Archive for Blog

Amazing Love

{ May 13, 2012 @ 7:17 pm } · { Blog }
{ Tags: , , , , } · { Leave a Comment }

From time-to-time, I believe God pulls back the veil and allows me to catch a glimpse of His glory and majesty; today was such a day.  In all things, we are to trust God, but this is incredibly hard to do when things go from bad to worse, day after day, but it’s during our trials in life that we find out what we are made of.  Years ago, I did a Bible study where I read that we are either delivered from, by, or through our trials.  I think it would be safe to say that most of us would rather be delivered from our trials so we didn’t have to experience the pain of living through them, but the reality is that we must walk most of them out.

Trials are a painful sequence of events that feel like a fiery furnace of affliction.  The amazing thing is that it’s in these times that God can use us the most and that is exactly what I saw today.  Someone I know who is literally walking through one of the most fiery trials imaginable had the glory and magnificence of God shining through them.  As I watched this person worshipping and praising the Lord, it truly touched my heart because despite their circumstances, it was evident that God was still in complete control of their life and that they had complete confidence in His plan. Their faith in God and His plan was their foundation and they would not be moved!

The amazing love of God is what made this possible and it can give anyone who believes in Him the strength to weather any storm and when we experience this love, we will never be the same again.  When we are beat down, broken, and hurting, our God becomes our refuge and mighty fortress.  When we can’t begin to fathom why things are happening, He becomes our perfect peace.  When we can’t take any more, He shields us under His outstretched arm and becomes our strong defender.  When it feels like there is a hole where our heart used to be, He fills that void with His perfect love.  Let your faith arise today and chose to believe that God has you in the palm of His hand and that His love for you is greater than any trial you will ever face and that nothing will ever be able to separate you from His perfect love.

Step of Faith

{ May 12, 2012 @ 12:54 pm } · { Blog }
{ Tags: , , , , , , , , } · { Comments (1) }

Let me start this by saying, “Praise God our trials are only temporary!”  In the scope of eternity, whatever we are currently dealing with is only a small blip on the radar of eternity.  That being said, in the now, we still have to deal with our issues and one of the most important things we can do while we are walking them out it is to maintain an attitude of faith.  I have found out a couple of things during my walk with Christ: one, I can’t do it alone, and two, while I am praying for my circumstances to change, God is often waiting to change me through my circumstances.

In Hebrews 11:1, we read, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” and the best time we have to exhibit our faith is when we are in the most difficult situations.  When times are tough and we realize we can’t make it on our own, that is when an attitude of faith decides our outcome.  With faith, we will be on the other side, looking back rejoicing how God took us through hell on earth.  Without faith, we will still be in hell wishing or hoping that someone, anyone would help us.  Not only is faith vital to knowing our God, it is essential to help us in trying to understand how and why God does what He does.  We will never fully understand His ways because they are so much higher than our own, but when we are confident in God and His word, despite our circumstances, there is such a peace that goes along with living.  The amazing thing is that God will always do what is right and best and that confidence comes with faith.

Faith must be our foundation if we are going to stand firm against anything the world throws at us; without it, we will be lucky to just stand at all.  Throughout scripture, faith has played a central role; it has saved nations, it has healed the sick and most importantly, it has provided salvation and forgiveness for our sins.  Faith as tiny as a mustard seed can move mountains, so imagine what unwavering faith could accomplish in your own life and in the lives around you.  God is waiting to take us to the next level and the first step to getting there begins with a step of faith.  With this first step of faith, we can rewrite Hebrews 11:1 to read: “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see!”

Planting Seeds

{ May 3, 2012 @ 3:41 pm } · { Blog }
{ Tags: , , , } · { Comments (2) }

There is a season for everything and I am starting to truly understand that the Lord’s ways are so much better and higher than my own.  Looking back over my life, God has made one thing abundantly clear: when I have any plan in my life that is not His own, I am going to miss out on something so much better than I could ever hope for!  When we choose to walk a path that does not bring glory and honor to the Father’s name, we can be assured there will only be heartache, pain, and despair ahead.  It may not be immediate, but one bad decision has a cunning way of only leading to more bad decisions.  I am speaking from personal experience when I tell you that sin only leads to more sin.

