"A leader is a dealer in hope." -Napolean Bonaparte
hope: (noun):// the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.
There Holy Spirit (3rd Person in the Trinity) is the greatest dealer of hope the world has ever seen.
Author of the best selling, hope-filled book we know as the Bible...
The source of power behind every miracle of Jesus...
Our Comforter...
Our Guide...
The only One who could offer any hope to Jesus after He willingly gave up His life on the cross, in our place, and receiving the full punishment for our sins.
This dealer of hope was even able to penetrate and willfully invade hell-the most hopeless environments imaginable!
That same Spirit, that same dealer of hope lives inside every Christ-follower and is still breathing hope into seemingly hopeless situations.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
-the apostle Paul (Romans 15:13)
Whether you need fresh hope in your finances, a major decision, a relationship, your body, your job or in the life of a loved one..may you encounter the Hope Dealer, in new ways, this New year!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
no need to pray about it.
There are some things we just don't need to spend anymore time in pray about.
I am all for prayer. I am absolutely all about living in communion with God (as a church we are in a time of seeking God through 21 days of prayer & fasting), but there are times I think it is easy to use prayer as an excuse for our inactivity or at least as a great "staller".
More than once I've had the Holy Spirit speak to my heart and say no need to pray about it anymore- just obey what you already know to do.
I love this excerpt from a book I've been enjoying called "Wild Goose Chase" by Mark Batterson.
I wonder what would happen if we all agreed to read one of the Gospels
until we came to a place that told us to do something, then went out to
do it, and only after we had done it, began reading again?
There are aspects of the Gospel that are puzzling and difficult to understand.
But our problems are not centered around the things we don't understand,
but rather in the things we do understand, the things we could not possibly
misunderstand. Our problem is not so much that we don't know what we
should do. We know perfectly well, but don't want to do it.
(Peter Marshall, former chaplain of US Senate)
"Well done is better than well said." Benjamin Franklin
As a preacher, I challenge myself with that thought quite a bit.
When I get to heaven, I want Jesus to say to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant." In Heaven, we will not receive crowns to lay before the maker of the universe for our good intentions, but rather our Godly actions.
I want my life in 2010 to be filled with a whole lot of prayer AND action.
I am all for prayer. I am absolutely all about living in communion with God (as a church we are in a time of seeking God through 21 days of prayer & fasting), but there are times I think it is easy to use prayer as an excuse for our inactivity or at least as a great "staller".
More than once I've had the Holy Spirit speak to my heart and say no need to pray about it anymore- just obey what you already know to do.
I love this excerpt from a book I've been enjoying called "Wild Goose Chase" by Mark Batterson.
I wonder what would happen if we all agreed to read one of the Gospels
until we came to a place that told us to do something, then went out to
do it, and only after we had done it, began reading again?
There are aspects of the Gospel that are puzzling and difficult to understand.
But our problems are not centered around the things we don't understand,
but rather in the things we do understand, the things we could not possibly
misunderstand. Our problem is not so much that we don't know what we
should do. We know perfectly well, but don't want to do it.
(Peter Marshall, former chaplain of US Senate)
"Well done is better than well said." Benjamin Franklin
As a preacher, I challenge myself with that thought quite a bit.
When I get to heaven, I want Jesus to say to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant." In Heaven, we will not receive crowns to lay before the maker of the universe for our good intentions, but rather our Godly actions.
I want my life in 2010 to be filled with a whole lot of prayer AND action.
Friday, January 1, 2010
$3.60
Recently, I was on my way to Syracuse to meet with another pastor whom I have a great deal of respect for. It was snowing and I was doing everything I could not to be late as I knew his time was very valuable.While driving down the thruway I realized I didn't have a dime on me. I had no way of paying for the toll at my destination's exit.
Quickly, I pulled off at a rest stop and got some cash from the atm.
I was dressed in nicely so I had to try and hop over and dodge huge ponds of slush in the parking lot as best as I could. Nothing worse than having wet socks and cold feet all day.
After this briefly stressful setback, I was back on the road and headed to his church.
I arrived on time...just barely. The trip would've been a lot less stressful if I hadn't had to stop to find money to pay my toll.
On my trip back home, as I was driving through the toll lane, the attendant at the window said to me, "Hey, what are you doing...you have an ezpass??"
