I had a very blessed time this past Sunday teaching at Calvary Chapel Montebello. The Lord sustained me with my sore back, ragged voice, and fibrilatin' ticker! Since I was talking about suffering and storms in life, I guess it all fit. This week, Joyce has to have a brain MRI and I have my cardiac stress test. Yippie!!
I've been reading in 2 Thessalonians this morning and got focused on a short prayer Paul prayed for the believers in that area who were under a lot of pressure - and it really ministered to me!
II Th 2:16-17
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,
17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. (NKJ)
Notice the type of encouragement Paul is praying for here. Eternal encouragement and good hope. That's encouragement that gives us hope for now and the future.
This is possible because Jesus our Savior and God our Father loved us and gave us such encouragement and hope. Any other basis for hope will fail.
May "good hope by grace" be your's today in whatever pressure you may be facing!
Blessings! Pat
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Friday, November 24, 2006
11-24-06
I would appreciate prayer for this Sunday 11-26. Pastor Pancho Juarez asked me to teach at CC Montebello this Sunday. Miles will be covering for me at CC Escondido.
They have 3 morning services and I'm planning on teaching from Mark 4:35-41 - "Calm in the Storm"
I came across this old poem that relates to my subject this Sunday. Hope it blesses you as it did me:
He never fails the soul that trusts in Him;
Tho' disappointments come and hope burns dim,
He never fails.
Tho' trials surge like stormy seas around,
Tho' testings fierce like ambushed foes abound,
Yet this my soul, with millions more has found,
He never fails; He never fails.
He never fails the soul that trusts in Him;
Tho' angry skies with thunder-clouds grow grim,
He never fails.
Tho' icy blasts life's fairest flow'rs lay low,
Tho' earthly springs of joy all cease to flow,
Yet still 'tis true, with millions more I know,
He never fails; He never fails.
He never fails the soul that trusts in Him;
Tho' sorrow's cup should overflow the brim,
He never fails.
Tho' oft the pilgrim way seems rough and long,
I yet shall stand amid yon white-robed throng,
And there I'll sing, with millions more, this song--
He never fails; He never fails.
by J.S. Baxter, Explore The Book.
Joyce and I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Pat
They have 3 morning services and I'm planning on teaching from Mark 4:35-41 - "Calm in the Storm"
I came across this old poem that relates to my subject this Sunday. Hope it blesses you as it did me:
He never fails the soul that trusts in Him;
Tho' disappointments come and hope burns dim,
He never fails.
Tho' trials surge like stormy seas around,
Tho' testings fierce like ambushed foes abound,
Yet this my soul, with millions more has found,
He never fails; He never fails.
He never fails the soul that trusts in Him;
Tho' angry skies with thunder-clouds grow grim,
He never fails.
Tho' icy blasts life's fairest flow'rs lay low,
Tho' earthly springs of joy all cease to flow,
Yet still 'tis true, with millions more I know,
He never fails; He never fails.
He never fails the soul that trusts in Him;
Tho' sorrow's cup should overflow the brim,
He never fails.
Tho' oft the pilgrim way seems rough and long,
I yet shall stand amid yon white-robed throng,
And there I'll sing, with millions more, this song--
He never fails; He never fails.
by J.S. Baxter, Explore The Book.
Joyce and I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Pat
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
11-22-06
Sorry I haven't been posting to my blog the past couple of weeks! Since the incident of my a-fib heart, we've been back and forth to doctor's - both Joyce and I.
Joyce still has one more MRI till she meets again with her oncologist. I have a stress test for my heart next week - I could have told them I already have stress and don't need to be tested for it :-) So that along with a staff pastors retreat last weekend and just a very full calendar have kept me from writing - again my apologies!
Tomorrow we celebrate Thanksgiving and I am so blessed - even in the trials - for all that God has done in my life this past year. He has sustained Joyce thru a very difficult year. He has sustained Calvary Escondido as well. The following verses have been a special comfort and challenge for me.
Col 3:15-17
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (NKJ)
May you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving Day! Agape! Pat
Joyce still has one more MRI till she meets again with her oncologist. I have a stress test for my heart next week - I could have told them I already have stress and don't need to be tested for it :-) So that along with a staff pastors retreat last weekend and just a very full calendar have kept me from writing - again my apologies!
