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Email:: Tim Scarbrough
A couple
weeks ago, my youngest sister (Diane) was arrested and charged with several
felonies. These included violation of probation, possession of stolen property,
use of false identification and there is even some probability of her being
involved in counterfeiting money as well as falsifying checks… oh the list goes
on. It may go without saying, but
as her brother, this has hurt me immensely, not to mention what it has done to
other members of our family, especially my parents.
Diane’s
criminal history began 4 years ago. At the time she was an elementary school
teacher in our town. She was an awesome teacher, recognized by her peers and
the community as one of the best. On several occasions I had visited her
classroom and I was always impressed with her ability. However, by way of some
personal problems and poor choices, she became lured into drug use and gambling
at one of the local Indian Casino’s. The combination of the two eventually lead
her to do things such as steal credit cards and even rob a couple “Check Into
Cash” places. At the time of her initial arrest it was front-page news in our
community. It was the lead story on the local TV. There was no avoiding the fact that everyone knew who she
was and what she had done.
Because
Diane had no prior criminal history, her sentence was fairly light. By the time
of the sentencing, her time already spent in jail sufficed and in addition to
five years probation she was to undergo 6 months of drug treatment in a
Christian Rehab home. During this time, Diane seemed very humble and turned to
the Lord. I was very pleased with the changes I was seeing in her. She was
going to church, Narcotic Anonymous meetings, befriending the right people, and
actually landed an awesome job that lead to a great position, which actually
paid more than she had ever made as a teacher.
But
then about nine months ago I began to see some changes in Diane. In talking to
her I noticed her attitude was changing. I became suspicious of her possibly
using drugs again. I wondered if she had started gambling again. I started
hearing rumors about some of the things she was doing.
How did
I respond? I prayed. I cried out to God desperately. I came against the
spiritual realm of darkness in the name of Jesus. Day after day I asked the
Lord to please keep her from heading down the same path of destruction. I asked
that God would open her eyes to the deception of the enemy. I prayed for
wisdom, both for myself and most of all for Diane. Yet, I didn’t see any
changes. And I knew why. I knew with all my prayers, that God would not usurp
Diane’s own choices. I knew she had to make a decision to start making the
right choices. I knew she had to yield her life to Jesus, repent and turn.
Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD , I take no
pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn
from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!
Why will you die, O house of Israel?'
This
past May, Diane was fired from her well-paying job in the midst of allegations
that I won’t go into here. It was at this point that I decided to write Diane a
letter. In essence the letter stated that I was fully aware of what was
happening in her life. I did my best to be humble and even share about my own
struggles and failures of the past. I shared that unless she repented and
turned from her ways that she would wind up in the same place she was before.
Each word I wrote was bathed in prayer. I asked God to anoint the letter and
allow it to break through the dark veil she was under.
2 Corinthians 4
3But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are
perishing, 4whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not
believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image
of God, should shine on them.
The day
Diane received the letter she called me. She said all the right words. She
expressed appreciation to me for loving her enough to share these things with
her. We talked for nearly an hour, but during the whole conversation I knew in
my spirit she was just saying what she thought I wanted to hear. When I hung up
the phone that day, my prayer for her began to change. I began to simply pray
that her life would be spared. I prayed that she would wind up in jail before
winding up in the graveyard.
Well, a
couple weeks ago, God answered that prayer. The law had finally caught up to
her and she was arrested. Again, her arrest was in the newspaper and I heard
about it on the radio, but it hasn't been nearly the story it was last time. At
least not yet and I pray it won't be. However, and this might sound strange, I
am very thankful to the Lord that she is in jail right now. At least now the
family knows where she is. We also know she is safe from harming herself by
continual involvement in dangerous activity. In addition, because of our
suspicions that Diane has been stealing from her own family, we too feel more
secure.
This
week I wrote and sent Diane two more letters. In the first one, I was initially
very hard on her through my bluntness and honesty. I shared with her that I had
gone to the criminal records division in our county courthouse and pulled all
her files. Just yesterday, I returned to the courthouse and read additional
police reports about my sister. The mountain of evidence against her is
incredible. It is so hard for me to fathom that these are things my sister has
done. I shared with Diane in my letter the disappointment and hurt I've
experienced.
I
couldn't write to her, however, without letting her know that I still loved her
and still had hope for her just as Jesus Christ has hope for her. I again pleaded
with her that she would repent and turn her life over to Jesus Christ. I don't
know what her response will be this time. From initial indications, I think
she's still in denial and deceptively thinks she will somehow wiggle her way
out of the web she's woven for herself. I believe once she recognizes that she
is in for a long haul in prison, that somehow within that realization she will
come to her senses and cry out to Jesus Christ.
I share
all this today in my journal, not so people can read the "nitty
gritty" garbage about my sister. I hope it's plain in what I write that I
love my sister dearly. The purpose I share all of this is so that you might
agree with me in prayer that God would open her eyes to the truth of her sin,
the truth of a Savior who wants to forgive her, and most of all that she might
have the wisdom to choose Jesus and begin serving Him right now, right where
she is.
Jeremiah 29
11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12Then
you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Also,
please pray for my family and I that we would be comforted by the presence of
the Holy Spirit. In closing, if any of you might have wisdom or experience you
feel would be helpful to share with Diane, please email your letter to me and I
will see to it that she receives it.
