A Dad's Blessed Week

Last Friday we returned from one of our many trips to Haiti.  RTS Missions has been serving Haiti since July of 2006 and I can tell you that every single trip is humbling, amazing, God glorifying, hard, and special.  This particular trip however was just a little more special than the others.  This trip I was blessed to have my wife and my 7 year old son with me for the very first time.

For years they saw the pictures, heard the stories and watched their husband/dad cry like a little child as I tried with all my might to articulate the experience...the heartache...the despair...the destruction...the beauty...the love...the richness the Haitian people experience and live with.  No matter how hard I tried, it was just impossible for me to get it right.

For the last couple of years my son has always given me books or small toys to give to the children i meet on my trips.  I would always take a picture of the little ones who received his free gift, so I could show him what his giving meant in the lives of these precious ones who have so little, and ones who have nothing.

He was so excited to see the pictures I would bring home, and I would always tell him that it would be great for him to come and give them away himself.  Caleb would always say, "no way daddy.  I don't want to get those shots!"  Remember he is only 5 or 6 at this time. :)  But, just after this year's missions conference he woke up and announced to his mom, "Mom, I have made a decision.  I am going to Haiti with dad."

So this last week my wife and son had the honor of becoming the hands and feet of Jesus in Haiti.  My wife and the team did an amazing job ministering to over 400 people everyday through Bible presentations, crafts, recreation, and action.  The team was able to feed every child, worker, parent, and anyone else who needed a hot meal every day.  Caleb ministered to the children by playing with them, coloring with them, getting muddy with them, and crying for them.



Just after Caleb realizing we were leaving the next day,
Trying to smile

 The last night of service before we were to leave for Port Au Prince and fly home, Caleb realized we were leaving the next day.  My son started crying uncontrollably, telling his mom and me that he didn't want to leave.  It broke my heart.  I am tearing up as I write this.  At that time, at that moment at night in a church 700 miles off the coast of Florida, with very little lighting, and with the Haitian people lifting up their arms in praise and singing loud to their God, to their Hope in a different language that my son didn't understand...Caleb got it.  My son got it where it mattered most...he got it in his heart.

On the way home Caleb looks up at me and says, "Daddy, I want to come back every time you do."

My son and the rest of this team, because of the support of gracious people who have a heart for reaching the lost were able to serve over 2,000 hot meals while we were there, purchase additional food for those who need it most over the next month or two, see 51 people make first time professions of faith to the new Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and see people come forward for us to pray over them that lasted over an hour.  Because of the support given to this ministry and the prayers that were lifted up for this trip...LIVES WERE CHANGED.

"Daddy, I want to come back every time you do." Amen.

Humble Pie

Have you ever heard the phrase “humble pie?”  If you are like me you have probably joked about eating a piece of humble pie after a situation caused you to rethink an action or statement you have made.

In my last post I blogged about being powerless in all that we do.  All we do on our own power.  Basically, it comes down to control.  It can be humiliating to admit we are powerless, especially to those who are used to being in control.

Why is it humiliating?  Could it be that we are so involved and worried about what the world thinks?  Do we ever stop and ask what God thinks?

• But many who are first will be last, and the last first. Matthew 19:30
• And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
  “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
  For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  Blessed are those who mourn,
  For they shall be comforted.
  Blessed are the meek,
  For they shall inherit the earth.
  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
  For they shall be filled.
  Blessed are the merciful,
  For they shall obtain mercy.
  Blessed are the pure in heart,
  For they shall see God.
  Blessed are the peacemakers,
  For they shall be called sons of God.
  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
  For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5:1-10
• Proverbs 15:33
  The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.
• Proverbs 18:12
  Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility.
• Proverbs 22:4
  By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life.

Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:43-45

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”

A good example of this would be a fantastic story found in 2 Kings 5:1-15 where I found correction and instruction in righteousness.  Basically, it’s about a man named Naaman who is a powerful military and political figure, and a man of great wealth and power.  He also had leprosy which was going to eventually cause him a slow painful death.

He had heard of a prophet who could heal him.  He found the prophet and he was told to go dip himself in the Jordon seven times to be healed.

Can you believe he went away disgusted and furious because he thought that his power and fame should have afforded him an instant cure.  But he eventually surrendered and confessed his powerlessness and dipped seven times and was healed.

I have just got to tell you the truth.  I find myself in his shoes a lot.  I hate to admit it, but there are times that the loving confrontation from a brother or sister, or someone not agreeing with an idea that I think is the bomb digity, or any other situation where I think I have the right or answer and someone challenges it, I go away disgusted or furious.  But God’s word works on me and consumes my heart until like Naaman; I surrender and admit I am powerless.