I was driving through the lane to pay my toll when it was already paid for me!
The church car I was driving had an ezpass box in front of the rear view mirror that I hadn't noticed before. All this time I was stressing out about paying for my own toll when it was already paid for me. The thought of paying my way through the toll when it was already being charged to another account was absurd to this toll attendant.
How many times do we do this in our Christianity?
The apostle John recorded some of Jesus' last words on the cross as He cried out, "It is finished!" (John 19:31). These words in the Greek literally mean PAID IN FULL!
There is nothing I can do to add to the payment Jesus made for my salvation on the cross. At the highest price imaginable, Jesus paid my toll and gave me an ezpass.
Every payment that has ever needed or will need to be paid has already been charged to His account through one amazing transaction on that rugged cross of Calvary.
I think I'll keep my $3.60 toll receipt in my journal as a reminder of my account already being paid in full.
2010 is going to be another year where we will have the chance to let the Grace of God amaze us over and over again.
Quickly, I pulled off at a rest stop and got some cash from the atm.
I was dressed in nicely so I had to try and hop over and dodge huge ponds of slush in the parking lot as best as I could. Nothing worse than having wet socks and cold feet all day.
After this briefly stressful setback, I was back on the road and headed to his church.
I arrived on time...just barely. The trip would've been a lot less stressful if I hadn't had to stop to find money to pay my toll.
On my trip back home, as I was driving through the toll lane, the attendant at the window said to me, "Hey, what are you doing...you have an ezpass??"
I was driving through the lane to pay my toll when it was already paid for me!
The church car I was driving had an ezpass box in front of the rear view mirror that I hadn't noticed before. All this time I was stressing out about paying for my own toll when it was already paid for me. The thought of paying my way through the toll when it was already being charged to another account was absurd to this toll attendant.
How many times do we do this in our Christianity?
The apostle John recorded some of Jesus' last words on the cross as He cried out, "It is finished!" (John 19:31). These words in the Greek literally mean PAID IN FULL!
There is nothing I can do to add to the payment Jesus made for my salvation on the cross. At the highest price imaginable, Jesus paid my toll and gave me an ezpass.
Every payment that has ever needed or will need to be paid has already been charged to His account through one amazing transaction on that rugged cross of Calvary.
I think I'll keep my $3.60 toll receipt in my journal as a reminder of my account already being paid in full.
2010 is going to be another year where we will have the chance to let the Grace of God amaze us over and over again.
Friday, December 18, 2009
the youthful soul.
I've interacted with teenagers whose souls seemed so prematurely old...shriveled and shrinking back from belief in anything new or great.
And I have also interacted with "elderly" folk ranging from 80s to over 100 with some of the youngest souls you could find. Saints filled with the joy for God's life, free from the bondage of doubt and baggage of continual regret..
"Youth is not a period of time. It is a state of mind, a result of the will, a quality of imagination, a victory of courage over timidity, of the taste for adventure over the love of comfort.
A man doesn't grow old because he has lived a certain number of years.
A man grows old when he deserts his ideal.
The years may wrinkle his skin, but deserting his ideal wrinkles his soul.
Preoccupations, fears, doubts, and despair are the enemies which slowly bow us toward earth and turn us into dust before death. You will remain young as long as you are open to what is beautiful, good, and great; receptive to the messages of other men and women, of nature, and of God.
If one day you should become bitter, pessimistic, and gnawed by despair, may God have mercy on your old man's soul." (A prayer composed by the late Gen. Douglas MacArthur)
And I have also interacted with "elderly" folk ranging from 80s to over 100 with some of the youngest souls you could find. Saints filled with the joy for God's life, free from the bondage of doubt and baggage of continual regret..
"Youth is not a period of time. It is a state of mind, a result of the will, a quality of imagination, a victory of courage over timidity, of the taste for adventure over the love of comfort.
A man doesn't grow old because he has lived a certain number of years.
A man grows old when he deserts his ideal.
The years may wrinkle his skin, but deserting his ideal wrinkles his soul.
Preoccupations, fears, doubts, and despair are the enemies which slowly bow us toward earth and turn us into dust before death. You will remain young as long as you are open to what is beautiful, good, and great; receptive to the messages of other men and women, of nature, and of God.
