Just a Bunch of Names?

To some, Genesis chapter 10 is just one of those chapters that is full of names and has no meaning to them. I must confess that there was a time when I thought along those same lines. I did not understand why it was even in the Bible and why I couldn't just skip over it. As time has gone by, I have come to realize that everything in the Bible serves a purpose. Even those list of names I can not pronounce. As I read chapter 10 this morning, I noticed some of the names in the list and recalled that some of these people went on to build cities that were evil. Some went on to produce the children of Israel. In other words, some of these families were godly, nice, wholesome people; and some were the total opposite. Too many times we allow the family we were born into to dictact how we turn out. We let family history become a crutch to our own problems and it becomes the excuse we live by. As children of God, we must remember that we are new creatures in Christ. We have been "born again" into a new family. The Family of God. We are to now take on the image and likeness of our new family. We must leave the old sinful ways behind. We can not be abusive, mean, addicted, nasty, or any other thing that might describe who we use to be. I want to leave you with this question today: What kind of city are you building? Is it a city on a hill where the light of God is shining forth, or is it a city in the valley that will be destroyed? Our actions and attitudes today matter. They are like bricks being laid to a foundation. Make sure that you lay good bricks. God bless

The Home Team Always Wins

I love college football. Probably more than I do the NFL. All those who know me, know how much I love the Gamecocks. I am a true fan and this weekend is the one I live for. This is rivalry weekend in college football. That means that it is time for the Gamecocks to take on those Clemson Tigers. This year we are the home team and I hope that that will be an advantage for us.
As I began to gather my thoughts for this morning, I began to think about our rivalry in the church. You see, we too have a hated enemy; the Devil. He is always messing with us and throwing stones in our direction. The thing about college football is, you never really know who is gonna win. There are upsets every week. However, we know that the home team will always win in Christ. We the church are overcomers through Him who has loved us. We know that no weapon formed against us will prosper. It may feel or seem that you are behind in the game sometimes, but keep getting your plays from the Coach and He will always lead you to victory. He is undefeated and can not lose. We are on the winning side! Enjoy your day and GO GAMECOCKS! God bless

Thanksgiving

I love this time of year. For the next five weeks there is nothing but events for us. We have family dinners and church gatherings. I love being with family and friends. Now that Nathan is getting older he loves for there to be lights on the house and guess who gets that chore! This is a great time. Today we officially start the holiday season by giving thanks. For our nation, we celebrate by remembering those who came to this land so many years ago and after enduring a terrible winter, gathered to give thanks to God for their blessings and survival. As Christians we celebrate the past year and remember everything that God has done for us. However, we should not limit our thanksgiving to just one day a year. We are told to come before Him daily with thanks. We are to live with an attitude of gratefulness. As you gather around the turkey and fixin's, remeber that this day is not about the food, parades, or football games. It is about God's blessings on us. God bless

God Remembered Noah

As I read Genesis chapter 8 today, the very first verse is what stuck out to me the most. The Bible says that "God remembered Noah." I am so thankful today that not only did God remember Noah, but I know that He has remembered me today. I am grateful for the times when I have been going through life's storms and the peace of God came over me to let me know that it was going to be alright. I want to encourage you in that today. I don't know what each of you may be facing. Your life may be at rest or you may be troubled on everside. Either way, God knows you today and has remembered you. You have not been forgotten. The Bible says that goodness and mercy follow us everyday, meaning that God is always there. He has promised to never leave or forsake us. Grab hold today and do not let life bring you down. When God remembered Noah things began to turn around, and I believe that you are closer to a turn-around today than you realize. God bless.

Thoughts For Today

Mic 6:8 The LORD God has told us what is right and what he demands: "See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God."