We have a disease called sin.  That sin will show up in pride.  It is as life threatening as leprosy was in Naaman’s day.  I don’t know about you, but I am praying every day for the Lord to give me a spirit of humility to confess my powerlessness everyday.

For His glory alone,

A Wretch Like Me

Little Children

I don't know about you, but for the most part I find myself always needing to be in control.  I guess I think that everything will work out just the way I planned if I were in control of the situation.  There are things that I do and a certain way I think they need to be done and other people just do not do things the same way I would do them.  Or if they did do them the outcome would be the exact way that I drew it up in my head and that drives me crazy.  My pastor always says confession is good for the soul, but not for the reputation. LOL  That's alright, I'm banking that a few people are picking up what I am laying down.

You're probably thinking, "what does this have to do with little children?"  At this point I am asking that question too!  Hopefully my thoughts will turn out as I keep writing.  Sorry...typing.  There are a couple things that came to my mind during some of my reading this week.

One was God's sovereignty.  I have always said that I thank God for giving me a grasp on that early in my salvation.  That He is in complete control of everything.  There is nothing done, nothing created, and nothing breathing that He does not have full and absolute control over.  So why do I find myself so many times thinking that I have to be in control so much?  Why do I think that I am the only one that can create the outcome that I desire?

I think it is....scratch that!  I know it is because I have not completely surrendered the fact that I am completely 100% powerless.  That is right.  The fact is that you and I are without a doubt 100% powerless to accomplish anything on our own.  You might be saying, "hold on Greg, I am in complete control of what I do.  I manage a multi-million dollar business, I am the spiritual leader of the home, I can balance our check book, I am raising our 6 kids, and I know a lot of other people that became very successful because of their knowledge and business smarts."

OK.  Who is ultimately in control?  Be careful with your answer here.  Who created you?  Who gave you those gifts?  Finally, who created you and gave you breath?

I find myself in awe and stretched out crying out to my God when I realize how far I have gotten away from the fact that He is in control of everything.  Why is it we can not reach for help?  Why is it that lean on others in time of distress?  Again, for me it is because I haven't truly confessed the fact that I am truly powerless over everything in my life.  I am trying so hard to get there.  It is really such an amazing feeling when I actually remember it during a particular situation and just give it over to Him.

Why is it so difficult to confess it and live by it?  For me, I am pretty sure it is because my mind still has compartments filled with how the world thinks of things.  I think it is a way Satan uses the world to continue to brainwash us as we grow from children to teenagers, to high schools and college and then ultimately into the workforce. 

Look at little children.  The most dependent members of a society.  They have no power to ensure they will be protected.  They have no power to make sure they are comfortable.  Little children are powerless.  Little children are 100% dependent on others for their most basic needs.  They cry out when they don't even know what is wrong or what they need.  Little children must trust their lives to someone who is more powerful than they are.

We too must dare to admit that we are truly powerless.  We must become like little children in a sense.

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Mark 10:13-16

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are a child of God.  We are His children.  When we receive the kingdom of God, we must understand that He is in control of it.  Nothing happens without Him knowing.

Jesus died for you and me.  He was the substitute.  He bore all of our sins.  By his stripes we were healed.

When I look at what He did, I once again realize that each of us are truly powerless just like little children.

For His glory alone,

A Wretch Like Me



Most Important Resource Overlooked

(As written for the Love Haiti Missions Project Facebook Page)

Dear Friends,

I pray this email finds you well. I am writing you in regards to a very important issue, that hopefully each of you that have “Liked” this page will be seriously involved. I am sure that each of you has been overwhelmed by organizations soliciting you for your financial resources to help Haiti. I want you to know that I truly understand their plea.

With what has transpired in Haiti over the last year and a half has triggered an immense display of organizations sprinting into Haiti and spending millions of dollars advertising their efforts in helping the Haitian population from water purification systems to make-shift shelters. Although my heart has been split in two by these events, as I know yours has too; these events have opened the world’s eyes to one of the most beautiful people I have ever met.

With that said, I believe that the single most important resource needed to truly pave the way for Haiti to once again become the pearl of the Caribbean is being grossly overlooked. I personally believe that all the resources and millions of dollars being spent on all of these good intentioned programs will be eventually lost, if we do not focus on the one most important resource being overlooked that will change Haiti for ever.

Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.”

Haiti will never become the great nation it is meant to be if we continue to throw vital resources at good programs without education.

Educating the next generations and having compassion by reaching the orphaned and abandoned is the single most important issue to the long term sustainable change Haiti needs.

