Primal Book Review

New book that just hit the stores today. I have been reading an advanced copy of Mark Batterson's book Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. I would recommend putting it on your reading list for 2010.

Mark writes that we have made Christianity so complicated and that we need to go back to the prime roots of Christianity. Primal means to get back to the original. The chief prime truth, according to Batterson, is what Jesus called the most important commandment, or as we call it, the Great Commandment. We need to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. In this we learn that....

• The heart of Christianity is compassion
• The soul of Christianity is wonder
• The mind of Christianity is curiosity
• The strength of Christianity is energy
  

Mark takes these four elements and breaks them down in a real, honest and unique way. This book is a good reminder of what it really means to love God. I recommend this book as a must read for 2010.

Go to www.evotional.com to look at other books Mark has written and to order a copy.

Christ*mas at KAG

Do you want to see some pics of Christmas at KAG? What an incredible day! Thanks to the congregation for thinking of us at Christmas. I can't wait to use the new golf bag and putter. That has to rank up there as one of the best gifts I have gotten. We certainly felt your love. Sunday morning service was special as we sang Christmas songs, had a baby dedication, took communion and had a special message entitled "Gift Giving." The kids Christmas program that evening went well. Thanks to Cindy, Floyd and Bradley for their leadership. I wanted to post a few pictures of the day. BTW check out the picture of Chloe touching my face when I prayed for her during her dedication....how special!

Heartfelt Thanks

Trivia question: What president declared the last Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving?

a) James Madison

b) Millard Fillmore

c) Andrew Johnson
d) Abraham Lincoln

Article written by JT (Internet Ministries)

Have you ever given an expensive present to someone who never thanked you for it? Most of us are guilty of the same indifference toward our gifts from God. God blesses His children in many ways - from our talents and resources to the assurance of eternal life in heaven. Yet how often do we half-heartedly acknowledge our gifts, then quickly forget the Giver?

In Luke 17, we read a story of Jesus' interaction with ten lepers. In this passage, we have the opportunity to watch as one of the lepers fully realizes what Jesus had done for him, and we witness the exuberant thanksgiving that resulted.
To be sure, lepers were the outcasts of all outcasts. They were considered so detestable and contagious, they were prohibited from even approaching people for conversation, resorting instead to covering their mouths and yelling "Unclean!" so people would be aware of their presence.
Leprosy was not only a terrible physical disease, it also prevented people from social interaction. They were excluded from Temple worship and were separated from their families and communities. Leprosy left its victims utterly alone and without remedy for their disease.
Leprosy is not unlike a condition that is afflicting us, though ours is much graver. While the lepers were separated from Temple worship and the presence of God by their fleshly disease, we are eternally separated from God by our sinfulness. The commonality does not stop there. For both the lepers and us, our separateness finds healing exclusively through the power of Jesus.
When Jesus came to the lepers' village, they kept their distance and shouted to Jesus at the top of their voices, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" (Luke 17:13). When Jesus saw them, He instantly knew of their plight, misery, and isolation. Jesus also knew that the only way they could return to their homes and families, according to the Law, was to be declared clean by the priests. "Go and show yourselves to the priests," Jesus told them, and the lepers went immediately (see Luke 17:14).
As the lepers traveled to the priests, they noticed that they were being healed! The wonder that came over them in the midst of their deliverance must have been tremendous. Perhaps they began to run even faster, anticipating their reinstatement into community, into family, into life! While the ten lepers celebrated, one was so overcome by the completeness of his healing, he turned and immediately rushed back to Jesus, before he even reached the priests. While returning to Jesus, the leper began praising God in a loud voice, without inhibition or restraint. When he finally reached Jesus, the leper fell down at His feet, continuing to offer praise and thanksgiving to Him.
When this Samaritan leper returned, Jesus was struck by the fact that none of the Jewish lepers did likewise. "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Jesus queried (Luke 17:17, 18). Only one out of the ten lepers showed Jesus the gratitude He deserved. How often do we, too, fail to give Jesus heartfelt praise for our blessings?

How can we live a life that is truly thankful?

First, we must consider the depth of our greatest blessing. The leper's story of miraculous healing is remarkable - to see such a disease immediately eradicated in some one's life is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Yet when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are healed even more completely! We were eternally separated from God by our sins, but Jesus has made forgiveness possible through His obedient sacrifice on the Cross.

Second, we need to make thanksgiving a priority. The leper didn't wait to return to Jesus until it was convenient or until after he visited the priests. He went immediately to Jesus. The priests did not heal the leper, and he knew it. He returned to the only One worthy of his worship and thanksgiving.

