A Joyful Pastor

I am the first to admit that life is not always perfect....

Pastoring provides many disappointments...

However amid all of those there is absolutely nothing that compares with the good things that happen in the Kingdom of God....

Take this for instance...

Last weekend we had over 400 visitors in a single service at CUPC....

This week we are counting 5 new families.....

Amid a disappointment or two....

There are so many things to be joyful about....

Joy is a choice....

And when embraced the days become so happy....

Job had it figured out...

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh, blessed be the Name of the Lord....

Therefore today as I reflect this evening upon the events around me the last few days....

I have nothing to be sad about and so very much to rejoice in....

I have chosen joy....

And somewhere along the way....

Joy seems to have chosen me.....

Think about it....

Make the choice to rejoice in your blessings and pretty soon joy just takes over....

Sis Opal Keen will forever be an inspiration to me....

She had buried 3 husbands and her only child....

Yet she was the absolute most happy person I have ever known....

Oh, how I miss her sweet phone messages telling me what a sweet pastor I was....

I will never forget her joy for living....

So today....

This pastor chooses joy.....

Care to join me?

Faux Mess

So my baby girl Doni decides a room upstairs needs to be painted....

Her mother agreed....

That normally does not bode well for the MAN OF THE HOUSE....

So an after 9 trip to Home Depot ended with the 2 against the 1 for the room to be Faux...

What in the world is Faux?

After debate and even arguing the decision is made and Faux it is....

Why didn't somebody just say that Faux was sponge or rag paint?

Anyway, last night the event was to transpire but our attempt was pathetic....

So another late night trip to Home Depot and a new technique...

And the girls were finally satisfied with the final result....

However, it was not that easy....

Somebody had to go and repaint the base color back over all the mess the girls made....

And Daddy Did It....

So this morning I repainted the wall that was Faux'd nearly to death and now it has been redeemed back to its rightful base color...

The girls tonight will take on the project with renewed vigor and lesson learned....

This is kinda like me and Jesus....

I mess it up and he cleans it up and gives me a second or third or fourth chance....

Has HE worked out that way for you?

I knew it....

Could This Be Our Moment?

If you could capture a single moment of your life what would it be?

Would it be a particular moment in the past?

A moment of regret?

A moment of a great decision that propelled you into the future with success?

Or the missed moment of a decision you failed to make and opportunity passed you by?

Imagine yourself presented with a divine moment....

That moment when the past and future collide....

That moment you stand between your yesterday and tomorrow with opportunity unfolding...

That moment when “the cloud” begins to move...

That moment you come face to face with a scared king and a big giant...

That moment you are told by God to extend your hand and you must make the decision...

To hand him the twisted hand or the good one...

Nazareth was presented with one of those divine moments and let it slip by...

Jesus read from the Torah and then handed it back to this...

This day his said, this is revealed to you!!!

They viewed the moment as the mundane asking this question...

Is this not the carpenter’s son?

No matter how mundane the moment may appear, the miraculous may wait to be unwrapped in it (McManus)

Twas but a mundane moment....

When the lad shared his lunch....

When the wedding party ran out of wine....

And when those little kids were invited to sit on Jesus' lap....

Moments move in a timely manner and times waits for no one!

Twas such a moment when Samuel was sent to anoint a new king....

Jesse recognized the opportunity and lined up the boys....

Overlooking and maybe neglecting to bring the least of them....

But the mundane forgotten one was the one God was after.....

Samuel rejected the first 7 boys and asked if there was not another son?

He then said “ We will not sit down til the king comes”....

This past weekend was such a moment....

600+ here on Sunday morning with an incredible day....

I feel that we as a church have grown and now are faced with a “moment in time”....

Will we seize the moment…

Or will we get stuck in time…

And never get past the big day and not build upon it!...

Are you stuck in a moment?

A moment from yesterday you keep fighting to live in....

Are you hanging on with all your strength to yesterdays victory/revival?

Was there an event in your yesterday that you have hung up on and still live in that moment?

Understand this…

There is always a future and there is always a hope....

Yesterday’s dilemma cannot force fear on your tomorrow....

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.....

Bartemeus found his moment, Jesus thou son of David have mercy.....

Twas his single chance for it was the only trip the Lord made to Jericho...

