Growth & Change

Our lives are in a constant state of change. The very nature of growth and the maturation process dictate that we will change continually. Yet, as human beings, we resist the changes that come. Sometimes that resistance seems to be expressed with every ounce of strength that is in us. A classic line from Star Trek sums up my understanding of the results of that struggle, “Resistance is futile . . .”
There is certainly a strength that results form consistency in our lives, but the truth is that the only consistency that truly brings lasting strength and peace is the consistency of obedience to Christ. Growth must, by necessity, result in change. If we cling to long to the way we have always done things, then we will, in the end, fail. As one proverbial saying puts it, “To do the same thing over and over again and expect different results is insanity.”
We are a people of growth. We must be in a constant state of change in order to truly grow. As we draw nearer to Jesus, there will be change in our lives. At the same time, as we draw nearer to Jesus the more consistently we will be like Him. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (The Message) sums this process of growth and change up nicely:

Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

I Believe

I Believe. I really believe. These words can be used in so many contexts, but what do they really mean. I believe what my spouse tells me when we talk. I believe that the chair I am about to sit in will support my weight. I believe that Neil Armstrong literally walked on the moon. I believe that I can do the things that Jesus did and even greater things.
The first of these beliefs of mine (what my spouse tells me) is based upon relationship. I have been married to my wife for almost 20 years (December 3, 1988) and in my relationship with her, I have never found her to intentionally tell me something that was not true. There have been times when I didn't want to believe her and times when I chose not to believe her, but there has never been a time when I felt that she was deceptive in what she said to me. Even in those times when I didn't want to believe or I chose not to believe, I knew deep down that what she spoke was heartfelt and true, because I have no doubt in my mind that she loves me. Because I KNOW that she loves me, I KNOW that she would never intentionally lie to me.
The second of theses beliefs (the chair will support me) is based upon experience. I have sat in that chair or one like very much like it on thousands of occassions throughout my lifetime. In fact, over the 43 years of my life (or at least the portion of it that has passed since I learned to walk and prior to that my mom believed the chair would support me) I have only sat in a chair that collapsed beneath my weight on one or two occassions. Even though some chairs fail, I do not feel the need to test every chair that I sit in because my experience tells me that the liklihood of its failure is so remote that the time taken to test it would be wasted.
Based upon these first two experiences, why is it that my third listed belief (I can do the things that Jesus did) seems so improbable. After all this third area of belief is firmly based upon a relationship that is actually deeper than that between my wife and I. Jesus, himself said this to me in John 14:12, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." (NKJV) I have never once in my life found that Jesus ever lied to me. I may not want to believe Him and their may be times when I choose not to believe Him, but what He said has always been and will always be THE Truth. Most of all I have a certainty that He loves me and gave up His life for me and because of that love, He would never speak anything less than the Truth.
To have a relationship with Jesus that supports the truth of what He says to me should be sufficient, yet somehow it often is not. For various reasons, I can not base this second belief as firmly on my experience as I can the belief in the chair. There are times when I have no framework for basing belief in what my wife says on experience and must rely solely on my relationship with her and I still believe her. Why then does this not work for my belief that I can do what Jesus did? Perhaps it is because our culture has taught us that we can only truly believe in what we can see, feel, hear, taste and touch. I believe my wife because I have a relationship with her, but also because there are very few things that she speaks that I cannot use my 5 senses to confirm.
In reality my belief in my wife is based upon relationship, but built upon experience - experience gained from the use of my senses. Perhaps this is why Paul wrote to the Corinthians that we should walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). The real reason that I do not believe what Jesus said is that I have not given myself an opportunity to experience the reality of what He said. I will never "experience" the truthfulness of that statement in John 14:12 based solely on my natural senses. I must step out in "faith" in order to experience it. I regret that I have failed in that area. I do not say that I have failed because I have never tried, nor because I have tried and been unsuccessful, but rather that I have never given myself sufficient opportunity to experience the Truth of what Jesus said.
The fact that a chair has occasionally given way beneath my weight, never even crosses my mind when I go to sit down. My experience is so extensive and so powerful that I just don't think about it. However, I must remember that I have sat in chairs on well over 146,000 occasions (using a very conservative calculation of sitting in a chair 10 times per day for 40 years) and I can only remember one collapsing beneath me 1 or 2 times and even if I extend that to situations I caused myself by falling out of the chair through some act of stupidity on my part, it can be no more than a 10 to 15 times. In other words, my experience is so overwhelming that my failures do not effect my beliefs whatsoever.
So, what does all this mean. My relationship with Jesus should be sufficient for my belief in what He has told me, but when I am totally transparent and honest, it is not. Therefore, I have but two choices. Either I choose to no longer believe him because my relationship is insufficient to confirm all that He says and it would be impossible to discern which of His instructions it is sufficient for and which it is not sufficient for. OR, I choose to act in such a way that I gain sufficient experience to confirm what He has told me and thereby firmly establish my belief in what He says. In other words, I choose to walk by faith and not by sight. I choose to take chances and shift the proportions so that they become overwhelming in favor of my belief. I will choose to act upon what Jesus said knowing that in the end, through faith, I will gain the experience that I need to make my belief a reality.

Expectations!

Bobby Conner was a recent guest at Birmingham Bridge Christian Fellowship. One of the thoughts that was expressed during his visit has struck me and stuck with me over the past several days. When I cannot shake a word or thought from my mind, it usually means that God wants me to pay attention to it. In this case that thought was expressed in a single word - “EXPECTATION”. This word can be defined as “the prospect of future good or profit” and calls to mind all sorts of exciting thoughts.
When it comes to expectations, I am afraid that the church has been woefully lacking in them. Paul wrote the following to the Ephesians in regard to expectations:
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians 3:20 (The Message)
Consider these words for a moment and you can understand why I think the church has come up short when it comes to expectations. God desires to do more than you can imagine, but that means we must be willing to imagine something, and not just anything, but something great. We, as Americans, have been taught to believe that our “wildest dreams” are actually attainable when it comes to this natural world. I want to suggest to you that we, as the Church of Jesus Christ, need to believe that our “wildest dreams” are actually attainable when it comes to the things of the Spirit.
The Word of the Lord for this hour is “expectation”. So . . . What are yours?

Lakeland "Revival"

Wow, God is so good. It seems that the events in Lakeland, Florida have set the world to talking about revival again. I am certainly convinced that there is a great move of God going on there, whether or not I would call it revival yet, I am unsure. For me revival produces great fruit evidenced by salvation and most of what I have seen in Lakeland so far is more about an “Outpouring” on God’s people. Now, let me be clear about one thing – whether we call it revival or outpouring – this is an exciting move of God. Prophetic voices around the country have spoken into this event and many of the words that have come forth indicate that this is the birthing of something even greater than what we presently see.
With this praise for what God is doing spoken first, I also feel that it is important to convey a word of caution to those over whom God has given me charge and to all those who will listen. In many of the more contemporary moves of God that have proven to be valid, real and life changing, there has been a tendency for the people of God to run to the “location” where the outpouring was occurring. There is certainly nothing wrong with going to where God is moving – there is in fact a clear Biblical precedent for taking such action. However, there can be such a rush to go where “revival” is, that the people fail to remember that such an action is not our primary focus. Instead, our primary focus it to bring “revival” to where we are.
What God imparts into the lives of those who travel to Lakeland and even into those who watch on God TV is not meant to be held inside or to be reverenced in some way. It is intended to be given away. “Freely you have received, freely give!” Prayer is our first response to what God is doing in Lakeland – deep heartfelt prayer that cries out to God to bring such a movement to my church, my community, my state, my nation and to my world. The next response is to begin to move and respond to what God puts within us, so that we become his hands and feet – where we live- to see it happen. Finally, we must never become critical of our local church or our own community when we don’t see the same thing that is being seen in Lakeland. We must ask whether the ground has been fully prepared or will our prayers complete that process. We must recognize that God is big enough to show himself mightily in every city around the world and yet look different everywhere that He does it.
Let the move of God in Lakeland become a challenge to you. Not a challenge to go and be a part or in on what God is doing there, but rather a challenge to see God move right here, where you are in an awesome and mighty way!

Last Sunday, I preached a message entitled "Got Faith?" This message was the first in a series on what faith really is and the series is based upon the old "Got Milk?" commercials. The heart of the message is that faith is not a magic wand that we can point at a situation, wave and expect results to appear like magic. Neither is it the answer that allows you to get everything you have ever wanted delivered to your doorstep. When we really examine what faith is, we find that it is a deep and abiding trust that what Jesus said was true. It is true whether or not I feel like it is true. It is true regardless of whether it looks like it is true. It fact, it is true irrespective of whether I even think it is true. When Hebrews 11 declares that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, it does not mean that if we have faith everything in our life will be perfect. Rather in means that even when things are going wrong, faith continues to believe that what the Word of God declares is true regardless. Near the end of the chapter we find the faith of those who were sawn in half, tortured and destitute applauded. This clearly means that faith remains even when things are bad. The truth is we don't like that understanding of faith. We would rather believe that if we really have faith everything will all go well, but the reality of it is that this understanding of faith in desperate times in far more powerful than a faith that makes everything easy.