I truly thank the Lord for the seeds that were planted in my life by my parents and by Ron & Ruth Berger with Youth for Christ.  As a result of the love and compassion they poured into my life at an early age,  seeds were planted that took root and later in life acted like a trail of bread crumbs so that I could find my way back to the path of righteousness.  When I did find my way back, God did an amazing work of restoration in my life and now I am winning souls for Christ!

Take a moment, as you read this, and ask God if you are currently on the path you are supposed to be traveling on.  If you are not, I pray that right now a seed is being planted in your life, like the ones that were planted in my own and that you too will find your way back to the path where blessings, mercy and peace are around every corner.  It’s never too late to find the path or return to the path until it is too late.  I can’t get you to your destination, but I can point you in the right direction.  If you are on the path, praise God because that means you too are planting seeds, nurturing them, or preparing them for the harvest.  You see, without the seed nothing will grow, so we all have a part to play.  I pray God blesses each of you abundantly and that the seeds in your life and the ones you have planted will blossom and bear much fruit.  To God be the glory, now and forever!

Every End Has a New Beginning

{ April 18, 2012 @ 1:10 pm } · { Blog }
{ Tags: , , , } · { Comments (4) }

As my time at Parkway Veterinary Hospital draws to a close, I am left with a flood of emotions. I have never had to leave something I loved so much, but I know in my heart to do anything else with life, besides full time ministry, would be living in sin.  I have been preparing to enter this new chapter for almost 3 years and there have been plenty of schemes and sidetracks meant to derail me from God’s best, but I have kept the faith, stayed the course, and fought the good fight.  I have learned so many things while working in the veterinary profession, but one on the most profound realizations I found occurred while observing a pet’s outlook on life.  Animals choose to live their lives to its fullest potential, and are therefore not anchored to past hurt or grief.  Animals also show little concern for the future because they live in the moment.  We as humans spend way too much time in our lives either trying to fix the past or avoiding the future and we spend way too much time worrying about both.

Leaving the Parkway family is truly going to be a bitter sweet occasion.  Dr. Waits has treated me like I was his son and that truly made me feel loved and needed.  There is no possible way I can express all he has done for me and there is no way I could ever repay his kindness or his acts of love, but I am sure he will receive his reward in heaven and I just pray that while he is here, that God anoints everything he sets his hands to and that God blesses his family abundantly for all they do and for the way they live their lives.  Meeting someone who is as loving & caring as him is rare, but working for an individual with these same godly traits is even more uncommon.  I will truly miss our times of fellowship and getting to see his faith and love in action.  The best way I can describe Dr. Waits is love with skin on; he is truly what a Christian should be and he lives his life seeking God daily and is truly a man after the Lord’s heart.  If something brings glory and honor to the Lord’s name, you will find this great man doing it.  Every person at Parkway has played a vital role in preparing me for this next chapter in life and I will truly miss working with all of them.  The very thought of not getting to see each of them regularly and not getting to hear what is going on in their lives is going to be one of the hardest parts of leaving.

I know the only way I can move forward to receive the many new blessings God is waiting to pour out into my life is to let go of the old because the things of our past, no matter how great they were, pale in comparison to what God is waiting to bring to fruition.  The saddest part is that He is often waiting for us to just take one step of faith before we can see the awesome things He is waiting to show us.  Can you imagine wanting something so bad and all you had to do was act justly, walk humbly, love mercifully, or simply take one step of faith in something God was calling you to, only to stop just before the finish line?  Having run this race, I can tell you: we all have come too far to stop now!  We have to stop allowing fear of the future and guilt from our past to hinder us from God’s best in our lives.  God can and will use our past, present, and future when we surrender our lives to Him.  He will use our past mistakes to minister to people walking through similar circumstances; He will use our current stumbling blocks in life as stepping stones to bring glory and honor to His name as we overcome them.  When we trust in the Lord, our future will be bright enough to overcome any adversity.  Each day, God pours out a new measure of mercy and grace to make it through anything we are struggling with.  He doesn’t give us what we need to make it through tomorrow; He gives us exactly what we need to make it through today.  This teaches us to rely on Him and to seek Him daily.