I have been going through the book of Genesis and doing my daily posts from what the Lord was dealing with me directly about. However, this morning I awoke to the above verse in my spirit. When we look at Micah 6:8, we are given a short summary of what it is that God is really looking for in us. First, He says that we are to see that justice is done. We are to make sure that right judgements are made in our lives. We need to make sure that we are treating people with respect and doing them right. We are not to mistreat someone. Also we need to make sure that when wrong is done, that the person involved is brought to justice. We have been given laws and commands by the Lord and we are to live by them. Jesus tells us that if we love Him we will keep His commands. Also, we are given laws in society and must abide by those. We as believers are not to be lawbreakers.
Second, we are to love mercy. We are to show mercy on those who have mistreated us. Jesus said that we are to love our enemies, bless those that have cursed us, and pray for those who have used us. This is not how most live today, but it is how Jesus desires for the church to live. We must not hold on to offense and hard feelings. We must show mercy. Had it not been for the mercy showed to you and I by God, we would be on our way to hell.
Third, we are to walk humbly before the Lord. We are to have what the Bible calls "the fear of the Lord." Not that we are to be afraid of God, but we are to have a holy reverance and respect towards Him. We are not to exalt ourselves. The Bible says that if we have pride, or have exalted ourselves, we will fall, but if we humble ourselves He will pick us up. I would rather God pick me up than for me to do it. We must show humility not only to God, but also to others. We are to consider others better than ourselves.
I wonder if this is the model that we are living today? Let's re-evalute our lives today and make sure that they line up with God's Word. God bless

Will You Be In The Boat?

As we stated yesterday, judgement is coming. Peter tells us in 2 Peter chapter 3, that in the last days there would be scoffers. These people would mock us and say that the church has predicted the end for years and yet life continues on. No doubt there are scoffers among us today. However, judgement is coming. We know that God is not please with sin and that sin must be judged. If you want to know how low our nation's culture has gone just look at what happened on the AMA'S last night. An openly gay man with a large following kissed another man onstage and when the network had an opportunity to edit it before it showed on the west coast, they actually used it to promote the show. We live in a world that's morals and ethics are definitly in question. If God was not pleased with Noah's generation, how can He be pleased with our's. The question I have for you today is, are you ready? Have you made the proper arrangments? Have you confessed your sins and recieved Christ into your heart as Savior and Lord? Are you in the boat? The Bible tells us in Genesis chapter 7 that Noah and his family made it into the boat but everyone else died in the flood. There will be those who refuse the call of salvation, but I pray that you will not be one of them. Jesus has given His all for you. He laid down His life so that you might have a second chance. We have all fallen short and need His mercy. If you are not on the boat today I pray that before this day is finished you will be. I love you and am praying for you. God Bless

Do Everything That You Can

If you knew that today was the last day that the earth would exist, what would you do? If you knew that there was going to be a terrorist attack where you live, what would you do? If you knew that a theif had plans to break into your house, what would you do? If you are like me, you would do everything you could to warn your family and anyone else who would listen.
In Genesis chapter 6, Noah is told of judgement coming upon the earth because of sin. God has looked upon man and found them to be evil. He pronounces to Noah that He is going to send a flood upon the earth to purge it. In the process, He gives Noah a plan by which he can save his family. Its not going to be easy to do, but if he finishes the task, his family will be saved. God has given us a plan as well. We must share the love of Jesus with our family and friends. Judgement is coming upon the earth again and we are running out of time. It is not always easy to confront our loved ones concerning their lifestyle, but we must. We must warn all who will listen. Just as God gave Noah a plan for escape, He has graciously given us one as well. The plan is Jesus. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." We must get the word out that Jesus died for our sins and that all we must do is confess Him as Lord and repent of our sins. Jesus is the only way to escape the coming Judgement. The Bible says that, "it is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgement." What will you do on judgement day? Is your heart right today? Have you believed on Him who gave His life for you? Has your family believed? Time is running out, we must give an all out effort to let others know that there is an escape route. Have you done all that you can do? God bless