I have to admit that after preaching this message, I was severly tested in the realm of physical sickness and I have had to endure some literal pain. However, I want to encourage you that enduring this hardship has only strengthened my resolve that faith works and it is not based on what we see, hear, feel or think.

Got Faith?

Racing Forward

I have been thinking about how challenging the last several months have been a lot lately. As I considered what value those challenges had, I began to hear God whispering understanding into my ear regarding the purpose in all of the trials that we seem to have been through and I finally realized just how valuable they had been. I guess the best way I could describe it would be to think of it as if God had just reached down, picked me up off the highway I was traveling down and placed my car in the middle of a Nascar track. Yep, now let me see if I can open up this image a bit more.
Consider what it is like to travel down a typical highway (spiritual journey) in your vehicle (ministry). You turn the wheel and you change lanes. You accelerate to top speeds of around 70 mph. You brake and shift gears and make relatively sweeping adjustments to your driving style as you travel from place to place.
Now, imagine that you are in the same vehicle (ministry), but suddenly you find yourself traveling down a racetrack (still a spiritual journey) instead of the typical highway. Now you accelerate to top speeds of 180-190 mph. When you turn the steering wheel, even the slightest touch makes major changes. You now use your brakes much more sparingly and with a far lighter touch. You learn new skills like drafting and new techniques for placement on the track. In short, you are still driving a car, but the way you do it has changed dramatically. Your are now in the race, pressing forward toward the prize. You have to learn a new way of balancing things in order to properly compete. All the things you learned on the highway still apply but in vastly different ways than before.
When viewed from this perspective, all of the trials are not negatives, rather they are simply part of the process of learning the finesse of driving (operating in ministry) in a new way and at greater speeds, with more at stake. As the challenges of this new driving style are overcome with time, it becomes more and more comfortable. In addition you begin to realize that though it is challenging, the rewards are worth it.

Thoughts on Prayer

Prayer has taken on a new life for me in the last few weeks. I have been preaching a series of messages on the importance of prayer and in truth I had no idea that they would impact me in the way that they have. I feel that I have most certainly gained more insight than I have been able to share and that I was probably the one most in need of the messages I have been preaching. This week I think I realized, not necessarily for the first time, but certainly the most clearly, that we cannot advance the Kingdom of God without a renewed emphasis on prayer.
I have been considering just how little value that the church in America places on prayer. While browsing the web recently, I stumbled across a quote by Leonard Ravenhill in which he declared that the prayer meeting is the least attended meeting at any given church. I think that this is perhaps true because we have made prayer into a superspiritual ritual that must be approached with a great deal of reverence and respect, rather than recognizing it for what it is. I enjoy spending time talking to my earthly friends and family. I enjoy sharing with them what is going on in my life and learning what is going on in their lives. Shouldn't I also enjoy spending time with my Heavenly Father and sharing with Him what is going on in my life (yes, I know He already knows, but He also likes to hear it from me) and learning what is going on in His (really, He wants to share his secrets with me, if I will just stop to listen). Prayer meetings don't have to be boring and formal, instead they can be an exciting time of fellowship with the Holy Spirit. I want to see this kind of life come to our times of prayer. I want to see this kind of life come to my personal times of prayer.
My attitude is changing and with it so is my approach to prayer. Certainly, I continue to approach the Father with my needs, ask him to help me and seek His wisdom and will for my life, but something new is also happening. I am returning to a place where I just like to talk to Him. I find myself more frequently sharing my thoughts and not necessarily during my "quiet times". This happens both verbally and within my heart. As a result, I am also finding myself listening more to His thoughts. If we only realized how much He longs to share His thoughts with us, we would be amazed. This is changing more than my prayer life. I find that my times of worship are more sincere, that my preaching has more passion and that my relationships with both natural and spiritual family are more fulfilling. And, I have to say that I like it.
Let me just be honest as well. I have not suddenly become a supernatural prayer warrior and intercessor exrodinair. I am on a journey and I am learning as I go. I am not walking fully in what I see, but I am striving more each day to walk more fully in it. I continue to become distracted by my schedule, overwhelmed by my circumstances and carried along by the course of events; however, I am slowly learning to overcome these obstacles and live a more fulfilled spiritual life.

Kenya Update

I just received an e-mail from a good friend in Kenya. Dan Germo has is from Canada, but has lived in Kenya for a number of years. He is a good friend of Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and so I consider the information that he provides to be very accurate. The following is an edited version of his update:

I am sure that most of you have heard the news that a political deal was reached in Kenya on Thursday of last week. We are sorry that it has taken us until now to send this happy report… but due to computer problems, it hasn’t been possible until now.
Last week was a very tense week for the nation. It started with the news of the mediation talks stalling. Underlining the seriousness of the situation were the reports from various parts of the countries of militias from both sides of the equation training and arming in case the talks failed. On Tuesday, Kofi Annan said that the mediation teams were not capable of making the deal, as their final session on Tuesday had ended in a very heated manner. At that point, Dr. Annan scheduled a meeting for himself, the President of Tanzania (who is also the Chairman of the African Union), together with President Kibaki and opposition leader, Raila Odinga. As a nation, we all waited anxiously to hear any outcome. The level of anxiety was heightened… but the nation sighed a sigh of relief when at just before 5 PM, all four men addressed a press conference broadcast live across the nation… They had reached a deal.
Under the deal, President Kibaki will remain the President of Kenya, and a new position of Prime Minister will be created, which will be filled by Raila Odinga. Kalonzo Musyoka will remain Vice President, while two Deputy Prime Minister slots will also be created, one being appointed from each party.
This may not be the solution that will be for long-term – that remains to be seen. But, it is a perfect solution that allows the calm in the nation to be replaced by peace, and the opportunity for the political leaders to address many governance issues in the months and years ahead. Most people in the nation, from all sides of the equation, have reacted very positively… and just relieved that life can get back to normal once again, without having to live under the anxiety of daily wondering whether the country would unravel further.
Thank you all for praying for us, the nation, and our many friends during this time. As we rejoice at the peace that has returned, we must also remember to continue to be praying for the many who are still displaced in various parts of the nations, and those who have lost jobs, houses, businesses, and loved ones as a result of the chaos. There will be many challenges ahead, but pray that as a nation, we will learn what is necessary so that this may never happen again. At least now, the hope of healing is once again available!!

Pavilion Village Update

Early Sunday morning (Feb. 24) Marge Clarke left Birmingham, Alabama bound for Pavilion Village. Marge will take her place as one of two rotating American directors at the orphanage. With 3 weeks of relative calm in Nairobi, the decision was made to send Marge on. Please keep her in your prayers at this time. Marge lived in Kenya for over a year working for another orphanage over 10 years ago, but returned home due to a temporary health issue. We are excited about the addition of Marge to our staff and about the experience she brings. She hsa been and will be independently raising her entire support.
I spoke to Debbie who told me that everything is going well at the home. The relative calm in Nairobi has brought an even greater level of peace to this rural community, although, they had felt little effect from the tension. A dispute remains as to one acre of our property that a local man has atteampted to "steal" and this is the biggest issue facing Pavilion at this moment. Until the land dispute can be resolved, we cannot run power to the house. Please keep this matter in your prayers as well. Our prayer is that God will invade this man's life and that conviction will overwhelm him to act rightly. However, we recognize that he must be willing to yield to the Holy Spirit, so we are also praying (just as David did) that should he be unwilling to yield that God will cause his feet to stumble and his will to fight to fail and that justice will prevail.

Preparing for TheCall - Montgomery

This is one of those rare moments when it seems like a spiritual high could last for an extended time. I have just finished a weekend with Lou Engle as he rallied the state of Alabama to prepare for TheCall in Montgomery on April 5. It began Friday morning when I drove to Montgomery for a meeting with a group of leaders who will be working to get the state ready. It was an amazing experience of prayer and preparation followed by a meeting with pastors and youth leaders from around the state. On Saturday morning our church hosted Lou as he shared with prayer leaders. It seemed that an anointing rested on Lou at every meeting I attended and as they progressed it seemed to rub off on me and those around me.
Several things stood out to me during the course of the weekend. On more than one occassion Lou spoke to the idea of the right to life movement being a legitimate successor to the civil rights movement. Interestingly enough, on Friday night in Montgomery on of the last remaining members of the old guard among the civil rights movment, Johnnie Carr, died. She was Martin Luther King, Jr.'s successor as president of the Montgomery Improvement Association. It would seem that a new time of succession is at hand. In addition, one of our members who regularly engages in sidewalk counseling at the local abortion clinics in Birmingham had a particularly successful morning on Saturday. For some who read this it may not seem like much, but to me it was a confirmation from God that the time is now for Alabama to arise and be a spiritual leader in the nation.
So why do I say that it seems that this anointing or spiritual high will linger for more than a short season. Well, it is because with everyone gone from Birmingham, and with the Pre-Call rallies complete our Sunday morning service today had a particularly strong anointing. I believe that we have seen a breakthrough that is lasting and will produce much fruit in the coming days.

