Ordination

Hello friends....Today is a great day! I have been working towards the goal of being ordained very intently for 25 months. I finished my academic obligations for ordination in April and then was scheduled to be ordained in June. I honestly was excited to be ordained but maybe felt more relieved to be done with all the homework and travelling to meet the requirements for ordination. Last night was my night....I was ordained at 7:30pm Mountain time on June 28th, 2009. Dr. Joann Lyon preached the message. It was definitely a holy occasion. I am so honored to be an ordained minister....to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Dr. Lyon went into depth to explain the significance of a verse of scripture that she used for her text. Very powerful.

John 12:32
And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself."(NLT)

It is not about the people. It is not about the church building. It is not about the cute messages or technology. It is the simple truth of Christ. To preach Jesus crucified on the rugged cross and that as He was lifted up on that cross, He would draw all people to Himself. It is my prayer that I live every day to the fullest and that with every opportunity I have, I can point people to the cross and that He indeed will draw all to Himself. Praise be to God that the story did not end with the cross. Jesus did indeed die on the cross, was taken down and buried but three days later, Jesus arose from the dead.......alive forevermore....Victorious over death, hell and the grave.

Last night, I entered into a fresh, lifelong, and renewed commitment to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Lord.....Please make this fire burn hotter and more intense every day until my work is done. May I run faithfully and finish well. This same prayer is for all who read this as well. God bless you as you serve Christ and His church!

You were created for.....

Ever heard that line.....It's my life, I'll do what I want? I have heard it so many times. Interesting enough I have heard it a lot lately even from Christians. Do we really remember why we were created? God created us for His good pleasure. You and I were created to worship Him and bring glory to His name. That is it. Everything else is just a side task...a part time hobby. We are created to give our lives completely away to Jesus Christ. Think about that the next time you get overwhelmed with your job or career. Think about that when the car breaks down or you have some unexpected bill to pay. You are created to worship. Worship God who loves you and created you in His image. When your focus is on Him, it is just amazing how small the things of this world will become. God bless you and I pray this will encourage you today.

Real Purpose

Let me ask you a question: Is God good? I not only believe that God is Good, I know it with every fiber of my being. He is the definition of good. God is good...all the time. And all the time, God is good.

Another question: Do you believe God is all powerful? You should because the scripture is very clear that all power was given to Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:18

Does God have your best interest at heart? He sure does...Matthew 6:25-34 is very clear that God cares about every need in your life and he meets every one of your needs.

So......If God is good and if He is all powerful and if He has your very best interest at heart, why don't we listen to Him when He gives us instructions to leave? What do I mean?

Genesis 12:1-4
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you." So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.(NLT)

God told Abram to leave...He didn't tell him details of where he was going, how long he was going to be gone or if he was even coming back. God said, "Go" and Abram went. Following that one command was 7 promises. God will never ask you to do anything without some sort of reassurance or promise or provision. For example:
Matthew 11:28
Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.(NLT)

Jesus said come to me. If you come to me, I will give you rest. The scripture is filled with examples of how God always provides promises and provisions with His commands.

Today, He is asking you to leave. Leave what? It might be geographical. Maybe God wants you to go on the mission field for Him. Maybe it is spiritual. God wants you to leave where you are spiritually so that He can take you where He wants you to be. Are you spending as much time in the Bible as you can? How about prayer? Doing a lot of that? Do you spend time just quiet waiting for Him to speak to you? I think that one fits us all, doesn't it? Maybe He is asking you to leave the pain of the past and embrace the incredible future He has for you. Maybe He wants you to leave that addiction or life of sin. Turn from that and embrace the gift He has given us in His Son, Jesus Christ. Don't question God. His ways are so much better and higher than our ways. He is good. He is all powerful and He has only your best interest at heart. Trust and obey. You won't go wrong and you won't ever regret leaving when the Spirit of God asks you to.

God is so good!

I think of Jesus' words in John chapter 8 when He is talking with the woman who was supposedly caught in the act of adultery. Jesus told her that He didn't condemn her and encouraged or commanded her to go and sin no more. I'm not sure how accurately we can use street language here but it almost seems as if Jesus is saying, "You're gonna mess up. Don't walk around defeated. When you fall off your bike, let your Daddy pick you back up, dust you off and tell you to get up and try it again. I'm so glad that God forgives me and takes me back when I mess up. He is so good. This is a powerful video that reminds me of God's love and mercy.

Don't Lose Hope

It is really easy to get caught up in the stress and worries of this world, isn't it? Think about it. You and I spend so many hours taking care of our homes, our yards, our jobs, our cars, our bodies, our selfish motivations. The list could go on and on. We are given 168 hours in every week to live....Jesus wants us to cast all our cares upon Him. Why? Because He cares for us. He loves us. He is so much more deserving than what we offer Him.... Think about those 168 hours a week that you live. How many of them are given to the Lord? How many are spent on selfish desires? How many of them are spent on the temporal things of this world? How many of them are set aside as sacred..holy...just for Him? 1? 3? 10?

Christ is coming back! And it could be today. Are you ready? Are you anxiously looking for that day? That day.....hmmmmm. What will that day look like?

Revelation 21:1-5a
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever." And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making everything new!" NLT)

Live for Him today. Don't lose hope. Don't get caught up in the worries and cares of today. There is so much more...so much more