Are you like a Pumpkin?

Are you like a Pumpkin?  Wouldn't you like to be?

Being a Christ Follower is like being a pumpkin.

God picks you from the patch, brings you in and washes all the dirt off you.  Then He cuts open the top and scoops out all the yucky and awful messy stuff inside.  He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, unforgiveness, and anger.  Then with His artistic hand He carves out a unique smiling face and puts His light inside of you (the pumpkin) to shine for all the world to see.

The only difference is that a regular pumpkin will rot in a very short time when carved by men.  Yet the pumpkin that God craves in you will never rot but shine in all situations and the light inside will never go away.  Even when life is rough and the darkness that we encounter daily, His light is still inside and can shine right through any darkest hour.

Now crave a pumpkin for your kids with a new attitude that gives light and not dark evil that the world wants you to celebrate.  Talk to your kids about this parable whereby you can show God's love while simply carving a pumpkin.

Hey God! Surprise!

In listening to a message yesterday the main topic was about Joesph and Forgiveness.  Now if anything could go wrong in a persons life it had to be Joesph.  In Genesis Joesph had dreams about ruling over his brothers and family to which his brothers came to hate him.  So they plotted to kill him but sold him as a slave into Egypt.  Then he was falsely charged with rape and jailed for 22 years.  During that time he still interpreted dreams for a baker, candlestick maker, and the Pharaoh which put him in into the Vice President position of the whole world.  It had been about 30-40 years when his first dream came true because Egypt had food and Israel was starving.  It was his brothers that came to beg for food.

 Yet do you think God was surprised when Joesph was sold into slavery, when he was wrongly thrown into jail?

If God was like us, he'd say, "On no, I had these great plans but now Joesph is heading to slavery.  What am I going to do?"  Or "He has been charged with rape and did nothing but run away.  Now what am I going to do?"  Instead God took the situation that took place on earth and made it into something that built Him up to be more than the God of Creation.

Joseph could have remained angry at his brothers and would have been justified to just send them back to their land.  Instead he forgave them, clothed them, and brought the entire Israel nation to Egypt to survive.  God's plan for the Israel nation to survive and thrive could not have happened unless Joesph had been sold into slavery and gone through what he endured.

Yet in our lives we often get angry at our experiences and blame God for family troubles, incest, job loss, and a number of other events that take place in our lives.  Instead we need to turn MORE to God and forgive those people.  Funny thing is that people who hurt us go on like nothing happened.  It is us who harbor the hurt and anger which in many cases will go beyond the grave of the other person.  So forgive yourself and then you can forgive others.  It is then that God can do something with your life.

Now the Pastor who was preaching this sermon chose early in his life a direction that included drugs, alcohol, sex, drug dealer, and pimp.  It was on a bed in a hospital that he recalled something that he was taught at an early age about the love of God.  His life had been hard and he had endured the childhood agonies we would never wish upon anyone including our family.  Yet God's plan had always been in place for this young man.  God was not surprised but overjoyed.

In giving his life to the Lord unconditionally, he was healed with no drug withdrawals and began a hunger for the best relationship possible with the creator of the Universe.  During this month of Pastor Appreciation I am proud to call this man my pastor and friend.

Chris Stephens walks the walk and talks the talk whereby he was dealt some bad hands like Joesph and yet the Lord continues to raise up his words, experiences  and life to drive people like me to improve my relationship with the Lord.

So today Chris,  thank you for being the man God made you so people like me can continue to learn how to give our lives away.

Oh ya,  God was not surprised 35 years ago in a hospital bed in Chattanooga so He will never be surprised at you and what you are capable of in your life.

There's at Least One Inside All of Us

In the past couple of weeks I have been exposed to some awesome talent in two young men.  These men are writing songs and the music for these songs.   I have heard some of their old stuff which was powerful years ago and now they are working a Christmas CD that will be published in a few weeks.