There were times as I was waiting for this ministry opportunity to happen that I had complicated letting my dream die and to just give up, but Hebrews 10:35 reminded me, “Do no throw away your confidence which has great reward.”   We constantly miss out because we give up when things become hard or uncertain.  What we must remember is that God’s timing in everything is perfect and His will for our lives is so much better than anything we could ever hope for.  This principle is hard for most people to grasp.  How can God know what is best?  He can because He sees the end from the beginning and He knows the outcome to every choice we make, as well as the consequences they lead to.  It is darkest just before the dawn, so if you are doing something you know you are called to do, I want to encourage you to just hold on a little bit longer.  A brand new supply of mercy and grace is on its way and you too will soon have your reward.  If you take one thing away I hope it is this: Whatever your heart longs for, you must never give up on.  Keep on asking and you will receive God’s perfect will.  Keep on seeking and you will find His perfect peace.  Keep on knocking and the door to His kingdom will be opened to you.

Trial by Fire

{ March 31, 2012 @ 4:12 pm } · { Blog }
{ Tags: , , } · { Comments (1) }

To say that this last month has been a challenge would be sugar coating it.  Although, not being in the NICU is a definite improvement, the never-ceasing crying and colic that has ensued since coming home is way beyond any sense of normalcy.  I am quickly learning that the best way to give God a good laugh is to try and make a plan, because we are totally off the reservation.  We praise the Lord for the air He has breathed into her lungs and simply believe that she is going to be an awesome Christian recording artist or that she will reach multitudes through her speech.

What we have walked through, I would classify as a fiery trial; one that has lasted longer and burned hotter than I could ever imagine.  Even in the midst of the flames, I sensed God was at work and I remain faithful that we will emerge from this fiery furnace without even smelling like smoke.  When my faith drifted to doubt and when my confidence waivered towards self-pity, He would quickly bring to mind all the things I had to praise Him for.  There is tremendous power that is released when we can praise Him in the midst of our pain and torment.  If we can praise Him, even when fear and anguish bombards us from all sides, He will come alongside us to comfort us and when we can walk no further, He will carry us.

In times of despair, when challenges seem to be around every corner and when fear of doing anything paralyzes us, we must look to God for courage, guidance, and strength.  When we allow the enemy to rob us of these God-given promises, we must remember that our God is faithful, righteous, and just.  Then, instead of praying that God would send us a new supply of these promises, we should be praying that God will give us what we need so that we can take back what the enemy stole.  Regardless of what we are walking through, Jesus is standing right beside us waiting for us to reach out to him and whether or not we emerge from our fiery trials burned or smelling like smoke is up to us.

Change and trials are inevitable and as I am entering into a new season of my life as a parent and as a pastor, I know I must continually stay on guard for anything meant to derail God’s best for my life.  I must never lose sight of the big picture, while remaining faithful and true to my God.  In one year, God has fulfilled my two greatest desires, while protecting me from certain death twice.  I want my lips to continually praise Him and I want my actions to always edify Him, while bringing glory to His name.  No problem is too hard or too insignificant for Him and He promises to watch over all those who love Him, so I encourage you to reach out to the Lord during your next trial.  If you are in one right now, call out His name and He will lead you out and be quick to give Him praise through whom all blessings flow.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

{ January 14, 2012 @ 3:56 pm } · { Blog }
{ Tags: , , , , , } · { Comments (1) }

Life’s seasons can easily overwhelm us and we can often be tempted into dwelling on how bad things are.  When we walk or sometimes drag ourselves through these times, the mistake we often make is blowing things out of proportion.  This of course, is the last thing you want to hear when you are walking through one of these seasons, but it is also the truth.  Even when we can’t see how a situation could possibly work out, God does and where there seems to be no way, He has already made a way.  Our challenge is to keep a healthy perspective, stop trying to rationalize everything and to keep looking ahead knowing that this too shall pass.  Even when it feels like you can stand no more on your own, you must know that you can simply fall on Jesus.

