One Thing

Truth Will Set You Free

2010-05-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

10 Most Common Lies

We’ll stay only five minutes
This will be a short meeting
I’ll respect you in the morning
The check is in the mail
I’m from the government, and I’m here to help you
This hurts me more than it hurts you
Your money will be cheerfully refunded
We service what we sell
Your table will be ready in a minute
I’ll start my diet and exercise program tomorrow

Deception is the main ploy of Satan. The worst part of being deceived is that I am the last to know. Deception takes on so many forms. Offense has deceived me more than once in my life. Allowing myself to be offended by others has robbed me of many blessings. Jesus warned that the thief comes "to steal, to kill and to destroy." Because of offense, relationships have been destroyed and opportunities have been robbed from me. Satan won and I lost.

Lust is deceptive. God's best for me is Michelle, my wife. Lustful thoughts try to convince the mind of the great pleasure awaiting in the arms of another. What deception! Trouble and only trouble awaits there. Life will never be simple again. Great pain and torment will be caused by following the lure of lust.

The truth of God's word reminds me that a man who has been crucified with Christ can never be offended. The truth of God's word exhorts me that "he who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord." The truth is that if the energy spent on an extramarital affair is spent on my marriage it will yield great results in my marriage.

Jesus said, "You shall know the turth, and the truth will set you free." Proverbs 23:23 states, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.” Seek after truth.

Peace,

The Countdown Has Begun

2010-04-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

In the third chapter 2 Peter, we read about scoffers coming in the last days saying, “Where is the promise of his (Christ’s) coming?” These casually observe the world around them and conclude that everything is the same from the beginning of time. They willing ignore Noah and the flood. They also ignore signs which Jesus told us that point to the Day of the Lord. The passing of time is no indication that Jesus will not return. God measures and values time differently from people. A day with the Lord is a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. God is not willing for people to perish, but that all should reach repentance. But, the Day of the Lord will come like a thief.

The Day will come suddenly with not warning. Repeatedly, Scripture describes Jesus’ return to earth as a thief in the night. Most people will be caught off guard. They will not be ready. You, however, do not have to be surprised. You can be alert and ready.

In the third chapter of 2 Timothy, Paul describes the last days as times of stress. He wrote that people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their own parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. This, written over 2000 years ago is an apt description of people today. These signs point to the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.

In Matthew 24, Jesus answered a question concerning the end of the world. He answered, “Many will come in my name saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. They will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death. Many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will lead many astray. Because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

There are over 2000 practicing gurus calling themselves ‘Christ’ in the world. There have been over 150 major wars since the end of World War II. Over 100 million were killed in warfare during the 1990’s alone, including 1 million Tutsi in the genocide in Rwanda in 1995. 4 million people die yearly from starvation; that is 30 every minute or 40,000 every day. 1.3 billion people have no access to clean drinking water. There are constant minor earthquakes on earth. There is an average of 18 major earthquakes (7.0-7.9) every year, and one great earthquake of 8.0 or greater on the Richter scale.

There are more than 160,000 Christian martyrs yearly. Only 42% of Americans said recently that the meaning of Easter is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The gospel has been preached to over 4 billion people. The Bible has been translated into over 2230 languages. I personally know individuals who preach in Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist nations. I myself have preached in some of these nations. Christian television and radio reaches the entire planet with the gospel. Signs point the Day of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord is judgment day. When Father God determines the time, angels are dispatched with loud blasting trumpets. No one on earth will miss the event. Unready people from every nation will lament and mourn. God’s elect, Christ’s followers, from heaven and earth will supernaturally be gathered together to participate with the return of the Lord to the earth.

Christ’s followers will be judged according the works they have done while on the earth, following their salvation. Selfish works will be burned up, while eternally valued works will be rewarded. The person herself will be saved. Unbelieving persons will be brought the Great White Throne to be judged according to their works. Everyone whose name is not found in the Book of Life will be cast onto the lake of fire, which is the second death. Nothing unclean will ever enter into heaven or the New Jerusalem, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The Day of the Lord is coming. Are you ready? Further information can be found in 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; Revelation 20, 21 and 22.

Peace,

Stan

In All the World

2010-03-29T02:28:00.000-07:00

Jesus said, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world; and then the end will come." I am watching this prophecy come true. I just had the priviledge of spending a few days with my fellow Christ followers in a predominantly Buddhist country. They are preaching the gospel with boldness. Many are turning to the Lord.

What a great joy to see such commitment to the cause of Christ. They endure poverty and persecution to advance the kingdom. I am grateful to be of assistance in such a small way. Every American Christian should visit the church somewhere in the world, where life is difficult. Real joy is seen everywhere.

Peace,

As Far As I Can See

2010-03-08T15:24:00.000-08:00

Go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will always be able to see farther.

There is a story to the effect that a certain society in South Africa once wrote to David Livingstone, “Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to send other men to join you.” Livingstone replied, “If you have men who will come ONLY if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them.”

^“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)

Peace,

Stan

Supernatural Living

2010-03-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

Jesus told us that when he left the earth it would be for our advantage. He would send the Holy Spirit to us. In John 16, Jesus said that when the Spirit of Truth comes he would guide us into all the truth and show us things to come. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said that we would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. Supernatural living is available to every Spirit filled Christ follower. We should expect revelation, guidance and power.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul taught about how the Holy Spirit operates through the lives of believers-special abilities the Holy Spirit gives each of us. We should desire and learn how to operate words of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues.

These gifts are given as the Spirit wills to benefit others. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Be a blessing to others.

Peace,

Stan

Have More Fun

2010-01-14T06:41:00.001-08:00

I find many people to be too serious, too cautious, too controlling and too boring. Those who ought to be joyous and carefree seem to be the worst of all. When born again Christians are portrayed on television or in the movies, they are usually grouchy and hateful. Where did the writers get this image? Is this fair? Obviously, the characterization is unfair. Yet, there is truth in the portrayal.

Those whose sins are forgiven and whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life in heaven should be the most joyful, happy people on earth. My message to Christians is, “It is time to have more fun.” Psalm 126:1-3 reads, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.”

There is a healing benefit with laughter. Laughter helps a person to build a stronger immune system. It reduces stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine and adrenaline. It increases health enhancing endorphins and antibodies. Laughter reduces pain in the body and is a natural anti-depressant. There is a physical and emotional release when a person laughs. A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm and heart. Laughter assists one in refocusing attention away from anger, guilt, stress and depression. Laughter is contagious. People desire to associate with those who laugh freely and often.

A warped theology concerning pleasure has damaged the ability of many church members from being able to enjoy life fully. It is ungodly to pursue sensual desires for food, sex, materialism, fame, money and status in an unbiblical manner. We often hear about guilty pleasures? Yet, there is a godly fulfillment of all of these desires. Sex, for example, was God’s idea. There is a godly fulfillment of this primal desire. Jesus taught that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves. I feel sorry for our neighbors. Most people do not love themselves very well. There are over 350 references to joy and rejoicing found in Bible. Your joy matters to God.

There should be a balance of work, rest, worship and play in every person’s life. Balance suggests equal portions. A proper mixture of these four ingredients is what I am suggesting. Everyone needs meaningful work to do. Many do get enough sleep and down time. Corporate, private and family worship time refreshes a person. Many adults overlook the importance of play. Most of us need to have more fun. A missing or insufficient part of life is often the fun part. We all need to find fun activities and fun friends with which to spend our time.

Most issues of life can be categorized as small stuff. As they say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Selfish rituals can alleviate stress. A quiet cup of coffee and a good book can do wonders for the psyche. I like to take bike rides on gravel roads or on trails found in state parks and conservation areas. Others may enjoy working crossword puzzles. 1 Timothy 4:16 reads, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” Change is an unstoppable force of life. Many resist change and are stressed by the thought of change. Learning to embrace and welcome change turns stress into invigoration.

My final advice is to slow down and take more breaks. Slim down schedules, meals, commitments and goals. Sit down and live in the present. Too many spend useless time grieving and begrudging the past. Many are living for a better day to come in the future. Living in the past or in the future robs one of the pleasures of the present. We all need to look around and enjoy the beauty of nature and the beauty of other people, especially our family and friends. It is time to have more fun.

Cornerstone Church Vision Statement

2010-01-04T09:49:00.001-08:00

At Cornerstone Church of Chillicothe, Missouri, we passionately love God and genuinely love people. Mark 12.30-31, "Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

We want every Sunday to be a family reunion. We want Sunday to be the best day of the week, an exciting gathering of our church family and new friends. Our services are marked by enthusiastic praise and heartfelt worship of our Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit has complete liberty to minister to and through us. We teach the Bible with a practical emphasis for every day life.

At Cornerstone Church, we love kids. Through our facilities, staff, programs, and volunteer ministers, we demonstrate our commitment to nurturing a generation of young people who passionately love God. They are trained to believe they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them.

LIFE Groups are the lifeblood of our church. No one should have to go through life alone. We want to do life together with people who love us just the way we are, but exhort us to get better. Everyone should have a place to be him or herself, without having to put on airs. At church, we want every person to find good friends who are a delight and who provide comfort and stability during life’s difficult times. We want to build a church where people laugh freely and often.

We are always designing ways to reach out to people. Our people are trained and excited about sharing the Gospel with others. We reach out to people through LIFE Center Food Pantry, the media, in jails and prisons, at work, and wherever we go. We go, send, and support mission work all over the world. We have a part in the harvest of souls on every continent and in islands of the seas.

Peace,
SS

Simple Prayers

2009-11-13T14:26:00.000-08:00

Matthew 6:5-13 NKJV, “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
In this manner, therefore, pray:
      Our Father in heaven,
      Hallowed be Your name.
      Your kingdom come.
      Your will be done
      On earth as it is in heaven.
      Give us this day our daily bread.
      And forgive us our debts,
      As we forgive our debtors.
      And do not lead us into temptation,
      But deliver us from the evil one.
      For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Basically, Jesus instructed his followers to pray simple prayers. So many of us are intimidated by prayer. There are a ton of books on the subject. There are so many methods and theories. People truly desire to talk with God and to get answers from him. Yet, they do not pray, because they think they don't know how to properly.

I believe Jesus opened the door to all of us who might be intimidated by prayer by telling us to not worry about how long or how good our prayer sounds to others. He told us to enter a room alone, close the door and talk to God in simple sentences. Don't think your prayers will be answered because of your many words. Jesus later brought a young child in and explained that unless we become like a young child we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom is for simple people like you and me.

Very simply we can ask our loving heavenly Father to meet our daily needs, after we have yielded ourselves completely to his will and to his ways. We can ask forgiveness and strength to overcome temptation. In all things we can give him thanks and praise.

I encourage you to try praying more simple and basic prayers.

Peace,

SS

Big Story

2009-10-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

The theme of the Bible is the Kingdom of God. The idea of kingdom suggests there is one ruler. In the Christian world view, we believe that God created the world. It was created for good. God took care of his creation, including the people he created. The people glorified and blessed God in return and cared for his creation.

After the people decided to contradict the way of God, this world was and is being destroyed by evil. Everyone can recognize that this world is a mess. Inherently, we all know that things were different in the past or can be different in the future. God loves his creation too much to leave the world and its people in this mess. So, God came to the earth as Jesus. He taught us the Kingdom of God (Way of God). He healed and helped people, undoing the works of Satan. Ultimately, Jesus laid down his life as a sacrifice for the sins of all people. Whoever believes and trusts Jesus become part of God's family (kingdom), receiving everlasting life.

God’s mission is to re-establish connection with his creation through willing acceptance of his ways and his authority. Our mission as Christ followers is committed participation to the reconciliation of God’s creation to the kingdom of God. In other words, after a person accepts salvation through Jesus Christ as Lord (ruler), he or she accepts an assignment to be sent out to heal and to bless others.

When God called Abraham on this journey of faith, he promised to bless him. Abraham was blessed by God to be a blessing to all of the families on earth. God's blessing in our life is to be shared with others. We receive Christ individually to become part of God's Big Story. God blesses us to be a blessing. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and body. He continued saying the second command is to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Let's all get busy loving God and loving others.

Peace,

Stan

Forgiveness Factor

2009-09-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

There are a plethora of factors that help one build loving, healthy relationships. The forgiveness factor is the one non-negotiable issue in relationship building. Without the willingness and ability to apologize, forgive and receive forgiveness, one cannot have or be a friend, or even be happy.

Every living, breathing human will experience offense. Most of our perceived offenses are products of our own minds. Usually, when offended by another person, they are oblivious to the fact. I really don’t believe that most people are setting out to purposefully upset another person. Usually, we are offended when others act different to what we desire.

Whether purposefully or inadvertently others will hurt us. Forgiveness is always the best reaction. Ephesians 4:30–32, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
Un-forgiveness and the associated emotions grieve the Holy Spirit.

