Fireworks are Coming

So every year our church does fireworks as a fundraiser, we really need it too. It is allot of work but the help it gives to the church finances can not be raised easily anywhere else. There is another reason we found to sell fireworks also. Last year we met some of the most interesting people some don't even remember meeting us (too drunk), but people who would never set foot on church property in their life will come over and buy fireworks. How cool is that. It is not without its downfalls though we were robbed at least 3 times last year. This year we have a few more surprises up our sleeves, live and learn. So come tomorrow we start again I am looking forward to it if nothing else it breaks us out of our cocoon for a time. :)

Procrastinators Beware

So I am still reading the book of Ruth and was surprised by the part of the story where Boaz decides to be the kinsman redeemer for Ruth and then gets up early that morning and goes to take care of it. The mother-in-law tells Ruth that Boaz will not rest till the matter is settled. How cool is that to have a reputation of someone who takes care of things when they say they will to the point where it is known around town. I think that would be way cool, but then I would have to be careful what I committed to and not over commit. :- (

Under Construction

Wow it seems even though we are supposed to be in a slump in the economy with building materials way up and fuel way up there is still allot of remodeling/construction going on. People in our church are hard at fixing their house up some more, I help a buddy one Saturday a month on a remodel job, my extended family on town over are really redoing their home. I thought it was supposed to be slow going this summer but people are still plugging along. I am doing a little with my front porch (if I ever get the time). How about you any little jobs you are still planning on doing this summer?

Helping Others

So I am reading in the book of Ruth, a neat story, but it struck me as I was reading that Boaz was kind to Ruth even before he knew her personally. Now it says she had a good reputation but still he tells his harvesters to leave extra laying about for her to pick up (she was very poor). WOW what a difference from today. We would run her off and then sue her for what she took in today's culture. Either that or we would tell her "I'm sorry I would like to help but the liability of you being on my property and getting hurt is too great". Boaz then tells her to eat and drink with them and follow them all through the harvest. That's too cool and you know Ruth never tells him "Hey you owe me this I'm poor" or "I'm poor someone take care of me" she worked all morning without stopping and then all evening as well. Then after gathering all she could she beat the stalks to get the grain out and took it home. That's work and a long day of it. So why do we see kindness on the decline? Is it because we don't want to share whats ours? Maybe because so many take advantage of those who do show kindness? Maybe the "burn me once shame on you, burn me twice shame on me" mentality? Just thinking out load trying to figure out where my balance is.

Self Control

So in Galatians 5:23 it names self control as one of the fruits of a Godly spirit. My question is self control the same as self discipline? I think of self control as controlling your emotions and actions in hard situations and self discipline as being disciplined enough to do what you are supposed to when you don't really want to, but don't those things overlap? You are controlling yourself when you are making yourself be disciplined. My point is I have been thinking of the prayer I am committing myself to in order to see the demonic manipulation of our church and my family broken. I do not feel like praying lets be honest when the spirit is upon us we are charged up ready to fast and pray for days on end, but when the feeling leaves we are like "Why God I said a prayer already". I have been reading some of C.S. Lewis's book "The Screwtape letters" in it he makes a comment about demons wanting to get Christians to link feelings and spirit together so they can manipulate the feelings and control the spirit. Of course its C.S. Lewis so that is my interpretation of the very complicated comment he makes. So here I am thinking about whether self discipline is the same as self control therefore making it a spiritual fruit that we should be utilizing and seeing utilized by other Christians as well. So all ya'll Christians out there help me out (throw me a bone here) what do you think?

Know your calling

I got a call last night around 8:30pm. It was a older woman from my home town who knows I help fix things. I do this for widows, single parents, and handicapped as a ministry whenever I can. So anyway she called me and had a broken water pipe in the shower of her rent house. Apparently she owns a few around town. My first thought was "can I help", but then I remembered an important lesson I had been taught. Know your calling and stick to it. I have been overwhelmed in the past and yelled at God for giving me to much to do. His reply has always been I gave you this and you decided to do the rest yourself. So I politely let the woman know I was to busy with things already on my plate (broken vehicles, church maintenance, home maintenance, mini storage)to help at this time. There is a big difference between helping widows and becoming maintenance man for a Landlord. Don't take on those things you know are not in the realm God has put you in, you may find yourself doing it in your own power not God's.

