Time is a beast

Has it really almost been 10 years sence Y2K. You gotta be kidding me. I was living at my house in Rockfish. My family was getting ready to move to Haiti as missionaries. I remember it so clearily, we took a picture on our front porch at sunrise with a sign that said ''Happy New Year, Y2K''. It's so crazy how fast time moves, it never stops, it never slows. It just moves and moves and moves. Its up to us to ride the wave. It's up to us to get in the flow, to paddle out. Everyone is given time, it is a precious gift. Some use their time and do amazing things, others waste it away. Which will you be today... Be careful ten years will pass you by in the blink of the eye... And where will you be.

Love ya

PJ

Balance

I hate balance. Yes it's right, yes it's good and yes when you don't have it things get out of whack... Ok so maybe it's not balance that I hate but the out of whack I experience. Balance is something I need more of, what can I say I tend to be and individual of extremes. Go hard, go fast, go, go, go...
Then BAM!!! My body says slow down. At this point sometimes I listen other times, well no I don't. Then it says stop or I'll make you stop... Again sometimes I listen... At some point if I keep it up fatigue sets in and I'm down for a few days. This is extreme and I realize many disagree. They say I shouldn't push so hard. They are probably right.
But to give your all for something, to push yourself to your limits, then to lay down at the end of the day knowing you had nothing else to give. Paul, Peter, Jesus where all extreme. Life, love, and death are all extreme. Our world, our society, our city is extreme.
Live like you mean it!!!

Love ya,

Pastor

It never fails to humble me when someone calls me pastor. What does it mean to be someone's pastor. Is it a mentor, teacher, shepherd, a father... The meaning probably differs from person to person. Just as the level of commitment will differ from person to person and the level of love. Really it's the same with our relationship with God. We call Him God, Lord, Father and Friend, but our level of Love and commit differs from person to person. To some God is a casual friend, some only know Him as savior, to others He is Lord, still to others He is Father... Oh and check this out it doesn't matter what you call Him. He is what He is to you by what you do. Just like people who call me pastor. Ok I can see I'm losing you so let's try some examples. Some may call me pastor because they hear me preach. Some because they try to do what I preach. To others there is a deep love and relationship. There are some that when correction comes they leave... Offended. I'm not humbled by these instead I'm angered. But then you have those that listen, trust and follow. Why, because of the love, then when correction or instruction comes so does repentance. This touches to the very soul of me, it causes me to repent and draws me ever closer to my Senior Pastor, Jesus Christ. This drawing closer to others and God comes through the tough stuff. Its the good and the bad, the tears and the laughter. It's found in the not letting go and I'm not letting go.

Love ya

PJ

What's the difference

As we read of the great heroes in the book of Judges, then later of many great warriors, prophets, and kings oftentimes I pray, ''Father make me like this one or that''. As if one day I'd be one way then the next be another. As if there'd be no process just a magical bam. Whether we're taking it back or having faith for the thing we want most. What makes us think we can circumvent the process. I mean do we really think we can ''take back'' what's been taken from us without a process? God so believes in process that He sent His Son. God is Holy, really HOLY. He will not put aside who He is just so we can heap more stuff into our earthly stock pile. He will bless us with the stuff but only after the process. The funny thing is that after the process the stuff or position or power never matter as much... Hmmm!!! Maybe thats the point.

Love Ya

PJ

WINDS

An often time there begins a stirring in the spirit. It is so faint at first that many pass by never even recognizing its light touch on their face. Like a light spring breeze that carries the smell of jasmine so faint, even delicate. But none the less it is there. Whether we feel it, or sense it, or are completely ignorant to its presence. It is there! And it being there does no depend on us. It can’t because we are unreliable when it comes to such things. At times we are so sensitive and other times we are so dull. Yet for those that have an ear, will hear. If we listen… The breeze of heaven is blowing. The wind of the spirit is a wind of change. It moves, that which can be moved. It shakes that which can be shaken.
We don’t like to be moved. We don’t like to be shaken. We don’t like to change. Yet when the wind blows, change is inevitable. Like a curled up child deep asleep under the covers we cling to the warmth of what we know. The wind whispers, “awake, awake”. We stir, yet we cling. The wind speaks, “awake, awake”. We feel the discomfort, yet we cling to our comfort. The wind of the spirit, the wind of change continues to blow, continues to swirl… Building, growing.
STOP… Can you hear it… Can you feel it…

Love ya

PJ

Like a virgin

Jesus tells a story of 10 virgins... 5 wise and 5 foolish. Which am I and how do I know? Sure we would all like to say we are the wise, the elect. Ok, check this out. All the virgins went out to meet the bridegroom, all had lamps, all had fire, all waited on Him. Hey all of them even went to sleep. The only real difference I see is the wise had oil and the foolish didn't. So many follow and fall away. Many burn with intense passion, then burn out. Allot of people wait and wait and wait and wait. Is there oil in the lamp. Oil comes from a passion for His pressence. Not just words as a matter of fact its more than actions. It's passion!!! Passion is word, action, love, heat... It is deep desire, a craving, an absolute NEED. Today I would that we desire, crave, have an absolute need for the presence of the one we love. Jesus Christ.

Love ya

PJ
PS. The oil is all about relationship... In the closing words of the story the bridegroom says to the foolish '' I never knew you''.

Alright

IT'S A BOY...
ZION MICHAEL due September 30, 2009
Continue to keep Amber and the baby in your prayers.

Love Ya

PJ

Acts 1 is before Acts 2...