Counter wise, when the Holy Spirit is directing our lives, the evident fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. When overcome by un-forgiveness, anger, bitterness, and depression are the result. The greatest loser is the person who refuses to forgive. The most Christ-like action is forgiveness. Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Before any asked for forgiveness, God through Christ offered forgiveness.

We can forgive others even if they never apologize. We can forgive if the other person does not deserve it. Forgiveness is an action of the will, not of the emotions. Emotions are unreliable. We can forgive anyone of any and all transgressions against us. Ephesians 5:1 exhorts us to “imitate God as dear children.” We did not deserve God’s forgiveness. He forgave us anyway. As his children, we can do the same for others.

In Matthew 18, Jesus was asked how many times we should forgive another. During his response, Jesus told a story of a servant who owed his master a great debt. In today’s money, the debt was $4 billion. The servant begged for mercy. His master was compassionate, forgave and released him from the debt that could never be repaid. This, of course, is symbolic of the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Later in the story a fellow servant begged for mercy of the man who had been released from the $4 billion debt. This man owed the first servant $8000, no small amount. The first man would not forgive the debt, and had the debtor thrown into prison until the debt could be repaid. Upon hearing this news, the master of the servant called him, said to him, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

When we refuse to forgive a fellow servant, we are turned over to torment. Un-forgiveness and bitterness are linked to physical illness and pain, as well as mental illness. President Ronald Reagan's attitude after the 1982 attempt on his life made an impression on his daughter, Patti Davis: "The following day my father said he knew his physical healing was directly dependent on his ability to forgive John Hinckley. By showing me that forgiveness is the key to everything, including physical health and healing, he gave me an example of Christ-like thinking."

Freedom, joy and peace are directly linked to the ability to forgive and to receive forgiveness. Doing so allows the fruit of the Spirit to flourish in our lives. Refusing to do so grieves the Holy Spirit. Un-forgiveness keeps one imprisoned in the pits of despair. The most Christ-like act is to forgive others. It is also quite liberating.

Peace,
Stan

Where is the Love?

2009-08-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

If Christianity was reduced to one word, that word would be--LOVE. It must be. Religious leaders pressed Jesus as to which was the greatest commandment. His immediate response was this in Mark 12:29-31, "Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The trouble with love is that most people don't know what it is. Most people, including those packing the pews, is they think of love as a noun more than a verb. The classic definitions of love are to have a deep, tender, ineffable (unable to describe with words) feeling of affection toward (a person); to have a feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person, pet, or treasured object; to embrace or caress, or to have intercourse with. By these definitions, love for my mountain bike or for my wife are the same. Feelings that one cannot describe with words is love? The only verb here has to do with physical contact!

The Bible defines love as something to be done more than something possessed. I often lose pocket knives. I don't like carrying a large one, so they often slip out of my pants pocket into seat cushions or who knows where. People talk about losing love in the same context. The Righteous Brothers summed it up best, "You've lost that loving feeling." Loving feelings lost are proceeded by loving actions ignored. Where is the love? It is right where you left it.

Peace,
Stan

New Creation

2009-06-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

“Regret”
It's not what you did,
It's what you didn't do.
It's not what you said,
It's what you didn't say.
It's not where you are,
But where you should have gone.
It's not what is,
But what should have been.
It's when you said this,
When you did that,
When you made that decision,
When you broke that promise.
The shadow of the past
Hangs above you always --
A haunting memory,
A faded thought,
A lingering feeling,
A doubtful view.
You never did and never said
What you wanted.
You said and did everything
You wish you could take back.
But there's no way to fix
A broken past;
No way to wipe off
The stain it leaves.
No way to escape,
Nowhere to go,
And the only thing left
Is the shadow of regret.

You do NOT have to live with regret.

Regret occuts from poor decisions and lost opportunities. Many people regret that they did not study better in school or did not pursue more education. Many some day will regret that they did not spend enought time with family and friends. Addictions cause much regret. "If only" are the worst combination of words in the English language.

Regret blurs the line between what can and cannot be changed. Regret keeps a person trapped in the past.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." In Christ every person can erase the regrets of the past. We become a new person. Our old identity is removed. A baby has no past. We a person is born again, he or she becomes a brand new baby. In Christ we have a new way of life. it is the worlds best do-over.

In Ephesians 4, Paul exorts believers to put off the old self and to put on the new self. To put off means to throw away or to strip off. We have the choice, the opportunity to cothe ourselves daily with our new and improved nature.

What Husbands Wish Wives Knew

2009-05-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 1:40pm | Edit Note | Delete
1 Peter 3:1-5, "In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over by observing your pure and reverent lives.
Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands."

The Message reads, “Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs.”
Does not every wife desire to be a good wife to her husband? If so, she should be responsive to his needs.

Wives, your husband …
1. Wants your respect.
Doesn't want you running him down to others.
Doesn't want to be treated as a child.
Wives err in favoring children over their husbands.
2. Wants a good sex life with you.
The marriage bed is holy
Hebrews 13:4, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled.”
1 Corinthians 7:1-5
Sex is important to your husband.
Dr. Laura Schlessinger, “The bedroom is the foundation of marriage and family.”
Dr. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, a conservative institution of the Catholic Church wrote, “The marriage bed is an altar.”
Books I recommend in this area are — "Holy Sex" by Terry Weir & "Sheet Music" by Kevin Leman.
3. Wants you to remember that he is a man.
Men are more physical than verbal.
Men hunt, build, fix, break, and sweat.
Men are suppose to be more strong than soft.
Men’s brains work differently.

Open, honest communication about what he wants and needs from you will improve your marriage.

Peace,

Stan

Dream On

2009-04-20T09:10:00.001-07:00

Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the U. S. (1856-1924) said, "We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true." This quote from President Wilson has inspired me many times over the years. It has always challenged me to dream big, and to follow my dreams.

I believe God puts dreams inside of every person. Yet, there are a few "dream thieves" that rob people of their intended future. Too many settle for medicre, instead of choosing the greater adventure God has for them. We should not allow our family or friends from stealing the dream from our heart. I don't believe they intend to hurt us or hold us back. In fact, they may be trying to protect us from getting hurt.

The pursuit of a dream comes with risk. Failure and set backs are certain. No path in life is without potholes and detours. Our own mistakes will rob us of our dreams, if we allow them. Self-condemnation and self-doubt causes many to shrink back. The oppostition of others and uncontrollable circumstances seem to difficult to overcome.

The greatest thief of all is TIME. "If it was going to happen, it would have happened by now," thoughts fill our brain. We falsely believe that it is too late for our dream to come true. A study of the Bible proves that most of the people, who saw their dreams come true had to wait for a long time. Ten to twenty-five years was a typical senario.

While we wait for our dream to come true, we need to protect our hearts. We must resist bitterness and depression. We must stay at peace with self and with God. A good plan is to minister to other, helping their dreams to come to pass. We should keep our heart fixed upon God's plan. We should rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks. I read that in 1 Thessalonians.

"Suddenly" is one of my favorite Bible words. Suddenly, one day our dream will come true. As President Wilson said, "Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true."

Peace,

Stan

Hallowed By Thy Name

2009-04-16T09:07:00.001-07:00

The beginning of the Lord's Prayer is, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name..." God is holy. We revere and honor him. It good to begin our prayer with an acknowledgment of the awesomeness of God. Specifically we are instructed to give glory to the NAME of God.

I am know by many names. I am Stan, Stanley (only a few can call me this, because it is NOT my real name), Dad, Padre, Pastor, Mr. Saunders, Honey, and a few more. Each name reveals a different aspect of who I am. It is the same with God.

Without boring you with the Hebrew and every scripture reference, let me share with you a few of God's names. He is Almighty, The Most High, Self-Existant One. He also declares himself to be Provider, Healer, My Victory, My Shepherd, Peace, Love, Always There. By worshipping the name of God, I become more aware of his attributes. I have more faith to receive those same benefits.

Next time you pray, before you start on your requests, how about hallowing the his mighty name?

Peace,

Stan

The Garden

2009-04-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

In a garden Adam sinned and cut himself off from his Creator and friend. In a garden the last Adam planted a seed that brought us back to the Creator. In Eden, Adam chose his own will. He chose rebellion. He chose Satan over God. In Gethsemane, the last Adam, Jesus, chose the Father's will above his own. He chose obedience, even to the point of death on the cross. He chose the way of God. Hours before the crucifixion, in the garden, Jesus laid down his life for you and for me. The Romans, nor the Jews took the life of our Savior. He willingly gave himself as a sacrifice for our redemption.

Likewise, Jesus calls us to lay down our lives. Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT), "Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." The cross is an instrument of death to our flesh.

Let's follow the Christ's example. Let us die to our flesh that we might raise to true life. Adam chose to satify the longings of his flesh and died. 1 Corinthians 3:9 reads, “you are God’s garden” Galatians 6:7-8 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

Our lives are gardens. Some fourish while some are overgrown with weeds. Let us sow to the spirit and sprout new life. We read in Jeremiah 31:12 ESV,
"They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall be like a watered garden,
and they shall languish no more."

Peace,

Stan

Others

2009-03-04T09:29:00.001-08:00

Life is better when I think more of others than myself. After a very little time, I become quite bored with myself. What is so fascinating about me? What is there left to discover about me? The more my self demands attention, the more I don't like what I see.

When focus shifts to the promotion of the well being of another, my greater self emerges. As I get older, I find it much more exciting and rewarding to cheer on others. I love to watch the sixth grade girls basketball team that I coach improve and shine. I love to watch the church staff shine, while pursuing their gifts and passions.

I love to watch, Michelle, my wife encourage middle school students in her class at church. I love it when I have been able to, in some small way, encourage someone to try something new. I love to help people who cannot do much for me, except to return their gratitude.

So, if you are feeling neglected or mistreated today, shift your focus from self to others. No one really wants to attend your pity party. Help another, cheer a friend, serve a stranger. Find someone who is down and lift them up. When energy is given to others, my self is the greatest beneficiary. In helping others, I have helped myself even more.

Peace,

Stan

Tips for Building Strong Friendships

2009-01-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

1. Love and accept yourself

2. Be willing to pursue intimacy
It requires honesty
Risk is unavoidable
Trust is essential
Confrontation is inevitable

3. Put energy into being likable
Smile often
Listen more than you talk
Be positive

4. Treat others as you would have them treat you
DON’T be controlling, critical or crabby
DO be courteous, caring and complimentary

5. Focus on the interests of others, not yourself
"Friendship without self interest is one of the rare and beautiful things in life." - James Francis Byrnes

6. Make your goal to understand, not to win

7. Be slow to anger and quick to forgive
"Every man should have a fair-sized cemetery in which to bury the faults of his friends." - Henry Brooks Adams

8. Be generous with others

9. Help others succeed
Help them discover their strengths
Help them achieve their goals
Believe in them

10. Be loyal
"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation." - George Washington, 1732-1799
"I can never think of promoting my convenience at the expense of a friend's interest and inclination." - George Washington

Peace,

Stan

Fear Factor

2009-01-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

We all have fears. Fear debilitates a person. Fear often is based on the unknown or things over which we have no control. Worry and depression accompany fear. In this world there is much to fear. Terrorists plot our death daily. We are in a financial crisis. Israel and the Palestinians could drag us into world war. Thieves lurk everywhere, including cyberspace. Diseases, global warming, rising health and insurance costs, the cost of college education, will there be social security when I retire. What if the stock market fails? Will my kids turn out ok?

Pastor Chad shared with me from his research that the three greatest fears of man are: 1) fear of death, 2) fear of rejection, and 3) fear of loss. Fear creates panic and loss of judgment. A woman from Arkansas was sitting in her car in a parking lot when she heard a loud bang and felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. Another woman walked past the car and said, “Are you okay?” The lady in pain said, “I have been shot in the head and I am holding my brains in.” It was not her brains. It was dough. A Pillsbury biscuit container had exploded in the back seat, apparently from the heat. Fear causes us to do strange things.

Those who have a strong relationship with the Lord overcome their fears. The psalmist declared, "The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid." (Psalm 27:1) Yet, there is a fear, which is proper and beneficial. There is great reward for those who fear the Lord. Psalm 25:14 proclaims, “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.” In Proverbs 22:4 we read, “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.”

The fear of the Lord is the wholesome dread of displeasing the Lord. To quote one of my facebook friends, Joan, "I fear dishonoring, displeasing or disrespecting the Lord in any way. I love Him and would never want to hurt Him in any way, even though I know I have disappointed Him and myself many, many times. I am not afraid of God, but I fear hurting Him in any way or being or doing any of these negative things towards Him. Fearing the Lord, to me, means giving Him the respect, honor, glory, etc. that He and only He deserves. I know he's a God of his word and He will do what he says he will do. I fear the consequences of my own words and actions because I know he does not compromise." Amen, sister.

