Coming Together

Today we were missing the four veteran members associated with LTC's worship team(for various reasons), and I must admit I was just a teenybit anxious of how things would go. My son, Josh led worship and Dave's son Dylan played drums with the Big Boys for the first time and Mark's son Tim sang for the first time with LTC. I know, I know the moms were proud (Teresa, Jane and Crystal). And I know Whitney, Emmanuel and Dave made their contributions...oops and Michelle on the soundboard---to all, thanks for your faithfulness and hard work. Thanks to Travis, Ricky, Robert and Joel who have been the peanutbutter to this group, but have not been so sticky as to not let others get involved. Together you make a great sound, and together you set a good example. Thank you.

20

I am thankful for the twenty-somethings that are stepping up in the church and doing whatever needs to be done. Service is a key part of worship. The devil's definition of worship does not include the word serve, while Jesus says, "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only."

Thank God for the ACLU

We are witnesses. Mark W., RT and I were among over a couple thousand people at a Prayer Rally tonight to stand with the students of Pace High along with their Principal. I thank God, because this is bigger than some lawsuit about student’s rights and what-not. The church was slumbering. The arrogant ACLU thought they would come pick on some little ole school district in the Bible belt. It doesn’t matter that we’re in a recession; school districts are an easy target for the ACLU because they can’t spare a dime to fight a legal battle. Consequently, they can just pick and choose who they want to intimidate and take down. There’s an old saying that says “you let a sleeping dog lie. “ I’m afraid the church has been sleeping in complacency, and needed something to stir it up.
Present tonight was the:
Energy of hundreds of students
Support of parents and other family members
A Principal with values, and an “I don’t care what they do to me” attitude
Several ministers representing area churches
Limited faculty members because they are intimidated by the ACLU
No county commissioners that I could see standing
A flicker of the Holy Spirit telling the church to get busy
<>< I see a great awakening coming if the church will get busy in prayer. So thanks ACLU for the wake up call. There is nothing like a common enemy to bring unity.Pray hard.

Humility Repaid

You (Jesus)disavowed yourself from what was rightfully yours. You died to self before you ever died on the cross. You came as the suffering servant versus the kingly messiah that man sought. You came in the likeness of man so that he could feel, see, hear you. You were obedient to the Father even unto death on the cross.
What did you get for your troubles? What did you get for doing it the “right” way?
God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. <>Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness.--Philippians 2:5-11

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Hoop there it is

It doesn't get any better than that! One second left on the clock...your team is down by two. People are getting ready to head to the exits. Why haven't they left though? One second is like only time enough to catch the ball and hoist it quickly and probably blindly to the rim because someone is going to be in your face. The fans stayed because they had hope...they had a prayer. And swish just like that the new MJ...LBJ was crowned as he nailed a sensational three-point shot. They needed two to tie and three to win---Ball game. Gotta hate it for that fan or two that had to be the first in the parking lot and gave up hope only to hear the roar of the faithful.

A little Friday afternoon snack

So I'm wondering how often the average person would say that the devil tempts them. Let's just say lots. And if Jesus quoted Scripture back at Satan instead of using his godly superpowers then we should be okay...that is if we know a little something, something to quote back at our pesky enemy. This being the case, we should be in every Bible study group during the week. We should be using our time more wisely memorizing or at least getting familiar with the Scriptures. Yeah, yeah, yeah...nobody wanted to hear that. It's the ole... I know, I know but we rarely do anything about it. Proven fact-Satan can't stand up to the truth of Scripture. Use it against him, unless you just like hanging out with him.

Youth

Pray for RT and the youth as they go on a Soul Survivor retreat this weekend. My good friend Dennis D will be bringing a message and it sounds like plenty of fun and good times are lined up. Pray hard that somebody will come to Jesus this weekend.

Faithful

Faithful. What if everyone was faithful to you? That means you could count on them. They did what you said. They were committed. You could trust them. You didn't have to worry about them. You didn't have to baby sit them. ---It means all sorts of good things. It is a good word. Satan tends to break our faithfulness. He tries to bust up our loyalties and allegiances. Being faithful is possibly the most overlooked quality in a relationship; yet so critical. Don't let being faithful be treated as boring. When it is all said and done may God say to all of us "Well done thou good and faithful servant."---Colossians 1:7 speaks of the faithful minister of Christ...may that be said of you and me.---I'm shooting for faithful.