If one day you should become bitter, pessimistic, and gnawed by despair, may God have mercy on your old man's soul." (A prayer composed by the late Gen. Douglas MacArthur)
Monday, December 7, 2009
fastforward 2010
Let me take a few minutes to share something the Lord has increasingly laid on my heart over the past several months. The promise found in 2 Corinthians 6:2 (In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation) is a promise I want us to contend for as a church family in 2010. You may have heard the saying, “One moment of favor is worth a lifetime of labor.”
As we move into the New Year, I want us to join our faith and believe God for increased favor in our lives and on our church, as well as for an increase in salvation for our loved ones, co-workers, and members of our community.
To help get ourselves in the right mindset and to position our hearts toward this focus at the beginning at 2010, we will be doing a series this January called FastForward. Here are a few ways you can get involved in this New Year emphasis:
- Attend 3 weeks of teaching on Biblical fasts on Sunday mornings (Pastor Joshua on January 3 & 10; Pastor Eric Peoples from CT on January 17)
- Participate in some way in our 21 days of prayer & fasting (January 3–23)
- Read the book, Fasting by Jentezen Franklin, and “helpful tips” articles from at the
- Participate in the worship gathering on Sunday night, Jan. 17, with worship led by Mike Kim and ministry from Eric Peoples
- Attend weekly prayer and worship, Saturdays 8–9 am in Youth Room
In preparation for this emphasis, our elders, pastors, lay pastors and several staff have already begun to read Jentezen Franklin’s book on Fasting. This book had a significant impact on my life when I read it in 2008. It’s filled with helpful teaching on the subject of prayer & fasting, as well as inspiring testimonies from members of Pastor Franklin’s church. I hope you’ll pick up a copy at the
Before jumping into such a sacrificial emphasis, we should ask ourselves the obvious question: Why do we fast? We’ll be talking more in-depth about this in January, but here are a few reasons why I have worked to build fasting into my lifestyle.
- Men and women of God have sought the Lord through consecrated times of prayer & fasting in both the Old and New Testaments. Moses fasted. Ezra fasted. Daniel fasted. Esther fasted. Elijah fasted. Paul fasted. Jesus fasted.
- Jesus said His disciples would fast after His earthly ministry was complete. (Mark 2:19-20)
- All throughout church history, corporate fasting has positioned God’s people for fresh breakthroughs. Are you in need of a physical healing? Do you need deliverance from an addiction or habitual sin? Are you in need of a financial breakthrough? Do you have a loved one, co-worker, or neighbor who needs to get right with God?
- Fasting helps break the “at ease disease” that can so easily set into our relationship with the Lord. (Amos 6:1) Over time, all of us are prone to selfishness, distraction and apathy in our relationship with the Lord. I’ve found that setting aside time to fast and pray has been one of the best ways for me to jumpstart my devotional life when I have found myself in one of these spiritual ruts.
- Our heavenly Father still loves to reward those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6; (Jeremiah 29:13) We do not fast to twist God’s arm or because we need to get His attention — we already have it. We fast to remove the obstacles and distraction that are in our own hearts, minds and lives. Sometimes we find ourselves saying things like, “God is trying to speak to me” — as if God ever has to try to do anything! God is never trying to speak to us, we are just trying to hear what He is clearly saying to us. Fasting can help clear up the lines of communication. “Man does not live on bread alone but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)
Fasting is not about putting on a show of spiritual discipline. Religious Pharisees in the New Testament would fast to impress others — they missed the whole point and power behind this spiritual discipline. When done with a right heart, fasting is one of the most humble offerings we can bring to the Lord. As we fast, we are saying to the Lord, “I need more of You more than I need my next meal.”
Fasting is not “easy” or glamorous. It is a pretty grueling denial of our flesh. I’ve found it’s easier for me to give God my time and money than sacrifice my meals! Yet I have never fasted without some significant change in my heart and life. Sometimes the change comes through answered prayer, sometimes through a change of heart, and sometimes I’m simply left with an increased love, clarity, and spiritual hunger in my relationship with the Lord.
I hope you will prayerfully consider joining us on this FastForward 2010 journey. No matter what level of participation you feel the Lord is calling you to take, there is some-thing special about offering up the “first fruits” of our new year as we seek first the Kingdom and seek first the King. (Matthew 6:33)
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