cup of joe

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. 
Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
This is a great little reminder out of 2 Corinthians 4. Not everything is always going to go your way. Sometimes life can get messy and there can be challenges. BUT, the Good News is that the trouble WILL go away. You and I will become stronger because of it. The difficulties will produce incredible blessings if we simply trust the Lord and hold on to His Word. I guess you could say that troubles are glory producers! I've been people watching many folks for the past few weeks and I've seen some that are struggling and some that are joyful. When I see those that have lost their smile or seem to be in a dark place, I think about the good that the Lord is producing for them that is just around the corner. I also realize how small some of my troubles are in the grand scheme of things. What is God making in you and for you? Don't be depress…

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Matt 4:18-20

Have you ever thought about why the first two folks on the list of recruits for Team Jesus were fisherman? As he put together the people that would "do life" with him during his ministry on earth he went after fisherman. And when he came to them, they were doing what they loved...fishing! "Follow Me", he said, "and I will make you fishers of men". Perhaps he went after Peter and his brother Andrew because they understood what it was like to cast out a net and wait. People may respond to the Gospel like fish at times, wiggling away or trying to swim through the net. Or maybe it was because their character was not to quit just because the nets didn't have any fish in t…

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. Isaiah 61:1

I truly believe that the Lord has some BIG plans for every one of us. What thrills me the most is seeing people getting the chance to see that change. People are being healed…testimonies of God’s grace are being spoken, hearts are being mended and people are being saved by the power of God. Why? Because according to Isaiah 61, the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon US too, and we have been anointed for this! Yes, God has some BIG plans for us! There are some things that God expects us to do with the power that He has placed upon us. One of those things is to share with others the story of how He changed us. We call that sharing your testimony...your test becomes a story of His power. He has anointed us to preach the good news to the poor. The word for poor is actually "meek", which translates as “the quality of being patient in the reception of injuries.” W…

I'm attending a Men's Summit at my church this week. Being in a space with a few thousand men is not what I would call my comfort zone😄
As I walked around the facilities as it was getting started I was moved in my heart and so grateful to be in a place that cares about people so much. Watching people is fun for me and when you see dads and their boys, grandpas like me and young men that will soon be fathers, you can't help but be encouraged by the potential of a group of guys that will stand up for Jesus at home, at school and in the office. As Wilfredo de Jesus said last night, when the man stands up, the boy sits down. We need to boldly stand in faith and proclaim the works of the Lord. We need to train up our children. It's easier to train up a child than to repair an adult.  Where's the man that will stand in the gap? was our question last evening. Right here! was the resounding response of thousands of men at #MensSummit16 Thank you Gateway Church for this a…

I am worn out waiting for your rescue,
but I have put my hope in your word. 
My eyes are straining to see your promises come true. 
When will you comfort me? (Psalm 119:81, 82 NLT)

Have you ever felt like this? Worn out waiting for some relief? Perhaps the reason that we wear out is because we do not fully understand the benefits of waiting. Waiting is not designed to wear us out but rather to build us up. You and I are supposed to let "patience have her perfect work". Isaiah 40 tells us that the people who know how to wait properly on the Lord will "renew" their strength. They will begin to fly high (soar) above the drama of life and whether they are walking or running through their day, they will not become weary! Today, place yourhope in the Lord. Stop straining to see in the natural what is only visible in the spiritual. God IS ready to bring you comfort! You can be all that He designed you to be right now! Your rescue is here! You can do all that He says you can d…

1 Samuel 30:4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 
Have you ever had one of those seasons in life when nothing turns out the way you thought it would? You've prayed, you've confessed every good thing and maintained positive thoughts and still, no thing! I have been praying and searching for a place to live that would meet my need and go beyond my expectations and everything that I had working that seemed to be a sure thing has collapsed. I found myself surrounded by discouragement in every way.
I went back to read this story of David in 1 Samuel. He came back from doing what God gifted him to do only to find his home burned down and his family kidnapped. Expecting a home cooked meal and some great companionship only to find ashes and devastation. And what did David do?
He encouraged himself in the Lord. You cannot always depend on other people. The boss may not have a positive word for you. Your family…

2 Samuel 11:1In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. They say an idle mind is the devil's workshop...in other words, idle hands are the devil's tools. When we become idle, we stop moving. We may even place ourselves in situations that we should not be in.
This was the case for David. He was a warrior...a fighter...a born leader. But in the spring when the kings went off to battle, David stayed home. Staying home led him into a downward spiral that would impact his life in a dramatic way. Terrible things ensued because of his sin with Bathsheba but she was not the problem. Being out of position was his problem. He should have been on the battlefield that spring. It would have been much safer than the battle that nearly took all he had.

