Tag: Dream

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The Three Gifts of Christmas

During my tenure as pastor at Life Connections, each Christmas I brought a series of messages to our church community called, The Three Gifts of Christmas. The sermons were loosely centered around the wisemen’s gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The messages were about gifts God had for us in the coming year. Though no longer pastor, in the spirit of Christmas’ past, I share my Three Gifts of Christmas for 2024.

Our first gift this year is found in Luke 5:17. Luke begins to recount the story about the miraculous healing of a paralytic with the simple words, “one day.” This is our first gift. The possibility of one day. I’m sure the paralytics friends, neighbors, and most certainly, he himself, had dreamed of a day when he would walk again. He is the photograph of hope for many of our prayers. We pray, hope, and imagine the moment that God says, “yes,” and our prayer becomes reality. How long had he dreamed? How long had people prayed? Was he incapacitated from birth? How old was he? All appropriate questions, but in a day they all become irrelevant. Was it hot or cold? Sunny or rainy? Did someone pray a “super” prayer? We will never know but what we must hold onto is the possibility that any day can become “one day.” So. Pray your prayers. Keep your faith. Wake up with an expectation that this could be my “one day.”

Luke uses the word that is our second gift fourteen times in his two books, Luke and Acts (AMP Version). It’s a powerful word. It is an exciting word. It is an unexpected word. The word, “suddenly.” Suddenly, it means immediately or quickly, without warning. No expectation. Boom! In a moment the miraculous! Luke’s first suddenly involves a most unexpecting group of men. Shepherds. In Jesus’ time the profession of shepherding was considered one of the lowest in society. It was lonely, smelly, and weather conditions could range from intense heat to the coldest of cold. There was no upward mobility. It’s to this group we see Luke’s mention of a supernatural suddenly. On a dark night, alone with sheep and their thoughts, the sky explodes with light and angels singing! It rocked their world. They observe, listen and obey. With no regards to their employers, sheep or future, they immediately go to see the baby Jesus. “Suddenly’s” do that to us. They change our perspective. They change our priorities. They change our world. Suddenly’s come to common people living ordinary lives. Suddenly happened on a mountain to disciples, worshippers in an upper room, and Paul on the Damascus Road. Who is a candidate for a suddenly? If shepherds are. If a murdering Pharisee is. Then anyone at any time can experience a suddenly! Can I encourage you, live every day with wander, could suddenly happen to me today?

The last gift is found in the statement made by a leper who meets Jesus in Luke 5:12. His request shows incredible confidence in God’s authority and power. His appeal, “Jesus, if you are willing, You can make me clean.” His statement leaves no room for doubt, no question of God’s power. He is a social outcast. He is covered with disease. He is alone. He has been abandoned by society. Yet his confidence in God’s ability is bold. If you are willing hope puts every possibility on Jesus and it can carry us through our darkest days. Hope knows God can do anything. The leper’s life was literally falling apart. His prognosis. You will never walk. You will continue to lose body parts. Death is imminent. What is your leprous diagnosis? Your unchangeable situation? I’ll never get over a mistake, my past. This addiction will always control me. My sickness is incurable. My financial battle will never get better. Whatever it is, like the leper, we must take on an unwavering confidence in God’s power and authority, “Live. Pray. Resolve. Hope. That if Jesus speaks, our situation has no choice but to change.

I am confident that God has put these three gifts in my spirit to share as we jettison into 2025. Times are tough. Life has hardships. Pain is real. Disappointments come. To survive we must have a shift in mindset. Become God focused and Spirit led. Allow these three gifts to marinate in your heart and life. Start living every day with elevated expectations. IF we will, the possibilities are endless. Get up with a “this could be the day” mindset. Live looking and expecting a suddenly to burst onto the landscape of your life. Pray, knowing God did, that God does, and that you have the hope, that if He is willing, your situation has no alternative but to yield to God and His power.

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2023. Go Exploring!