Tomorrow we celebrate Thanksgiving and I am so blessed - even in the trials - for all that God has done in my life this past year. He has sustained Joyce thru a very difficult year. He has sustained Calvary Escondido as well. The following verses have been a special comfort and challenge for me.
Col 3:15-17
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (NKJ)
May you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving Day! Agape! Pat
Saturday, November 11, 2006
11-12-06
Got a bit of a surprise Thursday afternoon. Went for an appointment to my HMO to have evaluated some shortness of breath and elevated heart rate incidents I've been having lately...ended up being taken by paramedics to Palomar Hospital's ER. I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation - a condition due to a disturbance in the electrical pathways of the heart. The ER doc gave me prescriptions for some new meds and sent me home that evening. He said my bloodwork indicated my heart was healthy - it showed no sign of a heart attack - but I do need to follow up with my regular doc to try and determine what's causing the irregular pattern of heart beats.
He said one of the causes could be anxiety or stress...I said, "Duh!"
I do want to thank all of you who have been commenting on my blog - and a special thanks for all you who have been praying for Joyce and I as we go thru these crazy times. God bless you all! Pat
Thursday, November 9, 2006
11-9-06
Busy last few days! Keeping up a daily blog probably was an unrealistic expectation!
But like the cloud and pillar of fire that led the children of Israel in their time in the wilderness, sometimes they camped only a day - other times a week or a month, even a year. Hopefully my posts won't be a year apart - but once or twice a week I'll try for.
This week we experienced democracy in action as the nation elected a largely Democratic slate to the House and Senate - thus peacefully shifting the balance of power. Also, many state propositions failed including Prop. 85 which would have mandated parental notification of a minor seeking an abortion. For some, this was a dark day. But as I was thinking about it all - really nothing changes as to our mission and witness.
We're still called to pray for those who rule over us - whether we agree with their politics or not. If you'ld like to look at this a little closer, here is the link to my study in Romans 13 from a few years ago, where I dealt with the believers response to current government - just click on the highlighted Romans 13.
I suppose many are wondering if God really hears their prayers - we pray for godly leaders and God honoring initiatives and legislation - and instead we so often get the opposite! But that's only because we just see whats in front of us and then react to it - when in reality, God see's everything that's ahead and knows how it all fits together - how it all works together. God has put you and I in our particular communities, states and nations to be a light and an example of real-time godliness. It really isn't so important as to which of man's government is ruling at any particular time. Governments change but our God's mercy, goodness, righteousness, truth, faithfulness, righteous judgements, and name endures forever.
May we not lose heart as we serve the One True God and may He use each of us as an example of His amazing grace and love.
Blessings! Pat
But like the cloud and pillar of fire that led the children of Israel in their time in the wilderness, sometimes they camped only a day - other times a week or a month, even a year. Hopefully my posts won't be a year apart - but once or twice a week I'll try for.
This week we experienced democracy in action as the nation elected a largely Democratic slate to the House and Senate - thus peacefully shifting the balance of power. Also, many state propositions failed including Prop. 85 which would have mandated parental notification of a minor seeking an abortion. For some, this was a dark day. But as I was thinking about it all - really nothing changes as to our mission and witness.
We're still called to pray for those who rule over us - whether we agree with their politics or not. If you'ld like to look at this a little closer, here is the link to my study in Romans 13 from a few years ago, where I dealt with the believers response to current government - just click on the highlighted Romans 13.
I suppose many are wondering if God really hears their prayers - we pray for godly leaders and God honoring initiatives and legislation - and instead we so often get the opposite! But that's only because we just see whats in front of us and then react to it - when in reality, God see's everything that's ahead and knows how it all fits together - how it all works together. God has put you and I in our particular communities, states and nations to be a light and an example of real-time godliness. It really isn't so important as to which of man's government is ruling at any particular time. Governments change but our God's mercy, goodness, righteousness, truth, faithfulness, righteous judgements, and name endures forever.
May we not lose heart as we serve the One True God and may He use each of us as an example of His amazing grace and love.
Blessings! Pat
Friday, November 3, 2006
From Mystery to Ministry
I came across an interesting post about sayings that we often accept as biblical which really are not. The one that caught my attention was: "God will never give you more than you can bear." I have to admit I've thought of that quite often the past 3 years in particular.
