God Moments

Last night was a wonderful night. I love our prayer service on Wednesday nights. The reason I love it so much is because every Wednesday night we experience a God moment. There is always a point in the service where we experience the presence of God. That is what I long for. It is those moments when you know that you are being touched by God that satisfies my soul. I come to the place that nothing else comes close filling my longings. It is becoming what I live for.

I hope you long for God's presence. The Bible says taste and see that the Lord is good. Try Him. Experience God, once you do, nothing else will do.

Time with God

The last two mornings I have gone to the church sanctuary for prayer. I have found that for my time with God to remain fresh I have to change it up once in a while. For a long time I have been praying at the house in the mornings. It has been good but if I do not change the routine or change the scenery, it gets stale or becomes a ritual. A change of pace or a change of scenery renews my time with God. It is a simple thing but I think it is important. I read one time that a change of place and a change of pace can lead to a change of perspective.

I encourage you to keep your time with God fresh. Do not let it become stale. Change the place where you pray or change the time when you pray or change the order that you pray but shake things up. Go on a date with Jesus. Take a walk with the Holy Spirit. Remember it is a relationship not a ritual. We are not religious we are seeking a person.

Doctor Report

Yesterday I went to the doctor and got the report from my biopsy. I have been diagnosed with oral lichen planus. It is a skin disease in my mouth that causes burning and some discomfort. They do not know what causes it and there is no cure or treatment. It can be aggravated by eating certain foods (acidity or spicy) and stress & anxiety. I just have too manage what I eat and stress levels. Only 2% of the population has this disease, so I am in a special club. I believe for a healing. Thank you for your prayers.

Too Much Talking

I went in the office this morning. I got a lot done. I thought I would go in and do some office work and not have to talk a lot but that didn't happen. I had people to see me or phone calls all morning. My tongue is a little sore. I might have over done it. It is coming along fine though. It has not been as bad as the doctor made me to believe.

I spoke to a friend today. I recently found out that an acquaintance in ministry fell to immorality. I don't know any of the details (and don't want to know) but my heart breaks. It breaks every time I hear of a minister falling but even more so when it is someone I know. I pray that God will restore his marriage and that his will be done. It reinforces the desire within me to keep myself pure. I love my wife and want to be faithful to her and to God but I do understand when it happens. Ministers are under a lot of stress and criticism today. It does not excuse their sin but sometimes they crumble under it. Please pray for my friend.

Weekend away

I guess it is suppose to warm up this weekend. I am really looking forward to it. Cathy and I are going away for the weekend. Rather than taking a long vacation we are trying to take a couple of weekends. Mike Keys was scheduled to preach Sunday morning and when I saw the weather report I thought this would be a great opportunity. So we are leaving Thursday evening and coming back Sunday night. We are just going to read, relax, and spend some time together. I think every couple needs time alone. I love my kids and we did the family vacation thing but there is nothing like spending time with just your spouse. It does not have to be expensive or exotic, one year we stayed in a hotel in Evansville, but we were away and there was no children! It was more than adequate.

I am feeling better this morning. Last night I had a horrible headache. I don't know if it was a reaction from the medicine or from the pain of the biopsy. It was not a fun night but I am getting cabin fever and am ready to do something. I cannot stay still for too long.

Sunday Recap

This morning I had some minor oral surgery. I am doing fine. They did a biopsy on my tongue. By far the worst part was the shot, they strapped my arms to the chair for that one. When they did that I knew I was in trouble. I get the results next week but I am not worried. Thanks to everyone for their prayers.

Yesterday was another great day. It was good to have Missionaries Joil and Leah Marbut with us. I am so proud of our church. In difficult economic times we continue to support missions. The offering was really good yesterday. First A/G is a great church.

Then in the afternoon the ladies gave Leah and Emelia a shower. The church gave them a money tree, gift cards, and gifts. It was a wonderful afternoon and I know it meant a lot to Joil and Leah.

I am continuously amazed at the generosity of the church.

Missionaries

I am looking forward to service this morning. Missionaries Joil and Leah Marbut are our guest. They are missionaries to Sucua, Ecuador and they are the directors of Hope House, which was our end of the year missions project in 2008. First A/G gave $15000.00 to this ministry which houses and ministers to ladies. These ladies come out of environments of abuse, poverty, and sometimes prostitution. It is a privilege to support this work. Joil will preach in our morning service.

