WHAT IS THE BEST GIFT YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS YEAR.....?

So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.  Matthew 7:11


As I sit at my desktop completely overwhelmed I was reminded on several occasions today of the hand of GOD on my life.   Earlier I was speaking with some dear friends about an attitude I have taken when simply going to the movies and where I prefer to position myself in the theater in case anything ever goes down.   (this mindset of course was from the result of current events, as well as my training in Krav Maga classes)  But one of the participants gifted me with their sentiments saying if anyone could talk a unstable individual out of taking lives, it would be you.  

I continued my day, and as I prepared for two services tonight, I admit I had my doubts.  I didn't doubt GOD, I doubted would people, my people, the people I love, and the people they love that they invited & prayed for to come would be able to by 3pm.  I honestly banked on the 3pm service being the lightest when after the counts were over....we were pressing 150, only to turn around 5pm a go over 100 completely new worshipers.  The above scripture mentions the giving and receiving of gifts.   For those that know me, my love language is not gifts (receiving of them anyway).  Sure I appreciate and love good gifts, but I don't look for them or expect them especially during the celebration of Christ's birthday.  From the cookies, gift cards, the Force Awakening socks ( I will be rocking them), to BBQ hand towels, Dallas Cowboy crockpots, sweet treats (that will insure my lifelong membership to planet fitness), NEW KNIVES & such, Christmas cards.....I was completely shocked by every last one of them to the point I needed to step away from the cards, bags, boxes, and ask myself "What's the Best Gift I Received This Year...?" 


Christ told His disciples as he was preparing to leave them.......

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.  John 14:27

And honestly folks (I expressed this a few days ago) irregardless to all the great things that have happened this year, I reached a point where I wondered what was going on.  Not depression, not fearful but simply troubled.  If you have every worked in a church you know what I speak of.  If you've ever been a pastor of a GROWING church you can identify.  While growth is good, no it's great....and not just filling seats growth, but spiritual growth too all come with a new set of challenges.  My heart is for EVERY LAST soul that GOD blesses me to share air with.  Whether that is at Calvary Church, Costco, Planet Fitness, Brittany Cove, or..............but with each additional person that adds another burden on my heart that they know Christ, and whenever that's complicated by misunderstandings, emotions, ...........that can cloudy the message and ministry.  To some extents relationships have fractured/splintered/ended and my prayer is that somehow these too will be/can be reconciled.  So for those many moments in 2015 GOD has blessed me with a peace of mind and heart that I don't need to be afraid or overly concerned that HE WILL GROW HIS CHURCH and the GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL.  This is/was helpful to me as it takes the burden of trying to keep together things that GOD is trying to prune so that WE can be more fruitful.    MORE FRUITFUL......FRUCTIFEROUS....this is funny to me as if we have been one thing this year it's been FRUCTIFEROUS.  EVERY MINISTRY has grown in leaps and bounds, and not only that the people of C4 have become prayer warriors that GOD has blessed to see and understand the power of prayer. 


God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1Peter 4:10

So you ask, Ray .....would you answer your own question....Oh..right....with all the gifts GOD has given me to which I have purposed my heart to use them to serve others, WHAT WAS THE BEST GIFT I RECEIVED THIS YEAR? It was hope.    Romans 5:3-5 says it like this:  

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

See many of you have thought you needed The Whole Story for you.  You've tweeted, posted, shared how much it has blessed you, but I have to admit as a young, growing pastor, or a young dynamic growing multi-cultural/ethnic church I NEEDED THIS to simply remind me of how GOD blessed those who were faithful to Him, His mission, and His people.  It was this reminder that as I came upon problems & trials that I begun to develop endurance that I didn't know or think I had.   It was like me starting off at 20-30's floors on the stair master, and now bossing 100+ levels without dropping dead.   That endurance then matured into developing/strengthening my character so that THIS HOPE I'd be able to share with others daily.     This gift of HOPE hasn't not lead to disappointment because if anybody knows GOD loves them...it's me, and my goal is to convince every person I meet that He is just as crazy about them, as He has proven He is about me. 

