Do as I say... pt1

There is and old saying, "don't do as I do, do as I say".
Recently in our Bible reading we've read two different stories of fathers that had some missed up view points. One was a priest the other a king, both where at the top spot in the nation of Israel. Eli was the high priest that carried more about the ministry then his sons. As I read of the sorry state of Israel in those days. I see a man that on two occasions was more concerned about the ark of the covenant then his sons. This is something we men in ministry have to be on guard against. Men like Eli truly miss the point. The put more love, life and concern into a box covered with gold. Now I hear some of you, "yes but that box represented God". I would say yes you are absolutely correct. It represented God, but you can trust me when I say it was stil a box not GOD. That's one of the mistakes we make, confusing the ministry for our God. Eli did this and it cost him, his family even his life. If ministry is a pretty golden box that causes you to take your attention off your family, you may want to check it!!!
Stay tuned for part 2

Love ya

PJ

I believe

The Word says that the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. Oh I believe he does, on so many occasions and in so many ways. Often time I consider the story that Jesus told of the sower and the seed. Tonight I don"t wish to cover the whole story. Instead I wish to highlight one part. There was some seed that was thrown into the weeds or thorns. When this seed started showing promise, it burst forth with such vision, such life. But before you know it the cares and worries of life came and strangled it, they killed it, they stole it and finally it was destroyed. Yes, the enemy comes to crush the very life of God from us, from our dreams, and our hopes. The cares and worries of this life are tools in his arsenal, and he's not afraid to use them. So consider right now your life, your dream, your vision, and protect them. Don't allow anything to come in and steal what the Lord has placed inside you. Because Jesus told another story of talents and each person was responsible for what was given to them. God has placed such greatness inside of you... And He holds only you responsible. Love Ya PJ

MOMS

I am a man with many mothers. I have a mom, a stepmom, mom-in-law and spiritual moms. They're all my mothers; they all love me, care for me, and wish only the best for me. And I love and honor each of them for the major roll they played in my past present and future.
Beverly K Goodman passed away on August 2, almost 12 years ago. She was and still is a shining lady in my heart. She was all that a mother should be. She had her own personal grace and a heart that still, as I think about it, amazes me. I remember her walk, her talk, the way she carried herself. One of the things I miss the most is walking her down the center isle at church on Sunday to her seat. It's funny the things we miss.
Both my mother in law and step mom have helped to fill the emptiness and loss. Dont get me wrong no one will ever replace, but a man will always need a mom. Those that walk through life without allowing someone to fill that place are incomplete. So to both mom Patty and Vic I want to thank you, I love you and you help fill my life and make it what it is.
All my other moms you know who you are. You are those older ladies that help keep me straight. You encourage and correct, your words of wisdom and love often push me forward to a place I could not make it to alone.
To each of you I want to say thank you and I love you.

Love ya,

PJ

Heading Home pt.2

Where was I, ah yes the city by the bay, and being slammed by the rain.
It was our last night in California and we had basically gone full thritle, ninja still all day. It had been and insanily full day and come 9pm my traveling buddies where dropping like flies. Seeing cross eyed with sunburnt faces from hvaing the top down on our convirtable Pt Cruiser was a good sign that if I was going anywhere it would be alone. So I set off for a little bakery I knew about that was open late and was only a few blocks away. At least I thought it was only a few blocks. Anybody that's been down to the wharf knows if your gonna walk anywhere from there its most likely gonna be up hill. So after a few blocks on my uphill trek I quickly came to the conclusion that the canollio wasn't worth it. It's good, but my feet where screaming, ''not that good''. So after little debate with the rest of my body I hooked a left and began my meander back down. The city was hopping with sounds of live music and smells of great food. I heard someone playing live acostic guitar and play the harmonica. There in a small park area was a guys just rock'n out like he was the only person in the world though many had stop to listen. I found my spot about 10 feet away leaning on a pole, I just closed my eyes and drank it in. The bay breeze blowing in my hair, the moment was spiritual... After a long musical intrlude, my personal mistro begin in his hispanic blues style, the story of the sheep and the goats. I was drawn in, great style, great story. Stood there for a half hour or so just drinking in Jesus. As I walked back to my room I thought of all the peps that hate this city for the darkness it represents to them. Then I thought of Jesus and how he met me there. Allot like salvation, Jesus can shine through the darkest, dark, the hardest heart, the grimest situation and shine His light. The question for you and I is... Will you stop and see it.