If I fear the Lord, then I willingly obey Him, whether or not I immediately see the benefit or advantage. Just like our natural parents, our hevenly father, commands us to do things we do not always understand at the moment. Yet, later we are able to see the wisdom and the love they had in training us to live a better life with better results. God loves you and wants the best for you. Walk in the fear of the Lord. There is great reward.

Peace,

Stan

Write the Vision

2009-01-10T07:49:00.001-08:00

For several years I have written out goals in my journal at the beginning of each year. It is fascinating how many of these goals have come true.Habakkuk 2:2 - 3 reads, "Then the LORD said to me, “Write the vision plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed."

In 1953 researchers polled the graduating class of Yale University and found that 3% of the graduates practiced goal setting and had a set of clearly defined written goals. 1n 1973 researchers went back and visited the class of ’53 and found that the 3% of the graduates who had the clear and written goals had amassed a fortune worth more that the other 97% combined!

Goals need to be written in detail. They should be written in positive statements, not negative ones. Positive choices will reduce and/or eliminate the negative ones.

Goals should be set high enough. Shoot for the moon. If you miss you’ll still be in the stars. Goals should stretch you. Isaiah 54:2 - 3, "Make your tent bigger. Stretch it out and make it wider. Do not hold back. Make the ropes longer. Make its stakes stronger. Do this because you will begin growing very much. Your children will take over other nations. And they will again live in cities that once were destroyed."

I keep my goals in my DayTimer. I also post them in my place of prayer at home. Goals need attention to be fulfilled. I meditate on my goals often. To keep a person's heart pure, we should seek to be a blessing, not to be successful.

Write your goals and watch them come true.

Peace,
Stan

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

I know it has been nearly a month since I have last posted. Christmas time is fun, but busy. We conducted a major outreach before Christmas. 157 people made commitments to follow Christ. Our son, Morgan, came home from Thailand. He was in a four month internship there. He also travelled to Myanmar to do relief work and to Pakistan to hold evangelistic meetings and leadership conferences. Whitney was home from college. Laine and Lindy enjoyed their break from school also. Our close friends, the Powers family spent five days with us between Christmas and New Year's. The holidays were fun, but busy.

Now I am back in "work" mode. Well, one trip to Tulsa to get Morgan settled in for his first semester as a full time college student. Then, for sure, I will be in full swing. Yet, during this busy holiday, I have had time to meditate on this new year. 2008 was tumultuous to say the least. We endured a bloody, contentious political season. We elected a mysterious new leader of the free world. He seems to offer hope of a better future. I pray that he is able to deliver.

Our financial system took a hard hit in '08. The economy is completely out of whack. The future is uncertain. We are gambling with the kids college fund to keep us alive today. How can we hold off inflation with all of the money we are throwing at failed companies? Their is so much hatred and bloodshed in the world. Israel is in the middle of conflict again. Pakistan is building up its military on the Indian border. The U.S. continues to bomb the Taliban. Should I go on?

During my time of prayer and seeking the voice of the Shepherd, I believe I have heard His voice. Let me share with you what I heard:
"2009 will be a year of disaster, death and uncertainty. It will be a year of panic and fear.
But, for those who fear the Lord, it will be a year of opportunity and growth. The separation of darkness and light will increase. People will fear the Lord, or fear uncertainty and danger.
'I will show Myself strong, will protect and rescue those who fear Me. I will keep him in perfect peace, who keeps his mind fixed upon Me,' says the Lord."

During the next few weeks I will be teaching and writing about how to develop a closer relationship with God. If we get closer, I believe we will thrive in 2009.

Peace,

Stan

Keeping Christmas Merry

2008-12-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

For many of us, Christmas has ceased to be a merry time of the year. It has become a hurried and harried time. There is not enough time to do all of the shopping, decorating, cooking, baking, school and church programs...Ho, Ho, Woe.

Perhaps this year is the year to bring back the more simple days of Christmas past. We see readily how abuse of credit has gotten the world's economy into a mess. Charlie Brown was surrounded by those who were caught up in the commercialization of Christmas. The retailers depend on us buying now, and paying later. Let's not get caught in that trap this year. Let's do what we can, perhaps in a more simple way. Let's enjoy celebrating our Savior's birth. Let's be reminded of God's love for us. Let's be reminded that Christ followers have our citizenship in Heaven.

Here are a few gifts that cost little, but return great rewards. Friends are one of life's greatest gifts. Use this Christmas season to nurture these relationships. I Timothy 6:6-10 reads, "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." This Christmas give yourself the gift of contentment.

It is more blessed to give than to receive. Give yourself and your family the gift of giving to those in need. The recipient and the giver will be greatly blessed. Take some of what you would spend on yourselves and help a person in need have a Merry Christmas.

My friend Tony Cooke shared these thoughts recently. He compiled a list of eight things we can all give (and receive):
Give the gift of listening.
Give the gift of affection.
Give the gift of laughter.
Give the gift of a written note.
Give the gift of a compliment.
Give the gift of a favor.
Give the gift of solitude.
Give the gift of a cheerful disposition.

These are a few tips that could make your Christmas a bit more merry.

Merry Christmas and peace,

Stan

Guest Blog by Micah Ferguson

2008-11-27T05:58:00.000-08:00

Ahh, here we are the day before Thanksgiving in beautiful Colorado. We've had the pleasure of enjoying time spent with family all week. We can't help but think of all the things in our life we are thankful for. Instead of listing the material things, we would like to go in a different route.

During this time of year it's easy to be distracted, overwhelmed and overextended. There are so many things demanding our time, energy, and of course our money. Yet we're determined not to get sucked into the usual holiday madness. We're going to make every effort to focus on the "Reason for the Season" who of course, is Jesus Christ. First and foremost we're thankful for His love. The fact that He died on the cross so we can live eternally with Him is what keeps us going every day. We're also thankful for all the intangible things He has given to us: Our health, peace, joy, love of our family, our freedom, and His Word.

1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 says - Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

We don't know about you, but we have learned, witnessed, and grown quite alot this year. Our circumstances have changed and caused us to realize that at the end of the day, all we can really do is trust in the Lord to take care of us.

Our hope is that this year, you find hope. That you experience God and all that He is. He can, and will be your provider, your best friend, your counselor and comforter - if you just invite Him to do so. During this season, don't lose sight of the source for everything in which we are thankful.

Eat, love and be thankful, as much as you can. Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Obsessed

2008-11-19T12:06:00.000-08:00

I find myself obsessed with the Lord's eternal obsession: the harvest of souls. Jesus came into this world with one purpose, to seek and to save the lost. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:15,“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” I am so glad that Jesus came looking for me.

James 5:7 tells us the Lord is waiting patiently on the precious fruit of the earth. In 2 Peter 3:9 we read, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” After talking with the woman at the well in Samaria, she ran into the city to tell everyone that she had met the Christ. The people flocked out of the city to see Jesus. Upon seeing this, Jesus said in John 4:35, "Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest?' Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" God is obsessed with the idea of people receiving eternal life through Jesus Christ.

As I sit at my desk in my church office, I am seeking (thinking, meditating, reasoning; to enquire into, aim at, strive for) the lost. Jesus' mission is our mission. The church, for the most part, has lost her way, its reason for being, lost its Priority One—the seeking and saving of the lost. We live in a day of distractions (lovers of pleasures, pet doctrines, useless trifles). Preachers of the Gospel have lost their way.

Charles G. Finney, in Revival Lectures, wrote, “Prayer is an essential link in the chain of causes that leads to revival…Some have zealously used truth to convert men, and laid very little stress on prayer. They have preached, and talked, and distributed tracts with little success. And the reason was, that they forgot to use the other branch of the means, effectual prayer. They overlooked the fact that truth, by itself, will never produce the effect, without the Spirit of God, and that the Spirit is given in answer to prayer.”

Leonard Ravenhill, in Revival Praying, wrote, “The state of praying that we seek is free from all personal request for personal benefit. We are seeking a love for the will of God among men, for the manifestation of the glory of God among men.”

Let us pray, plan, seek and save the lost.

Peace,

Stan

Great As It Gets

2008-11-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

As I sit in my bed thinking about the last week. Hundreds of people called on the name of the Lord receiving eternal life. Dozens were healed of pain and diseases. A little girl around 10 years old had never been able to speak. She spoke for the first time in her life on Monday night. That's as great as it gets.

I have met people from a different culture. I have bounced all over a brand new country in a van. I spent a couple of days in a dusty village watching the donkey carts pull heavy loads up and down the narrow streets. I watched little old ladies pick cotton. I watched crusty little men cut wheat by hand with a cycle. Then they thrashed it by beating they sheaves over a big rock. Cool, huh.

I have been eating some great new food. Listening to some very interesting music. Having a great time.

The greatest thing is that we get to do it again this week.

Peace,

Stan

Help is on the Way

2008-10-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

We live in days that require each of us to live in the Spirit. Living in the flesh will certainly end in disaster. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul described the last days as perilous (difficult & distressing). Jesus in addition to Paul made predictions about the last days.

To summarize Jesus and Paul these days will be marked by great deception to such the extent that some Christ followers will abandon their faith. This is a day of fear—from the news and threats of war and conflict. Fear will result from natural disasters and economic uncertainty. Christians have and will be persecuted for their faith. Families will be filled with strife and hatred. People mostly will be interested in themselves, as their love for others grows cold.

People will love pleasure more than God. They will desire theirs ears to be tickled by preachers, much more than desiring truth that hurts the flesh. Many will have a form of godliness, but deny the power of God. The day will be filled with those who mock God. Paul wrote about people who will constantly seek knowledge, but who will never be able to find it. These are always latching on to some new teaching, but never understand truth.

What shall we do? In 1 Corinthians 9:27 Paul wrote this about himself, “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” We can and must train ourselves to live in the Spirit and to keep our flesh under control. We must learn to lean on the Holy Spirit living in us.

Jesus told this to His closest followers in John 16:7, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you." This Holy Spirit must be awesome, if it is better to have Him than to have Jesus. In John 14 Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would be with us AND live inside of us. What a powerful promise, that God would live inside of us.

In this troubling day, we need this kind of help. The Helper (Counselor, Intercessor, Strengthener & Standby) will advise us. He will make us stronger. He is our personal trainer to help us physically, financially, relationally, emotionally, spiritually, etc. He is always with us and in us standing by in our time of need.

Peace,

Stan

What Matters More?

2008-10-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

We are days away from an historic election. Just to mention the name of an opposing candidate evokes hatred and fear in the hearts of many. It seems that so many people are hanging their hopes for the future on the results of this election. Nearly half of the country is going to be certain that we have chosen the wrong solution. To the most convinced, certainly prophecy of disaster will follow news of the proclaimed winners and losers. I think to myself, "Will it matter as much as we think?"

Then other thoughts come to mind, "What matters more?" Can the results of this election matter as much to me as other things? My own hard work ethic matter more that who is President? My own positive or negative attitude must matter more? How I love and care for my family matters to the results of my life more than who is elected to any government position. What matters more?

As I sit blogging, sipping my cup of coffee at the local coffee house, the conversation of the women at the next table drifts over my ears. The discussion is political. Each is convinced of the absurdity of the values of the wrong party. What matters more, their opinion of politics or their hateful attitudes towards those of opposing opinions? As they sit and gossip about so-and-so, it is apparent to me that their uppity attitudes will determine much more of the outcomes of their lives that the results of the election.

The Bible teaches that our choice of thinking about our own flesh or thinking about things of the Holy Spirit will bring drastically different results. There is a constant battle for dominance of our thoughts. What we think about will determine the outcomes of our life. Colossians 3:2 reads, "Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth." Let's allow the life-giving Holy Spirit to control our thoughts. The results of the election or what controls our thoughts: what matters more? I think you know.

Peace,

Stan

Outsider's View of Church

2008-10-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

At the end of August I asked the folks at church what their co-workers, family and friends think and say about God. It seems that many non-church-going-people think that they are not worthy of God. Others think they have no need for God. Still others believe in God, but don't think they fit in with the church going crowd. We found that many people are mad at God for what they believe he has done to them, or not done for them.

One thing we found is that many people are cool with God and Jesus, but they just don't like church people. Church people are seen by much of the non-church going populace as the "church lady" Dana Carvey made famous on Saturday Night Live. Because of church people they have met, they are convinced that to follow Jesus they will have to become angry, judgmental and narrow. They think that going to church will steal all the fun from their lives. The hypocrites in the church drive people away.

Un-churched people perceive church as boring, irrelevant and a pain-in-the-butt that could not be worth being part of. They think they don't have the right clothes or talk the lingo. If they ever worked up enough courage to attend a church they would be looking for a place to love, understand and to accept them. They definitely do not want to be judged by people. I saw a tattoo on a young man which actually read, "No man can judge me!"

