Category Archives: Inspirational

May 20, 2009 · 9:49 am

Swimming Upstream: “Sometimes The Lord Is Quiet…So Just Wait”

Right now, in my life, the Lord is quiet. Very quiet.

I don’t think it’s a sin problem on my part; or that it’s a lack of my seeking Him. How can I be sure, right? I have peace in my spirit; there is no churning restlessness within me. Just peace.

Why is the Lord quiet? Over the years, I have learned that when He is quiet, He is about to do something in my life. Maybe change or rearrange something within me. His quietness is sort of like the still before a storm.

Does this mean my life is in perfect shape … with no problems? Oh heavens no! Everything is up in the air. There are loose ends all over the place. Disaster awaits us just ahead if He doesn’t answer our prayers, but what’s new, right?

And yet, He is quiet.

So, what do I do?

Be still, and know that I am God… (Psalm 46:10)

Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a little of this and a little of that, all written to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian journeys.

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Filed under Christian Conservative, Christianity, Christians, Church, church planting, Emergent Church, Faith, Gifts of the Spirit, God, grace, Home Church, Inspirational, jesus, Kingdom of God, morality, Prayer, Prophecy, Red Letter Christians, Religion, spiritual warfare, Spirituality

May 18, 2009 · 8:19 am

Swimming Upstream: “What About The Apostle Peter’s Wife?”

What do you think the Apostle Peter’s wife said when he came home and told her he was dropping everything and following a man named Jesus?

Maybe, something like: “Are you nuts? What about the fishing business? Who is going to run it? And what about my mother? And me? You can’t be serious, right? We’ll starve, won’t we?”

Now, we Christians read scripture and gloss over facts without ever putting our brains in gear. We just assume the Prince of Peace waved His magic wand over Peter’s household and everything fell in place. All nice, neat and tidy. Right?

Maybe, when Jesus healed her mother (Mark 1:30-31), it helped convince Peter’s wife. And also, the other healings at Peter’s house that evening (Mark 1: 32-33) probably helped some, too.

But my guess is that Peter and his wife struggled with his apostolic calling. As in STRUGGLED!!

After all, they were humans just like us, and guess what? We humans who are married struggle with whatever calling the Lord has placed on us versus what our mates expect from us.

Jump to the back of the book of Mark to where Peter denied Jesus (Mark 14:72). Try to imagine how Peter’s wife handled the Crucifixion and Peter’s self-destruction.

Maybe, she said things like, “I told you so. Didn’t I? But no, you wouldn’t listen, would you? You believed everything He said, didn’t you? Now, look at yourself!”

But out of all their possible struggles over Peter’s apostolic calling, we can eventually be encouraged:

Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? (1 Cor. 9:5)

Peter’s wife joined him in his apostolic ministry.

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May 15, 2009 · 9:05 am

Swimming Upstream: “Who’s True Confessions!”

DSCF1455

Okay. Okay. So you want the truth, huh? We’ll, it ain’t pretty, but here it is:

You see, I’ve been a pizza delivery driver for the last eighteen months. That’s right!

I know. I know. My about states I am a businessman, real estate agent, dreamer and more. And also, my web site lists a bunch of glamorous sounding jobs that I’ve held in the past. Repeat: the past.

But right now, I’m a pizza delivery driver. Period.

And you might as well know the whole truth, okay? That is, if you can handle it.

I don’t listen to Hillsong Worship music while I’m driving my truck on pizza deliveries. In fact, no Christian music at all.

“Oh no!” you are probably ranting at this very moment. “What pagan stuff do you listen to on your MP3?”

Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli, Yo Yo Ma, Sissel, il Divo, Irish Tenors, Mario Frangoulis, Placido Domingo…and a smidge (an itsy-bitsy smidge) of Bob Seger (Like a Rock), Neil Diamond (Pretty Amazing Grace) and Allison Krause (Gone, Gone, Gone).

There you have it. Whew! I feel better. What about you?

And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)

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May 13, 2009 · 10:35 am

Swimming Upstream: “New Davids Replacing Old Sauls”

Did you know David was King Saul’s armorbearer before David fought Goliath?

So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. (1 Samuel 16:21)

Not only did David strum his harp for Saul when the king was distressed, but David was also Saul’s personal servant or amorbearer. Now, this brings up an interesting question?

How come King Saul loved David when the lad was a peon, but hated David when he became a national hero?

In 1 Samuel 9:2, it states that Saul was the most handsome and tallest man in all of Israel. He looked good! He looked like a warrior! He probably even had a deep, booming voice!

And yet, when it was Saul’s duty to fight Goliath on the battlefield, he cowered and stayed away, and allowed a fifteen-year old youth to be his combat substitute.

Then afterward, how did Saul treat the victorious hero?

So Saul eyed David from that day forward. And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit came upon Saul…So David played music with his hand, as at other times, but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall with it”…(1 Samuel 18:9-11)

So, how is this relevant for us today?

Every David that the Lord is raising up to fight the Goliaths who are ruling over cities, inner cities and regions in America needs to remember spiritual truths do not change.They remain the same down through history.

So, these Davids (spiritual warriors) should expect to fight principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual hosts (Eph. 6:12), as well as taking on the Sauls of our generation at the same time. Many of these Sauls will be respected church leaders.

Sounds exciting, right?

