If you do, click here and you’ll be directed to the new blog site. Thank you so much for being part of of this journey with me. God bless you as you continue on yours.

With regards to my teaching ministry, this is a much lighter week.  However, if you could please pray for the following I would really appreciate it.

1).  This Wednesday night, Pastor Glenn is speaking at FLOOD.  He is kicking off our new two-week series called, “COEXIST”.

2).  This Friday night, our children’s ministry is reaching out to thousands of people in our community here at PFB.  Please pray for Pastor Lois and her team as they head this up, and please pray for the movement of God on this evening so that children and their families surrender to Christ.

3).  This Sunday morning I am teaching our high school students at PFB.

Thank you so much for praying.  God is on the move.

Here’s an update for prayer:

• Tonight is IGNITE.  I am so stinking pumped up for this.  Please pray.  And if you can, come and join us at 5pm.  If you can’t get away from the house, watch online (pfblive.tv)
• Tomorrow afternoon I have the honor of performing the wedding ceremony of Josh Ebersole and Shannon Voigt.  One of the greatest thrills of being a pastor is to perform a wedding for a couple that loves Jesus with everything and are truly striving to honor him in everything.  I am so excited for this.

Thank you again for how you bless me by praying for me.

How much of Scripture, if written today, would be considered a personal blog of someone? The only difference: the blogs of today don’t usually read like the “blogs” of Scripture.  Here’s what I mean.  It seems like the blogs and tweets of Christians today, and most of the time I’m included, are about how amazing life is and how wonderful everything is going.  And you know what, I don’t doubt that things are great a lot of the time.  However, are we as quick to blog and tweet about the tough times in life as we are about the great times? Are we willing to be raw and honest like the people of Scripture along this path that God has us on so that others who follow can find encouragement or are we portraying a carefree stroll through life to heaven with not bumps along the way? The only problem with the latter: that’s not life.

As I’m going through Job in my quiet times once again, I first jumped to the fact that I’m so thankful that I’m not Job.  He went through so much.  He faced so much adversity in his life.  But do you remember why? Because God knew he could handle it.  God is the one who mentioned Job to the devil.  God is the one who knew that Job would still be committed to him no matter what Job faced.  God knew that Job could take it.  So now I ask: if my life is always so perfect, is it because of God’s blessing or God’s caution, knowing that I can’t handle it in such a way that will bring him glory in the end? I’m just thinking out loud.

I was convicted as I read this chapter in Job, realizing how thankful I am for frankness and bluntness of Scripture, because I cannot tell you how often I have been encouraged in my walk with Christ through the misery of those who have walked with Jesus before me.  I know that sounds morbid and somewhat horrible, but it’s true.  And for those that can’t believe that I would even think this way, may I ask you why? Do you struggle? Do you doubt? Have you ever? Have you ever blamed yourself for something that only God ultimately controls resulting in you condemning yourself for something you have no control over anyway? Do you take credit for things that God is accomplishing, finding yourself in direct competition with God as you try to steal his glory? Do you struggle with pride? Pain? Loss? Heartache? Guess what: it’s all in Scripture.

However, you may be reading this and say, “I don’t deal with any of that.”  Do you remember Christ’s call on those who want to be found worthy to be his disciples? DENY SELF.  PICK UP YOUR CROSS DAILY.  AND FOLLOW HIM! Christ’s path lead to Calvary.  We must carry our own crosses to the place that he leads.  If you’re not experiencing any pain in life, then you’re probably not living your life in this reality.  Or, maybe you’re just kidding yourself and lying until it’s over.

So, bloggers and tweeters, as well as Facebook status updaters, I challenge you: be honest in what you share.  I worry how many people who have struggled in any huge way have been pushed away from Christianity because of the fact that many of Christ’s kids, including myself, don’t tell the truth about how they are really doing.  Let’s be real.  Let’s be honest.  As we are and as we do, true life-change will result.  Will you do it?

Here’s a blog of someone that I adore who I believe is blogging in all honestly, resulting in impacting the lives of everyone who reads her thoughts.  She is an incredible follower and lover of Jesus.

www.lisahusmann.wordpress.com

I want to thank you again for all the times you bring me before Jesus as you pray for me and the ministry that Jesus has called us to.  Here’s how you can pray for me this week:

• Wednesday morning I am teaching in chapel at Crossroads Christian School to junior high and high school students.
• Wednesday night I will be teaching at FLOOD at PFB Church.  I still would like to invite you to come and see for yourselves what Jesus is doing.  If you can’t, you can watch it live (www.pfblive.tv).
• Saturday night I am speaking at IGNITE (www.igniteusnow.com).  Ignite is a movement that God put on my heart last year to start.  It’s a time of worship and teaching designed to encouraged, confront and ignite a generation to change their world for Christ.  Other churches have been invited.  I believe that this is the beginning of IGNITE.  Last year was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!! I invite you to come and be part of it.  Again, if you can’t make it down to the church, you can watch it live online (www.pfblive.tv).
• Sunday morning I am teaching the high schoolers of PFB Church.  I absolutely love my time with these students.  They are awesome.

Here is a video teaser of what IGNITE is all about.

If you could get the word out to others who may ant to come and be part of it, that would be so great.  Thank you again.

The beginning of Acts 9 shows Saul on his way to Damascus from Jerusalem to arrest Christians.  Then he got knocked onto his tailend by Jesus.  Then after Ananias came and shared with Paul God’s plans for him.  Paul believed and was baptized.  From that moment on, Paul was unstoppable for Christ and his kingdom.

Here’s the thing that hit me: Paul was changed.  He was confronted and rocked by Jesus and he was CHANGED!!!  And as I keep spending time in Scripture, the idea keeps popping out that life-change is proof that a person has truly met Christ.  For someone to claim to have met Christ while seeing no life change proves that the initial meeting was not with Christ.  Talk is cheap when a person’s life shouts something completely different than his mouth.

If you claim you’ve met Christ but have not experienced any change, chances are that you didn’t meet Jesus in the first place.  I know we can claim that it’s a process (and sanctification truly is a process), but conversion, being brought from death to life, happens at once.  There is not a slow process of moving from death to life.  It’s in an instant.  At one moment you’re dead.  The next: you’re a live.  The process of becoming healthier is truly that, a process, but the initial meeting should change everything.