for the day

2009-08-10T00:24:00.001-07:00

How many times do we lose that expectation of the adventure of life. The mundane overtakes the sense of adventure, and we lose sight that today could be the day for miracles, today could be the day for salvation, or deliverance that comes from Christ through us.

cussing pastors

2009-07-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

Reasons To Risk It All

2009-04-05T00:45:00.000-07:00

I Read This article by Pastor Steve Parrish of The Fathers House in Vancouver, Washington. I thought it was pretty awesome considering our own attempt at "risking it all" You can find a lot of fantastic, and helpful articles for planting and replanting churches at Steve's blog @ replant.blogspot.com. Check it out

Reasons To Risk It All

As Dwight would say, "Question..." (got to love The Office) Would you and your church be willing to risk the comfort of where you are for the sake of achieving something greater for the benefit of others? Don't just rush past that. Think about it for just a minute. Would you be willing to cash in all that you have for the opportunity to accomplishing something greater... at the risk of losing everything? As hard as it has been to carve out the spot where you stand, would you be willing to attempt to trade up, even if it meant ending up with nothing?
I sat at my desk considering my situation. I had been at our church for three years. Our gatherings had become relatively functional. I was no longer freaked out and embarrassed on Sundays. The bills were paid. There were testimonies of Jesus' hand in peoples lives. The building was renovated. The sanctuary and parking lot were above the 80% mark. We were doing a few things better than churches triple our size. We had a good mix of ages. People participated in our upbeat worship. We had a full time youth pastor. The parking lot was paved. There was money in the bank. I was cashing a great paycheck each week. And... I was torturously unhappy at the thought of maintaining that same spot for the rest of my life.
Without a radical change I knew that we would never move beyond that spot. It was a good spot. It was a better spot than where we were three years prior. But there was no room in the glass for another drop. Every new drop required the departure of an old drop. We had come to the place of maintaining. We would never move beyond the 150 mark without a "risk it all" type of move. We were hindered by our location and facility. We had topped out at a place sufficient for survival with no significant impact in our county. It was a wonderful place for us, but the Jesus of our church was relatively unknown by the majority of the 150,000 people in our community. I felt like the captain of a small life boat navigating through the body infested waters after the Titanic sank. I was safe. My people were safe. What about the others?
If we were to reach more, we would have to relocate. It was necessary, but oh so risky. Everything we had achieved could be lost in the attempt. We would lose the facilty we had renovated. We could potentially lose all of our money. We would go from debt-free to significantly in debt! There was the risk of losing our church family, our security, not to mention my paycheck and all that went with that. We would be risking our "perceived success" for possible failure.
While we were all grateful for what we had been given and what had been achieved, it wasn't enough, so we decided to relocate. Maintaining was not an option. We purchased land and started to build. We haven't completed the process yet (about 8 weeks away at the time of this article). There have been several dark moments when it felt like all might be lost. I am assuming that there might be several more of those moments in the future. In fact, failure is an option. It could happen. I wouldn't be the first, nor the last. But with that said, I think there are a few good reasons to risk what is for what can be, even if we fail.
1. He Risked Everything For Us - Jesus set aside the comfort and security of heaven to come to this dirt ball trapped in a clay costume to put it all on the line for you and me. He jumped without a parachute. He risked everything. While some might argue otherwise, I believe that he could have failed in his mission. The obstacles were huge. He risked failure. He risked rejection. He risked death. After being crucified, understand that He did not have the ability to resurrect Himself. He had to rely on the Spirit for that feat. But his risk was rewarded with salvation available for every person who has ever lived. His risk means eternity for me!
2. Risk Is A Component Of Faith - Faith is that thing that gets God attention, causes him to smile, and bring His hand of involvement. Every time we step out in faith, there is risk involved. Abraham left home. David stood before the giant. Peter stepped out of the boat. Jesus hung on the cross. The risk factor is what makes faith such a leap. It's a tradeoff. You trade what you have for something better, but you never receive the better if you aren't willing to risk what you have.
3. Eternity Is At Stake - What is one soul worth? Apparently, it was worth everything to Jesus. Just one. What are two souls worth? Three? Four? What would you give to reach one more? If the risk is rewarded by reaching more souls that will spend an eternity in a glorious heaven as opposed to a fiery hell, it is a risk worth taking.
4. People Need Inspiration - There are many individuals, families and churches that need to move from their comfort zone to a place of risk so that they can fulfill their destiny in Christ. Most people are motivated to action when they see someone else 'going for it' and succeeding. Remember, the terrified army of Israel was emboldened to action after a young man stood before a nine foot giant and took him out with a rock. After David decapitated Goliath, the entire army jumped up to pursue the Philistines. The were moved to risk as they witnessed someone else doing the same. This risk was necessary so that the people of God could receive what God had rightfully given to them.
5. To Maintain Is to Lose - anyone who has cupped their hands and tried to hold on to all of the water within will tell you it is impossible to keep what you have. If you attempting to maintain anything, you are actually losing. Things change too quickly. People move. New technology is introduced. A new cultural fad is born. If you aren't increasing, you are decreasing. If you tried to maintain a dollar, a year later it is worth 3-4% less. You've lost simply because of inflation. The man who buried his talent in the ground found that out, and the Lord made it clear that He isn't in to a maintaining mentality.
I don't know what your situation is, but if you are contemplating wether or not the risk is worth it, I would scream "IT IS!" I have yet to accomplish my quest, an I can honestly say that failure would be more acceptable than maintaining. It should be a calculated risk, and you do need counsel, and you should count the cost. But if you can potentially lose everything, I'll bet the reward is sizable and will impact eternity significantly. Listen to me. Quit stalling. Begin to pray. Put the plan together. Get some counsel. Build your team. Make your pitch and then JUMP!

