If anyone has an Iphone or any Droid type of smart-phone, then I highly recommend you at least trying out an app called “YouVersion”.  It is an amazing Bible program that has a ton of extra features within it.  One of those features is a Read the Bible in a Year program.  There are many different programs to choose from, so I know that you will find one that you like.  It's not too late to start…

I also have found great devotions to read every day, and one of my favorites is called “Promises For Your Everday Life”—by Joyce Meyer.  Many times I will read one of these devotions and it is exactly what I needed to hear that day.  Today was no exception:

“Getting what you don't deserve!

 The vast majority of people allow God to help them only when they think they deserve it.  For years I allowed God to help me only when I thought I had earned it, when I thought I had done enough good deeds to deserve His help.  That kind of thinking doesn't produce an attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving.  If we think we deserve what we receive, then it is no longer a gift but a reward or ‘payment for services rendered'. The difference between receiving what we do not deserve and receiving what we do deserve is the difference between grace and works.”

 

I fall into the “vast majority of people” category.  Looking back in my life, I have lived liked the above paragraph… If I just witness, teach, and help enough old ladies across the street, then God will bless me.  I never thought of it as a payment though until I read this devo.  But when truth is spoken, conviction comes… With me it was a little different though.  I worked for God's approval, not His blessings. And even after I worked, I still felt like I didn't deserve anything.  As you probably figured out—this is no way to live.  And it is definitely NOT the way God wants us to live and move and have our being!!!  We are God's children—not a poor beggar that has to stay outside.  God takes us when we are the beggar, brings us home, cleans us up…and then calls us His child.  We become joint heirs with Jesus, meaning that we have the same rights and privileges as one of God's own children.

So whether you think you don't deserve any love, or maybe you feel like you deserve His blessing because you worked for it—both are wrong!  None of us deserve God's blessings.  None of us will ever be good enough.  Thank you Lord for your grace and your gifts!!!  You bless us out of your incredible, hard to understand sometimes—LOVE.  You shower us with gifts—not because we earned it, or deserve it, but because of your great love.

I think about this when I give my kids things.  I shower them with my love, because they are mine.  If you have a relationship with your Father—He will do the same for you…

May you hear His voice today,

Pastor Ray

I have a simple insight and an even more simple challenge for you.

Children (and, surprise – adults) respond to smiles.  I know you know this, but children love getting smiles and approval for just being, not for performance.

When our children do well in school or athletics, of course we smile.

Here's the challenge: next time your children (regardless of age) are playing with their toys across the room or working on their homework and look up at you – just smile at them.  Catch them as they are doing nothing special! If they ask “dad, why are you smiling?”, just say “It delights me to be here in the same room with you.”  I know, they will have a puzzled look on their face – but then their heart and spirit will get it!

I wonder if that's how it is in heaven when God looks down on us and catches just being His children.

Blessings!

Pastor Mark

You've probably heard about the four personality types.  I remember them best by comparing them to animals.  The lion (a gitter-done, type A, “sure I'll chair that committee”); the golden retriever (very compassionate and patient – “tell me how you're doing” and they really do care); the beaver (they actually use all the features on their iPad, are time sensitive (and expect others to be!), are great accountants and engineers); and the otter (loves fun and do their best to make work fun if they can, they are creative, high maintenance and they drive the other three nuts much of the time).

It's not rocket science to figure out what personality type a person is, just work with them for a day and it will be obvious.  But I've found it isn't all that helpful to be able to identify the different personality types (and most of us have two dominate traits and two less-dominate traits).  What matters is having healthy relationships that are productive and effective!  Here's the kicker – no matter what type we are, we have to be willing to learn and grow as we relate to others.

What follows is a sure fire (?) formula for better relationships:

You LIONS – slow down a little, tap the creative juices of the otters and the

genuine caring of the golden retrievers and don't be threatened by

the beavers – they're good at details and it's likely you need them!