Third, thanksgiving should be offered from the outpouring of our hearts. There was intensity in the leper's worship because he was aware of his inefficacy to provide the healing he needed. How much more wonderful is the eternal healing for those who follow Christ? Let our thanksgiving be an enthusiastic celebration of Christ, who healed our direst need when we could not.
Finally, we must be consistent in our thanksgiving. The more intentional we are about offering thanks to God, the easier it becomes to see His blessings in our lives. That is why we are repeatedly commanded in the Bible to be thankful in all things. No one can bless us like our Heavenly Father. Let us be diligent in thanking Him for His grace and goodness.



Trivia answer: Abraham Lincoln....More than 200 years after the first Thanksgiving, President Abraham Lincoln declared the final Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. Congress finally made Thanksgiving Day an official national holiday in 1941.

A Prophecy to Dig those Wells

Heidi forwarded this email to me. This is a prophecy by Bill Burns on exactly what I preached yesterday at church. I wanted to post it on my blog. Dig those wells....

THE TRUMPET by Bill Burns -- November 23, 2009:

The Lord says to you today, have you heard My Word? Have you heard My exhortation? Rise up My people. Gather yourselves up and dig for the waters of this season. Dig for the anointing that you have lost. Dig new wells of great and strong anointing, for indeed the anointing will bring the glory and the presence of My kingdom upon your life. Dig and drink. Sing to the well. Dig and drink. Dig and do not stop. Are you thirsty? Then dig. Are you thirsty? Then take a drink. For you will find that there is a river of life that flows through My kingdom where trees are planted. Therein lies the mystery and the secret of the promise of My living water. So I say today let all dryness be gone. You have walked through the valley of the shadow of death; you have walked through the wilderness; you have walked through the dry places, but now you are coming to the place of living water where springs bubble up out of the depth of My kingdom. Therefore, I say unto you, dig and drink. As you drink, life will again enter in to your temple. As you drink, wellness will again come. As you drink the powers of darkness will leave. As you drink the glory of the kingdom will manifest in you, and you will become strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. So, I say, drink. It is the season for the digging of the wells in the pattern and the type of those that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob dug. Use your faith as a shovel and dig and drink, says the Lord.

A Strong Warning against Falling Away

Hebrews 6:4-6 is a difficult verse to swallow and I understand why it could be confusing.
I did a little research on it and I thought I would share it on my blog.

Some of my commentary is based upon The Full Life Study Bible.

Hebrews 6:4-6 says, "4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame."

Here the author of Hebrews discusses the consequences of apostasy (falling away from the faith). He presents "falling away" as a real possibility. A falling away is an abandonment, withdrawal or turning from what one has formerly turned to. It means to sever one's saving relationship with Christ or to withdraw from a vital union with and true faith in Him.

Individual "falling away" is possible only for those who have experienced salvation (v. 4-5) "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come..."

The Bible issues urgent warnings about apostasy, designed both to alert us to the deadly danger of abandoning our union with Christ and to motivate us to persevere in our faith and that one of the dangers of falling away is not to "renew them again to repentance." Does that mean I can never be saved again if I fall away? That's what it sounds like. One thing that we have to remember.....one of the rules when it comes to forming doctrines or interpretations of scriptures is not letting one passage of scripture form a doctrine. But what do other scriptures from the Bible say about it?

There are plenty of other scriptures that let us know if we fall away from Christ we can come back to him if we repent and he will receive us. A great example of this is the Parable Jesus told us about the prodigal son. (Luke 15:11-24) The son fell away or left the Father, but when he came to his senses, he repented and came back to His Father. Any time we repent of our sin and come back to the Father, He receives us again into the family. Another scripture that supports this is, Romans 10:9-10 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation...... 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Rom 11:23 "...for God is able to graft them in again." James 5:19-20 "19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins."

The example of Simon Peter.
Matt 16:16 "Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matt 26:74-75 "74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly."
In John 21:15-22, Jesus restores Peter.


If apostasy continues on its course unchecked, individuals may eventually reach the point when no second beginning is possible. Those who once had a saving experience with Christ but deliberately and continually harden their hearts to the Spirit's voice, continue to sin willfully, and refuse to repent and return to God may reach a point of no return where repentance and salvation are no longer possible. There is a limit to God's patience. This point of no return cannot be defined in advance. Therefore, the only safeguard against the danger of ultimate apostasy is found in the admonition: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." (Heb 3:7-8, 15) and repent

It must be emphasized that while apostasy is a danger for all who drift from the faith and fall away from God, it is not made complete without constant and willful sinning against the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Those who genuinely become concerned about their spiritual condition and find their hearts desire to return to God in repentance can have sure faith that God will receive them back.

The Advantages of a Daniel Fast

Here I am on day thirteen on the Daniel Fast. In the book of Daniel, chapters 2 and 10, Daniel describes two examples of his personal fasting and the dramatic results.