Monday morning I am having some oral surgery and will not be on online for a few days. I will blog as soon as I feel like it, hopefully by Wednesday.

Recap of District Council

Cathy and I had a wonderful time at district council. I think they get better every year. The guest speaker was Zollie Smith who serves as the director of US missions for the Assemblies of God. He is a great preacher and challenged us all. Here are some highlights:

1) Monday night was the 75th anniversary of the KY District Council. I took up the missions offering. We raised money for "Fares for Missionaries." I believe around $10000.00 will come in before all is said and done.

2) Tuesday morning was the business meeting. Like most business meeting nothing too exciting to report. Tuesday night Zollie Smith preached and we had a wonderful time around the altars.

3) Wednesday morning was communion. It is always a moving service.

4) Wednesday night was the ordination service. In the A/G we believe God calls people into ministry and we just acknowledge God's calls. A person is recognized by the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Cathy was ordained and it was a very moving service. I am very proud of her.

Many denominations will not ordain women or acknowledge that women have a place in the ministry. I am glad I am part of the Assemblies of God who honor women and not hinder them.

Great Easter Weekend

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. The church side was incredible. The egg hunt was a huge success with over 500 in total attendance. Breakfast this morning was packed. I didn't even get to eat. I really don't like eating heavy before I preach. Then we had a huge crowd for the Easter service with several giving their lives to Jesus.

The family side was also great. We got to spend a lot of time with Charles, Tyler, Sarah, and Ross. The boys went back to CBC after lunch today. My brother and his family was in town. I got to spend lots of time with my nephew and nieces. Then we had several members of our extended family in the service today. One member of Cathy's family came down to receive Christ. Isn't that wonderful?

Overall it was a great weekend but most of all I am thankful for the death and resurrection of Jesus. God is so good.

We are leaving this afternoon for Louisville. We are attending the Kentucky District Council. Cathy is being ordained in the service Wednesday night. I will be taking a blogging break until Thursday. Have a great week.

Family Time

Today is family day. This morning we are going to visit Cathy's family. We will have a morning egg hunt and lunch. Then I will head to the church for First A/G's egg hunt. My brother is bringing his family to it from Louisville. I have not seen them since Christmas. He has twins girls that are a year 1/2 old. This will be their first egg hunt. It should be fun watching them. Then who knows what we will do tonight.

After service tomorrow Cathy and I are going to Louisville for Kentucky District Council. We will stay at the Downtown Marriott. The highlight this year is Cathy is being ordained in the Wednesday night service. I will try to blog while I am gone but that will depend on the schedule and Internet service.

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday. This is the day we remember Jesus dying on a cross. This Sunday is Easter. It is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith. Through his death we were set free from sin. By that I mean the penalty of our sins have been paid for. We have been set free from the penalty, power, and presence of sin. The resurrection assures us of life after death. Jesus is a type of first fruits. Because he rose again, we will rise again. He provided the way. Those of us that have put their faith in Jesus, have the assurance of eternal life and heaven. Death has been defeated. We have the blessed hope of spending eternity with Jesus. This is a great season for the church. This Sunday I will preach on the power of the cross and we will celebrate communion together. It is going to be a wonderful day. I encourage you to celebrate Easter in a Spirit-filled, Bible- believing church.

Company is coming

Loving this spring weather! I hope it stays this nice for the weekend, especially the Easter Egg hunt. Last year it was too cold for me. I know we will have lots of guests. It is a chance for our church to make a good impression. It is a fun day.

Found out this morning that my brother and his family are coming in for Easter weekend. I have not seen the babies since Christmas. I am looking forward to it. My whole family will be here. It will be hectic but fun.

I am going to take Cathy out for lunch today. We have not had a chance to spend much time together this week and company starts coming in tonight. Need to spend some time alone.

Family Updates

Last night we had Ross and Sarah over for dinner. We tend to eat together on Tuesday nights. I enjoy expect they make me watch the worst television show ever. They love "The Biggest Loser." I cannot stand that show. I usually sit with them and read a book. In fact I finished a book last night. It was a good mystery. Reading a piece of fiction relaxes me.

