Don't sit on your stuff!

In 2006 I was ordained as a pastor in the Association of Vineyard Churches and since then I have not found a paying position as a pastor. For a while I felt as though I was not fulfilling what God had made me for and that I was not using the gifts and talents He gave me through the Holy Spirit.

For the last six months I have worked in Loss Prevention. It can seem pretty boring at times, until someone actually tries to steal something. I am pretty much doing what appears to be nothing at all.

What does being ordained as a pastor and working in Loss Prevention have in common? On the surface nothing at all but both professions have within them an opportunity to make a profound difference in the life of an individual.

Even though I do not have a paid position as a pastor I actually work as a pastor. To a group of guys who meet each Thursday evening at Vineyard Church in Overland Park, KS I am their counseling pastor. To some couples in Louisburg, KS I am a leader of a small group that we call Wildcats or the Vineyard Small Group of Louisburg. I serve on the Core Group for the Men's Ministry and help lead the Angel Tree Ministry at Vineyard Church. I also help with a Moving Ministry that some of the men do at Vineyard Church. So even though I am not a paid pastor, God has certainly given me many opportunities to minister. All I have had to do is make time to do what He has placed in front of me.

Each day that I go to my job as a Loss Prevention person I pray for God to help me find that one person who is attempting to steal and for me to have the opportunity to minister to them. When I walk through the front door of our building my goal is to change a life not catch a thief.

I use the talents and gifts that God has given me in both my opportunities to minister and my job in Loss Prevention. Whether I am leading a small group or working in loss prevention I have the opportunity to make a difference in someone else's life.

You may not be working as a pastor but God has given you gifts to minister to others. You can make a difference in someone else's life. All you have to do is make the time to use your gifts in ministry.

So here is my question: "What are you doing with the stuff God has given you?"

I encourage you to take the stuff God has given you and put it into use in the life of another person. I know once you break through the walls of your comfort zone that keep you sitting on the sidelines that you will find great enjoyment and satisfaction in serving God by serving others.

The Pit revised

Last month I posted "The Pit" and I would like to bring you up-to-date about the Pit.

Soon after I posted that message I ordered a nice smaller smoker for $86 and I have been waiting for it to arrive.

The other day I walked into our store and to my surprise there was one of the Smoker/BBQ that I wanted and it had a big dent in the lid. I checked to see what the price was and it was only $34 more than the much smaller one. I talked with my wife, Kat, and she said get it!

Here I am with the new Smoker/BBQ just like the one that God used to teach me a lesson.

I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit convicted me of coveting this Smoker/BBQ and that later God made it possible for me to purchase it after I learned my lesson.

What is that one thing that are you coveting that keeps you from having what God wants you to have?

I encourage you to surrender it to God and see what He does in your life. I believe you will be very surprised at what He does.

Father, bless the reader with Your gifts and grant them the desires of their heart as they surrender to You. In the power, authority and name of Jesus amen

What does God expect of you?

I believe that some church leaders give a false impression to those who are not followers of Jesus. In some sermons we are told that we must conquer sin to be saved and that is true. What is often left out is how we will conquer sin. I believe that we are to battle against the desires of the flesh but realistically we are powerless to win that battle without the help of the Holy Spirit.

For years I believed what they told me and I would repent of sin then move forward a couple of days and then fall back into old habits. I was in a constant battle of repenting then sinning, repenting and then sinning. I would become frustrated and discouraged at my inability to win the battle. Then I realized the truth on our own we will always stumble. Only God can conquer sin and make you perfect.

What then does God want from us? He wants our very best in everything that we do. He wants us to not give up and to keep fighting but reply on the Holy Spirit for the strength to overcome.

Ecclesiastes 9: 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

Colossians 3: 23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,

What we lack He will provide. He will encourage us to continue to fight against the desires of the flesh but in the end it is the power of His Holy Spirit that will win the battle.

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. - Acts1:8.

Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. - 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5

Here is a clip from "Facing Giants" that will help to create the picture of how the Holy Spirit will encourage you as you battle sin and discouragement when you find yourself weary from the war.