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May 11, 2009 · 9:20 am

Swimming Upstream: “”Here’s The Rest of the Story”

I grew up listening to Paul Harvey on WLS Radio every morning before I went to school. So, borrowing on his theme, this article tells The Rest of The Story for my Mother’s Day article:

A week before Officer Fred Cannon stopped Mom for speeding, a confrontation between him and her had occurred in his office at the town jail. The occasion? Three other boys and myself were accused of overturning an outhouse on Halloween.

You have to understand that this scene did not take place in an interrogation room at LAPD with a good-cop, bad-cop routine attempting to break apart a gangbanger’s alibi. It took place in a small, stuffy police office in the middle of a town with a population of 1,150 people.

The accused – us four boys – sat on wooden chairs lined up in front of Officer Cannon’s desk. Our parents stood directly behind us. Cannon sat in a swivel chair behind his desk. A bright light shone over his left shoulder into our faces. No other lights were on.

Cannon laid out our despicable crime to everybody. He summed up by adding, “I know these boys are seniors in high school. They have high hopes of playing basketball on the school team this winter. But who knows? A crime like this could make them ineligible. What do you parents think?”

“Officer Cannon, whatever you decide, I’ll back you,” said one parent. Two other sets of parents nodded in agreement.

Cannon turned toward my parents. “What about the Nevenhoven’s?”

Mom glared at him. “Freddie, this is so stupid. I don’t really care what you do. We’re going square dancing!”

Mom and Dad turned around and left. The door slammed behind them.

The other three sets of parents began laughing. The accused – including me – laughed so hard we almost fall out of our chairs. The meeting ended moments later.

So,where’s the scriptural principle in all of this, right?

A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word. (Proverbs 15:23)

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May 8, 2009 · 12:42 pm

Swimming Upstream: “Ouch!That hurts!”

There are times when God’s words do not comfort [us], they sting! This is because we want God on our side. However, He has no side but His own! To be truly comforted, we must see our situation from God’s angle. Comfort will come not by understanding God’s perspective, but by adjusting to it. Real comfort comes through submission. (Graham Cooke, Permission Granted)

Ouch! That hurts!

Where’s America’s Most Important Church Located?

Christ Church Stellarton

Is America’s most important church located in Lake Forest, California? At Pastor Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church.

Or in Houston? At Pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church.

Or how about South Barrington, Illinois? At Pastor Bill Hybel’s Willow Creek Church.

Or maybe it’s your personal church where you go an hour or two each week to hear a sermon that may change your life?

No. No. No. No to all of the above.

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:31-32)

The most important church in America is your home … with you and your spouse as the main members.

So, is your home a house of prayer?

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May 6, 2009 · 9:21 am

Swimming Upstream: “Hate Crimes Legislation…Ho-Hum! Bring It On!”

“Oh no! The sky is falling!” said one Christian blog after another about the new Hate Crimes Prevention Act. “What shall we do? What shall we do?”

If you haven’t been paying attention, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1913 which will provide federal money to train law enforcement officers to identify and criminally prosecute speech and thought offensive to homosexuals.

What does this mean? Specifically, it means that preachers and Christians will be not be able to legally open their mouths and say, “Homosexuality is a sin!”

Now, what if preachers and Christians ignore the law and speak up anyway, then what? They could end up paying fines or serving jail sentences!

So, what’s my take on H.R. 1913?

Ho-hum! Bring it on!

The Lord God of Hosts before whom I stand has not been caught off guard by H.R. 1913. He had a plan readied and set in place before these idiots even had a glimmering thought about this heinous bill.

And guess what?

This is a battle the governmental Ahab’s and Jezebel’s can never win. I repeat: this is a battle the governmental Ahab’s and Jezebel’s can never win.

Why?

The Lord hates sin…and loves homosexuals. In fact, the Lord loves homosexuals so much that He is willing to send an army to set them free. Not just any army, but rather, he is sending in His special forces…the hidden-away, unknown Elijah’s.

So, sit back. Relax. Grab some popcorn. The show is about to begin.

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May 5, 2009 · 9:55 am

Hey, Listen Up!

The wife of a missionary couple from the Philippines visited our church. Like most good evangelical groups, we held a potluck supper in her honor.

After the meal, I was in the kitchen scrapping and washing dishes. The lady visited the kitchen, saw what I was doing and wept. Her heart was broken by the huge amounts of food we threw away.

Just that morning, she had talked to her husband on the phone. He and the twenty orphans they housed and supported had eaten the last of their food. They were hungry.

And we were throwing food away. We called it waste; she saw it as life-giving.

What a paradox, right?

Mark and Christine Pedder, a couple of Aussies with a heart for God, have an awesome ministry in one of the worst slums of the world, BASECO. If you want your heart broken, check out the pictures on their blog site. Pictures don’t lie, they tell the story.

At this moment, they have posted this post asking for sponsorships for BASECO school children.

So, if you can, help them out.

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May 4, 2009 · 8:19 am

Swimming Upstream: “Casting Stones At Fallen Brethren”

In the late 1980’s, the ministry of Jimmy Swaggart was involved in a scandal that rocked the Christian world. And of course, the media had a field day exposing the scandal. It was ugly!

But out of this, I learned something that has forever changed my life.

My revelation came from hearing how two Christian leaders reacted to the news about Swaggart’s scandal.

The first man told how he jumped up and down, called his friends and said, “Isn’t it great how God has finally judged Jimmy Swaggart?” He was elated.

The second man said that when he heard the news, he pulled the curtains in his living room, laid on the floor and wept for hours. The only words he could say were, “Have mercy on him, Lord.” He was devastated.

I made up my mind to be like the second leader, and not the first.