Relax God is in control!

Deliverence

2011-10-27T17:32:00.001-04:00

I still can't get over that God wants to hang out with us. Do you like to be around someone who consistently fails to listen to your advice or who makes you look bad? I run from those kind of people and yet God according to Exodus 3 verse 8 "comes down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey..." not only did He come down but He gives them more than they deserved.

Friend take some time to reflect on the fact that this amazing, Holy, unchanging God came down to rescue you. Not for any other reason than for His good pleasure and for His glory, not because you can sing or you can teach or you can do anything. I know that sounds kind of harsh but it is what it is. Listen to this, the Lord is speaking to Moses and He is telling Him what is going to happen with them and Pharaoh after they leave Egypt. The Bible says "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea." "For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.' "Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord."
You see the Lord put them in a seemingly impossible position so that the Egyptians would once again experience His supernatural power. Right now you may be in a situation that you think is inescapable. Your back is against the wall. Honestly, you don't see how things are going to work out. Trust in God. He is the deliverer. Not because you deserve it or even need it. It is so that those around you can see this amazing God, maybe for the first time.
Trust Him and you will echo the words of Moses after they crossed the Red Sea, "The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God and I will praise Him;... till next time.

In the Midst of the Details

2011-10-18T15:49:00.000-04:00

Need to get some perspective on your life? Why not read the story of Joseph in the Bible. It is found from Genesis chapter thirty till the final chapter of Genesis chapter fifty. In these twenty chapters you read about betrayal, deception, temptation and death. God is in the midst of forming a group of people who He will use to bless the nations of the world. In the midst of the details of Josephs life we see how God is working to keep His promise that He made to Abraham not long ago. The perspective we need to see is that God is not a microwave, he slowly and methodically work in and behind the situations in our lives. He is moving on the behalf of His people but ultimately He is keeping His promises. Did Joseph have to go through some heartache? Yes he did. 22 years worth but compared to the 71 years of blessings he shared with his newly reconciled family it was a short hiccup. Whatever you are going through, if you have aligned your story to His, He is faithful and He keeps His promises. Just ask Joseph.

Presence

2011-10-04T11:22:00.000-04:00

The most amazing thing about the first chapter of The Story is that God (who spoke all things into existence, who holds all things together, who desires all men to come to the knowledge of the truth) yes that God. Wants to be present among us. Not just way off some where hiding behind the sun or sitting on the throne of heaven, no, here with us. The thought of this is mind boggling. Why? He doesn't need us. In the scriptures He says "If I was hungry I would not come to you." And yet, He wants to be among us. WOW!!!!!!! Now as for us, we feel as if He is the cosmic kill joy, you can't do this or you can't do that. To many rules and regulations, to many commands, how dare he want our money or our time or our worship. We're kind of like teenagers who don't want their parents around because they might embarrass them. As we go through this next thirty one weeks I want to be able to set aside all of my past learning and seek God a new. He promises that if we seek Him we will find Him. What I found in this first chapter is a God who loves all He has made. Realizing that Him setting Adam and Eve out of the garden was not punishment but an act of grace. Not giving them what they deserved but what was best for them, a chance to be redeemed. So thankful that He never changes and His mercy is new every morning. God with us! Simply amazing!!!!!!

The Story

2011-10-03T15:32:00.000-04:00

Last April my wife and I were on our way to a pastors conference and we were discussing were we felt that God was leading our church and us. Now, I can tell you that right at that moment things were not looking to good. Attendance was down, some key people were leaving and it just seemed like we were going backward instead of forward. It would have been very easy to just throw in the towel and say well we gave it a try but evidently God was leading us elsewhere. But that is not what either Laura and I wanted to happen. We both were taught to never to give up, words that my Dad had said to my many times kept ringing in my ears, "Son, you can either get bitter or you can get better." So as we headed toward Chicago, we asked God to help us get better. It is in times of not knowing I believe God desires that we trust Him the most. So we did.
After we returned from Chicago, which by the way was a great time of renewal, relaxing and refocusing, I began to pray about what God wanted next for Central. I said before things looked bad but we still had a good core group of people who sincerely desired to follow hard after Jesus. We had just finished a year and half of great teaching by Dr. David Platt, our Monday night ABS was going strong and we had started a Wednesday Bible Study and had gone through Crazy Love and the Truth Project together.
Like I said good things were happening, it just seemed like we weren't all on the same page. So as I prayed for direction a curriculum came across my desk that I believe was a God send. Now I don't put my faith in curriculum, I trust In God and God alone. But I do believe He uses things to grow us into His people. So I began to pray, I presented to the Elders, some key leaders in the church. Well needless to say time flies and the time is here. We started this past Sunday as a church to go through THE STORY together. From those in the nursery all the way to our Senior for Christ.
The atmosphere was buzzing. People were signing up for life groups, people were waiting with anticipation to begin. It was a great day. I heard a few people say "Can you feel it?" It is so awesome to sense God's presence among us again. And I am excited to see what He is going to do in the families of Central. Strap in and hang on! It is going to be an awesome ride!

Alive

2011-07-27T08:55:00.000-04:00

I was watching a podcast the other day and the guy said something that has been stuck in my head ever since. I have shared my thoughts about what I heard with a few people but all I have gotten in return are blank stares. Seems to be happening to me more often than not lately. Ya ya Phil, that's nice, let's talk about something less probing, "How about those pirates?" "Isn't the weather brutal?" Now I am not against small talk it just seems that is as far as most people want to go these days.

The gist of the podcast was talking about whether or not we are living the lives God intended for us to live. A life that is lived according to the very words of God, not according to words that we like to make up to make us feel better. You see I think we are missing out on so many of the blessings that God has for us because of the lies of this world. I don't know about you but I don't want to miss out on a single thing that God has for me this side of heaven. Phil, what do you mean? I am living the life God has for me. I have money in the bank, a nice car, a nice home, a good job. My family is doing okay and I am able to go wherever I want for vacation. I've got it good!

I understand, on paper that sounds like things couldn't be any better. Adam and Eve thought the same thing. We have it made. We're alive. Now remember Satan told her "you will not surely die!". God is holding out on you. You have to take things into your own hands and be all you can be. Now let me ask you did Adam and Eve die after they ate the fruit? Technically, NO! But what did they forfit to be all they could be. They forfitted real life. Now they were still alive, walking, talking, breathing, eating but without God's presence. So let me ask you, were they really alive?

Yes we might have everything we need, food, shelter, stuff, but is God present in our lives? I am not asking if you believe in God (the demons believe), I am asking is God present in your life? Are you propelled by the Spirit of the Living God while you work, shop, recreate and sleep? Are you in awe that out of the goodness of His character He chose you to be one of His own. Now I am not asking this because I got this nailed down in my own life, I am asking this because No one else is.

Confession of a control freak!

2011-04-11T20:39:00.001-04:00

How many of you out there reading this, love to know exactly what is going to happen next in your lives? Your day is so organized that you can do it with your eyes closed, with no passion or enthusiasm. But that is how you like it, no surprises. If you are like me, I would probably say you are a bit of a control freak. I like a good plan. I don’t really like it when as I am walking out the door of the house to go do something that is part of my routine, for my wife to say to me “Honey, could you stop at the store and get me a few things?” You see, that wasn’t part of my plan.

As someone who has decided to follow Jesus, this is somewhat of a problem. I want to know whether or not what I am doing is going to succeed and if I don’t add anything new than I know what the result of my day is going to be. But if I have read my Bible correctly, that is not exactly how God works. The prophet Isaiah wrote that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts, but that they are far above ours. Let’s check His ways. In Genesis the Lord told Abram to go to a land that He would show him – a land that was foreign to him. He also told Noah to build an ark, a big boat made of gopher wood, funny thing is, that it had never rained before. Do you see a pattern?

Jesus continued this by saying to some fishermen “Come Follow Me!” – drop everything (your family, your livelihood, your friends) because I have something for you that you could never imagine. Does it sound like the people of old who were invited to the story of redemption knew what was going to happen tomorrow?

Now I am not saying that making plans is stupid and we should just live willy nilly. I am suggesting that maybe we exclude or even handcuff God by planning too much. We plan our worship services to end on time, our fellowship dinners to promote unity, our revivals so that we hope that people will begin to do what they already should be doing, as if He needs to be on our time schedule.

My favorite parts of the Bible are when Jesus interacted with people. None of these instances were staged. Each and every one of them happened as He was walking along the way. There was His encounter with Zacchaeus in Luke, the crazy man from Mark chapter five, the two blind men and especially the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus told her that if she drank the water He gave her, she would never thirst. A fountain of water springing up into everlasting life would be hers. Picture this, if I am His child – submitted to His Spirit – then I have something that is continuously flowing in me and out of me. As I have been praying and asking for God’s direction for my life, it is my desire that I don’t get caught up on knowing how everything is going to work out. If I know this, then do I even need to have faith? I am trusting that His Spirit will guide me and whatever happens will ultimately glorify Him.

Please let it flow, for without faith it is impossible to please God!

