Puerto Rico Mission trip pt1

I just recently arrived home from  6 day mission trip to Puerto Rico with a team of 6 guys from our church. We were there visiting our dear friends, Pastors Ruben and Paula Gonzales of Time of God Christian Center in Juncos PR. We did a lot of projects at their church and ministered in 2 new churches. I would guess that we did a couple of weeks worth of work in just 4 1/2 days. Plus, we were able to accomplish work that would have taken that church many years to do. So, Praise God for the resources and manpower to bless those dear pastors there. Sunday I’ll be showing a Powerpoint of the trip. I’ll also post pics on Facebook and vids on Vimeo.

YMC conference

We just finished our 12th annual “Young Ministers conference” and it was great. God laid it on our hearts to have a conference for the “up and coming” generation of pastors, youth leaders, worship leaders and volunteers. To encourage them and build bridges for the things God has called us to do together. It’s growing every year with new churches and faces.

If you would like to be placed on the mailing list, please send me your name and email.

next YMC march 16-18 2011

prayer blurb

Prayer that changes me and my circumstances is; CONSISTENT, PERSISTENT and MIXED WITH FAITH.  Jesus encouraged christians to pray all the time without giving up. (Luke 18:1)There is such a need to pray all the time, NOT just for the petitions of life but to grow in my love relationship with HIM.

Thought provoking thoughts #1

It always bothers me when people put random scriptures, from “Modern” translations about grace as their status without the entire scripture or thought of what should be said. Most of the time, it’s a subliminal message to someone else.

Someone once said, “never use the pulpit (or in this case the internet) as a cowards fortress.” Please, say what you mean and mean what you say. Scriptures on grace should be used to declare our POSITION IN CHRIST not to defend our CONDITION IN LIFE.

I didn’t do anything to deserve the salvation God provided. But once provided, I had to do something to receive it. By grace I am saved and by grace I can live like it.

Grace is not the level of tolerance God has for my lifestyle, but rather the ability He gives me to conform to His.

Thought provoking thoughts #2

Many people go into a church and criticize the way they do things. That’s like going into someone’s house and criticizing they way they have the furniture and the colors of the house, what time they put the kids to bed and have supper. What’s important is that the house has windows and doors, furniture, running water, electricity, power, and a roof.

Be careful what you say about the church, you are supposed to be part of it.

Many Christians look for a church based on what it provides for their immediate needs; facilities, nursery, parking, coffee, multimedia, service times, community projects, music genre, not based on doctrine, fruit or even relationship. The church is not a service FOR Christians but rather a service OF Christians. When we come together there is fellowship, singing, speaking the word, five fold ministry, gifts of the spirit, souls being saved.   

It should be impossible for anyone to be apart of a Bible believing New Testament Church and just sit there.

update

In the last couple of weeks we’ve had some awesome men of God at our church. This week we have Dr. Mel Davis.
In order for there to be a transition in this generation, the young men cannot forsake the ministry of the older generation.

Every style goes out of style.The only way to always be relevant is to focus on what’s eternal-God’s purposes.  – Rick Warren

A dose of fright can keep a child from running across a busy road or an adult from smoking a pack of cigaretts. Fear itself is not a sin. – Max Lucado

To succeed in life, we must stay within our strength zone but continually move outside our comfort zone. – John C Maxwell

Submission to Spiritual Authority

Just a couple of thoughts I had on the subject of submission to spiritual leaders in the church.

First of all, there are many clear and emphatic scriptures in the Bible about submission to spiritual leaders……and it’s all wonderful. The Bible is very clear on the subject of submission, not just in the church, but also for husbands, wives, children, and employees, to civil, parental, and spiritual authority.

As I read the scriptures I see a couple of words in the Bible that are synonymous with submission; Honor, respect, giving, love and humility

Find a person who understands submission to authority and you’ll see a person who is humble, full of love, unselfish, accountable, and personally responsible.

Find a person who does not understand submission to authority and you’ll see a person who is prideful, full of criticism, selfish, self ruled, and spiritually irresponsible.

Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary for our church. We had a weekend full of dinners and meetings, ending in a celebration service Sunday. What a time of thanksgiving and joy as we reflected on what God has done and the lives that were impacted by Pastor Wayne and Margaret Holcomb (my parents). I plan to somehow make pics and information available soon.