Send E-Mail to: Tim Scarbrough
Stay
Blessed!
I had
some days with almost no pain at all, and then other days with mild to fairly
intense pain. On Monday of this week, however, the pain became almost
unbearable. I went to the family doctor first for a pain shot because the pain
pills weren’t helping. Then later I went to my Urologist, who again indicated
that I should be able to pass it. He left it up to me as to what I thought
should be done. After talking it over with my precious wife Brenda and my
parents, I decided I had dealt with this stone long enough. It was time to have
it removed.
After
emailing friends and family asking for their prayer, I spent a little time in
prayer myself. The surgery isn’t a real serious or complicated process.
Basically, the doctor uses a scope to go in through the urethra and bladder to
the ureter, locates the stone, grabs it and drags it out. Yet, I was still
nervous. The whole idea of having to be put to sleep is probably what makes me
more nervous than anything.
My dad
picked me up at 1:30 in the afternoon to drive me to the hospital and on the
way he shared a little about a surgery he had for gallstones. For some reason
that actually put me a little more at ease. Then as we drove, my dad just said
a quick prayer. It went something like, “Lord, just be with Tim as he has this
stone removed.” That quick communiqué with God helped relax me even more. It
reminded me that I had people praying for me.
At the
hospital as I was laying in my bed waiting to go into the operation room,
Brenda came in and sat next to me. She rubbed my head and my arm. At that
moment I felt so blessed to have her love and support. Again, I was reminded of
all the people praying for me. The Holy Spirit comforted me and let me know I
would be okay and that I was doing the right thing by going through with the
surgery.
You
see, up to that point I was still thinking that maybe I was being too big of a wimp,
since the stone was so minute. I was confused as to why I couldn’t pass this
little pebble. I was even concerned that the doctor would get in there and not
be able to locate it. Well, when the surgery was over, the Urologist brought
the stone with him to show my wife in the waiting room. Her eyes got big and
her jaw dropped when she saw just how big and jagged it actually was. Apparently,
because of the material it consisted of, it didn’t show up well on the x-rays.
It was no wonder I was unable to pass it.
I can’t
help but equate my ordeal with this kidney stone to sin in our lives. Sometimes
we think of certain sins as being miniscule, small and unimportant. We can let
it hang around, feeling we can take care of it on our own. After all, it’s just
a little sin, a small pebble that really isn’t any big deal. We may go years
letting it hang around with very little consequences or pain caused by it.
However, in the eyes of the Great Physician, Jesus Christ, every sin is large
and jagged. Only our Lord can truly remove it as we confess it and yield it up
to Him. He performs the best spiritual surgery.
1 John 1
8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If
we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
1 John 2
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you
may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous. 2And He Himself is the propitiation for our
sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
My
encouragement and challenge for us today is to truly examine our hearts. Ask
the Holy Spirit to help reveal any of those so-called “little sins” that may
have been hanging out for a long time. It’s time for a little spiritual surgery
to let those things be removed for good by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Stay
Blessed!
A main
focus in my life recently has been the endeavor to lose weight. After enduring
another injury to my back, which took me away from working out, I found myself
out of shape and had gained about 20 pounds. It amazes me how fast that can
happen. So my precious wife and I have been committed to going to the gym and
trying to do better about our choices of food. It seems to be a never-ending
battle.
One of
the things we’ve done this time is join a Christian web site, which posts
articles about healthy eating, diet tips and gives participators an opportunity
to share their peaks and valleys, as well as various insights along the way. If
you’re interested, you can check out this web page: Grace For Today. Be sure to click on the “Community
Forum” button, which will take you to the bulletin boards.
One of
the things I have really enjoyed about this web site is the encouragement I
receive. Knowing that others have faced or are facing similar endeavors
concerning their health and weight makes me realize all the more that I’m not alone
in the battle. Also, knowing there
are people praying for me is a great encouragement.
As believers
in Christ, it’s not only important to be an encouragement to others, but also
to put ourselves in a place where we might receive encouragement. This is why
it’s not only a good idea, but also a “God idea” to regularly gather with our
brothers and sisters in Christ.
Hebrews
10
23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for He who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider one another
in order to stir up love and good works, 25not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one
another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Stay
Blessed!
Praise
the Lord for His perpetual blessings! They are continually poured out into our
lives, over and over again! The question I have for myself today is whether or
not I am making the right decisions to put me in the place of receiving
His blessings. I believe God has
blessings for us each and everyday. There are times though, when I know I have
made poor decisions and removed myself from God’s perfect place of
blessing. In the past couple of days though, the Lord has really been prompting
me to focus on the decisions I am making.
At the
beginning of the book of Daniel in the Bible, King Nebuchadnezzar had besieged
Jerusalem and took back with him a number of young men who were of royal
decent, good looking, smart, wise and able to teach and serve in his palace. He
set up a three-year training program for these young men, to prepare them to
serve in his kingdom. One of the things he did was appoint for them a daily
provision of his best food and wine. The thinking was that this would make the
young Israelites healthier and stronger. However, Daniel had other ideas.
Daniel
1
8But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not
defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine
which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he
might not defile himself.
Daniel
made a solid decision to not partake of the king’s food. To do so would have
gone against the law of God by which Daniel lived. So he purposed in his
heart not to defile himself. I won’t go into all the details for the sake
of time here, but I do want to emphasize the blessings Daniel received, based
on the right decision he made.
