God Is Good To Us

I really haven't had a night of sleep that lasted more than four hours in the past week. I am so, so tired. I am actually happier than I have been in a really long time though. God is my strength and my song. I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears. Thank you Jesus for everything that You taught me, not only are You the perfect savior, but You rock my face off with all of Your teaching. No pastor can even come close to teaching like You.

Isn't it rad how God is just waiting for us to talk with Him? There is no one like our God!

Not Much To Say

I can't find the balance. I know that I am saved by grace through Faith...it is the gift of God! Not what I do. But I come to the place where I am falling more than walking. What then? The old Jake is killing me. But I still know that Christ is on the Throne. I know that He loves me regardless.

What I struggle with is loving Him back...obedience is better than sacrifice, and yet I seem to just ask Him for favors and to meet with us for congregational worship times. I disobey, I am easily tossed around by my sick mind. If heaven is where this will stop, then I am ready. Then there is the question of what being ready is!

I want to want to walk with the Lord more than anything! There is joy there, there is peace there, there is wisdom there, and there is love overflowing from a life given to Him. Why am I holding on to the very things that are pulling me into the pit?

I haven't wanted to walk with the Lord more than anything...I wish that I could say I have.

My love has been given to everyone and everything else before my Savior who gave it all for me.


Oh God forgive me...

Carrying The Cross (David's Story)

I met a brother in the Lord yesterday afternoon on my lunch break. His name is David. David accepted the Lord coming out of a mormon home. His family wouldn't let him stay at home because he is a christian. He carries a wooden cross on his shoulder everywhere he goes.
After going to "The Call" down in San Diego during the week of prayer and fasting, he felt called by the Spirit to travel the country by foot and share the gospel through song, and evangelism. I was amazed that a 22 year old would take a step like this to walk through the doors that the Lord opens in his life.
As you can imagine he gets a lot of disrespect because of carrying his cross in public. He gets kicked out of malls, out of shopping centers, etc. He even has been asked to leave some churches because of the cross that he carries. He was crushed last night because they would not let him stay for church. He felt like the world has pushed him out, and now the church itself. The one place in the whole world that should be supporting him and praying for him has denied him.

I wonder if this is how Jesus felt.

I asked him why he would not just leave the cross outside or something, and it didn't seem to be an option for him. David won't even put the cross into the trunk of the car. He holds it with him. When he sleeps he won't lay it down, he stands it upright. He clings to this cross!

"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me." Matthew 10:38

'Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.' Matthew 16:24


David encouraged me a whole heck of a lot. We are called to press on toward the goal, we are called to die daily, and we are called to follow Jesus. Take a vacation, but never take a vacation from carrying your cross. Rest a while, but never rest from allowing the Spirit to break your heart for the lost. No turning back, remember?

"Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day." 1 Chronicles 16:23

In Christ for life

Yesterday I received a call at work from an 86 year old lady who needed prayer because she fell while walking down the street. Her name is Grace, and she shared the grace of God with me the whole time she was on the phone.
She went on to ask for prayer for her best friend. Her best friends name is Ilene and she had a stroke very recently. Grace says that if she will live it will need to be God intervening. Ilene has been her best friend for over 60 years. They both have encouraged each other throughout their lives to draw near to the Lord and to overcome! Hundreds of people have been witnessed to through each of their lives. This blessed me so much! They both are widows and all of their siblings are in heaven now, but they love the Lord more than ever. Please pray for our sisters/mothers in the Lord. They both need a physical healing from the Lord.
This shows how having the Lord in the center of your friendships will never end. Death cannot even get in the way of it!

Time poorly spent

"...But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing." 1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12

Why would anyone aspire to lead a quiet life? That seems like a contradiction to our American society, especially in Orange County California. It is unheard of! It feels like if someone asks me, "What's up?" I have to try and prove how busy I am. "Oh, you know, just really keeping busy. I have been getting barely four hours of sleep every night because I have been doing ministry and trying to balance it all."
I have been claiming the busy load for a while now, and I am busy. But is this really what it's all about?
God teaches us to love our brother, and then this is the next step that Paul gives to the Thessalonians to increase more and more. When Martha was working and serving it all ended with her complaining that someone else wasn't doing what she was doing. Have you been on a mission trip and felt like you've been doing so much work and nobody else does anything? Have you ever realized that this is absolutely wrong? It all comes back to a choice. Will I do ministry? Will I do work? Will I be a Martha? All that this mindset will do is cause you to see the faults of others.
Encourage your brothers and sisters to serve, but if you look to serve before you look to sit with Jesus then you have missed the point. Last week I was guilty of this. I seriously felt like just giving up and quitting half of the ministries that I am a part of. I missed the point. The point is to serve the Lord above anyone or anything else. I ceased from spending my time with the Lord and I spent it with people. People rock, but they cannot come close to our God, our Savior, our Helper, and our friend.
Spend some time with the Lord, He wants to speak to you!

I love you guys!

oh yeah and fyi...

The human in the picture of Gertie is my friend Chris. He has agreed to give her shelter and food in order to keep us separated...to be above reproach...you guys know how it is.

Peace

Gertie...I miss you

I got to see Gertrude last night, she is pretty much the best thing that has ever happened to me. She still hasn't sent me a full body shot yet, and I'm a little TO'd. But here she is...

She is a Pomchi (Pomeranean-Chihuahua mix).

K bye