i found myself at the cross and i didn’t even know i was lost.

You do! I would never!

 What ever happened to love?  Remember the first time you looked in your Love’s eyes and saw the gentleness and peace of returned love.  Remember when there was nothing you wouldn’t do for your life mate?  Remember the kind words exchanged and that good morning kiss? What happened?

You worked hard to provide for the family.  Long hours at your profession or striving to keep the home pulled together while the world pulled it apart.  Running, constantly running from one sports event to another.  What happened to the love?

Somewhere in the mix of life, faithfulness slipped away.  There just wasn’t time for God if you were going to accomplish the things that were admirable and important.  Slowly, it became harder to spend time with a Father that was so distant.  It wasn’t long before you shoved Him in the back of your thoughts and quit caring.

Do you want your love back?  Return to your 1st love and love will return to you. 

Do this.  Buy the New Testament version of the Bible known as “The Message” and read it straight through cover to cover as fast as you can.  Write in the margins everything that comes to your mind. 

Read fast.  Write fast.  Don’t let anything slow you down or prevent you from consuming the Word.  Open your body, soul and spirit to God.  Somewhere,  sometime during the read you will find your 1st love.  Love will return to you.  It’s that simple. 

It only takes a few days to consume a good book.  The Message is THE good book.  It took me less than 30 days to read it the first time while I worked a full time job.   If your marriage has lost its love.  Read the book and then read it again.  You will find love.  Guaranteed.  But do you really care?

“Do you think their faithlessness cancels out his faithfulness? Not on your life! Depend on it: God keeps his word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth.” Paul

Till Death Do Us Part

Till death do us part… Excuse me!  But what does that mean?  Does it mean I will stick with you as long as I “FEEL” like I love you? Does it mean I will be faithful as long as you stay young and perky?  OR does it mean I will stay faithful and love you until death separates us?

Believers in our church are beginning a movement to turn our eyes and hearts to God every 60 minutes for 60 days.  God has impressed me that for now, I am to pray for specific marriages.  These couples include friends, family and even a new friend reqesting prayer in Barbados. 

Something really profound happened today.  A friend called today and said he was bringing his wife to town as a surprise and wondered if we could meet for dinner at the River Walk.  We hadn’t seen each other for years and he reminded me that they were in a marriage enrichment class we taught 10 or 15 years, ago. 

Our meeting was not a coincidence.  It was God reminding me.  The battle for marriages is worth the fight.  If I can pray for you or a friend of yours, let me know.  I will be honored to add your choice to my list.  God is in the miracle working business for those that love Him.

I look forward sharing some incredible “God Spots” with you as God rescues marriages!

I am focused!

So, i woke up 2 minutes early in the middle of the night.  It was 3:35.  It is usually my pattern to wake up at something o’clock:37 .  I’m told 37 is God’s fingerprint in the Bible’s original text.  I’m ok with 37, but wondered why I woke up 2 minutes early.  Turns out I must have needed a couple extra minutes of prayer.

I am focused, as of a couple hours ago.  I am focused on fighting for marriages.  Too many of my friends and family are hurting themselves by letting their marriages collapse.  A marriage between a man and woman is Holy and something worth fighting for.  At 3:35, I began the process of becoming focused on the battle. 

I prayed.  The evil ones are skampering.  They are frightened.  They are mean, tough and ugly, but they will run.  I am focused.  Every 60 minutes and many times inbetween I will pray specifically for my friends and family.  I will pray they will take up the battle for their marriages.

Will you pray with me?  Will you fight?  Are you willing to die for what is right?

“God’s law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within them that echoes God’s yes and no, right and wrong”.  Paul

NEW’S FLASH! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

ONE.  THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW.

“The sacred writings contain preliminary reports by the prophets on God’s Son. His descent from David roots him in history; his unique identity as Son of God was shown by the Spirit when Jesus was raised from the dead, setting him apart as the Messiah, our Master. Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus.

