Avoiding The Christmas Blues!

I was listening to KKLA the other night and Frank Pastore was saying how he was fighting traffic and long lines earlier in the day and found himself loosing his Christmas MoJo. So he asked callers to call in with their most memorable or favorite Christmas gift.

As I listened to so many people talk about being thankful for blessings not purchased in stores my heart began to warm. Listening to testimony of God's hand of blessing in the lives of others began to do a Christmas miracle in my own heart. My MoJo was growing....

So I felt led to call and share my favorite Christmas memory. It was when we received my middle son back from a near fatal car accident. We spent 2 1/2 months in the hospital burn ward with him spending time sitting at his bedside. Then I will never forget spending that Christmas in the Arrowhead Burn Center with my family of five wearing blue gowns and being thankful for our family being together. Also, I will never forget how our church family supported us with gas money, food, prayer, time, shoulders to cry on, and anything we needed.

Come to think of it....The five of us have never spent one Christmas a part from each other...but it was that Christmas that will always come to mind when I start loosing my Christmas MoJo.

How about you? If you find yourself loosing your joy and forgetting about the Greatest Gift and the Reason for the Season...Think back on the one who gave you life and remember how He has blessed you with His Son Jesus Christ....and soon your heart will warm and you too will find your Christmas MoJo back in action....

God Is Inexhaustible By Trip Lee

Lyrics to Inexhaustible :

Verse 1:

Hey, you crazy if you think you can grasp

The eternal ruler who is first and is last

Reigns in the present, and He reigned in the past

Who is perfect and has none to learn in a class

I seen a lot of dudes I don' think they get it

Got a picture in our brain but the King can't fit it

We got a lil box but the King ain't in it

He's way too complex, don't get this thing twisted

I could learn bout Him who's on the throne

But like Badu He goes on and on/I could spit a million rhymes till the song is long

But still not have enough bars like a broken phone

To tell all about the God of Romans known

Through the scriptures that picture should blow your dome

He's amazing behold Him, appraise Him He's golden

Inexhaustible, I'm amazed just to know him

Hook:

Hey what you know about this God?

He's way too great homie, I can't grasp Him

Hey what you know about this God?

He's too complex my mind can't fathom

What you know about this God?

He's amazing behold Him appraise Him He's golden

Hey what you know about this God?

He's inexhaustible, I'm amazed just to know Him

Verse 2:

For instance I just can't get this HeIs one but eternally exists in three

That's crazy our minds can grip this we

Need to realize we men so our pictures weak

Just try to understand how he came as a man

But remained I Am, all things in His hand

Say what? The King was slain as the lamb

When He came to the land that He made with His hands

Say what? Just try to make your brain understand

He's so big man's like a grain in the sand

That picture's too big for a frame but my plan is to grow

I pray my picture of the King will expand

I could study forever and read all day

But still wouldn't understand the King all the way

I got a long way to go, but I'm pleased to say

I get to live my whole life just to seek His face

Hook

From http://www.lyricsmania.com/inexhaustible_lyrics_trip_lee.html

Verse 3:

Hey it's not enough words in my speech to proclaim His greatness

Not in the whole English language

To exhaust this King, His past is blameless

I won't stop reppin 'till His name is famous

Among all nations, He still prevails

Praise the Lord that He chose to reveal Himself

When He could have just chilled and concealed Himself

Praise the Lord that He chose to reveal Himself

Now we can share in enjoyment, see more and more

The glory, the beauty of the Lord of Lords

Through Creation, or Scripture's the door to more

Can't get it all on this Earth, there's more in store

When we get to eternity, it'll be better

We get to see more of the Lord forever

A million years later, the joy is the same

Seeing still more and exalting His name

Hook

(Thanks to Adeoye for these lyrics)

Husbands and Fathers Watch This....

Leaving For Swansea, Wales

Almost all packed....leaving in the morning. Please pray the team (Allen, Joy, Misha, You-K, and I) is effective in all aspects of the mission and lasting fruit.

A Good Memorial Day Reminder

A Good Satire Of Man Centered Worship

http://vimeo.com/11501569

What Keeps Us From Telling Others About Jesus?

When I read of the amazing things God did in the Book Of Acts I wonder why many of those same things are not happening in my life today.

Take for instance this partial list below;

Peter heals a lame man at Jerusalem 3:1-11

Apostles perform many wonders at Jerusalem 5:12-16

Peter heals Eneas of a palsy at Lydda 9:33, 34

Peter raises Tabitha, or Dorcas, to life at Joppa 9:36-41

Peter delivered out of prison by an angel at Jerusalem 12:7-17

Elymas, the sorcerer, smitten with blindness at Paphos 13:6-11

Paul converted to Christ on Road to Damascus 9:1-9

Paul heals a cripple at Lystra 14:8-10

Paul casts out a spirit of divination at Philippi 16:16-18

Paul & Silas's prison doors opened by an earthquake in Philippi 16:25

The list goes on.....

But one thing is obvious about this list, the church was involved in telling others about Jesus and as a result God showed up and did amazing things. Each situation brought an opportunity for God to be glorified...

So what keeps us from telling others about Jesus?

Fear, Confort Zones, Business, Culture Norms, and ..... Whatever our answer to this question is, it is keeping us from experiencing the amazing things God did in the Book Of Acts...IMHO

Police Officers Are Great Guys

Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I like police officers...They are servants and have a very difficult job serving our country and protecting our lives. After working with them on many occasions I have grown fond of their committment to serve our society. When I see them on breaks in coffee shops or restaurants I try to take the time to thank them for choosing to serve people through their line of work.