Last year we had one of those moments when things went out of control and got crazy...

We baptized 200 homeless people...

Things did not make sense....

We fed thousands with little to nothing to show for it....

But along about the end of that moment....

Jason & Casey Ballman came into the Church.....

That moment last year was for us….

That moment definitely belonged to Jason & Casey….

Therefore we must move forward and live this moment to the fullest in HIM....

The last thing that needs to happen is.....

For us to let this moment pass and we be left with the memory of a big day and opportunity let slip....

No Trash Zone

Squalllllkkkkkk sccreeeeechhhhhh......

Yeah, I'll take a tall caramel frap decaf with extra vanilla and a tall Pike Place with sweet & low and half & half.....

Squuueellelelklllllellellel.......

Don't you love those speakers?

Anyway....

Out comes two coffees and in goes one debit card and the transaction is complete....

But then the visit to Starbucks took on a completely different dimension...

Ma'am I asked, could I trade out my trash with you as I tried to hand her my water cup from earlier....

No sir, we are not allowed to accept trash.....

Inspiration came and I told her...

That is good, and whatever you do do not take any trash in any area of your life....

Laura stuck her whole body out of the window and said...

Yes sir that is good advice and I do not intend to....

Good Laura...

You stay in the no trash zone from here on out....

By the way I asked....

Do you mind if I use your name and this conversation on my blog....

You see I pastor a church and I write lots of little stuff....

What church?

I thought you wouldn't ask.....

Laura, go to www.conroeupc.org and find the personal page for the pastor and follow the links to my blog....

Do you mind if I use your name....

Sure, if I can help somebody or be an inspiration...

So to my friend Laura....

You inspired me tonight....

Blessings....

rks

600+

Out Back to School Bash resulted in this attendance and I am ecstatic....

70 or so workers....

2300 bottles of water.....

2500 pieces of literature.....

And a faithful God who helped with all of this....

This was a big day for us here at CUPC.....

Thanks to every team member....

Thanks to Tracie who coordinated the event....

Thanks to the Lord for his anointing....

And if you were one of those 600+....

Thanks.....

I Don't Preach Today

Today I do not preach....

The people pictured above took care of that....

And today....

Today they will facilitate hundreds of visitors in our sanctuary....

I am awed at the unity of this group....

70+ people gave their Saturday yesterday to change our city a little bit more....

So while I do not preach....

I will weep as kids and parents walk into CUPC for the first time....

I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E

The outreach event for out Back to School Bash was phenom!!!!

71 Revival Makers joined us....

2300 bottles of Conroe UPC water were given away....

Hundreds of blue snow cones produced thousands of very happy little blue teeth....

Some happy big blue teeth too....

2500 pieces of literature were distributed....

What more can I say....

So now....

The dye is cast....

The invitations passed....

We are tired but tomorrow we go in faith.....

Increase will come...

And tomorrow @ CUPC we know we will see many many many new people....

I rejoice in faith....

Anticipation

Sleep left early.....

Too early...

Yet as it left I realized it was not Sleep's fault....

Rather....

It was forced out by the arrival of Anticipation....

Anticipation for today's events......

For today CUPC hits the streets of Conroe for a double entente of outreach.....

At 8 a.m. a team of about 20 will arrive at the Conroe High School at the Shots Across Texas to pass out 2000 bottles of water and a post card fan to each of people standing in line....

Last year there were 1200 kids in that line along with parents etc....

This year we are told to expect more....

And the neat thing is we have been given the prime booth area as a sponsor to hand out information about our church and the Back to School Bash being held tomorrow....

Too cool!!!

And then at 11 a.m. a team of over 50 will take all three busses and a van loaded with blue snow cones to the community....

We have people coming from other cities just to participate in this event....

What in incredible day today is going to be....

And then tomorrow....

Scoozy the clown will minister to over 200 children in the CUPC sanctuary....

We will be giving school supplies away to our guest kids.....

Many of those 200 kids will have their moms or grandmoms with them.....

Secret between you and me......

We are prepared to give school supplies away to 300.....

What in incredible weekend we will have.....

Hopefully.....

One....

Maybe just one will receive the Holy Ghost this weekend....

Maybe just one new family will make CUPC their church home.....

