The Corner

I woke up with this quote from Mom's Bible on my mind this morning...

My Bible reading yesterday included Hebrews chapter 11, the great faith chapter.  We read that chapter and we see around the corner, but each of these great men and women of God walked by faith, looking at the corner.  It's a pretty drab corner sometimes...

Hebrews chapter 12 continues the thought of chapter 11, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith."  Just around the corner, the Author and Finisher of our faith sees an amazing view and the sun just starting to rise...

Don't worry!

Saturday Sites

We had a super fun day on Saturday.  Believe it or not, it's the first time we have been to the beach since April!  Yes, multiple trips to Hawaii and zero beach time.  We were up early, as usual, and saw the moon.

I went for a 10 mile run, up and around Tantalus.

Meanwhile, Les was pedaling his way around the Windward side to the North Shore.  I met him there.

We had lunch at Cholo's Mexican food, followed by shave ice at Matsumoto's.  Matsumoto's has been upgraded since the last time we were there. 

But the taste was the same!  Onolicious!

And two hours of pure bliss, thinking of friends and family who were getting snowed on!

We Produce What We Are

From my devotional yesterday:

In our culture of over-achievers, we tend to focus on going farther - on going the second mile. And Jesus clearly said we are to be willing to do that. But to begin the second mile, we must complete the first. We must be ordinary before we can hope to be excellent.

A south Alabama track meet was a showcase for a fine young athlete expected to shatter the state record in the mile. He was the race - no one else could come close to him in ability. No one in the packed stands gave a glance toward the pale, scrawny kid lined up on the outside. He was nobody special - nothing to notice. The gun sounded.

As expected, the star runner looped the track like a sprinter, pulling away from the pack with yards to spare. As he broke the tape, the crowd roared. Another runner finished second - then third - then fourth. The loudspeaker announced the winner's time, a new state record.

But the race wasn't over.

One runner was struggling for the finish line all alone. When he crossed it, he collapsed, gasping for breath. When coaches rushed over to lift him up, one of them chided him for running: "Son, what were you thinking? You're no miler, and this is a championship race. You couldn't hope to win." "Sir," he said, "we had us a boy who could run the mile, but he took sick. Coach asked me to run in his place. He didn't send me down here to win - he sent me down here to run a mile, and Mister, I ran a mile."

It's easy to get caught in the trap of watching others accomplish great things.  But that is their race. We can't know all the ordinary things they did before they did the extraordinary.  Each of us has a task, we are uniquely designed to accomplish our task.

Matthew chapter 25 records the parable of the talents.  The one with only one talent said, "I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth."   I was looking for a quote that I thought was from Sis. Nona Freeman, it was something like, "If all the one talent people would stand up we could do mighty things."  I searched my blog for the quote, and while it wasn't there, I came upon this quote from the book "God is No Stranger" that I received when I went to Haiti in 1983:

Lord,
We don't get mangoes from an avocado tree
And we don't get corn from the banana plant.
We produce what we are.
Help us to be what You need produced.

Whether we have one talent or ten, we are responsible to produce what we are.  We need to have the attitude of the young runner who said "I was sent here to run a mile and I ran a mile!"  Each of us have a purpose.  Whatever that is, at the end of my race I want to say, "I was sent here for a purpose and I fulfilled the purpose!"

Sunday Snaps

I haven't taken a lot of pictures so far this trip, but I did take two yesterday.

Pizza anyone?

During church last night, Pastor McGriffin brought Michael Amodo to the front.  Michael received the Holy Ghost this past Saturday, January 16th.  Pastor McGriffin received the Holy Ghost on January 16, 1974, so they share a Holy Ghost birthday!

Hope you had a great Sunday!

Acceptable Loss?