E.T. Phone Home

I was recently pondering the words of Jeremiah 33:3, where God tells him to "call to me and I will answer you". As I thought about this passage, an interesting thought crossed my mind and I was drawn back in time just over 25 years. I wish I could say I was drawn back to my childhood, but I supposed that would be stretching things just a bit. Anyway, I thought about the move E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and realized that the script could have been written entirely around Jeremiah 33:3. In my musings I came to the conclusion that this was a prophetic motion picture (it was even released on June 11 - 6 is the number of man and 11 is the number of the prophetic).

I won't go into all of what I saw here. If you are a part of the church I pastor, then you have heard it all already anyway. If you are not, then you can check out the media player at the bottom of the page and listen to the message I preached on it. I do, however, want to speak to the issue briefly. The entire concept of extra-terrestrials is overrated. I mean after all, we ourselves are extra-terrestrials (extra meaning beyond and terrestrial meaning this earth). We are strangers and aliens according to 1 Peter 2:11 and thereby we are something not of this world. Just like E.T. we don't belong to this earth, however, we differ from E.T. in one important way.

The tag line for the movie E.T. proclaimed, "He is afraid. He is alone. He is 3 million light years from home." E.T. spent the entire movie trying to figure out how to call home and get help. The difference shows up right here. As christians we have come to think of ourselves as being 3 million light years from home. Heaven has become a concept of something we will one day attain in the sweet by and by that will arrive somewhere out there in the future. According to the Word of God, this couldn't be farther from the truth. Jesus himself taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". Our home is not light years away, because we merely have to cry out and bring it into existence in the earth around us. E.T. took the limited resourcs he had in an alien environment and focused all of his attention on contacting home. We too must begin to long for home - for a relationship with our Father - and call out to find it. When we do we will find that God is standing by, anxiously awaiting our call and that he desires to answer. Jeremiah 33:3 (Message) goes on to say, "I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own". This is what I want. I want to call out to my Heavenly Father, bring the plans of Heaven into existence in the earth right now and learn all about those marvelous and wondrous things that I could never have figured out on my own.

Pavilion Village Safety

Several folks have emailed me to ask about Debbie and the kids at Pavilion Village. I am sorry that my last entry did not identify how they were doing. I had been so moved by the news about the churches, that I simply forgot to talk about Pavilion. I guess that is partly because I had just talked to Debbie and they were all doing well. Two years ago when we were setting up the orphanage, I was somewhat disappointed that all of our children and all of our staff were Kikuyu. This was not because I don't have a heart for the Kikuyu people, but rather because I wanted to see a multi-tribal family at the Pavilion. Well, I guess you can say that this is one of those places where "Father Knows Best". Today, Pavilion remains safe and secure because it is located in region heavily populated by Kikuyu peoples and everyone at the facility is Kikuyu.

Debbie has indicated that they barely know what is going on in the rest of the country because it is so peaceful where they are, however, their lives have been disrupted in various degrees. Patrick, our farm foreman, lost a sister-in-law and another is in critical condition as a result of the violence. Many travel plans for the orphanage have been disrupted and Marge Clark, our newest American staff member has been forced to indefinitely postpone her trip to Pavilion. We are, however, thankful that things are safe in our home.

Since it seems that so many people are interested in what is taking place in Kenya and our news reports are less than fully covering the event, I will try to keep information current on my blog in the days ahead.

The Kenyan Crisis

Many of you who read this blog probably know that my heart is attached to East Africa. Kenya was the destination of my first mission trip 10 years or so ago and since that time I have been to various parts of East Africa some 20-25 times. The current situation in Kenya is heartbreaking and I am desperate to have your prayers in connection with it.

First, let me assure you that our full time missionary (Debbie Gray) at Pavilion Village and all of the staff and chidren are doing fine. They have no been subjected to any of the violence that has racked Kenya over the last several weeks, however, much of the country has suffered. Included in the suffering have been our friends and family at Agape Fellowship Centers around the country. I recently recieved an email from Bishop Steve Kabachia that brought the closeness of the situation home to me in a powerful way. In this recent email and from various phone conversations over the last several weeks I have learned the following items that I ask you now to lift up in prayer:

1. One of the staff members at Pavilion Village lost a sister to the riots in Western Kenya and another sister is in critical condition.
2. Two of the Agape churches in Western Kenya have been burned to the ground.
3. One of the Agape churches in Garissa stands to loose its building if they don't pay $1000 this week. This is a Muslim area and there is no compassion for the difficult financial times Agape is having trying to help people in this crisis.
4. Many Agape church members are without homes and have been displaced with nowhere to go.

These are only a few of the very personal issues that have arisen from the turmoil in Kenya. so, you may be saying how can I help. Since you asked, let me suggest a few ways:

1. PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
2. Send funds for relief efforts (gifts can be made to Advocate Ministries (Project AIM), 4445 Crescent Road, Birmingham, AL 35210). Please send a note and mark on the outside of your envelope that your gift is for Kenyan Relief Fund.
3. Prepare to Go. That's right, I said prepare to go. When things calm down, there is going to be a desperate need for believers to go to Kenya and to minister healing to the people.

These are a few ways you can help. I am sure you can think of others. I welcome your comments with your thoughts, your ideas, and your prayers. If you wish, please comment with words of encouragement for the believers in Kenya. I will see to it that they are forwarded to our friends and "family" in that region.

Ordination

This is the first chance I have had to post an entry since the conclusion of the ABC Pastors and Leaders Conference on Wednesday night. I have to say that this event had a tremendous impact upon my life. I was blessed beyond my wildest dreams with the relationships that we were able to build with the Bridge pastors from around the world. If I were to try and describe each of the men and women that my life has now been connected to, I have no doubt that words would fail me. Instead, it is probably best to simply recognize that my "family" has grown and my life will never be the same.

After discussing the purpose of ordination with John Paul on Tuesday morning, Elisa and I decided that we wanted to pursue ordination through the Bridge and asked if that would be possible. Since we value our relationships at Advocate, John Paul was clear in advising us that we did not need to drop this connection and we were ordained through Bridge on Wednesday night. Our worship pastor, Shawn Lombard, was ordained as well. While I am not prone to feeling things, there was a burst of electricity that seemed to rush through my body as the ordination was completed and we were prayed for. Somehow I know that new doors were opened and new life imparted on Wednesday night and I can't wait to see what God has in store.

As if the night was not special enough, it just seemed to get better. Theresa Griffith-Hurlbert and Jeff Hurlbert. In case you don't know who this amazing couple is, they have a tremendous prophetic anointing and Theresa plays flutes prophetically and then interprets the music through prophetic words. Wednesday night Theresa played each of her flutes and asked us to stand if the music touched us, then she sang prophetically after each flute was played. This was simply an indescribable revelatory experience. I have to admit that most of my experiences around prophetic song have not been good ones, but this was forever changed on Wednesday night. To learn more about Theresa, check out www.somebodycaresministries.org.

ABC Conference

I am posting today from Irving, Texas where I have been attending the Association of Bridge Churches Pastors and Leaders Conference. This has been an exciting week, although I was disappointed that Pastor Francisco (from Honduras) was unable to attend. He and his family drove from Honduras to the US border and were turned away by border agents, even though he had a valid US Visa. Please pray for this family.

As I have sat and listened to the various speakers, I have been challenged in my faith and in my understanding of what it means to be the Church. As a whole we (the Church) have been unwilling to take risks and to truly search out the power and presence of God. The glory that we have longed to experience has seemed to linger just outside of our reach. If the Word of God is true (and I believe that it is) that it is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of a king to search it out, then we must reverse this trend in our bodies and begin to search in the correct places for His presence. We seem to have been seeking for that power and presence by looking for what Jesus can do for us, when that is not where it is hidden. If we were playing a childhood game, the Holy Spirit would be shouting out "Cold, cold, colder" as we look in this direction. Instead, we must begin to recognize that to become "On fire" we need to draw near to the firey compassion of God and seek His power and presence in how we can help others reach their destiny. It is only through this change of direction that we are going to truly see His glory and have it manifest in our own lives.

Secondly, if we are going to experience his power and presence, then we must begin to "do something". Churches just aren't "doing the stuff" and this must change. The world is a difficult place to live in and the closer we draw to the end of times, the more difficult it is going to become. In order for us to merely survive, we must learn that the anointing of God doesn't just merely drop out of the sky at random intervals and hit us if we happen to be standing in the right place, but rather it is something that is hidden within us by God, waiting to be released when we take a step of faith and try. Serving God is not about sitting back and waiting on something to happen, it is about taking a risk and getting involved in what he is doing all around us.

