Dressed in the Finest

Posted on April 4, 2013 by pastorpstephens

I wore some blue jeans to work the other day as we have a “relaxed dress code.”  About half way through the day the person in the cubicle next to me asked me if I spilt coffee on myself as they pointed to my knee.  As I looked and I noticed that I had a stain on both knees.  I got dressed in the dark that morning so I would not wake up my wife who doesn’t get up as early as I do and I did not notice the grass stains on my newly washed jeans.  Those stains were still there from a few days earlier when I was on my hands and knees in the yard pulling weeds for 2 hours.  Thanks to my back surgery I can pull weeds now and not walk like an 80 year old man for the rest of the week.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is that I guess I will have to find some stain remover to take out those grass and mud stains before I wear these good jeans to work again.

The situation reminded me of when we took class pictures in the first grade and I wore pants that day that had holes and stains on both knees. The pants were hand-me-downs from my brother.  Naturally I had to sit on the front row because I was so short.  I didn’t want those holes and stains showing up in the picture so I leaned forward and covered my knees with my hands to try and hide the holes and stains in my pants.  Back then it wasn’t cool to have holes in your jeans – now, I would be the best dressed kid in the class as many holes as I had in my clothes!  That class picture is hidden somewhere in a drawer and it captures the shortcomings of my wardrobe; shortcomings that were never corrected, never repaired and that I could not cover no matter how much I tried.

I am so glad that our life does not have to be a class picture that we are ashamed of; one that eternally captures our embarrassments and shortcomings.  I am so glad that we can count of God’s grace to cover our shortcomings in our lives.  God says in His word in Galatians 3:27

Galatians 3:27  “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

Our God is so gracious and merciful.  He has given us so much to be thankful for.  God has given us a way to be forgiven of our sins and to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ!  The next time I see a little boy with grass stained blue jeans, I will thank my Lord as I remember that I don’t have to worry about how I will cover my sins and shortcomings in this life.  I will thank the Lord for His Grace and I will thank Him that the same grace that is available to all who place their trust in Him.  When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior He covers our transgression and clothes us in His righteousness.

Until next time, may God bless you and your loved ones.

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Speaking From the Heart

Posted on March 28, 2013 by pastorpstephens

It has been a very busy week for me.  As I have been dealing with various situations and witnessed others doing the same I have been reminded how important it is to be able to let the Lord give us words of grace, mercy and comfort that we can share with others.  The Bible says in Luke 6:45

Luke 6:45 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”

I hope you had a good day and I hope you had an opportunity to share some good words with someone today. Maybe you had a busy day and just missed an opportunity. Tomorrow will be here before you know it! You can try again! Maybe you saw an opportunity but just weren’t up to it. Maybe you were down and discouraged and didn’t have any good words to share.  Maybe you went to the well and the well was dry.  I pray that you will let the Lord minister to you, meet your needs and fill your heart with the hope and goodness that only He can provide. May He bless you with a better day tomorrow. I pray that your heart will overflow with His love and peace to the point that you cannot help but share some good words with those you meet.  I also pray that someone will have some good words for you!  You are special and God loves you dearly.

“From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”  I know that it is the Lord’s desire for you to have a good and glorious day.  And I know that it is His desire that you be ready to share that goodness with those He sends your way.  Until next time, stay strong in the faith.

 

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Finishing a Task

Posted on March 19, 2013 by pastorpstephens

I have received my grades for my final two classes.  I received an A in both of them and have now fulfilled the requirements needed to receive my Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary.  I am very excited to be done and I am grateful to the Lord for helping me to finish strong.  I am also thankful to my wife for supporting as I sat at the kitchen table and worked on all those papers and discussion boards.

Before I began taking the classes I prayed long and hard about the commitment it would take.  I had some concerns about working full time in an insurance claims office, serving as pastor of a church and taking two classes at a time but I was convinced that if the Lord was leading me to do it, the Lord would lead me through it.  I wanted to take two classes at a time so that it would cut the time to complete the degree in half.  This also cut the tuition just about in half.  I also knew that if I only took one class at a time I would spend time going over each assignment two or three times each week before I turned it in anyway so I may as well have two assignments each week that I would only go over once!  For me, two classes instead of one seemed like a win/win situation.