Daniel 1:12-13 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.”




Daniel 10:3 "I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled."





What is the Daniel Fast?



1. The Daniel Fast is a partial fast. They ate, but only vegetables and water. The Daniel Fast requires abstinence from party or junk foods. If you want to see what The food guidelines are for the Daniel fast click here. The Daniel fast drastically restricts normal food intake by cutting away many of the foods you commonly eat to satisfy your appetite.




2. The Daniel Fast is an extended fast. It is longer than one day. These young men fasted for ten days. Daniel fasted for twenty-one days in chapter ten. It is a good fast to do if you have to work and need the energy. If you determine to fast for a certain time, keep it. For example, if you determine to fast 10 days, don't stop on Day 9.

What are the results of a Daniel Fast?

In the book of Daniel, there are four results of the Daniel fast.

1. Healthier and Better Nourished (Daniel 1:12-20) Learn the Effects of the Food You Eat. Why are some foods good for you, and other foods not? What does certain food do to your body? If we really knew, there would likely be some things we would never eat again.


2. Spiritual Insight, Knowledge and Wisdom (Daniel 1:17; 5:12) Daniel had the God given ability to understand and interpret dreams. He was able to have a spiritual insight and understanding that the other people were not able to have. Having this gift caused him to be respected, admired and promoted in the Kingdom.


3. Integrity and Character (Daniel 6:4) Daniel had the discipline to resist certain foods and this caused him to have the discipline in his personal life. He was a man that exhibited integrity. God is more concerned about who you are than what you do.


4. Answered Prayer (Daniel 10:2-12) God answered Daniel's prayer when he fasted for twenty-one days. Daniel didn't receive his answer to prayer immediately. It came after his twenty-one day fast. This should remind us to be committed to our prayer and fasting time. If we say we are going to fast 10 days, don't stop on day 9.

Daniel experienced some incredible results because of his desire to fast and pray. Remember that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Have you ever done a Daniel Fast?

What results have you experienced when you have fasted?

God's Payment Plan

I wanted to share a personal testimony with you about one of the miracles of God that has happened to us during this sabbatical and Daniel fast.

As many of you know we have had a couple of physical ailments this year with Heidi's back and Taylor's eye. Thank God they are doing well! With these injuries we have acquired some medical expenses. We do have insurance and thank God for that, but we have to pay twenty percent of the bill. All the many doctor, x-ray and hospital bills have been piling up. We just tell them to put us on a payment plan and we will eventually pay you back.

This morning I was reading day seven in Jentezen Franklin's devotional book "Fasting Journal." The prayer focus was on prosperity and finances. He had me list out some specific financial needs to hold up in prayer throughout the day. I wrote one thing down...."hospital and doctor bills for Heidi and Taylor." Ten minutes later, Heidi called me crying on the phone saying "You are not going to believe this!" She had called Clarion North to set up a payment plan for the Hospital bill of $1,200.00. As it turned out, the gentleman signed us up for financial assistance and said that we qualified to have our whole hospital bill paid for. He said that our account balance was zero and that a procedure that Taylor has to have next month will be paid for as well! Praise the Lord! God has an incredible payment plan!

How has this happened? I attribute it to prayer and fasting. Jesus just didn't pray when He came to this world, He fasted. One of the things that fasting does is unlock God's miracles. Jesus fasted because He knew there were supernatural things that could be released only that way. The disciples couldn't cast out the demon from the boy because they didn't fast and pray. We could be missing our greatest breakthroughs because we fail to fast.

• What do you need a breakthrough in?

• Have you ever prayed and fasted?

• Tell me about your miracles you have experienced that has been directly related to fasting.

First Week of Sabbatical

I wanted to give you an update on my first week of my Sabbatical.

I spent seventy-two hours (Thursday night to Sunday night) at Zionsville Presbyterian Church at the Great Banquet. There I shut myself from the outside world, ate some good food, and refocused on Christ and His love for me. If you haven't ever experienced a retreat like The Great Banquet, Emmaus Walk, or Discipleship Walks, let me encourage you to. They are great retreats to remind you how much God and other people love you.

Next, I went to our sacred campgrounds in Hartford City to a Prayer Summit. The Prayer Summit is a prayer retreat for pastors to get away and spend time with The Father. There were about thirty pastors that gathered to pray, praise and eat. What a marvelous time we had in the presence of God as He spoke to us and refreshed us in the Lord. Many pastors including myself laid burdens at the lap of the Father as he loved us and blessed us with his presence. What a refreshing time! This is going to be on my calender for next year.