Day one of 2023. A new beginning of sorts. A clean slate. A fresh piece of paper. The start of a new chapter. For some reason as this year opened, I reflected on one of the books by my favorite author, Bill Watterson. The books title is It’s a Magical World and it is a collection of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes comics. On the cover there is a fresh blanket of snow and Calvin and Hobbes have a large toboggan and big smiles on their faces. They are out to seize the day, enjoy the snow, and make new memories. Their expressions show no worry about issues of the day, only the pure excitement about what they are about to experience. For whatever reason my spirit resonated with the cover and how to approach 2023. While we could focus on the ills of society, dwell on the ugly in our world, or the problems in our marriage or family, today is an opportunity to change our focus. I think why I enjoy Calvin and Hobbes comic strips so much is because they make each day a new adventure. Rarely is he overwhelmed by the events of the day, instead he charges into each new day with childlike excitement. His imagination is filled with possibilities and his plans for the day are not dictated by the circumstances of his world. He is going to explore, create, and enjoy the day. Calvin is not the first to have this idea, in the Bible David said, this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24). David suggests that it’s important how we frame each day. We can meander into a day with fear and anxiety, or march into it with zeal and excitement. Calvin and David both suggest the latter and so do I. 2023 is our next chapter to write. Depending on your age, you may have many chapters still to write, or for some, there may just be a few remaining. Regardless, it is a new chapter. The good news we get to choose what goes on the page and how we approach each day will determine the chapters content. Live today filled with expectation, faith, and zeal. Look for possibility. Create energy, laughter, and fun. Daily use the 126 variations of Crayola colors, not a pencil. Tough days will come but let them be a page in the chapter, not the storyline. The first page of It’s a Magical World has Calvin and Hobbes sitting on the toboggan at the top of a hill, Calvin looks at Hobbes and says, “it’s a magical world, Hobbes, ol’ buddy. . . let’s go exploring! May 2023 be filled with faith, possibility, laughter, and all the excitement that God has planned for you. Go exploring!

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Closing a Chapter and Starting a New

For nearly 20 years as Pastor of Life and 35 years of ministry, Mary and I have built our life and preaching on four basic principles. These are based in the Word of God and are the foundations of our faith and belief. As we close our chapter here at Life, we remind you of them and encourage you to never let anyone move you away from them.

There is One God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 – Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one [the only God]!

  • God has many dimensions, but He is one.
  • God is multifaceted and multidimensional, but one.

The Word of God is Above All.

Luke 21:33 – Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

  • Make God’s Word priority above all and let it lead you through life.
  • Do not be swayed by books, men’s concepts, or religion. Stay in God’s Word
  • Read the Bible with prayer.

These two ideas are summed in John 1:1 where John says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Prayer must be a Life Priority.

Matthew 21:13 – It is written [in Scripture], ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer.

  • Pray first in every situation knowing prayer can change any situation.
  • Prayer will guide, protect, and keep you when confusion comes.

Water & Spirit Baptism is Essential.

John 3:5 – Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God.

  • These are the words of Jesus, put them above every man and religion.
  • Believing, faith, and obedience is critical, but never leave this foundational statement of Jesus.
  • Acts time frame is from 30 to 70 and every epistle, which were written to churches and saints, were written between 30 to 70. We find clarity and growth in the epistles. There is one message and experience in Acts. Baptism in the name of Jesus and baptism in the Spirit with a language unknown.

As this chapter of our life closes, Mary and I want to thank everyone who has ever been a part of Life and allowed us to be your pastor. It has been an amazing journey and incredibly fulfilling to see so many lives impacted by the gospel. I will continue this weekly blog online and we look forward to what God has in the future for Mary and I. May God’s blessings and favor rest on each of you. Reach one more for Jesus!

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Rip Off the Label!

68 Teams. Four regions. In each, teams are ranked by computers and a handful of “in the know” people. Teams with ones and twos are expected to be there at the end of the tournament, 15 and 16’s are expected to make an early exit; just pebbles for the Goliath’s on the road to the Final Four. Except for one problem. Occasionally, a pebble forgets the ranking assigned by the professionals, and plays with a fire that can’t be defined by statistics. Instead of folding, they define themselves. It only happens a handful of times, but after a mind-blowing victory, when a “David conquers a Goliath,” you hear something like this, “no one gave us a chance, but we knew in our hearts we could do it.” We live in a culture that is label driven, and too many allow others to define who they are. Too often people are defined by the clothes they wear, the people they associate with, or the letters after their name. Yet, like a 15 and 16 seeded team, there are some who rip off their labels and define themselves in God. David was called too young, unproven, and unreliable, all which may have been true, but he had something that could not be measured. His family, peers and experts measured him by the world’s metrics, but David measured himself by something no one else could see, his God factor. He knew what God had done for Him and what God had called him to do. When that kind of faith is in place it doesn’t really matter the labels put on you. To someone today, do the same as David or a low seeded team, rip off the label and be who God called you to be!

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The Gift of Tenacity

Jim Valvano, lovingly nicknamed Jimmy V, was a basketball coach who has become an inspiration too many. He bounced around several universities before eventually coaching the NC State Wolfpack in the 80’s. In 1983, Valvano’s team won the NCAA Championship, a victory that probably is the greatest Cinderella story in college basketball history. In 1992, Valvano was diagnosed with cancer and in March of 1993, nine weeks before his death, Valvano spoke at the ESPY Awards and delivered one of the most inspirational speeches you will ever hear. Here are just a few of Jimmy V quotes. I hope they inspire you to live with tenacity.