Be Still

2010-10-28T16:54:00.002-04:00

Doesn’t it seem like time is going by faster and faster? It seems like we just celebrated the 4th of July and here it is almost Halloween. I don’t know about you but I would really like things to slow down. I am not sure if time is going by faster because I am getting older (turning the big five O this January) or that I am so busy I just don’t have time to remember the things that I have done and that makes it seem faster. Regardless, it stinks and I don’t like it.
If I were to pick one of the two I would say that life is way too busy. You would think with all the fancy technology we have, life would not be so busy. Wrong! It seems like it is getting busier. Not sure that is how God intended us to live. It seems like we are so busy looking forward to the next big thing, that we miss out on the simple blessings of life. We look forward to our vacation at the beach, or we just can’t wait to get that new furniture or that new car. Or we wait with anticipation for our team to beat their team. Now I am not saying that in themselves new furniture or a nice vacation or watching a sporting event is bad. The thing is that while we are waiting for those things life is still happening and I think we miss the simple things that God wants us to be aware of.
Here are just a few. Do we miss the twinkle in our spouse’s eye when we tell them “I love you!”? Do we miss the smile on our child’s face and the confidence we give them when we give them a huge bear hug? Do we miss the smile we give to a stranger when we acknowledge that they even exist? The little things.
In the scriptures there was a prophet who had just gone through a huge victory by defeating some other prophets of a false god. I mean this was huge. I mean fire from heaven huge. And so this prophet goes off by himself and is now expecting God to show Himself huge again. But that is not what happens, He is not in the thunder or the mighty wind, no, God shows Himself by speaking to him in a still small voice.
Maybe the enemy has got you so caught up in all the huge stuff, run to this, plan for this, wait for this, and you keep missing His still small voice and the small blessings that He wants to give you. He is whispering come to Me all who are weary and heavy laiden, come to Me and rest.
I am not saying big things are bad, the jury is still out on the busyness part and for sure I do not have this down pat in my own life. I want you to know that I am making a concerted effort to stop and listen for His still small voice. Because I don’t know about you but I don’t want to miss anything that God has for me and my family. Please don’t allow busyness or the next big thing to cancel out what God is trying to say to you or do in you. Know that God loves you more than you could ever know. And for your own sake, please be still and know that He is God!

Respond

2010-08-30T12:25:00.000-04:00

Finding it difficult to follow Jesus? Does He ask to much of us? What's with this tithing thing? Doesn't He know that I have bills to pay? And how about this serving others? Doesn't He know that I have a family? I don't have time to volunteer at church, just what is that going to benefit me or my family anyway? My job takes up all my time and the weekends are the only times I have to get away from it all. So please don't ask me to commit to being at church every week. Isn't once a month sufficient? I can worship God when ever I want can't I? I mean I love God. Isn't that enough?

I asked someone that the other day and they said of course I love God. And yet they only come whenever, they don't give and they don't even come as a family. Now if someone told me that they loved me but only visited my house only occasionally and never returned a portion of what I had already given them. I don't think I would believe that they really loved me. Who do we think that we are fooling?

I would like to encourage everyone who might read this to take some time out of your busy schedule and reflect on how much God loves you. Hear are some of the very words of God that I love the most.

Psalm 145:8,9
The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy.
The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.

Psalm 145:14 - 19
The LORD upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.

Now like I said take some time and let these words sink in. He is good to all, He upholds all who fall, He opens His hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing. Amazing, wonderful, mind boggling, indescribable.

Now let us stop trying to earn His love and why don't we just respond to it. If we would, all those things in the first paragraph would not be an issue to us. They would come naturally as a response to His unfailing love. Think about it. No! Really think about it! Then respond.

Sacrifice

2010-05-31T11:47:00.000-04:00

as I sit here on my backyard deck, surrounded by peace and quiet and watching my dog lay lazily in the shade. I cannot but think that I really don't have a clue what it means to sacrifice...today is Memorial Day a day that began in 1866 to remember those who died in the Civil War...some time later it became known as Memorial Day...a day to take time and pay tribute to all men and women who have payed the ultimate sacrifice...the giving of their lives...they unselfishly surrendered their freedom to do as they chose to live a life for others...so that those they didn't even know could sit on their decks in peace and quiet...with no fear of death or even the least bit of fear...as I contemplate this day...more now than I have ever before...I am asking myself...am I living for others...do I sacrifice anything so that others will have a better life or am I just someone who takes and never gives...is it my first instinct to think of me before I even dare think of someone else...as someone who would like to think that I am a follower of Jesus, it is my sincerest prayer that I have the heart of our Savior...knowing that it was His calling to give His life as a ransom for many...before the foundation of the world His walk to Calvary was planned, to reconcile all things back to the Father both on earth and in heaven...may I too, know that being named among His children that I too will die so that others might live...on this day of memorial let it not end on just remembering may we too think of others and sacrifice...

Deep Simplicity

2010-04-01T12:37:00.002-04:00

Have you ever heard the saying, “American Christianity is three thousand miles wide and only one inch deep?” Well, I don’t know about you but that statement kind of makes me both mad and sad at the same time. It makes me mad because as a person who is a US citizen and one who claims the title of Christian, it says that there doesn’t seem to be much depth to me when it comes to my walk with Jesus. It makes me sad because after visiting another part of the world in September of 2009 and seeing how Christians live there, I kind of agree with it.
What are you trying to say Phil, that all Christians in the USA are shallow? No please don’t take it that way. What I am trying to say is that we need to take a look at ourselves as individuals and see if that statement is true of us. Is there a depth to my walk with Jesus or is it just something that I say I am?
Let me go back to what brought this whole thought process on for me. For the past several years around the month of September I begin to pray for the next year. I ask the Lord to impress upon my heart what He would have for me and my family and for the church that I pastor. Each year as I am praying, He gives me a word that just keeps bouncing around in my head and will not go away. One year the word was “vision”, so for the next year we focused on the portion of scripture that says “where there is no vision the people perish.” The next year the word “intentional” kept coming to the forefront, so, we focused on being intentional about our walk with Him in our daily lives, kind of like when Daniel “purposed in his heart not to defile his body”. Hopefully you see a pattern in this.
In September 2009 during prayer some verses in Colossians chapter one kept jumping out at me. These verses are the prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed for the people of Colosse. I just love Paul’s writing because you can just hear his love and compassion for the people he is writing to. The prayer says that he wanted them to “be filled with the knowledge of His will” and that they would “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”. After reading these verses and letting them affect me, the word “depth” is what I felt the Lord wanted me to focus on for this year. Paul was praying that the Colossian people would have some depth to them and not just the title of Christ follower. And that rang true with my heart for the people at Central.
So this year I am focusing on the words “Deep Simplicity”. I am going to keep it simple. I believe that sometimes we make following Him to hard. And we just get discouraged and quit. I don’t think that is how God wants it. So, I am praying the same prayer that Paul prayed in Colossians, that we would be filled with the knowledge of His will. And to accomplish this we can follow what the book of James says “if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us” (my paraphrase), now isn’t that simple. And then that we would walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him. This too is quite simple, according to Paul’s letter to the Galatians he writes, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fufill the lust of the flesh.” Sounds like an easy way to please Him.
I know I am not the best writer in the world, but if you are reading this, I hope some how, some way that I have at least gotten you to stop and think about the depth of your walk with Jesus. Don’t make it so hard. Draw Near to Him and Walk in the Spirit. If you don’t go to church, please find one that will challenge you to know His will and walk worthy of His calling upon your life. If you do have a church that you call home, GO and bless others with the gifts that God has given you and from the blessings He has given you.
Please know that God loves you more than you could ever know, and He desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Now that is pretty simple and yet deep, Hallelujah!

gift of hope

2009-12-25T09:05:00.000-05:00

this past advent I decided to speak on the three gifts that the wise men brought to Jesus...I entitled it Gifts of Hope...these wise men had traveled thousands of miles on the hope that some words they had read were true...hope for a king that was better than the one they served, hope for a better priest than the ones who served them...and hope for a savior from the emptiness of the life they now lived...we also gathered gifts of hope for our elementary afterschool kids (PrimeTime)...20 some families at Central invested in 27 different kids by purchasing presents for them for Christmas...wanting to share the hope of Christ in a time where it seems like there is no hope...but the best gift of hope that Laura and I received this Christmas is one from a dear friend in our congregation...instead of the church collecting money for us for Christmas, the Elders suggested that in going along with our gift of hope theme that people would give us something from their hearts, something more relational in manner...well, let me tell you...the gifts we have received have revived my hope...anything from gift cards to restaurants to fruit baskets and even an invite to go bowling...and please don't misunderstand they are all good...but the one that blew Laura and I away is how someone sponsored an orphan in our honor for a year...so for a year this child is going to be able to get educated and fed because of their generosity in our honor...let me tell you it brought tears to our eyes...and here is why...Laura and I have dedicated our lives to pointing people to Jesus...now there have been good times and there have been some discouraging times along the way...but when a person prays and asks the Lord on what to give us and the Lord directs them to this...WOW!...that gives us hope...hope in the gospel...hope in that we still get to participate in His plan of redemption...hallelujah!...all praise goes to the one worthy of all our praise...relax God is in control!