Love ya

PJ

Heading Home pt.1

Making my way home from Cali. Just spent the better part of a week drinking from the open keg that's poured out over Bethel Church in Redding. It's been a great week. On the last day of our trip we where in the city by the bay, San Francisco. I know a great many more spiritual people than me really detest this town. Maybe I just haven't reached that level of spirituality but I love it here. The people, the smells, the history. Walking through the exploratorum at night. The smells of sea food down at the wharf. The night life, homeless and of coarse the world famous bushman. The food is outstanding and both bridges are majestic. I know many people that would disagree but really I don't care. They have their favorite places and I have mine.
Anyway enough of that and on to my story. So I spent the past few days just drinking in the love of God. It was great! I had two really powerful moments. The first was as I was being prophesied over They started with some of the normal God wants you to know He loves you then out of the blue laid a slam on me that was insane. Most of my prayer peps know I love to pray for rain. I had an article from the paper posted on my fridge for months of a night we had a prayer meeting and there was a deluge over our city. Once we where doing a week long prayer meeting and I don't think it stooped raining the whole time. The area we where in had been experiencing a drought and the day we should up it started raining. When I told my wife she said, ''yeah it looks like you brought the rain with you.'' We both just laughed and went on enjoying the humor of the co-incidents. So I was up getting my word when this girl says, '' The rain follows you''. Instantly I was slammed, snotting and crying. Yeah it was good, really good. So was the rest of the word but that's for another time.

Love ya

PJ

Sticks and stones

Matt. 7;3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

So let's just face it we have all been guilty of hypocrisy at this level. Man it's so hard not to be. I mean really its so much easier to see the faults of others and cover our own. In an Old Testament story Noah got drunk, then got naked and one of his son's exposed the father's nakedness to the others. For exposing his nakedness Noah cursed his son. Its more than just pulling sticks and stones from our eyes. Its about exposing others weakness while ours stay safely hidden. AAAHHH!!! This really stinks and its so hard to do. We always want to believe the best in ourselves and glorify that. In others we can just examine the facts and expose them. After all it is fact.
Right??? Wrong!!!
The Bible says speak the truth in love. It says truth, not fact. What is truth? The truth is the Word and we know according to John 1, that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Jesus is the Word made flesh. So with that said the truth about someone is whatever Jesus says about them. Proverbs say's love covers a multitude of sin. I guess it stands to reason that we would cover our own sin if that's who we love best... Man I told ya it stinks. I hate my own sin.

Love ya

PJ

Act Now!!!

''This is a limited time offer''... ''You must act now''... ''If you call in the next 5 minutes''... ''Today only''...
Faith must be acted on in the now, if you don't you probably won't and the longer you wait the more you hesitate the greater the chances are you won't act.
As a kid growing up on the Weeki Watchi river we would spend many Saturdays tubing down the river. The Weeki Watchi is a crystal clear spring feed river in central Florida, its best known for it's mermaids. Towards the end of the 5 hour tubing trek there was a place called Hospital Hole. Hospital Hole is a Huge hole in the river that opens to a series of caves. Above the hole was a tall, tall oak tree. We'd jump into the river from a branch that was 60 feet from the surface. Once hitting the water we would scramble to the surface. It was the eeriest feeling when you would swim over the hole and only the bravest would try to swim in. It was as though the abominable river monster would reach up and drag you into its layer. I can remember so vividly climbing the old slippery cut pieces of two by four that had been nailed to the tree. To climb up was likely the most dangerous. Once you got to the branch I'd look down at nothing but a vast amount of air between myself and the river. Some would look and freeze, thy would just stop moving, some would attempt a climb down. Once you've climbed to the top, gotten all the way up the easiest way down is often the scariest... JUMP. One thing I learned from that old oak and eerie cave in the river was that longer you stood there and starred down the more your courage drained. The more your courage drained the better the chances were that you would chicken out. It's that way with faith, if you don't act and act now then slowly the courage to act drains. Occasionally a crowd would gather and begin to chant, ''jump, jump, jump,''. There are times in our faith that God will send individual's into our lives as faith starters. We may not like these people but they push us forward, forward into faith. So today let me be that person, the person that is chanting up to you, jump, jump, jump... JUMPED NOW!!!

Love ya

PJ

Oh you have little faith

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen... Faith comes by hearing, hearing the Word of God. Faith has evidence, it has evidence because it has action. Newton said for every action there is and equal and opposite reaction. In the realm of heaven the reaction of our actions is compounded, it is multiplied. Then we receive based on what we we've sown. So in the realm of faith we could follow this method backwards. Look at what we are receiving, what we receive is what we've sown, compounded. What we've sown, that is acted on. Our actions our based on what we beieve. What we believe is based on what we've heard.
AAAHHH!!!! FATHER, I believe only help my unbelief... Let me expect what you expect, see what you see, do what you do!!!

Love ya,

PJ

We Are Next Level

WE ARE NEXT LEVEL YOUTH from CCC Media on Vimeo.