The Devils Beatitudes

2009-03-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

If the devil were to write his beatitudes, they would probably go something like this:

Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour once a week with their fellow Christians -- they are my best workers.

Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked -- I can use them.

Blessed are those who seek worldly pleasures instead of seeking the will of God -- they are my missionaries.

Blessed are the trouble makers -- they shall be called my children.

Blessed are those who murmur and complain and have no joy they really make my work easy.

Blessed are those who are focused on the minister's mannerisms and mistakes -- for they get nothing out of his sermons.

Blessed is the church member who expects to be invited to his own church -- for he is a part of the problem instead of the solution.

Blessed are those who gossip -- for they shall cause strife and divisions that please me.

Blessed are those who are easily offended -- for they will soon get angry and quit.

Blessed are those who do not give their tithes or offering to carry on God's work but will spend it selfishly on themselves -- for they are MY helpers.

Blessed is he who professes to love God but hates his brother and sister -- for he shall be with me forever.

Matt Redman Heart of Worship with artist

2009-03-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

Very sad story

2009-03-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Slain Pastor’s Church Says ‘God Is Not Surprised’
Adrienne S. Gaines

March 9, 2009 -- An Illinois pastor was killed Sunday when a gunman entered the church and opened fire during the first of three morning worship services.
The Rev. Fred Winters, pastor of First Baptist Church of Maryville, deflected the first of four bullets with his Bible, causing pages to fly "like confetti," witnesses told the Associated Press. After four shots, the man's .45-caliber handgun jammed, and he stabbed himself with a knife and injured two other church members when they tackled the man. One remains hospitalized, while the other has been treated and released.
The gunman, identified by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as 27-year-old Terry Joe Sedlacek from Troy, Ill., is hospitalized and in police custody. In a previous Post-Dispatch report, Sedlacek claimed to have lyme disease, which he said was a cause of his mental illness.
Church members said they did not recognize the gunman.
Winters, 45, became senior pastor of First Baptist Church in 1987. Since then the church has grown from 32 members to more than 1,200. Winters was also an adjunct professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a past president of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Winters is survived by his wife, Cindy, and their two daughters.
The Baptist association's current executive director, Nate Adams, said Winters was "a wonderful, gifted, leading pastor in Illinois, and a dear friend.
"Our great God is not surprised by this, or anything. That He allows evil and free will to have their way in tragedies like this is a mystery in many ways," Adams said in a statement Sunday. "But we know we can trust Him no matter what, and draw close to Him in any circumstances. Let's draw closer to Him and to one another during this terrible tragedy, and renew our faith and obedience to His purposes for however many days we have remaining to serve Him."
Leaders at First Baptist asked those "who believe in the power of prayer" to intercede for the congregation as they cope with the loss of their pastor.
"In this day, where uncertainty seems to abound creating an environment in which people are vulnerable in doing things they might not do otherwise, one thing is certain, we, as human beings need a foundation upon which we can live our lives," worship pastor Mark Jones said. "We at First Baptist Maryville, along with other Christian believers, share this conviction: that foundation is God's Word. In the pages of the Book we call the Bible, we find the pathway for peace, hope, and a quality of living life despite what circumstances we find ourselves in.
"To those who believe in the power of prayer, we covet your prayers right now."

Trust

2009-03-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 3:5 and 6 (New King James Version)