First
of all, he received the blessing of favor. Even though this decision went
against the king’s decree, Daniel found favor the eyes of the chief appointed
over Daniel and the other men. The chief allowed Daniel to eat only what he
felt would be right in the eyes of God.
The
second blessing was health. Daniel, looked healthier and stronger than the men
who ate of the king’s delicacies. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abnego whom I believe were influenced
by Daniel’s decision, also did as Daniel and were found to be healthier.
Then
God gave Daniel an increase in knowledge, skill, wisdom and spiritual understanding.
This eventually led to Daniel being promoted to a high place in the kingdom.
All of these blessings received were based on Daniel’s solid decision to do the
right thing while turning from the wrong action.
Sometimes
in my life I notice I am guilty of making the easy decision over the right
decision. So as the Lord has been prompting me these past few days, I am going
to take a careful look at each decision I make. I have confidence that as I
make the right decision. God will bless me. My encouragement to you today is
that you would make decisions that lead to blessing.
Today is
a special day. It's Brenda's (my wife's) birthday. I 
guess it just wouldn't be proper for me
to tell you how old she is, but let's just say she's definitely younger than me
and definitely looks it! I am so blessed to have her as my wife. Since she has
come into my life I have become a better man in so many ways. She's one of the
few people in my life that have held me accountable for my actions. She's also
been a tremendous encourager for me to get back on track and fulfill the
calling God has for me in my life.
Brenda
and I first met in an Internet chat room for Christian Singles. At the time she was living in Abilene,
Texas. Her mother, however, lived just 70 miles north of where I am in Redding,
CA. Brenda and I had only chatted a couple times, but she shared with me that
she was planning to move to California in a few months. I told her to give me a
call when she got here and maybe we could meet for lunch. I mean, c'mon... look
at how beautiful she is. At the very least I wanted to meet this woman in
person.
In August of 1999 we met at Sailing Boat
Chinese Restaurant in Redding. When I first saw her I thought, "Wow, she's
absolutely Babe-O-Licious!" I don't remember much of our conversation that
day, but I do remember thinking she was very special, fragile and sensitive,
and did I mention beautiful? Over the next month we got together a few times
and I begin to learn about the beauty she possessed within. It wasn't long
before I was completely and totally in love with Brenda.
Today I
am very pleased to say that I am still completely in love with my precious
wife, Brenda. Together her and I
have received healing in a number of areas in our lives. Each day I recognize
more and more how much of a gift from God she truly is for me. We faithfully
attend church together and serve on the worship team. I play bass guitar and
Brenda plays drums. We have some of the best jam sessions at home!
I've never seen a woman put as much
effort forth as she does to be the best wife she can be. I've been inspired by
that to do my best to be an awesome husband for her. In our relationship, we've
definitely had our times of struggles and had to work through some tremendous
difficulties, but the Lord has been faithful and has blessed us by bringing us
through all of them. Today I feel closer to her than I have any other person in
my entire life.
He
who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.
When I
found Brenda, I definitely found a good thing! Happy Birthday Precious!
Last
night Brenda and I were blessed to have Aaron and Connie Jones over for dinner.
We've been meaning to get together with them for quite awhile to have some food,
fellowship, and maybe even a little jam session. We really enjoyed our visit
with them and it was fun learning things about them, like how they first met,
where they went to school and what God has in store for them in the future.
In
turn, Brenda and I shared some of the same things with them, and even showed
them part of our wedding video where Brenda passed out at the end of the
ceremony and I had to carry her out of the church sanctuary. All in all it was
a very nice visit. We also spent a little time "jamming" as Brenda
played the drums; Connie played the piano, I played guitar and piano, while
Aaron also played guitar and joined Connie on the piano. It was so fun and causes
me to be even more excited about working together with them in the kingdom of
God.
Both
Connie and Aaron are highly anointed by God. Connie heads up our worship team
at Word of Life. Aaron plays lead guitar and sings most of the time, but he
always occasionally plays the harmonica or drums. Also, they both are excellent
teachers and preachers of the Word. I find myself being greatly encouraged and
inspired by their ministry.
Our
visit with Connie and Aaron reminds me of how important it is to fellowship
with other believers. I truly believe we need to spend time with other
believers in Christ, even beyond the regular church services we attend. It
seems like when we usually go to church we buzz in with the kids, take them to
their classes and nursery, do our part in participating in the service, shake a
few hands and hug a few necks, then gather the kids and head back home. Seldom
do we really get to know people well.
ACTS
2
46So continuing
daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house,
they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising
God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved.
In the
beginning days of the church, not only did they meet in the temple, but they
also went from house to house sharing meals and praising God. The result was
not only were they encouraged but also others were added to the church daily.
So I guess I'm sharing all this with you today as an encouragement to spend
time with other believers. Invite them over for dinner, go shopping together,
go to the park, work out at the gym or do what my dad does and take them
fishing. There are so many things we can do with other believers and we're
blessed and they're blessed by that time of fellowship. Take the initiative and
spend time with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Did any
of you see the news this morning? If you had your television on, you most
likely saw what I saw. The US military entered Paradise Square in the center of
Baghdad in Iraq and proceeded to topple to statue of Saddam Hussein. As I sat
there with my wife, Brenda and our son, Brandon, I noticed that as they pulled
the statue over with a chain around the neck that the bottom portion of it
literally broke at the knees. As I reflected on it later this day, I found the
breaking at the knees to be quite symbolic and significant.
