This picture was taken of us the night we were officially voted in as pastor of United Pentecostal church located in Tustin, California.
We are blessed to be a part of an AWESOME church.
Monday, September 19
Friday, September 16
You Must be an Initiator
"God teaches emphatically the necessity of being an initiator. You must initiate your own blessing. If you do not initiate it, nothing significant will ever occur in your life. (Quote taken from Women Thou Art Loosed study Bible.) Consider the woman with the issue of blood, if she had failed to step forward and boldly touch the hem of His garment, she would never have initiated her miracle of healing! If Esther had not boldly stepped into the king's court, multitudes of Jews would have unjustly perished. Because of her courage and deep trust in an unseeing hand, she initiated great deliverance for her people. What about Abigail? If she had not intervened on behalf of her foolish husband, David and his army would have destroyed a city. Abigail, an initiator, took bold, quick action and lavished David with gifts. Thus, preventing sure disaster from coming to her household.
What are you willing to initiate in your life? Yes, you must be bold, but if you are willing to take a step of faith, God will surely bless you. We serve a great King who has our best interest at heart.
What are you willing to initiate in your life? Yes, you must be bold, but if you are willing to take a step of faith, God will surely bless you. We serve a great King who has our best interest at heart.
Friday, September 9
Sacrifice of Praise
This article truly captivated my attention. I do not want to be guilty of re-gifting my praise. Instead, I truly want to zealously give the Lord my VERY BEST.
Perfect praise truly can bring about tremendous change. Consider 2 Chr. 20:22: And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. If they had not praised the Lord, perhaps they would not have experienced a victory. The next time you are feeling down and out, try PRAISING the Lord!
Perfect praise truly can bring about tremendous change. Consider 2 Chr. 20:22: And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. If they had not praised the Lord, perhaps they would not have experienced a victory. The next time you are feeling down and out, try PRAISING the Lord!
Reflections
Yes, my blog has been lacking in creativity. My only excuse is that I have been very busy trying to learn new songs to sing during our praise and worship service. Hence, I am going to share a thought from my journal.
We were sitting in church listening to the moving testimonies of how the Lord set people free. Every testimony was amazing, but one sister said something that caused me to ponder on her words. “Sometimes it is uncomfortable living for God.” I had to agree with her. There are times when the disappointment seems too great, the burden too heavy, and the road too dark and desolate. Thankfully, God is in control of our lives. If we were comfortable all of the time, we could never truly appreciate what God does for us on a daily basis.
We serve a just and faithful God, but there are times in our lives when we are asked to do something beyond our comfort zone. God spoke to Abraham and did not just ask but requested him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. I know that Abraham probably was not the least bit thrilled about this request. He may have been uncomfortable. He adored his son. His son was no ordinary child, but a child that was given to Abraham and Sarah in their old age, a miracle from God.
Abraham obeyed God. Abraham could not have known that walking on the other side of the mountain was a ram that would become the sacrifice, and his son’s life would be spared. Abraham and Isaac were able to rejoice together because the Lord provided the sacrifice.
Abraham stepped out of his comfort zone, and God provided the miracle. So, step out and be encouraged. God is only making you uncomfortable so that you may have a greater appreciation for the miracle that is coming your way!
We were sitting in church listening to the moving testimonies of how the Lord set people free. Every testimony was amazing, but one sister said something that caused me to ponder on her words. “Sometimes it is uncomfortable living for God.” I had to agree with her. There are times when the disappointment seems too great, the burden too heavy, and the road too dark and desolate. Thankfully, God is in control of our lives. If we were comfortable all of the time, we could never truly appreciate what God does for us on a daily basis.
We serve a just and faithful God, but there are times in our lives when we are asked to do something beyond our comfort zone. God spoke to Abraham and did not just ask but requested him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. I know that Abraham probably was not the least bit thrilled about this request. He may have been uncomfortable. He adored his son. His son was no ordinary child, but a child that was given to Abraham and Sarah in their old age, a miracle from God.
Abraham obeyed God. Abraham could not have known that walking on the other side of the mountain was a ram that would become the sacrifice, and his son’s life would be spared. Abraham and Isaac were able to rejoice together because the Lord provided the sacrifice.
Abraham stepped out of his comfort zone, and God provided the miracle. So, step out and be encouraged. God is only making you uncomfortable so that you may have a greater appreciation for the miracle that is coming your way!
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