NBA Playoffs

In this forum, no one may care, but this is my only forum. The NBA finals are now at the semi-final level. So, I'm going to give my take on the Showtime Lakers from LA featuring Kobe, the Rejuvenated Nuggets from Denver led by veteran Chauncey, the New Kids on the Block Cavaliers led by Lebron, and the Surprising Orlando Magic led by D. Howard. My thoughts are from the series thus far. The Lakers seem to feel like they are entitled to something, so I feel like they will get left out in the cold. Denver is fired up by a great leader and are very deep and tough. The Cavaliers feel like their time has come and they are very good. Some analysts feel the Orlando team is the best team on paper. However, the games are played on the court and focus, attitude, will and other things figure in on the court. I think the Lakers are going down. I'm not sure Orlando can finish. That leaves Denver and Cleveland. It will come down to leadership. Is Lebron ready? Does Chauncey have something left in the tank? Yes, to both of those. So something else factors in. From what I've seen both teams are pretty deep on the bench. Denver looks real lively, but it's hard to tell because Cleveland wasn't challenged. Their subs could finish. Then it comes down to "will." Who wants it the most? I can't answer that. That's why they play the game. From what I've seen so far, Denver looks like they really want it. With four teams left I will pick the upset. Denver. If they lose to the Lakers, I'll get back with you.

Think Twice

We can gain wisdom from some of the lesser read books in the Bible. Did you know God has pet peeves? Check out Numbers 11:1-3 (of course the entire chapter is insightful)
Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskrits of the camp. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the LORD and the fire died down. So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the LORD had burned among them.---God's anger was kindled due to the ungrateful hearts of these people that had been freed from slavery. It was quite an operation to free a million people from slavery, and the thankless spirit of these people was quite unsettling. ---Think twice before you complain. ---I think being saved by grace is way more than I deserve.

Colossians 2:2

Col.2:2 Help me to “encourage in heart and unite in love” others “so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,”.
I am better than no one. Empty self. Say nothing bad about anyone. Be a bridge-gapper. We’re all weird, weak, and needy. ---Get over the fact that people are the way they are. Just help them.
The person that doesn’t come to church and waffles and goes back to their old ways or says “I didn’t come because I was lazy”---that person----is just like me when I don’t do the things God wants me to do, when I waffle, when I revert to the old man, when I’m lazy.
I have no beef with that person, because I am that person fighting the same battles on a different field. ----So, shut up because you have no room to talk. Encourage one another and unite in love. Because it truly takes love to be blind to the faults of others! And at the end of the day when people want to know how you can love people just the way they are, you can testify to the mystery---Jesus!

40

The more you study God's Word, and the deeper you get into God's Word, the more amazing it is. God's revealed truth in Scripture is incredible. For example, in our Bible study last night one of our group members did a concordance study on one word---"forty". He found all the places forty is used in the Bible. He found that the number 40 stands for "cleansing." So, Jesus was tempted 40 days in the wilderness. If there was (and there wasn't) any impurities within Him it would have been cleaned out during that time. The dirt would have risen to the surface. But we find that He was clean already! There's no dirt on Jesus, thus He was able to be the perfect sacrifice. The deeper you go in the Word, the more rooted you become in the faith.

Tribute

Below is a tribute of a dear friend of man who I am in mourning with. His wife's 47th birthday would have been today. She went to be with the LORD last week. See what Steve wrote:

A Tribute To Pam
I must admit that there is a lot of painful grief that goes with losing a loved one early in life. Pam would have turned 47 today (May 11, 2009) and although I felt that she had much more to do in God’s service on this earth, I do recognize that God tells us in Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God" I believe that God had a purpose in taking Pam home, we may not understand it now but one day we will. I could take many different directions as I continue on this journey but as Pam did in her life, I chose to follow God. I have made a choice to praise God and expect that Satan will be upset about that decision. I proclaim that Satan will not claim a victory, but as for the Collier’s house we will serve the Lord and the victory will be claimed by Jesus:
I Praise Him for 27 wonderful years with a Godly woman that inspired me to be the person I am today
Praise Him for two beautiful daughters that are as strong as their mother in their faith
Praise Him for the support that I have in my family, church, friends and co-workers that have helped carried us thru the valley
Praise Him for the peace that goes beyond all understanding
Praise Him for His arms that were wrapped around our family just when we need Him
Praise Him for loving me, when I don’t deserve it
Praise Him for His many promises; one is that we will see Pam again
Praise Him for his grace and comfort
I chose to walk closer to my Lord, to serve Him, to honor Him and in my service to God; I will honor the legacy that Pam has established while on this earth for 46 years. I hope that each of you will get fired up for Jesus and treat each day like it could be your last.
I want to share with you a portion of Pam’s journal that we found yesterday, the date was back in 2002 thru 2005 when she was going thru so much chemo:
"In spite of it all my faith in an all powerful God – my rock & shield, is always my source of strength. He understands what I feel & I think allows me to have these personal ups and downs- doubts & fear because it helps me "deal" because He knows my full direction & eternal faith is always in Him! Praise God to whom all blessings flow."
In every entry she wrote as she would described good days and real sick days she always ended with "God is Good" I hope Pam’s life has helped someone out there to live passionately for Christ, I know that it has for me.
God is Good, God is Great! ---Steve Collier

One Bite at a Time

So we're headed to the beach and thinking about what we're going to eat. (such a simple, seemingly insignificant topic, but wait!) Subway has the $5 sub. What-a-deal! My wife and I could split one for five bucks...But I like the steak sub...and I want the foot-long. Enter Dave Ramsey on my shoulder..."You don't need the steak, and you sure don't need the foot long." Forgetaboutit. Whoa, that was a close one. Dave saved me eight bucks. ---It is those kind of choices that we face all day long, everyday that alter our lives. It's not just about food...thinkaboutit.

