Random thoughts this morning after election

I awoke this morning with a huge knot in my stomach, full of fear and trepidation at what happened last night in the election. Regretfully, I sent my kids out the door telling them they may lose their freedoms and filled them with fear as well. When they left, I put on my tennis shoes and my Ipod shuffle and hooked up a very anxious puppy who loves our morning walks and headed out the door. I was greeted with my first sight of a beautiful vibrant red tree right outside our door shining through a misty fog and cool brisk air. It immediately lifted my spirits because I know who painted it. I love this time of year because it seems that God gets out his palette and sets to work on such a beautiful creation, painting each individual tree. As I walked on, I listened to several worship songs but two stood out to me. Beautiful by Gateway worship and Healer by Hillsong.
It reminded me that God is still in control. It reminded me of my life’s verse, “But God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” I read my devotions and read this verse in Romans 8:31-32, What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Rom. 8: 31-39 (The Message) So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Fear comes and engulfs us when we find ourselves not believing Him for who He is and who we are in Him. I was reminded once again that Worship brings intimacy with God because we recognize who He is which draws us to His Word and prayer which brings us to know Him more which brings the faith in Him. TO KNOW HIM MORE IS GROW IN FAITH AND BELIEVE HIM AND HAVE FAITH IN HIM. If you struggle with faith, ask Him to help your unbelief and to know Him. The only way to know Christ is through Worship, the Word, and Prayer and our experiences.

I will take God at His Word and I will pray for our new President-Elect Barack Obama and his family.

God Bless You and God Bless America!
Kerri

What is He Worthy to receive from You? Surrender

From II Chronicles 28 and 29. King Ahaz was an evil king of Judah. It says He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord and all of Judah suffered for his actions. Defeat after defeat in battle, he kept turning his heart away from God and continued to offer sacrifices to other gods. It says in verse 22, “And when trouble came to King Ahaz, he became even more unfaithful to the Lord.” Finally, he broke the utensils from the temple and shut the doors of the temple of God so that no one could go and worship there. He then built shrines to every pagan god. He was such an evil king that when he died, he was not even buried in the royal cemetery. Hezekiah grew up watching his father make a mess of things. I imagine his mother must have been a godly woman who instructed him in the ways of the Lord because he recognized that his father was evil in the sight of God and obviously God worked on his heart and prepared him to be a great king. It says that the first thing, the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary. Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They abandoned the Lord and his dwelling place; they turned their backs on him. 7 They also shut the doors to the Temple's entry room, and they snuffed out the lamps. They stopped burning incense and presenting burnt offerings at the sanctuary of the God of Israel. 8 “That is why the Lord's anger has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made them an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes. 9 Because of this, our fathers have been killed in battle, and our sons and daughters and wives have been captured. Our temples have not been closed in the physical sense, but what about our personal temples? Do we daily present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God? Do we bring defiled things into the sanctuary? Do we find ourselves unfaithful in what God has called us to do, loaded down with our own agendas and plans for our lives? Do we bring our incense of a sweet aroma of surrender to God? What about our offerings, both monetary and the offering of our lives? Are we in captivity to our own lustful desires because we refuse to give control to God? Are our families in captivity because we are not willing to surrender to God? I am reading a new book by Kay Warren called Dangerous Surrender where she quotes a French Priest, Francois Fenelon. He says, “To want to serve God in some conditions, but not others, is to serve Him in your own way. But to put no limits on your submission to God is truly dying to yourself. This is how to worship God. Open yourself to God without measure. Let His life flow through you like a torrent. Fear nothing on the road you are walking. God will lead you by the hand. Let your love for Him cast out the fear you feel for yourself.” Surrender, the definition is to yield (something) to the possession or power of another. Are you surrendered to the possession and power of God, fully completely? I have recognized in my life that not being surrendered is like looking at God and boldly saying to His face, “I don't really believe You. I don't believe You can have control of my life and make it what I want it to be. I don’t really believe you are a good God, and all powerful God, and a loving God.” Why? Why don’t we trust Him? Has He really ever really failed us? No. Its because we fail to know Him. If we know Him because we meet with Him everyday, we spend time in His Presence and in His Word, Surrender becomes easier because we recognize His great power and His Great Love for us. Kay writes, “God wins us, not by shouting, beating us up, or starving us into submission, but by asking for an invitation to enter. We are loved into surrender. The more we accept that he operates out of love for us, the more we will trust ourselves to him. Fenelon expresses this truth beautifully. “God is not a spy looking to surprise you. He is not an enemy lurking in the shadows to hurt you. God is your Father who loves you, and wants to help you if you will but trust in his goodness.” Surrender - THIS IS HOW TO WORSHIP GOD. To the Worship Leaders: Hezekiah continues, My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him. God has chosen us as worship leaders to not neglect our duties any longer. We must purify ourselves first. We need to come into the sanctuary undefiled, with the only agenda on our hearts to worship the Lord and lead others to worship Him. When we come in with a pure heart and offer ourselves in full surrender to God, others cannot help but respond. Jesus says, If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me.” I have seen it happen in our own worship services. When the worship leaders begin to respond with their hearts to God during the worship music, the body of the church begins to respond. Know and feel every word you are singing to God. After the purification of themselves and after the temple was purified, a great worship service happened. The New Living translation lists it as one of the great revivals in the Bible. As Hezekiah and the Levites presented the burnt offering, they began to sing praise to God accompanied by all the instruments. After they sang, they bowed in worship and continued to sing praise to God. Then the people brought their offerings to God. There were so many offerings that there were not enough priests to receive all the offerings. Wouldn’t every pastor like to have a offering time like that in their church? The truth is they gave out of the abundance of love in their hearts for God. They were led to worship. Kerri