Though we will cast much seed.....

We will plant, water and sow.....

We know the God gives the increase.....

And we step into the harvest field in anticipation of a great harvest.....

And the last time I checked.....

A single soul is quite a harvest by heaven's standards.....

So as I sit here early with faith, anticipation and confidence in the Lord.....

I rejoice He allows us....

The incredible team of people who want to change their city.....

The incredible church who unquestionably invest into the community ......

The great people who prepared school supplies and decorated for the event....

The logistics team who washed and even armor oiled some our really neat busses.....

I rejoice in Tracie's burden and love for these children....

This past Sunday...

We had parents of kids who we discovered at this same event last year worshipping in our sanctuary....

This past Sunday we had several adults receive the Holy Ghost that we discovered from the Back to School Bash last year.....

God can anoint school supplies, blue snow cones, post card fans.....

And the joyful efforts of a wonderful church team who is willing to give an entire Saturday in the streets of the city....

To find a single soul.....

What fulfilment we will have today....

And what fulfilment we will have tomorrow when there is no room for adults to sit in the church....

And what fulfilment we know as we see the lives of some changed......

Sweat and sacrifice will be made worthwhile the next 24 hours at CUPC.....

And I can hardly wait.....

So as I conclude this thought....

Not only did Sleep get forced out by Anticipation....

I can feel the excitement and faith pounding in my chest....

And I will conclude my comments because I cannot sit in this Lazyboy Recliner anymore.......

Later....

rks

Redeemed

I just clicked back on the blog and saw the great big red Revoked of the previous post.....

It hit me that there is something so more precious than the harshness of that word...

Redeemed....

re·deem   /rɪˈdim/ Show Spelled[ri-deem] Show IPA
–verb (used with object)
1. to buy or pay off; clear by payment: to redeem a mortgage.
2. to buy back, as after a tax sale or a mortgage foreclosure.
3. to recover (something pledged or mortgaged) by payment or other satisfaction: to redeem a pawned watch.
4. to exchange (bonds, trading stamps, etc.) for money or goods.
5. to convert (paper money) into specie.
6. to discharge or fulfill (a pledge, promise, etc.).
7. to make up for; make amends for; offset (some fault, shortcoming, etc.): His bravery redeemed his youthful idleness.
8. to obtain the release or restoration of, as from captivity, by paying a ransom.
9. Theology . to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner.

The dictionary says more than I can even comment on....

Therefore....

You can have the big red Revoked....

I just want to be redeemed!!!

Revoked

Today while updating an account I was surprised to see several past staffers of CUPC still listed as having privileges to the account....

I asked the clerk to help me remove the past staffers and to just make the account more up-to-date....

As I one by one told the clerk which person's name to remove I saw the word in the above graphic flash in bold red font as the name was clicked on to remove....

By clicking on "remove" the program flashed a great big "REVOKED" on the screen over the selected names....

"REVOKED" seemed kind of harsh to me....

So I left there pondering the word....

"REVOKED" defined: to take back or withdraw; annul, cancel, or reverse; rescind or repeal:

I did not like being the decision maker in this matter...

It seems I was the one who cancelled certain privileges for the names selected...

Reversing privilege or access was not something I enjoyed....

My decision resulted in the annulling of another's "access"....

I rescinded past "authorization"....

The repealing of past decisions made me sad.....

While every one of those names I "REVOKED" meant much to me on a personal level, I knew that stewardship required I follow through with this updating....

Not a single one of the "REVOKED" do I have a personal problem with....

As harsh as the word sounded to me....

I have decided it was the perfect word for the process....

This prompts my next thoughts...

I wonder if God has ever had to consider the "REVOKE" option where I am concerned....

And if HE has...

I wonder if HE felt the harshness of the word as I did today.....

After all HE has invested in me, surely the thoughts of having to "REVOKE" past access hurts....

While I know HIS mercy endures forever....

I pray my decisions never place me in this position with God....

Can you imagine standing in line on Judgement Day and finally coming face to face with HIM...

HE asked the angel for the records concerning R Kent Smith....

And the angel sadly showing HIM...

And me....

That "REVOKED" had been stamped across my name......

I pray this never happens....

Therefore I choose to stay in right relationship with HIM....