You BEAVERS – thanks for being great with details, numbers, analysis, and tech

stuff, but lighten up – a little fun isn't going to hurt you!

You GOLDEN RETRIEVERS – your natural sense of nurturing is so helpful in any

family, business, or organization – you send the

birthday and anniversary cards;  you're a great

listener (while the otters love to talk) – but please

loosen up a little!  Don't get your feelings hurt by the

lion and don't look down your nose at the otter and

wish they would get serious (they can't).

You OTTERS – our parties wouldn't get planned without you (lions love the party

but stink at organizing them), you're the folks who say “we are

having balloons, ice cream, and cake and NO, we are NOT using

plain white paper plates and napkins – but please settle down and

be on time for the meetings and stop making fun of the beavers for

being so picky about everything.

I'm an otter with golden retriever as my second in command.  I can be a lion, but only when someone backs me into a corner.  I hire great people to do the tech stuff and balance the books AND I love adding “COLOR” to their meetings!

Blessings!

Pastor Mark

I suppose all pastors have a favorites theme or subject – a drum they really enjoy beating as often as they can get away with it.  My drum is the theme of generosity.  God is generous and compassionate. His word instructs us to be generous and forgiving in spirit with each other.  We are called to be generous with our resources of money, time, and skill sets.  I believe we are called to be “extravagantly generous” in as many areas of possible because that's the model God sets before us in His own character and Word.

Many years ago I worked on the west side of Lima.  Occasionally I'd stop by Meijer to buy something for Dinah – a little something to say I love you.  One night I went to the fresh fish department to buy shrimp (the kind you eat cold).  As the woman was putting the shrimp on the scale, I commented that I was buying them for my wife.  What happened next was the surprise!  She weight out what I wanted, pushed the button to print out the ticket showing weight and price and then looked at me and said “I wish my husband would do this for me sometime” and then she reached back into the supply of shrimp, put 4-5 more on the scale, looked at me and smiled!  In that brief interchange I understood what she was up to – she wanted to be a part of my small act of kindness and generosity.

I was so amazed by her gift of 4-5 extra shrimp that I didn't say “Hey – put those back!”  If I had it to over again, I would have.  While her action of giving shrimp that weren't hers to give is an important part of the story – her desire to be part of my love-care for Dinah struck me as a great example of how God wants to work through us to touch the lives of people!

I beat the drum of generosity as often as I can because I know God is looking for individuals, businesses, and churches that are like Him – generous!

Blessings!

Pastor Mark

I bet you start humming the song, don't you!  Admit it.  Matthew says in chapter 5, that a light on a hill cannot be hidden.  You are to be the light of Christ.  You and me are to light the path to Christ.  We are to shine so brightly that we can't be hidden.  Not that we have to stand on a corner and preach at people, but we should be prepared to share the light.  I watch Pastor Ray do this often.  We were out just yesterday and he shared his vision for the church and encouraged a store associate to come back to church.  He wasn't going to the store with the purpose of sharing the light, but he was ready and took the opportunity that was available.  Be ready to share.  People are drawn to the Light.  If you are living it, they will see a difference.

Let you light shine before men so that they may praise your Father in Heaven.  It's not about them seeing us. It is about them seeing Christ in us.

So, how bright is your light?  Is it a city on a hill, that can't be hidden?

Go ahead and sing the song and live it too.  If you need a new version of the song, check out LZ7.  They sing a fun version of This little light of mine.  LZ7 – This Little Light.