Well, I was driving on the 101 Freeway to my office Yesterday, and as I was moving to slower lanes of traffic to get off at my exit, I noticed a Highway Patrol in the slow lane monitoring traffic.

After exiting the freeway and just before pulling into my office at church I saw those red lights that everyone hates to see right behind me. Aaarrrggg! Not a ticket! The thought of traffic school, traffic fines, cost of insurance increasing, and generally unpleasant feelings started knocking on my heart.....

But then a new thought came to mind...I could not think of any violation I had committed. I wasn't speeding and could not think of what I had done.

As the officer walked up to my car I started getting my documents out (you know the drill). As I handed him my driver's license and insurance I asked what I had done wrong. He said I had an expired registration on my license plate.

Just as he finished the sentence I found my registration (still in the envelope you get from the DMV) and there was my new sticker! I had received it 9 months ago but never put the sticker on my plate (duh!).

As soon as the officer saw my sticker he said "oh, there it is...please put it on when you arrive home sir and have a nice day."

So...I can say again with a valid experience "police officers are great guys!"

My Response To CNN feedback forum

After viewing an article on CNN.com I was disheartened to read in the comment forum such Anti-American rhetoric. The one comment that moved me to respond is listed here

Copied From Forum Section Post #114 "Advice to Americans – sort your own backyard out before you try to work on someone elses. The quality of what you can offer the world is summed up in the southern states as the failure to respond to Katrina and your absolute FAILURE with the current oil spill. You "saved" the afghanis from the soviets only to be turned upon by them – go figure. America is the sickest country of the world because it cannot see how useless it is. Your 'democracy" fuels the arab rage – as it is the same "democracy" that feeds the hand of israel."

So I thought I would add my two cents....I thought I would share what I posted here on my blog....

"...I am saddend to hear you speak of this country that way. To hear you sit back and shout with keyboard and anonymity towards a country that allows this type of forum because of its foundations in freedom. BTW we give billions to Arab countries as well as Israel. Even President Clinton bombed Afgan training centers because he knew of their plans. Radical Islam is never going to be at peace with anyone who does not submit to it. They are taught to eliminate those who disagree! What was the difference between the responses after offensive drawings of Mohamed and the Urin on the picture of Jesus? People died and violent riots because of the offense against Islam. But what did Christians do? Prayed, commented in forums like this, voiced their oppinion in other ways because of the freedoms their communities have built. I am so glad I live in this country and served in the Army... I have been to Egypt and other places where freedom is just a desire that many don't even understand. Where real poverty exists.... If you don't like this country, do something about it through the wonderful system we have and the freedoms you enjoy... "

URL of Article http://afghanistan.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/29/reminders-of-a-hell-for-1000-men/#comments

Automatic Response System?

This week God reminded me of why we feel distant from Him sometimes....

As we studied Exodus Chapter 24 this last Wednesday I was reminded again of how God allowed Moses to enter into His very presence but kept Aaron, his two sons, and the Seventy elders at a bit of a distance. This always intrigued me because in John 4:23 Jesus said the Father is seeking Worshipers.

So what was it about Aaron, his two sons, and the Seventy elders that kept them from coming into God's presence with Moses? Well you probably are aware that in Exodus Chapter 32 Aaron makes a golden calf for all of Israel to worship (we assume the Seventy elders are included), and in Levitus 10 Aaron's sons offer strange fire (probably represents pride and self will) before the Lord and are judged.

KEY THOUGHT HERE: Often times we think of God as an Automatic Response System! We pray and he needs to respond. We seek Him and He needs to respond. We have needs and He must respond.... We forget that God is a person! We have a relationship with Him not an Automatic Response System....

Back to Moses and Exodus 24....Moses desired God! Moses loved God! Moses dedicated time for God and God revealed more of Himself to Moses than anyone else in Israel! Why? Because that is what Moses wanted and made time for! BTW just being in close to God's presence was not enough for Moses...later on he asked God if he could see His glory (Exodus 33:18).

So this week If we start to feel a bit distant from God we need to remember He is a person and not an Automatic Response System....He desires our love and devotion....And we need to respond to Him!

Be Blessed As You Respond To Him....Pastor David

His Mercy Endures Forever....

"Oh, give thanks to The Lord, for He is good, and His Mercy endures forever." II Chronicles 16:34 When you come across something good it's worth repeating.... When King David brought the Ark of God into Jerusalem he wrote a song about how thankful he was and wanted to have all Israel learn to sing it. The second half of Verse 34 was then repeated 40 other times in Scripture. There is another song (Psalm 136) that used that verse as the repeating refrain. You see the experience of bringing the Ark of God close so touched King David he wanted to lead others into that same experience. The reason King David was so thankful was because on top of the Ark of God was a place called "The Mercy Seat." This was the place that God's mercy was extended to the nation of Israel after a sacrifice was offered in substitution for their sin. You see, the covering over the Ark (The Mercy Seat) was the place where a Holy God and a sinful people could meet after their sin was covered. While archeologists are still looking for the lost Ark, Paul in Romans 3:25 continues this Songs' theme by explaining to us that Jesus is our Mercy Seat ("Propitiation"). So Jesus makes it possible for a Holy God to meet with sinful people.... "Oh, give thanks to The Lord, for He is good, and "His Mercy Endures Forever!" Jesus is where God's mercy is to be found...Forever!

Pray For Haiti

Lord Jesus we lift up the country of Haiti and ask that you would give strength to those in the rescue effort. Please be with those suffering the loss of loved ones and those suffering injury. We pray for Calvary Chapel Port-au-Prince and Calvary Chapel of Caneille. Please use our brothers and sisters for Haiti, even during this most difficult time.