Mother's Day

Tomorrow is Mother's Day.
All across this land, homage will be paid to women who have done more than simply given birth to a child. We will honor women who have nurtured, raised, taught and loved us.
I always look to Proverbs 31 whenever I approach Mother's day.

V.10 - A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
I know that there are good mothers out there. I know that there are women who are filled with love and compassion and every thing good and godly that this verse speaks of. Too often our society places great value on image and financial security rather than character. Character seems to have fallen by the wayside and is even frowned upon by some. The Word of God said that a woman of good character is worth more than rubies.

V.11 - Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
I have supreme confidence in my wife. I am her greatest champion and supporter. I firmly believe that part of a husbands roll is provide a place where his wife can be all she is suppose to be. Scripture says that husbands are to love their wives "As Jesus loves the church". Jesus' purpose is to see that the church grows up in him and be all that it is suppose to be. Same with our wives. Husbands are there to love, protect, help, guide and support their wives.

V.30 - Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
The Lord is to be first and foremost in the home. Mothers are to teach their children. Not the church, not the school but Mother's. I can look back at the times my own mother spent reading to me from the Bible. Telling me the stories of David and Goliath, Daniel in the Lion's den, Jesus healing blind bartimaeus. She taught me how to pray. She instilled within me a love for God's church.

God in his infinite wisdom and love, put within women a heart for the children they give birth to. It goes deeper than a father's love. Maybe it is because the woman carries the child within her body for nine months. There is a connectedness that science cannot explain between mother and child. A mother will forgo her own needs in order to take care of the child. She does so from a heart of love not from necessity.
Thank you God, for mothers.

Happy Mother's Day!
God on you.......
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Friday....

Friday-----
Movie day here at Rapha.
The guys have been in class all week during the day and evening.
By the time we get to Friday they are pretty well "classed" out, so a movie seems to help them.

Tomorrow night, at the BACK DOOR (our Saturday night meeting) we will be moving into STEP # 5 of the Twelve Steps.
We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

While studying for this next teaching, I ran across Psalm 51 which is a 5th step Psalm. King David has been uncovered for his adultery with Bathsheba. David has gone before God to confess the "exact nature of his wrong."

Verse 2, David says, "Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin."
Did you notice how those two things seem to go together?
Guilt and Sin.
Ham and eggs...
Guilt and Sin.
Peanut Butter and Jelly.
Guilt and Sin.
Sounds like two attorney's doesn't it?
GUILT & SIN : Attorney's at law!
Only these two are toxic to us as human beings.
Guilt and sin work together in our minds, hearts and spirit to keep us mired down in the world's biggest pity party.
"Welcome To Guilt City--------population: ME!"
King David looks to the only source that can free him from Guilt. God!
I find it ironic that there are two opposites at work here to free David.

David says "wash" me from my guilt.
Washing would imply water.
Would that be the Holy Spirit? Always associated with water, the Holy Spirit is the cleansing agent God uses to remove the dirt, grime, crud of guilt.

When it comes to sin, David says to "purify" me from my sins.
Fire has always been the agent associated with purification.
Just as a person purifies gold by heating it with fire, God uses the fire of the Holy Spirit to purify us. Spiritual heat brings the impurities of our life to the surface where they can be dealt with.

So here in the Psalm, we have fire (to purify) and water (to cleanse). Two opposites that bring about a total healing to our lives.
Maybe today, we all need to ask for more fire and water to be poured over us.
Food for thought.
Until tomorrow....
God on you..........
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Doesn't Matter What Direction.....

Genesis 39:1
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt...........

Against his will....
Against his wishes......
Joseph was taken by force to a place he did not envision as part of his future.

Matthew 4:1
The Jesus was driven (led) by the Spirit into the desert......