I have been challenged greatly, and I hope that this post will get you thinking and challenge you as well. I am sure my thoughts and ideas are going to be turned in this direction for some time, so we will certainly consider this topic more in the days ahead. By the way, I hope you enjoy the messages from Birmingham Bridge. If you haven't noticed I've posted a player to the right and they are also available at:

Web page: http://sermonplayer.com/birminghambridge

Podcast Feed: http://sermonfeed.com/birminghambridge

.Mobi URL:http://sermonplayer.mobi/birminghambridge

Prophetic Evangelism

As I was sharing some of my stories from Honduras at the church on Wednesday night, I realized that one of them provided a wonderful picure of the body at work. I briefly described the encounter in which Pastor Francisco led the young man to the Lord, but for this purpose I should expand upon it.

My interpreter, Teresa, was sharing about how she sees the darkness or the light within people and was giving a very specific example to me when a young man walked across the park and took a seat on the knee wall behind her. Although she did not see him, I was facing his direction and it almost seemed as though she was describing him personally. With this knowledge, I chose to open a conversation with him and ended up giving him a prophetic word and interpreting a couple of dreams, all of which indicated there was a battle between darkness and light that was raging within him. Upon recognition of what these words were speaking to him and noticing that he was open to what I had spoken, I then called Pastor Francisco over to speak to him. Within a few moments, Pastor Francisco was praying with him to receive Christ.

This is a wonderful picture of how each member of the body of Christ has a role to play and that each one is necessary in order for our primary role of destroying the works of darkness to be fulfilled. Teresa's discernment identified the one in need (notice that this happened even though she didn't know what was going on). My use of revelatory ministry opened the man's eyes to recognize his need and Pastor Francisco's evangelistic gifting brought in the harvest. This young man would not have come to the Lord without each member of the body giving the piece that they had. It is even more significant to me when I realize that the young man needed someone who could speak Spanish directly to him and not have to go through an interpreter to bring him to the Lord. For me, this is the key to prophetic evangelism. When we share what God has given us in a revelatory gifting, it needs to be interpreted and understood and it can open the door, but it takes the Holy Spirit speaking directly to the heart to complete the task.

As we continue to engage in prophetic evangelism, it is essential that we follow the instructions of the Holy Spirit in putting these teams together. We must have a team balanced with the correct giftings to meet the needs of those that God will put in our path. Each one, whether intercessor, evangelistic, prophetically gifted, discerning, or otherwise, will have an integral part to play in completing the assignments that God will place before us. No member of any outreach team is expendable, they are each a valuable part of the plan of God for the moment.

Farewell to Honduras (for now)

The time has come to go home and while it is always a joy to return to my family, I will be leaving behind great friends and fond memories here in Honduras. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to do a prophetic/evangelistic outreach in the Central Park and God showed up in amazing ways. There are far to many stories to be able to share them all, but I do want to remember a few.

The very first person I had a chance to minister to was a little girl and her mother. One of the prophetic words the little girl recieved was that she would be a leader from a very young age. Her mother was overwhelmed and told us that in kindergarden she is always the first to finish her work and then she goes around and helps the other children.

Another woman and her child made for a remarkable memory a little later. After ministering to her son, I asked the woman if she had dreams often at night and she said yes. She told us a dream that she had the night before and the interpretation pointed to the idea that her husband was lazy and probably a drunkard. I didn't say this directly, but told her that her husbands mindset was dark and that she felt she was carrying the weight of the entire family. We also told her that God was about to intervene and change all of that. She wept and we made sure she got to meet Pastor Francisco.

Probably the most memorable encounter was when I was talking with my interpreter, Teresa, about how she sees things in the spirit. She began to describe a darkness that she sometimes sees in people and as she spoke a man walked across the park and came and sat down on the wall directly behind her. As we ministered to him, she saw the darkness in him and I could feel the war that was raging inside of him. After challenging him that he needed to walk in the light, we called Pastor Francisco over, who promptly led him through the steps of salvation and he became a Christian right there. This was an awsome result and there is so much more to the story but too little time to write.

I think the most amazing thing of all was the chance to watch the Honduran team and some of the American team that was here, seem to grow right before my eyes. They will never be the same and this city will never be the same. I thank God that He gave me the opportunity to be a part of what He was doing here.

Prophetic Outreach in Tegucigalpa

After getting John Paul on the plane home today, we had the opportunity to gather with the Bridge Church team here and engage in a little prophetic outreach. We put together 5 teams and headed down the streets of Tegucigalpa to see what God would do. We simply knocked on doors and asked if anyone needed prayer. In particular we asked if there was anyone sick in the home for whom we could pray for healing. Each team was able to minister to people at between 5 and 10 homes, so somewhere between 25 and 50 families were touched. The stories were awesome as God showed up and worked with us. A team from the Vineyard in Baton Rouge and myself provided the North American support, but the local team really shined and did a fantastic job. My team had the opportunity to pray for an 8 year old girl who will be coming to the US for treatment tomorrow. Please join me in praying that her severe scoliosis (is that spelled right?) will be healed before she arrives in Philadelphia.

Tomorrow we have plans to set up in the central park here in the capital of Honduras and minister to the people. Several other churches will be joining us and we will have street drama, prayer for healing, encouraging words, dream interpretation and whatever other form of ministry that the group understands. This should be an exciting time and I am looking forward to seeing what God will do.

Encouragement from Francisco

As I have spent time here in Honduras, I have once again found myself challenged. It is clear that people around the world have so much in common. As I have watched the work of the misisonaries and the locals here, I have been blessed by their intensity and their desire to serve. Last night we had an odrination service for Pastor Joseph Francisco Cordova. It was a wonderful event and John Paul's blessing of he and his family was perfect. As I watched Pastor Francisco, the joy that came over him was visible not just in his smile, but in the glow that encompassed him. I listened to him speak and watched him interact with the guests and I was reminded of what it was like when Elisa and I first planted a church. While I know the road has been hard on us and that Pastor Francisco will also face difficult challenges in the days ahead, my joy in ministry has been strengthened yet again by watching the life of another. I am reminded to pray for he and all those who enter into service for the Lord, that they not grow weary in well doing, but that they will be strengthened to finish the course. As you are reading this, if the good feelings that serving God brings have lessened for you, it is my prayer that the Lord will cause you to see the joy in the life of those around you who are just entering into their destiny and remind you that each day is filled with new opportunities to fulfill your own.

Honduras

Well, I arrived here in Honduras on Tuesday and was met at the airport by Robert and Amy Coello. As many of you know, I would normally be in Kenya right now, but due to the ongoing political and social instability there, I could not take a team into that region. God, however, knows all things and his plans are never thwarted. As a result, I am certain that God knew I was to be here in Honduras.

Upon arrival, Robert and Amy immediately escourted me to the bus stop for an exciting 7 hour ride across country. We reached La Ceiba around 9:00 p.m. and tried to get some rest. On Wednesday morning, I learned that Robert had been sick all night and was still not feeling well, but as the day wore on he seemed to be strenghtened. That afternoon, we picked up John Paul Jackson at the airport and headed out to Trujillo to see a piece of property that the Coello's are interested in purchasing for a ministry center. After having dinner with the owner, we headed out to our hotel. On the way we learned that Robert was again very sick. After considering the symptoms it was apparent that this was a major issue and might possible be a very serious (even deadly) case of Dengue Fever (Robert had a mild case of Dengue in the past). As we drove to the hotel, Robert seemed to get physically worse, but more significantly it was clear that this was a spiritual attack against him. We all prayed for both physical healing and for a strengthening of his spirit to overcome this assault. I am so blessed to report that in the midst of the night he was healed and is doing well.

Honduras is an amazing place. I am so captivated by the locations that God has given me an opportunity to go. As I walked on the property with Robert and Amy, I was able to catch hold of their vision. I can see a training center here in Honduras that will place those from around the world side by side with Hondurans as they learn and work together. It will be blessed. The particular property we looked at also had spiritual significance. The photo above is of the chapel already built on the property at the top of the hill. There are hot springs everywhere and it is said that a priest once came there who was ailing from a significant condition. Once he bathed in the hot springs he was healed. I believe that there is an anointing for healing on this property. Robert didn't jump in the hot springs, but then again he didn't have to. It is God's presence, not the waters themselves that bring healing.

