The Pen of Pastor

Have you ever felt drained? Tired all the time and really don't feel like getting out of bed in the morning? I've been there, as a matter of fact, this morning I crawled back in bed simply because I didn't feel the best, and then at the last moment I got up, and prepared for my day. Though I didn't feel all that great I have chose to make this day great for the scripture says,  This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  A passage of scripture that continues to minister to me is found in Isaiah 43:1-3, But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob,And He who formed you, O Israel,“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;I have called you by name; you are Mine! “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,Nor will the flame burn you. “For I am the Lord your God,The Holy One of Israel, your Savior... In other words God made ...

WOW, while I was sitting with Kaye last night she asked when the last time I had blogged and it was overwhelming to me to realize it had been a whole week. No wonder I've felt different lately. I've found this to be an outlet for me and a way to collect my thoughts or reflections on paper.  This past Sunday morning, October 26, 2014; I was privileged to share with our church and as we broke open the Bread of Life/Word of God together we were reminded that God was, is and always will be our Creator and that when the world seems to be overtaking us it won't, (read Isaiah 43:1-3.) We were also reminded that He created us fearfully and wonderfully and that we are His masterpiece, (read Psalm 139:14.) Though these are wonderful scriptures and beautiful promises and reminders from our Lord, I couldn't help but think of the man this morning with a "withered hand" found in Mark 3:1-6. Mark 3:1-6, " He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand...

Over the last couple of days I have began to prepare a sermon for this coming Sunday morning and as I have felt the guidance of the Holy Spirirt, I have been reminded of the beautiful team that God and I make together, that without Him I am nothing and that I need Him to sustain me and the purpose of my life.  Today, however, a good friend of mine welcomed their second little boy into the world, this morning, and as I began to recieve  pictures and hear of how momma and baby we're doing I couldn't help but ponder the idea, what this little boy would do for the Kingdom of God. What kind of wonderful team they would make together. I recollected the passage of scripture found in Jeremiah 1: 5,  "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5 NASB) I believe that for Brady, this new cute little boy, however I believe it for you and I! God has called us, He has appointed ...

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works and my soul knows it very well.  A few weeks back, Kaye went with the Ladies of our church on a retreat to grow spiritually together as well as relationally. I knew she would have a good time, yet, she surprised me and had a GREAT time. When she returned home, it was non stop for several days about events or services, card games played, or perhaps crazy, off the wall, random songs that were sung. Yet, above all the fun she had, she was sure to tell me their focal point of the entire weekend, that she was fearfully and wonderfully made.  Since her conversation with me about being fearfully and wonderfully made, I have been confronted multiple times in scripture and morning devotion with the same thought and passage. Perhaps my wife was trying to share with me the importance of being reminded that I too, am fearfully and wonderfully made. That He, loved us both enough to create us perfec...

Let this sink in,   "I enable you not only to feel comforted but also to be a channel through whom I comfort others.   Thus you are doubly blessed, because a   living channel absorbs some of whatever flowes through it." What a thought provoking statement by Jesus written by Sarah Young in Jesus Calling. He, Jesus, not only brings comfort to you or I but He intends for us to be a channel  He can send His comfort through to other people. Far to often, in the hurried haste of life we pray and ask God to bring comfort to a situation in our life or perhaps for His comfort to consume a family member, friend, colleague, or even an acquaintance. But what if He wants to use you or I to be that comfort in their life?  I believe fellowship and communion with others is vitally important to our life in various aspects. However, when that fellowship is not consumed with being a vessel or a channel that Christ can work through, you and I have fellowshipped in vain. Perhaps, we...

  "Take time to be still in My Presence. The more hassled you feel, the more you need this sacred space of communion with me." It has been nearly a whole week since I last posted, and what a week it has been. On Monday of this week, October 13, the words above were penned in the book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It wasn't until today, however, that I read them and it was more like a really hard jab in the gut when the words rang through my spirit. In the last week I have taken very little time to be still in [His] presence.   I have felt more than hassled and He is right, the more I feel this way, the more [I] need the sacred space of communion with [Him.] The psalmist David wrote it well, "Be still, and know that I am God..." Psalm 46:10. In a world that seems to race around at what appears to be light warping speed, you and I must continue daily   to commune with God. We must take time to rest in His presence, to communicate with Him; meaning more than ju...

"Though you have faltered at times, you have not let go of My hand. I am pleased with your desire to stay close to Me." These are the words penned by author Sarah Young in her book Jesus Calling for October 9. Young writes as though Jesus, Himself, is speaking and as I pondered these words, I couldn't help but believe He really was talking to me. Jesus is pleased with my desire to stay close to Him. Sure, I stumble, I falter in my faith or perhaps just flat out displease God at times. However, it is the fact that my intentions are not to displease Him but to bring Him glory in all that I do, that makes Him happy. Scriptures tell us that the enemy has come to steal, kill and destroy; it is his three fold mission. However, JESUS has come to bring life and life more abundantly. I was so encouraged by this thought that the High Priest is pleased with my desire to stay close to Him. To be honest, my desire to stay close to Him, stems from the fact that He first desired to...