Stryper is gearing up for their 25th Anniversary tour!  Follow this link here to fill out a survey and let Stryper know the top 10 songs you would like to make the set list!!!  Post a comment below to let me know your top 10 songs. 

Mine are:

• Surrender
• The Rock that Makes Me Roll
• All for One
• Soldiers Under Command
• Makes Me Wanna Sing
• Free
• Reach Out
• More than a Man
• To Hell with the Devil
• In God We Trust

This morning I told the Lord I would love to just sit down with Him face to face and have a conversation with Him.  A conversation about the inner struggles I have that revolve around my hopes, dreams, and desires for life.  The next thought that raced into my mind was, “You are having that conversation now – faith to face.” 

I have had this ”faith to face” thought  all day.  Way too often I want to skip right on past faith and get down to the things in life that are certain.  Look at Jesus directly and hear him speak to me directly.  Skip right past the uncertainty in following Jesus and live in a confidence that I am pleasing Him.

Well, no sooner than I finished praying I picked up Oswald Chambers just to get smacked around one more time by OC.  When will I ever learn? (At least I know my prayer life is right on target with how God is speaking to me).

The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty… Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life— gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. (My Utmost for His Highest, April 29).

With the thoughts of Oswald Chambers lingering in my mind I took a chance and began reading some more of Erwin McManus’ book Wide Awake.  I’m still only able to read this book in small bites…  This is a book that is challenging me to the very core.  Today I finished the chapter “Create”. 

It’s significant that the master didn’t tell the servants what to do when he instructed them to do something with what he gave them.  When they multiplied it, he didn’t quiz them on how they did it.  He just said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”  If you are maximizing your capacity, you’re on the way to living your life to the fullest.  To do this, you must not only take responsibility but also risk.  Why did the third servant bury his bag of gold?  He was afraid of his master; he feared he would lose his gold and then be punished.  (174-175).

If you are maximizing your capacity… 

I feel as though I’m not living life to the fullest!  Why? I’m not maximizing my capacity.   I desire to live life beyond the level I am living it right now.  I want to live in breathless expectation of seeing Jesus – yet, do I take time to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless… if I want to see Jesus I must look deeper into the face of humanity and see Him in those I serve.  Am I positioning myself to maximize my capacity?  Or have I positioned myself in a place where my life is so full of other stuff there’s no more room for anything else?

Finally, I’m following Pete Wilson’s blog and Twitter as he maximizes his capacity in India on a mission trip.  If you are not checking in on his updates (or now about Pete), I encourage you to check out what God is doing while he and his team are there.  I have a local pastor-friend who just returned from India as well.  Take a few moments to read how he has been maximizing his capacity.

How do you maximize your capacity?

I never get tired of saying, “Oswald Chambers strikes again!”  Day after day and year after year of reading My Utmost for His Highest never gets old.  Each year that I read it – it’s as if I am reading it for the first time.  It may be because I didn’t “get it” the year before or there is always something new in me that needs a bit of work.  Honestly, it’s a little of both.

Saturday I received a letter from a former student heading to the Czech Republic this summer to be His hands and His feet.  I am so excited and proud of her!  I hear great things all of the time from that group of teens that were in my first youth ministry out of seminary.  Every time I hear another great report about one of them it makes me miss those days from the mid 90’s in New Mexico all the more.  I miss the teens and I miss that season in my life.

I seem to always use that season of my life as the plumb line for everything else.  I know that I shouldn’t.  But for whatever reason I continually look back and wish God used me now like He did then.  Has he changed? No.  So, what happened?  I guess my own personal fears have taken over and overcome my fear of the LORD.

Have I really placed my personal fears before my fear of the LORD?  Paul told Timothy, “Be ready in season and out of season.”  I’m personally torn right now within my life.  Too many times I get afraid of making the wrong choice – again.  I don’t want to make anymore mistakes or to get myself out on a limb to find myself falling back to the ground once again… broken, hurt, or embarrassed that the dream is not to be.  I’m starting to see myself as the one who buried his talent in the sand.

