I have been going over a few blog ideas this week and was going to do some blogging today, then I opened my email.  Below is an email that I recieved from our adoption agency today, I thought it was great and so I decided to just share it instead.

Praise God He doesn't need cents to make sense.


A Note from the Director - It Doesn't Make Cents (or Sense)

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" 1 Corinthians 1:18-20

Earlier this week a 23 year-old young man, a stand-out running back from the University of Alabama, and a current member of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers retired and walked away from the game of professional football. Reportedly, Glen Coffee walked away from a contract set to pay him upwards of $1 million over the next three years, not to mention a lucrative $828,000 signing bonus.

When interviewed by Matt Barrow's a Reporter for the San Francisco Bee, Coffee said, "It was a struggle for a long time...football was no longer my dream. I found Christ in college (and) it changed my views on everything." ESPN.com reporter Mike Sando commented on Coffee's sudden retirement, "if he does have regrets years later, he will have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

As believers so much of what we are called to do is seen as radical, crazy, insane, and even demented to the world in which we live. Everyone has an opinion, and most aren't too shy to share it with you, especially when you're a making a decision that seems like a radical abandonment.

Reading the Bible, we soon learn that a life devoted to Christ is a life that looks foolish to those who don't know him. Isaiah was asked to prophecy to a people who would not listen or change their hearts. Hosea was asked to marry a harlot. Moses, slow in speech and despised, was asked to speak for and lead his people to a seemingly impossible task. The disciples were asked to lay down their nets, to leave their jobs and family and follow the Messiah. Jim Elliott was asked to go to Ecuador to a savage people whom later killed him, but received the Gospel in part to the faithfulness of his wife Elizabeth and their children. Glen Coffee was asked to leave football and millions of dollars. Countless numbers of families are called to rearrange their families, to travel to far off lands to graft orphaned children they've never seen into their families. Foolishness. Radical.

Meanwhile, the world exclaims, it doesn't make cents - why throw away money, the American Dream, your life? The opinions and comments come from every direction urging you, pleading with you, to follow the path of the world. It can be deafening. I urge you brothers and sisters, listen to the still small voice of your Savior who pleads I have something so much better.

So the questions you must ask yourself are, "do you believe that Jesus is worth abandoning everything for? Do you believe him enough to obey him and to follow him wherever he leads, even when the crowds - and even your church - turn the other way?"

Adoption and orphan care are hard. They are life altering and life changing. Caring for orphans challenges your faith, yet strengthens your resolve and hope in your creator. Parents, friends, co-workers, and even those within your church will challenge you and question you on your commitment. It doesn't make cents or sense at times, unless God calls you to it and then you have more cents and sense than ever.

In a recent article Dr. Russell Moore, the Dean of Students at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, likens adoption and orphan care to spiritual warfare. And the analogy is true. Satan does not want Christian involved in taking care of impressionable foster children who need stability, love, care, and Christ. Satan doesn't want a radical Christian family impacting an orphan not only for today but for an eternity. Satan detests when Christians organize to spread throughout the world training orphans with life skills and the Gospel. It is a war, but we serve a victorious God.

"On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. In that day they will say, 'Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.'" Isaiah 25:7-8

So the last question since we are fighting a war, "Will you join the ranks?" We need families to help us rescue children from literal perishing at home and around the world through adoption and foster care. Any good army enlists many volunteers and we need people to stuff packets, answer phones, recruit families, mentor birthmothers and orphans, etc. And lastly every good army is well funded - can you share the resource of Heaven with Lifeline as we seek to eradicate the word "orphan."

Partner with Lifeline today. Visit http://lifelineadoption.org/get-involved/invest/ or contact Deanna Crist at Deanna.crist@lifelineadoption.org today to donate to the cause, to apply to adopt, to sign up for a trip through our (un)adopted ministry and visit orphans in need, to apply to be a foster parents for a child in US foster care, or to volunteer in one of many ways for the sake of orphans.

Oh beloved, will you allow God to use you to impact the life of a child? Please do not hesitate to give Lifeline a call because we are here...

On behalf of the orphans.

Herbie Newell
Executive Director
Lifeline Children's Services
giving children a hope and a future

Faithfilled Life

Exodus 14:12 "Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, "Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness."
     Let's get some things clear first .
      1. The people talking here are Isrealites ,(God's people) talking to Moses (the man God placed as their leader)
      2. In the Old Testament, Egypt represents a sin controlled life
      3. The wilderness is the place God led them thru in order to get them to the Promise land, which God had reserved for them. It also represents the area of faith God wants us to live in, where we walk dependent on Him.

