New Year New You

This being the New Year I was thinking all the people managing to go thru the ritual of making New Years resolutions. We all do it and within the 2nd if not the 3rd week they are broken and all probably forgotten about. What did you say was going to be different this year. losing weight, being nicer.

I challenge all of us to a different type of resolution, that is to talk to someone everyday about your faith. We are tasked with spreading the word and sharing Gods love with others. If we hold on to it we are not doing what God has called us to do. I have always thought that when we go to heaven and there is a great chasm between heaven and hell. Think about looking across that chasm and seeing those people who God had told us to speak to. What if we were their last chance to hear Gods love for them before they were to die.

Hard to hear I know but what if,,,So my challenge this year for all of us is that we talk to people every week every day every hour that God prompts us to. Would it be that hard to sow a seed that may save someones life. So lets take off on this New Year and further the kingdom of God.

Be Blessed and Have a great New Year..

FellowShip

I haven’t blogged in a while I will give everyone an update later. But let me tell you today I went to church after missing several weekends due to other obligations. What a great feeling to walk in and see people not seen in a while. The worship music off the hook and Pastor Tom put on a great finishing message on Terra Firma. Have you ever said or have some one say that you don’t need to go to church to find God.

This is so true you don’t, but we are instructed to gather with others in Fellowship. I stayed in church in all day it was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We all need to gather together. Missing my church family as I was, didn’t really realize out until today. So after 1st service, confiding in my wife vowed that I will no longer work on Sunday mornings and that the work can wait until church is over. If you think that you can do with out the fellowship of others, you are wrong and need to get to a local church to meet greet with others. Working on getting Closer to God.

 

Be Blessed,

Pastor Rick

 

Salvation in a Rolo Wrapper?

Today as I was sitting on the couch and I was pondering on what to blog. I looked at my wife and asked her to say the first christian word that came to mind. So I counted to 4 and she came up with the word salvation. Wow so much I could write about, So as I was thinking what can I write.

My favorite candy is a Rolo, I love rolos and have since I was a kid. The wrapper is so pretty and inside you have this delectable Caramel wrapped in chocolate…mmmmm tasty goodness. Wow but how do I get salvation in a Rolo wrapper. Let me explain, when Jesus gave us the gift of eternal salvation to believe in him is to be with him forever in eternity. A lot of people receive this gift and never unwrap it to find the goodness inside. Then we are to pass on the gift but if we do not unwrap our own gift how do we spread the word and help others to unwrap theirs.

How do you enjoy the velvety goodness of a Rolo if you do not unwrap it first. how do enjoy the wonderful gifts of God if you do not unwrap the gift by receiving, revealing and reading God’s word you can never enjoy it.

So unwrap your gift and enjoy it. Go buy a pack of Rolos and pass them out and start a conversation about your faith.

Time

Every Tuesday I run a book study with 7 other guys. We have a great discussion time. Right know we are doing a book study on the book By Francis Chan Called “Crazy Love”. On a side note if you haven’ read this book you need to.

In one of the early chapters it talks about our insignificance, not verbatim( read it to understand). I was in the sanctuary praying as I do every Tuesday, but this week I was alone, usually there is a few of us praying. But not today it was me. As I was praying  all I heard was a clock in the dimly lit sanctuary, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. You get the picture. That is all I heard it was the loudest ticking I have ever heard.

What it reminded me of is the chapter that we read the week before and how insignificant I really am. What I was hearing was my life is ticking away. One second gone, another second gone, another one gone. The problem I was having is that they were GONE. If anyone knows how to get them back let me know…..lol

Like I said they were gone. how many seconds of the day go by for us and they are wasted, when they are gone did we use them wisely or not. Did we have the chance to share our faith or miss it. Because like I said they are gone. There is never a chance to go back in time and tell someone about Christ. Another chance may arise, but that isn’t the point, that second is gone when you should have.