Oh the dreaded words, “If I could only go back…”

This is a new day – with new opportunities.  One thing from the past I must put on everyday is my total reliance on Jesus Christ.  I’ll never forget my first day “on the job’ at FBC.  That walk from my car up the sidewalk to the door of the church seems so long in my memory – when it was probably only 20 steps.  Yet, the whisper I spoke to Jesus I will never forget, “This is all you – I have no idea what awaits me on the other side of this door.”  The fear of the LORD far outweighed my own personal fears that were on the other side of that door.

The fear that I feel today is the result of a much different set of circumstances.  Despite the fear I have today – I wish, hope, and daydream of moments like what I had back then.  I was living “in season” then – preaching the Word the best I knew how – with my life, love, and friendship that God gave me to give.  I’m not serving on staff like that now and I think of doing that again some day.  I do know God wants me to be faithful with the life I have been given in this day that I live.  I’m reminded that no matter where I am in life  – it’s always the season to serve the Lord – to be His hands and his feet.

This is the thought from Saturday’s My Utmost for His Highest that go my wheels to turning on this subject.

If you say you will only be at your best for God, as during those exceptional times, you actually become an intolerable burden on Him. You will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously aware of His inspiration to you at all times. If you make a god out of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life, never to return until you are obedient in the work He has placed closest to you, and until you have learned not to be obsessed with those exceptional moments He has given you. (April 25).

No matter where you find yourself today – this is the season for you to shine with whatever God has given you.  Make the most of every opportunity and life like there is no tomorrow.  Somebody else needs you to live your life the way God has called you to today - be available no matter how you feel – You’ve got a story to tell!

Everyday that we live - each of us have opportunities that come before us to help us grow.  It is what we do with those opportunities that determine to what extent we will be developed.  Do you embrace the challenges and with the fear of the LORD move forward?  Or do you worry and fear the barrier?  As I finished up reading Joshua this weekend, I saw a man who took the most of his opportunity to grow and be developed.  He had a tremendous job taking Israel into the Promised Land and establishing her boundaries.

I wonder how he felt at the moment he knew what his task was going to be?  I wonder if he ever worried or feared the job before him.  Joshua stayed true to God’s leading.  Joshua ends with this challenge to the people of Israel,

“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14-15, New International Version).

I suspect Joshua’s fear of the LORD far out-weighed the fear of the task before him.  Joshua lived with a proper perspective of his life and his service to the LORD.

If you will remain true to God, God will lead you directly through every barrier and right into the inner chamber of the knowledge of Himself. But you must always be willing to come to the point of giving up your own convictions and traditional beliefs. Don’t ask God to test you. Never declare as Peter did that you are willing to do anything, even “to go . . . both to prison and to death” ( Luke 22:33  ). Abraham did not make any such statement— he simply remained true to God, and God purified his faith.  (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, April 26).

What is the barrier in your life? 

Whatever the barrier hold fast to the truth you have gained from God.  Fear the LORD way more than the barrier.  Keep your eyes on Jesus – pray without ceasing and allow His Spirit to fully develop you to be the person you are created to be.

Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. (Philippians 4:13, The Message).

Last night I went to Dave Ramsey’s Townhall for Hope.  I realized how much influence fear has on my life last night.  It was a rather bizarre moment to see how my future has limits as long as I live in fear.  Why is it so easy to settle down in fear?  Rather than live in the real hope of the world – Jesus Christ.

I worked in Dalton this afternoon (which I really enjoy).  Maybe it is the ride home that is always so nice.  Several conversations I had today were running through my mind.  I prayed about several situations and circumstances as I drove.

I’m praying about several things very personal right now.  Fear is what has been keeping me from taking a step in my life.  But as I prayed this afternoon I left that fear behind for a moment and experienced the Holy Spirit’s peace and love.  What wonderful peace!  As I continued to drive, pray, and listen to Third Day I looked up and saw a billboard that spoke to me.  It was a picture that let me know I am in His hands.

A few miles later another billboard looked much like this:

It’s decision time:  Do I step up to the plate with faith?  Or do allow my fears keep me from taking that step?  What do you do to overcome your fears?