Simply put, if the church is going to reach the un-churched we will have to change our attitude towards them. We need to act more like Jesus. We need to be less about rules and more about love, forgiveness, tolerance and serving. We need to explain better why we do what we are doing in a church service. We need to teach on subjects that will mean something to them.

At the end of the day, people need Jesus. Whatever we need to do to help the world perceive Jesus in truth is our duty. Our mission is to introduce Jesus to people. Let's break down the barriers. Let's take a look at ourselves often through the eyes of an outsider. Let's become better fishers of men.

Peace,

Stan

Purpose

2008-10-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

In John 14:16-17 Jesus said, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." In verse 12 Jesus made one of His most fascinating statements, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." In other words, believers will do the works of Jesus by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The purpose of indwelling Holy Spirit is connected with doing the works that Jesus did.

The works of Jesus can be summarized by this: Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. The Greek word translated "save" means to save, heal, deliver, set free and to make whole. In Acts 10:38 Peter spoke this about Jesus' ministry, "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." Jesus was born of the Spirit. On the day of His water baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and operated by the power of the Holy Spirit. The works that Jesus did we will do also. By the power of the Holy Spirit we are called to seek and to save the lost. This is real purpose.

At home, at work, wherever we go, God goes. God, the Holy Spirit lives in us. Our purpose is to continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth. We are born of the Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:8 Jesus told us that we would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. This endowment of power is for the purpose of being a witness for Jesus.

Peace,

Stan

Church as it Should Be

2008-09-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

We have been feeding about 1000 people from the Life Center for many months now. After all of these months, we decided to invite them back to a party. So, on Friday night we grilled hotdogs, had games for the kids, had nice gifts to give away... Over 200 people came. What a fun idea!

Reet, our outreach pastor, organized the event and preached to the crowd. Several decided to follow Jesus. Many came to church on Sunday. And the greatest part is--Michelle and I were out of town at a meeting. We had nothing to do with this highly successful event, but to cheer it on from the sidelines.

This is a great example of the church being the church. Church is not something one attends. Church is something a person does. We are a go-and-do it church, NOT a come and watch us church.

What idea is the Holy Spirit giving you to be a blessing to others?

Peace,

Stan

Spirit Consciousness

2008-09-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

Brother Lawrence from The Practice of the Presence of God p. 61 wrote, “The most holy and necessary practice in our spiritual life is the presence of God. That means finding constant pleasure in His divine company, speaking humbly and lovingly with Him in all seasons, at every moment, without limiting the conversation in any way.” This book written nearly 300 years ago gives instruction about the blessing of knowing God in all His majesty and feeling His presence every day. If you are born again, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God lives in you. Christ lives in you.

What would my life look like, if I was constantly filled with joy and CONTROLLED by the Holy Spirit? Acts 13:52, from The New Testament by Kenneth S. Wuest, “And the disciples were constantly filled with joy and CONTROLLED by the Holy Spirit.” To be more controlled by the Holy Spirit, we will have to be more Spirit conscious. I have learned to say, "I am a spirit being. I have a soul. And, I live in a body."

With my body I contact the physical realm. With my spirit I contact the spiritual realm. With my soul I contact the intellectual realm. Our soul is our mind, will, and emotions. In the war between spirit and flesh, the soul casts the deciding vote. Whether I walk in the spirit or in the flesh is decided by my will (soul). It is in our emotions (soul) that we are offended, or happy, or sad.

At the new birth, my spirit was instantly changed from dead to alive. I instantly became the righteousness of God thru Christ Jesus. I am now complete in him. My body (flesh) will not be “saved” until Jesus comes again. My flesh must constantly be put under subjection to my spirit. Romans 12:1 - 2 (NASB)reads , “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” The more renewed my mind is, the more spirit controlled my life will be.

To be more spirit conscious, let’s say to ourselves, “I am a spirit being. I have a soul. And I live in a body.” Let’s pray without ceasing. Let’s keep a dialogue running continuously with God throughout the day. Bro. Lawrence wrote, “Whatever we do, even if we are reading the Word or praying, we should stop for a few minutes—as often as possible—to praise God from the depths of our hearts, to enjoy Him there in secret…What could please God more than for us to leave the cares of the world temporarily in order to worship Him in our spirits? These momentary retreats serve to free us from our selfishness, which can only exist in the world. In short, we cannot show our loyalty to God more than by renouncing our worldly selves even a single moment with Him.”

Let’s renew our minds with God’s Word, so we will not be conformed to this world. Get started on a Bible reading plan. Study the Word in area of need. Consult Word before decision making. Let’s be more Spirit controlled and less Flesh controlled

Peace,

Stan

Controlled by the Holy Spirit

2008-09-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

Acts 13:52, from The New Testament by Kenneth S. Wuest reads, “And the disciples were constantly filled with joy and CONTROLLED by the Holy Spirit.” What would your life look like, if you were constantly filled with joy and CONTROLLED by the Holy Spirit? What would the church looks like, if all followers of Jesus Christ would be more controlled by the Holy Spirit?

There have been three phases of God's relationship with humans. Phase One could be called: God Out There. For most of human history God was mysterious and unapproachable. He interacted sporadically with a few prophets and sheep herders. The rest of humanity was left in the dark.

The second phase began with an angelic announcement of Emmanuel--God with us. When Jesus came to the earth, God came to live among us. We beheld the glory of God. Jesus was the exact representation of God. He walked and talked with the folks. He ate meals in their homes. He was fascinating and compassionate. Then He left the scene. Before He left, He promised to send another Helper. The Holy Spirit, according to Jesus, would be with us and live in us.

When a person becomes a Christ follower, he is born of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes to live inside. God makes His home inside the spirit of human beings. How powerful it must be to be controlled by the One who lives inside.

"Is it in you?" is the question asked by Gatorade. The suggestion is that if Gatorade is in you, you can perform like an elite athlete. Perhaps you will not become dehydrated. I am not sure Gatorade will imporve your athletic skills. One thing I know, the Holy Spirit in you will absolutely improve your daily performance in life. The better question is, "Is He in you?"

Peace,

Stan

Outside Look at Church

2008-09-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I asked our church a list of questions that caused us to consider what people outside of church think about God, Jesus and church. The responses were very interesting.

People are scared of God, mad at God and are confused by God. People in Bible days seemed to like Jesus OK. Yet, today it seems that people are very uncomfortable talking about Jesus. I think people are confused by Jesus today, because His followers are not much like Him.

If people are going to warm up to Jesus, I think Christians are going to have to start acting, talking, being more like Jesus. If people were to meet Jesus today, I think they would respond to Him just like they did years ago. The only Jesus people can see is the Jesus they see in Christians.

The world does not need judgmental, hypocritical, self-righteous Christians. The world needs loving, compassionate, humble servants of Jesus. God loved the world so much that He sent us Jesus. Jesus loves the world so much, He sends us to them. Let's do a better job of showing them the real Jesus.

Peace,

Stan

Our Ideal Church

2008-08-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

Our ideal church is one filled with people who love God passionately and love one another genuinely. We want our church to improve people's lives, not burden them. We aspire for our church to be relevant in everyday life. We long to see people live victoriously. No one wants surprises, scandals, or secrets from the church leadership, so we promise to be honest and forthright concerning church matters.

No one should have to go through life alone. We want to do life together with people who love us just the way we are, but exhort us to get better. Everyone should have a place to be themselves, without having to put on airs. At church, we want every person to find good friends who are a delight and who provide comfort and stability during life's difficult times. We want to build a church where people laugh freely and often.

We want every Sunday to be a family reunion. We want Sunday to be the best day of the week. We desire a church where people stay for years, grow old together, and watch their children grow up, get married, and have children of their own.

This what we try to accomplish at Cornerstone Church.

Peace,

Stan

Changes

2008-08-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

Ch-ch-ch-changes. We all want to grow and progress in live. BUT, we seldom want to change. We want "things" to change. WE just don't want to have to change anything. I have found that if I want "things" to change I have to change. I will have to change what I am doing, saying, who I am associating with, etc.

Some changes are forced upon us. We just lost our youth and music pastors, JD and Jame Swilley. They have been with us for seven years. They did a wonderful job. I did not want anything to change. Guess what, "Life happens!" They now live in Colorado. My kids are growing up and moving away from home. I don't like that either. Whitney lives in Tulsa. Morgan leaves on Monday for Thailand! I am glad for them, and sad for me.

Ch-ch-ch-changes. We should embrace change. It is part of life. If our children don't grow up and sprout their wings and fly, then there is a big problem. This change is good and healthy, even if it is painful for the parents.

If my financial situation is going to change, I might have to make changes. If my marriage is going to change, I will have to make changes. If I am going to be more healthy, I will have to make changes. Change, grow, live!

Peace,

Stan

Hope

2008-08-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

The lack of hope is a great tragedy in life. Pearl S. Buck said, "We must have hope or starve to death." I see so many people that have little or no hope. They seem to only be existing in this world, not really living.

Helen Keller has always been such an inspiration to me. She said some amazing things about hope. Here are a couple: "When one door of happiness closes, another opens" and my favorite "Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It's what sunflowers do."

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT), "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'" Jeremiah 31:17 (NKJV), "There is hope in your future, says the Lord." Every person with a relationship with God through Jesus Christ has hope for the future.

There is hope for you!

Peace,

Stan

King's Kid

2008-08-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

Romans 5:17 (NKJV), "For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." Because of our relationship with Jesus Christ, we reign in this life. The idea of reigning suggests that we are royalty. In fact we are. Romans 8:14 - 17 (NKJV), "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."

We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We have not earned this position; it is a gift. We have received abundance of grace. Grace is the ability of God freely given to us. We have been given the gift of righteousness. Righteousness is the ability of God to stand in the presence of God without any sense of guilt or shame, as if sin never existed in our life. Jesus became sin, so we can be made right with God.

Jesus' authority is our authority. Jesus gave us power of attorney to use his name. Jesus is the name above every other name. Every knee bows to that name. All the resources of the kingdom are at our disposal. Psalms 24:1 (NKJV), "The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein."

When the crippled son of Jonathan was found, King David called Mephibosheth to come to him and to eat at his table continually. In the same way, our Heavenly Father calls us to dine with Him continually. Live like a king's kid, because you are.

Peace,

Stan

Hearing From God

2008-08-05T20:40:00.000-07:00

While interviewing potential candidates for our job openings in our youth and music departments, one candidate said something quite thought provoking. He said that he wished God would just speak to us in an audible voice about our decision. That would be nice, but we can't count on it.

Romans 8:14 (NASB), "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." One thing we can count on is that God will lead us by the Holy Spirit. We must trust guidance He gives us, which is followed by supernatural peace. We can train ourselves to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Regular reading and study of God's Word helps us to hear the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible. This is the language He speaks. Knowing God's written Word helps us discern the subtle leading of the Holy Spirit. Usually the Holy Spirit will lead us in small, unimportant matters. As we learn to trust those inward impressions and that still small voice, we gain confidence in following His leadership in more weighty matters.

God will speak through others. Usually this is in agreement with what we already know to be true inwardly. Jesus said, "My sheep know my voice..."

Peace,

Stan

Passionate Love

2008-07-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

Zechariah 8:2 (NLT), “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem!" God's love for the church is passionate and strong. There is nothing like the church. We are God's plan for man on the earth. He has no other plan! The church is the body of Christ. He is the head, and we are the body. God loves us like He loves His own Son.

Zechariah 8:4 - 5 (NLT), “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play." This is a wonderful picture of the way church ought to be. Old people sitting around enjoying each other's conversation. Young people playing together. This is church.

When church is done well people are happy. Those outside become intrigued with what they see. Many are drawn to the fellowship of the church. God loves the church. We should love it too.

Peace,

Stan

And on it goes...

2008-07-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

My last blog was about how Life Happens. The example I used was the injury my wife, Michelle, sustained while on vacation in Colorado. She handled that situation very well. She is mending quite well. Thank you.

Speaking of Life Happens. JD Swilley, our youth pastor, came in my office on Monday to inform me that he and Jame are moving the family to Loveland, Colorado to take a position in a church there. I wish I could say that I was prepared for this announcement. However, I was not. Life Happens.

So, we have a big challenge ahead. We need to replace our youth pastor and music leader. These are important roles at Cornerstone Church. I believe that Jehovah Jireh (God who see ahead at supplies our need) is already on the job. He is preparing the right people to fill our vacancies.

Life Happens. Thank God for God.

Peace,

Stan

Life Happens

2008-07-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

I am home from vacation now. We like to ride bikes and hike in Colorado. On the first day of vacation, the entire family went on a ten mile hike with our friends. The twelve of us are quite a site. The park ranger asked what group we were? "Just two families," I replied! The trail followed the stream down the mountain. It was a good hike.