You are who you are through this gift and call of Jesus Christ! ” Paul

3 Alarm Fire in San Antonio

This is a BIG deal!  The fire is still burning but said to be under control.  It is not known if there are any fatalities. 

I remember a time when I had a fire in my life.  I think it may have been a 7 alarm fire or maybe a 37 alarm fire.  Anyway, it was a BIG fire.  It some ways it is still burning.  Have you had a similar fire in your life?

When the fire was in full bloom and everything of value seemingly being consumed, I had to choose.  Would I run to God or would I run from God.  It was a conscious decision that needed to be made.  The “evil one” makes it easy to hear his way.  The question is whether I would listen.

In the midst of the fire or battle for my soul, Cora wrote verses from the Word on index cards and gave to me.  I read the verses over and over.  With every reading, the intensity of the fire became to seem more distant and I could hear God better than the thoughts the evil one wanted me hear. 

The evil one still bites at my heals, but he is but an evil annoyance.  It is the voice of God I hear these days.  His voice of encouragement drives me on toward the high calling of Jesus Christ.   It is the voice of ONE that the world may know.  http://gpcdev.bravehost.com/videovault.html

I will be taking ONE on the road with me across America.  Read about the upcoming trip at http://www.isrv.org. 

archie

God Spots Across America

Does God ever just totally blow you away with His graciousness?  I bet He does.  Well, today He blew my socks off.  A very gracious person donated way too much money for my upcoming trip to California.  The person alone almost funded the “one way” ticket by themself. 

I am speechless and humbled to think someone would do that for me.  But, I am also uncomfortable with accepting such a large gift.  So, I think I will return it.  I will be forever grateful to the person for their graciousness.

It does make me think and brings a question to my mind.  We serve a BIG God.  Why shouldn’t His gifts be large?  Why shouldn’t we expect them to blow our socks off?  I trust by my returning the gift I am not offensive to the person or to God.

Do you have any thoughts?

Read more about the “Bus Across America” project on http://www.isrv.org.

Worn 1/2 dollar and a promise

About 15 years ago, a friend and I tore a one dollar bill in half.  I put half in my wallet and he put his half in his Bible.  We covenanted to pray for each other whenever we ran across our half of the dollar bill.

We have been faithful to do this over the years, even though we have only talked once in as many years.  That’s what a covenant is.  A promise without reservations.

What was your covenant with God?  Have you kept it?

Be “One” for Jesus.

PS. Thanks Mike.

Read about the “Bus across America” opportunity.

Kindness of One

This year is the year of ONE.  I’m getting out of the box and hoping/praying(thx BL) to lead “one” to exchange his life for the life of Christ.  You can read about it at iSrv. My stretch out of the box will be to “Bus Across America“.  I’ll be traveling from San Antonio to San Francisco.  37blogs, 37towns in 37hours and hopefully home again.

Today, was really incredible.  A new friend of myself and Cora donated to the blogging extravaganous by funding my bus fare to the first 4 towns.  Someone else kicked in for 2 more towns.  That puts me rolling into Ozona, Tx.   and on my way to San Francisco.  Wahoo!

Follow the trip’s progress at www.isrv.org.  Pray for the part you will play in the “Year of One.”

Do you feel alone in the race?

“Do you remember that time Elijah was agonizing over … Israel and cried out in prayer?

   God, they murdered your prophets,
   They trashed your altars;
   I’m the only one left and now they’re after me!
   And do you remember God’s answer?
   I still have seven thousand who haven’t quit,
   Seven thousand who are loyal to the finish.

It’s the same today. There’s a fiercely loyal minority still—not many, perhaps, but probably more than you think. They’re holding on…”  Paul

As times wind down here on earth, there will be times  we think we are running the race alone.  We can see what the enemy has done, but not see the cloud of witnesses running with us. 

I guess this is why it so important to be running the race God has designed and picked instead of running someone elses race.  What good can come from running a race that you have not prepared for or suited to win?  Find the race God is in and join Him.  You will win everytime!