One of the beauties of the church is the fact that we are one body made up of individual believers.  God instituted a church that would stick together. That would love one another and care for one another.

Last night I was reading through I Corinthians and noticed a verse of Scripture that gives us a great picture of the church.  "If one members suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

We are a part of a family and if one of us suffers we should all suffer with them.  We should come along side of them and lift them up.  It is the opposite of what Job’s friends did.  They came alongside of him during his suffering and pointed fingers at him and tried to blame him for his mess.  Suffering with someone means that we identify with them, pray for them, listen to them and hold them up without reproach.  We must minister to others in their suffering by being a help and not a hindrance.

The Apostle Paul also wrote that when one is honored, we rejoice with them.  Too often in the body of Christ, we are jealous when others are honored over us.  The true heart of the body of Christ is that we all rejoice when others have been honored.  We must walk in such humility that when others get credit for what we have helped with, that we are happy even when they are honored instead of us.  One of the hardest things to overcome in the church is our own pride. 

When we are interested in building God’s Kingdom, we could care less who gets the credit, as long as God is glorified and His Kingdom advanced.  Our passion and desire should be for others to excel and have success.  My desire as a pastor is that we will raise up people that will go forward and do greater things than we have done.  My hope is to one day raise up pastors who will go on to build bigger churches and do greater things than I could imagine.

As we raise a small child, I have noticed that there are traits that we are born with.  My parents were in Rogers for several weeks and while here, my mom made Hannah an angel costume.  Hannah loves to dress up like a princess but wanted to have a costume for an angel.  Now I will always testify that Hannah is my little princess, but to call her an angel is a stretch:)

The angel costume was finished and she wore it for an hour or so.  She then decided to take off the costume.  She said, “I need to take off my angel costume so I can act ornery!”  We were taken by surprise by this.  She acts ornery in her princess costumes but when she is wearing an angel one, she somehow knows that acting ornery is out of character for an angel.  She had to take it off!

I know I try to spiritualize everything so I can write about it, but every one of us knows the difference between right and wrong.  Hannah knew angels (good not fallen) do not act ornery.  So she took off the costume.  She knows the difference between the two.  Everyone of us has been given an inner tuition that reveals to us right and wrong.  It is called by some a conscience,  but that conscience is a person, the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit convicts us of right and wrong.  To convict literally means convince.  He lets us know when we are following the wrong path.

We must tune in and listen to Him.  Follow His way and walk in the Spirit.  We must make sure that we listen to His conviction so that we will not act “ornery”.

I have read many marriage books, yet I am still learning how to be a better husband.  Most books tell  you what you should and shouldn’t do.  Books that try to fix marriages, more like a self-help course.  Love and War is a different type of marriage book.  John and Stasi Eldredge share from their personal journey to “stay” married.  The book begins by relating with most married couples of how we have so many expectations only to find ourselves disappointed because it was more difficult than we thought.  The authors talk extensively about how we need to count the cost of marriage before we say I do and to consider the baggage that we carry into the marriage.  They deal with the issues of self-esteem, past hurts, misdirected goals and much more.

They talk about the couple that seems happy in public but are falling apart inside.  The Eldredge’s give hope to every couple with their honest insight and by sharing from their own failures.  I have decided that Love and War will be required reading for every couple I counsel before and after marriage.  If you are struggling through marriage, Love and War is for you.

Summary:

What the Eldredge bestsellers Wild at Heart did for men, and Captivating did for women, LOVE & WAR will do for married couples everywhere. John and Stasi Eldredge have contributed the quintessential works on Christian spirituality through the experience of men and the experience of women and now they turn their focus to the incredible dynamic between those two forces.  

With refreshing openness that will grab readers from the first page, the Eldredges candidly discuss their own marriage and the insights they’ve gained from the challenges they faced. Each talks independently to the reader about what they’ve learned, giving their guidance personal immediacy and a balance between the male and female perspectives that has been absent from all previous books on this topic. 