Part of the Sabbatical is taking care of the body God has given me by eating healthy foods and resisting the bad ones. We are made up of body, soul and spirit. Today I am starting a twenty-one day Daniel Fast. I said goodbye to the fudge rounds I love so much! Daniel gave up the king's delicacies so that he would be healthier, stronger, and empowered by God. If you are interested in knowing about a Daniel fast click here for more details.

I look forward to coming back from this short sabbatical refreshed and rejuvenated. Blessings to Kirklin Assembly of God. Thanks to everyone who sent kind letters to me this past week. They touched me so much! Blessings!

God Spoke to Me

Yesterday I read Psalm 19:1-4. It says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

I was doing my morning ritual of letting the dogs out. I was enjoying the bright stars and thinking about Psalms 19 about how the heavens declare God's glory and how they speak to us. While looking into the heavens, a bright star shot across the morning night sky. I sat there wondering if that just happen. As I continued to watch there were several other stars that ran across the sky. It was like watching a fourth of July fireworks.

Psalm 19 says that God speaks to us through the skies. I believe that God was speaking to me. What was he saying? First of all, He was letting me know that He was smiling on me as I start my first day of my sabbatical. Secondly, He was letting me know that He loves me and knows me. Thirdly, He was letting me know that He is still active in our world. I woke the kids up so they could see this phenomena and share with them about how the heavens declare God's glory.

God speaks to us through the heavens. The next time you look up into the sky open up your ears God maybe speaking to you.

The Great Banquet

I am starting my Sabbatical by attending "The Great Banquet" retreat at Zionsville Presbyterian Church from Thursday, October 1st to the 4th. For those that don't know, The Great Banquet is a weekend retreat for woman and men (at separate times) and is comprised of discussion, prayer, fellowship, music, worship and fun. The leaders cover the clocks so you don't know what time it is, and give you your absolute fill of home-cooked meals and little "God loves you!" gifts. You can read the website for more detail, but simply put, The Great Banquet is a 72-hour, locked-in, spiritual retreat where the guests are loved by The Great Banquet community the way God loves us.

From what I hear it will be like when you attended church camp during the summer, except that it's designed for an adults schedule and it takes place, in different communities and denominations, all over the world.

I am going because several people have encouraged me to be a part and I think it will be a great way to start the Sabbatical. I really don't know what is going to happen while I am there, but I am looking forward to experiencing Christ's presence in a fresh way and establishing some new relationships with people from different walks of life.

Click here if you want more information about The Great Banquet I am attending.

Sabbatical

Why I need a sabbatical and what to do on sabbatical?

This past Sunday I talked to our congregation about taking a sabbatical during the month of October. The deacons of our church have agreed to let me take this time off. So, for four Sundays during October, Heidi and I will be taking a break.

Mark 2:27-28

27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

I'm sure you are wondering why? And that's part of my purpose for writing this in my blog. I wanted to journal my thoughts to inform you of my intent and to help process why and what we are doing. I hope this answers some questions you may have concerning this sabbatical. There are three reasons as to why I am taking a month sabbatical.

Run out of Gas

Have you ever ran out of gas while driving? Back in our college years, Heidi and I had visited her mother in Oklahoma and was traveling along Turner Turnpike back to Springfield, Missouri when we ran out of gas. We sat there stranded not knowing what to do. I walked along the turnpike until a bus stopped and picked me up and took me to the nearest gas station. Sometimes in life you just run out of gas and you need a refilling. The purpose of this sabbatical is to get refilled. God designed us to stop once a week from our "driving around" and go to a local gas station to get refilled. If you don't get filled you can't go on and you have nothing to give. I am going to get filled with God, so I can have something to give. Elijah ran out of gas (1 Kings 18-19). God told him to go Mt. Horeb and God would refill him. This passage has always been my mantra for discouragement. I simply don't want to run out of gas. When you run out of gas you exhaust more energy than what you have to give out. I am going to stop the car and refill the tank.

Reshaped, Refocused, Re visioned

A few Sundays ago I preached about being on the Potter's Wheel. In this message God takes the clay and reshapes it into the pot He sees best. I am taking this next month to be reshaped so I can be a vessel that is useful to God.

I am also taking this next month to refocus myself. One of the hardest things for me to do was to turn down the coaching job for 6th grade basketball this year. You know my love for sports and coaching. In my heart I felt like I needed to focus on God, family and church. I didn't want to expand my energy, which is low right now, on other things. So I had to eliminate some non essentials. This is were "priorities" come into play. What is more important? Jesus said that we are to "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." I had to eliminate some things to get refocused.

The Bible says, "Without a vision the people perish." Without a vision people die, a church dies, a family dies. Vision is the key. I need to see where God wants this church to go. I need to get re visioned.