God is still on the throne and He has brought us this far and He is not about to abandon us. He promises us in His Word that no weapon formed against us shall prosper and even though times of trouble are inevitable, our discouragement is optional.  The power of our faith is what pulls us through our physical and emotional pain.  In our times of crisis, we must remember that there are no surprises to God.  The Lord knows the end from the beginning; He isn’t running around trying to keep ahead of our mistakes.  God wastes no experience and even now, He has us in the palm of His hand.  He does not allow anything to come into our life without a divine purpose.  I had to experience extreme pain and humbling before I would act justly, walk humbly, and love mercifully.  I forced the Lord’s hand by making choices that did not line up with His holiness.  That being said, even now, He is turning my time of testing and despair into testimony because when I hit rock bottom, I found out just how much He loved me as He reached into my life and healed my brokenness.  When we walk through a crisis, His purpose is not only to show His faithfulness and power to us, but also to those around us.  He will take things meant to destroy us and will use them for our greatness.  Someone recently told me that I had the worst luck given my recent accidents, but the more I began to dwell and pray about that statement, the more I began to realize that it really meant I had the greatest potential to be a positive example by trusting in God completely.  I know first-hand how easy it is to get down on yourself when you feel like you are doing everything right, but bad things keep happening to you.  If this is you, let me speak some truth into your life: often, you will have times of trouble, not because you are doing something wrong, but because you are doing something right.  It’s because you are a threat to the enemy and he wouldn’t be bothering with you if God didn’t have amazing plans for you.  The enemy wants nothing more than for you to remain bitter, discouraged, and blaming God to keep you from your God-given destiny and to keep you from helping people who are walking through the exact thing you are.  When we chose to do the right thing, even when bad things keep happening to us, we take one step closer to victory.  Remember, the greatest legacy is not the things we leave for people, it is what we leave in people.  I encourage you to reach out to those around you who are walking through tough times and to pray about areas the Lord might be calling you to help His children and better His kingdom. To Him be the glory, now and forever!

Keep Your Head Up

{ January 2, 2012 @ 4:27 pm } · { Blog }
{ Tags: , , } · { Comments (3) }

Despite how far I’ve come and how bright I know my future in Christ is, I still find myself discouraged from time-to-time.  Life has a way of beating and wearing us down and regardless of past successes, there will come a time that our happiness and joy will be tested.  Often, when I feel discouraged, it is accompanied by a sense of feeling lost and sometimes hopeless.  Little by little, I feel myself being worn down, and then spread too thin, ultimately being pulled in too many directions, and then burned out. 

It is during these times I must remind myself: there are greater victories in my future than I have experienced in my past and when I can’t see past my setbacks, I end up settling for less than God’s best. In trying times, we must remember that where we are is not where God intends us to stay.  Discouragements are just part of seasons we walk through and when we rise above our despair, we will pass the test, even when it feels like God is a million miles away.  I’ve learned that even when God seems to be silent in my trials, He has never left my side and His arm is outstretched waiting for me to grab hold of Him.  You see, when we don’t allow the enemy to discourage us, one of his greatest weapons has been lost.  He wants us to feel hopeless and not worth saving, but God created us to have life and to have it abundantly.  God’s presence with us is one of His greatest presents to us.