be encouraged

2009-10-19T17:22:00.000-04:00

you know I think we have what it means to be a success in God's eyes a little confused...I think we equate it to one of those models on the front of a glamor magazine...just the right weight, no blemishes anywhere, a smile whiter than snow...according to a lot of people if you are having struggles than you just aren't living right...and God is somehow displeased with you...well, I wonder what the Apostle Paul would have thought about that...the guy who wrote most of the New Testament...to my recollection he spent a lot of his time either ship wrecked, being stoned or in prison...what a failure...I don't think so...what I like about Paul is that no matter what was happening to him he was saying rejoice...rejoice in the Lord always...and again I say rejoice...you know lately i really struggle answering when people ask me...hey Phil, is your church growing?...to tell you the truth, right now, no we aren't...numerically...now if you would ask me if the church is growing closer to Jesus...I would love to tell you...Yes, you bet it is...I see a hunger for righteousness, now more than ever...Paul prayed that those he loved would know the will of the Father in all wisdom and understanding and that they would walk worthy of their calling, with the strength to carry on (my version)...so in the world's eyes we are struggling...but in my heart I believe God is working among us in a mighty way...let me use some more words from Paul...

be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

thanks for reading and if you would pray that God works in and through Central Community Church

jetlag

2009-09-25T16:49:00.000-04:00

you know I really thought people were just wimps when they talked about jetlag and how tired they were because of it...we were pretty fortunate when we arrived in Singapore we arrived at night...we were picked up from the airport to our hosts house...ate a great meal, sat around and talked and went to bed around midnight their time...it was easy...we were tired, went to bed, woke up when it was light...simple...we just stayed with that routine the whole time we were there...well, let me tell you...it hasn't been so easy since we have arrived home...I still don't know what day it is...i have been falling asleep at the drop of a hat...i sat down at 2 pm yesterday, whatever day it was and didnt wake up till 7 pm...went to bed right after that and woke up at 4 am raring to go...i have been at my office since 5 am this morning and I am really starting to feel it now (it is around 5 pm)...then today someone said, "oh, yea it is when you get home that it affects you"...now you tell me...it feels as if I am walking around in a dream...once again thanks for reading and hopefully you'll continue to follow as the journey that I am on is better than ever...relax God is in control!

sensory overload

2009-09-20T20:26:00.000-04:00

sorry I haven't been blogging everyday...and I want to thank you for checking in on us these past two weeks...it seems as if we have been gone forever...Laura and I have done so much since we have arrived that we will need a month to process it all...especially being in Ho Chi Min City...nothing anyone told us could have prepared us for what we experienced there...the moment we arrived to the moment we returned to the airport...all I can say now that it was very overwhelming...we took a lot of pictures but I believe even the pictures will not describe what we experienced...now it was a good experience and we met and worshipped with and ministered to some pretty dedicated believers...the sights and sounds and smells and tastes were overwhelming...let's just say there are 10 million people in the city and most of them ride a small motor bike...all at the same time...as we get ready to come home...I would ask that you would pray that all that God has allowed us to experience would not end on us but that we can share it with those we love and serve...truly God is a BIG God and one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord....so let's realize that there is a world out there wether it is your neighbors and friends in Greenville or a little boy named Timothy in Vietnam...He loves them all and desire all men to come to Him...Hallelujah!!!!

the other side of the world

2009-09-16T23:17:00.000-04:00

greetings from the other side of the world...we are some 10,000 miles away from our home Greenville, PA...at least that is how many miles we flew in the air to get here...is so many things that Laura and I have experienced it will take weeks to process...but I can tell you one thing people anywhere are pretty much the same...we all crave knowing that we matter...that there is actually some purpose to being a live...and that in that purpose we are loved...that someone actually takes time to listen and care about them...their likes, their dislikes, their dreams, their fears...as we have met many people here it becomes clear to who actually desires to even know you...if they are checking their watch every second...it is pretty much an indication that they would rather be somewhere else than there with you...now don't get me wrong, all the people we have met have been nice...it is just funny that people even though they may have different colored skin or even a different language...we are all the same...creatures in need of acceptance...in need of purpose...in need of love...I don't know how you are towards people...I hope you listen when they talk...I hope you look them in the eyes and let them know you care...Jesus was that way...ask the woman at the well or the woman caught in adultry...or Zacheus...or...I am thankful that Jesus loves me this I know and He isn't checking His watch when I with Him...thank you for follwoing us on this journey...leaving for Vietnam in the morning your Thursday evening so please pray that we will listen and love as Jesus did...

centered

2009-09-14T21:32:00.000-04:00

each day that we wake up we are faced with the task of manuevering through many different things in our lives...what do I have for breakfast...do I eat breakfast...how am I going to treat my spouse...my kids...my friends...do I expect them to meet all my needs or do I think of them first and me last...what do I listen to on the radio or watch on TV...will it make me smarter, will it make me mad or even will it in someway draw me closer to God...what will I talk about with my coworkers, my friends or my family...will I talk about others in a negative manner to make myself feel better...at least I am not like them (thank God)...or will I lift them up, will I speak of how fearfully and woderfully they were made (warts and all)...now I am not so sure that when we wake up we think of any of this...we are way to busy...have to get to work...have to make sure the kids are off to school or that they are fed and not tearing the house a part...after being in Singapore for 7 days there is something that happens here that has truly humbled me...the people that the Lord has put into our lives have one thing in common...everything that they do...work...church...family...they rely on one thing and one thing alone to guide and direct them...Jesus...they pray about everything...and not just pray they believe that God is going to answer their prayers...yesterday morning (Monday)...Laura and I were invited to be a part of a time of worship and prayer with our host family (Rodney and Esther)...they hae started a learning center (an alternative to public schooling here)...they are using A.C.E. curriculum and believe very strongly that if God is going to be a part of their society in the future...their children must be taught in a scriptual way and not just in church but academically...well after singing a few worship songs...by the way, the learning center is in Rodney and Esther home...they are looking for space to expand but for now because of a desire to follow a vision that the Lord gave them they do it in their for now...after the songs the kids went up stairs and the parents stayed downstairs...and let me tell you the next two hrs was amazing...they would bring up prayer concerns one family at a time and then pray...then the next family and then they would pray...they even let Laura and I share our concerns and prayer requests...I know I know we pray...but I have not been a part of a prayer time like this in many years...I am still trying to process what we are experiencing...one thing I know is that Jesus has been a part of my life but I am not so sure He was the center...totally relying on Him for everything...He is our source of joy and peace and health..."He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being,...do I seek the Lord about everything?...do I grope for Him?...hallelujah...He is not far from any one us...Lord may we put you at the center of our lives...and let you take care of the rest

fire

2009-09-11T20:30:00.000-04:00

yesterday...our Friday...was a day packed full of once again unknowns...it is going to take months to process all that we have been experiencing...we woke up at around 6 am (that's 6pm back in PA, the day before)...had an scrumptous breakfast...eggs, toast, tuna croissant, lettuce and tomatoe, and a few slices of ham...thought I was going to lose a few pounds these two weeks...ha...at about 7:30 Laura and I walked to the MRT (mass rapid transportation) to get to the school of missions by 9 am...Singapore has one of the cleanest and most advanced MRT systems in the world...well after getting our boarding passes, we walked down to the train platform...their our two trains one going one way another going the other way...no dah phil...well as we got to the platform we saw the opposite direction train and it didn't look like there was anyone on it...what a relief...didn't really want to feel lke a sardine this early in the morning...but when our train came into view...i think everyone in Singapore was on it...Laura and I were pressed up against the doors...oh and did I tell you it is hot here...well about 17 stops and one interchange later...we still had about a half of a mile to walk to get to where we were going...now have I told you Laura doesn't do heat well...I am so proud of her...she has been a trooper...by the time we got there we were soaked...walked into the school and we're welcomed by many different nationalities...african...indian (india indian, not geronimo indian), thai, saudi's, and americans...all people who have given their lives to fulfill the great commission to make disciples of all nations...their main focus was not what size buildings to build...or what songs to sing or whether it was to hot or cold in the room...it was how do we biblically reach as many people as we can for Jesus...we met people from the states who have been on the mission field since 1991...they spoke of their children, who have been born and raised on the field, indonesia, thailand, cambodia...now I have been exposed to missionaries before but never in this type of setting...you could sense the fire they had for getting the word out to as many people as they could, as if their lives depended on it...humbling...later in the day, we joined our hosts at a vision casting service at their church...it started at 8 pm...yes we are still awake...I actually woke up at 4:30 am...so needless to say I was a little tired...we actually had to get there around 7:30 pm...as we entered we were greeted by about everyone that was there...welcome to our church...welcome to our church...upon entering the sanctuary...you could sense that everyone was actually glad to be there...and this is a Friday night...it was a rememberable evening...as I said earlier it will take many weeks to process everything...I do know this...I believe I need to rekindle the flame for knowing Jesus and reaching the lost in my own heart...we thank God for allowing us these experience...we are praying that what God is doing in Singapore will happen our part of the world...more to come and thanks for your prayers...we truly to feel them...be blessed

