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Ordinary On Purpose!

Ordinary Is A Good Thing!

What an amazing thought:  The Lord is offering us a chance to literally change the world!  We have been placed in this time and place for a purpose.  We are not here by accident or coincidence.  We have the opportunity, right now, right here, today to live our life on purpose, for His purpose, which is what we were created for.

When I read through the Scriptures, I am often amazed at the extraordinary things that were accomplished in and through the lives of people.  People who chose to live for God’s purpose over their own.  The other really amazing thing is that these people who did extraordinary things for God, were just ordinary people.  Many of them were failures, screw-ups and great big sinners, until the Spirit got a hold of them.

This is one of the reasons I have always loved the church.  The church at it’s best is just a collection of ordinary people, who have yielded themselves to the Spirit of God so that His power might accomplish the extraordinary through them.

Right now as you live your life, whatever you are going through, good or bad, God has positioned ordinary you to be used in an extraordinary way by Him and for His glory.  The key for you are me is to 1.) Wait on the Spirit! and 2.) Yield to the Spirit!

Waiting is hard, but it’s what the Lord told His disciples to do in Acts 1 – “Wait on the Holy Spirit to fill you with God’s power!”  Ordinary can never accomplish extraordinary without the power of our Creator.

Once the power of God is flowing into our lives, we need to make sure that it flows through our lives and this is why the yielding is so important.  It’s not about what I think, want or feel.  It’s about what God created me for, what God saved me for, what God fills me for and what God gives me power for.  And God has done all of this, so that I might be His witness.

Our lives are to be living witnesses of the power of God that flows into and through ordinary lives to accomplish extraordinary things for God’s glory.  Yes you are ordinary, but this is not a bad thing, this is actually a very good thing, because as God fills you with His power, your ordinary becomes His extraordinary and God gets all of the glory!

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Living And Learning!

Live in the Spirit!

Do you ever have something the Spirit is teaching you and you get it, but you just can’t seem to communicate it?  It’s in your heart and in your head, but you just can’t seem to find the words?

The Lord has been teaching me something pretty incredible lately.  It’s one of those things that I have known what the Bible has to say for a long time.  I could even quote the verse and I may have even gotten the gist of it, but now God is taking me deeper and I still don’t totally have it, but I am beginning to get it after a lot of lessons.

We often work so hard to try to make something obvious in the physical and the harder we work, the more hard work we have to do.  It’s almost as if it is a never-ending battle.  But in the spiritual, you don’t have to make anything obvious, because the Spirit does all the hard work for you.  In the Spirit, the obvious is obvious to those in the Spirit!

When you are working hard in the physical to try to make something obvious, you often can’t see and have no understanding of the spiritual, because you are so focused on the physical.  You don’t want to see and don’t want to understand the spiritual, because it would reveal how wrong and what a waste of time and energy your life has been in the physical.

I know this is all a little complex, but I believe it is a big part of what the Spirit has been trying to teach me over the past several months and what the Spirit was talking about when He said in 1 Corinthians 2:14 “14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”

Sometimes, I find myself trying to explain spiritual things to people and I think to myself, “this should be obvious to them”, but I am assuming they are spiritual, because they say they are spiritual, but if they are really as spiritual as they say they are, then I would not have to explain it, because the Spirit would and is making it clear and obvious.  Many times in my own life, I have missed the spiritually obvious, because I was stuck in the physical.

So many of our conversations and discussions are a total waste of time and energy because we are wasting physical energy, while we should be living powerful spiritual lives or we are wasting spiritual energy on people who are stuck and not budging in the physical.  Jesus said in Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

Now does this mean that we become so heavenly minded that we don’t do any earthly good?  Of course not.  We will do earthly/physical good, if we are heavenly/spiritual minded, because it just comes natural in a spiritual kinda way.  Galatians 5:16 puts it simply: “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

I do not totally have all of this, but the Spirit is giving me new insight almost everyday and this is a very cool thing, because I have found that physically my arms and hands have come down by my side and I am experiencing a peace that words cannot explain, because I am finally beginning to understand what Jesus was saying when He told His disciples in Matthew 10:14 “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.”  It’s not your job to convince, but if you are convinced then you will find that living in the Spirit is so much better than anything physical!

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To My Wife!

God Blessed!

I love you!  It is so much more than words.  I love to make you laugh and see you smile – it really does something inside of me when I do.  I am so glad that we get to do life together and thankful for the two miracles of Grace and Hope that our Creator allowed our love to produce.  You understand my calling and know better than anyone else how real and powerful it is in and upon my life.  When others just don’t or won’t get it, it is great to have at least one person on this earth that does.  And I will die a blessed man, if God, you and my girls get it, even if no one else does.

For 19 years we have walked together as husband and wife.  A team that God brought together and has kept together for His glory.  Thank you for being a loving wife, dedicated mother, faithful friend, willing servant and all around great woman of God.  I could not do what I do without you and have only made it through the struggles of life and ministry because God in His great wisdom placed you by my side.