It's
been widely reported that the Iraqi dictator has committed horrendous
atrocities against his own people, killing them and torturing them for the
smallest of offenses. He has openly done many things that are contrary to God's
word as well as holding great disdain toward those who confess Jesus Christ as
their Lord and Savior. At the time of this journal entry, it's not certain
whether Saddam Hussein is dead or alive. One thing is for certain, no matter
how strongly he may refuse to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, the day will
come when he will bow his knees and confess Jesus as Lord.
PHILIPPIANS
2
9Therefore God
also has highly exalted Him (Jesus Christ) and given Him the name which is
above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.
I am so
thankful today to be in a place where I am already bowing my knee to the Lord.
As I watch the Iraqi people celebrate their freedom, I can't help but think
they are celebrating only a partial and definitely a temporal freedom. My
prayer is that just as we have invaded Iraq with our military, we would now
begin to invade that country with the Truth, which will eternally set them
free. Join with me in praying that the doors to the gospel of Jesus Christ
would be swung wide open.
The
Lord Jesus Christ is so good.
It's
been a long time since I have felt so prayed up and filled with the Word. There
have been times in the past few years when I literally felt like throwing in
the towel and forgetting all about this "Christian" thing and leaving
my walk with the Lord on the shelf. But by the grace and mercy of God I am here
in my Heavenly Father's arms ready to serve Him, love Him and be the very best
friend I can be to Him.
For
those of you who have faithfully prayed for me, I want to express a great big
THANK YOU! Your prayers have girded me up and kept the Lord's hand upon me.
Some of you are fully aware of the many struggles I've encountered. Over the
years I have shared them openly with you on this web site. I have never done so
in a manner to glory in my struggles, but only in an effort to be honest with you
and myself. For a long time I had a very difficult time being honest with
myself about my past sins. It's only when I've come to terms with my
shortcomings that I have been able to truly hand those things over to the Lord.
It has led me to a place of healing and wholeness in Christ Jesus.
Now I
don't want to come across today as if I have "arrived". I know I have
a long ways to go to reach the place the Lord really wants me to be. I know
that I must do this one-day at a time. Also, I feel the conviction of the Holy
Spirit to truly let my past go. There's nothing I can do to change those things,
but I can work on today and the future.
PHILIPPIANS
3
12 Not that I
have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay
hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13Brethren,
I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus.
Yesterday,
my wife Brenda and I had the opportunity to see the Sacramento Kings play at the Arco Arena in
Sacramento, California. I had a wonderful time with her. It's about a two and a
half hour drive to Sacramento from where we live so we got to talk (when Brenda
wasn't sleeping) about the Lord, our marriage, family and friends. We also
spent sometime listening to a message by Pastor Dennis Tucker of the Word of
Life church in Redding, as well as a new worship CD Brenda bought for me.
The
game was great as the Kings won. It was so cool being there to see it live. For
any athlete to reach the professional level in basketball, they must be in top
physical condition. Some of the things they are able to do are completely
amazing. Though there is definitely a great deal of natural ability possessed
by these athletes, the truth of the matter is that they spend hour upon hour
practicing and disciplining their bodies to remain at the top of their game.
The pay off for them is winning games, with the ultimate goal being to win a
championship.
One of
the things I noticed is how much of an affect the crowd has on the team. I've
heard the Kings players say on a number of occasions how much they enjoy
playing for the fans at Arco Arena. The fans are known as some of the loudest
in the NBA. When you're at the game you genuinely recognize how much the crowd
genuinely helps the Kings. The atmosphere of 17,000 people cheering for their
team is incredible.
As
believers in Jesus Christ, we too are part of a team. We're on God's team. To
be an effective member of the team it is important for us to discipline
ourselves through prayer, fasting and the reading of God's Word. Our abilities
as Christians aren't "natural", but they are "supernatural"
as the Holy Spirit of God resides within us. Our opponent is Satan and all the
things in this world that he has established to lead mankind astray. He throws
things at us to try to get us to stumble and fall away. Our uniform is the armor
of God.
Ephesians
6
13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put
on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and having shod your feet
with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16above all, taking the
shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of
the wicked one. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God;
The
good news is that we are not in this alone. Generations of believers are
pulling for us as members of God's team. We are to also be cheering one another
on in our walk of faith, building each other up and encouraging one another to
continue on the road of victory.
Hebrews
12
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares
us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus
is victorious and as members of his team, we too are victorious. Let's walk as
champions today. Let's recognize who we are in Christ. Let's lay aside the
things that stop us from accomplishing all that God has given us to do.
For the
past couple weeks I’ve been experiencing a high level of pain in my back. A
couple years ago I injured it while attempting to unload a heavy desk off a
truck. At that time I went through several months of physical therapy. I
eventually recovered and felt much better. Then a couple weeks ago I did
something (and I’m not sure what) to re-aggravate this old injury. So for over
two weeks now it’s been extremely difficult for me to accomplish my normal
daily tasks.