It is paramount that individuals, churches, organizations, ministries, small business, and corporations channel resources to create more schools, train more teachers, resource existing schools and teachers, and operate safe-havens for orphaned and abandoned children in Haiti. Obviously this is not an exhausting list of needs governing education, but it gives each of us a starting place for us to think about where our giving will go.

Our organization was founded on reaching the next generation and educating them. We too have been caught up in immediate relief as most should have after the devastating events, but it we can no longer continue to wait and do the same thing over and over.

Our organization is not big, but we have a big heart for Haiti. We were there before the earthquake and we want to be there for a long time coming. We are not soliciting large amounts of your resources, but we are asking for a little. We are just not asking you to give, we are asking you to partner with us. We are asking you to be part of something bigger. We are asking you to partner with us to change lives one small community at a time.

We are asking for as little as $5 a month. We are asking you to share our vision and ministry with everyone you know. We are asking you to find a lot of people with a heart for Haiti just like you.

The people of Haiti are asking if you will give up a couple sodas or a coffee or two a month to help change lives.

We are embarking on making education and our His House program our major issues in everything we do. We will work to resource schools and teachers, as well as create opportunities for more children to get an education. Our His House program is dedicated to create and operate children homes for orphaned and abandoned children. These homes will give children the education, love and stability they need to become world changers.

I am praying that you will come along side of us and partner with us in this small way to create large lasting change. You can get your partnership started by visiting us at our new site http://www.rtsmissions.com/ and looking for the “Partners” section of our home page.

“You must be the change you wish to see in this world.” Mahatma Gandhi

Loving the children,

Greg Shepherd
President
Love Haiti Missions

Why Do We Lose Our First Love (Part III)

The Underlying Cause Of Losing Our First Love

Is Losing Our Sense Of Needing God

Re-Examining Spiritual Disciplines In The Light of Our First Love

• For Many Christians, the disciplines of prayer, fasting, giving, Bible study and Christian service can bring pride or discouragement - pride if they do them; discouragement if they do not do them or do not see results from doing them.  Both pride and discouragement give way to a new love for the Lord if we see how they are actually designed to maintain a sense of need for God.

We tend to think that the more faithful we are for God the more spiritual we will feel toward God.  But quite the reverse should take place.  The more Paul grew in maturity, the more unworthy and needy he realized he was.  He went from seeing himself as "the last of the apostles" to "the least of the apostles" to "less than the least of the apostles" to, finally, "not worthy to be called an apostle."  That is the kind of spiritual progress that will keep our "first love" alive.

If our goal in each of these disciplines is to understand more deeply our total need and dependence on God, then we will discover the "poverty of spirit" to which the kingdom of heaven belongs.  "Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).

A New Look At Prayer

Each aspect of prayer is designed to maintain our "first love" by reminding us of our sense of need before God.  Praise of His name reveals the need to live so that the name of God is not blasphemed among the Gentiles. (See Romans 2:24)

Petitions open the windows of our motives.  Do they advance the needs of God's kingdom, or are they attempts to build up our reserves so we will not have to call on Him so much in the future?  Confession reminds us of our hall of shame and our unworthiness before a holy God.  It exposes our need for moment-by-moment power from Him for victory.

Thanksgiving measures our sense of need by how many specific items we can thank Him for during each day.  Intercession builds a bridge to share the needs of others before God's throne.

A New Look At Studying The Bible

Reading scripture certainly causes us to grow in grace and in the know;edge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But the initial function of getting into God's Word is not to grow but to see our need to grow.  As newborn babes we are to "...desire the sincere milk of the word..." (1 Peter 2:2).  Our sense of need turns into our desire for the Word.

Sometimes as we read we become discouraged as we learn more and more about God's holy standards.  We realize how far short we fall in reaching them.  But this very sense of discouragement can be transformed into a deeper sense of need before a loving, merciful god.  "For He knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust" (Psalm 103:14).  This kind of need is vital to maintain our first love.

A New Look At Giving

The command to "freely give" when we have "freely received" is a practical necessity if we are to maintain our sense of dependence upon the Lord.  The tithe is not just "a giving of the tenth" but a weekly reminder that it all belongs to God.

The more we build assets for our future, the more prone we are to feel that we do not need God in ways that other people do.  In reality, a rich man needs Him more.  "Charge them that are rich in this world,  that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches..." (1 Timothy 6:17).  Giving beyond the tithe is to offset the drive to be "...Rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing..." (Revelation 3:17).  That which we do not give away represents responsibility, not ownership.