In this short clip I see the coach as Jesus with me being carried on the back of the Holy Spirit or we can view it as the coach being God with us the boy doing the death crawl as we struggle with the sins, the doubts and the wounds we carry. No matter how you view the clip: The Holy Spirit will encourage you and provide what you do not have as you don't quit while you give your best! Philippians 4: 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

A Papa's Influence

I am a proud Papa of Kia, Spencer, Cierra and Dakota.

As their Papa I get to spoil them and to show them new things. Here are a few of the experiences we have had and I hope they bring a smile to your face.

When Dakota was about three she came over to our house for the weekend. She and I went for several walks and about an hour after her mom picked her up I got a call from my daughter, Missy. She asked me, "Dad, where did Dakota learn to jump off of fire hydrants?" I was speechless for just a second or so and I replied: "Well, you see we went for a walk and I think she may have seen Papa climb on the fire hydrants and jump off."

Several Christmas' ago we purchased the G-Kids a dvd with the Three Stooges on it. When my daughter, Missy, was growing up I use to use one of their skits when tickling her. In the skit Moe recalls when Larry ran off with his girl friend. When Curly said Niagara Falls Moe would beat Curly up. When Missy would say Niagara Falls I would say, "Slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch, and I would grab her and tickle her." She loved it and taught it to her kids. Now when they leave our house you hear "Niagara Falls" being screamed as they drive down the street.

For many years I have had the tradition of placing a Hershey's candy kiss so that my wife and my daughter could find them. I am doing this with my G-Kids as well.

Finally, not too long ago we had the G-Kids for the weekend and we shared one of my favorite movies with them, "Gone Fishing", starring Joe Pesch and Danny Glover. It is about two guys who have been friends since little boys and they fish together. Each year they go on a fishing trip and always end up getting in some type of trouble. This year is no different. The part the kids like most is when their boat breaks free from the vehicle and Joe yells to Gus, "Save the Beer Gus, save the beer!" As my daughter was driving them home she hit a bump and out of the 3 year old's mouth comes, "Save the beer Gus, save the beer". Needless to say I received another one of those calls from Missy.

What is the point of sharing these stores with you? Each of you will have to answer that for yourself. I believe that God gives each of moments of great joy, even silly ones like these, so that we can appreciate the little things.

In my life I have lost so many opportunities to enjoy my children. I have ruined my relationship with one of my sons through stupid words and wounded the other son with wrong actions. I lost time with my daughter but thankfully corrected myself before we suffered permanent damage to our relationship.

Each moment I spend with my kids and my grand kids is precisous. God has blessed me with so many things and the greatest of those is my wife, my children and my grandchildren. Only the blessing of being saved is greater than the blessings of my family.

Who knows maybe one day God will say, "Slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch, and I grabbed him and hugged him." Won't that be a wonderful day?!

I hope you will share some of your silly moments with us.

Work Out Your Salvation

We are told in Philippians 2: 12 to work out our own salvation and I use to wonder what this verse was telling me and I believe some of you might be somewhat confused about what this verse is telling you. We are told over and over again by Paul and other writers that Salvation is a gift from God through Jesus Christ. Just how do we work out our own salvation? Can we save ourselves?

Let's look at this verse from several translations to get a better understanding of what Paul is telling us.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (New King James)

What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. (The Message)

Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). (Amplified Bible)

The Message says, "Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God."
The Amplified Bible says, "work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation."

Farmers know that to cultivate a field it requires turning the soil and preparing it for seeding. A runner knows that to be energetic in their sport they have to work out to prepare for the next race.

In Philippians 2: 13 Paul tells us, "That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure." It appears what Paul is telling us in this verse is to work out of our salvation by the energy that God gives us to do the work God has begun in us.

So how do you work out your salvation? I believe Jesus gives us a clue in Matthew 25: 34-40
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

I encourage you to work out your salvation by working out of your salvation by being the hands and feet of Jesus. But keep in mind that even the energy and the cultivation of your salvation comes from God and in your good works the glory is His.