Well, that's all I have time for at the moment. I have much more that I want to share and I suppose that as I return to blogging my posts will initially be somewhat long, but for those of you who actually read these - take heart, I intend to keep more current, but I am sure these posts will grow shorter as well. By the way, thanks to John Paul who shared with me last night about his blog and renewed a desire to blog within me. If you haven't had the chance to do it yet, you should definitely check out his blog. His thoughts are powerful and have ministered to me already. I am sure they will touch you as well. You can find John Paul's blog here: http://blog.streamsministries.com/

Noah's Birthday (May 26, 2007)

Today is Noah's birthday and here we are traveling again. As we journeyed on the plane from Oahu to Kuaui, I realized that this was supposed to be the day we started home. I have to say that Noah was not looking forward to that long plane ride home on his birthday and so our continued presence on the islands was much more to his pleasure. He has had a wonderful day. We got to our hotel on Kauai mid afternoon, but couldn't check in until 4:00 pm. The front desk provided us with a place to store our luggage and gave us a key to the fitness center where we could change clothes, so Noah got to spend the afternoon engaging in one of his favorite activities - swimming. The pool is beautiful and he really seemed to love it. Once we got into the room, Elisa and I were off to Costco for a birthday cake and some groceries (do you have any idea how much it costs to eat out here - when we can't cook it takes about $150 per day to eat three meals). We also picked up a little gift for him (though his requested gift will have to wait 'til we get home - he wants a cell phone, ha ha!). When we got back to the room, Elisa prepared his favorite meal (ground beef and rice) and then we went out on the patio, sang happy birthday, blew out the candles and ate the cake. The only cake we could find was one that feeds 48, so needless to say we had a lot left over. Elisa and Noah decided to walk up to the front desk and share. While there a gentleman walked up with a ukelele and everyone sang happy birthday to him, then wished him happy birthday in Hawaiian. He was thrilled. I guess I should mention a little about how we came to still be here. Since the day we got here, I have felt that we were supposed to be here for 6 weeks. When people asked us how long we would be here, I answered "6 weeks" every time. Our plans and our budget only called for 5 weeks maximum, so to say we would be here 6 weeks was a real stretch of faith. As much as I worry about money, and as much as we have done with the kids, I could see no natural way we could stay for the extra week, but then God is about doing things by supernatural means isn't He? We had been here about 2 weeks when I began to look for somewhere to stay for the extra week. We had one week of timeshare that had not been used for this year, but it had taken some time to find the one week we had already used to stay on Maui at the first of our month long experience there. I looked online for an opening anywhere in Hawaii for 2 or 3 days and then one morning, there it was - a week at Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club. It booked it and we stayed and that might have been the end of it, until we got here and told a few folks how we had booked it. We learned that Poipu Beach (where we are staying) is rated as the #1 beach in the United States and the #5 beach in the world. We also learned that Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club is the #1 sought after Marriott Resort in the whole world. Finally, we learned that peope book the $400-600 per night rooms here 12 or 13 months in advance and still some folks can't get reservations. How did we get an ocean view, pool side, ground floor room that sleeps up to 8 (at no cost to us whatsoever by the way, because we exchanged a week of timeshare that had already been paid for) in just two weeks? They tell us here that it just can't be done. How did it happen then? It can only be God!

Molokini (May 23, 2007)

This was an amazing day. Elisa, Jacob and Noah had done some snorkeling, and Joshua, Caleb and I had done some SCUBA diving and snorkeling, but today we had an amazing boat trip to acomplish a little of both and some extra things as well. Elisa, Jacob and Noah had the chance to experience Snuba - a combination of snorkeling and SCUBA. When you Snuba, you basically get to go underwater and breath through a regulator (just like in SCUBA), but you don't have to carry a tank. Instead, you have a hose that extends up to about 15 ft. to a floatation device at the surface that holds the air tank for you. It is less difficult than SCUBA and so younger ages can experience it.We booked a trip to Molokini (a crescent shaped crater that reaches just above the surface of the ocean and is located just off the coast of Maui - see the photo below, unfortunately not taken by me) on the boat "Pride of Maui". We chose this boat because they allowed snorkeling, snuba and SCUBA. The water at Molokin is 35' deep near the crater walls and drops off sharply as you head out toward the missing portion of the rim. It actually drops almost immediately to 300' on the back side of the existing crater rim. The most amazing thing about this spot is the visability, which is about 150', meaning that from the surface you can see down about 150'. The water is simply crystal clear. Elisa, Jacob and Noah chose to Snuba and went about 15' underwater. They had a blast, especially Noah. He came out of the water begging to go again and also to learn to SCUBA dive. This was pretty amazing in itself, as the water was about 80-100' deep where he was and he was also in the middle of the ocean. It was even more amazing when you consider that earlier in the trip, he had jumped into a tidal pool that was about 15' deep at most and by the time his face came out of the water he was already screaming, "Get Me OUT of Here!" (More on the spiritual significance of this in a minute).Joshua, Caleb and I decided to SCUBA dive and we experienced a large part of the crater floor underwater. The coral growth was unbelievable (primarily because it was deep enought that all the snorkelers couldn't walk on it). Joshua and Caleb got a glimpse of a black tipped reef shark, but I missed it. It was actually swimming in the deeper water, just beyond the missing crater rim. I had experienced trouble with equalizing the pressure in my ears while doing our training dives (which had only been at about 35-40' maximum), so I was utterly shocked when we got back to the surface and I realized that our depth guages showed we had been to a maximum depth of about 78'. The boat made a second stop before going back to the dock. This one was nearer to the coast and the water was much more murky. It was supposed to be a spot where we were likely to see Green Sea Turtles. Noah HAD to snuba again and once again he loved it (even without seeing a turtle). Jacob got to see one while snorkeling around the boat. Once again, Joshua, Caleb and I elected to go diving. We had been swimming for about 20-25 minutes, when we noticed a large discolored spot on a piece of coral. What do you know, it was a huge turtle just sleeping there. I was so intrigued watching it that I forgot to tell the boys to look. When I realized I hadn't told them, I turned around to signal to them. Instead of seeing the boys, I found that I was being checked out by a curious turtle and there we were eye to eye. WOW! Oh, yes, the boys had seen the sleeping one and had watched the other one sneak up on me as well. There are a few photos posted, but we didn't have a very good underwater camera, so they just don't do it justice.Now, what is the spiritual significance of all of this. Well, the first thing I noticed was the change in attitude for Noah. While he was simply swimming on the surface (snorkeling) and unable to go into the deep (snuba), he was literally terrified of what was "out there". Yet, there was a drawing within him. Having seen his brothers SCUBA and heard them talk about it, he desperately wanted to get down there, even though it scared him. Once he was under the water, his perspective was totally changed, just as mine had been earlier. It is essential that we have those who will take the risk and dive deep into the things of God, not only for themselves, but for the benefit of those around them as well. There is a generation out there who is looking for someone to lead them and they will not be satisfied with talk. It is only the real experience that will satisfy them and then, only for a moment. They will be hooked and never be the same again, once they taste these "deep" things. In addition to that, I realized that there is also a generation who (when we are really honest) is afraid to go really deep. This generation, represented by yours truely, fears what they have not experienced. This can be overcome, but not without difficulty (my problems equalizing the pressure in my ears - which, by the way, neither Joshua or Caleb experienced, they just jumped in and dropped into the depths without a second thought). It is essential that when we experience the challenges associated with going into the deep places, that we not let it stop us. I was determined to simply go as deep as I could. I knew it might take me longer and that I might not even get as deep as those around me would, but I didn't let it stop me from trying. Next thing I knew, there I was deeper than I had ever been and yes it had been difficult, but in the end it was easier than I could ever have imagined. I learned one more thing on this trip that impacted me spiritually. The greatest pressure change that you will ever experience when diving is the one that comes between the surface and 33' below. What does that tell me? Well, it really means that simply getting started is half the battle, that it only gets easier after we take the risk and dive in!

Haleakala (May 20, 2007)

Today was the day we experienced the drive to the summit of Haleakala, "the House of the Sun". Hawaiian legend tells of the demi-god Maui whose mother, Hina, complained that the day was to short to dry the strips of Kapa that she hung out after making them from the bark of the wauke and mamaki trees. Upon hearing his mother complain, Maui climed to the 10,000 foot summit of Haleakala where the sun was sleeping. As the sun began its journey, Maui lassoed its rays and forced it to move more slowly across the sky. A bargain was struck and the days became longer during six months of the year, as the sun agreed to slow its journey across the sky and shorter for the other six months, as the sun moved at its preferred pace.In reality, Haleakala really has a 10,000' summit, but it does not house the sun (although sunrises and sunsets as seen from the summit are spectacular). Haleakala is a dormant volcano that has been a national park since 1961. It is the only place on earth where the silversword plant grows and home to a number of creatures that live no where else as well. As we began the journey to the summit, clouds filled the sky on a typical Maui morning. About 3/4 fo the way to the top, it seemed rather dreary and foggy. We were now literally in the clouds. Another half hour of driving and we were at the summit, where the skys were clearest blue and we were looking down on a sea of clouds. I have never experienced anything like it and the best I can compare it to is the view from the window of an airplane - only we were standing on solid ground with no plane and no window. Much like the SCUBA diving trip I had experienced, I realized that there was a spiritual significance to this journey. It was a long road to reach this "height", but the view from there was worth the trip. Here we could find things that one would never see anywhere else on earth and see straight into the heavens (Haleakala is considered one of the top places on earth to view the stars and numerous multi-million dollar observatories have been built there as a result). Along the way, it would have been easy to say the journey was too hard, or that the view too dreary, but had we turned back, we would have missed those spectacular views. There are always hardships associated with reaching mountaintops, both in this natural life and in our spiritual life, but the mountaintops are always worth the journey.