Spiritual Stuff

If you are not a christian do not read on, you won't understand this post. For the rest of you here it is. I was in praise and worship Sunday morning (standing where I feel God has told me to stand, but that is another story) and a huge burden hit me. I should say it more like slowly descended on me. It was for my family both my real family and my church family. As I found the weight of this burden putting me on my knees I realized I was praying "God don't let the enemy sift us (church), don't let the enemy sift them (my family)". You see as God does the work in our church preparing us for the things He has for us (I don't know what) he has been allowing the enemy to sift everyone in the church. I should stop for a moment and explain "sift" in the context I mean it in. I have personally noticed that with each person it is different but it is a problem that they deal with that they either choose to overcome through Christ or they choose to leave the church over. It usually has some sort of tie in to the pastors, but doesn't every problem a person in church experiences. I believe this is directly associated with a prophecy given to this church a couple years ago by Steve Foley, but that to is a long story. So everyone has to be sifted it seems before we move on to Gods promises and the fullness of what he has for us. Now back to how this all applies to my family and church like I said earlier I found myself praying for God not to let the enemy sift us. What I realize later was my desire was not that we don't get better (through the sifting process) but that God not allow the enemy to destroy us during this process. You see we only get better if we overcome the enemy and pass through the process otherwise we are destroyed. Whether this means completely thrown out of church for good or just hurt and in need of repair either way we walk away destroyed to some extent. So my concern if for my family, I love my church and am concerned for them as well but nothing hits you like family. I know that there is a spiritual warfare going on right now for my family and am concerned that the enemy is in an all out assault on them or will be soon. I am asking those who have chosen to read this post (Christians) to help me pray for my family and my church because I very much feel that the Holy Spirit has served warning to me and now the choice of whether or not my family and church are worth battling for is mine. I will continue to stay in touch as to how the battle goes and whether or not I stay faithful in fighting it.

Revival is over?

The church just finished a five day revival and it was great. Not the stomp on the rug every night revival but the "I've changed" revival. Like the evangelist said tonight "that's what it is about". We can run and jump and dance and fall all we want but after all that have we changed or were we just seeking the action and not the one who causes the action. Anyway it was really good GROWTH and things are always better received from the evangelist because he is new and fresh to the situation. God has done a great thing in our church and I believe the spiritual battle we have been dealing with has been won through the stamping out of ignorance and the rebuilding of the basics of the word in peoples lives. If we will stick with it this battle is over nothing can stand against God's united front. Prayed up, Taught up, Stirred up, Spiritually Mature, people of God.

I'm Finished

I am finished. I had a Revelation last night after revival. I have been so concerned about the possible impact of the Jezebel spirit on my grandparents. The fact that they interact with a person I know to be under "Jezebel's" influence has bothered me greatly. It finally occurred to me that the feeling I was having was FEAR. I hate fear it creeps in when worry opens the door for it and before you know it your afraid. No longer relying on God to take care of the situation in his timing and according to his plan, now you want it now, RIGHT NOW (while throwing your hands and feet up and down). God gave me my answer awhile ago and I have been somewhat content to follow that path but somehow could not completely turn everything over to him. Now I know it was FEAR and fear has been kicked out with the rest of the trash in my life. :)

Breakdown Revelations

1. What a blessing it is to have three cars (when your down to two).
2. What a blessing it is to have two cars (when your down to one).
3. What a blessing it is to have one car (ha got you, I am praying this car stays running).

I did not realize all the extra planning you have to go through when you lose your second vehicle. All the pick me up here or do this while your there because I can't or all the use the slider on the drivers seat would get going up for my wife and back for me. I hate getting into the vehicle and whacking my knees on the steering wheel, but now I check first. But the best thing of all is I spend more time with my wife now, we have to to drive each other to work and back and plan our trips together. That is kinda fun.

Breakdown Cont...

So my car was not getting fuel. I checked the fuel line and nothing, not a drop. So next I opened the hatch in the trunk (thank God for the little things like easy access) and checked the connection. It had voltage to it so it must be the pump itself. So I went and got a new fuel pump and put it in. No go. In the process of putting it in I realized I had checked the wrong connection. This car has a separate access for the censor and float for the fuel gauge, I had checked it. So the process continues add to it a $160 fuel pump and strainer, but that's ok since the original pump was still in it and the car is at like 215000 miles. Checking the electrical is my next step. That's where the problem has to be, but try doing that without the fuse schematic that tells you whats what. I don't like the stumbling around in the dark approach to mechanics or life I like to know what I am doing and where I am going. It makes things allot more simple and not so HARD. Do you know what you are doing and where you are going?