What’s
interesting is that right before this latest bout with back pain I had read a
biography about Smith Wigglesworth. This man was highly anointed of God. He
was born in England in the mid 1800’s and near the end of that century he
answered the call of God and began to preach the gospel. He is most remembered,
however, for the healing ministry God had placed upon his life. All kinds of
sicknesses and diseases were healed at Wigglesworth’s meetings. There were also
a number of occasions when God worked through him to raise people from the
dead. This man was incredibly bold. He preached in countries around the world,
including the United States. Wherever he went, the meetings would start off
with modest crowds, but then the crowds would grow in numbers, as word would
spread about the miracles of God.
As I
read about the life of Smith Wigglesworth, I became inspired to yield my life
completely to God. I kept thinking about a time in my ministry when I truly had
faith for healing as I prayed for people. Though God never used me to raise
people from the dead, I was witness to a number of healings. I also began to
recognize how my level of faith for such things had not been where it used to
be. I began praying for direction from God on the things I needed to do to see
my “faith level” raised higher than ever before. God started laying out the
plan for me and I have been faithfully following that plan over the past week.
At the
same time I was attacked in my physical body. I know that it is an attack from
the defeated one (Satan). I believe with all my heart that God has a destiny
for me to pray for the sick and they shall recover. Yet, my faith has been
greatly challenged each day as the pain has continued. At the same time, my
spirit has been strengthened. The enemy would like nothing more than for me to
throw in the towel and give up. I will not give up. God has strengthened me to
not just endure, but to overcome and see healing in my own life. I am healed.
1
Peter 2
24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we,
having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were
healed.
I
believe in standing on the Word of God and believing what it says, regardless
of what I might see or feel. The Word of God tells me that I have been healed.
I have asked God for healing. I believe I receive what I ask according to His
Word. Now, I am simply praising the Lord for the healing, even if I don’t see
it yet.
2
Corinthians 5
7For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Something
amazing has taken place as I have been writing this journal today. I started it
this morning and returned home at lunch to complete it by adding the scriptures
the Lord directed me to stand on. As I completed these thoughts I felt the pain
being lifted from my body. Praise the Lord. It’s true. I am healed! Oh… stay
tuned for tomorrow’s good report!!!
March 18, 2002
I
wanted to take the time today to share a little about my wonderful stepson,
Brandon. He's the only boy I have. The Lord has blessed me with 5 daughters and
one son. Brandon came into my life about 2 and half years ago. At first he and
I had a difficult time because I think we were both in competition for his
mom's attention. Here I was this new man in her life and I'm sure it wasn't an
easy thing for him. I've never had a son before, so I had to learn new things
about being a daddy to a boy. Yes, they really are quite different than girls!
Because of the fact that Brandon's biological dad has little to no contact with
him, it has really meant that I have become his dad in nearly every sense of
the word.
I wish
I could sit here and say that I've been the perfect step dad for him, but that
wouldn't be the truth. I have failed so many times by not encouraging him the
way I should or spending time with him like I should. But over time, he and I
have become closer and closer. He's a very tender hearted young man. This morning,
before he left for school, I put my arms around him and prayed for him. He
embraced me with thankfulness as I spoke blessings on his life. The Lord
increased my awareness of what life is like for Brandon and what it must be
like to have a daddy like me. It's been my prayer today that I would increase
in wisdom and love in raising Brandon.
Last
Wednesday night I had the wonderful opportunity of standing nearby when Brandon
was being baptized at church. It brought tears to my eyes as I was touched by
Brandon's statement of faith in Jesus Christ. I frequently refer to him as
"Man of God" because I believe with all my heart that one day he will
possess a mighty anointing from the Lord and minister on the Lord's behalf. I
know that it's my job to raise him the best I can and be an example of Jesus
Christ to him.
Ephesians 6
4And you, fathers, do not provoke your
children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the
Lord.
As
believers in Christ I think one of the greatest responsibilities we have is to
raise up our children in such a way that they will live for Jesus. I really
believe it's not something we can make them do. I've seen parents who try to
force the gospel on their kids and the result was rebellion and wrath. My
relationship with the Lord should be as such that all of my children would see
the blessings of knowing Jesus. I want them to desire what I have in the Lord.
That means my relationship with Him should be one of humility, commitment, and acknowledgement
of Jesus Christ each and every day of my life. I need to recognize that the
message I preach each day to them is not found in my words nearly as much as it
is found in my actions.
Have a blessed day!
I love
to worship the Lord with my fellow believers in Christ. Last night we had our
Wednesday evening service and I had the privilege of leading worship. The Lord
really met with us in a powerful way. In both celebration and reflection, most
of us poured our hearts into worshipping our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At
our church, we have two Christian drug rehab homes that bring around 40 men and
women. Most of them are brand new believers and are experiencing the presence
of the Lord for the very first time. It's both exciting and refreshing to see
how some of them worship. It's amazing how uninhibited they can be, especially
compared to some of us "old timers".
At
times I wonder what happens to us as we continue in our relationship with the
Lord. We can seem desensitized to the very presence and working of the Holy
Spirit. When the Lord first brought many of us out of the world and we began a
new walk with Jesus, everything was exciting. We recognized that even though we
were unworthy, Christ died for us and was willing to forgive us of our sins
simply through our request and willingness to give our lives to Him. But over
time, I have witnessed not only in my own life, but also in the lives of many
Christians how that "newness" can wear off and along with it goes the
excitement of being a Christian. It shouldn't be that way. Each day should be a
new, fresh and exciting day in Christ. So how do we remain in that excitement
and avoid the doldrums of Christianity.