My devotional today was quite thought provoking:

"Acceptable loss" is a military term many are familiar with. The idea is that there are some losses in any military endeavor, but that every mission has a level of loss that is acceptable, based on the risk undertaken and the goal to be achieved. Luke chapter 15 contains a trio of stories about people who have lost things. If you are a mathematician, you might hear these stories and consider the percentages. A man has a hundred sheep, he loses one. That's a one percent loss! That seems quite acceptable. A woman has ten coins and loses one - still only a ten percent loss, and really quite acceptable. A man has two sons, and loses one. A fifty percent loss, granted, but one that might be overcome in time. 
Jesus was not a mathematician or an accountant. He never considered percentages of "lost-ness." He considered people. And in these stories about searching for lost things, Jesus was saying that sinners are very, very valuable to Him. Sinners count with Jesus. There is no acceptable percentage of loss when it comes to the Son of God and sinners. He is not willing that even one "lost sheep" should perish. I wonder how different our world would be if you and I adopted Jesus' view of "acceptable loss?"

The stories in Luke 15 are very familiar to me - the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. I had never considered loss percentages.  Although I have probably subconsciously embraced "acceptable loss."  We can't win everyone, right?  That might be true, it's not an attitude we can have.

Both the shepherd and the woman searched for their lost ones.  When they were found, they gathered their friends and neighbors and said "Rejoice with me; for I have found ..."

We are still in the early days of 2016.  I want my mindset to be like Jesus.  Every sinner is valuable, worth searching for, and worth rejoicing over when they are found!  When it comes to heaven, there is no acceptable loss.  I wonder how different our world would be if you and I adopted Jesus' view of "acceptable loss?"

Wordless Wednesday - Where We Went

A Beautiful California Sunset

Tonight's was especially spectacular!

It Happened to Them, It was Written for Us

Victory Tabernacle has started the new year off with revival services.  Our evangelist, Bro. Waldrep, preached an incredible message on Tuesday night, the first night.  His title was "It Happened to Them, It was Written for Us."  All the great stories in the Bible happened to someone.  They lived those great moments.  They didn't know the end when they faced adversity, they lived it.  But they were written for us.  We can find hope and inspiration through these great stories.

Bro. Waldrep's text was from Acts chapter 12, when Peter was in prison.  The angel delivered him and he went to the home of Mary, the mother of Mark.  The church was there praying for his deliverance, but when he came to the door, they didn't believe.  They were astonished!  It's funny how we are astonished sometimes when our prayers are answered.

At the end of his message, Bro. Waldrep changed the wording in Acts chapter 12.  Instead of Peter, he used the word Revival:

5 Revival therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for Revival.
6 And when Herod would have brought Revival forth, the same night Revival was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon Revival, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Revival on the side, and raised Revival up, saying, Arise up quickly. And Revival's chains fell off from his hands.
8 And the angel said unto Revival, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so Revival did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
9 And Revival went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from Revival.
11 And when Revival was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
12 And when Revival had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
13 And as Revival knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
14 And when she knew Revival's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Revivalstood before the gate.
15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
16 But Revival continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw Revival, they were astonished.

I love how he changed this passage!  I don't believe he misused the Word of God at all, but used it to strengthen our faith.  I don't know what you're praying for in 2016 - it may be a miracle, healing, a job situation - but have faith!  It happened to them, but it was written for YOU!

Prophecy for the Next Generation

Pastor White's message on Sunday night was outstanding.  He read from Proverbs chapter 31, and as he put it, it was not a Mother's day message!  Proverbs 31:1-2 says, "The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?" The word prophecy in that verse means, "a burden; specifically tribute, an utterance, especially singing, tribute."  Verses three through nine of the prophecy are a warning, but the remaining verses are guidance.

I had never taken the time to study who King Lemuel is, but Pastor White pointed out that most scholars agree that this was Solomon.  That being the case (and the commentaries I read agreed) then the mother who taught him was none other than Bathsheba!

Bathsheba, the woman who was a known adulteress, prophesying, uttering, singing of the Virtuous Woman?  John Gill's commentary said she uttered this prophecy to Solomon, "either in his youth, or when he was come to the throne; particularly when she saw he was inclined unto, or going into, the vices she cautions him against."

In my study last year, I did not study the Virtuous Woman.  I had planned to, but never got to her.  The one thing I was going to study was the difference between what she did (bought a field, sought wool and flax, etc.) and who she was (the heart of her husband trusted her, her children call her blessed.)