I shared my desire to take the classes with my wife and we prayed about it.  I had considered taking seminary classes in years past but never really felt that the Lord was leading me to go.  After a couple of days we decided that this time, it was right to do it.  I signed up and got started.   After the first 8 week term was over my wife asked me what I wanted for a graduation present.  Though that time was still a long time away, I knew just what I wanted.  I wanted a pocket watch.  A few weeks later my lovely wife picked up my graduation present.  It was inscribed with the verse “Phil 4:13”.  This is the verse that captures Paul’s words “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  I had told her I wanted to wait until I graduated to get it but she was positive that I was going to finish it and saw no need to wait.  She knew that the Lord would strengthen me and that I would complete all the classes and earn that degree.  Her confidence in the strength that the Lord was going to provide reminds me of Paul’s words in Philippians 1:6

Phil 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Maybe there is some task that you are praying about whether or not this is the time to begin.  Maybe there is a task that you are in the middle of right now and it is tough.  Maybe you just need to be reminded that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.  Maybe you need to be reminded that He who begins a good work in His people provides all the strength, wisdom, encouragement, and the resources that His people need so that His people can complete those good works.  Be strengthened!  Be confident!  Be encouraged!  If the Lord leads you to do it He will lead you through it!  He who began a good work in you will complete it!  You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!  Don’t give up!  Don’t give in to worries or weariness!  Stay strong in your faith!  Let the Lord lead you and guide you!  Let Him do a good work in you and through you!

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2 Year Check up Following L4 and L5 Fusion

Posted on March 12, 2013 by pastorpstephens

This week it has been two years since my back surgery.  My back is feeling very good.  Yesterday I went to a local recreation center and played full court basketball for 2.5 hours with guys who ranged from 16 to 19 years old.  Considering I am 30 years older than most of the guys on the court I think things went very well.  I was running the fast break the whole two hours and I was on a team that held the court for an hour and a half.  My legs felt good and today I am able to walk upright.  The surgery was a very good decision for me and the Lord blessed me with a very good outcome.

On this blog that I started following the back surgery I have learned of some who have faced some very difficult times and not had similar success stories with their surgeries.  I have learned of others who have had wonderful results.  While I am aware that everyone’s situation is different and that not everyone has a similar story in regard to their recovery, I know that one thing is always constant.  If you place your faith in Him, God always has your back.  The Apostle Paul spoke of a burden that he carried in 2 Corinthians chapter 12.  He referred to it as a “thorn in the flesh.”  Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:8 – 9

2 Cor 12:8  Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.  9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Perhaps your story is different than mine.  Perhaps you have a thorn in the flesh and you have seen some doctors and your results have varied.  I pray that you will have relief.  I pray that you will be healed.  But over and above that I pray that you will know that if you place your faith in the Lord, HIS GRACE WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR YOU!  He will sustain you.  He will keep you.  He will comfort you.  He will hold you until the time that relief comes.  Place your faith in Him and know that His grace is sufficient for you.

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What Does Tomorrow Bring?

Posted on March 7, 2013 by pastorpstephens

My week has been very busy.  A friend of mine passed away last week so I have spent my time visiting the family, ministering to them, and preparing for the funeral which was on Monday.  The man was older and though he lived a full life, his passing was unexpected.  He will be greatly missed by his family and his friends.  He used to come by and visit with me on and tell me jokes from time to time.  We shared many good times together.

I remember one time we talked about a Sunday school teacher who gave what they felt was a very inspiring lesson about Jesus to a group of 8 and 9 year old boys.  The teacher shared how a relationship in Jesus was the key to spending eternity in heaven with Him.  After the lesson was over the teacher asked all the boys who wanted to go to heaven to be with Jesus.  The teacher proudly watched as one by one the boys’ hands slipped up in the air.  Everybody raised their hands except for Billy.  The teacher, puzzled by the lack of his response, questioned the young man, “Billy, when you pass don’t you want to go to heaven and meet Jesus?”  “Sure, I want to meet Him when I pass,” Billy said, “but you sounded like you was getting together a trip to go see Him today!”

The truth is none of us know when we are going to make that trip.  The Bible says in James 4:14 “You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”  We never know what tomorrow may bring.  We can be here one minute and gone the next.  We can be just a day away from making a trip to eternity…an eternity spent with the Lord in heaven or an eternity away from His presence in a place the Bible describes as hell.  My friend who passed unexpectedly knew the Lord and was ready to make that trip.  Can you say that you are ready?  Do you know Christ as your Savior?  Have you received forgiveness for your sins?  If not, you can ask Jesus for forgiveness today.  The Bible promises in Romans 10:13

“That whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  Romans 10:13

When we call upon the Lord, He forgives us and receive us into His kingdom so that when we pass we will spend eternity in heaven with Him.  I pray that you will have a long, full and blessed life.  But even greater than that, I pray that today you will know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior….because no one knows what tomorrow brings.