Michelle and I took a bike ride around Lake Dillon on the second day of vacation. It is a beautiful ride. She was riding very strongly. It started raining. Then it rained harder. So, we decided to pull over. Mistake! Michelle executed a perfect stop, twisting her foot our of her clipless pedals. She put her left foot down of the slippery trail, and slid. Her bike came crashing down. As she fell, her right leg landed on the crank of the bike. The crank sliced her right calf open like a filet knife would have. She immediately instructed me to take off my jersey to stop the bleeding.

Several rescue workers responded to my 9-1-1 call. The ambulance pulled away, leaving me on the trail with my bike. I rode hard and fast on the wet trail to catch up to Michelle at the emergency room of the local hospital. After the wound was cleaned, the doctor put about 30 stitches into my wife's leg. Our vaction took an immediate turn.

Michelle's vacation was stolen from her. It was altered for the rest of the family. Life happens. I am proud to announce that prayer and praise came immediately out of my wife's mouth during her accident. She was a perfect peace. During the remainder of our vacation, she had a wonderful attitude, as the rest of us took off on hikes and other biking adventures.

We sure have a memory. God is good. Michelle is on the mend. The stitches come out in a few days. Scars are tatoos with stories. She has one to tell. There will be future vacations. Life is hard and sometimes unfair. During Michelle's trial, her faith was strong, and her attitude was great.

What comes out of you, when Life Happens?

Peace,

Stan

25 Years

2008-06-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

Cornerstone Church is 25 years old. Twenty-five years goes so quickly. I start wondering, "What am I doing today that will make a difference 25 years from now?"

In 1983 these were popular songs: Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cindy Lauper, God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood, Jump by Van Halen, Mr. Roboto by Styx, Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top, She Works Hard for the Money by Donna Summer, and Thriller by Michael Jackson. These were popular movies: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Flashdance, The Right Stuff, and Scarface. Television was filled with these timeless classics? TJ Hooker, Cagney and Lacey, Mama’s Family, Dynasty, Fall Guy, Newhart, Knight Rider, and Hill Street Blues. What difference does it make?

The only thing that will make a difference 25 years from now will be what we do for people. We express our love for God by loving people. 1 John 4:7 - 11 (NKJV), "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Ten Things I Want My Kids To Know

2008-06-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

There are ten things I want my kids to know, before I cut them loose into the world. My daughter is nearly out there on her own now at almost 21. My older son just graduated high school. So, he's on his way. Several years ago I questioned myself as to whether I had done everything to prepare my children to be successful in this world. I came up with this list of ten things.

1. Put God first
2. Always do right
3. Treat everyone well
4. Choose your friends wisely
5. Try new things
6. Don’t be afraid to fail
7. If you fall down, get up
8. Help people, especially those who cannot repay you
9. Ask questions and listen to answers
10. Honor your father and mother

Happy parenting!

Peace,

Stan

Father's Day

2008-06-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

Father's Day reminds us of many things. We live in a day when men sire children, but fewer father them. What does it mean to be a father? There are three things which fathers should remember.

1) Children are gifts from God. Psalms 127:3, "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward." Children should be treated as precious and special gifts from God.

2) Children are a stewardship from God. A steward is one who manages another's property. Children should be considered God's possessions. They should be raised according to God's plan for them. Edith Schaeffer, wife of Francis Schaeffer, answered the question, “What is a family?” by stating, “It is a perpetual relay of truth!” Fathers have a responsibility to pass on God's truth and values to his children.

3) Children must be trained. Noone is born knowing what to do in order to succeed in this world. Each must be trained to walk with integrity. Children need to be taught how to work hard and the value of money. Children need to be trained to use their words to edify not to destroy. Etc.

The best way to train children is by example, more than words.

Peace,

Stan

Father's

2008-06-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

Great Opportunity

2008-05-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I had a thought. It is always nice to have a thought. Here's my newest thought: "We have 250+ children and teenagers at church. God must expect us to minister to them." Many young people today have no one who believes in them or shows interest in them. We have a wonderful opportunity to change lives for eternity.

I asked our congregation to give special attention to individual youth who attend our church. Get to know them. Find out what their interest are. Let them know that we are glad to see them and believe in them. We know kids who live with no living relative. They have been passed on to step parents, girlfriends, etc. God loves everyone. The greatest mark of a Christian is our love for people.

Luke 18:16 - 17 (NKJV) But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” We all need some children in our lives to bless. In Mark 9 Jesus gave such a brilliant object lesson. Mark 9:35 - 37 (NKJV) And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

Look for opportunities around you to be a blessing to people. Remember that kids are people. At Cornerstone Church, we love kids.

Peace,

Stan

Sweeter Than Honey

2008-05-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

Given the incredible uncertainty in the world today, we look for stability and security. We don’t know the how long we will be at war in the Middle East. We don’t know if the stock market is going up or down. Will we develop alternative energy before existing sources become unaffordable? Who will be our next president? In what will we find stability?

People certainly can let us down. Our job offers little guarantee for the future. One thing we know never changes—God and His Word. Mark 13:31 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

Psalms 19:7 - 10, "The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb."

God's Words revive the soul. They make wise the simple and bring joy to the heart. God's Words give insight for living and last forever. They are true. They are more desirable than gold. God's Words are sweeter than honey and have great reward. Everyone feeds his own body as well as possible, even more than necessary. God's Word is like food to our spirit. How well do we feed our spirit? How healthy is our spirit?

God's Word is sweeter than honey. In Jeremiah 15:16 we read, "Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts." God's Word will bring stability to your life. So, take a big bite out every day.

Peace,

Stan

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

2008-05-15T08:41:00.001-07:00

Philippians 4:6 - 7 in The Message reads, "Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

Worry is destructive. The word translated anxious, worry or fret in Philippians 4:6 means to be torn apart. It is the picture of a ship being tossed in a storm. Our English word worry comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word that means: to strangle. “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow,” said Corrie Ten Boom; “it empties today of its strength.”

Worry is also deceptive. It gives us a false view of life, of self, and of God. Hugh Blair wrote, “Worry not about the possible troubles of the future; for if they come, you are but anticipating and adding to their weight; and if they do not come, your worry is useless; and in either case it is weak and in vain, and a distrust of God's providence.” The great cartoonist Charles Schultz, “Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia.” Plato mused, “Nothing in the affairs of men is worthy of great anxiety.”

Worry is de-formative. It keeps us from growing and it makes us like the unsaved in the world. In short, worry is unchristian; worry is a sin. How can we witness to a lost world and encourage them to put faith in Jesus Christ if we ourselves doubt God and worry? It is inconsistent to preach faith and not practice it? The late chaplain of the United States Senate, Peter Marshall, once prayed “that ulcers would not become the badge of our faith.”

How does worry begin? It begins with a thought or an imagination. It begins with negative feelings, all of which are contrary to God and His Word. Instead of rejoicing, praying, supplicating, and giving thanks, a person asks questions:
“Why is this happening to me?”
“What am I going to do?”
“Where is God?”

We read in Isaiah 26:3 - 4, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.”

Peace,

Stan

Random Thoughts

2008-05-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

Morgan, our son, graduated from high school yesterday. It was a fun day. Graduating from high school must be the most liberating experience. Most of a person's life is compulsory through high school. Upon graduation, life is now more a series of choices. A young person becomes captain of their own ship. The future is theirs to seize. Congrats to all the graduates. Carpe Diem.

Recently a cyclone has leveled much on Myanmar (Burma). Tens of thousands are dead. Hundreds of thousands are homeless and are in danger of dying from unclean water and lack of food. Our missionary friend, Todd Powers, is going into Burma to bring relief in the form of water purification systems and money to purchase food, etc. If you would like to contribute to the cause, you may contact Todd at http://powersplanet.org.

Peace,

Stan

Recession

2008-05-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

Recession, gas prices, flooding, tornados, Iraq war, negative political ads. We are bombarded daily with negative news. The coffee shops and hair salons are filled with the daily gossip and an increase in "gloom and doom" talk.

Are these difficult days? Sure. $3.50 gasoline, $4 per gallon milk, etc. Is this going to improve soon? Who knows? Are we helpless in these days? NO! I believe it will take exceptional faith to live victoriously in these last days. The great news is that faith is available for every Christ follower.

Galatians 3:6 - 9 (NLT), "In the same way, 'Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.' The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, 'All nations will be blessed through you.' So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith."

Abraham believed God's word to him. As a result, he became the father of the Jewish nation. He bacame very rich and famous. All of the was the result of his faith in what God said. We have the same opportunity. Yet, not every day was stress free for Abraham. As soon as he took off on his journey of faith, it led him staight into a famine. Genesis 12:10 (NLT), "At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner."

Famine is a temporary, negative circumstance, which is subject to change. Famine is found 90 times in the Bible. Famine is something we will all face in life. Following the Word of the Lord, Abraham travels right into the middle of a famine. As you walk by faith (obedience to the Word of the Lord), you my travel right into the midst of a famine. The famine affected Abram. He had to make a temporary adjustment. Temporary adjustments do not change your ultimate outcome. Famine may require cut backs. If my family is not eating, I’ll do whatever I have to do. Unless God speaks, you must do what you know to do. If your faith does not work in a famine, you need to develop what Paul referred to as "genuine faith" in 2 Timothy 1:5.

Famine (recession) will reveal what a person trusts in. Psalms 37:18 - 19 (NLT), "Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough." We can put our trust in the economy or put our trust in the Lord.

Peace,

Stan

Black and White

2008-04-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

Some of us have been discussing the question, "Is it a black & white world? Or, it is more grey?" On the surface, it seems easy to say. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Sin is sin, etc. But, should I always tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me, God?

What about the proverbial, "does this dress make me look fat" question? Can I tell the part of the truth that will not hurt the other's feelings? Do I have a close and secure enough relationship with the other person to tell them things they might not want to hear? Can something be wrong for me, but OK for my friend? Take, for example, the fact that John the Baptist was forbidden to drink wine. Yet, Jesus drank wine and turned water into wine. I guess we must "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling." Also, it is a good idea to let God judge others. I have enough to do judging my own self!

We struggle with the balance between reaching out to at risk students and providing a safe and sane atmosphere for our church kids. How much do we go after lost young people without losing the already saved? This is a grey question. What is the answer? We are to seek and to save the lost. We should leave the 99 and go after the one lost sheep. Yet, we are to train our children in the way they should go.

2 Timothy 3:1 (NLT) "You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times." We certainly live in these difficult days. The answers are not so easy. I believe it will take extrordinary faith to overcome the difficulties of this world. I believe, now more than ever, we must be directed by the leadership of the Holy Spirit. God will help us find the answer we are looking to find. We will make some mistakes along the way.

My heart, and I believe yours, is to please God in all my ways. His Word will light the path I need to walk on.

Peace,

Stan

Spring

2008-04-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

I experienced Spring this past weekend. I heard someone predict a few weeks ago that we would go straight from Winter to Summer, skipping Spring altogether. So, obviously I was concerned! I like Spring. I like the warm weather, thunderstorms, flowers blooming and trees budding. I is like rebirth.

I mowed the yard on Saturday. It was the first day the mower was out of the old barn this year. Someone, probably me, left the key on the mower. So, the battery was dead. After a jump, I was off to the races, so to speak. The smell of fresh cut grass was exilerating. I helped Laine, my 15 year old son, mow another yard later in the day. After mowing, we played tennis. It was a great day.

Saturday night concluded with the Junior/Senior Prom. This is the ultimate Spring event. Boys and girls in their late teens getting all gussied up. We watched every one of them parade on to the stage to be announced to the crowd. It was a gala event. Prom is so much fun that no one wants it to end. Several students came over to our house until the wee hours of Sunday morning.

Sunday morning was great. Several guests visited the church. People made life changing decisions. 65 new people stayed to have lunch with the church staff. The meal was delicious, prepared by Stephanie Thieme and family.

By Sunday afternoon I was tuckered out. I stretched out on the deck OUTSIDE and took a nap. My face is all glowing with a tan this morning. It was so nice feeling the warm sun beating down on my prostrate body. After our nap, Michelle and I walked over to visit with the neighbors. We sat on the patio talking and watching the kids bounce on the trampoline. We capped off the afternoon with a game of tennis. Sunday night's meal was leftover hamburgers that we had grilled out Saturday afternoon.

I am sure glad we didn't have to skip Spring. It is a wonderful time of the year.

Peace,

Stan

2008-04-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

What if I told you there was a place where you can count on the awesome presence of God to manifest, a place where you are treated like one of the family, a place where miracles happen, the people there enjoy a high level of joy and peace, and continually people are getting saved?What if I told you this is not a fantasy, but can be a reality? Where can you find such a place? Acts 2:42-47 gives the only outline for doing church that I can find in the Bible.