We all need to ask God to help us in our spiritual time management, that is to capture every second for him and to glorify him. So be sure that you are not letting your seconds tick off, gone for ever, never coming back.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Rick

New Year resolutions

Todays blog post inspired by todays sermon at Zion Church in Palm Bay Florida by Dr. Tom Walker. You can check out the media sermon at http://www.ziononline.com/zion/CSS%20TABLE%20LESS%20SITE/media.html

What is your New Years Resolutions…..I googled and compared the Top 10 New Years Resolutions from the last 3 years and every year there were the same ones on there. Quit smoking, dieting, spend more time with family and the all favorite get out of debt. Every year the same resolutions, made by the same people on December 31st every year. I am guilty as anyone of this behavior.

I believe that resolutions are good for one thing, they are good for making and good for breaking. I can not think of any year that the resolutions that I have ever succeeded in keeping. I thing that we need to make one resolution this year and it is an awesome one to keep………………………………GET CLOSER TO GOD…………………………

How do you do that? Read, Pray, Share and Live……..

READ- Read your bible everyday. The best way to learn about the author of a book is to read his works. The bible is a collection of God inspired writings.

PRAY-Pray every day and in most cases more than once a day. I always seem to have time to put in extra time with God even if only for the moment of riding an elevator or walking around the mall. There is always a moment to talk with God.

SHARE-Share your faith in conversations every day. As Christ followers we have the hope that everyone else needs. How can they find it is WE do not share it with them. Every conversation with someone does not have to end with you leading them to Christ sometimes it is just the opportunity to plant a seed.

LIVE-Live life to the fullest and in everything that you do it that it is Glorifying to God. If what we are going to do does not honor God why is it we do it?

I am going to work on this year being one of the best years for God. You will see more of my blogs showing up that it may glorify God and inspire others closer to God.

God Bless,

Pastor Rick

Step #2 for a Successful Marriage.

 Not that I intended this blog to become a step blog but right now I  thing it will work. These “steps” are not in any certain order.

 Another thing that can help you be successful in your marriage is this next example.

 I have a secular job and lately it has been causing me some undue stress. It has not been pretty with how I have been feeling. But Diana in all her love and concern, tells me everything that I of course know. To pray, read your bible, talk about it. All good advice which should be followed. But something she did this week made me smile, gave me the lift I needed to get thru the rest of my day.

 She sent me a text that said ” I just walked thru the bathroom and smelled your cologne and it made me think of you”

 Sometimes a note in the lunch bag, a quick email, or maybe a text message. In todays world not many people don’t have a Facebook Page. Drop by thier page and post something on their wall.

 A quick communcation to your spouse to let them know that you are thinking of them, goes a long way to making thier day. I challenge all of you to send some type of commuciation to your spouse at least once a week.

 Be Blessed,

 Pastor Rick

 

What I thing the Secret to Successful Marriage is.

Diana and I are getting ready to celebrate 18 years of marriage in September. If you were to ask us what the secret of our success was we could tell of some many things. But as I sit here today thinking about everything that we have gone thru I have a couple things to share.

 First if you go to all the popular books and read the websites you get the general stuff like.

 1.Communcation

2.Love

3.Arguing fair

4. Respecting each other.

 And many more thoughts and Ideas. But the problem with the alot of the websites is that they miss the one key componet. During the first 12 years of Diana’s and my marriage we were both saved but we were still missing that key. We went to church but still missing that key.

 That key that we were missing was putting God FIRST in our marriage. We did the right things, but never relied on God for our marriage. We walked around in a fog thinking that God would just fix everything, we would just have to wait on him. Not knowing or realizing that we need to do some work.

 When we we were on the brink of the big “D” (divorce) word, did we realize that God would fix us by us relying on him, but by seeking him, getting professional christian counseling and working on ourselves. Anyone that says marriage is not hard or that you don’t have to work on your marriage is lying.

 I can honestly say that after we got counseling, sought the true meaning and help of God first in our relationship, did things turn around. We all know that we must put God first in all we do. Some people make the mistake and don’t put God first in the marriage. God first in your marriage is the absoulte secret to success. We must embrace the addage that a couple that prays together stays together. It is true but take it a step further a couple that seeks God together stays together.

