Here's Some Good News!

When I was five I got my first bee-sting. A honey bee was the culprit who landed on my ear. So I slapped him/her? It's stinger was left stuck in my chubby right hand and the bee died.  Honey bees usually sting only once because they have jagged barbs on the end of their stinger that get stuck in their victim, which happened to be a chubby five-year old.  In 1 Cor. 15: 54-57 Paul speaks of the victory we have in Jesus in similar language when he says,
"Death is swallowed up in victory, Oh death where is your victory, O death where is your sting?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."


The law points out that we have sin, and sin leads to death.  The law condemns each of us.  That's the bad news.  The good news is that Jesus was pierced by the stinger of the law, and the law only has one stinger. All of it's venom was injected to Jesus as he took the wrath upon himself, "my God, my God, why have you forsaken me."  Colossians 2:13-14 states, "having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with it's legal demands.  This he set aside nailing it to the cross." 
The law has been fulfilled by Jesus.  He took the sting. Those who believe they are walking a tightrope of performance to secure their salvation or usefulness in the kingdom do not have a correct understanding of the gospel (good news).  "There is now therefore no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus"(Rom. 8:1).  What does it mean to be in Christ Jesus? It means to trust and believe in Him.  When this happens we are given the Holy Spirit who will begin to make us more like Jesus day by day(sanctification), by convincing us, convicting us, encouraging us, comforting us, and leading us into the truth.  Because of this truth you can leave what's in the past in the past and press into the never stopping grace of God.  Preach the gospel to yourself today and to others!

How to play "Holy Spirit Fall"

 I'll be posting "how to play" videos of other songs in the near future as well.  If you have any requests you can send me an email at westvalleyfellowship@gmail.com

Metallica And Crying Babies

This last week Miranda and I zipped down in a rental car to Coos Bay for a concert.  We usually drive a dark grey 1999 GMC suburban.  We needed the rental car because our brakes were sounding like Metallica and crying babies making noise at the same time.  We only had the "littles"  which is what we refer to as our two youngest kids named Jack and Max.  When they are together they like to speak loud gibberish where every word sounds like it is being said backwards.  It's funny but can get really monotonous and grating.  Sometimes I hear this voice in the back of my head say, "who do you think you are trying to minister to others when you hardly can keep your sanity in this car?"  There are many times when our life with four boys get's crazy, and just getting them to church seems like an exhausting obstacle course and then I remember I am the pastor who is speaking that morning.  I didn't have much time to prepare for our concert let alone Sunday morning when we got back, yet I find that God graciously gives us what we need when we need it.  As long as we are singing harmony to God's melody we will find the strength we need when we need it.  Duet. 33:25 states, "as your days, so shall your strength be."  The times I get overwhelmed are when I am wondering how I'm going to make it the next day.  Jesus said, "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matt. 6:34).  Don't jump off the cliffs of your mind today precious people.  Cling to Jesus and stay the course with what is in front of you today.  Make a decision to take one step today of obedience and trust the God of all provision. 

Children Are A Gift From God

Psalm 127 tells us "Behold, children are  heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward..."

Children are a reward.  Everyone likes rewards and enjoying rewards.  How are you doing at enjoying your reward?  Sometimes we are so concerned about how we are doing, or not doing, as parents that we simply forget to enjoy them.  They become our clean up projects instead of our joy.  I love how my wife finds the funny in everything they do. She frequently posts their goofiness on her facebook page, and I believe in doing so she paints glimpses of the gospel.  Kids are messy and you gotta learn to have fun with the messiness.  Perfectionism is sin.  It's a misunderstanding of the present predicament that you and your kids are in.  We live in a messy world, and if you expect your kids to not be messy you are going to lead them away from the cross in a hurry.

  In fact they will get messier as time goes on, and instead of spilling their cheerios, I hope they will be able to spill their hearts out on our dinner tables because they know  Mom and Dad need Jesus  too. 

One afternoon, when we were just a year into our church plant I was at a church BBQ and my three-year old was acting up.  I was so afraid of what others would think that I took him into the bathroom and scared the Jesus out of him literally.  It was my fear of man and my unbelief in the gospel that led me to do so with that motivation.  I have learned over time that the fear of man is a snare to my motivation to discipline.  I want them to fear and love the Lord by fearing and loving me. Pastor's and their kids need Jesus period.  This has freed me up to enjoy them and embrace their messiness and discipline them well. In fact scripture declares we are to delight in our children before we go about disciplining them (Prov.3:12). I am learning new ways to have fun with them.  Here are a few ways I enjoy my children, that I have recently found rather refreshing.

1. Turn up the music in the living room and dance with them if they are still young.  They love it and you will love it too.  They will also grow in a freedom of expression that most kids don't ever learn, and you will get a big smile on.

2.  Plan a date with them. Call it a daddy date or mommy date or something special that they will look forward to the rest of their lives.

3.  If you have boys do some wrestling with them.  I get full on workouts, probably burning like 1000 calories from chasing them all over our yard.  

Those are my three favorites currently, and I am sure they will change every year that goes by.  I'd love to hear new ways you are enjoying your children.....please share how you are doing so!