Road to Hana (May 19, 2007)

They say that the Road to Hana is much more about the journey than it is about the destination. After experiencing it for myself, I would have to agree. While Hana itself is like stepping back in time, it is little more than a small town near the end of a road. It is remote and isolated, so there is little of the hustle and bustle of modern life that impacts it and I suppose that this in itself is a great lesson that could be learned by most of us. In fact, I think it has been one of the things I have been learning as I "labored to rest" for these past few weeks. The road itself is narrow and winding. It extends for approximately 68 miles around the North-East side of the island of Maui and is one of the islands top tourist attractions. That's right, the road and all the sites along the way, not the destination of Hana itself. Although in the end, everyone does end up there in the town itself. From Kahului (where the airport is located) to Hana itself is aobut 52 miles, but it takes at least 3 hours to make the journey due to the twists, the turns and the narrow one lane bridges. The road is paved now (although it didn't used to be), but it still has 617 curves - many of them what one would consider hairpin turns. In addition to the curves there are over 50 one lane bridges and that doesn't even take into consideration the multiple sections of the road that would have to be considered one lane as well. The sites along the way are beautiful. They inlude: more waterfalls than I could begin to take the time to describe, several spots to hike through untouched rainforrests, multiple breathtaking sea side overlooks, the top windsurfing site in the entire world, Honomanu Bay (where we caught sight of an endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal) where there are no beaches but the lava rock simply flows into the sea, the Coral Miracle church (more on this later), Waianapanapa State Park (where the sand is black, caves boast fresh water pools, the sea arches rise from the water and a lava tube leads from the upper part of the beach right down to the water) and the Seven Sacred Pools (a series of pools formed by water cascading down the side of the mountain). Along the way we also got to see a stand of amazing Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees. I say amazing because as the bark ages until it ultimately falls from the tree it changes color. The trees were literally streaked with red, blue, pink, orange, purple and more. This tree alone, were it the only evidence I had, would be enough to convince me that there is a Creator God.Now, the story of the Coral Miracle church. If you take a slight detour from the actual Hana Highway, you can drive by a church made from blue coral. It is not large, nor is it fancy, but the story of its construction is amazing. The story goes like this: the people desired to build a church from a form of blue coral that could only be found deep in the ocean - though not so deep that divers could not obtain it with great effort. The construction was going slowly, as the community labored to dive for the coral that was needed. One day during the construction a storm blew in and the next morning the villagers found mounds of blue coral had been deposited upon the beach. They quickly finished construction of the church with the coral that had miracuously appeared on the shore. When construction was complete, a second storm arose and carried all of the excess coral back to sea. This story reminds me of a God who is known by the name of Jehovah Jirah (My Provider) and just how far He is willing to go to provide for me!

SCUBA Diving (May 18, 2007)

Wow, I know I haven't written much for the past few days, but they have truly been exciting. Joshua, Caleb and I did an introductory SCUBA dive on Wednesday and we enjoyed it so much we decided to take classes. We have been diving twice a day for the last 3 days and as of this afternoon, we are now officially certified as Open Water SCUBA divers by PADI. Now, that is something I NEVER thought I would be able to do. The "Jaws" movies almost did me in for truly enjoying the ocean and though I have seen plenty of documenaries since then, I just didn't think I could ever get in the ocean over my head. The snorkeling experience last Sunday probably paved the way, but still . . . Ok, on with the story. So we went out and learned to dive. In Maui all of the lessons are don in the ocean, so while we had some "schoolwork" that had to be done to get the certifcation (yes, we actually had to pass a written exam), the classroom experience was out of this world. It was all conducted 20' below the surface of the ocean on a small sandy patch of ocean bottom in the middle of a coral reef. We actually spent 30-45 minutes, twice per day, for three days in this amazing "classroom". For our recreational time, we got to swim up and down the reef and explore. All I can say is WOW! The reef was unbelievable and we even got excitment in the "classroom", when a "friendly" eel decided to join us one morning. He looked like a 3' long red ribbon with a mouth as he swam right under our feet from one section of coral to another. Our 5th dive was our final training dive and our 6th dive was a free dive as certified divers. We went about a half a mile down the beach and out into the ocean. Then we "rode" the current back to our classroom, right over the reef. This dive was a full 45 minutes of exploration and it was awsome! (Have you noticed I am running out of words to adequately describe how wonderful this experience has been. You can only use awsome, amazing and unbelievable so many times). We had just gotten started when one of those beautiful Green Sea Turtles decided to check us out. One look was all she needed, and she was off leaving us in her wake. I am certain the experience was much more thrilling for us than it was for her. I can't even begin to describe all of the fish we saw, but about half way into the dive we got another real treat. We each noticed a strange shape that was half swimming and half floating near the bottom at about the same time. It was almost the color of the sand, with a couple of black splotches. It wasn't until it shot down to the sand, puffed up and turned dark maroon/red that we realized it was an octopus. Now, what could be more exciting than seeing an octopus in the wild - you guessed it, our dive master took us down to check it out up close and personal. Ink shot out and off he went, but not far enough or quick enough. Our instructor stuck out a hand and slowed it down. Before you know it we were petting it like a dog and he had his arms all over us. Caleb is sure that the little guy was trying to take his mask off (and our instructor later confirmed that this was probably true). What an experience.So, now for the lessons learned. God wants to take us deep. He wants us to experience the depths of who He is, but we have so much baggage that keeps causing us to say, "I just can't do it". That is were all the experiences leading up to the "dive" come in. He calms us down, shows us His wonders and guides us into getting our feet wet with HIm. He takes us just a little at a time until He knows we are ready, then He calls us into the depths. What we find there is so amazing that we could just simply stay. But, we can't. As wonderful as it is, we have to come up for air and get back into the real world, but what we have experienced changes us and keeps us longing for that experience one more time. It also puts an intense desire within us to share our experiences so that others can "know" Him better as well.

Mother's Day (May 14, 2007)

Yesterday, was mothers day and though it was hard to not be able to celebrate it with our own mothers, I think that Elisa enjoyed the attention of her sons as a mother. You already know how the day began and how uplifting it was for me, now here is the rest of the story. What do you do for Mother's Day in Hawaii - there are just so many choices. We ultimately decided to go for a drive and see if we could find a fun place to snorkle. Driving around the south coast of Maui out to the southeastern tip. What we found was unbelievable. At the end of the road we found the remnants of the last lava flow on this island. We stood in awe at one of the most amazing of God's creations - a bay filled with beautiful blue water, surrounded by pristine white sand and so clear you could see the multiple colors of the miriad of fish that were swimming there. The scene was simply unexplainable and I can't think of a better Mother's Day gift than having had the opportunity to take Lisa there to see it. From this beautiful site we drove back to a snorkeling spot, where we were told that we might have the chance to see Green Sea Turtles. The water was just as clear, but the "beach" at this spot was more volcanic rock than sand. Jumping in with both feet, we were soon floating on the surface and peering down into the depths below. After only a few minutes of floating there, we realized that we hadn't actually been snorkeling on Maui, that we had only swam around the beaches with masks and fins on. This was our first experience in actually snorkeling over a true coral reef. The color and the fish were fantastic. We also soon found that the beauty of our surroundings, soon canceled out all the "fears" of sharks and other things. Not that we lost a cautious attitude, we just had a sense of peace and safety. We all went further out than we had ever been before (for those mom types out there, we didn't go any further than was safe and there were plenty of folks out farther than we were, hehe). We didn't get to swim with the turtles, but as we drove back to the condo we past a little inlet that was filled with them and we stopped and watched them bob up and down for almost an hour. That afternoon, the boys and I decided to take Elisa to Outback Steakhouse. After a 3 hour wait, we finally got seated and got our food by 9:00 p.m. This tried my patience, but I think I grew from it and maybe that should be all I say.