PB

I have always been drawn towards learning about good leadership and becoming the leader that God has called me to be.  God started this process in my life when I was 12 and in the Boy Scouts.  For most of my years in the Scouts I was a Patrol leader, then a Senior Patrol leader.  In case you don't know—these are elected positions in a troop where you were responsible for planning and leading your group in various functions.  So being a leader in the Scouts, plus the fact that most of my friends were younger than me, really helped to train and establish what it meant to be a good leader.  I kind of chuckle a little when I look back at my life.  I had no idea back then that I was going to be a Pastor and a leader, but God had been preparing me “For such a time as this…”.  John Maxwell said in one of his writings- “Every time God has moved in the Bible…he has used a leader.”  God didn’t ask All the Israelites what they wanted to do, or where they wanted to go.  He spoke to a leader, and that leader passed on what God said.  I know this style is not for everyone, but it is for me.  I have seen and worked under many different kinds of leaders and have watched many do some things well and some things—not so well…  In the Bible–Jesus specifically encourages leaders:

 

 Joh 21:15-17  When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”  Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”  The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

 

Feed, take care, feed… Being a Pastor and a leader is not for everyone.  I tell people that if you can do anything else—then do it.  Hear what I am saying.  As a man called by God to pastor, there is nothing else in this world that I could do.  It doesn't mean that I don't have the skills to do anything else.  What it means is, when you are called to a “set-apart” ministry and life you will not be OK with doing anything else.  I think about what it would be like to have my own house, make more $, buy more things…but I know that I couldn't do it.  I may for a time…but the fire that comes from being called would tear me up.  I have my own home now, but I have owned two homes before and sold them both to move where God moved us to.  God is moving and He is calling His leaders to stand and lead.  I recently received the following in an email and loved it:

Swindoll’s Leadership Lessons

Chuck Swindoll was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Catalyst ’09 Conference. During his presentation, he described “10 Things I Have Learned During Nearly 50 Years in Leadership.” Here’s the list:

1) It’s lonely to lead. Leadership involves tough decisions. The tougher the decision, the lonelier it is.

2) It’s dangerous to succeed. I’m most concerned for those who aren’t even 30 and are very gifted and successful. Sometimes God uses someone right out of youth, but usually He uses leaders who have been crushed.

3) It’s hardest at home. No one ever told me this in seminary.

4) It’s essential to be real. If there’s one realm where phoniness is common, it’s among leaders. Stay real.

5) It’s painful to obey. The Lord will direct you to do some things that won’t be your choice. Invariably you will give up what you want to do for the cross.

6) Brokenness and failure are necessary.

7) Attitude is more important than actions. Your family may not have told you: Some of you are hard to be around. A bad attitude overshadows good actions.

8) Integrity eclipses image. Today we highlight image, but it’s what you’re doing behind the scenes.

9) God’s way is better than my way.

10) Christ-likeness begins and ends with humility.

May God cause all of His leaders to rise up to the places they are called to!

Pastor Ray

I've been doing this pastoring/church thing for over 30 years and I will tell you right out of the box that the church (the assembly of called out ones; the congregation which God gathers around His Messiah, Jesus Christ) is the most amazing organism on the face of the planet!

Ephesians 1:22 “…and God appointed Jesus to be head over everything in the church, which is his body.”  Though Jesus is the head of the church and it's empowered by the Holy Spirit – it’s still made up of people like you and me.  I sometimes refer to the church, even my church, as a “weird duck” because:

1) The church is a business (a non-profit corporation) with policies, officers, rules, constitutions and by-laws, good accounting principles, etc. – but the church is not primarily a business.  God often moves in ways that don't fit a business model. The challenge for any church is living in the balance that includes both good business practices and moving in biblical faith and obedience.

2) The church isn't a democracy.  Read how God set up leadership models in the Old and New Testaments and you'll find He used ordinary individuals in extraordinary ways.  He accomplished great things through men and women that could never be done by committee.

I love MY church and THE church!

