Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

What adversity do you need to overcome through rejoicing?

I apologize for the delay in sending you today’s message. In my devotional on November 26, I committed to share photos and highlights from the November 25 Culpeper Community Thanksgiving Service on Nov 27. However, like many of you, my past few days have been filled with enjoyable moments with family and friends during this special Thanksgiving week.

I remain acutely aware that for many people, including those with estranged families or who have recently lost loved ones, the holiday time can seem quite lonely and even depressing. Please pray for my dear friends Sharon and Jerry Graham. Sharon’s father was in a car accident last week and died on November 24. His memorial service was held on November 28 in Pennsylvania. When I spoke with Jerry on Nov 29, he told me Walter’s funeral was the best one he had ever been to and that it was extremely well attended. Lois Lucas, Walter’s wife who is in very poor health, was able to attend the entire service. Thank You Jesus.

Along with other members and guests of the Culpeper Ministerial Association, I was privileged to attend a luncheon at noon on Tuesday November 25 with Dr. John W. Kinney. That tradition of meeting with the keynote speaker for lunch on the day of the Culpeper Community Thanksgiving service began last year and it’s something I really look forward to.

The actual Culpeper Community Thanksgiving service in the evening on November 25 was awesome. I estimate that about 500-700 people came. What impressed me the most was the level of worship and the UNITY, especially between races and churches. Thank you to all the local government and school officials who came.

While I truly enjoyed every part of the two hour service, these things stood out for me:

1) The love and passion (burning fire for Jesus), manifested by our local pastors such as Mark Jenkins, Dr. Ted Fuson, Jeff Light, Habacuc Diaz Lopez, Charlene Phillips, Michael Gray, Jacob Phillips, and Randy Orndorff.

2) The lyrics and passion in the songs sung by the Culpeper Middle School choir, Immersed (Lee Catherine Clayton and Cammie Shelatz), Laura Nelson, and  Mrs. Janette Smith.

3) The strong support for the Culpeper Food Closet and the new homeless initiative by the Culpeper Ministerial Association. Thank You to Pastor Chad Whaley for launching the latter. Jesus told us to take special care of the downtrodden – the poor, the hungry, the widows, the orphans, the sick, and those in prison. When the Body of Christ does that, people will be attracted to Jesus.

4) Dr. John W. Kinney’s passionate message about rejoicing always. He emphasized that we are to rejoice in the Lord, not necessarily in our circumstances.

5) Pastor Randy Orndorff’s very touching and authentic message about his daughter Kelsey and the significance of the number 33.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for the passion for Jesus You are stirring up among Your people in Culpeper and Virginia. Thank You for the UNITY among pastors and races. May You add many more logs to the spiritual fire until finally a forest fire of revival and awakening breaks out to impact the word for Jesus. Amen and hallelujah!

Link of the Day
Photos from the 2008 Culpeper Community Thanksgiving service:   Flickr   Facebook

Blessings to choose to rejoice in the Lord always, not in your circumstances!

“We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future, your children will ask,”What do these stones mean to you?” (Joshua 4:1; NLT)

What are your plans for celebrating Memorial Day 2008?

Yesterday I had the privilege to attend the worship service at White Oak Run Baptist Church and be one of the many people to honor Rev. Dr. Charlene Phillips on First Lady’s Day. Charlene has had a huge impact on me, my family, and my ministry. Charlene’s son, JJ Phillips, is my anointed graphics artist. In February 2008, Charlene began her two year term serving as president of the Culpeper Ministerial Association.

At the end of the First Lady’s Day service, Charlene had the opportunity to thank people and share her perspective. She mentioned how she and her husband Rev. Jacob drove to West Virginia on Friday May 23 to honor their parents and grandparents by placing flowers on their graves. It was a year ago that both Charlene’s and Jacob’s mothers died.

Charlene’s story prompted me to ask my wife about visiting her father’s grave today in Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day along with her mother to put flowers on his grave. James (Jim) Kim, Julia’s father, was my best friends for years before he died in May 2001. That was 7 years ago and I still miss him tremendously. But his legacy continues on through his children and grandchildren. Jim served in World War II. My father served in the army for 23 years and then at the Pentagon Deputy General Counsel in the Office of the Secretary of the Army for another 15.