First
of all, let me just share that I really believe we all experience our down
days. There will undoubtedly be times when we don't feel too excited about our
walk with the Lord or we might feel like we're just spinning our wheels and not
really getting anywhere in life. The key is to not let that bad feeling rule
us. Elijah, a great prophet of God, experienced this sort of feeling and
actually hid himself in a cave and was having a little pity party. I won't take
time to share the full passage of scripture here, but when you get a chance
take a look at 1 Kings 19:9-15. In this passage God starts His four statements
with two different words. The order of those would be as such
"What...?" "Go..." "What...?" and
"Go..."
Twice, the
Lord wanted to know what Elijah was doing in this place. And twice He tells him
to go. Sometimes when were not feeling too good we really need to press in and
seek God's instruction on what He wants us to do. When we step forward by
faith, we are strengthened and renewed in our spirit. When we sit around doing
nothing for the Lord, we will get down. When we fail to participate in what He
wants to do, we will experience the doldrums.
Secondly, the way we begin our day often sets
the course for it. I have found that when I start the day by praising the Lord,
even when I don't feel like it, my joy gets stirred up, especially if during
that time I count the many blessings God has given me. I have found that it is
imperative to meditate on the good things of the Lord.
Philippians 4
8 Finally,
brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things
are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things
are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
Meditating
is really an act of talking to yourself. In this particular passage it means to
talk to yourself about the good things of God. When I obediently do this, it's
amazing how the joy of the Lord returns and brings along with it the promised
strength.
Finally,
as we mature in Christ, one of the greatest joys we can experience is in
ministering and sharing the gospel with others. In our church, there is an
added dimension of joy present simply because of the new people we see coming
to the Lord week after week. Individually, we will experience a continued joy
as we avail ourselves to the Lord to move through us. The apostle Paul
experienced this joy by watching those he had brought to Jesus mature in the
Lord.
Philippians
1
3 I thank my
God upon every remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer of mine
making request for you all with joy, 5for your fellowship in the
gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this very
thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day
of Jesus Christ;
We may
need to ask ourselves if we are in anyway participating in helping others grow
in their relationship with the Lord. As you see them grow and experience
victory after victory, you too will experience that victory and the excitement
of being a Christian.
Have a
blessed day!
Just as
I was getting back into doing my Daily Journal, I get attacked with some
cough/cold/flu bug! That's why it's been a week now since I've attempted to
update this journal. For four days, beginning last Friday evening, I went from
the couch to the bed and back to the couch. I had a horrible fever and chills.
It's been far from fun! Even as I've been back at work since Wednesday, I just
haven't had the motivation to get much done at all. My mind hasn't been clear
and my work just keeps piling higher and higher. The more I experienced this
sickness this week, the more I realized that this stuff doesn't come from the
Lord!
My
entire family has been plagued this week with sicknesses of various sorts. From
my babies and children being sick, to my mom and dad experiencing various
ailments, to my sister, Cyndee, having to deal with a very serious bladder
condition. All for which I would appreciate your prayers. I'm a firm believer
that God doesn't receive glory for our sicknesses, but He does receive glory
for our healing. I believe with all my heart that God's perfect will is for us
to be healed and to walk in divine health. I also know that my faith needs to
be in a place that I don't bow so easily to sickness. That increase in faith comes
by hearing the word of God.
This
week the Lord reminded me of a time in my life when I would daily pray all the
healing scriptures found in the Gospel of Matthew. I had my Bible marked with
red ink and would read every scripture where Jesus would heal one person after
another. Sometimes references to whole multitudes being brought and healed by
Jesus would be listed.
Matthew
4
23 And Jesus
went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of
the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among
the people. 24Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they
brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and
torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and
He healed them.
As I would pray all these scriptures I experienced two
important results. First of all, my faith that God is a healer was strengthened
greatly and I saw one person after another receive healing as I prayed for
them. The second result is I noticed that I simply wasn't getting sick. People
around would have the flu or a cold and it would get passed from one person the
next, but it wouldn't touch me. I really had faith for continual healing. Well,
this week has been a wake up call for me. The Lord has reminded me of that faith
still being present, but how I need for it to be to be strengthened. I would
have much rather been available to my family this week to lay hands on them and
pray for their healing instead of laying on the couch moaning in my own misery.
Have a
blessed day!
Earlier
this week I had a nice visit from my neighbor Gerry. He's an older gentleman
who moved in next to us last summer. I've enjoyed visiting with him and his
wife from time to time in our front yards. Both of them are in poor health and
a couple months ago Gerry informed me that he and his wife were thinking about
moving back to San Diego where the rest of their family lives. He feels as if
they need to be close to family in case they need help in taking care of
themselves. One of the things he said to me that really stood out was the fact
that he had no peace. I remember thinking to myself that the Lord is my peace,
but I didn't take the time to share that with him.
Well,
last week, my precious wife had the opportunity to talk with Gerry and she
shared with him that we are Christians. Gerry in turned shared that he too is a
believer. On Tuesday, just as I was about to head out the door to go to work,
Gerry rang our doorbell. I invited him in and we sat and talked about the Lord.
Gerry expressed his concerns over whether he's making the right decisions in
his life. About a week ago they sold their house and now he's uncertain as to
whether or not they're to move back to Southern California. Again he told me
that he has no peace. Then he asked if
I really had faith in God. I assured him that I did and he asked if I would
pray and ask God for a word for Gerry. Wow, that's quite a request I think. I told him that I would pray and if the Lord
gave me something to share with him, I would, but only if it was really
something from God.