Acts 2:42 - 47 (NLT) "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved."

Everyone needs to receive solid teaching from the word of God. Faith is the basis for the Christian life. “The just shall live by faith.” Faith comes from hearing the Word of God proclaimed. Fellowship is much more than sharing coffee and donuts in the church basement. These guys shared their lives together. Contemporary English Version, “…they were like family to each other…” They were praying together. God heard them and granted their requests. This church had it going on. The people lived with an awareness of the awesome presence of God. Wonders and signs were expected and achieved.

People gave in proportion to what they had. The needs of the people were being met. There were high levels of unity and also high levels of joy and contentment. They were praising God. Praise keeps your focus on God, and off of self. It keeps the gift of God stirred up within you. The energy that will take you through any trial of life. People outside of the fellowship liked what they saw. High numbers were being saved and added to the church.

These elements are the pillars of the healthy, vibrant church--teaching, fellowship, prayer, giving and praise. The results of have strong pillars in place are a family of believers, who sense the awesome presence of God in their midst. Wonders and signs are a regular occurrence. The needs of the people are met. The members enjoy a high level of unity, joy and contentment. People outside of the church like what they see inside. So, they come to the church, get saved and become part of the church family.

Peace,
Stan

Ideal Church

2008-03-31T07:55:00.000-07:00

I wrote this statement a few years ago. This is how we try to do church...

The ideal church is a one filled with people who love God passionately and love one another genuinely. We want our church to improve people’s lives, not burden them. We aspire for our church to be relevant in everyday life. We long to see people live victoriously. No one wants surprises, scandals, or secrets from the church leadership, so we promise to be honest and forthright concerning church matters.

No one should have to go through life alone. We want to do life together with people who love us just the way we are, but exhort us to get better. Everyone should have a place to be themselves, without having to put on airs. At church, we want every person to find good friends who are a delight and who provide comfort and stability during life’s difficult times. We want to build a church where people laugh freely and often.

We want every Sunday to be a family reunion. We want Sunday to be the best day of the week. We desire a church where people stay for years, grow old together, and watch their children grow up, get married, and have children of their own.

Peace,

Stan

Easter

2008-03-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

This Easter was the earliest in 65 years I heard in a news report a few days ago. But, if the passing of Easter brings warmer weather, then I'm glad it came early. Yesterday, Easter, sure blazed by me in a hurry. All of the extra attention to details--music selection, sermon prep, getting everyone seated somehow, baptism, egg hunt... It seemed like it was over in a flash. People received eternal life through Jesus Christ, the food was delicious everywhere we ate. What a wonderful day!

I am so glad Jesus took my place, so I could be redeemed. Matthew 27:35 begins, "Then THEY crucified Him..." THEY is found 28 times in Matthew 27. I suppose it should read "we." They is always someone else, not me. In that crowd I suppose their were three different kinds of people. There was the sympathetic group. They were crying. They were asking, "Why? What did he do? What crime did he commit? He only helped and healed. Why?"

The antipathetic group was there shouting, "Crucify him. Crucify him." They were offended at Jesus' teaching. He exposed their hypocrisy, their sinfulness and crooked ways. I suppose some passers by were totally unconcerned and uninterested in what was happening on Golgotha's hill. The cross had no meaning or purpose for them. They were the apathetic group. The world never really changes. We still have these groups today.

Three cries were heard the day Jesus was crucified. There was a cry of unbelief from one of the thieves dying next to Jesus. He shouted, "If you are the Son of God, save yourself and us." There was a cry of repentance from the thief on the other side, "We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man is immocent. Lord, remember me when you enter your kingdom." Jesus also cried out from His cross, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

A preacher was speaking to fishermen on an English seashore. He was trying to make it plain to the men what Christ's work on the cross really was.
Presently, he said, “Now will one of you men tell me, in your own words, what the Lord Jesus did there on the cross?”
An old seaman looked up and, with tears on his weather-beaten face, said: “He swapped with me.”

I love that. Jesus swapped with me. God gives us the cross, then the cross gives us God. When Jesus died, I died with Him. When He was raised, I was raised. Either I die with Jesus on that cross or I die alone, and face eternity alone. I will carry my sins alone, stand before God to be judged and condemned to eternal damnation alone.

But, if I die with Jesus on that cross, then I will rise with Him. When I die, He is with me. When I stand before God, Jesus stands before me. He swapped with me. He died so I can live. He is preparing a place of abode, a mansion, for me in heaven. He is coming to this earth again to get me.

Peace,

Stan

152

2008-03-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

152. That's an interesting number. Compared to 6, its big. Compared to 42,348,439 its small. When talking about teenagers at a youth service at Cornerstone Church in Chillicothe, Missouri, its big. There were 152 teenagers at church Wednesday night.

At Cornerstone Church, we love kids. Apparently, kids love us too. We are reorganizing our Wednesday night program for K-5th grade. We have lots of children coming to church also. Miss Lisa does a fabulous job with our children's department. Our Sunday school teachers are the best. Our Wednesday night program is developing where kids will be jamming into the building to hear about Jesus.

If you are bored with your life, help us love kids. The reward will be immediate. In addition, you will be laying up treasure for yourself in heaven.

We set out 175 chairs for this week at the newly expanded 228 Student Auditorium. As soon as we finished the construction, the building is not big enough! Kids may take over the adult space yet. What a problem?

Peace,

Stan

Teamwork

2008-03-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

To answer the question, “What would Jesus do,” we need to examine what did Jesus did? Early in Jesus’ ministry He formed a team. The Apostle Paul had a team. If we will accomplish our given assignment, it will be done as a team. What God has given us to accomplish is too large for any individual. Each of us is an individual member of the body of Christ. We need others.

Mark 3:13 - 15 (NASB) "And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out the demons." Jesus chose twelve guys to hang out with Him. Then he sent them out to preach. When He sent them out, He sent them with authority to get the job done. We try to follow this example in everything we do at Cornerstone Church.

There are many reasons not to form a team. It is too messy. More people means more problems. In the beginning it is easier and faster to do things yourself, than to train others. Yet, ultimately this frees you to pursue other things. It requires organization—meetings, discussion, persuasion. There is the false belief that no one can do it as well as I can. There is an insecurity of being replaced.

We don't want to lose control. An inexperienced or insecure leader wants to give directives, not share leadership and decisions. This results in people feeling unappreciated and they become uninterested in helping you. Tradition keeps people from forming a team. “We’ve always do things this way. We’ve never done that before.” The people expect the pastor to perform certain duties based on tradition, not on actual Biblical mandate.

There are many great reasons to form a team. The Bible endorses it. Success is not limited to an individual effort. It builds true community and unity. Teamwork creates synergy, which generates results far greater than the sum of the parts could have achieved. There is a multiplying effect in group dynamics.

Teamwork multiplies love, joy, peace…fun! It reduces stress. Success and failure is shared. The work load is shared. I can do what I am equipped to do, knowing that others are doing what I am not good at doing. I am not stressed out trying to perform duties that I am ill equipped to perform. There is more innovation in a group than in an individual.

I have a great team around me. Michelle, my wife, is my key teammate. JD, Greg, and Brent work closely with me every day. Amy and Barb are so valuable. Miss Lisa is awesome with our children, especially in Jumpgate. Jame does a wonderful job leading our music TEAM. Ronda and Jen are great. Judy runs a wonderful day care. Miss Kay is the best preschool teacher around. David keeps our facilities clean and running great. Our volunteers minister to others every day. We have about 20 LIFE Groups operating between Cornerstone and KC Life Churches combined.

God is good. Jesus is Lord. Life is great. Teamwork is one of the great reasons why.

Peace,
Stan

Identity Crisis

2008-03-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

Since Adam and Eve, most people consistently suffer from insecurity and inadequacy. Most people do not even understand themselves very well. Most of life is spent on a search to find myself—FINDING ME! Many look to culture find themselves and to improve their own self-image. Everyone needs to have positive self-image. This takes nothing away from God. Many in the church world would suggest that self-image steals from the proper emphasis on God. I disagree.

Proper self-image is found in the believer’s relationship to God through Jesus Christ. Isaiah wrote that our own righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64.5-7). Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. In myself, I may have good reason to have a poor self-image. IN CHRIST, I have every reason to have a confident and positive image of myself. “… it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2.20).So many things are attempting to shape my life. There are so many traps to avoid in this world. Too may societal, cultural paths lead to no where, like a treadmill. I like to workout, but I really detest treadmills. I work so hard, and get no where. Let’s examine a few treadmills that many use to try to boost their self-image…

The Appearance Treadmill is all about body image—beauty products, lotions, creams, tanning beds, hair styles, weight loss products, workout programs, etc. It is fashion—clothes, shoes, jewelry. 1 Peter 3:3 - 4 (NLT) "Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." Status, materialism, automobiles, houses, toys, … How much is enough? Confidence cannot be purchased. Self-worth is not for sale.

There is the Popularity Treadmill. Do I matter to anyone? Do I fit in? Many sell their own soul to fit in with the “popular” crowd. Girls (women) give their bodies sexually to be with the “right” guy—athletic, funny, rich, smart. Kids will shoplift, cuss, drink, do vandalism to fit in.

Many climb the social ladder to find nothing at the top, after they achieve the status they seeking. Yet, the truly popular march to their own beat. They set the pace, and lead the parade. Everyone else is just a want-to-be.

Far too many suffer from approval addiction. This is the Achievement Treadmill. These are driven by a craving for success. Life is measure by achievement of money, awards, degrees, recognition. These are the workaholics. Muhammad Ali said, “I had the world, and it wasn’t nothin’.” The cultural route to self-worth is an endless routine of running on one treadmill or another, which never get you to your destination.

Where can a person find true identity and worth? What does God think about me? The one who created me is the only one with whom my esteem is safe. Others do not know my true value. I don't even know myself. Value is determined by the price paid. 1 Peter 1:18 - 19 "knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." You and I are valuable, because Jesus paid the ultimate price for us.

Pusuit of Happiness

2008-02-25T11:26:00.000-08:00

Imagine actually living the life of which you have always dreamed. This is possible. The most wonderful life you can imagine can be yours. To obtain this wonderful & happy life, you may need a guide—A Guide To a Happy Life. Happiness really begins by engaging in worthwhile activities. Here are a list of ten suggestions to guide your way.
1. Live by the golden rule
"Do for others as you would like them to do for you." (Luke 6:31)
"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”" (Galatians 5:14)
2. Forgive quickly
"’In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." (Ephesians 4:26-27)
"... Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:37)
3. Take care of yourself
"Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you." (1 Timothy 4:16)
Stay spiritually, mentally (emotionally), physically strong.
You cannot help others unless you are strong.
Get proper care when you are ill—Jesus said, “The sick need a physician.”
Wash your hands often.
Eat properly.
Get plenty on rest.
Make sure there is plenty of humor in your life.
4. Be temperate
"And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown." (1 Corinthians 9:25, NKJV)
Temperate: Marked by moderation: as
a: keeping or held within limits : not extreme or excessive: mild
b: moderate in indulgence of appetite or desire
c: moderate in the use of intoxicating liquors
d: marked by an absence or avoidance of extravagance, violence: restrained
Uncontrolled appetites and emotions will bring great stress to your life and to those closest to you.
5. Love and help children
"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. " (James 1:27)
"Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”" (Matthew 19:13-14)
6. Be generous
Proverbs 22:9 (NASB) 9He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.
Be a giver, not a taker. Takers are never happy or satisfied. Givers are blessed and happy.
Proverbs 11:24-25 (NASB) 24There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. 25The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.
7. Don’t break the laws of man
There are a multitude of Scriptures exhorting believers to obey rulers and authority.
"Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." (1 Peter 2:13-17, NIV)
It is very liberating to live free from the fear of getting caught!
8. Mind your own business
"This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we commanded you before." (1 Thessalonians 4:11, NLT)
I have more than enough to mind, trying to keep myself and my immediate family well off—spiritually, mentally, emotionally, financially, and physically.
When I take on responsibilities that are not God-given, I become stressed out without cause.
9. Build and value highly strong relationships
We should know many people and be friendly with nearly everyone.
However, each of us needs a few close friends that we can talk to about anything, who will challenge us to be the best we can be, and will challenge us to grow.
Everyone needs “safe” people in our lives.
We all need someone who believes in us, and encourages us.
Be a person worthy of the trust of others
Keep your word, once given.
Don’t break confidences.
The key to having great friends is to be one!
Become a good listener.
Bring joy to others.
Send cards, write notes, make phone calls.
Don’t be promiscuous
Be faithful.
The urge of the moment can become the sorrow of a lifetime!
10. Have a grateful heart
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Answers come in a positive mindset much easier and faster than to a negative, hopeless mind.
Every great story includes great struggle, some suffering, even temporary defeats. AND every great story includes individuals overcoming such trials.
Be that kind of person!
It starts with a grateful heart.