We long for another Pentecost... For the Lord to bust out with a suddenly, a BAM. Something like what Isaiah had in chapter 6 of his book or Like what Elijah had atop Mt. Carmel. That thing that the 120 experienced in the upper room. We desire heaven to bust out with a sound like a mighty wind, that fills our whole house. Tongues of fire to sit on us...
Now just wait a minute, I have to stop for a little time-out... This is some freaky stuff. If God showed up in any given church like this on a Sunday it would really mess up the way we do things. The whole game plan would be thrown out the window. Often times when the plan is thrown out the religious quickly leave with it. In their place comes the freaks. Those who seek out the para-normal, the super natural. You know the weirdos...
So that's what we say we want... Hey you know me I'm down with it. Bring on the wind, fire and freaks... (Time-in)
So we know that one comes before two and if chapter two is our desire then maybe we should take a look at what chapter one contained. Acts 1:12-15 talks about 120 of them coming together continually to pray. We know they where all in one accord praying for a long period of time when God broke out from the heavens. I lack all three of these things in my life.
#1. I need to work at being in one accord. Building up, not tearing down my brother, devoting myself to his destiny. Loving him not hating.
#2. Pray, Pray, Pray. Our prayer life should reflect an intimacy, love and passion for our creator.
#3. They where in continues prayer for 120 days. That's a long time. Some friends and I are almost done with a 40 day period where we've prayed daily from 5-am. This is not easy. Of course non of this is.
Continuous prayer in one accord was the prequel to the promise. Yet many times these are the weakest areas in my life.
Pray for me and I'll pray for you.

Love ya

PJ

Kindness

It's your kindness

Rom. 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Later in Romans it says ''oh the depths of the wisdom and knowledge of God''. In the vast measure of Gods wisdom and knowledge He draws us with His kindness, His mercy, His love. He doesn't beat the broken... The biggest sinner is simply broken, held captive, lost. God sees this messed up, broken down part of us. A part of us that angers and hurts Him. Now me when I am angered and hurt I could lash out and crush. But the father is so secure, and so loving, so wise that he reaches into the vast resources of His love and draws us... To Him!!!
He doesn't get us back, or seek revenge... Those are things we do... But His ways are higher than ours, His thoughts are higher, even as the heavens are higher than the earth. Today let us not run from that loving kindness, instead let's embrace it...

Love ya

PJ

WOW!!! Be Here!!!

BBQ Report

Hey guys... WOW!!! What a week.
5-7am prayer daily, prayer and practice Monday, then our last Wednesday night service... 'Why our last Wednesday night service', you ask... Well this Saturday we kicked off Saturday Night Live @ Next Level. We had an insane BBQ, with food, water balloons, extreme dodge ball, basketball, UFC fighting and the list gos on and on and on. The good news is it wasn't just for this past Saturday. We are launching 9 new cells and will be meeting every Saturday @ 6pm. See you there.

Love ya

PJ

MY 3 S's

Everyone one of us has necessities... Most of us have the same basic necessities. We need food, water, shelter and love. These are not the type of necessities I am talking about today. We all also need solice. A place where we find ourselves, can hear ourselves an hear God. It's a place where are soul is quited our breath is steady, it causes our heart to beat and our soul to smile. Have you found your place, do you escape there often. My place is the 3 S's... that is Sun, Surf and Sand and it's a place I don't visit enough. Find your place and escape there often for this may very well be the place you find yourself.

Love ya

PJ

Why Do We Pray?

Why do we pray for God to guide us in His steps? Then stand still!!! So many times we pray all kinds of elaborate prayers to God then never do anything. We pray countless hours for our home, city and country. We pray for revival, we pray for the outpouring, we pray for the FIRE!!! We have even come up with really spiritual sounding sayings like, “I’m waiting on God” or “I haven’t felt lead”… WOW!!! What kind of insanity is that??? The Word says Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He has moved, is moving and will continue to move. Let’s not blame our inactivity on God. If we are not in a place where God is leading, let’s get in that place. If we are not in a place where He is guiding, then let’s get in that place. Just because we don’t see God moving around us doesn’t mean He’s not moving. It just means we are blind. Jesus came to give sight to the blind, so they could follow Him. So let’s follow Him, let’s step… One step at a time, one foot in front of the other.

Love Ya,

PJ

Why do very bad things happen to very good people.

Some days are harder than others. On some days very bad things happen. Many times those bad things happen to very good people. Not perfect people but really good people... Why??? It can't all be sowing and reaping because I look at some of the trash I've sown and dear lord if I reap it... Well it might possibly kill me. Yet what I reap is covered in grace. Even though I don't deserve it, God gives His goodness even in the light of all my badness. How is it then that I see some people that lack that measure of grace... It just seems like for a good person they go through a lot of bad. Granted I am in no place to see and judge the heart of man, nor question. But this I do know only because of my experience. If I search for God then I am able to find Him. I don't always find the answers. I don't always find what I think I need. But I do find a Father, a friend. No matter what it is I face I find someone who knows and loves me no matter what... And that's enough

Love ya

PJ

Awake

How often do we daze off and slumber... No I'm not talking about our nightly prerequisite. I'm talking about in our salvation in our own personal Christianity. Ok let me turn the question around... How often are we truly awake to all that GOD has for us, to the intensity of love, grace, power and authority that where purchased on the cross. When I stop to consider all the scriptures that have been written then read by us modern day maniacs. Man I know there is more to be had, more to be lived, more to be done... Father I want more of you... Awaken me, body, soul and spirit!!!

Love ya,

PJ

PRAISE HIM

So I found myself reading the end of the book of Psalms. Starting from chapter 144 til the end every chapter tells us to "PRAISE HIM"!!! We find ourselves at the end of one of the best books in the Bible and I mean holy cow... How many times can one be told to praise him. Then as we look closer we hear a call for all to praise, for the mountains and the trees, the sun and the sky and every nation. Praise Him, Praise Him, Praise Him let this day be a day of crazy praise.

Love ya

PJ