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The Moon is Following Me

Posted on February 19, 2013 by pastorpstephens

I am very blessed that my two granddaughters live just 4 houses away.  We get to visit on a very regular basis.  Last weekend I was walking my three year old granddaughter Avery home in the evening and she pointed to the moon and told me, “Look Papaw the moon is following me.  It’s coming to my house.”  It was a very nice moment as we just walked and enjoyed the evening together.  That same weekend I was able to share with Avery that God gave us the moon to be a nightlight and that when she saw the moon following her it was one way that she could know that God was always going to watch over her and help guide her along her way.  She can always trust in Him.  She nodded in agreement.

I don’t know how much she soaked in over the weekend between our walks in the neighborhood, in the mall and her time in church, but I know that the Lord is revealing Himself to her….even by having “the moon follow her.”   The Bible says in Psalm 19:1

“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” 

God has revealed Himself to all mankind through His glorious creation.  God has revealed Himself in such a way that meaningful conversations can be entered into with everyone, even with 3 year old granddaughters.  God is indeed an awesome God!  I look forward to the day that my conversations with my granddaughters take on even greater depth about the love, mercy and grace of the Lord.  But I can honestly say that I don’t know that the conversations will ever be more meaningful or heartfelt…for either of us.

I pray that you will let the Lord reveal Himself and His grace, His forgiveness and His goodness to you.  I pray that you will experience a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  I pray that you will know that the Lord is walking with you and following you wherever you go, just like a three year old thinks the moon follows them.

Until next time, stay strong and keep the faith.

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Consistency in Prayer

Posted on January 27, 2013 by pastorpstephens

I have some family and friends for whom I pray every week.  There are some specific needs that I lift up to the Lord and I also pray that in general these loved ones will be strong physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

I believe that consistency in our prayer life is something that most Christians do not emphasize enough. Sometimes we are quick to merely mention something to the Lord and fail to check back or bring it up again until a lot of time has passed.  This is not the model for prayer that we find in the scriptures.  Jesus talks about the importance of consistency and persistence in Luke 18.  He tells of an unrighteous judge who was constantly petitioned by a widow who needed legal protection.  Finally, the judge gave in simply because of the widow’s persistent pleas for help.  He wanted her to go away.  Jesus followed that parable by saying in Luke 18:6

Luke 18:6  And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; 7  now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 8  “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

I do not know what you may be praying for this week but I know that you should exercise your faith and be persistent.  I know that you should not give up.  I know that you should boldly go to the throne of grace regularly and seek wisdom, strength and provision from the Lord God.  The Lord expects and respects the consistency of prayers and supplication by the faithful.  He answers the prayers of His children.  The answers you receive will not be given just to make you go away, but they will come in an effort to draw you even closer to Him.

Blessings to you and your family.

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Feeling Anxious

Posted on January 14, 2013 by pastorpstephens

I have started the last two classes associated with the Masters program that I am pursuing.  Just 8 more weeks and I will be finished.  I feel like a rat running around in a maze.  I know that I am close to the end and the closer I get to the cheese the more anxious and nervous I feel.  I am reminded of what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:6 – 7

Phil 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

I am praying for the Lord to help me stay calm, cool and collected.  I am thankful that the Lord has strengthened me and guided me through my journey thus far.  I know that He can be trusted to continue to lead me, to continue to strengthen me and to continue to help me focus my thoughts and my efforts.  We serve a good and gracious and merciful God who seeks to give us a mind of tranquility and a heart of peace.

I know that whatever you face this week that may be trifling to you or that may cause you grief, if you turn it over to the Lord in prayer you will have the strength to do what you need to do.  And He will lessen your anxiety as you go on your way.  I pray that you will have the peace of God this week and that your heart and your mind will be peacefully and pleasantly centered on Christ Jesus.