getting around

2009-09-09T20:03:00.000-04:00

in the unknown it is always a challenge to know exactly which direction to go...left, right, north, south...make one wrong choice and you have just doubled your time to get where you need to go...during our second day our plans were to meet up with Dr. Isaiah (he is the president of the Bethany International School of Missions)...we were to meet with him at about 5 in the afternoon....after a wonderful night of sleep and a nice breakfast our hosts husband planned to take us to the Singapore visitors center so we could plan out some of our activities for the next few days...once again always good to have someone who has been there and done that to follow...Rodney has lived in Singapore his whole life...so needless to say he knew where he was headed...after driving us around and showing us some personal favorites he dropped us off at the visitor center...he had to leave for some business so once again we were on our own...but this time we had maps...this was around noon so we had five hours to wander around and see some sights...a couple of things about here...it is HOT...in the 90's or if you are from here in the 30's...everything is metric here...also there is a different smell...now I am not saying it smells, it is just different...very clean...for a place with 4.5 million people in a roughly 35 mile square island it is surprisingly clean...very polite as well...when we were deboarding the plane the other night as we taxied to the terminal...the stewardists alway tell you to wait for a complete stop to stand and take off your seatbelt...needless to say when we got close to the terminal the only ones who did not follow the rules where americans...it was amazing...now back to wandering around alone again...we were on Orchard Road, kind of the Rodeo Drive of Singapore...tons of shops and malls both really modern and mom and popish...we walked around outside awhile and then in and out of the malls, they had aircon as they say here...it started to be the time to head to Dr. Isaiah so we had to ride their subway so far and then walk the rest of the way to find it...subways were packed, very clean, but packed...thank goodness for the maps in more ways than one...had to take one to connect with another but we made it...then we had to walk...thought we were headed in the right direction, glad I asked, because we weren't...as we walked the rest of the way still not really knowing where we were going knew the place but not the specific place...walked by old and new...we finally made it to our destination and had a wonderful time with Dr. Isaiah and his wife and daughter...they have a wonderful story of stepping out in faith and living in the provision of God...funny thing about putting yourself in someone else's hands...we also had a taxi take us home...getting around...do we trust our direction in the hands of the Almighty or are we OK running things ourselves...it is only in the unknown will you know...relax God is in control!

divine appointments

2009-09-08T22:16:00.000-04:00

going into this trip I really was a little nervous...ok, to be honest a lot nervous...as I said I am a little bit of a control freak...never had I spent 16 hrs on a plane...maybe four but not 16...what if I had to use the bathroom...what if I get claustrophobic...couldn't do a 15 minute MRI how in the world would I be in an in closed space for that long...well I believe that because of all the people praying for us that it was no problem...didn't even seem like we were really in a plane 35,000 ft in the air...for 16 hrs straight...along with the prayers it always helps to sit next to someone who has done it before...his name was George...he was from Boston, but he now lives in Thailand...interesting, that is exactly what I needed...George teaches English...he is also a musician...we talked about a lot of things and I was thankful for it...there is something about the unknown...if you are willing to take the risk...step out and let God be God...it is always nice to have those who love you praying for you...it is also good to look for those who have done it before...all you have to do is watch them and follow their lead...well we landed in Singapore at 8 pm on Sept. 8...still in the unknown...who will be there to pick us up...what if they don't show up...well Lisa Ho the wife of David Ho who is the kind man who made this trip possible was there with our host Esther Chua...what a welcome site to see a face that we knew...they drove us around the city, it looked really nice even through sleep deprived eyes...after we got to their home we sat down to a really nice meal and had the most awesome get aquainted conversation...I think being in a small town can really get us into tunnel vision and not really realize what a big place this world is and what amazing things God is doing all over...His Spirit is defintely alive and well in Singapore and Laura and I are very blessed to be a witness of it...as we were getting ready to go to sleep Esther made this statement..."I believe this has been a divine appointment"...imagine if I would have been to scared to get in a plane...I would have missed it...relax God is in control!

the unknown part 1

2009-09-06T22:20:00.001-04:00

airplane ride...NYC...JFK...air train...subway...sir, are we on he right train?...mam I don't know if we have enough money on the metro card...are we headed downtown or uptown?...should we have stayed at the hotel or are we glad that we ventured out?...Time Square...Rockefeller Center...Fox News headquarters...yes we ventured out...it wasn't easy but we just stepped out and did it...not normal for Laura and I...like I said earlier we are pretty routine...to live in the unknown takes stepping out of your comfort zone and also takes realizing you might need some help figuring out the right train to take...let me tell you it was worth it...a couple of observations though...we live in a humungus world made up of all kinds of people...and God loves them all...mind boggling...relax God is in control!

living in the unknown

2009-08-31T10:40:00.000-04:00

there is much to be said for routine...getting up at the same time every morning...eating the same foods...every Sunday of my childhood we had mashed potatoes, gravy and roast beef for our after church meal...watching the same tv shows...cheering for the same team year in and year out (go WINGS)...same ice cream...same deordorant...same path to work everyday...we feel safe...in control...the big kauna...but is that how we are suppose to live?...I like control...I freak out if I am not in control...but, those who followed the scriptures were called to live in the unknown...Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David, Zachariah, etc...now I am not saying we throw away our day planners...I am asking myself "do I plan the Holy Spirit right out of my life?"...11 yrs ago my family threw routine out the window and moved to NW PA...we came to a place where we did not anyone...we were not in control...and we have been and continue to be blessed being here...needless to say we have had our share of challenges as well...I would like to think that we still rely on the Holy Spirits moving and are willing to live in the unknown...has routine gotten in the way?...well next week Laura and I are headed for Singapore...the unknown...seeking God's direction for both our lives and those we minister to at Central...and in serious need of spiritual renewal and rest...I will try to keep everyone up to date while in Singapore, so, stay tuned...relax God is in control!!!

the language of Ashdod

2009-08-12T14:29:00.002-04:00

I have really been struggling lately. I am trying to understand the fine line between license and legalism. First of all as just another human being trying to walk daily with a Holy God and then as a Pastor who has been called to lead and instruct others in that same walk.

Now most of my training in this calling has been on the job training or the school of hard knocks but I do not have any formal theological training. So in some circles what I think or say doesn't carry much weight. So it depends on what circle you are in on whether what I write next amounts to anything.

If you read my last blog you will know that we started a 90 day challenge at the beginning of the summer. I challenged the people of my congregation to read through the scriptures in 90 days. Yes, you read it right, the whole Bible in 90 days. I am happy to say that approx. 60% accepted the challenge and are diligently reading their Bibles daily. We are now into the NT and have 18 days left. And all praise goes to Him if and when we complete it. Hopefully in 18 days.

OK, back to my struggle. As I have been reading the scriptures through, there seems to be a reoccurring issue with God's people. God rescued them to be HIS people, He gave them a covenant of love and laws to help them become HIS people. He gave them land and told them to go into that land and get rid of everything that would cause them not to be HIS people. The reoccurring issue is that when they get to the land they decide what is best for them and do not get rid of those things. And it is exactly those things that take them away from God and it displeases Him.

My question is: was God being legalistic? Or did He love us so much that He wanted to save us from the heartache that those things would bring into our lives and would keep others seeing the one True God.

Now one of the scriptures that has been stuck in my head from the OT that I read was from the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was trying to get them to help rebuild the wall and he was wondering why Jerusalem was in such ruins. Nehemiah 13:23 "In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 And half their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people."

As I have been listening to those around me and also reading about others around me, I have to ask myself, are we speaking the language of Ashdod more than the language of our Savior?

Like I said license or legalism, where to stand, ummmmm!

Holy as God is Holy

2009-06-11T10:24:00.006-04:00

If you don't know, the church that I pastor has taken on the challenge of reading through the Bible in 90 days...now, as for me, I have been listening to it...I have done some reading along with that, I am trying to break it up some to keep myself (my flesh) from getting distracted...I purchased the entire Bile in MP3 format and have it on my poor man's iPod...I decide to go with the translation The Message...what I like about this translation is, it is more in a story form...once again trying to keep myself (my flesh) from getting demotivated...well, at the beginning of every book they have an introduction to the book...this past week we read through the book of Leviticus...probably known to most people as good night time reading...that is if you are having a hard time falling asleep...sacrifices, blood, mold, discharges, wave offerings, many somewhat detailed and meticulous instructions...to tell you the truth I have not payed much attention to it...until now...I want to share with you the introduction to Leviticus:

The human race has some pretty stubborn habits and one of them is we try to domesticate God. We are determined to tame Him, we figure out ways to harness God to our projects. We try to reduce God to a size that conveniently fits our plans, our ambitions and our tastes.

But the scriptures are even more stubborn in telling us we can't. God cannot be fit into our plans, we must fit into His. We cannot use God, He is not a tool or an appliance or a credit card. Holy is the Word that sets God apart and above our attempts to enlist Him in our wish filled fantasies or our schemes for making our mark in the world.