It's almost impossible to reconcile Bathsheba with these great verses, but Pastor White pointed out that she was teaching Solomon in spite of her past.  David was much older than Bathsheba, and she was known to be a beautiful woman.  But after their sin, she was true to David and the purpose of this prophecy was to teach Solomon to walk in the path of righteousness.

The prophecy we must teach the next generation is this:  You CAN get up from your failures.  You CAN walk in newness of life. You CAN be a godly person.  You CAN sing a victorious song!

Being Truly Apostolic Pentecostal in 2016

We started the year off with amazing church yesterday!  Pastor White preached a fantastic message last night that I will blog about tomorrow, but I want to tell about Les' Sunday school lesson today.  The title was "The Pattern of Pentecost."  We read about a 3,000 soul revival and marvel, but what did that early church do?  Les presented us with 30 ingredients for being truly Apostolic Pentecostal.  He challenged us to check off those we are currently doing and make the others our goal for this year.  My list is in my Bible and I plan to review it often this year. 

Here's the list with the corresponding verses from the book of Acts:

1. Tarried (1:4)
2. Continued with one accord (1:14)
3. Continued in prayer (1:14)
4. Continued in supplication (1:14) 
5. Filled with the Holy Ghost (2:4)
6. Explained the experience (2:14)
7. Taught separation (2:40)
8. Gladly received the word (2:41)
9. Were baptized (2:41)
10. Continued in doctrine (2:42)
11. Continued in fellowship (2:42) 
12. Continued in breaking bread (2:42)
13. Wonders and signs (2:43)
14. Sacrificial giving (2:44)
15. Daily in the temple (2:46)
16. Praising God (2:47)
17. Grew daily (2:47)
18. Hour of prayer (3:1)
19. Personal witnessing (4:20)
20. Spake the word (4:31)
21. Spread the word (8:4)
22. Sang praises (16:25)
23. Readily received the word (17:11)
24. Daily searched the word (17:11)
25. Preached water and Spirit baptism (19:1-5)
26. Practiced water and Spirit baptism (19:5-6)
27. Worshiped  (24:14)
28. Believed all things (24:14)
29. Preaching the kingdom (28:31)
30. Teaching with all confidence (28:31)

The last two items on the list were from the very last verse in the book of Acts.  Revival started on the day of Pentecost, but as the followers continued, that revival grew and spread.  I want that in 2016, how about you?

Starting 2016 Without 2015

I started a new devotional this morning.  It's called "Everywhere I Go:  Learning to See Jesus."  There is a short devotional to read then several chapters in the Bible.  Today's devotional was "The Red Lizard of Lust," by C.S. Lewis:

Author C. S. Lewis spins a remarkable story about a little red lizard that a certain ghost carried on his shoulder. The lizard twitched its tail and whispered continually to the ghost, who urged him all the while to be quiet.

When a bright and shining presence appeared and offered to rid the ghost of his troublesome “baggage,” the ghost refused. He understood that to quiet the lizard, it would be necessary to kill it, and that seemed too harsh. Maybe the lizard need not die, but could be trained, he reasoned. The presence responded that training would not work; it must be all or nothing.

Finally, with the ghost’s permission, the presence twisted the lizard away from him, breaking its back as he flung it to the ground. Then an amazing thing happened. The ghost became a perfect man, and the lizard became a beautiful silver and gold stallion, full of power and grace. The man leaped astride the great horse, and they rode into the morning as one.

Lewis ends the story with these words: “What is a lizard compared with a stallion? Lust is a poor, weak, whimpering, whispering thing compared with that richness and energy of desire which will arise when lust has been killed.”

As we step into a brand new year, we think about a new start.  As long as we are carrying last year's lizard (baggage) we won't be able to go forward.  What are you carrying from 2015 that is still whispering in your ear?  Did you set some goals that you didn't meet?  Were you hurt, talked about, or mistreated?  Maybe you were the one who did the hurting.

Getting the lizard off your back might may take a little work.  A phone call or an apology.  You may just have to let some things go.  Hit the reset button, again.  When you get 2015's lizard off your back, be ready for the ride of 2016!