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Very Cool

2009-03-04T21:58:00.000-08:00

Remember who you are

2009-03-03T18:21:00.000-08:00

Then from on High, Somewhere in the distance
There is a voice that calls, Remember who you are
If you lose yourself, your courage will soon follow
So be strong tonight, Remember who you are!!

From Sound The Bugle
Gavin Greenaway and Trevor Horn

Awesome quote from Nelson Mandela

2009-03-02T22:41:00.000-08:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant gorgeous talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us... And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Nelson Mandela

Dissing Discipleship

2009-02-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

This article was written by a personal hero of mine in the faith. Jack Hayford is a man who has found incredible success and notoriety without losing his focus on what is important. I thought this was awesome and right on the money.

Dissing Discipleship
Jack Hayford

A contemporary “weigh in” on an ancient value.
First, knowing so many ministry-types serve Jesus' goals, I don't want to seem unduly critical of any in addressing a concern. If you're a dedicated servant-leader, I'm on your side! But I want to bluntly talk about the lessened "weight" being given today to Jesus' strategy for advancing His church. He said, "Go—make disciples!"—and this foundational call is increasingly being "dissed."
"Dissing"—the pop word for disrespect—is becoming normalized regarding discipleship. I don't think it's calculated, but it's occurring as "doing church" supplants "becoming the church." A dimming focus on plain, New Testament discipling is bringing us to the brink of evolving dumbed-down saints, a deceivable elect and a crippled Body emptied of ministry strength and unready to face persecution.
Without discipleship, we are at risk of garnering believers in Jesus while not growing stable, committed, empowered agents of Christ. Jesus spoke of people who "for joy" lay claim to faith, but who do not endure. They wither when trials or pressure comes (see Mark 4:5, 17)—and Christians are facing an increase of both in our world.
As leaders, we would well be warned of our common vulnerability to being distracted by the abundance of "enhancements" available to ministry today. "Make up" isn't evil, but it's no substitute for leading believers to "take up" the disciple's cross and be shaped as His true followers. We're within frightening reach of being able to grow bigger churches while failing to grow bigger people.
We are increasingly tooled and trained in technology and management techniques, better resourced with music and media effects, and better housed and staged for added consumer appeal. While not attacking these outsourced resources, I'm asking about our outcomes. Amid our heavyweight enterprises at refining style, we are growing weak in substance. In our version of the bride "trimming to be pretty," are we ending with lightweight believers?
Here are some oft-accepted habits that hint at our weakness. I'm damning none of them, but I'm asking, "What do they weigh?"
Special music and skills may assist our worshipping God, and real discipling indeed requires encountering Him. But if my guitarist is being given an 8-bar lick between verses, does the applause generated create an event rather than an encounter with God?
A 7-minute drama, carefully, cleverly prepared to reinforce the message of God's word can be heart-searching and hilarious. But if our skits become more for fun than for focus, are we simply "rolling in commercials" for an end product that isn't—or was never—in Jesus' mind?
Today's pastor-teacher lives in a world requiring more than a "speaker." It looks for "communicators." Has that mandate turned our focus away from our discipling task to our delivery style? In preaching, might I gain smiles with my cleverness while losing my grip on my sword, satisfying "itching ears" (2 Tim. 4:3) while watering down "the apostle's doctrine" (Acts 2:42)?
What about my "charismatic" potential for breeding some people whose preoccupation with "prophetic words from the Lord" have drawn them away from a hunger to be fed the word of God? My "prophesying" may attract a following, but in the end, will they follow Jesus?
Let's focus on the real and lasting. This demanding hour calls for disciplers—leaders who won't be "diss-tanced" from the call.

