Are your motives right or left?

I often times have to ask myself this question. Now you might say that it should be right or wrong not, left. You might also pat me on the back for using a nice play on words and for that I say thanks lol, but that is the way I ask myself when questioning motives. The reason for this is that the answer to it is like taking a direction in the left or right direction. While both will make you go forward only one is the right path. I have been getting different forks in the road as of late. I have always wanted to be a rock star. Ever since I was little I wanted to be apart of a band. The lights, sounds, fans all of it, I wanted it. I even pretended giving my Grammy acceptance speech. Seriously it has been in me to be something bigger. So slowly but surely those motives started to mature as I did. They eventually crept into my worship. I would always want to lead but not to give glory to God but to have people praise me. I always looked for that pat on the back or verbal praise like a drug addict looks for their next high. It truly was sick. Until a season came in which it was taken away. It was long season, about a year and a half to be more precise. I didn't get to do anything. God broke me down the only way God can. I was bitter resentful, downright mad. But eventually I was humbled and repentant. God had made me realize that my motives were screwed up and had to take me back to the proverbial fork in the road and set me on the straight and narrow path. C.S. Lewis talked about it best when he said that a man can go down a path but no progression ever take place because he is going the wrong way. So ask yourself are you going right or left. I would plead with you to check your motives. They can lead you in a way you have no business going. I know have the right motives. I only know this because I check them in every decision that I make. Why am I doing this ? Know that God wants nothing but the best for you. He is your biggest fan. Look not for the praise of man but the unconditional love of the almighty God. Check yourself and he will progress more than your motives and your hand could've ever gotten you. Right or left? your choice. Thanks for reading.

tommorow: worship

This morning I looked down at my 3G phone and notices that my phone said the phrase tomorrow: worship. It was informing about church on Saturday and that I was scheduled to play, but it got my mind-a-thinkin'. I wonder sometimes if this isn't the current state of the church at large; tomorrow: worship. I recently was leading a life group we had at our church and we were discussing the message which was brought forth that night. It was coming from the story of Mary and Martha in which one sister just listened to Jesus and the other worked hard and became angry because she thought that her sister was being lazy. Anyways one of the questions was is listening to God a priority in your life? Almost everyone one of us (including me) said Yes but... and then an excuse that we are too busy for a simple time of listening to our heavenly father. I think that we as the church constantly push off things till the next day. bible reading, prayer time, you know what I mean; Tomorrow: worship. The problem though is that in doing this we push off the greatness that the modern church has been promising that we would become and still haven't delivered. Our issue is a lack of discipline in our lives. We push of our time with God day in and day out, until we get to church on Sunday morning and then wonder why we feel no genuine connection with God. We have to come back to priority 1 which is a true communion with God everyday. Then and only then will we reach our potential both individually and as a the kingdom of God. make it Today:worship, Today:God. Thanks for reading.

God HELP me with this mess!!!!!

As I sit back in the backroom of my store. I have a feeling of relief that come can only come from a solid days work. I manage a retail store(Suit City) and one of my biggest responsibilities is to put out the inventory. It can be a handful; especially around the busy seasons such as Christmas and Easter(it's probably busy on the account that alot people only go to church around these times), but I digress. This past week I have over 150 boxes come through my back door and this is light compared to what lies ahead in the coming weeks. First thing in the morning UPS comes with it's heavy load and then about half hour later FedEx comes with its heavy load. I have never been in a actual boxing match that went twelve rounds, but I can imagine I feel pretty darn close after getting done with this season. When the boxes come through I have to open them up, take the stuff out, hang it on a Z rack, pull the plastic off ,throw the plastic away, price it and then find a spot to put it on the sales floor and then put it out (And I left the whole computer input thing out). This is tedious and at the beginning of it; it seems like you will never get it done and the area in which I am working becomes utter chaos(and for those who know me, know I hate chaos). It bugs me, makes me angry, sad, and really tired almost to the point of walking out and saying forget it. This season goes on for weeks with total disregard for what I am going through emotionally. Does this sound an awful like life to anyone? It does to me. Life sometimes gets like that. It is unrelenting, throwing everything it has at you and when you think it is all done it hits you with both barrels. I totally empathize with the story of Job. When the backroom gets messy and chaotic and it won't stop coming eventually the end of the day or the week or the season comes and it ends. Then PEACE. I love and appreciate these seasons in life. I really love the lesson being taught and the reward that comes at the end. I might be the only one that ever reads this. But that's OK because even now I am getting encouraged that though the sorrow may last for the night or your backroom maybe a mess Joy comes in the morning. Stay encouraged and know that God will bring you through this messy season into one that is clear and beautiful. The season will come again that everything looks like a mess but God never ever leaves. Thank you God for never leaving my side. Thank you for lessons taught that are for my perfecting. Help me to remember that you and only you can get me through these times. Thank you. Amen and thanks for reading.

