Blessed Beyond Measure

I am a man blessed beyond measure. God is with me all the time and has promised one day soon, when my time is fulfilled to take me safely to my heavenly home. Completely forgiven and loved perfectly through all eternity.

Yet, that is not what I was thinking about when I was considering my blessings. I am unbelievably blessed with my amazing wife, Jackie and her love that envelopes me every day; with sons that I am so proud of and that share their love with me daily. I am blessed with family that extends well beyond our house with parents, siblings and extended family that share our joy. I am blessed with a church family that loves with a god-like love and that graciously share in life’s triumphs and tragedies, and is there with loving arms and encouraging words.

I am blessed to be a part of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God for you all and for your prayers and help. The blessings continue as my cancer indicators have continued to drop since radiation ended.

Thank you all for your love and patience, Merry Christmas and much love,

Season of Joy

Christmas Holidays can be hectic and stressful if I allow. That is in direct conflict with the announcement at Jesus’ birth. “And the angel said …I bring you good tidings of great joy...” Sometimes I have to stop and have a talk with myself and remember Joy is a birthright that Jesus brought me from heaven! To continue without joy is unacceptable; I remind myself that anything less is to treat the blessings of God disgracefully.

Lord help me to trust in your grace and enjoy the joy I am promised.

My Own Worst Enemy

Many times, I have faced decisions and felt pressures from every side; some of which work to undermine correct decisions. The worst part is that not all of those pressures originate outside. The most difficult influences to control are my own heart and mind. Our fears and desires can be more overpowering than our circumstances. In fact, sometimes we short-circuit our own processes and make terrible decisions before we even realize it; we have become our own worst enemy.

The ability to walk worthy of the Lord demands a true understanding of God’s desires for our lives.

The Bible verse that has guided my life and driven my ministry for many years is Colossians 1:10. 

 “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

I wish I could say that because of this verse all my decisions have honored God. Unfortunately, I cannot honestly say that. However, I do believe that many more have followed God’s will than would have if these words of God had not been an integral part of my thought process. I pray that I never stop “Increasing in the knowledge of God.”

"But Church Crabs" Video Clip

Link to youtube video "But Church Crabs"
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http://youtu.be/m3Gg6E0bd5g

THANKSGIVING

I am thankful for so much. God has blessed my life from the very beginning; growing up in a loving Christian family that understood and taught serving the Lord requires more than just lip service or wearing a cross around your neck. He has directed my life to acquire the necessary skills and training to serve God here. More than that, God has changed my heart, attitudes, and vision. I am happy to say that God has taught me mercy, grace, forgiveness and love; although I am sorry to say that too often, I was reluctant and resistant. Too many times God had to go to extreme lengths to make me what He needed me to be. Praise God that He chose to use wonderful caring people to make those changes in me. People like my wife Jackie, my sons Nate, Isaac and Luke, and so many others that have crossed my path or are still in my life. I thank God that He does not give up on me but continues His work tirelessly. My prayer is that my life and legacy will glorify the Lord forever.

STRESSED

Stressful days become the norm. Fantasies and photos airbrushed to “perfection” and presented as normal raise expectations to unrealistic levels. Pushed upon us are life goals that require immoral, unethical and even dangerous activities in pursuit of success and approval. This adds so much stress to life, increasing confusion and emotional disorientation. Life’s guiding principles slip aside effortlessly, viewed as barriers rather than the foundation upon which true success stands.

We can look at truth like this with a clinical efficiency condescendingly holding others to a near perfect standard for their lives. UNTIL, the stress really hits home dissecting our mind and heart. When those heightened expectations and unbearable burdens bring us low, we quickly dismiss the clinical approach as unreasonable, even impossible! Blame is thrown at everyone and everything around us in turn adding to the loneliness of the affliction.

Reality and truth lay somewhere in the middle where we strive to maintain uncompromising foundational truth, look at expectations with a godly vision and interact with grace, as we desire others graciously understand our plight. I know, how it feels; but you are not alone. God puts people in our lives that can encourage and help us hold fast and stay the course to the blessings of the Lord. He never leaves us and He never forsakes us. You and I drop our heads and begin focusing on the problems instead of looking to the Lord with thanksgiving for those God gave us for the journey. Thank you God, for the wonderful people you have put into my life. Help me Lord not to take them for granted.