Revelation and Direction from God

This sabbatical is not a vacation, even though there will be some resting going on, it's for revelation and direction. We need direction for two things. One, I need direction for our lives and ministry. Some of you may worry that we are leaving. Let me reassure you that that is not our intent. Although we are open to follow God's will. We are not preaching at other churches to pursue a different position. We are seeking direction for our life and ministry here at Kirklin Assembly of God. We love you and this place.

Two, I need direction for the church. The Biblical illustration that comes to mind is Moses going up to the mountain to get revelation and direction from God. Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai with God receiving and chiseling out instructions, direction and revelation for the nation of Israel. While he was there, God inspired him to write the ten commandments. I plan on taking a pen and paper and writing whatever it is God inspires me to write. Habakkuk 2:2 "Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it."

What are you going to do during this time? Here is a list of things I am going to do while on this sabbatical.

• I am not going to Preach. The first one is what I'm not going to do. I am not preaching at other churches. You can't listen to God if you are speaking. I am going to keep my mouth closed and ears open this month. In essence I am fasting from preaching.


• I am meeting with a coach and some mentors. I need someone who has walked where I have already walked and can speak into my life. I need a "Jethro;" a coach that can tell me what I need to do. I need a "Paul;" a mentor who can impart what he has done. I need a "Barnabas;" a co-laborer who encourages. I need a "Timothy;" a person I can download into.


• We are going to visit other churches. Two reasons. One is to be ministered too. The other is learn how others are "doing church" We get stuck in our own box and need to learn different ways of doing things.


• I am going to maintain the spiritual disciplines. This is a spiritual retreat. I will be doing the spiritual disciplines of praying, fasting, reading the Bible and good books. I plan on doing a Daniel Fast for twenty-one days. That is eliminating all bad foods and eating only fruits and vegetables.


• I am going on a prayer retreat. The first week in October I am going on a prayer summit at the campgrounds. On this retreat there are no musical instruments, no preaching and no plans. Just praying, communion and following the Holy Spirit.


• I will be attending a Minister's Conference. The Indiana District minister's conference is on the 19th and 20th. John Bevere and Doug Oss will be speaking at this conference.


• Getting rest and eating right....maybe some exercise! I need to take care of the body that that God has given me.


• On this Sabbatical my family is going with me. My family is a part of my ministry. We do life together. My wife and kid's life will be pretty much normal. They will go to work and school and attend church on Wednesday nights, but will go with me to other churches on Sunday.

You may have some concerns about the church during this time and about what are you going to do.

1. We have deacons in the church that are here to serve and help take care of needs. They will be taking care of the congregation. When Moses went up to the mountain of God for forty days, He left Aaron in charge. So the deacons will be in charge. If you have any concerns go to them.


2. You can still have access to me if any "major" concerns happen. Remember I am taking a sabbatical so that I can be ministered to and not to do ministry. It's not that I don't want to, but there are others that can effectively minister your needs. I will have my cell phone, email and texting. If you have any concerns as to whether or not to contact me, call one of the deacons so they can get a hold of me. Here are some major concerns you can contact me during this time....1. Death 2. Hospitalization


3. Who's going to minister on Sunday if you and Heidi are gone? Mark and Des will be sharing the pulpit. As for the worship, we are going to bring in some musicians to help lead worship.


4. Pray for your pastor. During this sabbatical please pray for me. Be an Aaron and Hur to hold up my arms.


5. Continue to support this church by your faithful attendance and tithing. Just because Pastor is gone doesn't mean you can be gone. Jesus taught that when the shepherd is gone the sheep scatter. Please be supportive of Kirklin Assembly of God during this time.

I believe if you allow me to take this time off from the church it will help me to be reshaped, refocused and re visioned. In essence it will benefit you and the church. We want to see God do some great things in your life and in the church.

The Potter's Wheel

Life sometimes spins out of control.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 says, "1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 2 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel."


God is the potter. We are the clay. We are on the potter's wheel. There are several lessons we learn about God and His attitude toward us in this illustration of the potter and clay.

Throw it Away



Have you ever thrown away something because it didn't seem to work or you didn't like it? In this passage The Potter made a pot that was blemished and marred. He could have discarded it, but He didn't. Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when potters are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot. The Potter still saw potential in the clay. It's still good. God doesn't discard you when you make mistakes, but reuses you shaping and forming you into what He wants you to become. Peter is a great example. He messed up. God didn't throw him away and say your no good to me. In fact, Jesus went back to Peter, reshaped him and reused him. God will still use you even when you have made mistakes.

Fresh Start


There was a flaw in the pot. It was marred. It was imperfect and blemished. When the potter didn't like what he made the first time, he started all over again. Do you need to start over? Do you need a fresh start? A do-over? God is in the business of giving you a fresh start. 2 Cor 5:17 says, "....if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Have you made mistakes in your past? Have you committed adultery, had an abortion or premarital relations, addicted to pornography, stolen, lied or cheated? If you come to The Potter and repent, He will give you a fresh start! It's called being born again. It's a new life.