Holy means that God is alive on His terms. Alive in a way that exceeds anything that we could ever conceive or imagine. Holy refers to the life that is burning with an intense purity that transforms everything that it touches, into itself. Because the core of all living is God and God is a Holy God.

We require much teaching and long training for living in response to God as He is and not as we want Him to be. Leviticus is a narrative pause in the story of our ancestors as they are on their way saved from Egypt to settle in the land of Canaan. An extended time out of instruction, a detailed and meticulous preparation for living Holy. Living in a culture that didn't have a clue what Holy was. The moment these people will be entering Canaan they will be picking through a lethal mine field of gods and goddesses that are designed to appeal to our god fantasies. Give us what we want, when we want it, on our own terms. The only thing is these god fantasies will only cripple or destroy them.

Leviticus is the start of much teaching and much training that continues to be adapted and reworked in every country and culture where God is forming a saved people to live as he created them to live. Holy as God is Holy.

The first thing that strikes us as we read Leviticus in this light is that God is actually present with them in every detail of their lives and every aspect of their lives is affected by the presence of this Holy God. Nothing in us or our relationships or our environment is left out.

The second thing is that God provides a way of sacrifices and feasts and sabbaths to bring everything there is about us into His Holy presence therefore being transformed in the fiery blaze of the Holy. It is an awesome thing to come into His presence, and we like ancient Israel stand in His Holy presence today. (Psalm 139)

Once we realize this, the seemingly endless details and instructions of Leviticus now become endless signposts of the good news to us. God cares so much for us, He is in the very details of our lives.

Today, please place your everyday everything before this Holy God. Embrace what God has done for you it is the best thing you could do for Him. Fix your attention on Him.

I hope you took the time to read this and may it bless and encourage and challenge you as much as it did me.

Stay focused and keep reading, and may you see God in all this.

90 day challenge

2009-06-03T13:57:00.003-04:00

reading through the Bible in one year can be a daunting task...I have tried and tried...I start off good than I get busy and then I am a day behind then two days then a week and then...I don't go back and read what I have missed I just start on the day that I am at...so?...read it in 90 days...what are you insane? (John Lovitz) in Rat Race...haha...well I am sure some of the people in my congregation was thinking that when I challenged them to read the entire Bible in 90 days...I could read an entire our daily bread in 90 days, but the Bible...what are you insane????...we started this past Monday and let me tell you I am so encouraged right now...two thirds of Central committed to this challenge...I am going to try and blog my way through this challenge, so stay tuned...the very Words of God are powerful...may the Spirit of the Living God enlighten the hearts and minds of those who are reading...we will never be the same...

desire

2009-04-20T21:45:00.002-04:00

do you remember the last time you just had to have something?..that double chocolaty vinti frappucino from Starbucks...or as I sense from a lot of the younger generation a tall cold one...maybe it was some sort of clothing item...such as a pair of sunglasses or a dress or a pair of jeans...maybe it was the need to be held by your significant other...or maybe it was hoping that maybe just maybe someone on facebook acknowledged you...it is funny how our socializing has dwindled down to 2D text on a screen...whoops! rabbit trail, let me get back to that feeling in your pit of your stomach, that if, whatever it is that you just had to have happen...didn't happen...your whole day was going to be ruined...well I was thinking about all of that a while ago and it hit me...that I spend a lot of time desiring things to get me through the day...then I realized God created us that way...creatures who need...who desire...the thing is that we have forgotten who can meet those needs...not the created but the Creator...why do we try to get life out of dead things?..HE desires...and His desire involves you...may we desire Him most of all and as much as He desires us...may the next time you desire something so bad that it hurts...may it be a desire to know Him more...as the apostle Paul said, "I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection"...now I don't know about you but I think knowing Him more will be better than another piece of clothing or an empty Starbucks cup...just a thought...relax God is in control!

living in the reality of

2009-04-12T18:27:00.002-04:00

do you think that we can be stuck between what is real and what we think is real?...it's kind of like living in those conversations you have with people inside your head that you never have...the conversations where you say things to people that you want to say but would never say for real...and in your mind they even answer you...weird huh?...I believe that more than a few of us know what I am talking about...you know what?...I don't want to live my life thinking that I am living but I am really not...the scriptures say that Jesus came to give us life...an abundant life...I don't think that means we will have more stuff...or more popularity...or more comfort...no I think what life He wants us to live is the life that takes our breath away, a life that we with our finite minds could even comprehend...not one where we are to afraid to say the things that need to be said to those who need to hear...and not one where we think that God is pleased with us when really He isn't...we know what right and yet we justify our arrogance towards Him by saying...He made me this way...I am forty eight years old and I want to live life...I want to love like I have never been hurt...I want to give like my bank account is endless...I want to sing as if no one's listening but Him...God's one and only Son left the splendor of heaven and experienced His Father turning His back on Him so that I could have LIFE...now that is no ordinary deal...please Father in heaven, please...help me LIVE in the reality of this truth...please!!!

if we would just listen

2009-03-20T10:21:00.003-04:00

it really boggles my mind when I hear about someone who is really messing their life up royally...making bad choices...listening to the wrong advice...pretty much not listening to the instruction or rebuke of those who love them...now... none of us like being told what to do...none of us like to admit our own failures...but to do it to our destruction...I don't understand...why would anyone listen to and make life altering decisions from the advice of someone they just met...rather than someone who has their best interest at heart...I know, I know you would never do that...you would never blow off the rebuke of a friend and listen to advice from a TV personality, or a newly formed "friendship"...no, not you or me...you know what?... we do it ever week...we go and listen to a man of God proclaim the good news and give us warnings from the scriptures and yet we will be driven along by fad or culture rather than by the word of God...God provided a way for us to live lives that can be honoring to Him...if we would just listen...relax God is in control!

quit like men

2009-03-01T15:48:00.002-05:00

I have been praying through some areas of my life...as a pastor those areas seem to coincide with what I am speaking about on Sunday mornings...one of my closest friends said that a pastor must speak from the overflow of God working in his own life...we cannot take anyone where we have not been...and we will not be believable if we do not believe it ourselves...back to the areas of my life I am praying through...for about 6 or 7 months it has just seemed like I have this black little cloud following me around...do you remember the story of King Midas...well the stuff I touched didn't turn to gold, if you get my drift...and it really began to effect everything in my life...how I treated Laura, the kids, the people God called me to shepherd...in fact I was becoming downright nasty...well, I began to rely on the scripture that promises us that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us...do you notice that He wants us to initiate the closeness?...OK, back to quit like men...I was listening to my favorite podcast and during this podcast a light bulb went on...yes, I am slow on the uptake...as a man the scriptures are very clear that we were created very different than women...we are creators, we like to build things, we like to build big things...fast things...and even faster things...I can smell the testosterone as I write this...as I am praying through this little black cloud stuff going on...I am wondering why everything is always so hard...even the simplest task seems to just be a pain in the butt...in the podcast he took me back to the beginning...it is always best to do that you know...start where it started...well in the garden Adam who named all things and was given the responsibility to keep the garden up...messed up...he sat silent as Eve handed him the fruit...God did not create man to be silent...(that is a whole nother blog)...well the consequence was that God cursed the ground... the very thing that God gave Adam's hands to do....now just got a lot harder...the light bulb moment...Phil anything you put your hand to is going to be hard...relationships with wife, kids, friends...my work...even play...man this was really liberating for me...it is going to take work...deal with it...be a man 1 Corinthians 16:13 says: be on your guard; stand firm in your faith; be men of courage; be strong...I actually like part of how the KJV says it, quit like men...relax God is in control!

just do it!

2009-02-05T12:28:00.002-05:00

I'll do it later...the mantra of the busy...I'll save later...I'll call them later...I'll tell them I love them later...lately these words have really been getting me in trouble...take for instance our money...forget to keep track of our spending and suddenly you don't have as much to spend as you thought you did...then there's your relationships...a missed phone call there, a missed birthday card here and then we're trying to explain why it is that we forgot about the people that we say are important to us...each day has enough to keep us busy...each day has enough for us to put off till tomorrow...our challenge is the difference between the two...what is important to us...what we do each day pretty much tells us what is important to us...facebook 4 hrs...talking with our significant others .5 hrs...you do the math...now that was a hypothetical example but in some of our lives it may not be...what is it today that cannot be put off until tomorrow?...then do it!...relax God is in control!

has God forgotten us?

2009-01-16T16:01:00.002-05:00

sitting here thinking about what I heard someone say today..."I think God has forgotten me"...now I know that times can get tough...money is tight...we don't like our jobs...our relationships are not meeting our expectations...it's freakin' cold outside...blah - blah - blah - blah - blah...now...let me just say I have felt like it sometimes...like God had forgotten me...but...do you really think that God forgets?...why is it that when things are not going especially the way we like them to go...or things might get a little hard...that its God's fault...once again let me remind you I have felt the same way so I am not saying that I am perfect...I am walking this same journey as everyone else...one step at a time...albeit some steps are harder than the others...I just don't think we need to blame God for hard times...or think that He has forgotten us...remember he knit us together in our mothers wombs...nothing is impossible for God...I keep asking myself this question lately...do I really believe the Bible?...if I do why do I ask or think dumb things like He has forgotten me....may we allow the truths of God's Word to blot out the lies of the enemy...He will never leave us or forsake us...the righteous will never be seen begging for bread...nothing can seperate us from the love of God...sounds like we should ask "Have we forgotten God?...relax God is in control!