Part of the plan.
God sometimes draws us, leads us and, yes, forces us into places we other wise would not have chosen for our self.
The story of Joseph is perhaps the most dramatic story in Scripture.
Even in this terrible event of being beaten by his brothers and then sold into slavery, God was with Joseph.
You see, we cannot base how well we are doing spiritually on whether our life situations and circumstances seem to be positive and upbeat and in our favor. If we insist on measuring our Christianity in this manner, we will be sorely disappointed and probably will miss what God is doing.

The directions of God for our life is sometimes unknown to us. In the day to day movement or our life, we are not always keenly aware of God's hand or plan for us. We tend to see what God is doing, after the fact when we look back on our circumstances.

Sometimes what looks like tragedy and defeat only gives way to the realization that God was at work behind the scene carrying out a bigger and greater plan.
For Joseph, standing before his brothers.....the very ones who sold him into slavery, Joseph realized that God has sent him ahead to Egypt to put in place the very things that would preserve and deliver his family from famine and death.

I know that each of us have problems and troubles we are going through today, this very instant. Be faithful in the midst of the storm you are in. Keep crying out to God, but ask Him to take today's grief and sorrow and turn into to good for the future.
God is in control (I know...we say it over and over...but you know what? God IS in control.)

God on you.........
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Come On In!

Ever since I have been in ministry, every service I have done, every prolonged meeting that I have over seen, God has given me a name for that service.

It wasn't something I set out to do.

I didn't sit around thinking of names. It just happened.

When I took over the A.M. service at Gadsden Vineyard, God told me to name it NEW COMPASSION'S because of the verse in Lamentations 3 where it speaks of the compassion's of God being made new every morning.

When I started the recovery meeting on Saturday night, He had me call it HOUSE OF BLUE. Why? Because blue is the color of an open heaven and also symbolizes revelation or illumination from God to His children. God showed me that what we were doing on Saturday night was going to increase or make people aware of the need to pray and communicate with God. Not only communicate, but listen to what God was saying.

Next was our Wednesday night meeting. It became known as Vineyard After Dark, or Vineyard A.D. Kind of a play on words that revealed the fact that we were on "this" side of the cross and the work wasn't done that God was calling each of us to lay our hands to.

Now here at Rapha and celebrating our 4 th anniversary, God has given me a name for the Saturday night service. THE BACK DOOR. Why that name? It has to do with the nature and lifestyle of the men who come through this program. Story after story from them reveals times that they went to church and because of their sin or pain or whatever it might have been, they felt out of place. I know now that the main reason they felt out of place or uncomfortable, was that the Holy Spirit was pulling them under conviction. But God gave the name BACK DOOR to show us that we can enter into relationship with Him. It didn't matter whether it was the front or the back.....as long as Jesus was the door we entered through. Jesus did say that He was the door......He never said which one. He never claimed to be the front. He never claimed to be the back. He simply stated that He was the door.

The front door can become a show place for people to enter in and try and get other's attention by trying to put on airs or show. Not every one, but some act in this manner. I am reminded of the publican and the Pharisee. The publican stood at a distance, head bowed and cried out to God..."Have mercy on me a sinner." Such a man as this would have come through the back door. The Pharisee, on the other hand, adjusted his robes and prayed loudly for others to hear proclaiming his pride in the fact that he wasn't like the publican.

I think I more comfortable with the folk that find their way to God through the back door.

So from now on, the Saturday night service will forever known as "THE BACK DOOR".

Pray for us as we continue to seek God's will.

God on you today!
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Milestone

I have been so busy lately that I forgot the dates that just passed us by.

April 28th, 2006 was my last day as Associate Pastor of Gadsden Vineyard. I gave my last message there on this day, and my first message at the first service here at Rapha on the same day (two for one if you will). Wow, 4 years of having a service here. So many memories in that little chapel. So many times we have seen God come and stir those present and then heal and restore and save.