    (Now let's pretend like we are all on the same page and understand what was explained above)

    This scripture blows my mind! It is a scripture that has churned in my mind alot recently, and it is now churning again.  God has called us to live in a place where our actions demand that God completes what we get into, or else we fail.  I mean, isn't that what it really means to live by faith.  How in the world can I really be living by faith if I only stay in situations that I can either naturally cause to happen or can by my own ability resolve if it goes bad. The Isrealites had been used to living in slavery and bondage and they never tried to go against that system. Then this man named Moses shows up with words from God Almighty and is an example of living by faith in the One who is unseen.
     Each time Moses went before Pharoah, it was by faith in God's power. If God didn't protect him, then Moses' only other option was instant death for insulting and commanding Pharoah.  No one else ever dared to do this, because all Pharoah had to do was say, "Off with his head!"  Moses was God's leader for the people of Isreal, and Moses lived moment to moment by faith.  The people of Isreal liked Moses' faith, they liked his confidence, and they even followed him when he said it was time to leave the life of sin and slavery.  The people learned a lesson very quickly. It was great to watch another person step out in faith, and it was great to see God at work in them- but it was a whole different situation to actually live by faith themselves. 
     Sadly I think most people start their Christian life the same way.They see the way God shines through someone. They see the life in their eyes, and the passion of life and eternal life that seems to seems to sweat out of their pores. They say, "I want that."  Starting out because of seeing how God works through someone is awesome, but God doesn't want us to continue to live off of the rememberances of what He did for another person in times past.  God's desire is for people to live a life that writes their own personal story of a faith filled life. A life that demands, either God shows up or we fail. 
      I have learned that Exodus 14:12 shows us the difference in a person who lives with dependence on God, versus just following a person who is dependent on God.  Those who live by faith find themselves in desperate situations that have amazing results of God's power answering their cries.  Those who simply try to follow another person without ever trully living by faith themselves always ending up fussing about the place their leader led them too, and end up looking back at their life of sin as though they enjoyed the shame. 
      The story that God finishes as a result of a faithfilled life, is so much better than the history satan has lead us too in our past.  Step out, everyone needs a Moses to follow, but everyone needs to become a Moses for others as well.  Everyone needs a leader, and God has intended for everyone to become a leader to another.

I believe Jesus said it like this, ""All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:19)

Thoughts from a man whose eyes have been opened

This past week Calley and I were making our weekend visits to see family and friends.  We were traveling down the lake highway when God just began flooding my mind with the stage of life that I am in.  It is finally setting in with me that I really am 31 and soon to be 32.  I am now just barely a month away from being a child of God for 13 years! I have been a husband for nearly 8 years, and a father for over 6. I was a youth pastor for 8 years or so and now, a pastor for just over a year.
    Life has truly been a real adventure since that wonderful night in August of 1997.  I remember that night in that downstairs chapel at Louisiana College, it is something that forever stays close to my heart and the picture stays in my mind.  As I look back at that moment, I think about all that God has done for me or thru me since that night, I think of the the tears and the laughter.  It is overwhelming to try to understand this level of joy that Jesus has filled my heart with.
   A life for Jesus is so misunderstood by the majority of people, I think. It saddens me to see this.  As God flashes memories of my last 13 years to me, I am amazed by what has happened since that August night.  The initial adoption into the family of God is not the great end of the road that most view, it is only the beginning of years of amazing adventure, trails, rescues, miracles, and heart regeneration to unimaginable levels. 
   I would never have dreamed that being a Christian meant such a level of peace and victory that is beyond description.  The call of Jesus is not for us to say a prayer, His call is for us to surrender in order for him to do His good work and purpose through us.
Phillipians 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.


    I remember well the tears of Aug 1997, and many tears since then. I remember the tears of last week, and I see that Psalm 126:5 is being fulfilled. (Psalm 126:5 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.)


   I believe that Aug 97 was the greatest moment in history of my life, that night completely changed all rules for the years to come.  Right now in 2010 though I believe I am on the heels of the greatest work that God has ever done in my Christian life. I see it coming with tears sown and joy to be reaped.  At this point in time, everything on the inside of me is overflowing because of the growth I see within Cornerstone Church of Vidalia, LA. I see God sending us the hopeless, rejected, those who have been abused by worldly promises.  I see God using our body of believers to reach out and love people in a way that is beyond our ability, because He is the power working within.
   If God broke my heart in Aug 97 just for this moment in time, it has been well worth the wait.  There are currently over 30,000 people within a 20 mile radius, and Lord I want to reach each one that others haven't reached out to. I want to reach out to those whom others have given up on.  The census according to July 2008 says Concordia parish has 19,000 people and the city of Natchez, MS has an estimated 16,413 as of 2008. 

Prayer:  Lord, lots of people within our area don't know You or what You have planned for them.  Use us to bring the local people of our area to a life that's surrendered to You and the truth of Your ability to do things exceedingly beyond their imaginations for them.

New Things

Time to revive this baby.... Got lots going on, lots of faith steps happening, and lots to share.