Satisfied In Failure

“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” Abraham Lincoln

When life is crushing, peace and victory seem unattainable; sometimes we just want give up and find some comfort even in failure. It is easy to lose heart.

(Galatians 6:9) “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Where our family and mission are concerned, how can we ever be content with failure? The Lord offers guidance and strength so that we may press on uncompromisingly and undaunted. God wants to help.

(Isaiah 40:29) He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Some things are clearly so important we must fight on and never lose hope.

Empowered Communication

Empowered communication requires listening without bias and speaking filtered by grace, truth and love. If I could only master this, my relationships would improve immeasurably!

“Listening” to verbal and non-verbal communication without jumping to conclusions, getting defensive or rushing ahead is the only way to discover the real felt needs of those in my life. Every time I lose focus, I lose the quality connection necessary for true understanding. I need to be willing to listen with understanding as my only goal.

With empowered positive communication as my objective, a speech filter becomes necessary. Filtering out the hurtful and abrasive without sacrificing the truth enables a good connection. When carried upon a conductor of love, the communication comes through clear and powerful.

O God, give me ears and heart that can listen without prejudice and lips that can cleanse my words with grace and truth and love!

Ripple Effect

Life is complex, interconnected and fluid. Yet, for some reason we often look at life’s difficulties as though they were isolated to one aspect of our being. We miss the real cause because we are following the ripples and reflections that travel through our life instead of tracing them back to the source, the reason for the disturbance.

1Thes. 5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Issues can and do originate in the physical, emotional and spiritual areas of our lives. Each then passes on the effects to the other areas of our lives until we cannot distinguish what is disturbing us. It isn’t long until we feel like we are a puddle in a rainstorm and begin to loose hope that the peace and calm we once knew will ever return.

Draw near to the Lord and He will bring you back to peace and hope.

WALLS

I like this quote.

“The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy.”

J Rohr

Joy comes from the Lord, often through our relationships to other people. The Apostle Paul wrote,

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? …For ye are our glory and joy.” (1Thes. 2:19-20)

Although the Lord is the source of joy, God often uses people to deliver HIS JOY into our lives. It is true that relationships can be a source of sadness and hurt; yet without them, we cannot hope to experience joy or the fulfillment of completing the mission God has given to each of us. However, the walls we build to keep people out have the unfortunate side effect of keeping the Joy of the Lord out as well.

His mission and ours are always about people and relationships. We must “risk” some sadness and hurt in order to reap the greater benefits of Joy and fulfillment.

UNSEEN EYES

Think about a time when you were doing something that you knew to be wrong. Do you remember the paranoia, the overwhelming dread felt during that time? Can you recall how every little creak was magnified, every shadow a spy, and the feeling that at every window an unseen eye may be watching! When looking at something you should not, even a familiar and friendly voice alarms. You find yourself running from shadows and startled by every little noise.

 “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1)

On the other hand, when you are doing the right things you enjoy an inherent peacefulness. There is no feeling of dread or anxiety over someone seeing. In fact, you generally experience a sense of security even if you do not recognize it and are emboldened and often excited when someone does notice.

The question then is this: "What is making you uneasy or paranoid?" Is there something you are involved in that is keeping you on edge? Wouldn’t it be nice to simply relax & rest for a while? It may not be the first answer that comes to mind but doing the right thing may just heal that anxiety.

No Time to Take People for Granted

Our time in this life is short and uncertain. We all at times take those around us for granted and allow our schedules or the demands of others to distract us from the most important relationships in our lives.
It is important that we find ways to prioritize those relationships without abandoning the plan of God for our lives or shirking our legitimate responsibilities and duties.
I thank God for my family. And I intend to focus on attaining a right balance in my life especially with regard to my wife and children. I do not want them to doubt, for even one moment, that my love for them is absolute, unconditional and eternal. Jackie, Nathanael, Isaac & Luke are the greatest loves of my life in the world.
Jay

Youtube video

Marriage Intimacy Hurting Healing

http://youtu.be/NQPizeCpkyE

FRUSTRATIONS - In Perspective

Isn't it amazing how quickly we get frustrated and upset? It seems so many live most every day in this state of frustration where nearly every part of life is raw and hypersensitive. There is the constant din of complaints and the tearing down of people that seems to fill the air around us. It makes us feel that the black cloud of discontent that hovers overhead could transform at any moment into a full-blown tornado, resulting in widespread wholesale destruction in our lives.