For I choose to never have my "access" to HIM...

"REVOKED"

Just A Thought Concerning Decisions

Today our staff and students came back for the first day of school....

I was happy to see the returning students as well and the staffers that have been preparing for the new year....

We added new uniforms as well and I think they are really neat....

This all made for a really nice day and I am looking forward to a great year...

Late last year we opted for a couple of tough decisions that we knew would make our school a better organization....

We were concerned that parents would resist the changes...

But today the changes seem to have paid off and I rejoiced as I see the positive effects of both decisions...

Decisions are not easy...

Hard decisions are even less....

But when standing at the crossroads of decision one must move forward in faith....

Our decisions today determine certain success or failures tomorrow....

Therefore...

We make our decisions and then our decisions make us.....

Ask yourself the hard questions....

How have my recent decisions effected my future?

Am I coming to regret said decisions?

Did I make those decisions in an emotional moment?

Are my decisions based on what is right for me and my family?

Was my decision based on friends and peer groups?

How did my decision effect those around me?

These questions and others are but a few questions that can provide clear direction for future decisions....

And please remember....

We make our decisions....

And then our decisions make us......

Incredible Outreach Idea

Ok....

The pic is terrible but the idea is not....

Redonia built this post card and then Debra Robinson had the neat idea of gluing sticks on them and creating fans....

Bingo!!!

So we have at least 1200 of them ready to hand out to parents at our Shots Across Texas event Sat, along with a cold bottle of www.GotThirstConroe.com water....

Kudos to Doni on the card....

Debra on the fans...

And the rest of the team that will pass them out Saturday

It Ain't Coming Back In!!!

So.....

The neighborhood association decides that this weekend is the time for all of the residents to clean out the junk and set it all out on the driveway for the neighborhood garage sale......

Please note that not a single sale will be in one of the 88 houses in our gated community....

Garages are for all the junk we are gonna keep....

But I digress.....

So for two weeks Tracie has kept me busy.....

But the first order of business was to clean the garage so we could junk it up again...

I happily conformed....

On my own terms...

And cleaning the garage meant adding new shelving and going through every single rubbermaid box that has been horded out there for the last 28 years....

The garage became an emotional journey....

Then came the downstairs closets...

Upstairs closets....

Every single drawer....

Every nook and cranny......

I even crawled into that little space under the staircase landing...

The 2nd story attic....

And then the 3rd story attic....

All and I mean all had to be gone through....

28 years of sentimental hordage was sorted and I was told to go up and down those stairs hundreds of times til it was in all deposited in the formerly cleaned and restored garage....

I must humbly comment on what a wonderful spirit I have displayed during these events....

But now the telling moment arrives...

The alarm is set for 5 a.m.....

And before daylight all the rummage will be placed out for the community to dig through....

My single command during all of this has been....

If it goes out to the driveway....

It ain't coming back in....

So I ponder....

This has been good for us....

We have sorted, cleaned, discarded, prioritized and now removed many things from our home we deem no longer necessary for survival....

If this works for the outer man....

Twould probably work out good for the inner one as well.....

Take some time my blogging friend....

Sort the the stored rummage that has collected in your spirit and heart....

Move it outside.....

And make the decision.....

When it is moved out....

It ain't coming back in......

Blessings....

rks

A Work Of The Holy Ghost

In the beginning God created....

He spoke....

His Spirit moved upon....

And it all began....

There is absolutely no substitute for A Work Of The Holy Ghost...

Ministries cannot replace it....

Talents cannot imitate it....

Singing cannot synthesize it....

Teaching cannot convince it....

There is nothing that compares nor competes with a sovereign Work of the Holy Ghost....

You cannot rationalize or explain the pillar of fire, the cloud or the parting of the Red Sea....

There is no rationale of how the Lord moved upon a whale to swallow a man and deposit him upon the shore of where God intended for him to be to begin with....

Never will one find "sense" in how an angel could stir muddy water and provide healing for the first lucky person to stumble in....

Not by might,nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord.....

Nothing can substitute it...

Nothing can equal it.....

And this pastor is determined to not live without it....

Sometimes!!!

There is so much tumult in the day we live in....

Noise and clamor on every side....

Confusion, fear and strife seem to cloud every waking moment....