2008

2008-12-30T20:08:00.003-05:00

you never know what a day may bring...the thing is you never know what 365 days will bring...think back to last year...now stop and reflect on all that has transpired since 365 days ago...OK, times up, I don't have all night...if we were honest with ourselves there were things that happened that we weren't proud of...words said that should have never been said...our eyes looked upon things we should not have...thoughts that should have never entered our minds, did...opportunities missed...blessings missed...but you know what God doesn't love us because we are good, he loves us...........because he's God...2008 was full of challenges...financial, relational, health...but you know as I have said before that which gives us pain only makes us stronger...I am looking forward to 2009...the other night my family and I went to Youngstown Metro...a up and coming church in downtown Youngstown...it is housed in an old lutheran church and they have really made it an amazing place to worship...my two son's go there every Sunday...they hold their gathering at 6 pm every Sunday...well, the pastor was teaching on Colossians 3 and he did an excellant job...especially with this verse...and I believe it should be a verse that we take a hold of and live out daily in 2009..."let the Peace of God rule in your hearts"...as we go through our days we react to many circumstances...and we react from what is happening in side of us...those wrong thoughts...the wrong words...the missed blessings...from worry, anger, mistrust...now back to the verse...Peace...not an emotion or a mindset...His Peace...God is not at war with you...whew...to rule...referee, call the shots...OK...to make this short...in 2009 live from the understanding that God is not at war with you and let that reality call the shots on how you live...y'all, we don't know what a day may bring...but we do know that in Him all things are possible...relax God is in control!

Christmas

2008-12-23T14:32:00.002-05:00

merry Christmas everyone...may this little blog find you blessed and being a blessing...this Christmas has taken on a whole new deal for me...let's just say without the ability to go out and spend a whole lot, you begin to see Christmas for what it really is...now I am not going to be slamming the commercialism...or the ones who only see it as time off from work...or even we who are suppose to be slowing everyone down by giving them more to do during this time of the year...(live nativities, kidz programs)...I know, I know old habits are hard to break...I am trying my best to take some time and really reflect at the specific reason why we celebrate this time of the year...the Word becoming Flesh...the one who made the womb, entrapped Himself there for nine months...the one who holds all things together, held by His own creation...the one who started time, enters it...you know if we were to take time from all the baking, wrapping, shopping...the significance of the day would bring us to our knees...just as the wise men so long ago...who brought gifts fit for a King...I hope the gifts I give some how some way express my love for Him...my hands, my feet, my heart are totally His...my future...let us be in awe like the shepherds of old when the angel announced to them...Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people, For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."...there is a song we sing "Joy to the World, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King, let every heart prepare Him room, and Heaven and nature sing"...this Christmas, have you made room for Him?...I am not asking if you have made space for Him..have you made room?...I hope you have...because nothing else is worth our celebration...relax God is in control!

what was I thinking

2008-12-19T22:50:00.002-05:00

be careful what you pray for...you know I don't really think that we pay much attention to what we ask of God...help me with this...get me out of this...please bless this...we ask and we ask...then I think we seem to forget what it is we wanted...because when He answers them according to His will and our best interest...it really might not be exactly what we had in mind in the first place...let me see if i can explain...our prayer: "Lord, I need a job"...answer: move to where the job is...maybe far away from everything that is comfortable to you...but He does answer the prayer...our prayer: "Lord, increase my faith"...answer: loss of a job...must rely on Him to supply your needs...once again He answered the prayer, just not how you thought it would be answered...our prayer: "Lord, increase my territory"...answer: He expands your influence more than one person can possibly handle...which is where I am at this day...six years ago I became the pastor of a small rural church...building being used once a week...Sunday mornings...two services...one mid week service a month...very closed door, let's take care of ourselves mentality...my prayer: "Lord, use this little church by the side of the road for your glory"...answer: building donated to us, youth program expanded, afterschool programs, car care ministry, college age ministry, singles ministry, men's ministry, women's ministry, both campuses being used six days a week...this past week has been really hectic...so I was thinking...what was I thinking...and what it is really neat God has braught some really cool people to carry the load...now it is not just about programs...each time the doors are open we are telling people about Jesus and His resurrection power...power to bring dead people to life...I just want to say...be careful for what you pray for...not that you shouldn't pray but that you should be prepared to be blown away by God's grace and mercy...relax God is in control!

leading

2008-12-13T00:39:00.003-05:00

in a book I read a long time ago, the writer said that we all have a circle of influence...meaning that each one of us directly influences someone every single day of our lives...no man is an island...this thought of influence also hit me as I watched for the fourth or fifth time...the movie "The Five People You Meet in Heaven"...our words and actions don't just effect us but they effect those we come in contact with every single day...directly and indirectly...our children...our co-workers...our spouses...those we run into in the community...at the gas station...the grocery store...your favorite restaraunt...now the ramifications of this is huge...you say to yourself...but I can't live their lives for them...what I do and say can't mean that much can it?...well...as I was reading in Daniel the other day I came across an awesome and encouraging scripture...not only is there an amazing prayer of Daniels in chapter nine...in chapter twelve Daniel is being given a vision of the future...actually the end of time as we know it...it is speaking of all those whose names are written in the book...this is what it says...verse two "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to evrlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt...here is where it gets exciting to read...those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever"...now back to influence and the importance of it...what I do and say this day will lead or turn people towards Christ or away from Him...I know that may not seem fair...but if you think about it...how amazing, God using such weak vessels to display Him...hasn't changed since He came to Moses to speak to Pharoah and the Israelites...can you imagine?...shining like the stars forever and ever...sweeeeeet!...relax God is in control!

all you need

2008-12-10T16:11:00.002-05:00

it has been ten years since moving my family to Greenville, PA...when we first got here, I was definetly trying to figure out exactly what God was doing...why?...why move?...we were doing so well in MI...laura was playing for the Templetones (just about to make a new CD)...playing in the orchestra at Temple (now Northridge)...I was playing Jesus in the churches Christmas and Easter outreaches( a role that forever has changed my life)...we were involved with some pretty amazing college age students in a class called Crossroads...my job was good...laura was working...and the kids seemed to be doing fine...then there was an uneasy feeling, a feeling like something was missing...Phil, how can you say you felt something missing with all that was going on?...well after ten years I have learned that we can literally being doing so much that God isn't even in the midst of what you thought he wanted you to do...the enemy is so subtle and definetly wants to for us to become human doings instead of human beings...now I am not saying that I have mastered not doing this, but at least I am aware of it now...this time of the year is notorious for being busy...maybe just maybe we should slow down and regain the wonder of the Savior...that God came in the flesh to reconcile us back to Himself...it is my desire that the things of this world would grow strangly dim...if you do not know Him...may the Father draw you...and may you respond to that call...all you need is Him...relax God is in control!

usable

2008-11-26T17:39:00.003-05:00

for the past two years I have been a part of bring back to life and old building that had been vacant for many, many years...I remember driving by it every day as I went to the church and thinking, "What's wrong with that place?"..."No one seems to want to use it"...so...we as a church decided to ask the owner if we could use it...long story short...the owner decide to give us the building...no heat...there were furnaces, but they didn't work...electrical wiring was from the 30's when the building was built...I finally realized why no one wanted to use it...it wasn't usable...not until alot of work went into it...and most people just didn't think it was worth it...ok...back to the renovating part...for the past two years we as a church have upgraded everything...heating and cooling...electrical...flooring...paint...all things to make it usable...remember...not usable...renovate...usable...as I was working on the building yesterday...it struck me...that's what God did to me...nothing in me worked before the saving grace of Jesus took place in my life...my heat didn't work...I was cold hearted...my electrical didn't work...no energy to do what was right...on and on I could go...but I think you get what I am trying to say...many people are wondering why I am so passionate about this place...the reason is...it reminds me a lot of me...and God is pretty passionate about renovating me...OH, by the way...the building is being used to change lives...sharing the good news that Jesus can take any old delapadated thing and make it usable...relax God is in control!

being thankful

2008-11-23T14:45:00.002-05:00

you know the sayings...the glass is half full not half empty...you can always make lemonade with the lemons handed to you...look on the bright side...being thankful is a choice...you can either get bitter or better...seems as if it is up to us if we are thankful or not...we can look at the rain as messing up a sunny day or giving all the plants a drink...good or bad...thankful or unthankful...it is intersting as I was studying for this past Sunday's worship time, I learned that in the instructions that God gave to the Isrealites...the ones He gave to teach them how to be the people of God...that out of all the sacrifice offering that they had to observe...the thanks offering was the only one that was not regularly scheduled...the Lord left it up to them as to when they would offer it...Leviticus 22:29 says that it was of their own free will...so that it would be spontaneous...not planned...from a heart that was truly thankful...so even from the beginning we had a choice...thankful...unthankful...empty halfempty...it is our choice...I don't know about you but I know that God is good...and I am going to choose to be thankful...whether the glass is half empty or half full...relax God is in control!