What is He Worthy to receive from You?

Okay this one is long because it is our monthly newsletter topic. I would love to hear your comments!!

What is He Worthy to receive from YOU?

I turned on the TV in our hotel room one Sunday morning while I was getting dressed looking for some audible inspiration for the morning worship service and I stopped on one of those church programs you would never actually stop and listen to for any inspiration. But what I saw broke my heart and yes, made me a little mad, not at the people, but how we have regressed in our worship in a lot of our churches. The little choir was singing “Victory in Jesus” and not one member, NOT ONE of that choir had any facial expression of any kind on their faces. If anything, it was a scowl, and the sound, oh the sound was the most pitiful sorrowful sound, I'm not talking about musically (although that was a little rough too) but there was no sound of happiness. They didn't have their heads buried in the book like they were concentrating on the parts or anything either. There was no joy, no tears, no lifting of hands, no rejoicing whatsoever and they were singing about victory in Jesus. What victory? It didn't look like to me any of them had had any victory in their lives through Jesus. Because God has given me a passion for worship and because I used to be somewhat in that crowd, and because now I know what it is to have freedom in worship, I am burdened for Christians to experience true worship, and I am passionate about leading believers to true worship and them being set free to do so. However, I am not the only one passionate about His people being free to worship. I am currently doing a study of worship and going through my NIV Exhaustive Concordance and looking up each verse that pertains to worship. I came to the chapters in Exodus on the deliverance of Israel out of captivity. Over and over again in my concordance it said, “Let my people go, so that they may worship me” So I began to look these up, and I started to skip over them because it kept saying the same thing, and then I prayed, Lord what can I get out of this for worship. In my next breath, He revealed it to me. I wanted my people FREE to worship me, but not only that, I wanted to reveal my glory to them. So I showed them my glory by sending each of the plagues on Egypt until Pharaoh had finally had enough and told them to go. God gave the Israelites a radical deliverance. Complete with signs, wonders, and miracles. “For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up [a] for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Pharaoh told Moses that the Israelites could worship in Egypt, trying to make a compromise with God, but Moses said that's not going to work, we will not be free. Three times Pharaoh tried to compromise with God, but God didn't want them a little bit free, or a lot free, He wanted them completely free. Now, I know that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out, but the church has put its own bonds on themselves, pride, arrogance, intimidation, fear, traditionalism, legalism, resulting in worship as a chore instead of what it is meant to be, a blessing, a spiritual feeding to renew us each week, a place to lay our burdens down at the foot of the cross, to have people pray with us, to worship Him in spirit and in truth so that we draw closer to Him. I think about who God is, what God has done for us, what He has done for me, what a perfect Creator with such an incredible, sacrificial plan of redemption, patient, merciful, full of grace, full of love, full of jealousy for his people to worship Him and Him alone. Is He, my God, worthy of my scowl as I sing His praises? Is He worthy of my pride? No, He is worthy of my everything, my absolute everything and when I worship Him, I am to worship Him with everything in me, body, soul, and spirit. David said in II Samuel 24:24 “for I will not present burnt offerings to the LOrd my God that have cost me nothing.” Col. 3: 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. And if you don't think it is about music and singing, All through Psalms, David said to worship the Lord with the harp, the lyre, the trumpets, the tambourines, and so on and to sing unto the Lord, dance unto the Lord for He is good. I Chronicles 16:8 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.9 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. 10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 11 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. 12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. 28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, 29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his [d] holiness. 31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!" 34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 36 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD.” (for the sake of space, I deleted some verses)Now I know what you are thinking, “I am not getting up in church next Sunday and dancing.” God is patient. (just kidding) Seriously, the most important gift of worship is your heart. You must start there, but don't use that as an excuse if God speaks to your heart to worship Him in a more sacrificial way. I am not saying everyone must worship with their hands lifted up or kneeling prostrate before God, but what I am saying is that you should strive to be obedient in worship. God won't start you out by dancing. I think of that old song, “I can't dance, I can't sing,” or better yet, my daughter has a song on her IPOD by Weird Al Yankovic, “I think I'm just too White and Nerdy.” But He does want a sacrifice of worship. Why? Because He knows with each sacrifice of worship, you draw nearer to Him. Your heart draws closer, more intimate, you begin to drop the fear, the intimidation, the pride and it begins to be all about HIM. What kind of worship is He worthy of in your life? Think about it. Close you eyes and picture entering into His throne room in heaven. He is sitting on His glorious throne. He is your Father, He is God, He died for you to save you from Hell, He gave you a glorious life where He promises to never leave you or forsake you. What has He delivered you from? What miracles has He performed in your life? If you could see Him, what worship would you give Him? Would you remain standing, stiff-necked, proud? I don't think so. If we were actually in His throne room, we would fall on our faces. The bible says, “Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” It also says where two or three are gathered, I am in the midst of them. He is always with us if we are believers, but His presence is more real when we are gathered together worshipping and lifting up His name to give Him all the glory. So, I end with a challenge, an exercise in worship so to speak. Next Sunday, when you go to church and you are in the midst of the worship time, close your eyes so that you can close out all distractions, forget the person beside you and just focus on Him. Picture Him on the cross as He died for you, Picture his hand of healing reaching down to you, picture entering into His throne room. You are in His presence, what sacrificial worship can you give Him? Kerri