I'm thankful for each of you....my wonderfully amazing two person staff that continue to keep me lifted up in prayer and supported in ministry, to the 45+ dedicated volunteers that has made Calvary Church campus I pastor a place where the hurting can find a home to heal, and then get well enough to get back in the game of life.  To my close friends, neighbors, and family members thanks for bearing with me as GOD continues to do a new work in me.   To the visitors, attenders, and members you are valuable to us, and you keep us from becoming a stagnant holy huddle.   Keep coming, keep inviting, keep serving, and keep trusting GOD to do what only He can do with our jacked up lives.   You all are my second greatest gift in 2015 second to HOPE.  Merry Christmas......and I hope to see more and serve more with you in 2016.  LGLP365

I AM TRULY BLESSED

Deut. 28:1-6  “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. 2 You will experience all these blessings if you obey theLord your God:

3 Your towns and your fields
    will be blessed.
4 Your children and your crops
    will be blessed.
The offspring of your herds and flocks
    will be blessed.
5 Your fruit baskets and breadboards
    will be blessed.
6 Wherever you go and whatever you do,
    you will be blessed" 

As I sit down after a long day......I struggle between being exhausted and inspired to want to communicate to you all the need to attempt to daily "keep all his commands," to have a life that you love to live.   Cherilyn and I will be celebrating 15 years of marriage in 2016, and we are trying to make a statement to one another, and those in our circle that this is really a big deal.   We've been some places geographically as well as emotionally, some of which we pray we will never have to visit again, and some of which we calendar to revisit because they brought joy/refreshment to our souls. 

My point in today's blog is simple.....today I was reminded just how blessed I am.  See I not only attend a church in St. Charles, I am the pastor of one and it hit me the value of my life in contrast to simply trying to Love GOD, and Love People well.   We gathered for our annual Christmas Party, and at Calvary Christmas Parties are wild and crazy....not wild with liquor or dancing.  Not crazy in coming out of a stupor of sorts wondering what happened...but Wild & Crazy because we are tasked after gathering for prayer, and given envelopes with ($50) to simply go out for 2 hours and do random acts of kindness. 

This year was no different, I was placed on a solid team (from left to right Pete S., Matt S., Jason S (the recipient of our love) Jenna Marie and Beau B.) 

and we drew the name Westoff Elementary School.  They had 75-80 employees and we were to figure out a creative way to use our $50 purse to bless them.   While waiting on my team to pick me, GOD simply reminded me of the relationships I have within my community.  So I begun making phone calls to which landed others in the community to partner with us adding to our $50 gift cards and things that sweetened the pot of the gift bags we were to be putting together to simply communicate Our Love & Appreciation to the people that educate our kids, as well as the Love of Christ that He hasn't forgotten them.  

All this to say, while my church is an EXCEPTIONAL ONE it's not the EXCEPTION.   We are all called to do such things in our corners of the community.   If you call yourself a Christ follower, a Christian, and believer and don't know your neighbors, your bank teller's name, etc.......hmmmmm just because you put a flapjack in a garage that don't make it a car.  Nor does bringing your dog to church make them a Christian.   Remember Christ said they will know Him by your love for one another. (John 13:35)

No matter where I've lived (Ferguson, Bellefountaine, Cottleville), I have been intentional about engaging many of my neighbors, knowing their names, their stories, their kids, checking on their houses for them while on vacation,  and to some extent even their dreams.   I carry this over to the places I shopped and ate at in my communities even knowing enlisting the local Chinese food eatery in my youth ministry needs at my former church.   BTW they worshipped Baal, but they were willing to help me reach youth for Christ. (I'll let you figure that one out....the common denominator is love.)

GOD's WORD is definitely, infallibly TRUE.....because no matter where ever I've gone, whatever I have done, I have been blessed.   As I gathered some donated gift cards from one of the local places in my current neighborhood  I was encouraged by the management staff...."Ray you are just awesome, go out and spread some Joy."  I honestly don't see myself as awesome, neat..pretty cool yeah (at least I think so), but I reserve awesome for GOD....but spreading joy, this I can dig!