our health

2008-11-16T14:44:00.003-05:00

do you ever think about what it takes to walk up and down the stairs?...or to bend over and tie your shoes?...or to even be able to get in and out of the car?...well, normally i don't think many of us do...but when it is a struggle to do those things because of how your body feels...you begin to think, man, why didn't I appreciate the simple things, while I could...now don't get me wrong and think that I am on my way out or something...I just had a couple of pretty rough days...back hurting...no energy...constip (oh, sorry, I'll spare you the details) it was very unnerving and downright ticking me off that I couldn't perform even the simplest task that I had down a million times before without some kind of excrutiating pain...I know, I know, suck it up ya wus...be a man...deal with it and move on...you don't know how often I was saying that to myself...putting your socks on can't be this difficult, now can it?...while your in it, it seems like it going to last forever...after...we just kind of get back into the groove of taking for granted that getting out the car shouldn't reguire 10 minutes of your time...I don't know about you...but that old time gospel song sounds really good to my ears now...I want a new body...relax God is in control!

blame

2008-11-05T17:08:00.002-05:00

I think it is time we stop blaming the media, government, rock and roll, etc...as I was praying this morning God impressed upon me that it has been far to long that the church has put the blame for moral decline on everyone else...the scripture says judgement begins in the house of the Lord...let me see if I can give you some insight to my thought process...back in the 60's we blamed taking prayer out of school for the moral decline...in the 70's we blamed the music...in the 80's we blamed the government...in the 90's it was the decline of the family unit...I think you are getting my drift...we the people who claim to follow the way the truth and the life need to do exactly that...no one ever could stop me from praying when I was in school...the problem is "we stopped" because someone said we couldn't do it...it hasn't been the people who don't know the truth, it has been those who claim to know God...we stopped teaching our children in our homes and placed it in the hands of a school...no one can come into my home and stop me from teaching my family what is truly right...I don't care how many laws they pass...no we stopped because we want to blame everyone else for the worlds darkness...the problem is we are the light and we have put it under a bushel...it is the bushel of blame...I believe it is the greatest time in history to be a follower of Jesus...so let's do it and quit blaming our weakness on others...relax God is in control!

our own little world

2008-11-03T13:32:00.002-05:00

next Sunday (November 9) is the international day of prayer for the persecuted church...did you know that more people are martyred for their faith in Jesus today than back when Jesus was alive?...I think we get tunnel vision as we are all caught up in what is happening in our own little world...and we forget that this planet we call Earth has 6 billion people living on it...who all wake up just like we do...need to eat like we do...need a roof over their head...and the freedom to worship or not worship whoever they so choose...I know it can be mind boggling thinking about the massiveness (don't know if that is a word or I just made it up) of humanity and all the things that happen to each and every person every single day...whew!!!! I'm tired just typing it...as we sit in our climate controled sanctuaries...and worship without fear of anything...let us not be caught up in our own little world...may we cry out to God for those who have no voice...those who hide to worship...and may we not take our freedom for granted...be passionate about your worship of the everlasting God...you never know we may have to hide one day...relax God is in control!

holy discontenment

2008-10-28T10:35:00.004-04:00

I have been very emotional lately...yes, crying like a baby...watching a movie...writing a text message to my daughter...in church last Sunday as we were praying for one of our soon to be moms...i think I just figured out why today...why I am so emotional that is...I haven't been feeling very good lately...a lot of aches and pains...hard time breathing...i know I sound like I am whining...but facts are facts...my emotionalism I believe is coming from my increased desire to not miss one thing that God has for me while on this planet...a marriage that shows others that God can take two totally different people and they can work in harmony every single day...a family that leaves a legacy of His grace and mercy to those who cross their paths...friendships that are deep and wonderful not just shallow and weak...and being part of a body of people who realize what Jesus did for them and live for others and not themselves...who allow what they learn about Him from the scriptures to not die in them but allow it to overflow to all they come in contact with...none of us know if we have tomorrow...and I really want to continue to have this feeling of whats next...God is amazing and desires us to live life not just exist...relax God is in control!

another day

2008-10-22T10:03:00.002-04:00

each morning when I wake up...I begin the day by thanking God for waking me up...waking me up to new possibilities in my life...maybe I will laugh more...maybe I will love more...maybe I will cry more...all ways in which I can experience the one true God this side of Heaven...laughing at how dumb the human race is...we care more about how we look than how we treat others...loving people that God has brought across my path for just the right mixture of learning and teaching...crying because of both the good and hard things that He brings me to...these are only three things that make up our days but I bet if you really thought about it...they take up more of our day than we would like to admit...laughing, crying, loving...I just want to make sure that in early minutes of my day, I realize that this day, these moments are a gift from God and that I don't miss what He has for me...relax God is in control!

displaying Him

2008-10-08T14:11:00.003-04:00

this past week has been a new experience for me...not that I have done anything that is out of the ordinary...it just seems like God is stretching me...I know we always like to say that He is moving us out of our comfort zone...what is our comfort zone?...sitting in room with no one in it except for ourselves?...the whole deal that God uses us to show Himself to others is kind of a scary thought...doesn't He know that I act like a jerk sometimes...that I don't know what the answers are sometimes...and that the worlds eyes are blinded by the enemy...(of course He knows)...those were rhetorical questions...this past week has been a huge blessing for me and the church that I pastor, we had the opportunity to display Him well in front of men...in the courthouse...in front of a congressman...and in front of an educator...did they see Him?...it is only my prayer that they did...were we prepared?...did we pray?...I believe so...it has been a rather tiring week because of these opportunities, but what a huge blessing to be used...I am humbled and privileged to even have the chance to show others who He is...and He is amazing...He is mighty...He is everything...when you get the chance to display Him and you will...relax God is in control!

Trust

2008-09-30T15:48:00.002-04:00

one of the definitions of trust in Webster's Super New School and Office Dictionary is this (as a verb) 3. to permit or to do something without fear of the outcome...without fear of the outcome...how many of us can actually say that when we wake up in the morning we trust God totally with the outcome of our day?...I would like to say that I do...but recently it seems as long as I have plenty money in the bank...or my day is scheduled to the minute...or I have figured out how God is going to bring about the things that I have prayed for , can I say, I trust him...Paul made the awsome statement in Philippians 3 that he wanted to know Him and the power of His resurrection...do you think Paul had that figured out?...do you think he fully understood how that power worked?...maybe its just me but I get kind of wigged out when I don't know how things are going to happen...I guess I am like the one's in the boat fearing for their lives as this mighty wall of water was coming at them...no ecape, or at least in their minds there wasn't...they didn't understand that they were with the one who created the waves...if you are facing things that seem like there is no way good is going to come from it...trust...trust the one who spoke this world into existance...trust the one who cares for all He has made...cry out to Him without fear of the outcome...I say I believe...may I start really trusting Him...relax God is in control!

responsibility

2008-09-26T18:06:00.002-04:00

notes...scriptures...prayers...anticipation...expectations...meditation...desire...preparing yourself to lead anyone in anything can be a monumental task...now add the responsibility of using the sacred text...and you pretty much have entered my world seven days a week...it is amazing that God even uses us (mankind) to speak about Him...he could of used trees or the bugs or even the fish...but He came to Moses and said say this to them...the scripture says that those who teach have taken on a huge responsibility...James 3:1 says "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."...HUGE RESPONSIBILITY...HUGE...a well known preacher was known to repeat these words as he entered the pulpit "I believe in the Holy SPirit, I believe in the Holy Spirit, I believe in the Holy Spirit"...may I never stand before man and not allow the Spirit to use me...it is a huge responsibility, but there is nothing on this earth I would rather do than talk about Him...back to the scriptures...prayers...notes...desire...thank you God for using the weak...relax God is in control!

the root cause

2008-09-23T13:48:00.001-04:00

Do you remember when you were little and you liked to pretend you were a cowboy or a firemen? Well for a few moments I would like for you to pretend that you are a doctor. I have just come into your office and I tell you that my stomach is feeling a little queasy and I have a little bit of a fever. Tell me your diagnosis. Okay times up. You probably diagnosed the flu. Right? Good diagnosis. Now I come in with shortness of breathe and a tight chest and my left arm is hurting. What is your diagnosis now? Times up, again. If you guessed heart issues, I want you as my doctor.

Now what would you call all of the things that I was describing to you as I sat in your office? The queasy stomach, the tightness in my chest, the fever are all symptoms. Now as a doctor, do you treat the symptoms or do you treat the root cause of the symptoms? Hopefully you answered that you would treat the root cause, whether it is my heart or the flu or whatever is at the bottom of my symptoms. I am not a doctor but I think that is what they do. Which I believe is the right thing to do.