Two Ways to Build a Family

The end of Genesis chapter 4 and all of chapter 5 give us a description of two family lines. The first are the descendents of Cain and the second the descendents of Seth. We know all about Cain and his sin. The Bible says that a mark was placed upon him because of his crime and that he became a vagabond. Cain never repented for his sin and laid a foundation for his family that was without a relationship with God. Though his family invented some great things and built cities, they never called upon the name of the Lord. It doesn't matter how great you are on earth if you stand before God in the judgement and He declares that He never knew you. You can have earthly popularity and never be known in the courts of heaven. However, Seth laid a foundation in his descendents of seeking God. When you read of his family tree we find several who had close relationships with God and the blessings continued to extend. Enoch walked so close to God that God took him and he never saw death. Noah found grace in the sight of God and when the earth was judged, God gave him a plan of escape. I want you to realize today that what you do and how you serve God can have a lasting impact on the future generations of your family. The foundation you lay today matters. What are you doing to impact not only your children but your future grand and great-grandchilren? I want my family line to be blessed. I want to instill in my children the fear of the Lord and the blessings that come with serving Him. That way they will have something to share with their kids and so forth. We must think about what we are doing. We can not play games. The future of our families depend on it. God bless

Respected Worship

So often, if we are not careful, our worship to God can simply become routine. It becomes something that we just do by going through the motions. Whether its prayer, Bible reading, church attendance, or so forth; it simply becomes our routine. When we get into this cycle we are able to do these things without even much thought. We pray with our lips while our thoughts are somewhere else. We sing without emotion and we sit in a pew thinking about what to do when church is over. When we worship like this, we are bringing the same type of offering as Cain in Genesis chapter 4. The Bible says that Cain brought of the fruit while Abel brought the firtborn. Cains offering was without thought, emotion, or faith. He was simply bringing something because He was supposed to. When God did not accept his offering he became angry with God and with Abel. We all know what happened next. He lured his brother out into a field and killed him. You see, when we get in routine worship and God's Spirit isn't rich in us like someone else, we tend to become angry and critcize others. If we are not careful, we may even kill their character. The Bible says that Abel's offering was accepted because he brought it in faith (Hebrews 11). If we are going to have something God approves of we must bring it with faith. We must bring a sacrifice of praise. It has to be thought out and planned. So don't just do it today, but do it with faith and passion. Present yourselves as a living sacrifice today. God bless

Our Mess, His Grace

In Genesis chapter 3 we are given the details to the fall of mankind. Adam was told by God not to eat from the tree of knowledge and that if he did, he would die. Chapter 3 starts out by telling us that the serpent enticed Eve to rebel against God's word. Eve not only listened to the serpent, but brought her husband in on the act. By doing this they sinned against God and immediately felt the shame for their actions. At that moment death entered the bodies of man. The Bible says that death is the wage or result of sin. Adam had messed up everything that God had given him. He had been given every provision he had need of and all that he had to do was maintain it. Now everything is falling apart, and on top of that they now here God coming into the garden. Adam and Eve hide in the bushes in fear that their failure will be found out. As God begins to call out to them they realize that they cannot hide forever and come out into the open. Understand that God already knew about their sin, He needed them to confess before He could help. God knows all of our shortcomings and yet we think that if we can hide for a little while maybe He won't notice. I want you to realize that no matter how deep in the bushes you hide, He will find you out.
Now we know that Adam and Eve messed up and because of their sins we have all fallen short, but the story does not end with their failure. Chapter 3 finishes out with God showing grace and mercy to Adam and his wife. The Bible says that he made coverings for them out of animal skins. For that to happen an animal had to die. We know that the shedding of animals blood was only a temporary fix for the issue at hand. However, 2000 years ago Jesus Christ came as the Lamb of God to take away our sins for good. He became the perfect sacrifice for us. We have all messed up , but God's grace and forgiveness is as real today as it has ever been. If you are hiding out because of failure, I beg you, come out and let God's grace cover you today. God bless