Pastor Mark

“Often prayer is one of the most selfish areas of Christians' lives.  Many of us have to admit that most of our prayers focus on OUR own needs.  Occasionally, we may reach beyond our own narrow concerns and pray for others.  Yet usually when we tell someone, ‘I'll pray for you,' we don't do it. Or, we pray once and then quickly forget about that person's need.” ~David Wilkerson

Looking into my own life, I found myself doing the same thing. I have said to people that I would pray for them…and then walk away. Now I discipline myself to pray for them right when they ask for prayer.  This is a good thing, but I have discovered that even that is not enough.  I don't say this lightly, but when I take a good look at my prayers—they are pretty selfish compared to the amount that I pray for others. God forgive me.  Don't get me wrong, I do pray for people.  As I am out driving somewhere, a name often comes to my mind and I immediately pray to God for that person.  But what is lacking is a specific, list-like system, where I can pick it up and take it to the throne of God. A system like my wife, Jen has.

James 5:13-16  Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.  Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Do you realize that as God uses me—I will be facing attacks from many different directions? Every time I enter the battlefield called ministry there are dangers all around. Do you think the devil is going to leave me alone, when people are getting saved, rededicated, and delivered???  I need your prayer support!

Rom 15:30-32  I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.  Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.

As I look at the people (around me) in my mission field, it is a little discouraging. Marriages are in trouble. Teens are rebelling or on the border of it. Depressed people are posting things online about death.  The burden is almost overwhelming… If there ever was a time for the church to pray more…it's now.  Who will the Lord send into this incredible work?  Maybe you…

The good news is I know that there are prayer warriors lifting me up to God. My prayer is that God will stir in more hearts, a new passion for this much needed ministry.

Having a specific list is very helpful, but God just said to me—“What is more important than anything else…is an intercessors heart.” Do you feel moved to pray when you hear of a need? Does your heart break when you hear of someone having trouble? Do you feel helpless, but really want to do something when tragedy hits?  If your answer is yes—then you are an intercessor.

I believe in the power of prayer, and I am thankful for His servants who are already in this ministry of intercession. If you are not currently involved or not sure what to do then let me know if God has lead you to enlist in this desperately needed function of the church.

May God speak to your hearts today,

Pastor Ray

My beautiful granddaughters are ages 4 and 2.  I am so thankful they live close by so I see them frequently. Last week was very busy for me so I hadn't planned to see them on Tuesday (Dinah watches them on Tuesday morning) – until Zoie called me and little sister Kenzie Rae said “Hi Poppa!”  I can't fully explain what happened – though all you grandparents understand this – once I heard their voices I could NOT stay away.  So I told my staff I'd be back in about an hour and went to see my “sweet baby girls”.

I was amazed by how their voices affected me.  It was as if they reached into my heart and gave it a gentle tug!

Friends, this is how God often speaks to us – like a child's soft voice. If our lives are too cluttered or we are distracted by earthly things (even by good things like a schedule being too tightly packed!) it's so easy for that all-important voice to be lost among all that calls for our attention.

I encourage you to listen for God's voice – to what He's speaking into your spirit – to what He wants to say in order to direct or encourage for this day!

Pastor Mark

That word can bring joy to ones mind.  Although, to some, it could bring nightmares.  Relationships can be great, fun, exciting, encouraging, etc.  On the flip side they do take work.  Dealing with people can be a sensitive endeavor.  You may hurt feelings or disappoint the other person.

No matter what you think of when you hear that word, we need to realize that we were created for community and relationships.  In fact, God wants to have a relationship with you and me.  That may sound strange, but it is true (look it up in the Bible).  The same God who created the world, spoke light into being, wants to be in a relationship with you and me.  That is something to post to FaceBook isn't it?  Could you put that as your status:  God is now friends with …!  How awesome.

So many times we get caught up in the do's and don’ts of Scripture…the pursuit of religion.  Don't get too bogged down with those lists, but get caught up in the relationship.  When my wife and I don't see much of each other, we get frustrated and don't communicate well (OK, it's mainly my fault…).  It's then that I know I need to carve out time to reconnect with her.  How about your relationship with God?  Does it need some work or attention?  Have you taken the time (admit it, you have the time, you just have to use it right) to be with God?

PB