When we named our daughters, it was the prayer of my heart that they would grow to live out and represent the characteristic of God that their names represent.  I had this prayer because their Mom has done and does exactly that.  You are JOY.  You are my JOY and I love you!  Thank you for 19 years and for always being right where I need you to be.  I love you more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.  I am so glad that together we serve a God, Who continues to grow the love for His glory and our blessing!

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JOYJOLT!

Very Cool - Can Even Be A Watch!We look for joy, but can never seem to find it.  If and when we do find it, then we can’t manage to hold onto it.  Joy is that miraculous and fulfilling gift that the Holy Spirit flows into our lives that enables us to face whatever life throws our way with hope, optimism, confidence and excitement.  Joy is that special gift of God that everyone wants, but that so few are willing to really work and live for.

It may be that your biggest problem is not that you are not looking for joy, but that you are looking for joy in all of the wrong places.  We try to find it in our achievements, goals and ambitions, but no matter how hard we try or what we accomplish, it just never seems to be there.  We often look to others and what they do for us or what they do not do to us for our joy, but this often leaves us worse off than when we began.  We sometimes even look deep within ourselves, only to discover that this is not the place, even though it sounds good.
Joy is found in one place and one place only.  Joy is found in the presence of God.  Psalm 16:11 says “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”  Joy that is bigger, better and stronger than any other thing in your life can only flow from one source and that is the pure source of His presence.  If you want joy that will allow you to face and overcome even the worst that life will throw your way, then you must journey into and learn to stay in His presence.
Sometimes when I am really wanting to show my “mad skills” on the grill, I will take a piece of meat and marinate it in some liquid and spices.  I literally leave the meat in the liquid for a long period of time, so that it can soak up all of the flavor that makes such a difference. In the cooking world this is known as “marinating” the meat.
So Many Options!We need to marinate in God’s joy by living our lives in His presence.  We do this by 1.) Making it a priority to invest time in God’s Word everyday.  One of the tools that I use to help me with this is youversion.com, this online Bible has a whole series of reading plans that help me to get in the Word, stay focused and enjoy His presence.  2.) Worship God Who is more than worthy on a regular basis.  I have an iPod nano that I have programmed with some of my favorite music and I have a section of songs that immediately take me to a place of worship, where I can enjoy sweet communion and fellowship with my Creator.  3.) Spend time in prayer.  This is a great gift that God has given to us, but it is also one of the most unused gifts. Prayer is simply having conversation with God.  It means that we talk and listen.  This conversation is evidence of His presence and joy can’t help but flow through it into and through our lives.
Time spent is God’s Word opens the door for worship.  Real and genuine worship brings us into His presence.  In His presence we have the opportunity for conversation, which will fill out lives with His joy.  Hope you enjoy the joy of His presence today!
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Grace Place Volunteers Appreciation Luncheon!

Northwood was treated to a steak, potato and salad lunch today, given by the McCullough family in appreciation of all the people who have volunteered to reach out to our community through the Grace Place ministry.  This video was a look back at a little of what God has been up to during this last year!

Thanks so much to all of those who work so hard to help share God’s Amazing Grace!

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Juggling Too Many Balls!

Up In The Air!Lately, I have become too busy!  I feel like I am running a never-ending marathon.  I am not complaining, just realizing that I cannot keep up this pace.  I was not created to live life this way and neither were you.

I spend almost all of my days taking care of other people and their needs.  I don’t regret this, I love that I get to do this, but then add-on top of this all the stuff that other people throw your way and that’s when it gets crazy.

Sometimes I feel like a guy juggling three balls, now that’s not so bad, even a little entertaining, but then someone throws in a fourth ball and then a fifth and a sixth.

I started out juggling three.  Three is what I juggle and now I am juggling six!  But that’s okay, because I got this.  And then all at once come balls seven, eight, nine and ten.  I think this is insane!

I finally get ball ten thrown back out.  I work my way through balls nine, eight, seven, six and get them returned to their rightful owners.  I actually pull off a pretty cool trick with balls five and four.  And now I am back to the three balls that I started with.

This is what I was created for.  Juggling three balls is a piece of cake.  I can’t stand all those other balls and I am glad they are gone.  Then I think – I was juggling ten balls and it did not kill me.  Look at how many more lives I was able to impact.  Look at how cool is was to juggle ten balls – baby!

Now I look at my three that I am very comfortable with and I think “one more won’t hurt!” and this is where the craziness starts all over.  In life, God gives you a certain number of balls to juggle.  Figure out what you are comfortable with, what you enjoy, what allows you to give Him glory.  It’s not about the amount that you juggle, it’s that you juggle for His glory.