A New Look At Fasting

Fasting is one of the most effective reminders of our need to depend upon God for "our daily bread."  It is also a vital reminder of the warning God gave to His own people: "Beware...Lest when thou hast eaten and art full...thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God..." (Deuteronomy 8:11-14).

Fasting illustrates the reality that a man's life does not consist of the things he possesses, and that he does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.  Fasting dims the things of this world.  It opens up a deeper awareness of the spiritual , mental, and emotional needs which we have.

A New Look At Service

One of the greatest benefits of Christian service is not to those who are served, but to those who are serving.  The requirements of ministering to the spiritual needs of others force us to see new areas of need in ourselves, and as a result we have a greater dependence on God.

The statements, "I am not capable of teaching that class" or, "I cannot witness" totally miss the point of Spirit-led Christian service.  It is not that we are sufficient within ourselves so that we do not really need God's fresh touch of power, but that we are totally inadequate to do anything apart from God's power working through us.

Paul explained, "...I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling...that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (1Coritnthians 2:3-5).

The "PRESSURE" That Maintains Our "First Love"

• The Pressure of knowing God's standards and not being able to achieve them in ourselves can be a powerful motivation to keep our "first love" alive - if we understand the following aspects of God's ways.

A. BIRTH OF A VISION

• God reveals"...the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (II Corinthians 4:6)
• Jesus Christ reveals Himself to us by the commands which He gave us.  "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me...and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (John 14:21
• We are required to keep His holy standards.  "...As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manners of conversation" (I Peter 1:15)

B. Death Of A Vision

• We discover that we can not keep God's laws.  Every single person is a sinner by birth and by practice.  All deserve eternal death.
• But Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, shed His blood to redeem all who God raised from the dead (Romans 3:23, 4:24, 5:8, 10:9).
• As sons and daughters of God we still find we cannot achieve God's holy standards.

Satan's Promptings

1. "Fulfill God's laws by your own energy." (This is Legalism.)
2. "Reject God's laws since you are under grace."  (This is license.)

C. Supernatural Fulfillment

• Our inability to keep God's standards forces us to maintain a moment-by-moment sense of need for and dependence upon the Lord
• It forces us to abide in Him and have His Word abide in us (John 15:7)
• It forces us to call upon God daily for His grace (desire and power) to live the Christian life and to learn to be sensitive to the promptings of His Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16)
• Each failure makes us more aware of our total unworthiness, our gratefulness for God's mercy, and the power of His might.

Some might need to fall in love all over again.  I'll be praying for you.

For His glory alone,







Why Do We Lose Our First Love (Part II)

The Underlying Cause Of Losing Our First Love Is Losing Our Sense Of Needing God

God's Examples To Us

We see a process in God's dealing with His own people.  God led Israel out of the bondage of Egypt to the Promise Land.  Each step of the way brought new needs which were far beyond the Israelites' ability to meet: deliverance from the pursuing Egyptian army, food and water in the desert, and direction on where and when to move.  All through those years God did not allow His people to plant crops or to build houses; they were totally dependent on His provision, direction, and protection.  Even the absence of manna one day each week was a powerful reminder not to take Him for granted.

When the Israelites reached the border of the Promised Land, God predicted that they would lose their love for Him, and He told them exactly how it would happen.  The very same sequence takes place in our lives today.

How We Lose Our Since of Need

As soon as God allowed Israel to enjoy the abundant provisions of the Promised Land, they forgot the idea of a day-by-day provision for their needs.  They no longer counted on the hand of God for bread, but trusted in their own hands and land to raise crops.  They no longer needed God to keep their shoes from wearing out.  They multiplied their gold and silver so they could make and buy all the shoes they wanted.

Before long the very warning that God gave them beforehand came true.   "Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today,  lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage."
Deuteronomy 8:11-14

Often we are very aware of physical needs.  But we must also become more and more aware of our spiritual, mental, and emotional needs.  The more we are aware of all these needs, the more intense is our prayer.  The more we are aware of God meeting these needs, the more genuine is our thanksgiving.  And the more we tell others of His greatness in meeting needs, the more sincere is our praise.

When we are secure for the future and well-fed for the present, we begin to believe that we can avoid the consequences of violating God's standards.  This is a good one to read again...When we are secure for the future and well-fed for the present, we begin to believe that we can avoid the consequences of violating God's standards.  We become bold in doing those things which displease Him.  We do not fear His not meeting our needs because they are already met.

There is wisdom in Proverbs 30:8-9 "Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches.  Feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.

How Things Become Gods

When God provides for our needs, we tend to become vain and think it was our own strength or wisdom.  We become ungrateful and fail to maintain our dependence upon God.  Instead, we depend upon our own abilities, wisdom, strength, and resources.