Typically this is confused with 1 Corinthians 10:13 which states that "...God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
The word used for tempted in the Greek is "peirazo" which can mean "to try or test one's faith, virtue, or character, by enticement to sin; to solicit to sin, to tempt; used of the temptations of the Devil. This seems to be the context of 1 Cor. 10.
But it does not say that we won't go thru hard times or extremely difficult trial that we would feel we could not bear.
Consider 2 Corinthians 1 :8 "For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life."(NKJ)
Paul is saying "Now, here's what we went thru brothers! We have been thru the fire! This walk has not been a stroll in the park....."
Let's take off the blinders here....there was trouble, affliction, hardship as we ministered in Asia....the word speaks of a pressing together...
We don't want you to be unaware of the realities of the battle...
We were burdened beyond measure...above strength
Burdened: pressed down from outside circumstances
Beyond measure: beyond our power
Phillips Translation: At that time we were completely overwhelmed, the burden was more than we could bear, in fact we told ourselves that this was the end.
I know of many folks who, because life was hard and circumstances were overwhelming, forsook the Lord, saying, "well, He said he wouldn't give me more than I could bear - and He did; so He lied to me." God never said that! I don't want to make the same mistake! The hard realities of life are not the same as the attempts of satan to solicit us to sin, which 1Cor 10:13 is talking about.
In fact, all the things Paul and his team endured, tho they felt they were at deaths doorstep, brought them to a place where they learned not to trust in themselves but in God who raises the dead. 2Cor1:9
The result of those difficult seasons was greater ministry. Alan Redpath once said,
"Have you ever faced things like this? Where your imaginations and dreams turned to
valley's of dry bones? Where your walk, once vibrant, has become stale...and it all
seems to be a complete mystery? I wonder if the Lord is going to bring thru these
verses new light upon your experience because He wants to turn the mystery of that
experience into ministry."
Pastor Chuck Smith once said, "It takes more faith to make a total commitment to God and to rest in whatever He chooses to do with us, than it does to demand that He heal us and to put conditions on our service to Him."
I'm learning that God hasn't left me or failed me because I am in a hard, even unbearble season in life. If you are facing similar mountains today, I pray as you trust the Lord he will turn the mystery into ministry!
Blessings! Pat
Typically this is confused with 1 Corinthians 10:13 which states that "...God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
The word used for tempted in the Greek is "peirazo" which can mean "to try or test one's faith, virtue, or character, by enticement to sin; to solicit to sin, to tempt; used of the temptations of the Devil. This seems to be the context of 1 Cor. 10.
But it does not say that we won't go thru hard times or extremely difficult trial that we would feel we could not bear.
Consider 2 Corinthians 1 :8 "For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life."(NKJ)
Paul is saying "Now, here's what we went thru brothers! We have been thru the fire! This walk has not been a stroll in the park....."
Let's take off the blinders here....there was trouble, affliction, hardship as we ministered in Asia....the word speaks of a pressing together...
We don't want you to be unaware of the realities of the battle...
We were burdened beyond measure...above strength
Burdened: pressed down from outside circumstances
Beyond measure: beyond our power
Phillips Translation: At that time we were completely overwhelmed, the burden was more than we could bear, in fact we told ourselves that this was the end.
I know of many folks who, because life was hard and circumstances were overwhelming, forsook the Lord, saying, "well, He said he wouldn't give me more than I could bear - and He did; so He lied to me." God never said that! I don't want to make the same mistake! The hard realities of life are not the same as the attempts of satan to solicit us to sin, which 1Cor 10:13 is talking about.
In fact, all the things Paul and his team endured, tho they felt they were at deaths doorstep, brought them to a place where they learned not to trust in themselves but in God who raises the dead. 2Cor1:9
The result of those difficult seasons was greater ministry. Alan Redpath once said,
"Have you ever faced things like this? Where your imaginations and dreams turned to
valley's of dry bones? Where your walk, once vibrant, has become stale...and it all
seems to be a complete mystery? I wonder if the Lord is going to bring thru these
verses new light upon your experience because He wants to turn the mystery of that
experience into ministry."
Pastor Chuck Smith once said, "It takes more faith to make a total commitment to God and to rest in whatever He chooses to do with us, than it does to demand that He heal us and to put conditions on our service to Him."
I'm learning that God hasn't left me or failed me because I am in a hard, even unbearble season in life. If you are facing similar mountains today, I pray as you trust the Lord he will turn the mystery into ministry!
Blessings! Pat
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