Thoughts/Teachings

Monday, February 1st, 2010

"Psam 127:3 says that sons are a heritage from the Lord and children are a REWARD from Him. In later verses it reads that sons born in one's younger days are like arrows in the hands of a warrior!. No two ways about it, the Bible puts a pretty big premium on children. How shocking that the world doesn't seem to share God's views. :) For the longest time even I didn't share God's views of the family. I was one of the many who considered children an inconvenience and something only to be thought about "when the time was right" and everything else was done you ever wanted to do in life. What did the verse above say? Sons born in one's younger days are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. The Bible is so old fashioned. Sometimes just reading what it says in today's culture can make you feel as if you need to defend it or say, "well, that's not REALLY what it means". Today's culture is so out of whack with what God calls pure and holy and good that in
reality you cannot mix the two without some serious discussions and strife between the two. Kristi and I are about to have our first little one. Am I a little nervous? Yeah, you bet. Am I even a little scared? Sure! I am not a kid person at all. I never have been. I normally do not want to hold them, play with them, or even watch them when people think they're so cute. :) You know what? After our little one comes I am not necessarily going to be a kid person still. I will, however, look to that verse in Psalms and realize that this blessing is a REWARD from Father God. It really is a blessing. I will choose to say and confess what the Bible say versus what I have been used to my whole life. Now, don't get me wrong....I am pretty excited about meeting the little one. I have begun to have a love for it even now in these days leading up to the birth. It's just not something I've always wanted. Kristi has, I tell you! She's been waiting for this for a
long, long time. I haven't. It took some getting used to the idea I was gonna be a father. I am getting used to it, however, and know God is going to bless our socks off with this baby. I am looking forward to loving it, teaching it, and most of all nururing it in the ways of God and not the ways of the world, so that one day, God willing, if my child becomes a parent, it has learned to cherish this blessing of God way before their father did. :)

Thursday, December 17th

"Falling Short"

Lately (as in the last 24 hours) I have been feeling really unworthy and condemned. It is because I have been reading about some of the great men of the faith and all they did for God. How holy they allowed God to make them. They weren't more sanctified or holy because they were special or tried harder......they simply did 2 things. They spent time with Jesus. When you spend time with the Lord you become like Him. He is living in you to the extent you allow Him to live in you and produce fruit in your life. 2ndly, they believed in sanctification as a second blessing/reality to be experienced by God's people on this earth. Many are sadly taught that all they can hope for is to be forgiven of their many sins and then they'll go to heaven because they asked Jesus in their hearts. Thats not the gospel at all. The gospel is "repent and believe". Repent of your old thoughts and dead works and believe what God said. Jesus died and was lifted up from death and
took our sins. He took them so we could be forgiven of all the stuff we did before we were saved and when we fall short of the mark in our actions after we know Jesus. However, it goes deeper. Jesus actually took away our sins. He took away that sin nature and buried it in the ground when He died and then when He arose He left that mess down there. When we believe that(because that IS the gospel) and have faith that God will manifest that in our life regardless of what we see with our natural eyes at the moment, then we are excercising faith in the true gospel. It includes much, much more than that, but that's all we'll talk about today. So many think that they invite Jesus to live in their hearts and then they're saved and that's basucally it for salvation. Salvation includes sanctifiaction. When you repent and believe God saves your spirit. It's up to us to take what God said we have and put to death the deeds of the flesh so we can bear fruit 30, 60,
and 100 fold. That's what makes a true BELIEVER. if we don't bear fruit that means we are not believing the gospel. The bible says only those who are overcomers of sin are going to be in Heaven. He has given us the faith to do so and the Word says that we can put to death the deeds of the flesh by walking according to the new Spirit that is in us. Take heart......it's not your job to be perfect. Christ has already attained it for you. Just believe it and stand your ground against the Devil. He would not have you enter into this sanctification, but its part of our rights as believers. Jesus already accomplished it at the cross. Satan is a defeated foe who will lie to us to allow him to continue to keep us in bondage. Believe God and He will change you from the old man to the new man.