Reshaping

The Potter didn't like the first pot, so He reshaped it to what He thought was best. Do you not like who you are or what you have become? God is in the reshaping business. If you don't like what you've become God will reshape you into what He thinks is best for you.

Spinning Out of Control

Have you ever road the tilt-a-whirl at the carnival? It spins uncontrollably making you sick. The potter's wheel is similar to the tilt-a-whirl. Everything is spinning. You feel pressure. You are bending and moving in places you never felt before. When everything seems to be spinning out of control and you feel pressure, know that God is working on you making you into a beautiful, valuable and useful pot.

2 Timothy 2:20-21 "20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work."

When everything seems to be spinning out of control stay on the wheel. God is reshaping you into a beautiful vessel for Him.

What is a Smart Phone? Do I need One?

A month ago my Palm Centro cell phone died. My wife's birthday was in July and instead of getting me a new phone, we got her the Blackberry Curve and I switched to her "red" Palm Centro. (I am secure in my manhood to carry a red cell phone.) Heidi loves her new phone and understandably so. So many people have felt the same. I have heard very little complaints about "Crackberries." The reason I am writing this article is to answer a question that I have had since I started pursuing a new phone and heard this word....smartphone. How is a smartphone different from a cell phone, and what makes it so smart? So I did minimal research to find out and thought others might want to know, so....here it is.

What is a Smartphone? According to Liane Casavoy in her article What Makes a Smartphone so Smart? A smartphone is a hybrid device that has all the features of a mobile phone and most of the features of a PDA (personal digital assistant) such as calendar, email, web browser and applications. In a nutshell, a smartphone is a cell phone and a PDA in one.

In order to understand what the Smartphone really is, we should start with a history lesson. In the beginning, there were cell phones and personal digital assistants (or PDA's). Cell phones were used for making calls--and not much else--while PDAs, like the Palm Pilot, were used as personal, portable organizers. A PDA could store your contact info and a to-do list, and could sync with your computer.
Eventually, PDAs gained wireless connectivity and were able to send and receive e-mail. Cell phones, meanwhile, gained messaging capabilities, too. PDAs then added cellular phone features, while cell phones added more PDA-like (and even computer-like) features. The result was the smartphone.

Here are some questions to ask to determine if your phone is a Smartphone.

• Does it have access to the Web?


• Does it have a QWERTY Keyboard? Not just a dial pad.


• Can you access your email accounts?


• Does it have software to allow you to create and edit Microsoft Office Documents, create a play list of digital tunes, or GPS navigation?

What are the benefits of a Smartphone? Should I upgrade to one? Here are some advantages to getting a Smartphone.

• Accessibility. It's the 21 century. You are expected to be more accessible in a multiple of ways, phone, email or text. Don't want to be bothered? Turn the phone off, but you have the ability to be more accessible.


• Mobility. A new trend is having access to the web wherever you go. This even means church, car, store...wherever you have your phone you have access. You literally have information at your fingertips. You won't have to go back to your PC to check your email or take your laptop with you on trips. 24/7 connectivity.


• Keep you Organized. These phones can act as personal organizer, calender, contact lists, and automatic reminders. And with the New Palm Pre all contacts from Facebook, and Google will be aggregated into one place.


• Coolness Factor. How cool does it look to have a phone like this? You can impress people around you and make yourself look very important!

I'm excited to upgrade to a Smartphone. I love the technology.

How about you?

Do you want to upgrade to a Smartphone?

Do you like your Smartphone?

A Few Pics of Last Day Events before School Starts

Kennedy and Rowdie at the Indianapolis Indians game



Heidi, Angie and Jason....Notice that Jason has a peanut up his nose!



Taylor doing a flip off the diving board



Kennedy diving off the diving board

St. Louis Vacation Pics

Cardinals game with Albert Pujols and Manny Ramerez

Christmas Carol Train

Kennedy on a trampoline at Union Station. She would do flips!

Kids wanted to kiss the ground after going up in the arch

Museum at the Arch

St. Louis Cardinals game

Albert Pujols....our favorite player

My favorite player when I was young...Ozzie Smith

Heidi, Taylor and Kennedy in front of Busch Stadium

Manny Ramerez...He got booed every time he came up to bat!

Kennedy running through a water fountain

The family in front of the arch

The Purpose of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Why do I need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit? There are three reasons as to why I need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

1. Power Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..." We need the Holy Spirit in our lives because He gives us power we don't have. There are three areas we need power.