In closing remember the song, "If you're happy and you know it....." which was followed by some behaviors.   If you're blessed it's obvious because you purposely look for opportunities to be a blessing.  That's how others know it.  You live life fully alive which means it's rarely ever about you.  I pray you stop what you are doing, repent if it's necessary, then pray that GOD would give you His heart for all people, and beginning right where you are, where you are sitting look around and see who can show the LOVE of CHRIST TO, and simply JUST DO IT!  #LGLP365

May the FORCE (LOVE) be with you!

When I Grow Up

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.  1Cor. 13:11

As I concluded my workout this morning at my 2nd church campus, Planet Fitness, as I begin to see my purpose, no....HIS purpose for me more clearly there.   

See back on May 7th, I decided to shoot a video of me in front of the Planet Fitness declaring that I wanted to gift my family, friends, my GOD, and myself a finer, fitter, faster version of myself.   Do not be fooled....I came to Planet Fitness like a child....wanting something from them for myself.  Their equipment, their benefits, their facilities were to serve me, and serve me they did.  We come into this world with this exact same mindset.  We want to be fed, loved, cleaned up after, attended to and it's 100% all about us, all day, everyday.  We, many of us do the same regarding churches.....what can you do for me, my children, my marriage, my spiritual maturity...etc.  

I guess, this is ok....that we all need something or someone to help us when we are infantile, when we are wounded, when we are lost....but at some point we should all grow up.  I mean, isn't that the dream of EVERY parent that someday their kid will not only be able to tie their own shoes, wipe their own butts, and clean up after themselves....but also be able to be increasingly less selfish and more selfless? (notice I didn't say more independent....I believe that is an Western-culture thing, not GOD's plan or intent...everything I learn about GOD is about community)  It should work this way in marriages, in churches, in work places, in community...that true maturity of an individual is evident in how SELFLESS, or OTHERS-centric they are.  

I believe this is a lesson that we continue to learn over and over again, if we are maturing..if we are growing up in the different areas of our lives.  My goal was to lose 30lbs before going to Africa so from May 11th to June 25th I worked my butt off.  I started with a cleanser, and changed up my eating habits, and developed a work out plan to execute my desired response, and it meant that I had to die to myself daily.  I had to willfully choose not to eat after 8pm.  I had to willfully choose to consider healthier food choices. I had to willfully choose some mornings to get up at 4:15a to make a 4:45 appointment with people from my church who too, wanted and needed to make some changes.   NONE of this was easy, but because I LOVE life, and I love living it to glorify HIM...I pressed on.   On June 25th my way in recorded I had lost 28lbs, and while that's not 30, I still celebrated.   Since returning back from Africa I am beneath 250lbs, made my goal and have worked to maintain it.  But .....this wasn't God's plan.

GOD's plan was that I showed people that it's possible.  That with a little determination, lots a prayer, and the encouragement of others (MY TEAM)....I can, We can do all things through CHRIST.  GOD's plan was for me to meet some folks that otherwise I NEVER would've met at this gym and communicate His love for them, through how I have begun to intentionally pray for them as they too, try to improve their health.  There were times on the StairMaster I closed my eyes in the pain of it, to simply consider those that can't.....and prayed for them, or for those that others had asked me to pray for.  

To honor the text and context of scripture used it's stated in verse 12:  Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

This is a small piece of what GOD's ultimate plan is.   Everyday I rise, He has mapped out divine appointments for me, that if I am careful I get the blessing of encountering His will for the meeting.    I have no idea what the CDs I've handed out, or the conversations I've had with individuals, or the prayers I lifted up to Him for them...will mean in this 2D framework, but in the 3rd dimension....I am almost certain that a few of these folks I will see when I cross over to eternity, and if that was HIS ULTIMATE PURPOSE for placing the burden on my heart to live a little healthier....it is way more than worth it...that HE BE GLORIFIED through this broken life, I call my own.  #FIT2LGLP365  #theJOURNEYcontinues

ION (In Other News) I have been told by my bride, that I can't lose anymore weight, so at this point I'm just trying to maintain what I've lost, and chisel it up which I think she's ok with that!  

WHAT HAPPENED?

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.[a] This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 2Cor. 4:7-10 NLT

So many people have inquired as to what was going on within me yesterday, that prompted the plea for prayer.   I must tell you that the day ended beautifully with the outpouring of love, support, prayer and conversations held that left me with my arms lifted instead of my head hanging as it had been for most of the day.   Please bear with me, as I attempt to give you a window into my pain and frustration.   