Okay, enough pretending, let’s get to the real world. When God came to this earth and chose a group of people to show the rest of the people on this planet who He was, He gave them Ten Words to follow. Today we would know them as the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 19 He told them through Moses that “if indeed you would obey my voice and keep My covenant, than you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priest and a holy nation.” God spoke through Moses and said in a sense that these people would display Him to all other people. So that when they saw them and how they acted the other people would say “Oh! That’s what God looks like.”

That is where the Ten Words or commandments come in. They were a covenant between God and a people. Can we even wrap our heads around that? God making a covenant with created beings. The one who spoke all things into existence wanting to be in covenant with us. WOW! Most people look at the Ten Commandments as a set of rules that we have to live by. A set of rules to ruin our fun and run our lives. Wrong.

They were given to them because He loved them and wanted to protect them from themselves. As I have said before in other articles for this column, nothing that is in the scriptures was written to harm us. God cares for all He has created and these Ten Commandments prove it.

Now. I want you to think about something. When you go to the doctor and have symptoms, the doctor treats the root cause not the symptoms. Well for years the church has been treating the symptoms rather than the root cause. We talk about adultery or stealing or not honoring our parents. These are the symptoms of a root cause. And that root cause is failing to adhere to the first commandment and that is not putting other Gods before Him. We have found many ways and things to replace God as number one in our lives, which I believe dishonors God. If we were to put God first in every aspect of our lives, at our jobs, in our marriages, at school, in the market place, I do believe the last nine would take care of themselves. The greatest issue we face today is not mere moral failure it is the failure to honor God. Go to the root it will take care of the symptoms. May God bless you as you seek after Him.

life...

2008-09-21T21:15:00.003-04:00

waking up...getting ready...do I wear this or do I wear that...does my breathe stink?...is my hair out of place...we are more concerned with the outward appearance than what is going on inside...and we have a lot of well dress empty people walking around...filled with hurt, pain and a multitude of other issues...but we look good doing it...God makes it plain in the scriptures that He cares more about whats going on in the inside than what we wear...He even picked a young king that way...tomorrow morning...wake up...getting ready...spend time in prayer and reading His Word...life...relax-God is in control!

wounds

2008-09-16T15:04:00.002-04:00

i am so glad God is patient with me...i am really slow on the uptake sometimes...there is a scripture that says wounds from a friend can be trusted but an enemy multiplies kisses...i love it when God allows me to live out scripture...i don't know if you have friends who can be honest with you...it seems like if someone tells us the truth about ourselves (which sometimes might hurt) we usually walk away from that person...never to really know true friendship...none of us like pain...we all like the pats on the head and the atta boys...it has taken me a while but i am really grateful for friends who would rather hurt me with the truth than butter me up with lies...next time a friend is brutally honest with you, thank them, don't run from them...wounds from a friend can be trusted...relax God is in control!

confused

2008-09-15T13:51:00.002-04:00

have you ever said something and have gotten two totally different responses to what you said?...talk about confusing...to one person your the cats meow and to the other, well...communicating anything to anyone is an art...you must know what filters every person you are talking to is using to hear what you have to say...tough stuff...lots of work...after six years I am finally starting to learn, hopefully...is there hurt?...is there prejudice?...is there lack of knowledge?...is there lack of interest?...oh by the way those are some of the filters...let me tell you I will be on my knees more than ever before, before I speak...shame on me for not realizing it long ago...I know sometimes I am slow on the uptake...but God is not through with me yet...hallelujah!
relax God is in control!

time

2008-09-13T07:40:00.002-04:00

have you ever hit the snooze button?...mine is set for 7 minutes...I don't know if that is a factory setting, but that is how many more minutes that there is quiet before my day starts...well times how many times I hit it...then one morning I realized that every time I hit the snooze I lose seven more minutes instead of gain them...yes I get to try to sleep for seven more minutes, but I I won't ever get those minutes back...none of us can bring back time...and you know it seems to be going by faster and faster...Sunday runs into Sunday...snooze time to snooze time...Lord help me use my time wisely...laughter...compassion...love...family...friends...good news...relax God is in control!

missing God

2008-09-11T15:59:00.003-04:00

never in Scripture did Jesus walk past someone in need and not stop because He was in a hurrry to get to the synagogue...I have done that...I am not proud of it...I am just admitting it...according to Acts two, the gathering of those who followed Jesus had a certain ring to it...unity, needs being met, acknowledgement of His Lordship, commitment...all things that benefited others...today...as long as my needs are met by the church, that is where I want to be...as soon as that ceases I am out of there...don't invade my space...don't ask for more than I have...I, I, I...sorry my finger got stuck...what do you think would happen in our midst if we all came together after we had spent time with God asking Him "what can I do for you today?"...instead of "how is God going to bless me today?"...let's try something, let's open our hearts and minds to not missing God...the God who sacrificed His Only Son for you and I...stopping our busy lives to actually allow ourselves to be used of Him for someone else...relax God is in control!

the crucible of faith

2008-09-10T10:05:00.002-04:00

whoever said being a follower of Jesus is easy needs to have their head checked...once you decide to follow Him your finances will always be overflowing, your marriage will be heaven on earth and your kids will all be straight A students and want to become missionaries to Africa...sorry but if that is true than I must not be a true follower of Jesus...my finances are like a lot of folks, just meeting the need, my marriage has had it's ups and downs and my kids are finding their way...it seems to me that we have taught a everything is beautiful kind of faith instead of you might get shipwrecked, stoned, left for dead kind of faith...since my father past away (three yrs ago) I have been seeking God with all that I am...what does God care about?...not what makes man happy about God...and let me tell you...life has gotten harder not easier...I am not saying I have lost faith...no I believe I trust Him more now than before...I am not nearly where I want to be as a child of God...but I am glad that His Words are a constant refuge and shield in the midst of living life...maybe just maybe His light will burst forth in me as He molds me into His likeness...life is going to happen...He promised to go with us...relax God is in control!

SAD

2008-09-08T16:51:00.000-04:00

it is amazing to me that people who say that they do not believe in God, blame Him for all the things that are wrong in their world. Or when something bad happens to them or their friends. Where is their words of praise to Him when things go right? I am sad. I am not mad, I am sad. Sad that they have never really sought after the real true God. They have just created one for themselves and when he doesn't make them happy, then they can have someone to blame. Rather than taking any sort of personal responsibility for what happens in their lives. I truly think God knew what He was doing with the Ten Commandments. (not that my approval matters). All life hinges on having no other God's before me except the one true God ( an no I did not create him). He has always been and will always be. Whether we believe it or not. Don't fix the symptoms, go to the root of the problem. Seek God! And you will find Him. And then you will know where the blame lies.
relax-God is in control.

the body

2008-09-07T20:44:00.000-04:00

do you know what it feels like to be pulled through a key hole backwards? I know, I know where did you get that saying. My gma used to say that to me when she didn't feel well. After the hard work of the jackhammer yesterday, I woke up with sinus issues. Can you believe that such a small part of your body can make the rest of you feel like you've been pulled through a keyhole backwards? A small hurt can effect a big body. Interesting you would think the big would win out over the small. Wrong. I think it was designed that way. So that we would not lose the small and overlook it. All of us are important in the body of Christ and when even the smallest hurts we should all hurt. Thats the way it was designed, I think we have somehow forgotten this. We are all broken and in need of healing big and small. If you think you are exempt, hang on here it comes. And when it comes (and oh it will) I hope that you are part of a body who responds to the small hurts as well as the big ones. relax-God is in control!

sore but satisfied

2008-09-06T21:37:00.000-04:00

another first today! I got to use a jackhammer, that's right a real man's powertool. My arms feel like popeyes. now for a person my age this was not the smartest thing to do less than twenty-four hrs before Sunday morning. for a person who speaks with his hands, lets just say I probably won't be saying much tomorrow. Not good! Sunday is the only day I work (at least that is what I have heard). back to the power tool. Nothing like smashing things to make you feel better, it is even better when it for Jesus. Everything is better when it for Jesus. Oh, by the way I am sore, but this sore is a good kind of sore. got to spend time with people that I have come to care for greatly and we actually got to accomplish quite a bit. friendship and progess. sore but satisfied. like pb and j. good stuff.

relax God is in control!

messing up

2008-09-05T22:04:00.000-04:00

don't you just hate it when you mess up? I think we are harder on ourselves than anyone else could ever be. we worry about what people will say, we wonder if people will still like us, we actually make ourselves sick playing out all kinds of senarios in our heads (which by the way most never happen). I am so grateful that God doesn' t treat us like we treat ourselves or each other when we mess up. The scripture is clear confess and he'll forgive. sounds easy enough, so why do we have such a hard time doing it? relax God is in control!

just getting started...

2008-09-05T16:56:00.000-04:00

a new experience. my palms are sweaty and my stomach is in knots. feels like the first time I put my arm around a girl when I was 12. So please be gentle with me. Not the greatest at writing but love to do it. Gotta get downstairs, have to make devil eggs (like I said a new experience) relax God is in control!