They put in long hours in the studio to take their creative juices and produce a fantastic sound.  As I heard one of those songs I found myself singing the chorus as it had a great message and rang true in my life.  One song, "I Wish it Was Christmas" held me in front of the speakers in the studio until the last note.

Now I can not write music, but over the years I have learned that everyone has a song within them.  Something you are thinking just keeps coming up in your head.  You should write it down.  As for me I gave something I wrote down years ago to the writer of this group to see if he can put music to the words.  I gave him liberty to adjust the rhyme but he is keeping the theme, "It's Not About Me".  

Beginning in 1998 I began writing a book on Romance.  It took me until 2004 to complete this 240 page book but "Romantic Games Adults SHOULD Play" has been copyrighted but never fully published.  For me, if it never does publish then so be that.  But I have sent the book to male friends of mine who say they do not have a clue on how to be creatively romantic to their wives.  The book elevates women to much more than objects where romance in a creative way which can be inexpensive and yet build esteem in their spouse rather than objects you see on adult sites. 

Your life experiences means that you have at least one book inside you also.  With electronics today you can jot down thoughts and put them in a file and then you can take a little private time to assemble them into a book.  People who may be experiencing an issue you have overcome would like to read how you conquered the issue.

I use this illustration often on the subject of using your life experiences for others.  Look at Acts 8:26-40  Philip met the eunuch who was having trouble understanding what he was reading.  The Spirit told Philip to go near the chariot yet he could have passed by and not  stopped.  But Philip had the experiences to help this man.  And did just that.  

Your experiences you have endured - both good and bad - are opportunities to help people who need you to get them from doing harm to themselves and others.  Do not hate what you have endured as the Lord WILL give you an opportunity to help someone who may not be as strong as you are.

So write that book that is inside of you and that song that is in your heart.  Everyone has at least one inside themselves.  Others will benefit long after you have left this earth.

Hold Us Together!

In today's world we are seeing so much anger between people and the love that our nation should have has turned to seeing relationships lost.  In listening to a caller on the radio this lady said that her father quite talking to her the day she said she had a different opinion about the political leader of the country.  She went on to say that her father told her yesterday that he was writing her out of his will unless she agreed to vote a certain way.  She's 28 years old.

What ever happened to FREE SPEECH?  I have heard recently of injury threats to local and state politicians which in most cases is just local talk but the reality is that we have lost our desire to be ONE NATION, under God.

Persecution is alive and well not only in the world but here in the US.  During this political season we accept words which we know are not true and learn to hate just because a political party of candidate says we are to hate.

There is a verse in the Bible that tells about what is taking place today.  Matthew 10:21 - “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.  Is that next?

There was a song I was listening to today which spells out what we need right now:

Jesus said,
It don't have a job, don't pay your billsWon't buy you a home in Beverly HillsWon't fix your life in five easy stepsAin't the law of the land or the government
But it's all you need
And love will hold us togetherMake us a shelter to weather the stormAnd I'll be my brother's keeperSo the whole world will know that we're not alone
It's waiting for you knocking at your doorIn the moment of truth when your heart hits the floor
And you're on your knees
And love will hold us togetherMake us a shelter to weather the stormAnd I'll be my brother's keeperSo the whole world will know that we're not aloneThis is the first day of the rest of your lifeThis is the first day of the rest of your life'Cause even in the dark, you can still see the lightIt's gonna be alright, it's gonna be alright
This is the first day of the rest of your lifeThis is the first day of the rest of your life'Cause even in the dark, you can still see the lightIt's gonna be alright, it's gonna be alright
Love will hold us togetherMake us a shelter to weather the stormAnd I'll be my brother's keeperSo the whole world will know that we're not alone
Now listen to the song:  Hold Us Together
There are storms coming, so how do you want to weather them?  Alone or with someone?  I think the answer is obvious.  But you have to start by not judging everything someone else says and love them where they are today.  

I thought that was Free Speech meant.