Revelations of a broken glass

 Two weeks ago I was reading my bible and felt really impressed to read John 15:2, so I did and honestly nothing jumped out at me about that verse but I kept on reading.  Sometimes I believe God lays a verse on our hearts and then we read it and maybe thunder doesn't sound loudly when we look at it, so we are left thinking, "well that must have just been me thinking that and not God speaking." Well I must confess that is how I felt but I kept on reading and when I reached the end of John 16 I felt like I had just been caught in a tornado of the Holy Spirit.  I was alone in a room and I shouted out LOUD, and I think I cried some too.  Here is the verse that screamed out at me
John 16:32."But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

    As I read the end of the verse it was if God had pulled me off the couch and blew me into the wall.  In this verse Jesus is telling about the terrible events that are about to happen to Him for our good.  He tells those who had been closest to Him for the past 3 1/2 years that they are about to leave Him high and dry all by Himself.  At the single most physically and emotionally hard time of Jesus's life, on earth, those closest to Him are about to leave Him alone.
    The thing that jumped out at me was that Jesus though He was fully God and yet fully man acknowledged that regardless of what the situation is looking like, regardless of who is there with Him, He is NEVER alone, cause He is very conscious of God being literally with Him.
     This verse was a huge blessing to me, it renewed the reality that no matter what, I am never alone.  The verse renewed the reality to me that no matter who we are, no matter what we may go thru, we are never ever alone when our identity and hope is in the God of salvation, Jesus Christ.
    Well great, you may say, that is great, but what does a broken glass have to do with this? Well yesterday I walked into my kitchen to see that my youngest had threw a glass down and shattered it all over the floor.  So as always, I go into strict safety mode, I make everyone clear out, cause they are bare footed and I realize that when the glass breaks there are very tiny pieces that can spread far across the floor.  I got the vacuum out and began getting the small pieces up, because I know some pieces may not make it into the dust pan if I just sweep and therefore can cause great pain that is hard to spot and get out once a small glass shaving works into the bottom of a person's foot.  As I got down low to look for any sparkles from a sliver I might have missed, I would discover small particles that indeed were spread out and would have been missed if I didn't get on the right angle to look.
     Well as I noticed these hard to see sharp, tiny slivers of glass, it was if God began to open John 16:32 up to me again.  I believe God showed me this
    "this broken glass is a lot like people, everyone has broken lives, people have been broken because of the sin nature.  Now once a person repents and receives Jesus as their Savior, then Jesus not only saves them, but restores the broken life.  Jesus cleans up the broken pieces of our past, and this is a great moment.  Often when a person is initially saved, there is this awesome assurance that no matter what comes, we are not alone.  We realize that in Christ there truly is rescue and hope and forgiveness and healing of our past, but sometimes there are areas that we let linger from our past.  The things of our past may be hurts that we think we have gotten over, or it may be some unforgiveness that we decide we are going to hold onto because "that person shouldn't have done what they did."  Well for the time being all is ok, because we are so overjoyed about the fact that Jesus Christ gave His life for us, and the healing is so refreshing.  However overtime if we do not allow Jesus into every corner and secret place of our life we end up being reminded of that bad time, or bad event or something someone did that hurt, and at that point we can easily think we are alone again in dealing with the matter. 
     The little bits of pain and unforgiveness hurt very badly once they have worked there way back into our life because we didn't completelty let go of them in the past.  The pain will hurt just like those little pieces of glass left on a floor, they may not be seen immediately because we are so excited about the immediate big things being removed from our site, like the option of hell in our future being gone, or the sin that seemed to control you not controling you anymore but those little things always resurface, if they aren't let go of.
    The lesson God was teaching me is that when those little things surface down the road, they do need to be dealt with and forgiven or let go of, but never forget the God who was with you in the beginning when the big things were removed is still with you, when the little things that we have shoved aside come back to hurt us.  The healing is available, Jesus can heal ever hurt and every pain, the most valuable thing to remember is even when you are alone, you are not alone, God is with you.  God plus one equals a majority.

The Scriptures Are Evermore Revealing

I am constantly blessed and amazed at how God can take a scripture and continually expand its deepness to a person's heart.  As I read the bible, the verses I know very well and some that I can't remember ever reading before both have the same freshness and power.  I hear so often from people who know they aren't living God's plan for their lives, "I know that" or "You can't tell me anything I don't already know or haven't heard."  The point of the scriptures never was to know it all, or to be a supper genious of the black and white text of the bible.  The scriptures are for the purpose of God revealing His heart to mankind, and mankind being able to hear God's voice as He reveals it from His heart directly to man.
    When we understand that God always has a conversation ready to enjoy with us personally and daily, then that is when the Scriptures come alive, and joy begins to be overwhelming.  There truly is no greater and more enjoyable place to be than in God's perfect plan.  The beauty of what God desires of us is that it is great for Him and what is great for Him, is great for us.
     With all that said, God really brought a well know scripture alive to me yesterday. 
  Ephesians 5:25
      Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;