Friday, September 5th 2008

"Jesus is so wonderful. It's true that when you keep your eyes on God and not let them move to the right or the left you are satisfied, complete, and life does not shake you. It's when we have those moments, minutes, days, or weeks of taking our eyes off of Jesus and placing them on things, experiences, wants, and desires that we start going astray. This world and all that is in it is passing away. You know...you have only so many years on this planet to do things for the Kingdom and then we will reap what we planted on this earth. Most of us are reaping for the carnal and not the eternal. Why are we so nearsighted? Why do we allow the pleasures of a season or the temporal little shiny things to take the place of the greater things of God? It seems so stupid! :) The Bible says that we shouldn't worry about what we'll wear or eat, but that if we seek first His kingdom then He will provide those things for us as well. He is a good God...a good Father. He does not provide completely for those Who doubt Him or aren't abiding in Him, but if we'll have faith in Him and trust and stay in His will then there's nothing He won't do for us. Thank God the Father for the Son, the Author of life and salvation!"

Thursday, August 28th

"It rained yesterday. Rained alot. It was the first time on this tour we've had to content with absolute awful weather. We've been blessed thus far with relatively cool temps here in the upper Midwest and really no drving in the rain to speak of. Well, last night heading home from Little Falls, MN we just got drenched. I mean buckets! It rained that way almost the whole 2 hours back to St. Paul, where we were staying. The kind of downpours where you can't see the road. Anyway....we made it safely back, and the Lord watched over us. It's a beautiful day here in St. Paul now. The weather here in Minnesota since we arrive Saturday has been just picture perfect. Upper 60's to mid 70's and blue skies. Kristi is downstairs doing something. She just ate a late breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast. We didn't get up 'til almost 11 this morning! I have been working feverishly trying to catch up on emails, calls, and getting things ready for the last full weekend of the tour. We had a cancellation in Ohio next weekend on Sunday night, so we are heading home to Virginia a week earlier than planned and will just bite the bullet and drive 8 and 1/2 hours each way for a single concert on Saturday night. It was a bummer, and we've tried to schedule something on Sunday morning or Sunday night, but we're just having no luck at all getting anything at this last minute, unfortunately. We'll just trust that the Lord is in control over this calendar and He sends us where He ultimately wants us. So, the football craze starts tonight. College football starts this weekend and then Pro football starts next week. I do love me some football. It'll be nice to see the Cavaliers begin the season with a humble loss to USC. :) The Lord has been teaching us once again about His provision on this tour. His arm is never short to save and we always tend to think that it is. It's that old unbelieving heart that we have. He is proving that to us time and time again on this tour. Keep looking at the Savior."

11:22AM
Wednesday, July 16th

"I have a great wife. We've only been married just a little over 6 months, but already I can tell I have a Godly woman who loves me, wants the best for me, challenges me, and helps me grow Spiritually. We've been molding into "one" recently regarding spiritual things. We recently went to a meeting in Washington DC that was awesome. It was a gathering of 3 Bible teachers and prophets that spoke of the coming events for America. It was eye opening and shocking to say the least. I have felt in my spirit for awhile now that judgment in heavy doses was coming for this country. I am not a pessimist, but look at what our nation condones, promotes, and bathes itself in. Sin. That's right.....sin. We are NO better than the nations of old that God literally wiped off the face of the earth with calamites, invasions, and attacks because of their evil ways. God judged the nation of Israel mightily and we are headed for the same tpye judgments. You see, God doesn't
really care about keeping America propped up as the nation of splendor she's been in the past. He's concerned about the church in America and making her Holy and Spotless to be the "spotless bride" written about in the Word. He is gathering His people from the four corners of the earth to seek Him with their whole hearts and turn away from all ungodliness and bathe themselves with the water of the Word. He is calling forth a remnant people who will devote themselves to Jesus and nothing else and will be filled with faith to do the things and even greater that Jesus did while He walked upon the earth. That means crucifying ourselves daily and killing that old man and the fleshly desires it has. God's hand is moving, and I don't care what the church leaders say in America......He is the one behind the 9-11's, Katrina's, floods, etc.....of course He is using the Devil to administer the curse, but make no mistake about it, the Lord is allowing it and even
sending it in attempts to turn this nation to repentance(which she is not doing) and the church to seek Him with their whole hearts. Anyway....I digress.....Kristi and I have been working this morning on packets to go out to churches and I have been working on the website. She made some awesome enchiladas last night. She's a flipping great cook. She is just wonderful at most everything she does. We've been praying alot recently together about this ministry, our living situation, the tour, and what to do when we get back. Please keep us in prayer as we have alot of huge decisions to make in the near future. I like writing these journals. I know everything I say is probably not agreed upon by everyone reading it, but thanks for reading none the less. Come out from the world and climb up in the Father's lap and let Him teach you the pure undefiled Word. Spend time in Daddy's lap today and read the Word, ask for understanding, pray, come boldly into the throne of grace, believe the promises written in the Word, and act on them. Love you guys. See you soon on the road!"