Calling Home (May 13, 2007)

Well, I have to say that this was a great morning for me. Even though, I wasn't able to post this blog entry immediately, I had an awsome time this morning. I got up at about 5:00 am and started getting my computer equipment ready. By 5:30 am I was out at the beach and all set up. With a little help from that awsome CCF staff, I got my computer connected to the Sunday morning service at home. I had great video feed from the service, but could only pick out parts of the sound. None-the-less it was awsome for me. I felt like I was actually there and a part of the service. I almost forgot that I was standing on the beach with the sun rising over the mountain behind me. I really don't know how to describe the experience I had this morning. It was amazing to be here on the beach, but at the same time, my spirit was just simply lifted up by the opportunity to spend a little time with my "family". I have to say that I began to have a new appreciation for the Biblical mandate to "forsake not the assembling of yourselves together". I have heard people say that God called them to separate from the church and just do their own thing with him. After my experiences the last 3 weeks, I simply can't believe this. It has been nice to have quiet time with our family and with the Lord, but being a part of our fellowship (even through video) this morning made me realize just how much strength I draw from the body of Christ. I know that pastors often spend their time giving of themselves and that it can be draining (for me it has been just that for many reasons), but I don't really believe that it is the Body itself that causes the drain. I actually realized that the Body gives as well. when a pastor burns out, it is as much his/her own responsibility as it is the rest of the Body. I now realize that it is essential for me to seek out the rest that I need, as much as it is my responsibility to help equip the Body. If these two areas can be in balance, then ministry can be more effective.Those are my thoughts for now, stay tuned for all new episodes to come.

Driving 'round the Island

Today we decided to explore the North-West section of the island of Maui. We didn't have any particular plans, just drive and see what happens. It is amazing how exciting it can be to spend an entire day with absolutly nothing planned. We stopped first at Iao Valley State Park. It was a beautiful valley, with unusual mountains on either side and a stream that ran through the middle. Next, we continued north and west around the outer edge of the island. We traveled along a very narrow and curve filled road, with towering cliffs on our right that fell all the way to the ocean. This was a challenging driving experience to say the least, but it was also unbelievably beautiful. Check out the photos in my photo gallery.As we traveled around those curving, often one lane, roads that could take your breath away, I was inspired by the beauty of what God had created. It was an almost untouched landscape as seen from the road. The ocean was beautiful blue and it just about took your breath away to see it. If the view was breathtaking, the road was equally breathtaking in a scary sort of way. Meeting another car on a stretch of road that was barely wide enough for one, with a 1000 foot drop to your right, will cause you to place a lot of trust in the Lord. At one point, near the end of the narrow road, we came across a nice gift shop (literally in the middle of nowhere), but passed the entrance. I attempted to turn around just past the gate and as I started back toward the entrance a school bus (yes, I said a school bus) came flying around the curve. It was definitely going well above the posted speed limit and passing it put the fear of God in me. As we entered the gift shop, one of the boys commented that it was good that the bus was not a few seconds earlier rounding that curve. It was at that moment I realized that if it had been as little as 5 seconds faster, we would probably have been killed. What is the point to all of this? Well, I realized that every moment of every day God is looking out for me and my family. We often forget just how much God cares about us. We should never forget that!

Walking on the Beach (May 7, 2007)

Yesterday, Elisa and I spent a great deal of time just walking. We walked along the beach. We walked to the nearby shops. We sat by the pool. I guess when you really stop and thing about it, we just didn't do very much, but I found the rest to be wonderful. Walking along the beach was amazing. Hearing the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and feeling it splash against our feet was refreshing.Walking along the shore just after my early morning devotion yesterday, I had the chance once again to listen to the Lord in nature. As we walked along, we came to some small tidal pools, where the tide was just coming in. These little pools form along the shoreline in rocky areas that can collect water as the tide goes out. You can tell where the low tide mark is by the defined line of sea water dependant plant life. The little pools themselves look like puddles that would form after a rain storm. The biggest differenc cannot readily be seen. When a puddle forms after a rainstorm, it contains very little life, but when a tidal pool forms it can be filled with life. If you are only willing to stop and look. As we took our time, we found starfish, anemonies, crabs, several kinds of fish and other living things that we couldn't identify. It became a sort of game to see who could find something new.Our journey on this earth can be like those tidal pools at times. It can be filled with life and all sorts of excitement, but we try to make the journey to quickly we miss what is right there before our eyes. Slowing down can be such a good thing, but it can be so difficult given our culture. As I examined these tidal pools I was reminded how grateful I am that the CCF leadership and congregation was willing to allow us this opportunity to slow down and identify all the life that surrounds us.

Surfing School (May 5, 2007)

Today was devoted to surfing school. Let me just begin by saying this was a truly unique experience. Noah was insistant that he was not going to surf, but when the time finally came, the whole family took lessons, including Noah. Our surf instructor was the baby of his family and he was perfiect for Noah. He understood him, but didn't cut him any slack at all. When it was all said and done, Noah was perhaps the best surfer of the family and he was quite quick to point that fact out to the rest of us for the remainder of the day. I have learned that there are spiritual lessons all around us, all of the time. I know that much of what I am sharing now may be rather basic and seem somewhat simple, but the process of recognizing the voice of God in my daily routine has become a significant thing for me. I have felt so dry over the past few months and this process has been like realizing that the Lord has dug a refreshing well for me to personally drink from. Today was no exception to the learning process for me.We began early this morning with a very gentle surf. Before we could even get into the water, we had to take the time on shore to learn how to stand up on the board. It seemed really easy on shore and I probably didn't pay as much attetion as I should have. Next we got into about 2 feet of water and had to stand up with the instructor holding the board in place - again this seemed really simple. The next step, however, proved to be a bit more challenging. We paddled out to about 50 yards and the instructor pushed us into the wave. I learned very quickly that what seemed simple on land wasn't as easy in the midst of the surf. Wow, now I wished I had paid more attention to the basics and hadn't considered them so simple that "anyone" could do it. I can't say that I caught the waves like a pro, but I did finally learn to stand up. By the time the "coaches" were taking us out to the 200 yard mark, I actually rode a wave almost to the shore. That was rather exciting, but the crash and burn at the end was a bit of a challenge in the shallow water. Now, how does all this relate to the spirtual world. Well, I hope that is obvious and seems rather simple, but then that would be the point. I had forgotten just how important it can be to listen to my "instructor" (otherwise known as the Holy Spirit). As far as the basics were concerned (devotion, daily prayer, bible study) they were getting lost in the midst of "deeper" things. Without real attention being paid to the basics, you can forget being able to enjoy "riding the wave of the Spirit". Trust me, when you face the real waves of life, you don't want to end up like the picture below, so listen close to the voice of your "instructor" while you are still in the safety of the shore.

Snorkling (May 2, 2007)

when you are on the shore, but it certainly looks much farther from the water looking back to the shore. (By the way, I didn't take the photo shown here). Joshua of course was the brave one of the bunch and was anxious to go out as far as necessary to see whatever we could see.
Well, needless to say, I finally relented and went out to the ocean side of the first coral formation. We didn't see turtles, but we did see an amazing eel that was quite beautiful. It was pale yellow with green markings and looked like a ribbon. We also saw some fantastic fish, including several large puffer fish. All in all it was a wonderful experience and one which taught me some valuable lessons as well.
At the beach, I told Elisa that I didn't think I could go out far enough to see anything, and yes it was because it is quite scary. She asked me what would the Lord want me to do and there was no question that He would want me to spend that time with Joshua, so I went. The entire time I was reminding myself that God gave us dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. Thank God, we didn't see anything that I had to exercise that dominion over, however, it was a heart pounding experience. I am working myself up to the idea of going out on a boat with the boys to see the 150' deep submerged crater at Molokini. But, back to the lessons learned. When we first went out the sun was shining brightly and everything above and below the surface was illuminated. It was awsome! However, we hadn't been out at the edge of the reef long, when the sun ducked behind a cloud and you could barely see 3' below the surface. Just to be honest it gave me quite a scare. Here I was in this alien environment and everything was fine, as long as I had been able to see all around me - where I was going and where I had been. As soon as the sun was hidden the whole thing changed. Absolutely nothing had changed in the "world" I was "living" in, but without the presence of the sun to illuminate the path, it was terrifying.
In case you don't see the point of this parable, let me make it extremely clear. We live each day in a hostile, alien environment. The Bible says that we are strangers and pilgrims here. As long as we have the light of the "Son" shining in our lives, there is nothing that can overcome us, but take that away, even for just one moment, and it is easy to become overwhelmed by the "world" around us. It is vital for us to do everything we can to remain in the presence of His "light". Most of all that means doing nothing that would distance us from him or allow the clouds of our circumstances to come between His presence and our walk. I know that there have been many times lately that I have tried to make the journey without the "sonlight" that I needed and this was certainly a reminder to me of just how dependant I am upon Him.
It was only for a moment and then the sun was shining brightly once again, but it was enough. Enough for me to know with certainty that want to be out there if the sun isn't shining. Enough for me to know with certainty that I don't want to be here if the "Son" isn't shining. How easy it can be to forget just how much we need Jesus. I am thankful to God for the parables He is allowing me to walk through while I am here and I hope that they are some little help to those of you who are reading about them here.