Sharpen the Ax

2008-01-31T11:33:00.000-08:00

One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had.
"I don't get it," he said. "Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did."
"But you didn't notice," said the winning woodsman, "that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest."

Luke 5:15-16, "But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray." Of all of the wonderful truths we observe in the life of Jesus, this truth is often overlooked. After the demands of life and ministry, the Bible records for our benefit, "Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray."

If Jesus needed to get away from the demands of life to recharge His batteries, then how much more you and me? We are to be imitators of Christ. So, let's learn how to pull away, rest and talk to our Heavenly Father, just like Jesus.

Here are a few suggestions. Eliminate “hurry” from your life. John Ortberg asked a wise friend what needed to be done to be more spiritually healthy. The reply, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” Famous turn of the century psychologist Carl Jung wrote, "Hurry is not of the devil; hurry is the devil.” Ortberg wrote, “For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it.” You can be busy without being in a hurry!

Here is a radical idea, "Just say, 'NO.'" Say no to almost everything. Let your priorities determine your schedule. Learn how to practice daily solitude. Here's how to do it:
Turn Off and Tune Out (TV, internet, and/or telephone)
Find a place to be alone
Invest that time with God
Invest that time in rest
Invite Jesus into your moment
Replay video of your day
Move from one scene to other
Pray for people & situations; ask forgiveness
Seek Guidance

Jesus took time to refresh (sharpen the ax), perhaps we should also!

Peace,

Stan

Just Jesus

2008-01-14T13:29:00.000-08:00

I am asked to teach on leadership periodically. I have read many books on the subject. Yet, I always come back to the gospels for my favorite leadership lessons. Jesus was the greatest leader ever. So, let’s learn leadership from Jesus.

On Amazon.com I found titles such as: Artist’s Way, Toyota Way, Wilderness Way, Way of the Turtle, The Way—Using the Wisdom of Kabala, and The Jesus Way. Let’s examine The Jesus Way.

Very often people outside of the church express great admiration for Jesus, while despising the church. They love Jesus, but not the church. The church to them is organized religion with various rules, conformity, and narrow-mindedness. They loathe the political agendas, both internal and external. They don’t like the holier-than-thou attitudes of some Christians.

So, I am not much interested in telling you what our church believes. I don’t want you to conform into our image of following Christ. You won’t hear much from me about the rules or religious ritual. You won’t hear much of my personal political leanings. You aren’t likely to hear condemnation of pet sins. We all sin. All sin is egregious, and should be repented of.

Hopefully, what you will hear from me is much teaching the Way of Jesus, the Jesus Way. I believe all of us, myself included, have some warped views concerning Jesus. These ideas, perhaps, have come from the opinions of others. Some misconceptions are of our own making. We put our mask over the “real Jesus.” The church, at times, has presented an angry, judgmental, narrow Jesus to the world. I am afraid people hear, “rules”, “religion”, or “politics.”

Christianity has been about achievement and retention of certain facts, like some academic endeavor. The Jesus Way is not concerned so much with accomplishment as with lifestyle and relationship, NOT rules, NOT religion, NOT politics—JUST JESUS! Jesus continually challenged individuals with this phrase, "Follow Me." Jesus' kingdom is relationship. We hang out with Jesus when we hang out with Jesus people, fellowship around His Word (The Bible), and talk with Him (prayer).

Jesus came to start a revolution. A revolution is a sudden, radical, or complete change, epecially the overthrow of a ruler and substitution of another by the governed. A revolution is a rebellion, a mutiny. I willingly choose to overthrow my selfish ambitions and replace them with Jesus. I believe we are living in a time and place where Christ followers are more interested in the kingdom of God than the kingdoms of this world. In previous generations these seasons where called revivals. To reach this condition requires rebellion and change. The question is, “Who’s going to rule my life?” Jesus said, “Follow me.” When I follow Jesus, I am going to become absorbed into what is important and priority to Him.

People are Jesus' priority. So, I need to value other people more than myself. People must believe that I like them. "Others" are not the enemy. People are hurting. Donald Miller wrote, "People are hurting. We need to take Jesus to people's wounds." Let's do church a new way, the Jesus Way.

Peace,

Stan

Making God's Dream Come True in Your Life

2008-01-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 29:11 - 14 (NKJV), "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive."

Imagine being dropped by parachute into an undisclosed, remote area of India. At your drop site is a fueled up Jeep with the keys in the ignition. Your goal is to see the Taj Mahal. But, you have no idea where the Taj Mahal is located. And, you have never been to India before.
How insane would it be to just start driving, hoping you will eventually get there? Too many of us treat goal setting this same way. We dream about where we want to go in life, but don’t have a map to get there.

What is a map? {a picture with written words and markings of locations and destinations} To accomplish our purposes in life, we will need a vision from God of where He wants us to go, and how to get there.What is a vision? Bill Hybels calls vision a picture of the future that produces passion.

To get to your destination you need a picture of your future. God wants to show you the picture He has for your future. God's vision for your life will light you on fire. Here are a few suggestions on how to fulfill God's plan for your life:

1. Is your goal Good or God?
· Proverbs 8:17
· Matthew 7:7-8
2. Goals cannot contradict one another.
3. Develop goals for a balanced life.
· Personal (spiritual, health, financial, community)
· Family
· Business
4. Write your goals.
· Habakkuk 2:2-3
· Write them in detail.
· Write positive statements, not negative ones.
5. Make sure your goals are high enough.
· Goals should stretch you.
· Isaiah 54:2-3
6. Keep your goals before your eyes.
· Proverbs 4:20-27
· Keep in a place where you will see them often.
7. Seek to be a blessing. Don’t seek to be successful.
· This will keep your heart and conscience pure.
. 1 Timothy 1:5

Peace,

Stan

Bethlehem Star

2007-12-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

From our earliest memories of the Christmas story, we have heard of the magi who came to visit the Christ child, but what do we really know about them? Where did they come from? Why were they interested in a king born in Palestine? Who were they? There is a great deal of myth & mystery about them.

Psalms 19:1 - 4 (NLT) 1The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. 4Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.

In the Book of Job, Chapter 9, Job credits God with creation of the stars and constellations:
(9) He is the Maker of the Bear [Ursa Major] and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
And in Job Chapter 38, God makes much the same point. He, not man, is sovereign over the creation, particularly the constellations:
(31) "Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? (32) Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons...

God reveals Himself in many ways. One place to find God is in the stars. Astrology is often defined as the the study of the influences of the cosmos on life on earth. Astrology is dangerous and wrong spirited. The cosmos does not determine life of earth. However, God can declare His plans through the stars. Wikipedia states, "Astrology and astronomy were often indistinguishable before the modern era, with the desire for predictive and divinatory knowledge one of the primary motivating factors for astronomical observation. Astronomy began to diverge from astrology after a period of gradual separation from the Renaissance up until the 18th century. Eventually, astronomy distinguished itself as the scientific study of astronomical objects and phenomena without regard to the astrological meaning of these phenomena."

Christ followers should have no fear of science. In fact, I believe an unbiased view of science reinforces Bible truths. Bethlehemstar.net is a great source for more information concerning the Star of Bethlehem. Plan to be amazed. Give yourself plenty of time to peruse.

Merry Christmas,

Stan

Christmas Island

2007-12-20T08:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas Island is a dot in the Indian Ocean, located 1600 miles north-west of Perth, Western Australia. Even though it is an Australian Territory, its closest neighbor is Java, 220 miles away. 63% of it is national park containing species of flora & fauna found nowhere else in the world! Probably the most noticeable local is the Red Crab with over 100 million of these vivid red creatures living on the forest floor.
Exploring the waters surrounding the island is an experience not to be missed. Myriads of tropical fish swim by in only a few feet of water, while a short distance away, divers can cruise the drop-off which plunges dramatically into the abyss. A person may even bump into one of the local spinner dolphins or at certain times of the year meet the majestic whaleshark!
Christmas is always an island; an island of hope in a world of despair, an island of love in a world of indifference, an island of giving in a self-centered world. The angelic host on the night of our Savior’s birth summoned all to come to Christmas Island!
Merry Christmas,
Stan

Why Christmas?

2007-12-19T08:35:00.000-08:00

It was a bit surreal to see Christmas trees and decorations in a predominately Buddhist country, Thailand. It was wonderful and strange hearing Joy to the World in the shopping mall, knowing that most of the shoppers had no idea what the words meant. In the airport in Tokyo, Michelle and I heard a beautiful rendition of Silent Night. I am sure the savvy Japanese shop owners were trying to get the European and American travelers into a buying mood.
While in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Michelle and I attended a luncheon, organized by Todd and Julie Powers, for missionaries. I spoke to the group of about 50 missionaries, who are preaching the good news of Jesus Christ in several Asian countries. Many help orphans, others have Bible training schools, others teach English, some are Bible translators, etc. I am in awe of those who leave home and familiar culture to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. It was an honor to encourage them.
Many theologians today claim the efforts of these missionaries is a less than noble cause, even arrogant, judgmental and wrong. Many today profess that we should not change the beliefs of others. They claim that all roads lead to heaven, and all religions are wonderful. Because God loves everyone and Jesus died to save everyone, then no person will be sent to hell, according to this line of thinking. We should not be proselytizing those of other faiths, according to this theory.There are difficult questions to consider. What about those who never hear the gospel? Is this an argument for not preaching the gospel around the world? If a loving God will not send anyone to hell; if all roads lead to heaven, then why Christmas? Why did God send His Son into this world? If there is no need for a Savior, then why did Jesus suffer and die? If Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and others are sufficient ways to attain eternal life, then why Christmas?

Give Thanks

2007-11-19T12:56:00.000-08:00

Psalms 95:1 - 7, "Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand."

An outward look at creation makes me thankful. Who can gaze upon the wonders of this earth and not acknowledge God? When I see a beautiful sunrise or sunset, I am thankful. Sitting in the Rocky Mountains in Winter or Summer beholding the immense beauty, I am thankful. Seeing the thousands of stars littering the sky from the bush of Mozambique on a clear night, I am thankful. With my toes in the sand on any beach in the world, I am thankful. Looking with wonder and amazement at the balancing rocks or the great Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, I am thankful to the God of Creation.

An outward look at the world makes be thankful to be a Christ follower. If the 6.5 billion people of earth were reduced to a village of 100 people, 60 would come from Asia, 14 from Africa, 11 from Europe, 8 from North America, 6 from South America and 1 from Australia and Oceania. 34 world be Christians, 18 Muslims, 16 non-religious/athiests, 15 Hindus, 5 Buddhists and 12 others. The majority of the starving and illiterate people in that village would come from the countries with the least amount of Christians. Most of the wealth would belong to those from the predominately Christian nations. I am thankful to be a Christ follower, because He takes care of His followers much better than the other "gods."

An outward look at salvation causes me to be thankful. I realize that I cannot save myself. My sins have separated me from God. I have been given the gift of eternal life through my belief in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. God loved me, before I loved Him.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Stan

Word of Faith

2007-11-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

Romans 10:6 - 8 (NASB) 6But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching...

Faith speaks. Unspoken faith is incomplete, and will not produce desired results. Faith believes God and parrots what God has said. Faith will not speak what is contrary to God's Word. So we read the instruction, "Do not say..."
"Who will ascend into heaven?" Many try to get prayers answered by becoming spiritual enough. Many believe that God only hears the super-saints, like Billy Graham or their beloved and gentle Grandma. This is based on a mentality of works righteousness. This begs the question, "How spiritual must I be to get a response from God." Our righteousness is based on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. He became a curse, so we could become righteous. According to James 5:16, the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective.
"Who will descend into the abyss?" Others try to move God through brokenness and suffering. Debasement of self does not gain access to the throne of God. Our access in gained for us through the finished work of Christ We therefore can boldly approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus Christ suffered for us, so we can be righteous.

"What does it (faith) say?" 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart'—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching..." Your answer is near you—in your mouth and in your heart. You do not have to climb up to heaven or lower yourself into hell to find your answer. Your answer will come through the word of faith that we preach (speak). Jesus said, "You will have whatever you say," in Mark 11:23.

Faith is conceived in the heart and given life through words spoken (mouth). Confession is not just a religious exercise. Confession here speaks of our daily conversation. Your faith will never go farther than your confession. You will never possess more than your confession. Jesus Christ is the High Priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1).

Let's learn to say what God has said, and not say anything contrary to His Word.