Transformation "Becoming more than meets the eye"

I recently flew to Rochester NY and boy are my arms tired j/k. I went there to preach at a youth conference they were having and had a great time while there. I spoke on having a transformation happening in our lives. This is something I believe is pivotal in our lives. I think alot of times we make the approach to the altar or in our seats say the sinners prayer and think that's it. That we were changed forever, but that is not the case(not in the least bit) instead we have made the first step in a very long and arduous journey in this process to becoming different. Paul said that" not that I have already attained but I press toward the high mark of the calling that is Christ Jesus". Paul says this with I believe the thought pattern that their is a process to which we have to go through. That it is not a sprint but a cross country run. In which their is going to be rocks, hills, soft sand, the sun. You will be pitted against the elements (spiritually speaking). It will be tough but as we allow ourselves to go through this metamorphosis or transformation we will be all the better for it. We must do as the eagle and drop our feathers and soar higher than we were previously able to, and not build up more weight on top of us with disobedience, bitterness, stress, and fear. But "cast away every weight that so easily besets us". We must change, we must be better, we must strive for the mark of perfection. Perfection is more than not making mistakes. Perfection is that place where the want and desire to sin is abolished. Then and only then can we get back to the original point that Adam and Eve were apart of; and that is "Walking with God in the cool of the day" That is what I am going toward but I have to go through the process and not quit. Thanks for reading.

How in the world do I have continuous communion with God?

I can't remember when I prayed for an hour, but I can't remember going an hour without praying-Smith Wigglesworth

I think that quote might be the definition (in fewer words or less) of continuous communion with God. The problem I and maybe alot of you encounter is sometimes it is hard to find one minute much less one hour in any given week. What would happen though if every hour on the hour we got up from our comfy beds or said in the middle of the workday, "Hey God this is me checking in. Just wanted to say I love you and your awesome". Maybe I am being a bit extreme, but this principle is something I implement in my life. I am happily married and love my wife, I mean truly love my wife. The reason I do, I believe is because in some way or another my thoughts are always turned toward her, whether it be a phone call or text or a thought of how blessed I am to have her in my life, I have a ongoing thought pattern turned toward her. Does that mean she's all I think about. No. But to quote Willie Nelson or Elvis(which ever version you like better) "She is always on my mind". I still have to do my job at work or be able to lead worship in front of people. I am pretty sure people would stop listening if I kept singing my wifes name over and over again and not lead them into worship. But my mind has to be there. "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he". It is the same with God. I must continuously have my thoughts turned toward him. Whether it is me calling on him out loud or in my mind and making sure he knows that I need him more than anything else in this world. That before him my life wasn't just out of control in was void and without shape. Always pulling from him and never stopping no matter how busy or how much I don't want too right now. CONTINUOUS COMMUNION. Taking of him and giving of yourself always. It can't just be a Sunday morning situation anymore, It must be more or their is no point to what we are doing. If my thoughts, words, and actions all come from the place where God is the center of me and everything I do, if I am in a perpetual motion of communing with him, the possibilties of what one person could do are limitless. This is the secret of the great men and women of God, the ones you have heard stories about. Let us go there. Let us go back to our prayer closets that have revolving doors. Let us commune with our God. Thanks for reading