I realized yesterday that GOD was closest to me then, than I've ever felt Him here.   I may do my friends that have children who struggle with  or tormented by mental illness a disservice with this reference, but yesterday I felt like an autistic child who had a deep pain, that due to my condition I'm unable to communicate it to those that actually care about and for me.   So all of my attempts to do so come off as uncontrollable, unexplainable, unpredictable outbursts of anger or rage.   So I simply asked for prayer.....and pray SO MANY OF YOU DID.

See I had been made aware by Lecrae (a Hip-Hop artist, that is a follower of Jesus Christ) of a unedited video of Sam DuBose encounter that left me "crushed and perplexed" because I felt like men like myself seem to be (not as if this is something new...but due to technology each week there's a fresh black corpse) hunted down.   Now some of you will like to derail this and take it to....well black on black crime, or the excessively high abortion rate in the black community which are all blights....but when you add into the mix that another unarmed, unassuming black man was gunned down by the very people we pay taxes to employee...something in me, and in you should sift your bowels like wheat.     To add insult to the injured I have this vast cloud of FB witnesses, friends, etc.....and when I scroll through I was bombarded by Cecil the Lion public outcry posts, and planned parenthood horror tweets and posts...but between the unnecessary killing of a majestic single lion and the thousands of babies that are killed in clinics per day (many of which the majority is held by my ethnos...which is another conversation of WHY this is) is sandwiched the killing of Sandra Bland, Sam DuBose, and..........I can't seem to see who in my circle even cared, or offered a prayer/post in solidarity.  My heart broke, felt an overwhelming since of vulnerability......and then having watched the bodycam video in it's entirety and realize Sam DuBose was being harassed and all because he didn't have his wallet (on the surface) when I realized I had left the house without mine (my wallet).......the pain, the frustration coupled with pool of tears in my office became too much.  (Imagine for a moment you exist in an ethnos where some don't within it don't value life (black on black crime as well as abortion), then you are hated by some simply because the color of your skin (some of which take that hatred into action), where do you turn aside from GOD?) 

But like a mature Dr. Banner....having learned how to harness, channel and direct his rage appropriately, I have since learned and been reminded that what I saw or felt was a lack of support, from those whom I support & encourage really was a lack of knowledge.   People don't know what they don't know...so until we share, as difficult as it might be, our pain, our struggles with one another....people won't know, what they won't know.   I must add in closing though....it takes a special person (and I have many of them) that really desire to know and are willing to listen, and not rationalize but rather put their arms around me and carry my heart to FATHER in prayer.....and I felt that shortly after 5pm yesterday, so THANK YOU.  I didn't stop Loving God, and Loving People....yesterday....I simply took stroll through the valley with a few folks to love them deeper & allow them the privilege to do the same with me.   #LGLP365

I NEED HELP TOO

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.  Phil. 4:8-9


Earlier this morning I posted a video of me driving to my newest ministry location, "Planet Fitness" playing a song that was inspiring me to really get hyped because He rose.   I had recently done the same thing less than 24hrs before as I rode home from the opening night of our VBS, feeling blessed. I got a few comments but one of them lingered with me not just a few hours, but all day.   It was the one that stated, " I know u got God with u Ray. But don't think I didn't see that "fuzz buster" on UR windshield. IJS"

I know the person wasn't being judgmental or anything...but it made me pause to ask WHY do I have a radar detector, or as he put it a "fuzz buster," in my windshield.  As I drove around today being reminded from time to time that a cop or a radar signal was being picked up in the vicinity I began to really ask why do I have it?  I mean the reality is I haven't had a moving violation in almost 10 years, and a speeding ticket maybe almost 20 years ago.  So, again....why do I have it?

Here's what I've come up with...Paul wrote to the people in the church in Phillipi to fix their thoughts on things that were true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.   Why, because I think he wrestled in his thought life, just like he knew the people of this church would and did as well.  Otherwise, why remind or encourage them regarding what they thought about.   