• Power to overcome sinful habits Romans 8:10-12 "10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." God has given us His Holy Spirit so that we can overcome sin. If you are struggling with sin then you need to have power in your life to break sinful habits. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit that same power that raised Jesus from the dead is living inside you. Now that's power! If we only knew the power that is in us. If you are filled with God's Spirit and have sinful habits in your life then you need to understand God's power that is in you. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit will give you power over sin.


• Power to be a witness Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me" If you are shy, then being Baptized in the Holy Spirit will give you boldness to be a witness for God. The Holy Spirit will help you to not be ashamed of the gospel. Peter was an example of being a bad witness for Christ when he denied the Lord three times. He was afraid to stand up for Christ. But after he was filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost he stood up boldly in front of a large crowd witnessing for Christ.


• Power to do what Jesus did John 14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." Before Jesus began His public ministry, he was baptized in the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:12-14). Before the disciples were to go and do ministry Jesus said they were to be filled with the Spirit (Acts 1:4). Do you want a powerful ministry? Then you need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

2. Possession Eph. 1:13-14 "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."

God called Israel his treasured possession. Duet 7:6 "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." The word possess has a since of ownership. He has been looking for a people He can call his own. When someone is "demon possessed" they are owned by the the Devil. When I am Baptized in the Holy Spirit I am possessed by God. I need to be "God Possessed!" 1 Cor 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

We all are controlled by something. It maybe alcohol, drugs, lusts or addictions. David said in one of the psalms, "God you are my Stronghold!" If we are going to be controlled or possessed by something, it might as well be God! I need The Baptism in the Holy Spirit to remind me that I am owned by God. I am His.

3. Prayer Life 1 Cor 2:10-11 "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God." If you want to go deeper with God then you need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit deepens your worship of the Lord through giving you a language of praise that we have not learned - speaking in tongues.

Tongues is a personal language of prayer. 1 Cor 14:2,4, 14 "For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries..... 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself,...14 for if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays,..." When we pray in tongues the Spirit of God is praying through us. Paul said in Romans 8:26,27 that there are difficult times when we don't know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered, that are too deep for words. If you want to go deeper with God then you need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Why do you need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit? You need the Baptism so you can have power, know that you are God's possession and have a prayer language that will help you go deeper.

Have you received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?

What are your thoughts on The Baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Are there any other reasons for having the Baptism in the Spirit?

Winning the War against Sin

Do you struggle with sin?

Galations 5:16-17

16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

There is a battle that is raging inside of every person. The opponents are: the flesh and the Spirit. They are at war against each other. The struggle is whether we will surrender to the sinful nature’s desires and submit to sin’s control, or whether we will yield to the Spirit’s demands and continue under Christ’s dominion.

Jesus knew about this struggle between flesh and Spirit. In Matt 26:41 Jesus told the sleeping disciples to watch and pray...why because...the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Paul himself battled against the flesh and Spirit. Romans 7:15f he says, "15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! " If the disciples and Paul struggled with the sinful nature, I believe you and I will battle ourselves aginst the sinful nature.

The question is how do we win the war against our sinful nature and the Spirit? In Galations 5:16-25 Paul gives us three weapons to help us win the war against our sinful nature. I will talk about the first weapon in this blog.

The first weapon is found in v. 16. It says, "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." The first weapon in winning against the sinful nature is....The Spirit. If I am going to "win against sin," then I've got to "walk in the Spirit." God has given us His Spirit to overcome sin. Romans 8:11 "11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." As long as you are under the guidance and government of the Holy Spirit, and of the spiritual nature he has put in us, we will win the war. God's Spirit in you is the key to overcoming your fleshly, sinful desires.

What does it mean to Live in the Spirit? If this is one of the keys for us to win against sin then we better have a good understanding of what it means to Live in the Spirit. We are going to look at Romans 8:5-11 and Galations 6:8 to give us an understanding of what Living by the Spirit means.

1. A Person Who Lives by the Spirit will have the Spirit Living in Them (Romans 8:9-11) "9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if any one does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." The word "if" tells me that God's Spirit is or is not in you. How do I know if God's Spirit is in me? God's Word suggest two ways I know His Spirit is in me.

a. The moment I believe Eph 1:13
"...Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." If you have received Jesus as your Savior than you have His Spirit living in You.

b. The moment I recieve the Baptism in the Holy Spirit Acts 10:44-46
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. How did everyone know they were filled with God's Spirit? The evidence was speaking in an unkown language. I believe the initial evidence of having God's Spirit in you is speaking in tongues. It is a sign that God's Spirit is living in you. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the entry into the Spirit-filled life. And it is key in overcoming the sinful nature in us.