For me, getting the Son shine back into my life requires focusing on the true, the honest, the right, the pure, the lovely, the good reports and the things that affect positive change in my thinking and in those around me (Philippians 4:8). Thank you Jesus, and all those around me for patiently enduring as I go through this process day after day!

Who Do You Love?

(Matthew 5:46, 48) “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? Be ye therefore perfect [fully mature], even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

       

It is natural for us to be close to those that bring benefit or at least perceived benefit to our lives.  We even read in 1John 4:19 “We love him (Jesus), because he first loved us.”

However, as believers we are to become more like Jesus. You see, He was able to love us even when we did not love him. If fact we were his enemy long before we loved him. We had no real benefit to offer Jesus, and yet, he loved us; loved us so much that he gave His life that we might have everlasting life. Possibly, the greatest benefit is that because of Jesus’ unconditional love, we can experience real love from its source, God Himself!

Because this gift is a direct connection to Love, we now have the capacity to love others as Jesus loved us. This is our opportunity to love unconditionally! We are the hands, conduit, of the love of God to all those that have not been blessed to know that love. What a privilege! We need to seize this opportunity and love others as Jesus does.

Anniversary 30 years

Today I celebrate a truly blessed life. My wonderful wife Jackie and I have been married for thirty years today. God has competed me with one that fills in all my gaps and weaknesses as a father and pastor. With Jackie's love and support we continue in the labors of life and ministry. Without her consistent encouragement and loving compassion it would be impossible to press on day after day and year after year. This past Father's Day marked fifteen years as Senior Pastor of Joy Baptist Church. We have seen much change and weathered many storms together. Together being the operative word. Because of our love one to another all these years, side by side, step by step, hand in hand we are able and blessed to serve the King of Kings as shepherd without loosing our heart, our love and our zeal for people.
I thank God daily for the blessing of a faithful, loving helpmeet that has never given up on me in spite of difficulties and opposition.
Thank you Jackie
With all my love,
Jay

FATHER?

(Ephesians 6:4) “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Many of today’s movies, television shows and social commentaries attack and work to undermine the role and respect for fathers. We find that too many people have bought into the lie that godly fathers and respect for them is unimportant to the stability of society. Men have children they neither support nor nurture; women and children are treating even faithful fathers with disrespect. Vast numbers of children are raised without the God ordained leadership of a godly father and a godly mother working together in ways that uniquely provide children the opportunity to experience in some measure the completeness and nurturing nature of the true and living God. A natural security exists in homes where godliness abounds.

Sadly, it is true that many men have lost the respect of their families. God will hold them accountable. If your father encourages you in righteousness, consider yourself blessed and honor him. If you are a father that has fallen prey to the modern philosophies of pleasure and carefree living first, you should beg God and your children for forgiveness. Make an effort today to build or restore a godly relationship with your children. This may take a great deal of time and in some cases never see fulfillment. However, you have a God given obligation to commit to this task. Praise God, He is a loving, nurturing Father.

HEAVEN'S TAPESTRY

"And he (Jesus) said unto them,
Ye are from beneath;
I am from above:
ye are of this world;
I am not of this world." John 8:23

With awe and appreciation,
we look upon a tapestry so finely rendered
We think of the labor and care,
the precision and dedication tendered.

Do we often look upon or seek to display,
the knotted frazzled underside?
It’s the finished front that incites delight
from there its value we decide.

The front is beautiful and cherished,
yet lost except the back abide.
Trust the Master, for as he weaves,
our beauty comes alive.

Perfect his work in us fulfilled,
greatly pleases God on high.
Appreciate the beauty of God’s work,
see the struggle with heaven’s eye.

Jay

MOTHERS

There is nothing like a mother’s nurturing love. I realize that a great many in our society have not experienced this blessing. I am blessed with a loving, nurturing mother for whom I am grateful to the Lord. My sons also have known the unconditional sacrificial God-like mothering that will help them understand, in part at least, the mothering aspects of our amazing God.

I feel a great sorrow for the many around us that have not known that kind of love and therefore find it difficult to believe that God will love and nurture them. That He will not abandon them or discard them when they no longer suit His needs.