I then
shared with Gerry how our peace comes from the Lord. He gives us that peace
that surpasses all understanding. It goes beyond our circumstances and
situations. It's an inner peace that the world longs for, but can only be found
in Jesus. Peace is a gift from Him. It's an assurance that everything will be
okay.
John 14
27Peace I leave with you, My peace I
give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid.
After
sharing those things with Gerry, Brenda and I laid hands on him and prayed for
him. We asked God to extend to him that gift of peace. We asked the Lord to
give Gerry and his wife sound direction in what he wants them to do. After we
finished praying, Gerry's eyes were swelled with tears. He expressed his
appreciation for our prayers and we let him know that we sincerely care for
him.
My
challenge to all of us today is this: If you're in a place of unrest and
turmoil due to your present circumstances, asked the Lord for peace. Receive
his promise and gift of peace. It's yours to possess.
Philippians 4
6Be anxious for nothing, but in
everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be
made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Have a
blessed day!
The
year of 2002 has started off in a rather interesting way for me. It's part of
the reason why I haven't spent much time updating my Daily Journal. I've had so
many things swirling through my mind and spirit that it's been difficult to put
them down in a cohesive manner. On December 29th of last year my daughter,
Rachel informed me that she was pregnant. It was something I didn't want to
hear. I was greatly disappointed at the time and I just cried and held my
precious girl.
What's
amazing is that I honestly already knew it in my spirit. For several weeks I
had been telling Brenda various things such as: "I'm almost Grandpa
age." She would assure me that I wasn't. I just turned 38 on January 21st
and that really isn't "grandpa age", but something in my spirit was
telling me that my daughter was pregnant. However, I tried to ignore those
thoughts and convince myself that what I was sensing was nothing but personal
worries and concerns. Well, as always, the Spirit of the Lord was right and I
think He was preparing me for the news my daughter was about to share with me.
The
good news is that her boyfriend Cody is a fine young man and has stood by her
during this time. Many times boyfriends take off when something like this
happens. I talked with Cody and Rachel and asked them what their plans were and
what they wanted to do. Both of them really wanted to get married. Marriage is
not something I would pressure them into. However, I felt that if it was what
they really wanted to do then I would be supportive of that. I did lay out some
criteria for them that I wanted them to fulfill, which included going to church
and starting counseling with a Christian counselor. There were other things too
that I won't share here, but I was very pleased to see that they jumped right
in and started doing all of them.
A
couple weeks ago we traveled to Reno, NV and they were married. Rachel looked
absolutely beautiful and Cody was looking pretty sharp himself. If you haven't
done so, you can go to my links page and see some pictures of both the wedding
day and the reception that was held a couple weeks later at our church. I truly
have faith that God is going to bless this couple immensely in their marriage.
Please keep them in your prayers and speak nothing but blessings upon them.
This
past couple of months has been a trial for me in my life. I've had to question
my decisions, my advice, and my own life as to where I may have gone wrong.
Through it all I have placed my trust in the Lord and as I sit here today I
feel strengthened by His spirit. I've allowed this trial to serve to perfect me
and encourage me in the fact that I have the Lord Jesus Christ to rely upon.
James 1
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers,
whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the
testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must
finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Have a
blessed day!
Praise
the Lord for His abundant blessings! Brenda and I just got back from a Prayer
Conference in Fresno, CA. My old Pastor, Steve Grandy was the keynote speaker
on Monday evening and he shared an awesome message form the Word of God about
the importance of prayer in the body of Christ. I was greatly challenged and
encouraged at the conference.
It was
really nice to see some of the Pastors I hadn't seen in nearly 7 years. One of
the Pastors I was surprised to see was Dennis Adams. The last I had known,
Dennis was back in Illinois as the Pastor of a church there. When he walked up
to me at the end of the service on Monday night to say "hi", my heart
jumped for joy. When I was a Pastor, Dennis was a wonderful friend of mine. I
had asked him to come speak at my church a couple times and he always did an
incredible job. He has a very strong anointing upon his life and operates in
the gifts of the Holy Spirit like none other I know. There were times when God
would give him a word of knowledge about me and it would be right on the money. To top it off, he's a very humble man
who always had something encouraging to say to me. He's definitely the kind of
guy I loved hanging out with.
Dennis
has now started a new church in Santa Cruz, California and the first chance I
get, I'm going to head down there to visit him. I hope to post more information
about his ministry there for anyone who may live in that area. I'm telling you,
you will want to attend the church the Lord has given him to plant. Dennis is a
man of vision and tremendous destiny in the Lord Jesus Christ. I always gleaned
from his progressive mind set and focus on accomplishing the task at hand. He
has mountain moving faith and best of all, he is a man of prayer.
One of the
things that was interesting in seeing Dennis Adams at the prayer conference is
that he looked a little different than the last time I had seen him. His hair
is grayer and he's sporting a goatee now. I actually had seen him earlier in
the evening from a distance, but I didn't recognize him. It wasn't until he
came up to me and spoke to me and I looked into his eyes that I then recognized
him. I have spent so much one on
one time with Dennis in the past, that the sound of his voice triggered those
recognition signals in my spirit and the windows to the soul (his eyes),
confirmed that this was my dear friend Dennis Adams. And believe me, he was
looking as sharp as ever!
