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Letting go of 2008 :)

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 By 4 Comments
Bring on the New Year!

Bring on the New Year!

Happy New Years Eve Friends,

This is it, the last day of a very challenging year. Are you going to be able to let go of the failures and shattered dreams of 08 in order to move into 09 with FRESH VISION? Letting go is so important. Life can be very discouraging at times. And no matter how hard we all try to do things so perfectly with our lives; we still make so many mistakes. 

Without a doubt, this past year has been challenging for every person throughout our land. For some of us, 2008 did exactly what it needed to do. It brought the discomfort we needed to aim for a far BETTER WAY OF LIVING. We came through this fire with a beautiful compassion for our fellow man. We’re coming out with a new attraction to spiritual things. More and more of us are recognizing how difficult life can be when we drift through life without a nearness to God. We see the futility of materialism and the danger of self reliance. Overall, the experience has been favorable… and I personally thank God for a very beautiful year!

Naa naaa nanaa… naa naaa nanaa… hey hey hey, goodbye! Oddeeeeoooooss 2008! Thanks for the lessons, thanks for the blessings… thanks for the humility and a new desire for the most important things in life. 2008, you’ve enlightened us… and tonight, we’re moving on!

This is it… one more day to look back and learn whatever you were supposed to learn from this year. Only hours left to meditate on your 08 progress. One more day to compile it all together and doodle out a lively plan for next 12 months! I’m commanding you to LET GO of 2008 before your head hits the pillow this night! LOL! Seriously, let it go… because tomorrow, a NEW YEAR BEGINS! 

We love you guys so very much. We pray for you each and everyday. Because of you, there is still a light shining in the earth… a warmth in this wintry era! No matter what’s ahead for the nations of the earth in 2009, let us each aim for the most MEANINGFUL YEAR of our lives!

I’ll chat with you next year! Have a super New Years Eve! :)

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Take Nothing Except Your Faith

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 By 3 Comments
Coree the Ice King

Coree the Giant Ice King

Happy Eve of New Years Eve Everyone!

Had a phenomenal day yesterday! God I love my family! We went ice skating in Charlottesville and had an amazing time. Coree played tag with these two little professional skater kids. At least they seemed professional! These kids were amazing… and Coree humored them so well! It warmed my heart to see the smiles Coree put on their faces as he gave it everything he had and 20 plus minutes to tag them back. I pray that your holidays are still going well. Even if you are back to work, take time each day to make life FUN!

This morning I read something about faith that cranked me up! Jesus called his 12 disciples together and he gave them spiritual authority. With this authority, Jesus sent the 12 out 2 by 2. He told them to go through the region with this spiritual authority… to heal the sick and rescue people from the control of demons! What an EXCITING mission! It’s the very same mission Jesus gave to the church and still available to each of us today!

What’s cool about this rescue mission… is that Jesus sent them out with NOTHING except their FAITH! Here’s exactly what Jesus said to his 12 disciples…

“He (Jesus) told them to take nothing with them, except a walking stick-no food, no travelers bag, no money. He told them to wear sandals but not to take even an extra coat.”

Yesterday, I mentioned how political correctness has stolen away the influence of our voice. Today, I’m suggesting that we go back to our roots and pick up the FAITH that our forefathers used to MOVE MIGHTY MOUNTAINS and do impossible things! Mountains will still move and miracles will still happen… for the man or woman who FULLY RELIES on Jesus for everything!

God will provide… he will protect… he will give us great success, when we BELIEVE for it. Maybe we should try to live more like Jesus told his disciples to live when he sent them on this rescue mission. Certainly, we must do the natural things… like work hard, and dedicate an balanced portion of our attention to the 9 equities of our lives. I’m just wondering how much better things would go for us if we demonstrated similar faith. Could we get the same results if we placed far more emphasis on the part of our success that God brings to the table?

Have another super day my friends! God bless you all! Chat with you tomorrow!

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John the Baptist and Political Correctness

Monday, December 29th, 2008 By 11 Comments

john-the-baptistHappy Monday Friends!

Make sure you check out yesterday’s blog, and record a few comments on your 2009 New Years Resolutions!

Over the past few mornings I’ve noticed a few things about John the Baptist while reading in the New Testament. Here are a few clips from the book of Mark 1:4-6…

“This messenger was John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness and as preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. People from Jerusalem and from all over Judea traveled out into the wilderness to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. His clothes were woven from camel hair, and he wore a leather belt; his food was locust and wild honey.”