This morning I received a very touching Daily Gram from Jerry Graham titled “All Gave Some…Some Gave All.” In that, Jerry shares some interesting tidbits about the history of Memorial Day from the official www.usmemorialday.org website. For example:

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.

Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic.

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.

Jerry goes on to share that the “traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day… Now, as so accurately reported by Wikipedia, Memorial Day is used as a time for picnics, barbecues, family gatherings, and sporting events.”

But what impacted me the most about Jerry’s message was the special Memorial Day song and associated story in his Link of the Day. Therefore I made that my Link of the Day. To read Jerry’s entire message, visit his blog at http://thecoachingpair.com/blog.

Prayer Power
Lord, may we remember those who died in the service of our country to preserve our freedoms. Let us not be so caught up in our holiday activities or political activism that fail to honor those who “gave their all.”

Link of the Day
“All Gave Some. Some Gave All” – new Memorial Day song by Mullins

Blessings to spend time today honoring those who have their all for us!

“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.” (John 14:12)

As you contemplate on the God who hung on the cross, what is possible for God to do through you for the remainder of your life?

Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20 in most years, but March 21 in others). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.
 
Here’s the interesting info. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see!  Here are the facts:
 
1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so only people 95 or older were around for that!).

2) Easter can never be more than one day earlier than it is this year. The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

What is the significance of this early Easter in God’s master plan? What does this mean for 2008? Well, for one thing, the Global Day of Prayer, which takes place on Pentecost Sunday (50 days after Easter), will be the earliest (May 11, 2008) any of us will ever see. More about that and Loudoun Awakening 2008 later this week.

Let me share a moving story from yesterday afternoon. As I was walking in my neighborhood, I saw Robby Yeaman driving the family pickup truck to his parent’s back yard loaded with tree branches. That prompted me to ask Robby for help in cleaning up my yard – dead branches on the ground and a large tree that had fallen over. Robby gladly volunteered and came over later with his pick up truck and chain saw.

While working with Robby, I learned that he went on a 9 day mission trip to Peru in January with International Cooperating Ministries. Robbie told me about Dois Rosser, the founder of that ministry, and he gave me a book titled “The God Who Hung on the Cross.”

Dois committed his life to Christ as a youngster and prospered greatly in the marketplace by applying the principles of Jesus. At the age of 66, Dois was ready to retire, so he asked God wanted He wanted him to do in the remainder of his life. God told him to build church buildings.

Dois is now 87 years old and still working 50 hours/week as a missionary leader. In the past 21 years, International Cooperating Ministries has built 3,000 church buildings in 25+ nations of the world. Following each church dedication, congregations then honor their agreement to plant five daughter congregations over a three year period. Thus, their close work with the national partners generates exponential church growth, with past results showing an average thirty-fold return for donor contributions.  That’s a principle of multiplication that most of us can learn from.

Prayer Power
Most gracious and loving Father, on this Easter day we celebrate and say thank You for the greatest gift of all time – Your Son. Thank You for the gift of salvation available to all those who believe in Jesus. Thank You for the Yeaman family, Dois Rosser, and International Cooperating Ministries. Bless them greatly. Inspire those who read this message to be willing to take on something big for You. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
International Cooperating Ministries – Nurturing believers and assisting Church growth worldwide 

Blessing for the courage, faith, and commitment to take on something big for God!

By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life. (Proverbs 22:4)

In what areas of your life, do you need to die to yourself?

Yesterday evening, rather than hosting the weekly marriage LIFE group at our home, I attended the Tenebrae Service at New Salem Baptist Church. Before Pastor Chad Whaley and his wife Briana invited me a week ago, I had never heard of Tenebrae. The Tenebrae service has already had a huge impact me, not just last night, but this morning.

During this entire Passion Week, God has spoken the word “humility” to me over and over. So yesterday morning, the first prayer I wrote in my journal was one asking God to bless me with UNCOMMON humility. At the Tenebrae service, I wrote 4 different words on my black card and nailed that to the cross. One of those was “pride.” That’s not a fun thing to look at in yourself. It’s not an easy thing to share about. It’s interesting that the topic this week in my Implementation coaching course just happened to be “Dying to Yourself.”

Here is what Ken Collins says on his web page titled “What is a Tenebrae Service?”