I Will Sing of Your Power (April 28, 2007)

So often I forget that the Psalms were birthed out of the reality of David's life. When he speaks of his need for God's deliverance from his enemies, it was not just a passing comment, but usually born out of the trouble he found himself in at the moment. It took the time to read several Psalms this morning and found David in trouble over and over again. In Psalm 52, Doeg has told Saul where David has gone; in Psalm 54, the Ziphites tell Saul that David is hiding with them; in Psalm 56, David is captured by the Philistines; in Psalm 57, David is fleeing from Saul into the cave; and in Psalm 59, Saul has sent men to watch David's house in order that they might kill him. In five of eight Psalms, David is confronted by very real trouble and in each case he crys out for God to bring justice.
Of these passages, my favorite thing that David declares is found in Psalm 59. Here David is surrounded by his enemies and they are looking for the opportunity to kill him. For so many people, we would fall into despair and depression and seek to run and hide, but this is not the response of David. Here is what he declares:
Psalm 59:16But I will sing of Your power;Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defenseAnd refuge in the day of my trouble.
In the midst of his hardship, he declares the power of God. Not only this, but he says he will sing ALOUD, letting everyone around him know exactly where he is. He knows that God has defended him in the past and that He will once again provide a refuge for him. It may not be in David's timing, just as God's defense for us may not come as we expect it, but it will never-the-less come! God is good and he will not leave us undefended. We must remember what He has done for us in times past and boldly declare - no matter what we face in the present - that His power is sufficient and that He will be our very present help in time of trouble.

Let the Heavens Declare His Righteousness (April 26, 2007)

More rainbows! It is amazing at the number of rainbows that we have seen here, both in the midst of rain and in what appear to be clear blue skies. Todays rainbow as an afternoon one that was a complete arch, from horizon to horizon. This morning I had been reading again in Psalms and was struck by Psalm 50:6. This passage declares: "Let the heavens declare His righteousness, for God himself is Judge." As I watched the rainbow this afternoon and remembered it as a sign of God's covenant, I was reminded of this passage from Psalms. The heavens do truly declare His righteousness for me to wonder at. I was, however, also reminded of the context in which David wrote those words. They were written at times when he was surrounded by the realization of his own sinful nature. In the midst of that understanding or his own iniquity, he proclaims that the heavens declare the righteousness of God, but also that God himself is the only true judge. I am grateful that it is He alone that judges, for I, like David am a sinful man and my iniquity would consume me as well, if it were not for His mercy.
David also wrote that from his youth to his old age, that he had never seen the righteous forsaken. Although David wrote often of his own sin and iniquity, he also so himself as one of those righteous ones. If he could look ahead and claim his righteousness in Christ, then I must also remember that I am the righteousness of God in Christ as well. I am not forsaken and neither are you. Each of our lives have value and purpose to the Lord. That is enough! I choose to walk in that righteousness and to submit to His will as He fulfills His purpose in me.

The Sleeping Giant (April 25, 2007)

Once again I find my self spending the mornings on my balcony. I am reminded this morning of another sight from yesterday. As the rain continued through the morning, I continued to sit on the balcony. I had noticed a note on our map of Kauai several times that indicated a location called sleeping giant. I finally decided to go online and see if I could decide whether it was a sight worth going to see or not. When I did, I found this interesting island lore to be fascinating.
The legend of the sleeping giant centers around a mountain on Kauai that when viewed from a distance appears to be the profile of a giant lying asleep on his back. One version declares that he was a kind and helpful giant and that the people of the island followed him around in order to plant fields in his footsteps. They planted "taro" (a plant similar to the potato and a staple of the Kauian diet at the time). One day the chief decided that he wanted a new "heiau" built. A "heiau" is a temple to the gods and was considered to be a place that became a source of divine power. The villagers were too busy farming to build the heiau, and so the giant volunteered to do it. When he had completed his task (after two weeks of work) the villagers held a luau to honor him. The legend continues that after the meal was finished, the giant was so full that he lay down and went to sleep. He has never awakened from that sleep. The Nounore Mountain ridge bears a striking resemblance to the sleeping giant.
As I finished reading the story and looking at the photo of the mountain ridge, I looked up and inward to the interior of the island. I wanted to get some idea of what direction we would need to travel to see this site. To my amazement, as I looked off the balcony I found myself looking directly at the "Sleeping Giant". As I watched, the clouds pulled back (just for a moment) and a bright shaft of sunlight fell to earth illuminating the "giant's" face. I realized the church is like this story of the sleeping giant. We have had so much to offer the people around us and we have been given the task of leading the way for them and to prepare the ground so that the spiritual fields that are planted can be harvested to provide life. We as the church have also be called upon by our Great Chief to build him a holy temple that is a source of divine power, yet we seem to have left that temple unoccupied. Rejoicing in what we have done in the past, we laid down and went to sleep. No longer were we preparing the ground, nor ensuring His power would be seen in the earth, but we have instead been slumbering. Just as that shaft of light shot out of heaven, I could hear the voice of my Chief calling out, "Wake Up" and show the earth my glory. No longer should the church be called a "Sleeping Giant", but instead we must become the Temple of the Holy Spirit and a source of divine power for all the earth.

Land of the Living (April 24, 2007)

Sitting on my balcony again this morning looking out over the island. It is wonderful to just relax. I have just been reading from the Psalms as I watched a beautiful rainbow briefly form in the clouds on this rainy morning. I realized that it is in the dark and dreary times of our life that we must seek out the beauty of our creator. We may only catch brief glimpses, yet that does not mean He is not always there. It could have been so easy to overlook that rainbow and to focus on the clouds and the rain, but by taking the time to be still, our creator can capture our attention.
Psalm 27:13 says, "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living". After reading this passage, I was consumed by the words (at least the ones I could remember) of the song that Steve Roberts sings so often on Sunday mornings regarding the Land of the Living (Steve, if you read this can you send me a link where I can find the entire lyrics?). We simply cannot be consumed by the darkness around us. David reminds us that we will die if we do not believe in God's goodness being available to us here and now (in the land of the living), not someday far away in the sweet by and by (although we will certainly have it then as well). My focus must change. Our focus must change. I choose to search out the beauty of my Creator and I will not loose hope, for I know that if I seek Him that He is there to be found and I will know His goodness right here in the land of the living.

Hawaii (April 23, 2007)

Wow! We are here in Hawaii and our sabbatical has begun. Our first few days have been amazing. On our first day here, Joshua was up before sunrise and ready to go to the beach. He was insistant that he wanted to see the sun rise from the beach, so I went down with him. It was a truly awe inspiring experience. We watched the sun appear out of the ocean and a new day had begun, just like that. Just before the sun rose, he and I walked down the beach together. The sand was just firm enough to leave a clear impression of our footprints. We walked for a while with two sets of prints, then I began walking in his footprints. At that point we were leaving only one set. I was reminded of the poem "Footprints". Later, I realized just how prophetic the morning had been.We walked together on the beach, just as I have spent much of my life walking with the Lord. However, there have been those times when there was only one set of prints. Lately it seems that those are the times I have noticed and questioned why God had left me alone. Of course he hadn't. Although, the last several months have felt as though I were lost, I realized that it has been through those times that He has been carrying me. He has kept me safe and secure through all the hardships and pain and He has kept my head above water, even though I have been weary. Well, now we have finally accepted a season of rest - a sabbatical and a new day is dawning. Just that quickly, the Son has arisen on my behalf and it is truly a new day. I know that when this rest is done, I will once again be walking right beside him and serving just as he directs. Being carried is wonderful, but it will be nice to be able to offer myself in service at His side once again.

Hawaii (April 23, 2007)

Wow! We are here in Hawaii and our sabbatical has begun. Our first few days have been amazing. On our first day here, Joshua was up before sunrise and ready to go to the beach. He was insistant that he wanted to see the sun rise from the beach, so I went down with him. It was a truly awe inspiring experience. We watched the sun appear out of the ocean and a new day had begun, just like that. Just before the sun rose, he and I walked down the beach together. The sand was just firm enough to leave a clear impression of our footprints. We walked for a while with two sets of prints, then I began walking in his footprints. At that point we were leaving only one set. I was reminded of the poem "Footprints". Later, I realized just how prophetic the morning had been.We walked together on the beach, just as I have spent much of my life walking with the Lord. However, there have been those times when there was only one set of prints. Lately it seems that those are the times I have noticed and questioned why God had left me alone. Of course he hadn't. Although, the last several months have felt as though I were lost, I realized that it has been through those times that He has been carrying me. He has kept me safe and secure through all the hardships and pain and He has kept my head above water, even though I have been weary. Well, now we have finally accepted a season of rest - a sabbatical and a new day is dawning. Just that quickly, the Son has arisen on my behalf and it is truly a new day. I know that when this rest is done, I will once again be walking right beside him and serving just as he directs. Being carried is wonderful, but it will be nice to be able to offer myself in service at His side once again.