It's 2010 already!?

The first 10 years of the 21st century is officially behind us and we begin this new decade. So much has happened to change our world in the last 10 yrs. Terrorist flying planes into the world trade centers, Hurricane Katrina, the first African American is elected President; so many life changing things. Even though these events were sometimes catastrophic, they pale in comparison to the life changing events hat have happened to so many because they chose to receive Christ as Lord and Savior. Most of the world has no idea the importance of such an event.
We are starting this year off with a call to "make disciples". This Sunday Pastor Mike will be preaching a message about EXPANDING the kingdom. What better way to start the New Year than to equip ourselves to "make disciples of all nations". Come and see what God is doing, and join us for worship.

Over Hill and Dale...

For a lot of people Christmas means traveling. So is the case for me. My family lives in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. If I'm not careful I lose sight of what Christmas is all about. My parents divorced when I was 15 and I have had split Christmas's ever since. I have to go to my Moms, then to my Dads then to my Grandparents, and since I am married we also go to the in-laws. Sometimes I feel like it's go,go,go! Once I am there, all is well. I enjoy the visits and I love to see my kids have the fun they do.
Life is kinda like that, go,go,go...move, move, move! With all that goes on in life and all that happens everyday, we tend to forget we are on a journey; we are simple travelers. The Bible calls us "aliens and strangers". Life is that traveling between family and friends we do during the holidays, but once the journey is over and we are there with our heavenly father and all our brothers and sisters we see that it was worth the journey. The Apostle Paul reminds to "not grow weary in well doing, for in time we will reap". Keep going, keep doing, keep moving forward and when the journey ends you will reap for all your labor.

Merry Christmas!

"Near........Far"

I remember as a child the Sesame Street skit with Grover coming close to the camera and saying "near", then running away from the camera and yelling "far". This was to teach children the difference between the two words. Somehow, we have lost that knowledge when it comes to our relationship to God. I have been watching the attendance at church slip since the holiday season began. Each week it has dropped, and it causes me to think, what is its replacement. Christmas parties and Christmas shopping seem to rule our time. We really need to be careful, because the rest of the world is looking for a reason to take Christ out of Christmas. Now is the time we have to show how near we are to God. This is the season we celebrate the day that God came "near".
Have Merry Christmas!!

Football and Blood Pressure

Normally, I am pretty even keeled. But for some reason when my football team of choice loses, what I believe to be, a game they should easily win, my ears get real red and every little thing becomes an irritation. Things that wouldn't normally bother me so much, become like a splinter just below the skin, festering it's way to the top.

Just another instance of how we let circumstances control our spirit. Football has no impact on this life we lead, as do much of the things we let control us. In Romans chapter 8, the first 12 verses, talks about being "Spirit" controlled. The problem is we tend to get "in the flesh" a lot, and if we are "in the flesh" then we are not "in the Spirit". It's always gonna be one or the other. The hard thing is to recognize those times when we are in "the flesh" and repent. Yes I said "repent". Being in "the flesh" means being our old sinful selves; it means letting that old sinful nature we were saved from have some control in our lives. Once we recognize and repent, then can we be "Spirit controlled".

Hopefully, you will recognize those times this week and will make the proper adjustments. Have a great Journey this week!

"It Has Begun!"

The Turkey has been consumed, as was the dressing, Green Bean Casserole and Pumpkin Pie. Football games have been watched (go Cowboys!). Like Eisenhower planning for the invasion at Normandy, Amanda was strategically planning her "Black Friday" shopping trip. From the wee small hours of the morning after Thanksgiving she embarked on her crusade to conquer the Christmas list. Her success would only be thwarted by exhaustion. By the time she came home, she was just that, exhausted! While she was engulfed in the conflict, we (me and the Kids (moslty me)) began to fortify our Christmas head quarters with the elements of Christmas traditions (i.e. lights, and inflatable Santa).

I said I love Christmas! If we're not careful, we misplace our Christmas allegiance, and fail the true test of Christmas. We nee to remember to start the season off right. If we don't put Christ first the it really does become "Xmas". Only with Christ being at the forefront of everything we do this season can it truly be called Christmas. Christmas must begin with Christ or it doesn't really begin at all. So, put Christ first, and your holiday season will be filled with Joy, Peace and Love.

Being Thankful

The last few days God has made me aware of a lot of things I have not said thank you for. I gotta practice what I preach, right. When I stop and think of all the things, lately, that God has blessed me with, I have to stop and say "thank you, Lord". The problem we tend to run into, is that we express thankfulness when it's something big, and forget God in the small stuff, the everyday stuff. We need to be as grateful for the everyday things as we are the big blessings. Start looking at the little things that you think are insignificant and praise God for them. When we can show our gratitude in those moments, we will be begin to live a more thankful and content lifestyle. Begin by thanking God for putting you on this journey.