They begin LOVE & WAR with an obvious but necessary acknowledgement:  Marriage is fabulously hard.  They advise that the sooner we get the shame and confusion off our backs, the sooner we’ll find our way through.  

LOVE & WAR shows couples how to fight for their love and happiness, calling men and women to step into the great adventure God has waiting for them together. Walking alongside John and Stasi Eldredge, every couple can discover how their individual journeys are growing into a story of meaning much greater than anything they could do or be on their own.

Get a copy of Love and War here.

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

~ 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine’s Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.

~ 15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day.

~ About 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year. That’s the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, next to Christmas.

~ About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets.

~ California produces 60 percent of American roses, but the vast number sold on Valentine’s Day in the United States are imported, mostly from South America. Approximately 110 million roses, the majority (red), will be sold and delivered within a three-day time period.

~ February 14, 270 A.D. : Roman Emperor Claudius II, dubbed "Claudius the Cruel," beheaded a priest named Valentine for performing marriage ceremonies. Claudius II had outlawed marriages when Roman men began refusing to go to war in order to stay with their wives.

~ Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine’s Day.

~ In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

~ In the United States, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine’s Day with their sweethearts.

~ Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.

~ Teachers will receive the most Valentine’s Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts. Children ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine’s cards with teachers, classmates, and family members.

~ In the 17th century a hopeful maiden ate a hard-boiled egg and pinned five bay leaves to her pillow before going to sleep on Valentine’s eve. It was believed this would make her dream of her future husband.

~ The Empire State Building in New York City played a prominent role in the movie "Sleepless in Seattle." Each year and average of 15 couples will take (or renew) their vows on the 80th floor of this famous landmark.

~ The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine’s Day.

~ The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Red stands for strong feelings which is why a red rose is a flower of love.

~ Valentine’s Day is big business. Consumers will spend an average of $77.43 on Valentine’s Day gifts this year. E-commerce retailers expect to rack up about $650 million in sales of food, candy, flowers, and other Valentine’s Day gifts. Of that amount about $350 million will be for gifts and flowers and another $45 million will be spent on food (including chocolate) and wine.

~ Wearing a wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand dates back to ancient Egypt, where it was believed that the vein of love ran from this finger directly to the heart.

~ Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40 percent of the world’s almonds and 20 percent of the world’s peanuts.

HT- Mikey’s Funnies

Yesterday our DVD/VCR combo went out.  It was still under warranty at Best buy so we went to exchange it.  They took it back without any hassles and when they rang it up, it showed that we were due a gift card for 108 dollars.  We asked them if they were sure and they didn’t know how it happened.  The Customer Service Clerk looked at us and said, “I guess you get a gift from Best Buy.”  We asked one more time to make sure that it was right and he told us to to go ahead and take the gift card with the new DVD player.

In essence, we got paid to get a new DVD player.  What an unexpected blessing!

Have you ever wondered what your purpose in life is?  Do you believe that you really have a purpose?

Every person was created by God with a purpose for their life.  Many never respond to that purpose or never discover it.  Many people today live without any direction in life because they have not discovered their reason for living. 

God’s intent for every person is that they fulfill His purpose for their life.  For some it is making an impact in the secular work world.  Others are destined to be an influence on other people.  Teachers for instance have a higher calling to influence the students they teach.  However, for all of us, there is always a spiritual purpose for our being.  Psalm 20:4 says, “May He grant you according to your heart’s desire.  And fulfill all your purpose.”  God desires to help you fulfill your purpose. 

In looking at the life of Joseph we see how God took major trials in his life and turned them into fulfilling God’s purpose.  He had two dreams when he was young that revealed his purpose of being a great ruler.  This however, was not fulfilled until a series of events took place in his life.  Joseph was sold into slavery, imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit and eventually was made a ruler in Egypt.  It was only after the hardships of life, that Joseph saw his purpose fulfilled.  The road he had to travel shaped him for his destiny.  Whatever you are facing today may only be a means to get you to the fulfillment of your purpose. 