Maintain What God Has Given You

What has God entrusted you with? In Genesis chapter 2, the Bible says that God planted a garden and placed man in the garden to take care of it. Adam's job was to maintain God's provision for his life. When you read chapter 2 you quickly notice that God gave Adam all he needed. He provided a home, food, and a wife. Whatever Adam's needs were, God met them. All Adam had to do was take care of them and they would continue to be a blessing. The same is true for us today. God has given us so much. He has provided for us time and time again. The question is, what are we doing with it? Are we making sure that our spouse and children are taken care of? Are we showing them the attention that they need? Are we keeping up the homes that God has given us to live in? We can keep asking these questions or we can begin to answer them. Too many times we overlook God's blessings and treat them with little respect. We are always on the lookout for something bigger and better. I promise you there is nothing bigger or better for you than what God has provided for you right now. Take notice of God's blessing and treat them right. If you maintain what God has put in your hands, they will continue to bear fruit for years to come. God bless

Very Good

I started reading through the book of Genesis again this morning for part of my personal reading. Genesis is the book of beginnings. It gives us insight to the story of man beginning with creation. As I read through chapter 1, I noticed how that everytime God created something the Bibles says that He "saw it and it was good." God looked at the land, the water, the sky, the stars, the sun and moon, and everything He saw pleased Him. It had turned out the way that He planned it. Then the Bible says that on the sixth day, He created man. Not only did He create man, but the Bible says that He created man in His image and likeness. When He was finished with man, the Bible says in verse 31, "And God saw every thing that He had made, and behold, it was very good." I want you to understand that God created man that day with a purpose. He created man in His likeness and with a destiny. When God looked at Adam that day He wasn't just pleased with what He saw; He was very pleased. I wonder, is God pleased with what He see's today? When God looks at our lives and how we are living them, is He very pleased? I don't want to do anything that will cause God to be sad with me. I definitly don't want to grieve Him or fail Him. My prayer today is that our lives will be pleasing to Him. I want Him to take delight again in what He see's in us. So my encouragement to you today is, be very good. God bless

What One Thing Can You Do Today?

Today marks six years that Shea and I have been pastors at Friendship. It has been a great six years. The people are wonderful and most of all, God's presence is real there. I love being a pastor. I love watching people grow in the Lord, and I really love to preach. I can honestly say that there is nothing else I would rather be doing. As I celebrate today, the question came to me, "what one thing can I do today that will make a difference?" I want to ask you that same question. We get so focused on many things, that we overlook the "one thing" that could really be the most important. Maybe it will be reaching out to someone in need or simply doing a chore for your spouse that will help them out. Whatever it is, just do it. Let God speak to you today. You see, it doesn't matter how much we have done if we overlook the one thing He purposed for us to do. God bless

Our Very Own Cheering Section

Everybody likes to have someone cheering them on. Whether it is the star quarterback under the lights of friday night or the young adult graduating from college. Grandparents, parents, children; we all ejoy a cheering section. It is no different for us in the church. The Bible says in Hebrews 12 that we are running a race and that we are to run it with patience. This is not a sprint, but a marathon. We must pace ourselves and at times "press toward the mark of prize set before us." When we are in the heat of the run and our body is weak and in pain, we draw from the crowd getting behind us. We need those cheers of encouragment. We need to hear the clapping of hands and the shouts from the stands. Hebrews 12:1 says that we have that in those who have gone on before us. It says that we have a great number of witnesses around us. There is Abraham and Isaac. There is Moses, Aaron, David, Samuel, Daniel, Elijah, and so forth. They are cheering us on from the stands of Heaven. They have gone through the tough stages of life and have overcome by their faith in God. They have become our examples, and if they can do it, then so can we. "For I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." However, we are not just surrounded by the heros of the O.T. We are also surrounded by our family and friends who have already passed on. We are surrounded by grandparents, parents, and close friends. They have endured until the end and have been saved. You may feel today like giving in and throwing in the towel. Please do not. Press Forward. Listen closely. Who is that cheering you on today? You have a reward in Christ and if you give up now your labor would have been in vain. Keep that cross on your shoulders and keep pushing on. Heaven is just in sight. God bless

What Keeps You Going?