 I love Diana more than I ever have. I can not ever imagine life with out her. God has blessed me with the best wife in the world. I am just sorry that it took me so many years to realize the blessing that he had given me.

Rules of Prayer

This past sunday Our Sr.Pastor Tom Walker preached a Sermon and talked about the Rules of Prayer and I asked his permission to share it here.

Here is what I wrote in my notes. For the full sermon you can listen to it at the church website www.ziononline.com

Part 1

1. God expects all Christ followers to pray. All to often we as christians say we have no time to pray ,but if we put God first he will give us all the extra time to do everything else that we need.

2. There is no RIGHT WAY to pray. I have told new converts that praying to God is as easy as talking to your best friend that is sitting right beside you. Just talk to God he will listen and answer.

3.Learning to Pray is as much caught as it is taught.

4. Prayer does not come easily or naturally. It is a spiritual discipline that requires a lifetime of practice. I remember the first time I was asked to pray for someone , I fell flat on my face but I got up and kept going. Eventually I got to the point of asking people if I could pray with them or for them. Just be dilgent in your prayer life and it will one day just start flowing out of you.

Part 2

1. We need to have a regular time to pray- Jesus went to the Mount Of Olives to Pray and have private time with his father. we need to take that example and have our PRIVATE TIME with our father too.

2. When you pray get to the point. I know when I pray sometimes I just get repetitive and long-winded. I felt sometimes that I just seem to babble( Pastor Tom nailed that one for me) but I need to just say what I got to say and be done.

3.One point that really struck home for me was that when we pray that we ” ARE PRAYING TO GET TO KNOW GOD NOT TO GIVE GOD ORDERS”

4. Rules

 Rave on God- Give it up to God giving all the Glory and Praise to him. acknowledging him for who he is and what he has done. He is a wonderful and glorious God that provides all our needs. Magnificent in all his ways.

Utilizing Thanks- Thank God for everything he has done for you. The many blessings that we have received from him. This time is spent just glorifying God for what he has done.

Look Inside- We have to look on the inside and take an honest inventory/investigation of our inner self. Ask God to show us our shortcomings and ask him to help us/ guide us to fix it.

Express- Tell God your concerns and needs. Use this time to tell God what you need, or your concerns on what is going on that needs his intervention.

Surrender Yourself- Make a daily recommitment to follow God making yourself fresh for God to do his will.

After you have spent this time in prayer (15 minutes) it is time to just be quiet and listen because God is waiting to speak he is just waiting for us to be quiet so he can talk.

I hope you glean something from this as I did. Thanks to Pastor Tom for letting blog about this.

God Bless,

Pastor Rick

Catching Up

Good Morning All,

Once again I forget to keep my blog caught up. Well let me catch you up it has been a very hectic end of year. We have picked up our ministry and family and moved to Palm Bay Florida. It is crazy cold the further north you go in florida. We are looking to expand our ministry here. We fell that God has opened the doors for us to move here. The Divorce rate in this county is higher than in Lee county where we were. So we are getting everything in place to get our ministry set up in this county. Keep us in your prayers as we follow Gods will.

God Bless

The Waffle Iron

This morning I was having breakfast, from where I was sitting I had a good view to the Waffle Iron.It was really funny how many people would walk up and stare at the waffle iron trying to figure out how to use this awesome machine. Some guests were opening it while others waffles were cooking, others were not flipping the iron to start the timer. It was funny to see this array of confusion. What made this so funny is that there were instructions in two different languages and in two different spots it was very funny to watch.

Is that not how we are with bible we fumble thru it not paying attention to Gods word or his instruction especially when it is staring us right in the face. The Holy Bible Gods word, gods instruction to us. Did you know that no matter what curve or trouble the enemy throws at us. the defense and solutions are there all we have to do is open the book and start reading and searching Gods word.

Isn’t strange how God works thru a waffle iron?

God Bless

Pastor Rick