I know that mothering is not easy; it requires great sacrifice and a love that is impossible to explain. It must be experienced and thankfully can be shared.

We need to be thankful and focus on passing on the love God has given us through those that have mothered us.

Cleansing Grace

 Blessed with a God of mercy and grace!

1Peter 5:10 “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

So why do we often feel like God and good are going on with life without us? Why do we struggle so with things we promised ourselves we would never succumb to again?

The answer lies not in whether God remains gracious, but how far we step away from the “fountain of grace.” That place is not a physical location; it is about proximity to God. Closeness of relationship and fellowship that is dependent upon constant communication (prayer and Bible study.)

This song moves me to always to draw close to the fountain of grace. 

I Lift My Hands

Be still, there is a healer

His love is deeper than the sea

His mercy, is unfailing

His arms a fortress for the weak

Be still, there is a river

That flows from Calvary’s tree

A fountain for the thirsty

Pure grace that washes over me

I lift my hands to believe again

You are my refuge, You are my strength

As I pour out my heart

These things, I remember

You are faithful, God, forever 

* Written by Louie Giglio, Matt Maher, Christopher Tomlin

 Chris Tomlin Video

Sunshine & Sons

I love sunshine! It lights my soul and encourages my spirit. I even had the golf clubs out. Yet, better than that, I love to get outside and watch my sons as they jump on the trampoline, aggravate each other in a game, work out or play catch with them; most of all I enjoy listening to their stories. Hearing and seeing their excitement while telling about their day's activities is like basking in the warmth and brightness of sunshine to my soul. Thank You Lord, for a loving wife and sons.

Fragile and Valueable

The lives that have been touched by the Boston bombings remind us how fragile and precious life is. Twisted, disturbed minds and hearts filled with hatred and destruction fight, seeing no value in those they seek to destroy. Yet, God has placed the highest value on every human life by giving His only begotten Son (Jesus) as payment for their sin. Justice will be served; however, we are called to leave that to the elected Government and God. Our mission is not to return hate but to offer life and hope to all we may touch. It is a dark world in which we live; in such darkness, every light of hope and truth can have increased effect. I pray that we in the Christian community that know the real love of God will be bold to love as Christ loves and trust that the love of God can conquer the hate of men and the light of truth will dispel the darkness of the lies that perpetuate such terrible actions. I pray for the casualties and their families for healing and hope in Jesus Christ.

Big Thank You

The other day I walked into my office and found my desk with 8 inches cut right out of the middle. I guess it is time for a new desk!  It has probably been over thirty years since updates were done. So, I want to shout out a big thank you to the men that have been vandalizing and remodeling my office. Timo Wiemero, Adrian Radita and Justin Nelson have put many hours into changing the walls, lights, bookcases and so much more. So often, in ministry there is a loneliness in the midst of the crowd and where every one has a need of their own. When this kind of attention is given for my personal benefit it really is special. Thank You.

Missionaries Not Mercenaries

Two critical facts separate Biblical Christianity from all the religions of the world: Jesus is God and Jesus came in the flesh to die for the sins of mankind.

(2 John 1:7) “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

The Bible teaches that each person must believe that Jesus is in fact God and that he died for the sins of all mankind, and also that individual sinners must repent of their unbelief and confess their need for salvation. Anyone teaching contrary to this doctrine is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Jesus did not destroy those who did not believe; neither did God commission mercenaries to destroy them. Instead, Jesus walked up Calvary Hill and willingly allowed those unbelieving soldiers to nail him to the cross that they might have opportunity to believe and be saved.

(Mark 15:39) “And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.”

Friends we must stand for the Truth as God has given it in his Holy Word; not that we may destroy but that we may offer every unbelieving soul a real chance to hear, believe and be saved.

May we all be missionaries not mercenaries!

Joy Infused

(Jude 1:20-25) “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

 Dear Christian, I believe that we have an obligation to infuse life and joy into all those we are able to influence by the power of the Word of God and the Holy Ghost in us.

We possess the amazing blessing of a most holy faith, the almighty Holy Ghost, the boundless love of God and His everlasting mercy that we might IMPACT others. Jesus desires to present believers to the Father with EXCEEDING JOY! We are the light of the world! We are the messengers of the only wise God, our Savior!

Let us focus 2013 on INFUSING everything we do with THE JOY OF THE LORD!