As humans we have a tendency to look at our hardships as the cruelty of life.  God, on the other hand, looks at them as a way to mold us into what He wants.  Your purpose is hidden in your hearts.  It is something that God has implanted with in you and often it is not brought out until God is ready for it to be fulfilled. 

Many have a burning desire for their purpose but have yet to see it fulfilled.  God has placed that fire in your heart for a reason.  It is to cause you to seek Him for His timing and heart concerning what He has for you.  One thing to be careful of in fulfilling your purpose is to not  get ahead of God.  When you have a passion for God’s purpose, He will bring it to pass.  You follow Him and He will open the doors for you.

If you have yet to discover your purpose, pursue God and ask Him to reveal it to you.  Your desire to know that purpose is the beginning of the process of fulfilling that purpose.  When I got saved, I knew I had a purpose but did not know what it was.  The desire to know caused me to seek the Lord for His heart for my life.  It took several months before I discovered a part of that purpose.  Looking back, I see that what God spoke to my heart was only a portion of His purpose for my life. 

God doesn’t always reveal all His purpose to us at once.  If He were to do that we would probably get ahead of Him and His timing.  God will lay out the path in front of you and will guide you all along the way. 

God has great things in store for you.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” 

God has a future for you.  Seek Him and you will find His purpose for you.  He thinks great thoughts about you.  Be of good courage God has a plan for your life.  Let Him Use You!

I hate to use this blog to brag on my kids, but after all it is my blog.

Sonya and I are blessed to have a God fearing son who loves God will all of his heart.  At the beginning of the school year God put a desire in his heart to start a Bible club at school.  The club has been going now for three weeks and it is growing.  Josh and another kid split up the speaking duties and they have vision for growth.

What made me more proud than anything was the first week only one kid showed up.  Josh still gave the devotional to just one kid.  Years ago as a preacher at a small church, we would often only have 2 on a Wednesday night.  I was tempted to not share because after all there was only two…why waste a sermon right?  Josh gave it all he had and God honored it.  The next week they had seven and yesterday they had nine.

I am proud of my son!

The other night, I was thinking about my life’s journey.  I was reminded that my preaching ministry began 18 years ago in a homeless mission in downtown Houston.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  At the Open Door Mission, on January 30, 1992, I delivered my first sermon to a group of gracious homeless guys.

I didn’t know how to preach, so I did what every preacher would.  I just started yelling real loud and called it preaching.  I received a chorus of Amen’s. At the altar call three people gave their hearts to Christ.  I was riding high!

The next week I delivered my second sermon.  I envisioned myself as the next Billy Graham or Billy Sunday.  The only difference between them and me was that they knew how to preach.  At the Star of Hope Mission in downtown Houston, I delivered my second message.  I had gone in there with this great pride that I was the man, but it didn’t go as good this time.  I blanked!  In the middle of my message, I forgot everything.  I had notes but they were a blur.  I just completely froze up.  Those homeless guys coaxed me on.  Prayed for me! Encouraged me to take my time.  I finally got my composure and finished the rest of the message. 

At the conclusion of that sermon, my grandfather gave me the greatest advice that a young man could have received.  I still cling to it today.  He said, “If you would have went up the way you came down, you would have came down the way you went up.”  I held my high on the way to the pulpit but I came down with it hanging in embarrassment and failure.  My grandfather gave me a quick lesson in humility and how we have to rely on Christ when we stand in the pulpit and preach his Holy Word.

Ministry has been a great journey.  Homeless ministry is my roots.  I did that for several years and thank God for the hundreds of salvations we saw in that time.  We moved on to inner-city ministry for a couple of years before pastoring our first church.  We are now in our 14th year of pastoring.  It has been a wonderful journey.  I have learned a lot of lessons during these years.  Had successes and made alot of mistakes, but the truth is that I am more dependant on Christ now than I have ever been.

Here is a copy of my first sermon notes.