Humility, Patience and Perseverance

All of these people worked hard. Some worked with more skill than others. The tall guy in the back should be taking the picture. The guy hiding in the back did a lot of the work, yet in his humility dodged the camera; because he could have been in the front row. This dear 82 year old lady had slept in a camper for three years before her house was rebuilt. I praise the Lord that we were able to show here the love of Jesus and help out.

Winner

Pam won her battle with cancer.
To be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
We’ll be home soon. See ya then.

Join the Resistance

Jesus heads the resistance to take over the world. Yes, it does belong to Him; He created it all(Col.1:15-18). But there has been a little snapfu since man opened the door to satan by falling to temptation. Jesus showed the way to resist temptation (Mt.4:1-11). The first thing we have to do is submit to God and then resist the devil (James 4:7). The Bible says that the devil will flee from you. ---So, joint the Resistance, submit to the God who loves you, and resist the Tempter.

God's Crazy Love-Romans 5:8-11

God demonstrated His love
While we were yet sinners (He didn’t wait for us to get cleaned up)
Christ died for us ( He died for our sins, He paid our penalty, our fine)
>We did that which was worthy of eternal separation of God, and Christ paid the just penalty for our sin.---This is the definition of LOVE. This is an unfathomable love. This is a crazy love. It is God’s crazy love.
Furthermore, since we have been justified (made right before the eyes of God) by Christ’s blood, we shall be saved from God’s wrath. It appears we are getting away “scott” free.
That’s amazing. That’s crazy!
Mind you , we have done nothing worthy of this justification. There is a whole bunch of us (people) and adding all of our sin together is too much sin to count.
10 It gets crazier. We were enemies of God due to sin, and our determination to “go our own way”. Yet, we were reconciled by the death of God’s Son. We were at peace with God, because of the death of His Son. That doesn’t make sense to man. Our mentality is “eye for an eye” etc. So Jesus’ death paid the price, but that’s not all. Jesus was resurrected. He was raised back to life. His body didn’t experience corruption. Okay so we have peace with God through the death of His Son, but we have salvation because He lives. We have been saved (due to his death), and we will be saved (this will be consummated at the return of Christ, made possible by the resurrection).
11 Not only all that---which all that is plenty (You had me at peace with God), but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement.
Those who are “in Christ Jesus” are the guilty walking free. If we could stop, get quiet and really comprehend what God the Father has done for us in Christ Jesus…if we could grasp, get a handle on God’s crazy love …it sure seems like we would live differently. It seems logical that we would live our life for Him who died for us and was raised again. That should be a natural reaction to a supernatural love. Why then is it so hard? Confession time: my best days in life are the days when I have completely died to self and live for Him. I’m a better husband, father, person in general. Get quiet today. Consider where you’ve been, where you were headed, where you would be without Christ.

Good kids

Enough with the bad news. Here's some good kids going out to have good clean fun. I am well pleased.

Why blogging is a good alternative

I am sick and tired of the national media telling me what "the stories of the day" are, and what the "truth" is. I just read an article dealing with the whole "gay marriage" issue. Ninety percent of the article read as though the majority of Americans are pro-gay marriage. But then it shared just a little bit of truth in one paragraph:Despite the changes, gay-marriage opponents are buoyed by a voter initiative in California that blocked the state from allowing gay marriage, and by the 29 states where voters have approved state constitutional amendments banning gay marriage. That is 29 whole states compared to 4. Mathematically 29 is a lot more than 4(I thought you might need help discerning that since the national media thinks Americans will believe absolutely anything)...but be sure you stay tuned to your national (brainwashing)media.
Blogs and such do let the commoners speak without all the biases that Bigbrother would pass down. ---P.S. this just happened to be the article I was reading at the time. I'm saying stop the spin. Just tell it like it is. Plus, there are only two or three topics that the national media deems worthy of discussion. Who made them the keepers of what's important?---I'm done.

El-bump

Got a hate it. It seems so impersonal, but due to the H1N1 flu we are told to be cautious of contact with those that are coughing, sneezing, sickly. This is crazy. It's forcing people indoors and away from others. I have to admit even I am getting a little self-conscious of my coughing and where my sneezes land. The slightest agitant makes me cough. Those that know me know that, but what do people that don't know me think?---Anyhow, it looks like the hand-shake, the high-five, mabye even the fist-bump will be traded in for the "El-bump" atleast temporarily. (translated elbow bump) So, let's start throwing those elbows, but be careful out there. Who knew making friends could be so painful?