Believe in your heart that today is a new day and regardless what life throws at you, that you are believing God to birth hope, comfort, and peace in you to combat any despair or discouragement.  When we trust Him to be our rock and refuge, He will put a new song in our heart and He will lift us out of any pit of despair we are trapped in.  One of my favorite scriptures in Isaiah 40:31: “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  One of the coolest things about eagles is their ability to fly higher than any adversary.  God gives us this same ability when we put our faith and trust in Him to soar above any attack from the enemy.  When we put our faith and trust in the Lord, we will fly higher than anything meant to harm or destroy us, so trust Him to turn even your discouragement and despair into hope and happiness; His Word promises it!  To Him be the glory, now and forever.

God’s Best

{ December 10, 2011 @ 9:26 pm } · { Blog }
{ Comments (3) }

To receive God’s best requires that we have to do things God’s way.  Being a stubborn person, this was a hard lesson for me to learn, but it was one in which I learned that through our failures, His love and forgiveness are unconditional.  I also learned that it is through our obedience that we open the door to His abundant blessings and it is when we submit to God’s authority over our lives that we see first-hand what the land of more than enough looks like.  When we choose to follow Him, He leads us to the land of blessings, a place where we shall not want.

In I Thess. 5:16-18, we read, “Be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  This scripture is very important because for us to be obedient, it says that God’s will for us is to remain joyful, even in our most difficult circumstances.  When we remain joyful, even when the sky seems to be falling, we are showing others that despite what is going on around us; our faith and trust are in God.  When it seems that all hope is lost, if we will remain joyful and turn to the Lord, He will blanket us with His supernatural peace, comfort, and strength allowing us to persevere where others would be hopelessly lost in despair.  When we are able to look past our problems and declare that despite what is going on, we believe that God has plan, even when we can’t see one, He will see you through.  He will guide you when you need wisdom, He will support you when you need help, and He will carry you when you can go no further on your own.

We cannot begin to understand why things happen in our lives; the moment we think we know, we are only fooling ourselves.  What we can do is make the most out of our circumstances.  What we have walked through is our testimony and God wastes no experience, no pain, and no tear.  His ways are so much higher than our own and His best is so much better than our best.  To receive His best, all we must do is remain joyful, prayerfully seek His will in our lives, and give thanks in all our circumstances.  We often fool ourselves into thinking that other people have it better and how much better our life would be if we could switch places with someone, but I heard a funny saying that sums this erroneous mentality up: “If the grass looks greener on the other side, it’s probably because they are living on a septic tank.”  Even when things looks great or when it seems someone has it all together; just remember no one’s best is better than God’s best.  We all have baggage and drama in our lives; the difference is we have Jesus Christ who abides in us.  He gives us the strength to walk through life and when we trust in Him, He will either fight our battles for us or through us.  All he asks of us is to remain joyful, be thankful, and to trust in Him.  I encourage you to take a step of faith and reach out to someone who is walking through a difficult circumstance; become a mentor to someone younger than you, speak life into someone’s life that needs a friend.  Remember, we were all lost at one time and as followers of Christ, we are all called to reach this lost and hurting world. To Him be the glory, now and forever!

Heart of the Matter

{ December 5, 2011 @ 11:48 pm } · { Blog }
{ Comments (4) }

When God works in us, it is normally from the inside out and the transformation that occurs is in our heart.  What we must realize is everyone’s heart is thirsty for something, so we must guard what and who we thirst for.   To do this, we must maintain a repentant heart and I find it very interesting that our first experience with Christ comes through a repentant heart.  We often think of repentance as a turning point or a turning away from former things, but a key component we often fail to include is turning towards something that is good and pure.  Sin has a vicious way of rearing itself in many forms, so we must constantly be on guard in all areas of our lives by staying connected to the vine, to the true living source, to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  You see, it is through our repentance that our failures become conquered and God is able to give us new life, filled with purpose and belonging.