For example, if we expect money to do for us what only God can do, then money has become our God.  We begin to build our life around our source of security.

Then when problems come which are beyond our resources to solve, and our security is threatened, we experience fear.  Fear of loss is God's signal that we have transferred our dependence from Him to something or someone else.  Fear may be the signal that God is getting ready to remove a false god out of our lives so that we can restore our sense of need for Him.

Twelve Evidences That We Have Lost Our "First Love" For The Lord

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Revelation 2:4

1. When my delight in the Lord is no longer as great as my delight in someone else, I have lost my "First Love." And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength...Mark 12:30
2. When my soul does not long for times of rich fellowship in God's word or in prayer, I have lost my "First Love."  As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. Psalm 42:1
3. When my thoughts during leisure moments do not reflect upon the Lord, I have lost my "First Love."  God is not in all his thoughts...Psalm 10:4 
4. When I claim to be "only human" and easily give in to those things I know displease the Lord, I have lost my "First Love." If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15:10 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. John 14:15
5. When I do not willingly and cheerfully give to God's work or to the needs of others, I have lost my "First Love."  But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?  1 John 3:17
6. When I cease to treat every Christian brother/sister as I would the Lord, I have lost my "First Love."  ...inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:40; A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34
7. When I view the commands of Christ as restrictions to my happiness rather than expressions of His love, I have lost my "First Love." He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21
8. When I inwardly strive for the acclaim of this world rather than the approval of the Lord, I have lost my "First Love." Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15; If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:19
9. When I fail to make Christ or His words known because I fear rejection, I have lost my "First Love." 
   Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. John 15:20
10. When I refuse to give up an activity which I know is offending a weaker brother/sister, I have lost my "First Love." And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. Romans 14:15
11. When I become complacent to sinful conditions around me, I have lost my "first Love." Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, Matthew 24:12
12. When I am unable to forgive another for offending me, I have lost my "First Love." Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:20

I can personally tell you that I will be digging into a couple of these twelve personally as they have struck a major cord or should I say nerve with me.  I pray that this give you some scriptural insight to how we can lose our "First Love" and become Luke-Warm Christians.

In Part III we will be Re-examining Spiritual Disciplines in the light of our First Love.  I give thanks to Bill Gothard for his Godly insights and wisdom into scripture for these wonderful truths.

Praying for you...do everything for His glory alone.

Why Do We Lose Our First Love? (Part I)

I just think it is so cool to go to church and hear a message that you have been giving in another context for about 2 or three months, and not only hear that message, but hear part of a message regarding a topic that you have have been reading about for the last 2 weeks.  Not only did the the topic come up, but the exact same phrase.

For months I have been going through Radical with our BFC and talking about how are lives need to be different than those of the world.  Christians need and are called to be different.  Bottom line!  I sat there (and I already have asked for forgiveness for this) thinking, "you got to be kidding me.  I have been going over this stuff for months."  I was just sitting there trying not to look to righteous, you know sitting there like I was paying attention and twirling my pen that I was so eagerly waiting to take notes with, and then all of a sudden he said it. 

I quickly perked up and asked myself did I just hear what I thought I heard?  Did he just mention something that has been on my heart and mind for the last two weeks?  All of a sudden he mentioned it again, and it was confirmed.  He did mention it.  His message was about walking wisely and then it he started talking about becoming Luke-warm and then he mentioned it...First Love!  He mentioned that a reason people become Luke-warm and they do not look different than the world is that they have lost their first love.

I thought that was so cool!  WHY?  Well not only was I given study materials that spoke to this very topic, but I have been haunted by this very scenario for a very long time.  When I got saved, just like you, Jesus radically changed my life.  I was going to church 3 times a week, going to Bible study twice a week, Life Change University courses, and got involved in the recreation ministry coaching kids and sharing bible lessons with them at practice.  Everywhere you turned you were bound to see me.  Nothing was more important than church and Jesus during this time.

One Sunday morning during the meet and greet portion of the service, one of the guys I shook hands with made a statement to me that has stayed with me ever since.  I can't remember what made him say it, but this is what he said to me, and it was centered towards my enthusiasm for Christ.  He said, "Give it 10 years."