Jack Hayford is the founder of The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, Calif., chancellor of The King's College and Seminary and the president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. This orginally appeared in Ministry Today magazine.

True Friendship

2009-02-19T21:13:00.000-08:00

Are you tired of those sissy 'friendship' poems that always sound good,
but never actually come close to reality?

Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of True Friendship.

You WON'T see cutesy little smiley faces
Just the stone cold truth of our
great friendship.

1. When you are sad,
I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew!!!

2. When you are blue,I will try to dislodge
whatever is
choking you.

3. When you smile,
I will know you are
plotting something
that I must be
involved in.

4. When you're scared, we will high tail it out of here.

5. When you are worried,
I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse
it could be until you quit
whining, ya big baby!!!!
So suck it up and Deal with it!

6. When you are confused,
I will use
little words.

7. When you are sick,
Stay away from me
until you are
well again.
I don't want
whatever you have.

8. When you fall,
I'll pick you up and dust you
off--
After I laugh
my butt off!!

9. This is my
oath...
I pledge it to the end.

'Why?' you may ask;
--because you are my FRIEND!

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

2009-02-14T22:46:00.001-08:00

Points to ponder

2009-02-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

ABORTION
A professor in a world-acclaimed medical school once posed this medical situation -- and ethical problem -- to his students: "Here's the family history: The father has syphilis. The mother has TB. They already have had four children. The first is blind. The second had died. The third is deaf. The fourth has TB. Now the mother is pregnant again, The parents come to you for advice. They are willing to have an abortion, if you decide they should. What do you say?"

The students gave various individual opinions, and then the professor asked them to break into small groups for "consultation." All of the groups came back to report that they would recommend abortion.

"Congratulations," the professor said, "You just took the life of Beethoven!"

I love This Video

2009-02-07T23:25:00.000-08:00

The Call is over I realize, but I love this video

A prayer for the Stressed out Christian

2008-12-01T17:49:00.000-08:00

Heavenly Father, Help me remember that the jerk who cut me off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry, and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help me to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for the next school year.

Remind me, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really out to get a job) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help me to remember, Father, that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they can go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind me each day that, of all the gifts You give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open my heart, dear Lord, not to just those who are close to me, but to all humanity. Let me be slow to judge, and quick to forgive, show patience, and empathy, and love. Amen.

When is enough, enough? Now may be a good time

2008-08-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

I've put off posting this blog for a couple of reasons.

First, I'm a revival guy. I love the power of God. I love to see people healed miraculously, and I have seen it. I love when the prophetic word is given by a person with a true prophetic gift, and I have seen it. I love it when God moves on someones life, and they are changed from the inside out, saved, delivered from addictions, brought from darkness into God's light, and I've seen it. I love it when you're in a church full of worshippers and the power of God falls and people respond in all sorts of ways, but you just know it's God, and trust me, I've seen it.