See the fuzz buster isn't really to bust the fuzz as much as it is a device to help me put my thoughts, my concentration on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable because while driving can we all admit to having arrived somewhere unknowingly and wondering how did you get from point A to point B?    See when the detector begins to beep or screen it makes me more alert that I exist in a dynamic world and if I don't concentrate I can get distracted.  I can get involved in political or religious debates that aren't even truth based.   I can become consumed by the dishonorable act of people in society, instead of encouraging my own kids, co-workers, spouse, neighbors....for the honorable things they do.   I don't need to say much about what's right and pure while we live in a pornographic steeped culture where we are distracted by images that aren't real, and are as pure as the Times Beach soil.   Let's all admit when we think about things that are lovely it makes our hearts smile, as well as our faces....and when we aren't thinking on those types of things our hearts ache, and long for exactly what feeds our spirits the good of GOD's provisions. 

At the end of the day I have friends that have set up accountability groups, circles of trust, a moral board of directors, and the list goes on and on.....so brother DAVID, you are correct in the FACT I have God with me, but even though I do...without some help my mind can wonder too, and on my worst day I can find myself trusting in me, more than Him, and being overwhelmed because I've allowed my mind to go in a million different directions vs thinking on those things that the Apostle Paul suggests.  

So who are you board of directors, accountability team, circle of trust.....people that act as a fuzz buster that alert you to the fact you are driving too fast in life, or distracted by culture to the extent you are about to wreck.  WHO is it that keeps you true to yourself and your GOD. As Leonard Sweet puts it, who is your editor?  The man/woman who you delight in giving your life's rough draft to, because you know they will point on the inconsistencies that muddy your life's message and purpose so that you end up with a story worthy reading or living.   If you haven't given that authority and honor to some trusted bodies.....you will not only fail, but you will crash and burn.   LGLP365

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

A truly wise person uses few words;
    a person with understanding is even-tempered.

²⁸ Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
    with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. Prov. 17:27-28

 

There's so much to be learned by simply being silent.  It's a discipline that's not practiced much, and few are skilled at it because everyone is trying to be heard, instead of simply learning to listening.  It's two kids trying to talk over each other to prove their point.   It's folks shouting in social media their political & social view points that devolve into hundreds a comments where the heart of the initial comment is now lost.   It's a husband and wife that chase their own tails in the crazy cycle, where no one is being loved, respected, served or even heard. 

 

AMC theatres borrowed the term "Silence is Golden," from ancient Egypt...and no matter who the philosophical writer was...the truth is it's in silence that one can be actually heard & understood.   The truth is when we learn to be silent before the LORD, we can actually hear His still small voice.  


In a day and age where we are hearing thousands of voices competing for our dollars and devotions in order for us to really hear from the LORD, we have to intentionally silence our souls, devices, and vices.  WHY?  So that we can learn to number (value, appreciate) my days and apply our hearts (our wills, our motivations) to wisdom.  (Ps. 90:12, also Ps. 25:5, 27:11,86:11, 119).

I pray you make time today to sit & learn and silence.  The Lord is trying to tell you sumthin' - Color Purple  #LGLP365

RE-LENT-LESS REMIX

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Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. ² For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. Matt. 4:1-2 NLT

TIS THE SEASON.....that on the social media-sphere that you will see devout believers of the gamut of sects stating " pray for me as I will be......" giving up something for LENT.   I personally can only remember once in my life that I found myself practicing this ritual, and it was for all the wrong reasons.   While in prayer today, something's were revealed to me that I couldn't wait to blog about.   It even caused me to post a tickler on my FACEBOOK page stating that this blog was to come...so here goes "something":

When JESUS fasted it wasn't to simply prove something to the FATHER,  but a time of trial and temptation where He fully entrusted himself to be nourished by God's Word.   When we do it....we have to ask ourselves first of all is this just a ritual or truly a reasonable sacrifice.   I'd love to hang out on reasonable...because I tend to believe that giving up soft drinks, chocolate, alcohol, smoking, and TV while any and either can be admirable.... I don't think one angel, or GOD for that matter is moved or are marveling at our pedestrian "sacrifice" if you could even call it a sacrifice.