New Day, New Mercy

Lamentations 3:23 says "Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." The Bible speaks a lot about taking each day one at a time. and in this passage it tells us we get to start fresh, with "new mercy" every day. What a great promise. God wants you to approach each day in a new light, maybe even a new perspective. Repent of and forget the failures of the previous day, and let God begin to work in you anew. What an awesome God we serve!

Another way to look at it is like this; These aren't the same mercies He showed you yesterday, they are new. It would be like some one giving you a brand new pair of clothes for you to wear each day. You don't have to get rid of the old ones, they are there for remembrance, but the new ones, wow. Who doesn't like to put on a new set of clothes. That's exactly the attitude this verse should bring to our attention, a new fresh start.

Get out and let God make it happen in you today. I hope you enjoy your Journey this week

The Right Foot

Being a righty affords me a lot of advantages. Most everything that is made is made for right handed people. Now my son, Logan, is left handed, but only when he writes. When he plays baseball he bats right and throws left. That would be confusing to me, like deciding which foot to start off with. I usually push off with my right foot, because it's my dominate foot. I get going a little faster using my dominate foot. The Christian life is much the same, if I don't get started right things don't seem to go right. Most every morning I begin my work day by reading my Bible and devotional book. After a time of prayer I am ready to begin the day. Those days seem to be more productive than others. As well, my attitude and demeanor are better. Often I get attacked the moment I walk in the door, and I miss that precious time with God. It's important to get off on the right foot, and start the day with God. You will need Him sometime during the day, so start it off right. Have a great Journey this week!

Baby Steps

We are always in a hurry to get nowhere fast, and life struggles to keep up. The same goes for our walk with God. We try so hard to be grown up Christians that we miss the life God has for us. Try feeding a steak to a baby, or even some chicken. their teeth don't start coming in until about six months, then it takes a few years until they have the teeth to chew meat.

I have been a believer for about 20 years now, but it has been in the past 7 to 5 years that I have really grown. The problem was, I had grown up in church and thought I already knew everything, and tried to rely on that. What I didn't know was that I didn't have real understanding of God , the Bible or the Christian life. It wasn't until I fed on the "milk" of the Word that growth began.

Don't be weary of the "milk", it is essential for growth, you have to cut your teeth spiritually on it first. God will use it to grow you to become a healthy Christian.

¹ Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. ² I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, ³ for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?

I Corinthians 3:1-3

Keep it between the ditches!

Whenever Pastor Mike leaves for a trip, he always says to me "keep it between the ditches". He wants to make sure nothing happens to pull our attention away from the main thing. In life we try to do the same thing, but how often do we end up in the "ditch". We probably spend more time there than we would like to admit.

In Psalm 37:23 it says "The Lord directs the steps of the godly.He delights in every detail of their lives." When Peter stepped out of the boat, it was at Jesus' command. He didn't begin to sink until he took his eyes off of Christ. When we focus on the things around us, rather than on Jesus, we will certainly get off track. That's when everything seems to fall apart. In Isaiah 26:3 is says "
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you,all whose thoughts are fixed on you!"; notice those last three words. Perfect peace has a contingency, fixing our focus on God.

It's amazing how things always seem to work out, when we let God handle the details. It's easy to keep it between the ditches when God is in control of the steering. Where ever you are headed this week, let Christ have the steering wheel of your life, and keep your "thoughts fixed" on Him.

"Where He Leads Me I Will Follow"

So many Christians seem to think they are doing everything they are supposed to do. There is a statement that has been said of the modern church, "10% of the people do 90% percent of the work". How true that statement is. The problem is, the other 90% don't even realize that they are doing just 10%. I think we rely to much on the belief that that is all God requires of us. We think God only owns 10% of our money, time or effort. The truth is God owns it all. He created us, gave us all we have and we return just 10%. Christ was our ultimate example, he gave everything to bring us into a right relationship with God. We should be willing to do no less. When we respond to the grace bestowed on us, after realizing where we stand with God, nothing less than the entirety of our being will suffice.

In your journey do you stand with the 10% or the 90%? The key is to realize there is always more you could be doing. Do get caught in the mind trap, thinking " I have done enough". Enough is never enough, we should continue to follow God wherever He leads and do the work that is there before us. That line in the old hymn, "Where He Leads Me I Will Follow", should be the anthem of our Journey.

I pray your journey will take you to a new level of commitment this week.

Jon

In The Beginning

In the beginning man was created in the image of God. He was the mirror reflection of God, but something happened that distorted the reflection, sin. In the beginning the world was perfect, no war, no hunger, no disaster. Eden was the place to be, and man had it made, but then sin entered into the world. Everything changed! God had created man to live forever, he had made the world to stay in perfection, but then sin.
Sin has a way of getting in and messing things up. What about the"in the beginning" of your journey. How quickly did sin bring you down from the place God set you up on? God wants that mirror reflection to be perfect again. He wants us to reflect to the world who he is. Is sin distorting the worlds view of God because of you? Where will this take you on your journey?