This is a verse that I have read many times, I could quote it and say it anytime, but just yesterday it became deeper and more alive than ever. 
    We live in a time were I am seeing so many girls and ladies dissappointed with men they have chosen.  Now I am talking particularly about single ladies, if you are married well hopefully your husband reads this.
I see ladies and girls that are attracted to the funny, nice guys that say nice things, only to end up dissappointed with what he turns out to be.  Now the right guy can be funny and nice, but if His Godliness isn't first then don't be upset when you learn how he really is.  Ultimately you end up with just what you asked for.
    The bible says Husbands, love your wives, Just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her;
 Wow, that means that the husbands role is to literally be the savior of the family on this earth, he should be a man that is willing to give up his life, his time, his emotions for the betterness of the family.  If that means hunting/fishing/ or "time with the boys" has to be given up in order to be a real man and grow a stronger relationship with his wife, then so be it.  A husband is to be a man, that is willing to be a mockery to the world in order to be the savior of his household.  A husband is to be a man that is emotionally stable, a real husband has no room for wearing his feelings of his shoulders.  Man if we had daddies and husbands like God told us to be, then divorce wouldn't even be a word, and a wife would not be insecure. 
     I trust in Jesus because He is the One, Who gave Himself for me.  He put my needs before His wants, He did ask if there was any way other than the cross, then let Him do it, but He ended the statement with "Not My will but Your Will be done."  Jesus has showed His faithfulness to me, and has proved Himself over and over, He has forgiven me over and over, and has believed in me from the beginning and never wavered.  Oh if we had husbands like this today, what a difference it would make.
    Oh if we also had women who only went for men like this, then all the guys that are going to be a dissappointment because they are arrogant and selfish would be by themselves.  If the ladies went after Godly men instead of seeking the funny and flattering ones, then the flattering ones would never dissappoint any lady and the ladies would never be dissappointed.
    I believe the responsibility for any family issue not fixed, and the failure of any family rest on the husband above all, cause He is given the responsibility.  But I also believe if the ladies choose an unGodly man, they shouldn't be surprised with unGodly results.  The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church.

Again forgive me for misspellings, typos, and grammatical errors.

   

Ponderings The Day Before Christmas Eve

As a child I enjoyed Christmas as much as any child does, I liked getting presents like most people do.  But I remember as I got older I still liked the presents I just didn't really care about the whole Christmas festivities.  My family always made Christmas eve a drawn out night, we would eat, then read the bible, then sit around and sing Christmas songs for seemed like eternity.  After all the program finally finished we would pass out presents.   As I got later in my teenage years I really disliked all the traditions of my family, I put up with it cause I had too, but it seemed to drag out forever.  My concern at 17 & 18 years old was that I wanted to open presents and then go to the parties were my friends were, where everyone else was drinking and having a good time.
     At that point in my life I didn't realize what a treasure I had for a family, I didn't realize that my parents had extreme love for me because they cared more about sharing Christ with me than they cared about me going to have a supposedly good time with my friends. 
     Well August 25th 1997 I gave my life to Jesus Christ, it was an exciting thing for me.  In August 1997 my whole world turned upside down for the good, I wasn't a good example of a Christian or on behalf of Jesus for a while.  Consistently as time went own, the Holy Spirit kept showing me things that I needed to let go of, if I was going to truly live for Jesus and be a reflection of Him.  Many things changed very quickly and some gradually, and honestly the Holy Spirit is still changing me to be more like Jesus.  But of all the details of my life that changed, one thing that happened was radical and instant, I all of a sudden began desiring the Christian atmostphere that I had ran from.  I no longer found entertainment and appeasement in the worldly life of drinking and just being dumb as I had before.  And from that moment till today, there is this amazement I have of how Jesus has loved me through so many dumb choices of my life. 
    I stand amazed that at my worst and at my best, Jesus loved me, and had given His life for me to show that love.  So with all that in mind, Christmas 1997 marked a new love for Christmas that I had never had.  Christmas 1997 I was anxious alright, I was anxious to hear the story of my Savior's birth, and sing the songs of His wonderful gift of Salvation to all who will call on Him.  The presents were going to be appreciated that night, but for all I cared the presents could wait because the joy was in the ultimate Giver of Life and not just the gifts.  Each year I stand more amazed at the story of the Savior's birth and His willingness to come to the earth to rescue people.
    Whether Christmas stirs memories of sadness or joy I leave you with a reminder of what Jesus has done to reach out to you.
1 Peter 1:18-20
18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.

Editors note:  Due to the fact that I have to rush off, this blog hasn't been edited yet, so please overlook the misspellings and grammatical errors that appear for now.