Politics and political correctness force themselves into places never intended for them...

Finance or lack thereof are a constant pressure....

Family sometimes ceases to be family....

But in the midst of it all I find solace in the Word of God....

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isa 9:6

Amid the clamor, tumult and strife...

Sometimes....

Sometimes I need.....

The Wonder....

Counsel....

A mighty delivering God....

Everlasting Father I can trust....

Peace.....

It seems to me that The Lord recognized there would be days we needed each of these.....

Sometimes I just need to feel the wonder of the Wonderful....

Sometimes I just need some counsel and a Word from God....

Sometimes I need the miracle of the Mighty God....

Sometimes I need the Everlasting Father so I can just trust again....

And sometimes I need the Prince of Peace to bring me the peace of God that passes understanding....

Today is one of those Sometimes days and I intend to bring those five things to CUPC tonite.....

Bus Teens Receive Holy Ghost

Ok...

The above pics are the before and after of one of our busses!

But tonite I am more excited about some of the teens who ride our busses....

Several of them received the Holy Ghost at a youth rally tonight!

The busses have a pretty neat before and after....

But I can hardly wait to compare the before and after of these bus teens who started a brand new life tonight

Thanks to the sponsors who helped them attend the meeting....

Thanks to the the entire team who have worked with these teens.....

Revival comes in many packages.....

It Was NOT Me!!!

So this is what I saw this morning as I left our beautiful gated neighborhood for the Y.....

Apparently somebody decided to make an entrance out of the exit...

The gate was twisted and bent.....

However the guy who put up the sign becomes my hero for the day....

Apparently the sign guy knew who ran through the gate because he put the gate crasher's name up on the fence....

As I came back into the neighborhood later I could not help but think....

I know the guy with his name on the fence....

I have dealt with him more than once over these years....

You know....

The guy who is always trying to go the wrong way in life....

The counter cultural rascal....

The one that just does his own thing....

The fellow that pushes every limit but steps back just before it can be said he did something wrong....

That rebellious teenager that only hurts himself....

The unsubmitted young lady who just keeps repeating the same dumb mistakes....

The momma who makes excuses for her kids....

The grandma who stills tries to be 21....

The mid-life crisis guy....

Seems like every time I see the guy with his (or her) name on the fence the results are always the same....

Something has been knocked down and twisted because somebody thought they were smart enough to beat the system and go the wrong way....

Oh well....





















The guy with his name on the fence should have just followed the instructions....

But then that would be oversimplification for him....

Anyway....

I bet you he might have got away with going the wrong way again....

But not without some scratches and dents on his car....

So this leads me to this simple conclusion....

Going the wrong way in the thoroughfare of life proves little....

It tears up the gate and the car....

Which probably is the perfect qualification...

To get one's name on the gate.....

The Pretenders...

At some point the Prodigal began faking it....

No doubt early on his new life and choices were fun....

But at some point...

The fun began to wain and the smiles had to be forced....

The first night the debit card dinged as he picked up the tab for his not so great buddies reality began to sink in....

Soon homeless and desperate he looked at the hog slop and was tempted to share dinner....

My point is....

At some point we begin faking it....

Sunday morning @CUPC we discussed this and it appears that the attempts to maintain pretense is the earliest stages of a sad demise....

There are Pretenders in every church....

On every job....

In every family.....

And maybe even inside of you!

In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. 2 Tim 2:25

Pretenders "oppose themselves"

There are their own enemy!

But God "gives them repentence" when they acknowledge "the truth"....

Not doctrinal truth....

Not salvific truth....

But "the truth" about themselves...

For when one acknowldges "the truth" about himself he is no longer a Pretender.....

And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. 2 Tim 2:26

The Pretender is taken captive by the enemy at the enemy's choice time....

Pretenders are not their own master, rather they willingly walk into the enemy's trap....

Oh but if......

If the Pretender will drop the pretence and acknowledge truth about himself....

He can "recover himself" out of the snare of pretentious pretending...

The Prodigal compared dinner with a pig to dinner at Dad's place....

And set all pretence aside...

Got himself out of the "snare of the devil"....

And ate a fat baby cow for supper....

The Prodigal Pretender would have had to share a pork chop with a pig....