The word ‘tenebrae’ is Latin for shadows. The purpose of the Tenebrae service is to recreate the emotional aspects of the passion story, so this is not supposed to be a happy service, because the occasion is not happy. If your expectation of Christian worship is that it should always be happy and exhilarating, you won’t appreciate this service until the second time you attend it.

The service was originally designed for Good Friday, but it can be used for Maundy Thursday as well. Both services have long scripture narratives, which for this service are divided into seven, eight, or nine parts, each one assigned to a different reader.

The service may include other parts, such as solemn hymns, a sermon, and Communion, but the core of the Tenebrae service works like this: It starts out with the church in candlelight. There are as many candles as there are readings, plus a white Christ candle. The readers go up one at a time, read their assigned selections, and extinguish one of the candles, until only the Christ candle remains. Then someone reads the first part of Psalm 22, which Jesus quoted on the cross. Then the Christ candle is put out, leaving the congregation in near total darkness—and near total devastation. At this point, the service ends. There is no benediction and the people leave in silence.

The purpose of the service is to recreate the betrayal, abandonment, and agony of the events, and it is left unfinished, because the story isn’t over until Easter Day.

The first time I went to a Tenebrae service, I thought it was awful, because I didn’t understand it. But I went a second time and now it is my favorite service in the year! After I became a pastor, I had one at my church. It was the first time they experienced a Tenebrae service, so I prepared them for it. Everyone who attended said it was the most moving service they had ever been to.

If you see only the happy ending of a movie, everyone who saw it from the start is elated, but you go away saying, “So they were all hugging each other? So what?” But if you see the beginning and the middle part, with all the suspense and grief, you understand what the characters overcame, and the happy ending is all the happier. So to me, attending the Easter service without attending the Holy Week services is like watching the happy ending of the movie without seeing the middle—you only rob yourself of joy.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for going to work on me in the past week to expose pride in my heart. Forgive me for the ways I have made things about me instead of about You. Bless me with UNCOMMON humility that I may truly serve the Body of Christ. Teach me and those reading this message to die to ourselves daily to rise to new life in You. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
High impact YouTube video on the power of humility in 6 year old child

Blessings for UNCOMMON humility!

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” (Matthew 11:21)

How will you prepare to make this year’s Easter celebration the best ever?

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. In the Catholic Church, when the ashes are put on a person’s forehead in the shape of a cross, the priest says “from ashes you came and to ashes you will return.” This is a reminder of the temporary nature of our bodies and the need to focus on eternal things. Lent is the 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter when Christians are encouraged to confess their sins, repent, and draw near to God to prepare for the greatest celebration of the year -  the resurrection of the Messiah.

Lent offers us all a very special opportunity to grow in our relationship with God and to deepen our commitment to a way of life, rooted in our baptism.  In our busy world, Lent provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon our patterns, to pray more deeply, experience sorrow for what we’ve done and failed to do, and to be generous to those in need. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shared that praying, fasting, and giving all go hand-in-hand.

Yesterday morning while “doing the dew,” the Holy Spirit led me to listen again to the audiobook “Too Busy Not To Pray.” While doing that, I posted former devotionals related to this topic into my blog for Your Daily Blessing. To read some of these great messages about prayer, visit today’s Link of the Day. Here are some of my favorite life lessons from those:

1) When man works, man works, but when man prays, God works!
2) Prayer is the key to unlocking God’s prevailing power in your life!
3) Our God is a giving God, a blessing God, a loving God!
4) God is capable of handling any problem we can bring Him. He is waiting for us to recognize His power and to ask Him.
5) God invites us to come into His presence!
6) The point of prayer is not to get what you want, but rather to receive what you need!
7) Without a carefully structured plan, we’re all likely to become imbalanced.
8) Faith comes from looking at God, not the mountain!
9) When the request is right, the timing is right, and you are right, God says “Go!”
10) The most common cause of unanswered prayer is prayerlessness.
11) For you to pray at all times is the will of God, not just a good idea!
12) The value of a contemplative life is character transformation.
13) Listening to God is like listening to anyone – before you can hear Him, you must be ready to listen!
14) Strength comes from solitude.
15) The Holy Spirt never contradicts the Word of God!
16) Prayer is a way to maintain constant communion with God.

