Miracle on Hwy 41 - God built a wall

This evening I traveled with my family to Appleton Wisconsin. On the way we ran through a portion of very hazardous weather. The roads suddenly got extremely slippery. I pulled the vehicle over and asked my father to drive. We drove a few miles more and noticed many accidents in front of us.

We past the first accident and noticed the next accident in front of us that we would have to pass. It was almost like “Frogger” as we swerved between accidents. As my father was slowly (less than 10 mph) traveling down the road I had seen a car in the other lane that was facing the wrong way. The car must have spun in a circle and was now trying to turn around so they were traveling the right way down the highway. He had turned around but didn’t notice the semi coming behind him. He managed to get out of the way of the semi but by that time the semi already had started to swerve on the icy road. Next thing I knew there was an 18 wheel semi heading right towards our vehicle. We had no place to go. Time went extremely slow. I watched as the semi jackknifed and started to fly across the median. It was heading straight towards us. I started saying “Father, Father, Father, Father, Father, Father” and my mom in the front seat starting saying “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Jesus, Jesus”. Dad froze as he watched this semi approach our vehicle.

That’s when the miracle happened. I believe God allowed time to crawl so we could see His hand. The jackknifed semi was coming straight towards us until we called on God. When His children are in need He always takes care of them. The semi was about 10 feet away from us before it suddenly (not slowly … but abruptly) took a turn and started heading the opposite direction. It was almost as though there was a wall put up to protect us. When the semi got to that wall it has no recourse but to move in the opposite direction.

We all thought that we were goners. We thought the worse unfortunately but thanks be to God who always protects His children, we are alive and well. A traumatic event that truly showed His love.

I thank God for sparing my life and for sparing my parents lives. God is so faithful. It’s an honor and a privilege to serve Him day by day.

Quit your worship charades

Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings— meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You’ve worn me out! I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don’t have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless.

– Isaiah 1:13-17 (The Message)

Season of Change in my life!

Man, I have been super busy with a lot lately. As many of you know I now am employed by World Outreach & Bible Training Center as the Assistant to the Children’s Pastor (aka Assistant Children’s Pastor). It’s been really interesting to be able to live your vision. This is the first time that I have not had to work a secular job. I literally am working the children’s ministry every day … all day. It’s really exciting. God is so good as you all know.

Over the last few months we have completely revamped the ministry. COMPLETELY!! We have a new logo, new policies, new leaders and even a new sign in system. We have been doing extensive training in our department. Our staff is becoming fully prepared for the harvest that is coming.

Since we have made the changes we have seen major growth. We have literally packed out our current sanctuary and are now debating on holding two services just for KidZone alone. We are currently using the entire floor dedicated to our ministry here at World Outreach & Bible Training Center and may start using a second floor soon as well so that we can minister to everyone that is coming.

World Outreach is also reaching out to the community through the grace of God. We have partnered with “Feed the Children” to feed 400 families in the Milwaukee Metro Area on Saturday November 16^th, 2008. We will be giving away two boxes (per family) of food and miscellaneous items so that the children of the city are taken care of. The amount of food we are giving each family will feed a family of four for two weeks. This has been a huge undertaking and we have been flooded with support from the community. We have everything from schools to stores like Target participating in this event. It’s really getting Milwaukee’s attention. While the event is to feed the children of the city of Milwaukee we also hope to share the love of Christ with all those who come.

Working at the church also opens up my ability to travel and assist other churches in setting up their ministry or training their staff. As many of you know my background is in three areas: service, organization, and training. These three areas are areas that I have built my life around and am always willing to help anyone that needs help in any of these areas. Like I said we recently revamped our own children’s ministry and the flow is so smooth right now that you can’t even feel the pebbles under the current and it’s not because me … it’s because of what God has put in me to share with others. Anyways, I said all that to say I am really excited to be able to start expanding my ministry into the training of staff involved in children’s ministry and to be able to network with even more ministers around the globe.

This past week I read a quote online that blessed me so much. “We set young leaders up for a fall if we encourage them to envision what they can do before they consider the kind of person they should be.” Ruth Barton said this and it has been eye opening to me. Teaching people what they can do before they know who they should be can not only hurt that individual but also those around him or her. Think on this.

Ok … I gotta be done for now … but … more later!

Deep Calling Deep

So I am reading this book called “One Word from God can change your life”. The book is an excellent book but I wanted to share with you a couple paragraphs from the book. I believe it will change some peoples lives.

Many of us have even recognized the truth — that it takes faith to receive from God. So we’ve studied the Bible, confessed particular verses over and over and memorized every key to spiritual success. Yet to often, instead of causing us to flourish in faith and prayer, our endeavors have left us dry and spiritless. Why is that? It is because we can’t have real faith just by knowing principles. Real faith comes from knowing the Person behind the principles.

That’s why the Apostole Paul in his great statement of faith wrote, “I know who I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12. Paul didn’t say, “I know what I have believed.” He didn’t say, “I know the principles and steps I have believed.” He said, “I know the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

You see, real praying comes from the heart hungry to know God. It comes when we cry out, as David did in Psalms 42: “As the hart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God. My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God…[Roaring] deep calls to [roaring] deap at the thunder of Your waterspouts; all Your breakers and Your rolling waves have gone over me” (verses 1-2, 7, The Ampliied Bible)

When a person is hungry, the deepest part of this spirit begins to call out to God for something to fill that hunger.

It’s important not just to know the Word but you gotta know him intimately. Find out what makes God laugh, blush, and smile.

Don’t you want to be happy?

Over the last few weeks some thoughts have been on my mind that I wanted to share with you. I am sharing this particular thought tonight with you because I really feel like someone out there needs to hear it.

Over the last few weeks I have had the opportunity to sit under and listen to some great speakers and children’s ministers and through this time of growing I began to pull some things together.

We each have our own destiny. It’s unique like our fingerprint but sometimes our hands are so full of our own baggage that we can’t grab our destiny.

Some of us may put the baggage down periodically and enjoy some of our destiny but then we pick the baggage back up and end up just moving around our destiny trying and trying to grab it and take full charge of it.

We can’t live our destiny with the baggage in our hands. There is no way that it’s possible.

Our destiny was planned by God before we were created according to the Word. We will never be happy till we are living out our destiny. Want to be happy? Put the baggage down and step into your destiny.

Cast your baggage (cares) on Him. Think of a fishing pole. When you cast it you throw it as far as it can go … NOW CUT THE LINE. Quit reeling it back in.

Some people think they can’t put the baggage down but the truth of the matter is that you can. Remember the Joy of the Lord is your strength. Get in your Word, sing praise to God. Praising God is a great way to build strength. The Word tells us that. Why do you think they always sent the praisers out before the army when they went to war.

I have had to set some baggage down over the last few weeks and to be honest I was that person saying “I can’t do this … it’s to hard.” but the more I got in my Word, the more I spoke the Word over my life, the more I praised God … the more I was able to put down and bless God … I haven’t picked those things back up.

So my challenge to you today is to start walking in your destiny. You have the instructions and you have someone on your side that will fight every battle that may come your way for you. Just trust Him. It’s truly a walk of faith.

(Thanks to Mrs Val for expounding)