Maybe you're starting to get the point. I am not some guy who is opposed to the moving of The Holy Spirit in power. Sometimes that can look messy, and sometimes out of control, but you know what? I've seen it, and I've got to make a confession, I LOVE IT, WITHOUT APOLOGY!

So, what I'm about to say is not coming from a person who isn't unashamedly pentecostal/Charismatic. I believe in the power of God, and I follow hard after the God of Signs, wonders, power and miracles. Notice that I said I follow God, not the signs.

Secondly, I realize that many who may read this blog in my "circle" may not have been raised pentecostal, as I have. They may not necessarily pay attention to all the "prophetic" people, and all the "revivalists" that are currently gaining much notoriety in the pentecostal/Charismatic world. To be honest, I'm not really interested in sparking an interest in them or you to chase after some of the nonsense that I will be discussing here.

So, why am I posting this blog then? Being a pastor is not a joke to me. It's not an attempt to find an "easy" job. The old joke you know, being a pastor you only really have to work on sundays, and wednesdays. Sometimes people think they know, but they have no idea how it can weigh on you to really ponder the fact that somebody's eternal destination may depend on your teaching and your council. Lives can be built up or tore down because of what you say. Whether people walk in the truth of The Bible or in some false teaching that can wreck peoples lives. Oh and by the way, I've seen that to. Am I being overdramatic. You may think so, but I don't. The people that attend my church and are influenced by the ministry God has placed me in matter to me more than they could begin to understand.

GET TO THE POINT ALREADY TOM!!! RIGHT?

Alright, here it goes. As I said earlier, I'm a pentecostal, and I love the supernatural work of God, but there has to be a time when those who really stand for the truth of the Bible stand up and say enough is enough. We have prominent people, people that are being covered by major news outlets that are "leaders" and "apostles" and "prophets" who are shaming the name of God. I can put up with a lot when it comes to peoples personal little quirks. Just because a person doesn't look like me, or preach like me, or act like me doesn't mean they are not being used of God. If that were the case then I might be in trouble, because I'm not a suit and tie guy. I'm not a a scream it and shout it pentecostal, I wear jeans and sometimes a (gasp) t-shirt. So, some may consider me the weirdo. However, when you start teaching things like this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKA_X1zxOQc&feature. Uhhh. hmmm. I think I'll stick with Jesus. We need to believe in the angel and not Jesus. Hmmm NO! I'm not trying to flame Todd Bentley here. I'm worried about Him. This is just one instance when he has said and taught things that are completely 180 degrees from what the Bible says.

In recent days I have read about other ministers that are gaining notoriety. In their "services" they do such wonderful things as "smoke some Jehovawana." Nice huh? Oh wait, how about this one, they like to "toke the Ghost" referring to the Holy Ghost. Wait it gets better(or worse) They also like to do shots of "Godka" and "smoke the baby Jesus." That one even comes complete with a little "Baby Jesus" doll that you put in your mouth and take a "hit" of. Now, if I were to tell you who follow revival movements and such you probably wouldn't recognize these guys names, and I dread talking about it here, because I don't want you to look for it yourself, even just for curiosity. The problem is that there are some very respected leaders. People, who to be quite honest with you, I've looked up to for a long time. Again, I'm not trying to tear anybody down here, some of the leaders I've respected for a long time. However, they are letting these people who are outright BLASPHEMING MY GOD to come and minister to their people. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!

It's time for the shepherds in the body of Christ to stand up and oppose this garbage. Too many Spirit-filled leaders are afraid to say anything because they don't want to be seen as opposing a move of God. There may be some people who are opposing the move of God, but it is not you. Someone has to stand up and teach truth, or do you know the truth. It's scary to say that there are pastors who look at this stuff and think it is good. Why? Either they are weak or they don't know the Bible well enough to be teaching it. Maybe they just want the notoriety of being one of the big dogs and they would sacrifice their integrity as ministers to get it. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I'm quite sure that none of those I'm speaking of will read this, but just in case, GET IT TOGETHER!!!! You're standing by and allowing the body of Christ to be corrupted with this trash and you will be held accountable. When the money is gone, and the crowds are gone, you will stand before God and have to explain why you allowed this on your watch.