Prayer Power
Most gracious and merciful Father, we praise You as the great I AM. You are all we need. You are the author of our liberty. Thank You for choosing freedom as our destiny. During this season of Lent, may Your children around the globe choose to draw closer to You than ever before. May we do the things that matter, to walk in the ways of God. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Archive of devotionals related to “Too Busy Not To Pray”

Blessings to be a good steward of these 40 days of Lent to prepare for the greatest Easter celebration ever!

What does it mean to believe in Jesus?
How does belief in Jesus change how you live?

My favorite thing to do during the Christmas season is to prepare and send our family Christmas cards and letters to people who have made a difference in our family or who have chosen to stay connected with us. Through these cards and letters, our family says thank you and shares hope, encouragement, and testimonies of what Jesus has done for us and through us during the previous year.

Visit today’s Link of the Day to see our family Christmas card, letter, and photos.

If you would like us to mail you our beautiful family Christmas card and letter and you have not received it in past years, then please reply to this email with the instruction “Please mail Christmas card.” Be sure to include your full name and home address.

Prayer Power
LORD Jesus, You are the reason for the season – the light of the world. Just as a single Advent candle can light an entire dark room as people share their burning lights with others, so we can bring light to a dark world as we share Your love, light, and truth. May You use us to bring hope and salvation to those who feel desperate or hopeless. Thank You. Amen.

Link of the Day
2007 Christmas card, letter, and photos from the Peck family

Blessings to be a light and spread the light for Jesus!

What are your most cherished family traditions each year?
What new tradition can you establish this year to bless those less fortunate?

Tradition! When I hear that word, I immediately think of the movie “Fiddler on the Roof.” On Saturday December 21, my wife and I went to the home of Bobby and Linda Broyles for their annual Christmas party, which has become a tradition. Each year, their home is one of the most beautifully decorated ones for Christmas in our area. To see photos from that, visit today’s Link of the Day.

Bobby and Linda have been good friends of ours for most of the 20 years my wife and I have lived in Culpeper. Our oldest daughters grew up together and were best of friends.

I admire Bobby and Linda and am glad to see them do well. While both of them just had high school educations, they have prospered because they applied the principles of the Word of God. They both worked hard, had good attitudes, and stayed with their respective employers for their entire careers. Despite ordinary incomes, they managed to save because they planned and lived within their means.

They have been good stewards with everything God has entrusted to them – their marriage, their children, their friends, their home, their cars – EVERYTHING. They are active in their church. They are extremely loyal and generous. When I think of Bobby and Linda, I think of the word “simplify.” Through their simple lifestyles, they have a ministry of paths – being Jesus to whoever God puts in their path.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for Bobby and Linda Broyles and the great example they set. Thank You for blessing me to have such friends who manifest unity in their marriage and the love and peace of God. Bless their family and magnify their impact. Guide my family to be good stewards with everything You have entrusted to us. Bless my readers likewise. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Photos from the Broyle’s Christmas party 

Blessings to establish meaningful traditions that lead to everlasting fruit!

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matthew 25:13)

If you knew Jesus was going to return in five minutes (300 seconds), what would be your reaction?
When Jesus returns, will you have oil in your lamp?

During the worship service at Soul Purpose Church on Sunday December 16, Pastor Matt Gregory preached a message titled “The Last Christmas Ever.” Today’s message comes from that sermon and my notes:

Matt began by explaining that when Jesus returns for the second time, people will have one of two reactions – “final fear” or “exit excitement.” For those who know God and obey the gospel of Jesus, there will be great jubilation For those who don’t, it will be a time of eternal terror. We then watched two different short video clips depicting the 2nd coming of Jesus based upon a person’s relationship with God.

2 Thessalonians 1:7b-10 says, “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.”

Darren Brown then came on stage with his wife, son, mother, and grandmother (four generations of Browns) to light the 3rd (pink) candle of the Advent wreath. Our English word “Advent” comes from the Latin word “adventus” meaning “coming.” The pink candle symbolizes joy. The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is often to prepare for the Second Coming while commemorating the First Coming of Christ at Christmas.

In Matthew 25, Jesus illustrates his Second Coming with His parable about the Kingdom of God being likened to 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. The foolish virgins didn’t take oil with them. When the groom (Jesus) returned, he denied that He ever knew the five foolish virgins when He saw their lamps were extinguished because for lack of oil.