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Expecting a Harvest

Posted on January 6, 2013 by pastorpstephens

I survived another all-night session on New Year’s Eve with the youth group.  I got back home the next day and went to bed about 9:30 am and slept until 2:00 pm and then went to bed at about 10:00 pm.  Even though I have napped a little throughout the past week I am not sure that I have completely recovered yet.  I just don’t bounce back as quickly as I used to from staying up late and having my schedule disrupted.  All in all the night was a good night and there were some good, meaningful conversations that took place throughout the night.  Unlike prior years, only a few young people came forward for prayer at the time of invitation so that was a little disappointing.  But at times like that I am mindful of what Jesus said in Mark 4:26 – 29

26  And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27  and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows–how, he himself does not know. 28  “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29  “But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”  Mark 4:26-29

Though not many came forward for prayer, I am grateful for the few who did.  I pray that the Lord will minister to them in a very special way and draw them closer to Him in the upcoming days and weeks.  I am also mindful of the fact that His word was delivered to all who were present.  The seed was cast in a prayerful and loving manner and I know that the Lord is still using the words, the prayers and the events of that night to minister to some of those who were present but who did not come forward.  I know that things are going on which cannot be seen by the human eye.  Perhaps there is someone that you have spoken to and they received God’s word but did not act on it.  Try not to be discouraged or disappointed.  Continue to love them, pray for them and support them in a godly way.  The seed will sprout in God’s good time and the harvest will come.  In anticipation of that time I will remain watchful and prayerful.

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How To Make Godly Decisions

Posted on December 31, 2012 by pastorpstephens

Psalm 119:66   Teach me good discernment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments. 

As I have said before, when I was growing up I was not somebody you would consider “churched.”  I did not grow up in a home where we prayed regularly or went to church regularly or talked about the things of God regularly.  I am grateful that my parents got me to Vacation Bible School and Sunday School enough times for some of the “basics” to sink in.  But I must admit that many of the things of God were pretty foreign to me until I really began to trust Him at a higher level when I was about 25 years old.  One thing that I had to learn was discerning His voice.  Another lesson I had to learn was to trust Him enough to listen to Him and follow His voice.  I have found that following His voice and doing His will typically involves ignoring my voice, my flesh and my own selfish desires.  Like most people, I am still working on that one!  I find that it just takes practice even for preachers.

I have also found that life works best when we stay in God’s will.  That does not mean it is always an easy road but there are fewer potholes and unnecessary detours.  We all need to come to the point where we consistently seek God’s input in our lives and in our decision making processes. How do the things we do line up with His word and His will?  Have we prayed about the decisions we are about to make and asked for wisdom and discernment?  In Psalm 119:66 David prays, “Teach me good discernment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments.”  That is a prayer that I believe the Lord will answer and honor.  The Lord wants His people to make good decisions.  So here are the steps –  P.R.A.Y.:

  1. Pray.  Ask the Lord for wisdom and discernment.  Talk to Him and He will talk to you.
  2. Read.  Look for principles in His Word.  You may not find the exact problem you face, but there is nothing new under the sun.  God has dealt with your situation before.
  3. Ask.  Ask a spiritually mature Christian.  Not necessarily an old Christian but maybe.  Someone who has been around the block a few times has seen a few things and hopefully learned a few things.  The key is “spiritually mature.”  You would be surprised how spiritually mature some youth can be.  Ask someone solid in the faith, who you trust and who you can speak to in confidence.
  4. You.  How is the Lord speaking to you?  What do you know to be true in your heart?  Not what do you want to do but what do you KNOW you should do?  The Lord speaks to our spirit.

Recently someone came to me very concerned about a decision they had made.  They had prayed and asked for guidance from the Lord but when it was all said and done they felt like they had made a bad decision after all.  They wanted to know what kind of trouble they were in.   I tried to ease their mind.  My experience has been that if we have prayerfully submitted our actions to Him and found that the option that we are choosing does not defy or deny scripture AND we have not heard any clear cut direction from God that we are ignoring – God can use that choice that we make.  It’s those choices we make that don’t line up with scripture and His clearly defined will that get us in trouble.  It seems that every time I have struggled with an issue – whether it be what scripture to preach on or how to handle a situation with a loved one – if I have prayerfully submitted it to Him and followed the guidelines He has given me in His word and His commandments; He has ultimately caused it to work together for good (see Romans 8:28).

It is those times that in my life when I have known that something has not lined up with God’s word or God’s will and have barged ahead anyway that I have ended up taking an unnecessary detour in this journey that God has placed me on.  I truly believe that if you pray, read God’s word, ask spiritually mature Christians for godly advice and listen to how God is leading you, He will keep you on the right path.

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