Complain Easy, Solution Harder

2007-11-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

I came across these thoughts on churchinverted.com from Saturday, October 27, 2007 titled, The Dead Horse, "There are still blogs out there that primarily devote their energies to deconstructing American churches. These missed the boat long ago as everyone else has since moved onto solutions. There is always still room for identifying issues, but still dwelling primarily on these is now beating a horse that was dead long ago. Its past time to begin focusing our collective energies on not thinking church is inverted from what it should be, and instead focusing on what will flip it. For example: you say that service is irrelevant, but what does church have that is MORE relevant? Let's find those areas and exploit our strengths."

I agree. It is past time to criticism the church. It is time to do something about it. Complainining is easy, finding solutions is harder. You and I can't abandon church, it is God's answer to the "gates of hell."

I'll offer one solution today. Church is bad when it is something one attends. Church is awesome when it becomes something one does. I often tell my children, if you have the opportunity to watch something or to do something, do something. Church is something we do. If you want to fix your church, do something. Help someone. Teach someone. Serve, invite, and give. You don't even need special permission or a specific call. Jesus already said, "Go." On what further instruction are you waiting?"

The harvest is still great, and the laborers few. What you can do, you must. To see a need that I can fill, while doing nothing is sin. I can't fix the whole entire church world, but I can repent and get myself on the right track. Let's stop complaining, and get busy doing something.

Peace,
Stan

Jesus' Message to the Church

2007-10-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

In Revelation 2 & 3, we have the only words of Jesus to the church. We have just studied these 7 messages that Jesus spoke to 7 individual churches in Asia Minor.

Here is what I believe Jesus would say to Cornerstone Church:

Compliment
From Thyatira (Rev 2:19), “I know your works, love, service, faith, and patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.”

Criticism
From the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:19), “…the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in are choking out the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

Instruction
From Philadelphia (Rev 3:8), “See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”

Warning
From Laodicea (Rev 3:20), “Remain faithful, and keep a place set for Me at your table. If you have gotten too busy for Me, then repent and let Me back into your house. Let’s share meals again together.”

Promise to over comers
From Ephesus (Rev 2:7), “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

Just some thoughts I am having today.

Peace,

Stan

Building Blocks or Stumbling Blocks

2007-07-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

If your lips would keep from slips,
Five things observe with care;
To whom you speak, of whom you speak,
And how, and when, and where.

Proverbs 18:20-21, "Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person’s lips bring satisfaction. Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life."

Your words are building blocks or stumbling blocks. Words destroy, so guard your tongue. Words can destroy marriages, kids and friendship. Words can destroy your faith, dreams and future. When you have nothing to say; say it. And, don’t speak unless you will improve the silence!

However, words build, so don't stay silent. Cold words freeze others, hot words scorch them, and bitter words make them bitter. Kind words soothe, gentle words comfort, and encouraging words strengthen and heal the hearer. Mark Twain said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” “I love you;” “Thank-you;” “I am proud of you;” “I really appreciate you;” “You’re great,” are powerful phrases that sould be used often. Learn to find specific qualities to compliment in others. Then, be liberal with your compliments. Proverbs 25:11, "Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances."

I am making a commitment to use my words are building blocks not stumbling blocks.

Peace,
Stan

Sowing and Reaping

2007-07-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

It seems that God is fond of gardens. He planted a garden in Eden, and put Adam there. 1 Corinthians 3:9 (CEV), “You are God’s garden...” 1 Corinthians 3:9 (ICB), “You are like a farm that belongs to God…”

Our lives are like a garden or a farm. Things are grown and harvested in a garden or a farm. All around us the wheat that was planted in the Fall has just been harvested. The corn and soybeans are growing. Hay is being harvested to feed cattle and horses next winter. The food we will eat today is the product of a farm or a ranch.
Seedtime and harvest affects much more than just food. This process affects our whole life. Nearly everything can be traced to this principle of sowing and reaping.The principle works this way: (1) a seed has the ability to reproduce or duplicate itself (2) the seed can only reproduce the attributes inherent to itself, e.g. apples can only produce apples, not pears (3) there is a multiplying effect when the seed is planted, e.g. a soybean seed produces a soybean plant, which produces dozens of new seeds. In other words, whatever is planted will grow and produce a harvest, usually more of the same. So, if I expect to get something different than the “same old, same old”, what must I do? {Plant different seeds!}

Just like other “laws” in the universe, e.g. gravity, reflection & motion, the law of sowing and reaping will not be violated. Once something is sown, a person should expect a harvest. According to this law, a person should not be surprised by the results he/she is getting in life! This works with money, relationships, and the level of peace and joy in my life.

THIS IS EXCITING! I have control over enough of the variables in my life to change my outcomes. I can adjust my attitudes, words, actions, spending habits, investments, etc. Galatians 6:7 - 10 (CEV) 7You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. 8If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life. 9Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up. 10We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord.

Change your life. Change what you are planting.

Peace,

Stan

2007-07-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here in Frisco, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains thinking about God. Psalms 24:1 declares, " The earth is the Lord’S, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein." How can a person sit a view God's beauty and not acknowledge the Creator?

I am a person who best heres from God out in His creation. The most significant things I have ever heard from God always came to me outdoors. When I need to clear my head and need direction, I go outside for a walk or a bike ride.

We are all different. I believe there is a place where everyone can find God. Where is your place?

Sure, this is a short post, but remeber that I am on vacation.

Peace,
Stan

God Ruled Man

2007-06-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

In Genesis 28 Jacob had a dream in which he saw angels ascending and descending upon a ladder stretched from heaven to earth. He heard the voice of God speaking to him. Upon awakening Jacob named the place “Bethel”, meaning—“House of God.” There he made a vow to follow God, and pledged to return a tenth to God of all that God gave to him. Jacob tricked his brother and received the birthright that was due Esau. Then, Jacob outfoxed his father-in-law, who was quite a con himself. Jacob later returned to his own land a very wealthy man. The Lord truly had been with him. Figuratively he was living in Bethel.
Yet, it was God’s second intervention into Jacob’s life which is more profound. In Genesis 32 he wrestles with the Man of God all night. In the end he is broken, disjointed, but determined to know the Man. Jacob’s name, which means—“deceiver”, is changed into “Israel”, meaning—“prince with God”, or “God-ruled man”. Jacob named this place “Peniel”—“Face of God”, for there he met with God face to face. This is the essence of true worship, to seek the face of God, not His hand of blessing. Jacob served the Lord, and sought to be successful, and was blessed abundantly. Living in the house of God, Bethel, is a blessed and wonderful place.
The pursuit of natural and material success never truly satisfies any person. The ultimate pursuit of a one’s life is the face-to-face encounter with God. The pursuit of God Himself ultimately makes “all things” available to the worshipper. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you desire, and it will be done for you,” (John 15.7). Jesus also said, “Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” (Matthew 6.33).
More than being a successful man, a wealthy man, I long to be a true worshipper, who seeks after the face of God, not only His hand of blessing. I desire to be known as Israel—a God-ruled man. I want to have the kind of encounter with God, where my old sinful nature is changed. I want people to see God in me. I want to be a real Christian—like Christ.

Everybody's Doing It

2007-05-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

I typed in “everybody’s doing it” into Yahoo. I found everything under the sun, from ring tones to yoga, to a Netflix ad and an article about how “everyone is going green” to real estate investing to an article about aging, and a blog about motorcycles and another about neck tattoos and bare waistlines. There is one thing that I know Everybody’s Doing—Everybody is Worshipping something or someone.

An examination of one’s checkbook and calendar will help reveal what one is worshipping. Most people’s homes are set up as a shrine in worship of television and movies. The central focus of the house is set toward entertainment. Most of us don't worship an idol in the traditional sense of bowing down before a statue of a god. Yet, we often submit our will and attention to other idols--money, possessions, pleasure, etc..

Worship of God is a total abandonment of me in complete acknowledgment and acquiescence to my Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus. It is a response of God’s Spirit in us back to Him, which takes our soul and body along for a ride. Revelation 4:11 (KJV) "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." You and I exist for God’s benefit, glory, purpose and delight.

Worship is more than music. Worship is a lifestyle. My whole life is about loving God and pleasing Him. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT) "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Our motive in everything we do is to bring glory and pleasure to our Creator. I can worship at work, at home, at play, doing whatever, and wherever, it I do it for the Lord's pleasure.

The heart of worship is surrender. Pride is doing it my way. C. S. Lewis wrote, “The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become—because He made us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be…It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.” Surrender is the opposite of self-serving and demanding. Surrendered people are the ones God uses. Nothing is more powerful than a life surrendered to God. William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, said, “The greatness of a man’s power is in the measure of his surrender.”

In conclusion, consider the words of the Apostle Paul to the church at Rome, found in chapter 12 and verse 1 from The Message, "So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering." King James version reads, "...which is your reasonable service." Worshipping God with my life is reasonable. If God is God, then I must worship Him.

Everybody's doing it--worshipping. We might as well worship the best: God.

Peace,
Stan

Life or Death

2007-05-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, our friend, Tony Cooke, preached at Cornerstone Church and at KC Life Church. He reminded us on the Sunday night about the Power of Our Words. Proverbs 18:21 (The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language), "Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose."

Nearly everyone has had hurtful words spoken over them. Often, these words have done great damage. Years have been stolen from good people, because of the words of other people.

Two questions come to my mind. First, are my words bringing life or death to others? Second, am I going to allow the words of others to destroy me? I want to use the power of my words to build up others and myself. This is one of the great missions of my life. There are several written commitments, which I carry around in my preaching notebook. Here are a few, which deal with my words:
I will love every person I meet, and influence others to love God passionately
through my words and actions.
I will say, "I apologize," and "you're right," when I am wrong.
I will say, "Thank-you," "well done," and "I love you," whenever deserving or appropriate.
I will create an environment around me where others are encouraged and challenged to reach maximum potential.

I also try to make a habit of saying over myself what God says about me, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I am the head and not the tail. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. I am more than a conquerer in Christ. I have the mind of Christ. The greater One lives in me. I am blessed going out and blessed coming in. My barns are filled with plenty. I am accepted; I am loved; I am part of the family of God."

Reader, I challege you to use your words skillfully. They are poison or fruit; your choice. Choose life. You have the power.

Put Action to Your Faith

2007-04-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

James 2:14 - 17 (NLT) What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

I have always admired people of action. It is easy to talk big. It is another thing all together to back up one's speech with action. I've tried to pass along to my children some good advise. Hopefully, some of it sticks. One thing I try to do and to teach is--that if given a choice to watch something or to do something, choose doing something. I would rather play ride my bike, than watch a bike race. I would rather play tennis than watch tennis. I would rather give a person something something to eat, than debate that something ought to be done to stop hunger.

I have the great privilege of being part of a team of doers, not just talkers. We are putting action to our faith. Instead of telling hungry people we will pray for you, we are giving them something to eat each month through Life Center Food Pantry. Not every person can volunteer at the pantry. Yet, nearly everyone can give a jar of peanut butter or jelly.

There are dozens of other worthy places to put action to faith. If a person truly seeks after God's will in this, He will direct them to a needed and valuable place of ministry and service. The essence of living is giving. Put action to your faith, and see great results.

Peace,

Stan

120

2007-04-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

120, that's how many teens showed up at the 2:28 youth service last week. If you add in the handful of others who came Sunday with the 75 or so children over in Jumpgate, Little Lambs and nursery, then we ministered to about 200 young people last week. That's about the same number of adults we ministered to also last week.

We've said forever, "At Cornerstone Church, we love kids." Our words of prophesy have come to pass. Our biggest challenge now is to build quickly enough to accomodate our growth. What a great problem!

Miss Lisa, JD and Jame are doing an outstanding job with our young people. Our adults have created an atmosphere where kids feel welcome and loved. What a great privilege I have to lead such a godly group, with the heart of Jesus toward children!

The disciples tried to send parents away, who were bringing their children to Jesus to be blessed. Mark 10:14 - 16 (NLT), "When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, 'Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.' Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them."

I don't want to send any young people away. So, we are working hard to get our building project funded and built as soon as possible. If God puts something on your heart to help us, then please be as quick to respond as is possible.

Peace,
Stan

Let's get started

2007-04-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at blogging. So, let's get started.

I've been thinking much lately how in the church we mostly feed the already fed. It's so easy; those hungry for more of God come ready for more. That's exciting! It's so easy to feed the spiritually hungry. Being salty, causing another person to be hungry for God; that's more challenging. I think it starts with being more outwardly focused. We can all be so self-absorbed. We get sucked down the black hole of self. My self (flesh) can never be satisfied.

I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little bored with me. So, I'm challenging myself and you, my reader, to live for others. Jesus told us that the two most important things in life are to love God passionately and to love other people genuinely (Mark 12. 30-31).

So, are you an inny or an outty?

Peace,
Stan