I often caution people that have recently been delivered from a life of sin or from some sort of bondage that they must fill that void in their life with things from above.  I don’t say this to freak them out, I say it because so many times I see people have a road to Damascus experience where they are on fire for the Lord, only to let that joy and freedom fizzle out because areas of their life: (people, places, negative influences, etc.) were allowed to slither their way back into their lives.  Satan’s tactics are cunning and deceptive and God’s word in Matthew 12:45 speaks of the importance of replacing sinful lifestyles with things that are holy and pure.  In this passage, we read that once this evil spirit was cast out, it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they return to where the first one was cast out and the final condition of that man is worse than the first.  That illustration sends chills down my spine because I have lived it and praise God I had godly people in my life that staked themselves next to me and refused to surrender my life over to the enemy.  Satan wants nothing more than to drive a wedge between God and whom the Son sets free.  It pains me to know that this warfare was used in my own life very successfully and just as parents don’t want their children to repeat the mistakes of their past, I pray that those who read this will learn from my ignorance and blatant arrogance.  I lived my life blind without a cause or a clue and through the sinful web I allowed Satan to weave around my life, he simply laid in wait to eternally separate me from the Father.

God had different plans for this child of God and He has different plans for all those who will turn from their wicked ways with a repentant heart.  Right now, I pray for the light that shines bright in me to shine bright enough in you for the whole world to see.  I pray that the work God has begun in you only be the beginning of God’s mercy over your life.  I pray that areas of your life that need reshaping be transformed by the miraculous power of our Savior.  I pray that any areas of bondage be broken and where sin is cast out that 7 angelic, holy, righteous and pure lifestyles take its place.  God has a plan for your life and it is one that gives you a hope and a future, and it is one guaranteed to us through the victory at Calvary.  Trust in Him and remember that the conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith!  To Him be the glory, now and forever.

Keep Your Past Where it Belongs: In the Past!

{ November 17, 2011 @ 2:10 pm } · { Blog }
{ Comments (1) }

Our next step of faith could be the turning point we are looking for and it could break the chains that have held us in bondage for far too long.  I find it very interesting that Paul never prayed for anyone to be delivered from their problems.  He would pray that God would give them the strength needed to persevere with a good attitude.  I think if that happened today, some of us might be inclined to go to the next person in line and have them pray for us…

When we can learn to be happy where we are, God will take us places we could never imagine we would go.  This begins by knowing who we are in Christ, not by listening to what the world or the enemy says about us.  Satan strategically attacks us through a spirit of diminishment.  He wants us to feel as small as possible, so at the precise time he can strike and inflict the most damage.  Because of his strategy, he delights when we indulge in our sinful desires as he just sits by as a meticulous note taker.  He waits and calculates the most opportune time to expose our sin to the world.  As humans, we too use this strategy of diminishment, due to our own insecurity and intimidation.  We try to make others feel small, so that we may feel bigger.  Oftentimes, we feel pressured by the world to fit into a mold of who they want us to be.  We must never let this happen, because when we do, we lose our uniqueness and identity.  God made us different for a reason and the world will always hate or try to change what it does not understand.

I believe some of Satan’s most powerful weapons are our guilt and condemnation; he uses them to drain our strength, energy, enthusiasm, and our closeness to God.  In Isaiah 43:25, we read, “He remembers our sins no more.”  He chooses not to remember our sins, so if God chooses not to remember our sins, then the accusing voice we hear reminding us of all our past failures is most assuredly not God.  Knowing this, we have two choices: we can believe Satan’s lies and allow guilt to keep us from God’s best or we can trust the word of God and believe if God does not condemn me, I am not going to allow Satan’s accusations or my guilt to hinder me from fulfilling my God-given destiny.  Satan desperately wants us to go through life feeling condemned and unworthy, but when we become followers of Christ, God’s mercy trumps any mistakes from our past.  Living in the past will get you nowhere quick, but living your life focused on the bright future you have with Christ will secure your victory over any attack.  Your past is just that: your past, but your future can be whatever you want it to be, when you live to bring glory to the Father.  Don’t let a past failure keep you from the great things God is calling you to accomplish.  Learn from your mistakes and help others not repeat them.  We all have a role in the body of Christ and the sooner we stop listening to the lies of the enemy, the sooner we can become a biblically functioning family dedicated to winning souls for Christ.

« Previous entries