I submit, and suggest to you the following that may not only get the very attention of our GOD, but also...may dramatically aid in the work of the SPIRIT creating in each of us a clean heart and renewing a right spirit, HIS SPIRIT in each of us.

Phil. 3:1-8 (MSG) If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
^5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion

SO WHAT AM I SAYING? Instead of giving up the trivial things like many other are doing, and instead experiencing a true LENTAL experience....try these:

1)  GIVE UP ARGUING for 40 days....whether that's arguing with your spouse, your boss, your children, neighbor, or the youngster behind the cash register that is tired, has an attitude and is willing to take you there if you LET them.   This one alone might be WAAAAY too much, especially for those of you that like to ARGUE.   Last I checked....this is a behavior that JESUS never modeled, and it's never even encouraged in scripture.

2) LOVE EACH OTHER (be DEEP SPIRITED FRIENDS) .....I dare you.  I dare you to first engage in story swapping simply to find out enough intel so that you know how to love the people you encounter. AGAIN it's not giving up your cup of JAVA JOY, but it's challenging enough that you may feel like you are being crucified...which in reality we all could stand to DIE to our FLESH much more than we do.

3) DON'T PUSH or SWEET TALK YOUR WAY TO THE TOP.  Ouch...in our dog eat dog and survival of the fittest culture...some of you are in trouble right now for this.   Seriously what would it look like for you to for the next 40 days to go to work with the attitude of MAKING EVERYONE around you BETTER by ENCOURAGING them  in their giftedness, and you staying off the EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES pages.   This may prove extremely difficult for those of you pending a job loss, or shift......how about TRUSTING GOD for the next 40 days regarding your job, and simply work it as if you are working FOR HIM.

4) THINK OF YOURSELF THE WAY CHRIST THOUGHT OF HIMSELF.....nobody said it better than Him, "I came to serve not to be served."  Has it ever been said of you that, " You have a servant's heart?"  If not, chances are it's because you don't.   Again if the purposes of LENT practices are to get us to pay homage to the sacrifice HE went through for us, in our practices shouldn't it be to become more LIKE (minded) Him?

Here are a few extra outside the bounds of the text:

5) For 40 days, in other words a month and almost two weeks COMMITT to going to ONE CHURCH.  (This is for those that don't have one, or have been serial looking for one)  Churches are not for your viewing or entertainment pleasure so please put your consumer comments in the Wal-Mart suggestion box, not in the offering basket.   The point of your going is multifaceted:  OBEDIENCE to CHRIST, OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST, and most importantly OBEDIENCE to CHRIST.   You maybe laughing or maybe you're not.....the point is you have gifts any small, medium, or large church could use.   They don't have a have a ________________________ program....maybe that's where you come in at.  

6) What if for 40 days you actually led your family in devotions EACH EVENING?  Another thing CHRIST would love to see each of us do more consistently.   After all if HIS SPIRIT is really alive in you, trust me....unrestricted there'd be some amazing revelations each night in His Word.

7)  GIVE for 40 Days.....forGIVE those that have offended, wounded, disappointed...etc.   Not put yourself under the bus they drive, but release yourself from being embittered because they are broken too.  GIVE to the T or of the T.  Meaning your time spend some time being or discipling/mentoring someone.   Give of your talents (we are all gifted in some way) not just to the church, but at your kids school, in your neighborhood, or somewhere where there is a need.   GIVE of your TITHE....In Malachi GOD asks us to TEST HIM, TRY HIM out....and what if you planted yourself at a church, and simply for a month and a half tested GOD on you GIVING your TRUE TITHE?  I know for some of you that's not a challenge as you are faithful, but for MANY others sure they drop in a dollar here, or something there.....but you can't ask GOD to keep HIS PROMISES if you aren't being fully obedient to the challenge. 

So before you rush to tell me you're offended, or you'll stick to your forsaking to delight in things you have every intention on re-committing to in 38 days or so....consider this: Are you simply starving yourself of things that you'll spend the next 38 days counting down until you can delight in them again, or will the next 38 days radically change your heart & mind in a manner that will attract others to the Christ that gave up much more than coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, etc. just so that you could exist.    HAPPY RE-LENTING  #LGLP365