My parents never dreamed that the prayer meetings in a small country home in Quiggleville Pa would grow into the strong and powerful New Testament church that it is today. I’ve been so challenged these past few months in my Faith starting with the passing of my grandfather and now our incredible milestone of our church. Challenged to abandon all worldliness and selfish living to seek after Jesus and further His Kingdom in the earth. 

1969-2009 Congratulations to Dad & Mom and The Door Fellowship Church

GOING ALL THE WAY

Ps. 119:33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statues; and I shall keep it unto the end.

When God met Moses on Mount Sinai He gave him the awesome call to go back to Egypt and deliver His people. He gave Moses His word with power and demonstration to face Pharaoh and all the power of Egypt. But Pharaoh wasn’t all too eager to listen to Moses, so he tried to make compromises with the children of Israel so that they would not fully obey the word of God.  (Ex. 5:1-2)

This is a perfect picture of what the devil tries to do in the life of believers. He wants us to be half-hearted about our salvation and to make little compromises that lead to big disobedience. But like Moses we must respond with a strong resolution to fully obey God’s word.

Pharaoh gave Moses 3 compromises;

1. Make your sacrifices in Egypt – Ex. 8:25

But Moses said, “Our sacrifices to God are hated by the Egyptians, and if we do this right here before their eyes, they will kill us.”

The principle: The world doesn’t understand our worship and even despises our narrow-minded views of Holiness. It’s clear that the worship of the church should be totally different then the worship of the world, but all too often christians compromise in their worship and then wonder why the world won’t listen to them. We are called to worship God in spirit and in truth, but unless you are redeemed by the blood of Jesus, you will not understand the worship and therefore hate it.

2. Sacrifice in the wilderness, but don’t go very far and ask God to remove the swarm of flies from Egypt – Ex. 8:26

Moses said he would ask God to remove the swarm of flies but later on realized that his act of kindness was a mistake.

The principle: You have to fully obey the Lord and completely do His will. There’s no such thing as “half saved” or “sort-a” translated into His kingdom. It is complete obedience that leads to a complete work. The devil doesn’t want people to become too committed to the Lord, too zealous about purity, too serious in the call of God. But that’s what following Jesus is – complete repentance, conversion, and worship.

There cannot be any strings attached to the world. (I’m not talking about making friends with people to win them to Christ) God told Israel “come out from among them and be ye separate…and then I will receive you…” There must be a separation from the world and consecration to Jesus, period. – A little compromise will spoil the whole sacrifice.

You can’t make the least compromise with the devil because, COMPROMISE IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE DEVIL! There must be an absolute, no compromise, sold out, complete walk with the Lord. David said this about Jesus “there fore He was anointed above His fellows because He loved righteousness and hated iniquity.”

Proverbs 10:10 Winking at sin leads to sorrow; bold reproof leads to peace.

3. Keep your livestock in Egypt – Ex. 10:24

But Moses said, “we must take our flocks and herds for sacrifices and burnt offerings to Jehovah our God.”

The principle: We don’t look to the world for our provision and source of life. In fact, christians are to be leaders and not followers. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is their will your heart be also”. Our affections are on things above not on the things of the earth.

Again, the theme of this account was to thoroughly obey God and be completely separated to Him. This attitude must lie in the hearts of God’s people even to this day as it was in Moses. Remember; God doesn’t conform His nature to the devil and the world, neither should we.

Proverbs 15:24 (TLB) The road of the godly leads upward, leaving hell behind.

Can Cold Water Clean Dishes?

This is for all the germ conscious folks that worry about using cold water to clean.

John went to visit his 90 year old grandfather in a very secluded, rural area of Saskatchewan.

After spending a great evening chatting the night away, John’s grandfather prepared breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast.
 
However, John noticed a film like substance on his plate, and questioned his grandfather asking, ‘Are these plates clean?’

His grandfather replied, ‘They’re as clean as cold water can possibly get ’em. Just you go ahead and finish your meal, Sonny!’

For lunch the old man made hamburgers. Again, John was concerned about the plates as his appeared to have tiny specks around the edge that looked like dried egg and asked, ‘Are you sure these plates are clean?’

Without looking up the old man said, ‘I told you before, Sonny, those dishes are as clean as cold water can possibly get them.. Now don’t you fret, I don’t want to hear another word about it!’

Later that afternoon, John was on his way to a nearby town and as he was leaving, his grandfather’s dog started to growl, and wouldn’t let him pass.

John yelled and said, ‘Grandfather, your dog won’t let me get to my car’. Without diverting his attention from the football game he was watching on TV, the old man shouted ‘Coldwater, go lay down now, ya hear me!’