“Why Worry?” is the series we are in the midst of at Tapestry Church.  Sunday nights message was great.  Andy Stanley has such a great way of communicating whatever he is talking about.  As I was leaving the church, I told Richard, ”This was a great message but it stressed me out!”  I kept catching myself rubbing my neck and shoulder throughout the message.

At the end of the message we were encouraged to read Matthew 6:24-34 for the next 5 days.  I began reading it today.  Every time I’ve begun to worryI’ve thought about those birds that Jesus talks about in this passage.  Then the next thing I knew I was back to the worry.  Yesterday I was read ing Oswald Chambers.  Once again he hit me right between the eyes.

Have we been falsely accusing God by daring to worry after He has said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”? ( Matthew 6:33  ). Worrying means exactly what this servant implied— “I know your intent is to leave me unprotected and vulnerable.”  (My Utmost for His Highest, April 20).

This week prayer has been on the front burner for my own life as I walk through the worry mine-field of life.  Since Sunday I have come across several people with overwhelming circumstances.  I now have a new way to pray for them as I focus on Matthew 6:24-24.

On Saturday, just before Walker’s baseball game he asked me, “Daddy, am I famous?”  He was so proud of the uniform that he was wearing.  I told him, “To the people watching you today you are famous.  They all look at you and see a baseball player”  I was very proud of him too.

All of us think about our outward appearances.  Oftentimes before we make a decision or do something that will be seen by others we will ask the question, “How is this going to make me look?”  We want acceptance from our family, our peers, our friends, our church, and church leaders.  We’ll do anything so we will “look good” to anyone who may see us as long as it means we keep our clothes on.  In fact, we are even willing to dress up the outward appearance just to make ourselves look better than what we really are.  All the while our insides are decaying.  We hide the most intimate details of our lives.

I must make a confession:  I like to watch the show “What Not to Wear”.  On this show people will nominate a friend who doesn’t know how to dress themselves.  Time after time when I watch this show individuals will have an experience that brings out something internally by addressing the external.  I find it interesting that there are so many people who have a quality about them on the inside that they hide with what they wear on the outside.  It’s amazing how many ways we can try and help people by attacking the external factors when what really needs to happen is change from the inside out.

What happens on the outside is a reflection of what is going on internally.  One may look good on the outside but if it is a mask that is being displayed that same mask is probably being worn on the inside.  It’s time for us to check ourselves and determine if what we are displaying matches the true person God intends for us to be.

The true deep crisis of abandonment, or total surrender, is reached internally, not externally. The giving up of only external things may actually be an indication of your being in total bondage. (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, April 17).

Jesus reminds us we are not to commit adultery and goes on to say if you have looked upon another with lust you have already committed adultery in your heart.  Sin is not only an action it is a thought - it begins in the heart.  Jesus is concerned about the inner well being of our hearts and souls.  What our hearts are made of will appear on the outside.  Out of the overflow of your heart your mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45).

“You don’t get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds. (Luke 6:43-45, The Message).

Isaiah 20 tells us something that God instructed Isaiah to do.  He was told to remove his sandals and his clothes.  I am sure your town is much like mine – walking around town naked and barefooted is a sure way to get yourself locked up and/or committed!  But that’s what Isaiah did for three years.  Could you imagine what winter must have been like!?

We all cover ourselves up.  We don’t want to become vulnerable to other people so we put on something that others will accept.  After-all what we are most concerned about is what will others think.  Apparently, Isaiah wasn’t concerned.  He literally bared it all!!

Authentic community transpires when people are real with one another.  Just as I desire to be in community with others God desires that same community with me.  He wants me to become vulnerable with him – with total trust and confidence in him.

When was the last time you were naked and barefooted before God?

Saturday morning at Applebee’s to support Jacqueline’s fundraiser for Steps of Faith Dance Studio.

An hour and a half later we are at the ballpark preparing for Walker’s first Baseball game of the season.  He had 3 hits one of which was a double.  This is the 2nd run he scored.

Valerie is playing on 2 softball teams this year.  One of which is a travel team.  Both teams played on Saturday.  The day began in Adairsville and ended in Rome, GA just before midnight with winning the tournament!!