Today, I want to ask you a question. What is it that keeps you going? How do you continue to move forward when obstacles come at you? What is your motivation? In Hebrews 11:13-16 the Bible tells us how those who have gone on before kept themselves in check. It tells us that they looked ahead for a country. Not just any country, but a heavenly country. You see, they had believed the promises of God. They took God at His Word and moved forward. Life for them was not always easy and many of them faced constant persecution. As you read through chapter 11 you find the "hero's" of faith. Men and women who gave up so much just to believe in God. Many of us struggle with going back to the old life. We struggle with the friends who don't come around anymore because of our new faith. We struggle when we have had a bad day as the enemy tempts us to have a cold one. We struggle with things that used to have a hold on us. As long as we are in this world there will be a struggle. However, we do not have to give in. We must keep going forward. We must not look behind us. In Genesis we find that Lot's wife looked back at the evil country as God was destroying it and it cost her her life. When we look back we will eventually go back. The Bible says here in Hebrews 11 that these men and women of faith never looked back because they were persuaded that a better country lie ahead. I want to encourage you to keep looking forward today. Nothing here is worth losing heaven for. God bless

In a Little While

Hebrews 10:37 says, "For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." Jesus is coming. I know that some of you have heard that for your whole lives and yet it still has not happened. Peter tells us that there would be a generation that complained about this very thing. Still, I want you to know, He is coming. I don't know when, but He is. The writer of Hebrews says it will be "in a little while." Have you ever had you kids to beg you to take them somewhere while you were busy doing something else? Your response to them, especially if you promised you would, was probably "in a little while." You see, God has promised to send His Son for us the church. However, right now He is busy allowing others the opportunity to come to Him. You see, He is longsuffering or patient, not wanting any to go to hell. As much as I want Him to come, I also want my family and friends to go with me. So lets stop sitting around just waiting like impatient kids, and lets get busy doing the Lord's work and inviting others to go with us when we leave. God bless

Veteran's Day

Yesterday we celebrated the birthday of the USMC and today we celebrate our veteran's. Our country, in its foundation, was shaped first by the Word of God and secondly by the blood of patriot soldiers who gave their lives for the cause they believed in. Our country has always had those men and women who felt the call to defend and protect our borders. My own great-grandfather served bravely in WWI. He came home from war with hole in his knee and a metal plate in his head. He served his country proudly and he is a hero. Had it not been for those brave young men and women who flocked the military after Pearl Harbor, we may be waving a different flag over the White House today. War is never good and lives are always lost way too young, but I thank God that when battle is necessary we have those who will answer the call and fight for our freedom. I want to thank men like Clyde Smith who fought bravely in Africa and Europe during WWII. I want those in our church who have served our country to know today how much I appreciate their commitment to our liberty. Find a veteran today and tell them thankyou. God bless

Time for Reflection

We are just two weeks away from Thanksgiving and just 6 1/2 away from Christmas. This year has flown by. Alot has been accomplished this year and I am grateful for all that God has done. I normally take these last two months of the year to reflect on the last year and prepare for the year ahead. All of us have things that we have done or been through this past year that we never want to do or go through again. We also have things that have brought us great joy. Reflection is important for all of us. It allows us to re-examine some things about our lives and to change things that need to be changed. It also allows us to look back on some great memories and relive some exciting moments of our lives. I encourage you to start reflecting. Don't just let these last few weeks of the year fly by. Before you know it, the New Year will be hear and the holidays will be past. Slow down a little, enjoy this time with family and friends and get things ready for the New Year in your life. Let God influence more of your decisions and this could possibly be the best year yet. God bless