Every now and then life will try to add something extra, if God gives you permission – take it on.  If God does not give you permission, then stay satisfied with what you’ve got and make sure you do the best with it by making the most of it!

I am still learning and I have had to learn a lot the hard way.  My main three are God, Family/Friends and Ministry.  Anything else is going to have to come with God’s permission and empowerment!

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Better Than A Pinky Promise!

Pinky Promise!

What do you want for yourself, for your life?  What does God want for yourself, for your life?  I am discovering that what God wants for me and my life is much better than what I want for myself and my life.  As I look back on my life, I can see where I actually kept getting in the way of what is best.

Look at this amazing passage of Scripture, it says it so beautifully:  ”2Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:  4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”  2 Peter 1:2-4

God wants grace and peace to be multiplied into and through our lives.  It is multiplied as we step out of our own knowledge and into our knowledge of Him and His Son, our Savior.  This allows us to yield to His Spirit and experience His purpose and plan.

His divine power has given us everything we need to live the life of Godliness that He has called us to and created us for, a life of virtue and glory.  When I depend on my power, I rob myself of the opportunity to participate in the divine.

He has given us His exceeding great and precious promises, so that we might be partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that comes from the lust of the world.  We have a choice to make and our choice determines where and how we will live.  Notice, God does not just give us promises, He gives us His exceeding great and precious promises.

God has and wants what is best for us and our lives, lets step out of our selfishness and into His promises – we will be glad we did!

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Need A Hot Pick Me Up?

Old School!

It’s the middle of the week, so I thought I would share a little pick me up.  Take all of your troubles and the challenges of life and lay them aside for just a few moments.  Now think about riding down the road on a cool night and out of the corner of your eye you see something orange, almost like a fire, but better.  It’s the “Hot Now” sign at Krispy Kreme.

You pull in and get a dozen of the hot, soft, moist pieces of heaven and head back out to your car to open the box and observe one of the most beautiful sights known to man – glazed perfection in a never-ending circle of sweetness.

Shades Of Gray!

Your mouth waters and before you know what you are doing, your hand has reached in grabbed and delivered a sensation that lasts only a few seconds, but that can be repeated at least three or four more times, before the guilt kicks in.

Who knew that soft, light and fluffy could be so good?  Vernon Rudolph did in July of 1937, when he rented a building in what is not historic old Salem in Winston-Salem, NC and began cooking the doughnuts using a secret yeast raised doughnut recipe that he purchased from a New Orleans French chef.  He cut a window in the side of the building and sold directly to the folks, who could smell what he was cooking.

Light From Above!

Now don’t you feel better?  The only thing that could possibly make you feel any better in this moment is to actually be enjoying a “hot now Krispy Kreme doughnut”. If just reading about it and looking at these pictures of the old Krispy Kreme doughnut sign that I took one day in Spartanburg, SC doesn’t do it, then I have two words for ya:  ROAD TRIP!

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I Have Decided!

I've Made My Choice!

I am not ashamed to be a part of the fellowship of Christ.  He chose me and I have made my choice.  I am not satisfied and cannot be happy unless I am serving Him.  I am a disciple of Christ and I have much to learn.  I will forget the things that are behind, because I do not have time to waste.  I will make the most of everyday by doing as the Spirit leads, rather than as man expects.  The path I am on is the one that God has laid out for me and I will not vary from the left or to the right.  I am working, moving, sharing, serving, ministering, learning, teaching, preaching and loving with all that I’ve got, because that is what I was created for.

My past is forgiven and not held against me, so I will not hold it against myself, just as I will not hold your past against you.  I have been redeemed, bought and paid for by the precious blood of my sweet Savior.  Where I am at this very moment, is the place that God created me, Jesus saved me and the Spirit leads me to be.  I am more than confident that I have a future and enjoy the security that only my high and holy God can provide.  I will not live the simple, by what I can see and know for a fact life.  I am done with what can be explained, understood and accomplished with human understanding and manipulation.  I cannot find any satisfaction in the small goals, superficial giving, limited vision and pretend dreams of this fantasy world that it built more on talk than walk.

With each breath I breath, I am looking forward, moving faster toward the goal of living forever in the presence of my most high God and King.  This is not a wide gate that I have chosen to enter.  This is not an easy path that I’ve picked to roam.  The challenge is real, the journey is lonely and the enemy is powerful.

But my God is real, my Savior is sure and my Spirit is the trustworthy guide.  I know where I am going.  I know what I must do. I will not give up or give in.  I will not shut up or sit down.  I will continue to lift my prayers, store my blessings and fight the good fight, until my Jesus comes to take me home.

Whatever I have is His.  Wherever He leads I will go.  With every breath I breath, I will preach the glories of His love, so that at least one more might experience His grace and discover His hope.  This is not so that I can earn my way, but because He has given me that which I could never earn – a relationship that changes my today, my tomorrow and my forever!  May my life honor and glorify Him!