To summarize, there will be two polar opposite reactions when Jesus returns – extreme joy and overwhelming despair. Jesus tells us He’s coming because He wants everyone to be joyful at His return. If I’m ready, I can be joyful. To be ready, I must live my life as if I expect Him to return soon.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, none of us knows the day or the hour when Jesus will return. Any Christmas could be the last ever. Come quickly Lord Jesus. Bless me to live each moment of each day expecting Your return soon. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
A Christmas Reminder – short video clip at Sermon Spice

Blessings to live each moment of each day in anticipation of the Second Coming of Jesus!

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

Who can you share the wonder of Christmas with this year?

On December 10, I sent a devotional titled “Letter from Jesus about Christmas.” In response to that I received several thoughtful replies. The one from Vickie Pittman impacted me the most. She made some excellent points. Here are a few excerpts from Vickie’s email:

“I usually don’t ‘react’ to any of your daily emails, but today’s concerned me a little!  I read the rest of the letter and, by the end, it was much better.  However, you have a lot of influence and I get concerned when we are encouraging people to not take a stand, even in seemingly small things.  Per the letter in your daily email, I agree that we should be friendly to all we see in the stores, on the street, etc, and I agree with not shopping on Sunday and some of the action points stated.  However,  the few people that are speaking up against removing all references to Christmas don’t represent the majority view at all …

It is what  happened in Nazi Germany when there was a slow and methodical change and millions were murdered and tortured.  It is what is happening across the world now…

The word Christmas in a catalog may seem insignificant, but at least people are finally stepping up and saying ‘we have had enough’.  From the top of our government down to every “holiday’ program in our communities,  the few are trying to remove any Christian reference.  I agree that Christmas is way too commercialized, but, for many people, it is one of the few times a year they may reach out to a church, attend a service and make some statement that they believe in the one true God.   I commend those who are taking action – in a legal, responsible way, to let their voice be heard. Our founding fathers had to do the same.  Although, I do see the letter’s point in that people seem to focus on the wrong things at times – much like the Pharisees wanted a good appearance but their heart attitude was wanting.  Christians are not standing up for what matters in way too many arenas. Our freedoms are being eradicated on a daily basis.”

While posting emails into my journal on December 12, I discovered that Dr. Jerry Graham sent a devotional to his email list on the morning of December 10 (the same day as me) titled “Letter from Jesus” with the same topic as mine. That was absolutely amazing considering we had never communicated in any fashion about this. For some reason, God is raising a red flag to pay attention.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for people like Vickie who are bold enough to warn me when they think I might be abusing my influence. Thank You for the gift and wonder of Christmas and the love and joy that is manifested during this season. At this special time of year, we all renew our sense of wonder in recalling the story of the first Christmas in Bethlehem nearly 2,000 years ago. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Reagan’s Christmas Message – outstanding video clip at Sermon Spice

Blessings to stand up for what matters most (Jesus)!

“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.” (Luke 6:43)

What simple things can you focus on this month to bear much good fruit?

When I die, I want to leave a strong family legacy – children and grandchildren who love Jesus and have passion for the Word of God – family members who selflessly serve others out of the love they experience from God. It’s my heart’s desire for my family to be a light to the world – as Jesus commands us to be.

I’m very proud of our two children. I’ve made a lot of mistakes raising our children. One of the biggest was not building their lives on the Word of God when they were young. Fortunately, God is in the redemption and restoration business.

A few months after graduating from the College of William and Mary in May 2007 with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Accounting, Caren (my daughter) began working 32 hours/week for Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, a large accounting firm. She quickly became known as “the triathlete.” Within a few months she blossomed into the social butterfly at work, encouraging others in their lives. What’s so unusual about this is that Caren has an introverted personality.

This morning, I found this email message from Caren:

LOOK!!!!!!  I won the holiday decorating contest at my office!  The prize is a dinner for two at Capital Grille!!  As you can tell, I’ve been staying plenty busy at work :)

To see Caren’s photos, visit today’s Link of the Day!

Prayer Power
Lord Jesus, thank You for the many ways you bless my family. Thank You for the example You set of servant leadership. May I follow in Your example as a role model for my family, friends, and those I meet. Bless those who read this message to focus on simple things that will bear much good fruit. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Photos of Caren’s decorated office

Blessings to focus on simple things to bear much good fruit!