Charles and Tyler are coming home tomorrow night for Easter. They get Good Friday off. It will be a busy weekend with church activities and visiting family but I am excited to see them. They will leave after Easter lunch.

I am ready for some warm weather. It has been too cold for April but then I remember our egg hunt last year. It was freezing. Everyone got their eggs and immediately left. So I guess it is not unusual. In my mind when April comes it should at least be 70 degrees.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Easter Events

When the NCAA tournament started I wanted anyone to win it but Duke or North Carolina. Unfortunately North Carolina won it. They had the best team with the best talent. I just hate to see them win. Maybe the new UK coach will get us back into the hunt. It has been a while since we had a good team to root for.

Yesterday was opening day for baseball. It is one of my favorite days of the year. It means the beginning of spring and the coming of summer. I am a Cincinnati Reds fan. Of course they lost yesterday, but I am an optimist. I think they are going to surprise some people and make they playoffs this year. I think they have a better pitching staff.

We had our deacon meeting last night. One of the items we voted on was to bring on a summer intern. It is a great deal for the church because it does not cause the church anything. We provide housing, meals, and take up a love offering at the end of the year. The church gets some free labor and the student gets ministry experience. Fortunately I know a couple of students at CBC and one of them does not have a summer job! But I hope this is a program we begin and have every year. I think it gives our church an opportunity to invest in the next generation.
I am looking forward to Easter. We have the Easter Egg hunt on Saturday beginning at 1:00 p.m., Easter breakfast on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m., and then our Easter Celebration at 10:30 a.m. with Communion. It is going to be a great day.

What Energizes Me

I had a great day yesterday. Sundays are good days for me. I love to preach. I believe my calling is to preach the Bible. I spoke on the importance of unity. I think I connected with the congregation and I think I applied it to all their lives. I know that during the altar time there was a sweet spirit. I could tell that the Holy Spirit was touching hearts. That fills me up. That energizes me. I love to teach God's Word and see the Holy Spirit change lives.

Last night during small group we had a storm come through. I mean right in the middle of the word time the wind was big and it began to rain and hail. The hail was about a 1/4 inch. We had to stop for awhile because no one was paying attention to the discussion. They were all watching the storm. Fortunately we did not lose electricity. I heard some groups did and to finish in the dark by candle light. That would have been fun.

CLASS 301

I'm headed to the church to teach CLASS 301: experiencing personal ministry. It is a seminar that helps a person find their fit for ministry. We discover our SHAPE for ministry. SHAPE stands for:

Spiritual gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experience

By looking at these you can begin to understand how God has uniquely developed you to fit into His kingdom. I love teaching this class.

One thing we have to be careful of is that the Holy Spirit does the calling. We can understand how God has made us but we also have to listen to the direction of the Holy Spirit. He may call us to serve in a ministry that does not fit us or he may stretch you by getting you out of your comfort zone. I believe we search for our place in His kingdom and listen to the voice of our Lord. When we do both, there is a good chance of discovering where God wants you to serve.

Book Review

I am reading a new book on the Holy Spirit. The Celtics had a difference word for the Holy Spirit. They called the Holy Spirit the wild goose. They believed the Holy Spirit was adventurous and wild. The book is entitled "The Wild Goose Chase" by Mark Batterson. He believes that we have put the Holy Spirit in a cage, that we have tamed the Holy Spirit in our lives. The book is all about letting the Holy Spirit out of its cage and to lead you on an adventure. I have not finished the book yet but I am enjoying it. Mark Batterson pastors the National Community Church is Washington D.C. He is a graduate of Central Bible College and Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.

New UK Coach

I guess UK is getting a new basketball coach today. I have not seen this kind of excitement for the basketball team since we won the championship in 1998. It is amazing the passion that exists in this state for basketball. I have to admit I am a fan and glad a new coach is coming. I felt sorry for Billy G but it is all about winning. The new guy should win immediately if he brings his own players.

I also have to admit I wish we could generate this much excitement in the state for Jesus. Thousands of people will show up to this guys rally and cheer. I wish Jesus could draw that kind of crowd and produce that kind of passion. Maybe we have our priorities mixed up? Basketball will not save you.