You see, the reason this is very real for me at this point in time and how this is all working in my life right now, is that I get this material that talks about losing our first love, and then the message tonight brings up the same exact phrase "Losing Your First Love", and most importantly the fact that in just four days, February 20, 2011 will mark the 9th year of my salvation. (Almost 10 years)

I mention this because I am having my own battle with my first love.  I don't necessarily believe I have lost my first love, but I am definitely having severe communication issues at the moment.  On one hand the statement that guy made 9 years ago has driven me so far to strive not to lose the love I have for Jesus Christ and what He has done for me, on the other hand I feel isolated because of what God has done in my life and the things I have witnessed in ministry including the good and the bad.  Being on staff at a church, there are  just somethings you deal with and don't tell anyone about even other pastors, even if those things are done to you and said about you and your family.  You can never talk of these things because you don't want to affect the church or belief and walk of new and growing Christians.  Over a period of time, this could possibly make you luke-warm, couldn't it?

It is very difficult for me to be writing this,as I mentioned it is hard to talk about anything.  Pastors and leadership look at you and think you may not be as sound as they thought and not worthy to lead or for them to place stock in you.  Others including friends and supporters may think you have lost it and it's not wise to donate to your ministry especially after hearing that there have been thoughts of leaving it.  There will be people that support our ministry and are very gracious, and possibly look at my comments and think that it is not a wise choice to be giving to this ministry.  You can easily see why it is a two-edged sword talking about things like this.

I have been wrestling with the perception that everything I have tried to accomplish for the Lord has failed.  I have been wrestling with the thought of leaving the ministry, asking someone else to teach the Bible study I lead, and possibly walking away from church and church activities altogether.  Like me, I am sure others also wrestle with being the spiritual leader of the family, being able to provide for their family.  You might have a child or children looking to you to put an exclamation point on everthing you are teaching them.  "Train up a Child in the way they should go."  These things if left unchecked could fester into major concerns.  It has been a rough year emotionally and physically for me.  Hopefully everyone who knows me can say that I have always tried to keep Christ in the front of everything, but has it just been satan beating me up and taking his tole?  Has it been God correcting His child?  Have I become Luke-warm and lost my first love? 

Right now I am investigating the answers to these questions, and I am expectant that the answers will be laid out in this time of writing and reading.

I will be leading you (if you so choose to follow me) through some great discussions and suggestions about "Why Do We Lose Our First Love?"

• Is it because of disobedience?  No, because we can obey God and still not have the excitement of that "first love."
• Is it because of not reading the Word?  No, even the Pharisees read and studied the Word.
• Is it because of not praying?  No, we can pray and still be spiritually cold.
• Is it because of not witnessing?  No, it is possible to witness and still be aware of a dullness in our soul.

The Underlying Cause Of Losing Our First Love Is Losing Our Sense Of Needing God

Our need for God is the very motivation that brings us to salvation.  This is what brought that father, mother, and daughter to salvation.  Once God begins to meet our needs, however, we tend to forget that we have them.  We become rich and increased with goods and feel that we have need of nothing.  Then we lose our first love. Revelation 3:17

Thanks for tuning into Part I, but it's late and I have to be up at 5am.  I'm brand new to this, but follow my blog and get the next part of this exciting journey.  Part II should be out tomorrow night sometime.

In Part II we will discuss:

• God's examples to us
• How we lose our sense of need
• How things become Gods, and possibly
• The twelve evidences that we have lost our "First Love" for the Lord

No Plan B

Hello!  Well I can honestly admit that it is a lot harder to post every day than I thought it would be.  I am sitting here and I can't even remember everything that has kept me from posting.  Is that sad or what?  Is my life really that busy that I can't remember everything I did in the last couple days that kept me from posting on this blog?
That is a startling realization.  Was I busy just doing stuff:  Family stuff, friend stuff, unnecessary stuff, irrelevant stuff (I guess that would be unnecessary stuff).  I can't even think of names to give stuff, so why should I be busy doing stuff.  Does that make sense?  I think it does to me.

The way I look at it, we should really only be doing a couple of "Stuff" categories!  We should be enjoying our Family stuff.  Our number one ministry as a Christian is our family.  We should be spending time with our family and sharing the Joy of Christ with our families.  This is good stuff.

We should be all about Bible "Stuff", or God "Stuff", Jesus "Stuff."  We should be about our Father's business just as Jesus was in Luke 2:49.  We must be about our Father's business.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior we become children of God.  He is our Heavenly Father.  This is what God tells us in John 1:12: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

As children of God we are to be about His business.  What is His business?  Making Him known and glorifying His name to all the nations.  We are His "Plan A."  There is no "Plan B" we are it.  God intends for every child of God to use every blessing He gives to us to bless others by glorifying Him and making Him known to all nations.