Polycarp

To many of you today the name Polycarp probably doesn't mean anything, but to me, he is a hero. Polycarp lived from 70 A.D. to 155 A.D. He was a disciple of John the Apostle and became bishop of the church in Smyrna. In his lifetime he contributed so much to the church. He took on heresies that were entering the church and reminded the church of financial integrity when some leaders were being dishonest with funds. In his 86 years of life he was faithful unto his King, even in death. You see, Polycarp did not die quietly of old age, but at the age of 86 suffered death at the hands of the Roman Empire. He was brought before Caeser and commanded to declare Caeser to be king and offer incense to his statue. Polycarp responded, "for 86 years my King has never wronged me, how can I Him." At that the Roman soldiers tied him to a wooden post and burned him alive. Polycarp died that day simply because he believed in Christ and would not deny Him. If your faith stood that kind of trial today, how would you and I respond? Could we look our persecutor in the eyes and hold firm to our faith in Christ? Would we be able to endure the heat of flames overtaking our bodies? We may never face that kind of trial, but each of us has had our faith tested. We are so easy to complain about our trails and question God. I believe that it is time for the American church to grow up and connect to God in a real way. It is time to have real faith. The kind of faith that can stand up and not deny or question or complain about our trails. Chew on that for a while and have a great day. God bless

More To Learn

As I have been reading through the Book of Hebrews, I have been reminded of how much more there is to know about Jesus. The writer of Hebrews takes us back in time to the O.T. priesthood and tabernacle. He reminds us of the duties of the priest and of the Law. However, his point is not to just give us a history lesson, he wants us to see Christ in the Old Testament. He wants us to see how God had a plan all along. Many in the church today have only a shallow understanding of Jesus. They are missing some of the richest revelation because they do not study the Old Testament. It has been said that "the O.T. is the N.T. concealed and the N.T. is the O.T. reaveled." In other words, what we read in the O.T. gives us a shadow of what we will find in the N.T. Reading the N.T. will help us to understand what we have read in the Old. Jesus Himself said, "I have come to fulfill the law and the prophets." If you want a deeper revelation of Christ today, begin to study the tabernacle of Moses and the priesthood. This will bring out so much understanding of why Christ died on the cross and why He had to shed His blood for us. Don't be satisfied with a shallow understanding today. Go deeper in God's Word. Search for deeper truths and nuggets of revelation. Have a great weekend and God bless.

Faithful

Faithful. What does that word mean to you? What does it mean to have someone in your life that is considered faithful? To me it is very important to have people around me that are faithful. I need to know that I can count on my family and friends. I need to know that I can go to someone when there are issues in my life and that they are not going to spread my stuff around. Unfortunatly, in our society, faithful people are hard to come by. It seems that we are living in a season where people are looking out for themselves and no one else. We do, however, have One that we can go to at all times and He will no let us down. Hebrews chapter 7 deals with Christ being our High Priest. In verse 24 we are told that His priesthood is unchangeable. This means that He is forever our Priest. He will never leave the office of Priest. In verse 25 we are told that "He ever liveth to make intercession for us." Intercession means that He stands in the gap for us. It means that He stands up for us when things get tough. It also means that we can take to Him our issues and He will faithfully help us with them. We can count on Jesus to never let us down. We can count on Him to always be there. You may be in a season in your life where you need someone to turn too and you don't feel comfortable talking to anyone around you. I want to encourage you to talk to Jesus. He is here for us. He will listen to your problems and He will have the answer you are looking for. Turn to Jesus your High Priest today. God bless

An Anchor to the Soul

Hebrews 6:19 says, "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil." We have been promised salvation through Jesus Christ if we would only believe in Him. This is the hope that the writer of Hebrews is talking about. The Bible says to us that "the hope of glory is Christ in us." An anchor is an instrument used by sailors and fishermen to hold the ship in place while they are stopped on the waters. It is used when they desire to take rest from moving on the seas. It digs into the sea floor beneath them and keeps them steady. In the same way, our hope in Christ is meant to keep us steady. We should not be afraid or doubtful. We should not worry or become anxious. Our hope is an anchor. The Bible says here in Hebrews 6:18, "God cannot lie." That is how the anchor digs into the earth and keeps us steady. We have to realize that God is not like us. We will lie if backed into a corner. Those around us will lie to make us feel better or safe. God is not like that. He will never lie to us. If we are in danger because of the life we are living, He is going to let us know. If we are safe in His arms, then He will hold us tight. He will never lie to us. We must overcome our trust issues and believe in Him. We must let go of past hurts from lies that have been told, and let His truth become an anchor to our soul. God bless