2. A Person Who Lives by the Spirit will have their Mind Set on the What the Spirit Desires(Romans 8:5) "5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." The key to living in the Spirit is setting our minds on what the Spirit desires. Are you thinking on carnal pleasures, worldly pursuits, sinful desires or on Godly desires?

What we think on will determine if we live by the sinful nature or by the Spirit. The Bible says as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Rom 13:13-14 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. The person who is led by the Spirit will have his mind set on things like Paul describes in Philippians 4:8, "8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." If you are constantly setting your mind on sinful desires you will eventually act out sinful desires.

Change your thinking. Rom 12:2 "2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

3. A Person Who Lives By the Spirit will Feed His Spirit (Galatians 6:8)
“For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life”
John 3:6
“6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”
Whatever you feed is what grows.
ILL: Two wolves - - One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson a bout a little battle that goes on inside of people. He said. "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, lies, superiority, and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, truth, compassion and faith. The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?" The old cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
Feed your Spirit and starve your flesh. The believer must learn how to walk in the Spirit so that their Spirit is predominate over their flesh.

How feed my Spirit? Spiritual Disciplines
a. Reading God’s Word – Spiritual Food
Matt 4:4
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'
How Jesus overcame the sin temptations by knowing God’s Word

b. Prayer Life
Matt 26:40-41
40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
The disciples neglected to keep watch and pray, the only thing that could save them from failure.
Failure in our Christian life is absolutely certain without prayer.
There can be no real power in our battle against sin without much daily prayer.

c. Fasting and Prayer
I have learned through the years that when I draw aside from television, media, and all the activities of eating and satisfying my flesh, my Spirit begins to hear from God

d. Praying in the Spirit
1 Cor 14:2
2For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.
4He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself,… 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.

How do you walk in the Spirit? Feed your spirit. Spiritual disciplines of Bible Reading, Prayer, Fasting, and Praying in the Spirit

There is a battle that is raging in us between the flesh and the Spirit.
If we are going to win the war against the sinful nature than Paul instructs us to Walk in the Spirit. God has given us his HS so that we can have power over sin. If I am going to Walk in the Spirit….
· I need to have the Spirit of God
· I need to have my mind set on the Spirit of God
· I need to feed my Spirit

When we do these things we will win the war against sin.

Indianapolis Indians Baseball Game and Pics

I took the baseball team that I coach to an Indianapolis Indians ballgame . Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

By the way the Lost 12 -1. The fans started "booing" the pitchers because they walked so many batters.

We Finally Won!!

We finally got our monkey off our back!! Kirklin Assembly of God finally won a softball game. Here's a picture of the victory.


After not winning a game all last season and what seem to be following the same suit this year we did the impossible. We WON! I knew it was just a matter of time. Thanks to all the fans who believed in us!:) The odd thing was that the team that we beat was our sister church Conerstone Assembly of God in Mulberry. Hey guys thanks for encouraging us.

Our next game is Friday, July 10th at 8:00 pm. We would love to see you there.

The Latest on Taylor

Alot of people are asking how Taylor is doing. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. They have meant so much to us. I wanted to give an update on Taylor.





We went to the Infectious Skin Disease Doctor at Riley on Tuesday, June 16th for a checkup. Taylor's eye still has a little infection in it. His eye is still bulging a little. But his pupil is getting back into postion. Things are progressing slowly but well.





The Doctor wants to keep him on antibiotics for another week. We will be going back to the ISD doctor next Tuesday to hopefully remove the PICC line. Then Taylor will continue to take antibiotics through a pill.





As far as how Taylor is feeling, he is doing great. He feels no pain and has the energy an eleven year old boy should. Though he is bummed about missing the rest of the baseball season.





Once again thanks for your concern. We are thankful to God for His Goodness.

Visitor's at the Hospital

Picture with Roy Hall from Indianapolis Colts. Roy Hall from the Indianapolis Colts came by Taylor's room at Riley. I had no idea who he was, so I did some research. If you want to know who he is click here.

Some friends of ours from Oklahoma Brian Akerman and his new wife stopped by.

Whitney Drake my niece stopped by. Taylor's friend Jared Crawford is enjoying drinking from the "Pee Bottle" (that is actually apple juice he is drinking)

Some of Taylor's baseball team stopped in. They gave him a baseball bat and baseball trophy signed by the team.

I didn't get pictures of everyone who stopped by.

Des and Janell Woodruff, Randy and Lisa Weaver, Bill and Cathy Brock, Tracy Baber, Kim Davis, Pastors Dwight Herin, George Cooper and Kevin Alber. Jason and Angie Turner, Mom and Dad, Jeremy and Tisha Payne, Kim Stowers and boys, Mrs Kercheval.

Sorry if I missed someone.
Thanks for your visit. Your visit help time pass quickly and meant alot. Blessings