It's time for the believers in the body of Christ to get in the book. Don't mindlessly buy into what some "prophet" says just because he has a large platform or a big "ministry" Get in the Bible and learn it yourself. Wow, that was good. I think I'll say it again. GET IN THE BIBLE AND LEARN IT YOURSELF!!!!!!

In fact, that is my point. I'm not interested in attacking people, but I am interested in attacking lies. One time, I was working at a coffee shop(woo hoo go fast lane) :) There were some counterfit 20 dollar bills going around and a police officer that came through was telling me about it. He said the best way to tell if a bill is a counterfit is to study the genuine article. Study a real 20 dollar bill and know what it looks like, and then ANY counterfit that comes along will stand out to you.

There are many counterfit doctrines and teachers out there right now, and if you don't know The Bible(the genuine article) You won't know the counterfit. I challenge you to know what you believe. Don't be a mindless follower, but test what you are being taught and see if it lines up with that book that may be growing dusty on the shelf over there.

I'm sorry if this sounds angry, I'm not angry, I'm frustrated. I want to see the real deal. I want to see people saved like never before. I want to see more healings, more revivals, more power, MORE OF GOD MOVING IN OUR CHURCHES. Sadly, I think it is being hindered because the people of God are pursuing the "spirit"(Not sure which spirit sometimes) but not pursuing the truth. The truth of God's word. God moves through His word. He empowers through His word. We battle against evil with the power of God's word. But it's hard to fight with a weapon you don't know how to use. Everyone preaches that we need a "new thing" or a "new move of God" Maybe we should pay attention to what we've already been given before we go searching for something new. Then maybe we will see a "real" move of God. Maybe then we will really see a "new thing"

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Oh, and uhh, have a good day :) Tom

Very meaningful quote that we need to pay attention to.

2008-08-07T21:54:00.001-07:00

“Many tender-minded Christians fear to sin against love by daring to inquire into anything that comes wearing the cloak of Christianity and breathing the name of Jesus.
They dare not examine the credentials of the latest prophet to hit their town lest they be guilty of rejecting something which may be of God.
They timidly remember how the Pharisees refused to accept Christ when He came, and they do not want to be caught in the same snare, so they either reserve judgment or shut their eyes and accept everything without question.
This is supposed to indicate a high degree of spirituality. But in sober fact it indicates no such thing. It may indeed be evidence of the absence of the Holy Spirit. Gullibility is not synonymous with spirituality. Faith is not a mental habit leading its possessor to open his mouth and swallow everything that has about it the color of the supernatural.
Faith keeps its heart open to whatever is of God, and rejects everything that is not of God, however wonderful it may be. Try the spirits is a command of the Holy Spirit to the Church. We may sin as certainly by approving the spurious as by rejecting the genuine. And the current habit of refusing to take sides is not the way to avoid the question.
To appraise things with a heart of love and then to act on the results is an obligation resting upon every Christian in the world. And the more as we see the day approaching.”
- A. W. Tozer

Thanks

2008-08-03T19:27:00.000-07:00

Just a short note to say thanks to everyone who has called and prayed and visited and inquired as to my families well being after their accident. You never know who your friends really are until something like this happens. Anyway, Ann's knee is hurting pretty badly, but she is ok. Josh, heather, and calen are almost as good as new. God really had his hand on them, and the accident should have been much worse.

Please pray for the gentleman who hit them. He was arrested for drunk driving,(his second duii) driving while suspended and 5 counts of assault 2. We are hoping that this will be a wake up to him and that his life will take a new turn.

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks and we love you. God Bless, Tom

Through which eyes do you see?

