Super Sensitized

I’ve noticed I have become emotionally sensitized to everything. I’m sure a shrink could tell me what’s going on in my head, but I wonder if it is something going on in my heart. I’ve said I am a new creation resulting from catastrophe in my past. But maybe to be more truthful, it is from what God is doing in His presence. I’m not sure, but I think I am what I am. I am going to trust God that the sensitivity can be a good thing, based on His promises of “All things work together for the good of those that love the Lord”. I think, I’ll pray to not lose my new found sensitized nature.

The Mind of Christ…

My dad was a wonderful strong Christian man. He loved God and spent hours of every day reading his Bible and praying to the Father. In his last days, he had read the book titled, “Mind of Christ”. As he gradually succumbed to dementia, he said he had prayed for the mind of Christ and this is what he got. It seemed he didn’t understand what was exactly happening, but he was ok with it because he had prayed for the mind of Christ.

How often do we pray for something and we don’t quite get what we wanted? If ever we can look past what our wants are and enjoy the gifts God gives us, we will find the fruits of the Spirit waiting to be plucked from the tree of life.

Anyone want to join me in praying for the mind of Christ? Hopefully, they won’t lock the doors behind us or maybe they will…..

In His Presence

“At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.”

Yesterday, I had an incredibly strong feeling of God’s presence. It was as if everything was right in my world and God had me in His arms. I know you can’t live or rely on feelings, because there have been times when I wondered if God even existed. But yesterday, God allowed me to experience His presence in a feeling.

When the feeling is gone, I know God will still be there. But for the moment, I can be thankful that God allowed me to know His presence even for a short time in a feeling.

Think on this: “the world is peripheral to the church”. If we are the center of the universe as the body of Christ and the world is peripheral to us, it follows that the world must see Jesus through us.  It is an incredible responsibility we have as Christians.   “In the feeling” and “out of the feeling” we must be the light shining in the darkness of the world.  It’s His presence that makes this possible.

One of the Big Kids at VBS

VBS at Grace Point is significant to many people, members and neighbors alike. Some of the big kids really got into the moment and related really well.

Candido kinda sums up the friendly attitude Grace Pointers have toward each other and the community.

It is amazing how God uses the uniqueness of each of us and blends all the qualities together to produce a body that loves to love. Children find Christ and God is glorified.

Thank you Carmen, for the pic!

Parody on Psalty

referred by The Sparrow

Game Theory

Fortune magazine named John Nash one of the brightest mathematicians in the world. That was at the age of 30. Shortly after, Nash became ill with schizophrenia. This disease would plague him most of his life. At the age of 66, in 1994 Nash received the Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on game theory.

Game theory quite simply looks at the interactive decision-making of players in a game. The outcome for each player depends on the action of all. As a player, you choose how to play the game and determine moves to make based on your strategy and the moves of others. In the process you recognize that others are adapting their moves by on your strategy and so goes the game….

Game theory has been applied to all aspects of life. Nash even applied it to the very essence of creation in considering how competition between non-intelligent life forms determine an outcome. We are trained in game theory early in life. Pastor Thomas used a Candy Land illustration as being the most awesome game of all time. So how does the idea of game theory influence our walk with Christ?

In our “Game of Life”, there are an infinite number of players. Each player has their own strategy. Some will want to dominate the game. Others look for peaceful coexistence. Some will play fair. Some will cheat. Some will move with long term goals. Others will make a move based on the moment with no thoughts for the future. Some will make no move until forced by others.

If the game wasn’t complex enough, this only describes the players that can be seen. The real power in the play of the game is from the unseen forces of good and evil. Each player is continually influenced by unseen angelic and spiritual forces. After careful consideration of personal game strategy, a player makes his best move. Only to discover the outcome of his move has been influenced by these heavenly or demonic unseen forces.

To be continued….

God Spot of EPIC Proportion

The Church at Grace Point is poised to experience a God Spot in EPIC proportion. We the church, the body of Christ has been investing in the lives of hundreds of impressionable young children.

Many of these children will for the 1st time understand the calling of God on their lives. They will know for the 1st time what it is like to have God’s Spirit speak to their heart about the love He has for them.

Think about this. God’s Holy Spirit singling out many children for the 1st time to speak to them about His love. This is BIG! Then, add to the mix when God patiently pulls many children away from their prideful attitudes and woos them into His Holy presence.

Talk about practicing the presence of God. This is HUGE! God thank you for allowing me to be a part of what You are doing in the lives of small children who are willing to love You. Get ready to see God Spots shoot all over the sky tomorrow night as children exchange their lives for the life of Christ.

Is EVERYTHING Beautiful in God’s Eyes?

While I’m on the subject of winners…..

The 2008 World’s Ugliest Dog champion has been crowned, and this year’s winner is a one-eyed, three-legged,hairless Chinese Crested dog with skin cancer.

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I didn’t see the other dogs, but if you ask me. This was no competition. This dog is ugly! Now, I’m in trouble. I have to come up with something spiritual to go with the picture. This is a site about God sightings.

Maybe, it is your turn to show some creativity by posting some spiritually relevant insight concerning this double ugly dog. Come on. Be just a little warped and have some fun with this. The dog has already been paid to be ugly. So…..

I’m Going to Be Rich!

You know the odds to win the lottery are a zillion to one against you. It’s easier to be hit by lightening than win the big jackpot, but this is a sure thing. Take a look at what John McCain the next president has to say.

“I further propose we inspire the ingenuity and resolve of the American people by offering a $300 million prize for the development of a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars,’’ Mr. McCain said here at California State University, Fresno.

Did you catch it? This is no lottery. This is a prize. All I have to do is identify a power source that is bigger and better than anyone elses. This challenge is like shooting fish in a bucket. Now that is a sure thing.

Why am I so sure I will win? That is easy. I know the biggest, baddest, all time most efficient power source there is. I plug into it every day or should I say, “I plug into them everyday”. Yep. You guessed it. What bigger, more efficient power source is there than God?

So Mr. McCain, just make the check out to Grace Point Church. I’ll arrange for a payroll withdrawal over the next eternity and avoid taxes.

Still Practicing in His Presence….

After reading the Father Lawrence story, I decided I wanted to live in God’s presence too. I know as a believer, I live with God engulfing me with His Spirit. But, most of the time I am unaware of His presence. You know the feeling or lack of it? Right?

You and I both know that when you make a decision to step up your commitment to Christ a notch, you will be challenged or at least sensitized to your failures. It seemed the challenges were non-stop on Sunday. Not enough of this. Too much of that. This broke. What’s wrong with that. Why didn’t you? “Do this. Don’t do that. Can’t you read the signs”. Hey, I think there is a hippie song written with those words.

So it looks like I owe some apologies for the times I reverted to my old self. But you know, there were times when I did ok, also. If you are reading this and you were one of the ones I grumped at, I extend my sincerest apologies. Just consider it an honor that God allowed you to be used in a ‘God Spot’ in drawing me closer to His presence. Sorry for the pain it caused you. I’ll keep trying.

Maybe I’ll do better today…..

“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace”. Matthew