I was reading a passage of scripture the other day that I have read a thousand times, and have used hundreds of times in speaking engagements and normal biblical conversations.  Although, due to some other readings and a Bible Study I am leading, the Holy Spirit revealed to me a piece of the scripture that has eternal implications for those without Christ and I believe marching orders for ever person in the world who says they are a follower of Jesus Christ.

John 14:1-6 Is the scripture I mentioned above, but the actual verse that touched my heart was verse 6.  Jesus said to them, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me." 

What finally got my attention were two little words..."No One."  Every single person that does not hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Except Him as their Savior will spend eternity in hell separated from God.  NO ONE...NOT ONE...comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ.

We are it.  There is no Plan B.

DO you think we should be about our Father's business?

What We Deserve

I hope everyone is doing alright tonight.  Yesterday's reading in Genesis 3-5 and today's reading in Genesis 6-7 really gives us a magnificent picture of God's wrath and grace.  It is so easy to compare the events of my reading with modern day times.  Cain and Able for instance.  How many times a week do we read or hear something on the news which people are on trial and getting arrested for PRIDE, COVETING, ADDICTIONS, etc...etc..

(James 1:14-15) "But each one is tempted when he is drawn awayby his owndesires and enticed.  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it's full-grown, brings forth death.

Cain murders his brother becuase God favored his brothers sacrifice over Cain's and he couldn't handle that.  That is pride.  Adam and Eve at from a tree that was forbidden to them.  Can you imagine, they had everything a person could ever want.  God gave them food, beauty, land, security, relationship, and most of all community with the one true living God.  The were set up.  They were not in need of anything! But becuase they were told they could not have the fruit from on stinking tree out of thousands, they thought they were being wronged.  They felt they were being denied, that they were being treated unfairly, that God was keeping the best from them.  Once enticed they began to think they could be just like God if they ate from this tree.  Ooops.

I wonder how many of us if we really think about it, and i have, and it is a bunch, continue to go after the things God is telling us we are not to partake in, or we do not need.  He says, "Here is all that you need to be my disciple.  Do not worry, I will take care of you."  He gives us food, but we want more food.  He gives us a roof over our head, but we decide we need a bigger one.  He gives us a form of transportaion, but we need a more expensive one or multiple forms of transportation.  He gives us a job, but we feel we deserve better and more money.

I find myself amazed that the world is even still functioning.  After reading in Genesis 6-7 reagarding the wickedness of man and their judgment through the great flood I ask myself, how can we still be allowed to breathe?  I was even saddend by the Holy Spirits words to describe the situation.  Several hours later the words I read are still echoing in my soul.  Chapter 6 vs. 5-7, Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only eveil continually.  And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart...I will destroy man...for I am sorry that I ever made them.

Can you imagine?  God was so grieved, that He mentions...TWICE...that He was sorry that He even made man!  That really rocked my world when I read that for several reasons, but I will talk about those at another time.  I couldn't imagine what was going on at that time that could be anywhere close to what is going on in this world today.

Let me stop right here and say that I am not putting myself on a pedestal.  Just read the title of this Blog, "A Wretch Like Me."  I will be the first to tell you that I have done some things that now looking back on, I deserve no less than what these people got in these chapters of Genesis. 

Anyway, just picking up the paper or listening to the news is filled with trash.  Government officials, Religious leaders, military leaders all getting caught up in sex scandals, or lying, cheating, stealing, etc...etc..  The list goes on and on.  Just today before I started to write, I look at the paper and on the front page there was an article of a Police Officer who was arrested because he was caught having sex with a 20something in the back of his unmarked police car.  This guy has been married for 15 years.  You have to be kidding me.  Our culture is not shocked by a single thing anymore.  Nothing disturbs us.  Well nothing disturbs us morally I should say.  Have a construction company accidenttally knock down a tree with a nest in it and the public wants the owners crucified, but let a President of the United States have relationships with a woman other than his wife and he continues to be a man of leadership and esteemed.  All of our movies and tv shows glorify Adultry, Divorce, Pre-marital sex, Teen Moms, and many, many more issues that are litterally cancerous to our culture.

I witness every day people who profess to be Christians share how they love all the shows and music that depict lifestlyes contray to what God's Word says.  I see them write cuss words on their social media pages, I see them talk about women and men as if they were pieces of meat up for auction and even the slaughter house.  Followers of Jesus Chrsit (Christians), can not be of the world.  We can not sit by and read the Bible and attend Sunday service and hear a great message yet go buy some beer with the buddies for the Christmas or New Years Eve Party.

What do we deserve?  We deserve nothing less than the people in Genesis 7 got.  An eternal everlasting death tormented by fire that we feel for an eternity.  That is what we deserve if not worse.