In today’s world of tolerance, people like John the Baptist are labeled as haters. His message was way too strong for the people of his day… not deluded enough for many of them to desire it. He was fearless in the face of his persecutors. His presentation style was not “rockstar” at all. He would not have been considered culturally relevant… was not a trained entertainer. He spoke raw truth straight from the Gods mouth. John was Gods prophet preparing the way for the earthly ministry of Jesus, the savor of the world!   

John was despised far more than he was cherished. He was only “popular” because he was so controversial. Sinful people gnashed their teeth at John right up until the moment they chopped off his head to shut him up. Despised of many humans… yet Jesus testified of John, that there was no prophet to ever walk the earth who was greater than him!

When I read about John, I acknowledge how political correctness has domesticated the prophets of this hour… so much that we really have no voice… no influence in today’s world! So many of us have become far too NORMAL… we fit in to our godless setting so perfectly… and nobody is really hearing our messages anymore. I wonder what would happen if the prophets of our day became like the prophets of old… not fearful of anyone or anything except the God to whom they belong.

I long for a day when every Christian breaks off the chains of their domestication… and runs wild again! A time when society is turned upside down again! A time when we are heard, and appreciated because of the power of our undiluted message… a message that has the ability to fix the very real problems of our day!

Wow… that’s a heavy message for Christmas vacation huh? Call me strange… but I love the passion it stirs! Have a super day… chat with you tomorrow!

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2009- Nine Equities Life Management System

Sunday, December 28th, 2008 By 18 Comments

Update: Click here to read or print the 9 equities handout

Good Sunday Morning Everyone!

Church begins at Destiny Family Center in ONE HOUR! Today, I’m going to take our people through my “2009- Nine Equities Life Management System”… its gonna be amazing!

If you cant make it in person, watch the service LIVE on our webcast… and if you can’t do that, watch the archive sometime this week. Just head to www.destinyfamilycenter.com and join in with us on our New Years Resolution Service!

After the service, come back here to this share your personal goal setting thoughts with the rest of us. With your permission, some of these comments will be read live at next Sundays service. 

Thanks for participating… your setting yourself up for the year of your life!

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Now That’s A Servant! :)

Saturday, December 27th, 2008 By 3 Comments

Happy Saturday Everyone!

All fattened up from the holidays? Exercise is the solution! Put on your walking shoes… do a little stretching, and walking, or jogging… maybe go on a hike… and trust me, you will feel so much better for it! So, phone up a friend and get outside… take in some fresh air… get your heart rate up and your blood circulating. Awaken those sluggish happy endorphins… get on your SMILES everyone… we’re only a few days away from a NEW YEAR!!!

This morning I read something in the book of Matthew about the beauty of serving others! When the story picks up, Jesus wasn’t far away from his crucifixion. He had to be thinking about what’s ahead for him and how he would be demonstrating the most unfathomable act of service ever lived out. He had to be contemplating the impending agony he was about to undergo while shouldering the sins of the entire world, and the horrific violent actions humanity was about to hurl upon him. This was undoubtedly, a painful and sobering moment for Jesus.

It was during a holy moment like this one that Jesus was approached by the mother of James and John. She asked the wrong question at the wrong time! Her request… “(Jesus), In your kingdom, will you let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one at your right hand and the other on your left?”

Can you imagine what you’re thinking if you’re Jesus right now! You’re suiting up in the most humiliating garment of servant hood ever worn by anyone before you… and a lady walks up requesting fame and honor for her two sons. What was she thinking? The very same thing all the rest of us spend way too much time thinking about.

At this request, Jesus looked over at James and John and asked if they would be willing to drink down the same cup of suffering that he was about to drink. Then he prophesied that they would drink the cup indeed. And after this short dialog, Jesus explains a beautiful eternal principle. 

But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

This Christmas, I thank God for the beautiful example of servant hood our family witnessed through Emily’s brother David! Emily and I reminisced on the ride home from Richmond about how noticeable this has been to us. For the past few Thanksgivings and Christmas’, Dave has slipped away undetected to clean the entire kitchen… never mentioning one word about it! 

This is beautiful to me and it’s exactly what Jesus was talking about. The greatest among us is the servant of all! I thank God that he pointed this out to me and used David’s example to bring about more servant hood in my own life! My prayer for all of us today is that we could enter into the beautiful world of service to others. The most fulfilling days of our lives will be those days when we spend ourselves blessing other people. 

Don’t forget CHURCH TOMORROW!!! Yippppeeeeeee! Come to Destiny Family Center at 10am… or watch online if you can’t make is! See ya then!

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