2008-08-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

Through which eyes do you see?
For one a shattered dream has come for another a new day will dawn

through which eyes do you see?

For one this life dark misery for another an obstacle to destroy

through which eyes do you see?

for one the world will never treat fair for another owed nothing, life without fear

through which eyes do you see?

for one a cross of shame, cruel death for another master of evil the pinnacle of success

For one three day pass one by one then as stone breaks free from death's cold domain

A son will rise, through the blackness of defeat in His hands he holds the keys,

fear is gone, death has no sting, the sons of adam feel every chain break free.

For another hell is prepared, vision of destruction crushed the defeated foe, fate sealed shut. Through which eyes do you see?

Wisdom For Prospering in Troubled Times pt. 1

2008-07-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

Where is your joy?

2008-07-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

So, It's amazing how many people I run into lately, in church and out, who are completely consumed with everything that is wrong in life. You know the type I'm sure. No matter what you say there is no solution to the devastating circumstances of a drama filled life. You may run into that person and you are feeling good, life is good, God loves me, what a great day!! Yet, by the end of the conversation you want to go and crawl in a hole with a gallon of chocolate ice cream and eat your sorrows away. Sometimes, it's as if you can feel the life being sucked right out of you.

Why is our human nature so inclined to flow right into the cesspool of negative thought and self-abusive introspection? It shouldn't be so. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is the place where our adversary, Satan, wants us. Looking at ourselves, looking at the bad, looking at everything that may not even be wrong, BUT IT COULD HAPPEN!!! As long as we're looking at everything that is wrong, we are certainly not looking at the one person who can, in His plan, make everything right.

In the Bible, King David blew it bad! He hooked up with another guys wife and had a one night stand and got her pregnant. Whoops, didn't mean for that to happen. However, The Bible says that David was a man after God's own heart, so surely David immediately confessed his sin to God and made it right with his little fling and her husband right. I mean if you're a man after God's own heart that's what you would do right? Wrong! David called the guy home from the battle that he was fighting in and tried to get him to go sleep with his wife, so it would look like he got her pregnant. Great plan! The Only problem was, his one night stands husband was a man of honor and would not be with his wife while his friends were still on the front line in the fight. So, what did David do? Confessed? Swallowed his pride and made it right? Nah, not David. He had the guy killed. A man after God's own heart? Huh?

When David finally came to grips with the enormity of his guilt, he was understandably bummed out. During this time He wrote what came to be Psalm 51 in our Bible. David goes into a long time of asking God for forgiveness and confessing his HUGE failure.

The next thing that happened though was interesting. David asks God to restore his joy. Hmm, restore his joy?? Shouldn't he allow this dark time of his life to haunt him forever? Apparently not.

David understood something that MANY people in the church need to understand, that is, Repentance is necessary, and that is difficult and many times painful. When we have to look at who we truly are, we may find ourselves derolect and empty. However, we must remember that our strength does not come in sorrow, it comes in the JOY!! In Psalm 51 David says, "Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed O God........and my tongue shall SING ALOUD of your righteousness. David understood that he could not stay in his sorrow forever. The Bible says "You shall go out with joy, and be led with peace. God's battle plan is joy and not sorrow. When we fail God, or when circumstances aren't rolling our way, we have to deal with it, but then we have to move on in Joy and peace.

What is it that has you down right now. Sin in your life? Life circumstances bumming you out? Be like David, take that need to God, confess and ask forgiveness if you need to, tell God what your need is, and then trust that He's got it covered. The minute we get a revelation that God has it covered, its amazing how that joy and peace will rise up in us. And that, my friend, is your place of strength. How? Because God's word says "The joy of the Lord is your strength." Believe it and live it. Quit allowing life to get you down all the time. God has something way better than that for you. God Bless, Pastor Tom

"In The Bag" Backpack giveaway is coming August 23, 2008

2008-07-31T17:00:00.000-07:00