Job 17:9 (Living Bible) the righteous (those upright and in right standing with God) shall move onward and forward; those with pure hearts shall become stronger and stronger.

The more I walk with the Lord the more I love Him. The  more I want to change to be like Him.  I see His majesty and holiness and like John in the book of Revelation, I fall at His feet when I see Him and hear His Words. I want to conform to His image at my expense. When my heart longs for this I will move forward and upward.

Why am I seeing multitudes of Christians, who have been in the faith for a long time, walk away from the things of God so easily? Why are preachers who have preached the unadulterated word, turning the truth of God into a lie? Why are people so easily offended with the church?

One of the problems is the deceptive false teaching of “once saved always saved”. This false concept of grace tends to focus on the level of sin in the life of a believer rather than the working of righteousness in the life of a believer. You can dress it up and call it “Grace” if you want to, but it’s still mans attempt to be free from conviction not sin.

Take what is being taught in the church today and apply it to marriage. What I would be saying is, “honey, I want the freedom to be with other women, spend our money on gambling, rob a store for money, beat you up when I’m mad, neglect our children, not have a job ever again, and still be married to you.” It’s a ridiculous perception of grace.

When my heart is right, I will Love my wife more everyday, raise my children right, work tirelessly to provide for the next generation, and become a powerful godly man. Things shouldn’t get worse… but better. My faith shouldn’t grow weaker or my love wax colder. But stronger and more fervently. As David said, ” the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” – Ps. 4:18

new understanding on an old principle: discipleship

Recently I was in Hawaii and the Lord began to put something together in my heart on discipleship. I quickly scribbled on a piece of paper what God was giving me and I realized it was nothing new… I just never saw in that way before.

What started out as one piece of paper with a few thoughts has turned into a 3 section 50 page lesson on discipleship. If you’re like me, the word “discipleship” only meant taking care of people who just got saved. But as I studied, and continue to study, what the Lord showed me, I saw that it was much different that what I thought.

Joel Stockstill once said that there are 2 parts to every ministry that will make it fruitful and effective;  Services & Discipleship

With services (meetings) alone you can only grow so much and people can only function so much. But that’s  like having only one wing on a bird, it can get off the ground a little, but it will only go in circles. But with the two functioning together you’ll get to where you need to go.

Many people think discipleship is just about winning souls. But Biblically, it is a life long journey of relationship with Jesus and other people. There are three areas of discipleship the Lord showed me for our youth ministry.

1. Walking with Jesus
2. Fellowship with others
3. Winning souls

In the next few months I’ll share a little bit from each point.

Day of Prayer

As American troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, President Franklin Roosevelt called for our nation to unite in prayer. He also offered a prayer to prepare each citizen for the road ahead. “Let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be. And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee.” The victory that followed on June 6, 1944-also known as D-Day-began the march to Berlin. Eighteen months later, WWII was over and one of the world’s greatest evils had been defeated. The prayers of a nation had been a powerful force.

President Abraham Lincoln knew this well. It was his belief that, “it is the duty of nations as well as men, to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God.” When it came to the fate of the nation, he practiced what he preached. Before the battle of Gettysburg, he turned to God in prayer. “I went to my room one day and I locked the door and got down on my knees before Almighty God and prayed to him mightily for victory at Gettysburg.” Won by the Union, Gettysburg was one of the turning points in the war that ended slavery and kept the states united. Today the need for prayer is as great as ever. Our nation again faces battlefields, along with an epidemic of broken homes, violence, sexual immorality and social strife. As the heroes of our nation did in the past, we must again bow our heads in prayer. We must ask the Lord to bless our leaders with wisdom and protection, and that we will have the fortitude to overcome the challenges at hand. If Roosevelt, the Pilgrims and Lincoln never underestimated the power of prayer, neither should we.

While working on the yard, the boys were “helping me” with the yard work. (this usually last 10 min tops) After mowing and edging the front yard, I reached for my leaf blower to clean off the sidewalk. Well, after 15 minutes of trying to start it i realized that something was wrong with the gas lines. After further inspection I discovered that Ethan (one of my busy helpers) took some pruning shears and cut both gas lines. Ahhh yes……Daddy’s little helpers.

At youth group last night we had a teen give his testimony of how he was healed of a life long kidney disease. totally impossible situation, but God stepped in.  In the entire process, he came back to the Lord in a radical way. I’ll be posting the entire testimony tomorrow.