  • “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”
  • “Be a dreamer. If you don’t know how to dream, you’re dead.”
  • “The greatest gift you can give your children is to believe in them.”
  • “Life changes when you least expect it to. The future is uncertain. So, seize this day, seize this moment, and make the most of it.”
  • “Nothing has ever been accomplished in any walk of life without enthusiasm, without motivation, and without perseverance.”
  • “Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.”
  • “In every single day, in every walk of life, ordinary people do extraordinary things. Ordinary People accomplish extraordinary things.”
  • “Know where you have been, where you are now and where you want to be.”
  • “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”

You can read more quotes from Jimmy V at everydaypower.com/jimmy-v-quotes/

Live tenaciously!

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A Dormant Dream

For forty days he had gotten a glimpse of the possibilities. He had seen the lush crops and amazing groves of fruit. He had walked the streets of large cities and touched their massive walls. He has walked through beautiful valleys, and now, he’s standing near picturesque farm on the ridge of a mountain. As a breeze blows through his hair and the sun sets, all he can hear is the words of the Lord, “go and spy out the land I am going to give you.” With that, he along with nine other spies, head back to camp. To his amazement, only he and Joshua have a good report, all the others see obstacles where he had seen opportunity. In a moment, his dreams are dashed by the lack of faith and vision in others. For forty years he will pay the penalty for the doubt of others. Finally, the visionless pass, and a new generation of faith stand ready. A generation with a leader who says, “we can conqueror, we can possess.” Passion and possibility are alive. Joshua leads Israel through a dry Jordan River and into the Promised Land. Victories come quickly, and within a short time, Israel has conquered the land. Within days of the final conquest, Caleb stands in the tent of Joshua asking, “give me my mountain.” Though his dream had been delayed, and journey difficult, Caleb’s passion for his promise had not wavered. He had not forgotten what he had seen standing on that ridge forty years earlier. I’m sure he often wondered if he would ever see it, but now possibility is reality. He holds the deed to his promise. What dream has God given you? Hang on to it. Though it may seem dead, it’s likely just dormant. Never let go of your dreams, don’t doubt God. What you have seen and what you have heard will come to pass.

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Now What?

Now what? Today the presents have been opened and life returns to normal. It’s back to nine to five and real life. So it was after Jesus’ miraculous birth. It’s been days, weeks or months since the glorious entrance of God in flesh, Jesus, into the world. The shepherds have visited the stable. Mary and Joseph have taken Jesus to the temple where they are met with unexpected prophecies about Jesus’ future by Simeon and Anna. The Magi have traveled from a far with gifts and visited his home. But now what? I would love to say the shepherds became evangelist, spreading the good news and the Magi became the first missionaries, establishing great works as they head back East. But only heaven and time will tell. Life, for all we know, went back to normal. The only thing we know is that Jesus grew. We get a glimpse of his growth when they visit the temple when Jesus is twelve. Mary and Joseph go to a Feast in Jerusalem, and after the celebration, begin the journey home when they realize they had left him behind. Upon returning, they find him in the Temple mesmerizing the teachers of the scripture. Beyond that, nothing. Silence. Stillness. The gift went dormant. What do we do when God goes silent? When the seed has been planted but we have to wait. We do what Mary did. Luke 2:51 says, Mary treasured all these things in her heart. When God goes silent and life goes back to normal, treasure what you have experienced and what you know is coming. While we don’t know when the promise will come, we know it will…so, with no other choice we wait, knowing better and more magnificent days are ahead!

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Measure Twice, Cut Once

Measure twice, cut once. It’s the golden rule of carpentry. It’s the first rule a carpenter learns. It’s one I’ve ignored countless times and found myself returning to Lowe’s to buy more wood. It’s a  natural rule with a spiritual principle. There have been way too many times when I’ve measured my life wrong. Too many times we use the wrong measuring device or idea, or worse, the concepts of this world. Joseph has a bad ten-minute conversation that changes his life. His brother’s measure it wrong, and suddenly jealousy, rage and thoughts of murder fill their lives. They make a cut and Joseph is betrayed and abandoned. He lives over 12 years with regret, remorse, questioning himself and spinning in to despair. All the while, God appears to be silent, but in actuality, God is working. We learn that God does not measure as we do. We see failure, we see brokenness and despair, but God sees development, possibility and promise. God measures Joseph’s life differently than his brothers or Joseph did. Measured correctly by God, Joseph’s life catapults from a pit to the palace and his family and nation is saved. Six hours one Friday, men made a measurement, and made a cut.  The Roman’s mocked, gambled for his garments and ridiculed. Pharisees measured the moment and said, “he could save others but not himself.” Disciples said, it was a good run but it’s over and women wept in the finality of it all. The words, “it is finished,” and humanity measured and made a cut. But God measures twice and cuts once and He doesn’t error; resurrection, ascension, outpouring and we learn God measures right. To every dad, husband and man who has failed, who is broken, who is flawed and feels it is finished. Don’t measure your life once and make a cut. Don’t believe you or your situation is hopeless. Measure your life by God’s Word and not by this world or your present circumstances. Man measures once, but God measures twice, and God measures right.