Influence, Impart, Empower, Release
I was overwhelmed with how good God was at the special services recently with Rev. Greg and Robyn Hubbard. I was especially pleased to see so many children going to the altar for prayer for salvation as well as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. What were your special moments?
The meetings we are having with Greg Hubbard serve to remind me how great and good our God is.
Where would we be without Him in our life? I shudder to think where I would be.
On June 10, last Tuesday, I was making my usual visits to the local hospitals to see and pray with some patients. I had already gone to Baystate Medical Center and was on my way to Mercy Hospital. Earlier in the day I had made a comment to Pastor Peter that “I like the back way, the short cut from Baystate to Mercy, it really saves time”. And so I went that way through a few side streets and arrived at the intersection of Bartlett St. and Carew St. I looked down the hill on Carew St. and it was clear and I looked up the hill on Carew St. and it was clear. I looked across Carew St. to the entrance of Mercy Hospital and the traffic there was turning away from me so I thought, okay, I think I will go right across, isn’t this a nice little way to, “HONK, HONK, CRASH”. Uh-Oh, suddenly there was this guy and his wife in their car and it was sitting right next to mine in the middle of Carew St. The front end of mine was pushed around from right to left a little bit like a boxer’s nose after he just got hit by his opponent.
I was crushed. How could I have been so careless? I checked with the other driver and he was alright as well as his wife. So it was just car damage and ego damage ( all guys think they are expert drivers). But then the process of repair and payment begins.
Here it is a week later and I was thinking about my accident this morning as I was praying and I thought there must be a lesson or two in this. We all know that ’short cuts’ are not always as they seem. I did recognize one thing in particular as the details began to get clearer. When the accident occurred, I thought I was clear to cross because I had looked both ways. So where did this car come from? The next day, as I read the accident report I realized that the other vehicle had entered Carew St. from the other side just a very short distance from this intersection. He hadn’t come up the hill as I expected, he came in from the side. He slipped in below my radar you might say. Now that doesn’t matter, I am still to blame because he was in the street and I should have yielded to him. But I didn’t see him coming.
Satan is much more deceptive than this and he will pull you into sin so fast you will wonder, “How did that ever happen?” “I’m more careful than that!” “I know my Bible, how could I have been so foolish?”
So many times we take things for granted and think we are okay with God. But Satan is sneaky, he doesn’t play fair, he will look for any opportunity for a weak spot in your armor. He knows your weaknesses and will throw every temptation in the book at you in those particular areas.
This coming weekend is the beginning of Summer for students. You are all out of school and taking vacations and having an awesome time! That’s great! Take a look at your schedule and give a little quiet time back to the Lord. Sit under a tree and pray. Open up that Bible of yours and choose several books to read. Do a little shopping at a Christian Book Store not just the Mall. See how many times you can experience God on your own, just you and Him. He’s an awesome Lord, who cares about you more than any other person can.
The Youth have a couple of pretty powerful banners hanging in the Lighthouse Auditorium. They say VICTORY and the verses on them are 1 John 5:3-5, “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the VICTORY that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” It is a recipe, a plan; it is God’s plan for VICTORY in your life. Have a VICTORIOUS Summer and follow God’s plan.
It’s that time of year again, grad party time. As a youth pastor i naturally am invited to several grad party’s each year. It is a wonderful time to hang out, eat free food, get to know a few new people and look at hilarious pictures of the students younger years. Without fail there are many laughs offered up at the expense of what these student use to look like. Yet, you leave each party with a humble pride thinking that you had some role to play in the individuals maturation process. You also know that though the student feels as if they have already encountered so much the journey has just begun.
Yesterday i attended two grad party’s, two in one day, combined with church, small groups, a youth staff meeting and drama practice spells for a really long and tiring day. But as i ended my day with one final grad party i was filled with excitement knowing all that layed ahead for these students. Even more i was reminded that there is still so much more ahead for my life, for my adventure, for my path, the path that God has layed out before me. Graduation isnt the end, only the beginning. Man i love free food!
Welcome to With Joy Unspeakable. This blog is dedicated to allowing our pastors an opportunity to share with the you thier thoughts and views. Keep coming back to see what’s new!