Do you understand that those professing Christians that practice lawlessness mentioned above will be experiencing exactly that torment that I described.  Please read these words:

Mattew 7:13-27

The Narrow Way

 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

I Never Knew You

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Please understand that not everyone who professes to be a Christian will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  You can not be a Christian and continue to use language that God hates.  You can not be a Christian and continue to act in ways that God hates.  You can not be a Christian and continue to fool around with your boyfriend when no one is looking.

What do we deserve?  We deserve death!

What do we get?  GRACE!  We get God's Grace!  God is in love with you and me so much that He sent His son to pay the price that we deserve to pay.  God's Grace is sufficient to cover every sin in our lives!  Past, Present, and Future. 

We so much deserve death, but God has given us life through His son Jesus Christ.  Thank you Jesus.  Thank you my Lord and Savior for Saving Me.  Thank you...Thank You....THANK YOU...for saving...A Wretch Like Me!

Filler Session

Well, I just got finished with my reading.  Genesis 3-5 and Proverbs 8.  I had to get it in before I left to stock shelves with frozen food today and into the late night.  It is humbling and at times down right fustrating for me to be stocking shelves.  Just being honest.  I struggle with it all the time...I really struggle with God about it.  It's just one of those things, I know that it should be a blessing that I have a job as so many people are looking for work, (Alot of people out of work won't lower themselves to get a job at Publix or McDonald's or any other place that pays them way lower than what they think they should make) That just came out like I was typing outloud.  People say it's all part of God's plan, He is in control of everything, etc...,etc...

Well, I will elaborate on my reading and thoughts later tonight when I get home.  Which is will be later than I would like.  LOL

In The Beginning

Well, one of my new year resolutions or tasks that I have listed to check off December 31, 2011 is to read the whole Bible.  I am on day two and so far it is going really well. LOL I had really planned on getting my reading done much earlier in the day, but hey...baby steps right?  At least it is the 2nd day of the new year and I am caught up.

The reading so far was Genesis 1-2, John 1:1-3, Psalm 8, and Psalm 104.  It just feels good to read God's Word.  Even the part's you have read before.  It helps reinforce what you believe and know to be true, and it helps to answer questions you might have been thinking about for a while.  Then again, it will also create additional questions.  It seems like just one big cycle and as you continue to answer question after question you find yourself growing in wisdom and knowledge, but always having more questions.

We all have friends that have different beliefs about certain things in the Bible.  Some believe in speaking in tongues, baptism saves you, you need to be sprinkled, the trinity is 3 different people, etc...etc...

I love everyone of my friends who believe differently than I do, but you guys are just wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong.  In love of course.  We have some really good friends who are Apostolic Pentecostal.  I love these guys to death and they are amazing people.  I have a lot of fun with them because they do not believe in the Trinity.  They will not even listen to me when I try and give scripture as evidence or testimony.  The wife of our dear friends would always say, "We will just agree to disagree on this one Greg."  I always laugh when she says that, because I am always thinking...uh....no, I can't agree to disagree.  It's really funny.  I guess you would have to be there.

My reading made me think of them because there are two scriptures in my reading that I would use when talking about the Trinity with them.  The first one is actually in the second verse of the Bible.  I think it is really cool because not only in verse one does it declare that "In The Beginning God Created the Heavens and Earth, but in verse two it tells us that His Spirit (Holy Spirit) was with Him hanging out hovering over the waters God created.

The second verse is one you will definitely recognize.  In John 1 verses 1 through 3 it states, "In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God (Father).  He (Jesus) was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made."

So just in these couple verses we have the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  I think it is pretty cool.

I Have No Idea What I'm Doing

I know so many people that have blogs and everyone is talking about blogging, and I have read some very amazing and interesting blogs.  They set them up real nice with nice pictures and gadgets or is that widgets...anyhow, just before the end of the year I started thinking about 2010 as well as '09, '08, etc...etc...

Then I started thinking about 2011.  There were some things I wanted to do in 2011.  You know resolutions.  Although I am like millions of others who made a resolutiion to loose weight, I have also decided to start a blog (that's what your reading now), read the entire Bible, be more radical about my faith, become closer to Jesus, become a better dad and husband, and to really surrender all facets of my life to Jesus Christ to name just few.

There is really no telling what I will write about from day to day, but I am already feeling a little freedom by just hitting these letters on the keyboard.  This blogging thing might be pretty cool.  I will do my best to post sometime every day.  I think this is going to be a real journey for me.  Who knows, maybe for you as well.  Oh...BTW, please don't comment on the punctuation or grammer.  I thinks i am gonna like letting my hair down a little bit. :)