Acts 2:42 The community continually committed themselves to learning what the apostles taught them, gathering for fellowship, breaking bread, and praying. 
Check your vital signs! What good is it to have the nicest clothes and make-up if the body is comatose? There is a formula to living the life that God intended us to live. It started with the first church in Acts 2 as the community continually committed themselves to some important things. Let me break it down...
1- teaching
We need to learn the Word. Through meditation, listening to it preached and taught in classes we will grow and mature in faith.  2- fellowship
There is nothing as powerful as teamwork...belonging to a group...a family of faith. Common unity or community breeds life, enthusiasm and powerful believers.  3- breaking bread
Everyone that goes to church knows how important a meal can be to the gatherings. Not only are church meals good. The meal at the Lords table(communion) is the catalyst for finding our center an…

Hebrews 10:24 tells us to "think of ways to motivate each other to acts of love and good works." Acts of love make all the difference. Being there with a friend, sharing a prayer, or an encouraging note. One thing I see is that when people see love, they respond lovingly. Then as they learn how to love and be lovely, they gravitate towards good works.  Perhaps the trouble many times for us is that we think that we can’t do enough and because we put that “limited thinking” on ourselves. We talk ourselves out of helping at all! Everything YOU need to live a godly life is in you, attached to you or set in the path you should be walking in. God created all of us so that we would connect to Him and then to each other. He knew that there would be times when you simply needed a little push…a simple sermon…a praise chorus…a note of encouragement. TENACIOUS people are always thinking about ways to get each other in loving, good works situations! How can I make their day brighter? How c…

The ancient Greeks used a word, Kairos, which means “the supreme moment”. There are those seasons in life when you feel like everything is falling apart and you wonder if you will even survive. There are also moments when you sense that everything in your life is coming together in a beautiful and supernatural way. You could say both moments are very emotional and life-changing. But you would probably gravitate to the positive one…the one that brings hope…the one where situations lined up and clarity began to arrive.

It takes "faith" to please God. Faith seems to come in all different sizes. Some people have great faith and believe for things that others think could never happen. For many faith is used only when necessary and extends only to the point of possibility in our own mind. And some never ever step out of their own power into a dimension of "God power" or faith in motion. I am so grateful that God puts all of us, wherever we are on the faith spectrum, in the midst of the Body of Christ to learn and grow together.  I want that kind of faith that makes people notice the awesome power of God and give Him glory. Faith that makes history. Joshua had courageous faith. Once when he was in battle the Lord told him to completely kill of the army: leave no one alive. The problem he had was that his battle was not over and the daylight was. He needed more time. Some folks would have given up and simply said they ran out of time. No one had ever thought of asking for more time! B…

James 1:6But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.7 Those who doubt should not think they will receive anything from the Lord...
There are many times that I find myself praying and talking to God only to sometime shortly thereafter, act or talk as if what I was believing for was not really possible. Maybe you are like me. How many times do we allow our words to diminish our beliefs and redirect our actions? Are you your worst enemy?
The Bible is clear about this...BELIEVE and do not doubt for the person that doubts is double-minded and unstable. Doubt cause us to waver and be unsettled in every area of our lives. The warning goes on to say that the person who has doubt in his heart should not even expect God to answer!
So the prayers that you are praying this morning...do you REALLY believe that God is able to bring you through your trial and deliver you from all of that office drama? Is God bigge…

I Peter 5:7, TLB. "Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you."
Look around you today at the faces of people. What you may see are frowns and black circles under their eyes. Unhappy stares and faces showing the signs of an incredible amount of wear and tear. Anxiety and stress are taking a toll on many people today. We worry about whether our children will be safe. We worry about whether we are going to lose our job or even our house. And we worry about whether or not people are going to like us and what we do. Each of these things has been covered by the Lord already! I remember one day as I was walking through the neighborhood and heard an old familiar sound...the song of the little white ice cream truck. Just hearing it coming made me feel good! As it drove passed me I felt happy, peaceful and excited as I watched the little kids run to the next block to meet him. They were about to forget all of …