This
all takes me to a point I'd like to make today. It has to do with the greatest
friend any of us could ever have and that is Jesus Christ. Jesus warned us in
Matthew chapter 24 that in the last days people would come and claim to be
Christ.
4And Jesus
answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5For
many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ,' and will deceive
many.
He goes
on to tell us that there will be some who will attempt to point out Christ.
23"Then if
anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ!' or "There!' do not
believe it. 24For false christs and false prophets will rise and
show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25See,
I have told you beforehand.
When I
was at the prayer conference earlier this week, if someone would have pointed
at someone other than Dennis Adams and say "Hey look, there's Dennis
Adams", I wouldn't have been fooled at all. All I needed to do was look
into the man's eyes and hear his voice and I would have known right away if it were
him or not. The reason is because I've spent time with him.
In the
same way, as believers in Christ, we should never have the need for someone to
point Him out to us. If we have been spending time with Jesus everyday in
prayer, if we read His word and listen to His voice, we'll recognize Him
immediately in our spirit when we see Him face to face. Jesus makes this point
in the following verse.
John
10
27My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
My challenge for all of us today is to spend time with Jesus. Truly get to know Him personally. Don't just talk to Him. Listen to Him. Get used to the sound of His voice and you'll never be fooled by false christs and prophets.
I have
been so busy these past few weeks that it's been really hard for me to take the
time to add entries into my journal. There are papers piled up on my desk at
work and my clients keep calling me wanting to know where their product is or
layouts are or when I'll be sending them a job estimate. It can all get rather
overwhelming at times. My tendency is to push everything aside and simply get
nothing done at all. That's when I really have to focus and get my "to
do" list going. For me, when I write down the things I need to do and
begin working on them one at a time I become more focused and productive.
Sometimes
this can happen to me in areas of ministry too. There are so many things I am
able to do and love doing that I can allow myself to get overwhelmed. I think
the Lord really wants me to focus on doing only the things He wants me to do.
Sometimes that can be a hard thing to determine and it takes prayer to know
what it is He truly desires of me and requires of me. One of the things that's
helpful is for me to once again write down my priority list. This is beneficial
in recognizing that I can't do everything, but I can do those things that are
most important. In all of it I definitely need the Lord's help.
I know
without a doubt that the Lord has given me a vision to carry out for my life.
It includes my wife and children, my ministry and my job. It's fueled by my
relationship with the Lord and carried out with His strength and wisdom. It's
easy to forget what it is. Therefore, my goal today is to once again write that
out and post it at my desk so that I'm reminded of it.
Habakkuk
2
2 Then the LORD answered me and said:
"Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
When I
was a Pastor I would often use this verse in relation to the vision of the
church. I now recognize that this verse pertains to not only a corporate
vision, but also to the personal vision God has given me. The key here is to
write it down. Many people are not fulfilling any sort of God-given vision
whatsoever because they have no idea what it is. Let me share with you that if
you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, He has a plan and a destiny
for you. My encouragement to you would be that you would come to Him in prayer,
ask Him what His plan is for your life and then write the vision down. This
will serve to help you carry out the vision and assist you in remaining
focused.
Well, here
I am facing a new year! I trust all of you had a wonderful holiday and have
great expectations for this coming year. I realize I haven't written in this
journal for nearly two weeks and much of that has to do with how busy I've
been. Some of it has to do with personal situations that will greatly affect
the year 2002 for my family and me. I'm certain that I'll be sharing the
details of all of that and more over the coming weeks, but for today I just
want share with you about the goodness of God.
One of
the things the Lord has shown me over and over is that He's a God of new
beginnings. In my life I have desperately needed those new beginnings and fresh
starts. Every time I've attempted to take control of various aspects of my life
I've only served to mess things up. Through God's abundant mercy and grace,
He's given me another chance and another chance and another chance! His grace
is abundant. However, my desire is to not need Him to give me fresh starts, but
to follow Him day in and day out. I want to see that mark of the high calling
that He has set before me and to press on toward it. I want to know where He
wants me to go from this day forward. There's nothing I can do about the past,
except to learn from it and to ask God's forgiveness for my failures.
Both
today and the future hold the greatest blessings for me. The enemy (Satan)
would have me believe that my failures of the past serve to disrupt God's
blessings for me in the future. That would be true if wasn't for the shed blood
of Jesus Christ. All my sins very well could stop the flow of blessings from
God's throne room. Yet, once the blood of Jesus has been applied to my life and
forgiveness has been given, there is a free flow of one blessing after another
after another. My job is to simply say "yes and amen" to each and
every one of them. It's okay to be blessed! I want to say that again... IT'S
OKAY TO BE BLESSED!
There
was a time in my life when I allowed myself to feel so badly about my past,
that I wouldn't allow God to really bless me. I would feel so unworthy that it
was almost as if I would mess up His blessings for me. But God doesn't want us
to feel bad or guilty because of His blessings. He blesses us because He loves
us. He wants us to enjoy the things He gives us. Take a look at this verse that
someone shared with me a couple years ago and it radically changed my thought
process concerning His desire to bless me.
Proverbs
10
22The blessing of the LORD makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.
No
sorrow! No guilt! No Shame! It's okay to be blessed, so why not say "yes
and amen" to all the blessings He has in store for you in 2002.
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