Wednesday, July 9th, 11:30AM

"Well, it's raining today in Central Virginia. At least it is where I live. We've had quite the thunderstorms over the last few days. I love them. Always have. They're such an awesome display of power from the heavens. It's great to see that lightning and see the effect of the wind on the trees. Well, I digress....I fell last night. I think Kristi's going to put that in every email she sends to anyone we both know, so I thought I'd go ahead and put it out there. I fell backwards off the top of the porch last night down 5-7 steps onto the stone sidewalk. It was pretty horrific. I tried to catch myself, but I was on the top and took a step backwards thinking I was not as close to the edge as I ultimately was. Bam! Straight back and down. I tore up my leg pretty good and cut my toes underneath where they bend. My little toe on my left foot was sticking out to the side last night after I cleaned up and I would've swore it was broken. Kristi and I thanked God
I didn't get hurt worse than I did. He deifnitely saved me from more bodily harm or head injury. We claimed the promise of the Word that by His stripes we are healed and that "whatever we ask in His name" He will do for us if we abide in Him and His words abide in us. So.....it's done. I just am waiting for it all to manifest in the flesh. I am still in pain today, but I am hobbling along the best I can and trying to get some work done. It's amazing how God will allow things in our life and we have a choice whether we are going to claim the promises of God's word as ours or if we will give into fear and doubt that what God has already paid for and given is really gonna work "this time". It's called the trial of your faith, and believe you me...I have failed a few. The Lord's been patient with me though......teaching me, instructing me, and letting me go through the smaller trials until I am ready for the huge ones. How many of you know that God is trying to get His people to believe His word and come out of the World and be separate. God is ushering His true people into the Wilderness where the provisions of Egypt are nowhere to be found and we have to rely on His might, His power, and His workings to get by and we must cease from our dead works and abide in the help of the Father. That's what He wants. He did it for Israel in the Old Testament, and He's taking his church, the remnant, there today. Get ready, bride....your bridegroom is coming. Wow! I love Jesus. All of God's promises are YES and AMEN in Jesus Christ because of what He did for us when He was beaten, whipped, crucified, spent 3 days in Hell, and then arose glorious....because death could not hold Him! Praise the Lord. Well, I am going to get back to work here scheduling the tour. Til next time...."

Wednesday, June 25th

"The Lord has been teaching me more and more lately about spending time with Him. I have been a professing Christian for years. I personally believe I have only been truly saved for a few years. I knew all the language, had all the head knowledge, but didn't have it in my heart before. Lately the King has been prodding me to spend more and more time in His presence soaking up the Word. I have started to see what it means to see Jesus willing in us to do His good will. He is continuing to change my heart and renew me and to allow me to put to death the old man. Of course, the only way we can continue in this is to spend the necessary time with God to get to really know Him. Spending time with the Lord, reading His word, and studying it and actually waiting on Him to speak to us. How many of us just read it really quick and put the book down and then get to the next thing in our life we want to do. We need to wait on God to speak to us. He's our FATHER! He wants to speak to us and impart wisdom to us and have a real relationship with us...not just one sided. There's so much more waiting for us in the book we call the Bible if we would devour it, if we would spend our time reading it, and we'd ask God to fill us with a hunger and thirst for it. It's not natural for us to want to read the Bible because it goes against the old man's nature. It's against what the flesh wants to do. We have got to crucify that flesh and live in the Spirit. His word gives life and remember.....the Word is Jesus. He is the living word. We need to ingest that Word and have it grow in us and allow the God who made us to reveal to us what His word means and how it can change us. God bless you."