One of my most favorite memories is one Sunday I was giving a really good message (at least it seemed that way in my mind) and right in the middle of it one of the guys raised his hand. My first thought was, "You want to ask a question now? C'mon!" But as I looked at him, there were tears streaming down his face. I asked him what he wanted and with a very soft voice he asked, "What do I have to do to be saved?" Needless to say the message went out the window and we immediately moved to ministry.

The first Saturday night in June (8th) was our first meeting moving Sunday morning time to Saturday night. I have posted that message on the pod casts so feel free to listen to it.

The one thing that Vicki and I realize with each passing day is that we have been blessed beyond measure to be called to Rapha. Even with the change in ownership, we feel as though the call is still in place and will continue to work, teach, love and minister to those who come through here.

I pray that God would give us 20 more years of ministry in recovery.
It is a good day to be alive.
God on you all.....
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Simple Things

Peace and contentment are found in God.
God is found in the little things.
Knowing.......
Not a gathering of information or head knowledge, but a truth that resonates deep inside your spirit.

Psalm 100:3
KNOW that the LORD, He is God.
It is He who has made us and now we (ourselves).
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

How many times have we come across this verse? Many I suppose.
As we read it, it conjures up images of bright blue skies and green, green grass with fluffy white sheep as far as the eye can see.

We forget the first words of this verse.....KNOW.
God desires us to understand who He is and who we are and the relationship between the two.
God desires us to understand the extent of power that He has.
We read Genesis 1 where "In the beginning God".....but we don't really think much about what transpires next.
That God spoke....get it......words.....speaking.....forming a language that was not only heard, but when spoken brought forth out of the nothingness, everything we take for granted today.
Power beyond our comprehension.
That same God, with that same power.....
created us.
And not only created us, but provided a place for us to live. His pasture. How big is His pasture?
Let's just say it is roomy enough for all of us sheep.
If God lays claim to us as "His sheep," then He will take care of us.
That is a simple truth.
I stay close to Him, listen for His voice and follow where He says to go.
Simple things....
Peace comes from knowing God.
Knowing God brings contentment to my life.
This morning I am blessed beyond measure. How do I know this? Because I look around at my life..............my wife.........my sons..............my precious daughters-in-law and my grandchildren.
I look at what God has called me to do here at Rapha.
Thank you LORD!
God on you..........
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Matthew 16:1-4

Some Pharisees and Sadducee's were on him again, pressing him to prove himself to them. He told them, "You have a saying that goes, 'Red sky at night, sailor's delight, red sky at morning, sailors take warning.' You find it easy enough to forecast the weather----why can't you read the signs of the times? An evil and wanton generation is always wanting signs and wonders. The only sign you'll get is the Jonah sign." Then he turned on his heel and walked away.

I can't help but believe that most people cannot read the signs of the times.

Oh there is one side that I would classify as "hyper" prophetic. Every time something happens in the natural they are all over it. Dissecting it, turning the Greek to Hebrew and back again trying to dig up something "new" in Scripture. Is there really anything new? I think not.

But according to Jesus, he compared seeing the signs to reading the weather. Is not the weather all around us? Is it not evident when the weather changes? Which draws our attention quicker a thunderstorm on the horizon or a spring day when everything is peaceful? Of course the thunderstorm.

I believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit given to all believers is the most valuable asset we can possess. He is the voice of truth that will speak to us concerning spiritual "Weather" that may be coming our way. We are simply to watch and listen. Instead we run around listening to a million different voices all prophesying multiple things. Each voice trying to cry the loudest so it can be heard above all the others. In the midst of this cauldron of voices, one speaks quietly and with assurance......the Holy Ghost. He speaks truth from what has been told to him. Why would we not listen? This is the instruction that will define and discern for us the signs of the times.

One other thing.

What good is knowing the signs of the times if you aren't given instructions on what to do?
It's not enough for someone to cry out, "HEY! The Train is coming!" if you don't have plans to either get on or get out of the way. Signs and prophetic words are always followed by instruction.

Listen.

Learn to hear.

Learn to discern.

God on you........

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