All Good Things Come From Above

Psalms 103:5 says, "He satisfies us with goodness, He renews our youth like the eagle." As Christians we believe that all of our needs are taken care by God. James says "that all good things come down from the Father." In our society, we focus on our wants first and our needs last. This current economic crises, I believe, is changing the way that we think. For years we have been concerned about new cars and new houses. We have bought into the thought that we have to have the "best next thing." This thought process does not come to us from the Holy Spirit, but rather from the spirit of this age. In other words, from our adversary the devil. We are taught in scripture to be "content in all situations." Paul says, "whether I am poor or rich, I have learned how to be content." It is not about things for a true believer in Christ. Rather, it is about Him. The "good things" that we are to seek, are the things that God has for us. In Luke chapter 11, Jesus says, "if ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall the Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" We are to be more concerned with seeking Him than things. We are to pursue Him and ask Him for His Holy Spirit. Seek the good things today. God bless

The Season is Changing - Enjoy Today

Enjoy today and the blessings that come with it. I was able to spend a few hours outside this morning and truely enjoyed this beautiful day that God has given us. When I was a child, summer was my favorite season. As I have gotten older, fall has taken the place of being my favorite. The color of the leaves, the cool breezes, and just the feeling that fall gives me. I love to see God's creation going through all of its changes. As I sit at my computer today, I call to rememberance what Solomon says in Ecc. "Everything has a season." That is so true. Not only does this planet go through seasonal changes, but we do as well. Today, DJ and Jennifer McClain are experiencing one of those "seasonal" changes. Last September they stood before God and their family and entered into a covenant of marriage. Today, a little over a year later, they will discover what they will be having come March. As new parents, their lives about to change for ever. They are entering a new season. Though things are going to change, they will also be the best days of their lives. My children have blessed Shea and I so much. Even when they do not listen and continue to get into things that they need to stay out of (as Seth is doing right now). They are a true blessing. So, DJ and Jennifer, enjoy today. Take it all in, because a new season is coming. To all of you others who follow; go pick up your child or give them a big hug, becuase they are growing faster than you want them to and you will never get to have this day again. God bless

Lord Deliver Me From My Distractions

What a wonderful day we had in the Lord yesterday at Friendship. The Spirit of the Lord and His Word was rich. I want to take today and tomorrow and revisit what the Lord spoke to us yesterday.
Matthew 17:1-5 gives detail of the events that occured on the Mountain of Transfiguration. Jesus takes with Him Peter, James, and John into the mountain and His appearance is changed right before their eyes. The Bible says the Moses and Elijah also appear with Him and according to Lukes account of the events, they discuss the coming death of Christ. When Peter sees all of this, he determines to build three tabernacles to comemorate the event. One for Jesus, one for Moses, one for Elijah. The problem with this is that Peter is missing the whole point of what is going on. He is so distracted by Moses and Elijah, that he doesn't catch on to what is happening with Jesus. God is giving them an opportunity to experience something with Jesus and he is distracted!!! How many times has this happened to us? How many times have we been called into a mountain of revelation to experience God in a deeper way, only to get distracted on the way? We have so many distractions in our lives, that many times when we try to wind down all we hear is chaos in our minds. We hear the voices of our spouse, our children, our employers, and so forth. We hear hear the tv, the radio, or the draw of our favorite hobbies. We are a distracted generation. It is time to focus again on Jesus. In vs. 5 God responds to the statment made by Peter by declaring, "this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him." God is letting Peter know that there is only one who is worthy of our devotion and that is Jesus. We are not to worship Moses, Elijah, or anything else. If something has you distracted today, turn away from it and give Jesus your undivided attention. God bless