Ephesians 3:20-21 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (The Message)

This is just a couple of verses that stuck out to me this morning while reading. Maybe someone else needed them as I did. They remind me that God is in control and He has our best interest at heart. He is not pushy but He will direct our path if we will listen to His gentle voice within.

"God help me be obedient to Your Spirit". Buddy

Unexpected Prayer Warriors

I just thought I would share a neat blessing with you from a parent's perspective. A couple of Sunday's ago we were able to be at our home church (Thompson Station). The Spirit of God began to move during the worship service and people started going to the altar. A few minutes later I found myself there as well and as I began to pray, I felt the hands of those around me and heard their whispered prayers on my behalf. Now I have felt this many times before but as I prayed I noticed there was something different about these hands and voices that were praying over me, so I thought that I would sneak a peak to see who these prayer warriors were and when I opened my eyes I was so moved to find them to be those of my daughter Victoria and her two close friends Taylor and Samantha. Yes, Twelve year old's praying for me. This father was truly moved and I began to thank God for these children because I know how He said suffer the little children to come to me and that was exactly what they were doing and it was a powerful moment for this dad. I am thankful that God allowed me to be a father but right now I'm overwhelmed by the understanding that we are all God's children and no matter the age when we speak He is listening. "Thank you Lord for a Childs prayer".

Buddy

Storms A Ragin'

When storms are comin' around our house, Sheer Panic sets in. Now, I used to think tornadoes were cool when I was little, and I don't ever remember being scared. My dad would get out the two way radio you know the kind that has four rows, and you can even pick up TV if you're really good at getting it just so. Papa put his motorcycle helmet on me and would turn over our living room couch and we would all three get under the couch. Don't ask me why we did this, I guess my dad thought it would keep things from falling on our head, but if a tornado rips our roof off, did he think he could hold a living room couch on top of us. It was quite a site.

My girls literally panic though, so here we were last night, in remembrance of my dad, they both had their bicycle helmets on, and we are digging out a little room in the back of our garage to seek shelter in case the big one came. We attempted to put the girls to bed and they just had to sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed last night and insisted on wearing their helmets to bed even after we reassured them the tornadoes had passed Spring Hill. Cute aren't they.

This weekend was INTERESTIN!! Friday night before we are about to leave, we get a call from Channing saying our bus driver, Alton, is home sick with the flu and cannot drive us to Florida. Our drummer, Erik is also sick with the flu. So...we make the executive decision to pack up in our van, just use the church's equipment and high-tail it down to North Port, FL (Since gas is $3++(Diesel)/gallon.) Oh and one more detail, Livi decides that she HAS to be with mommy and daddy this weekend and will not hear of it any other way. So we pile Liv in the back seat. Thank goodness for Paul coming up with the idea to drop her to Grammie and Poppie in Atlanta on the way down. We did Sunday night Live at South Biscayne and did a mini concert afterwards and then both services on Sunday morning. 18 people were saved this weekend and we were able to be a part of it and Pastor John did a wonderful job reminding us all that God deserves our first fruits. Isn't that amazing, Pastor speaks on giving and 18 people get saved. PRAISE GOD!!

We had a great time together, just a little cramped and very tired when we finally arrived home at 3 am Monday morning. PRESIDENT BUSH and Congress, PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE GAS PRICES!!!! Happy Voting today. Just remember, if you don't vote, you can't complain.