My two little warriors

Here's a picture of my two little warriors. Had a great time walking them around to trick or treat.

Masquerade

What are we hiding from? Who are we striving to be? Why are we pretending?

I can remember wearing different "masks" in high school so that I could be part of different worlds.  At home, I had a "mask".  At school I had a "mask".  At youth group I had a "mask".  Here are some of the problems that come with having so many masks.

1).  It's hard to remember who you really are.  As long as we continually strive to be the type of people that others expect us to be, we will never be the person that Christ created us to be.  That leads to my second...

2).  We don't live out the life we were blessed to live.  As long as my goal is to live my life in a way that keeps me in right standing with so many people around me, I will probably be disobeying Jesus at some point along the way.

3).  No one ever really gets to know you.  As long as I'm faking things along the way, I am never showing anyone around me the real me.  The problem with that: I never truly experience true friendship/fellowship with anyone around me because they never meet me.

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong." — 2 Corinthians 12:7-10


Here are some things that I think we need to do in order to get rid of our masks:
A).  Surrender everything to Christ.
B).  Understand and accept the fact that you are loved completely by Jesus, just as you are.
C).  Accept the truth that Jesus has a new life planned out for you.  The truth about this: it's a better life than you ever thought possible and probably looks a lot different than the one that you're living right now.

RUSH IS COMING!!!! November 10th

Rush Trailer from Brian Holland on Vimeo.

Prayer Update...

Hi there,

With regards to my teaching ministry, this is a much lighter week.  However, if you could please pray for the following I would really appreciate it.

1).  This Wednesday night, Pastor Glenn is speaking at FLOOD.  He is kicking off our new two-week series called, "COEXIST".

2).  This Friday night, our children's ministry is reaching out to thousands of people in our community here at PFB.  Please pray for Pastor Lois and her team as they head this up, and please pray for the movement of God on this evening so that children and their families surrender to Christ.

3).  This Sunday morning I am teaching our high school students at PFB.

Thank you so much for praying.  God is on the move.

Please Pray

Hi all,

Here's an update for prayer:

• Tonight is IGNITE.  I am so stinking pumped up for this.  Please pray.  And if you can, come and join us at 5pm.  If you can't get away from the house, watch online (pfblive.tv)


• Tomorrow afternoon I have the honor of performing the wedding ceremony of Josh Ebersole and Shannon Voigt.  One of the greatest thrills of being a pastor is to perform a wedding for a couple that loves Jesus with everything and are truly striving to honor him in everything.  I am so excited for this.

Thank you again for how you bless me by praying for me.

YOU NEED TO BE AT IGNITE

Come To Ignite 2010 or Live In Gray Scale Forever! from Brian Holland on Vimeo.

What If Job Blogged?

Then Job spoke again: "If my sadness could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, they would be heavier than all the sands of the sea.  That is why I spoke so rashly.  For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows.  He has sent his poisoned arrows deep into my spirit.  All God's terrors are arrayed against me.  Don't I have a right to complain? Wild donkeys bray when they find no green grass, and oxen low when they have no food.  People complain when there is no salt in their food.  And how tasteless is the uncooked white of an egg! My appetite disappears when I look at it; I gag at the thought of eating it! 'O, that I might have my request, that God would grant my hope.  I wish he would crush me.  I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me.  At least I can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One.'" — Job 6:1-10, NLT

How much of Scripture, if written today, would be considered a personal blog of someone? The only difference: the blogs of today don't usually read like the "blogs" of Scripture.  Here's what I mean.  It seems like the blogs and tweets of Christians today, and most of the time I'm included, are about how amazing life is and how wonderful everything is going.  And you know what, I don't doubt that things are great a lot of the time.  However, are we as quick to blog and tweet about the tough times in life as we are about the great times? Are we willing to be raw and honest like the people of Scripture along this path that God has us on so that others who follow can find encouragement or are we portraying a carefree stroll through life to heaven with not bumps along the way? The only problem with the latter: that's not life.

As I'm going through Job in my quiet times once again, I first jumped to the fact that I'm so thankful that I'm not Job.  He went through so much.  He faced so much adversity in his life.  But do you remember why? Because God knew he could handle it.  God is the one who mentioned Job to the devil.  God is the one who knew that Job would still be committed to him no matter what Job faced.  God knew that Job could take it.  So now I ask: if my life is always so perfect, is it because of God's blessing or God's caution, knowing that I can't handle it in such a way that will bring him glory in the end? I'm just thinking out loud.

I was convicted as I read this chapter in Job, realizing how thankful I am for frankness and bluntness of Scripture, because I cannot tell you how often I have been encouraged in my walk with Christ through the misery of those who have walked with Jesus before me.  I know that sounds morbid and somewhat horrible, but it's true.  And for those that can't believe that I would even think this way, may I ask you why? Do you struggle? Do you doubt? Have you ever? Have you ever blamed yourself for something that only God ultimately controls resulting in you condemning yourself for something you have no control over anyway? Do you take credit for things that God is accomplishing, finding yourself in direct competition with God as you try to steal his glory? Do you struggle with pride? Pain? Loss? Heartache? Guess what: it's all in Scripture.

However, you may be reading this and say, "I don't deal with any of that."  Do you remember Christ's call on those who want to be found worthy to be his disciples? DENY SELF.  PICK UP YOUR CROSS DAILY.  AND FOLLOW HIM! Christ's path lead to Calvary.  We must carry our own crosses to the place that he leads.  If you're not experiencing any pain in life, then you're probably not living your life in this reality.  Or, maybe you're just kidding yourself and lying until it's over.

So, bloggers and tweeters, as well as Facebook status updaters, I challenge you: be honest in what you share.  I worry how many people who have struggled in any huge way have been pushed away from Christianity because of the fact that many of Christ's kids, including myself, don't tell the truth about how they are really doing.  Let's be real.  Let's be honest.  As we are and as we do, true life-change will result.  Will you do it?

Here's a blog of someone that I adore who I believe is blogging in all honestly, resulting in impacting the lives of everyone who reads her thoughts.  She is an incredible follower and lover of Jesus.

www.lisahusmann.wordpress.com

Prayer Requests...

Hi all,

I want to thank you again for all the times you bring me before Jesus as you pray for me and the ministry that Jesus has called us to.  Here's how you can pray for me this week:

• Wednesday morning I am teaching in chapel at Crossroads Christian School to junior high and high school students.
• Wednesday night I will be teaching at FLOOD at PFB Church.  I still would like to invite you to come and see for yourselves what Jesus is doing.  If you can't, you can watch it live (www.pfblive.tv).
• Saturday night I am speaking at IGNITE (www.igniteusnow.com).  Ignite is a movement that God put on my heart last year to start.  It's a time of worship and teaching designed to encouraged, confront and ignite a generation to change their world for Christ.  Other churches have been invited.  I believe that this is the beginning of IGNITE.  Last year was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!! I invite you to come and be part of it.  Again, if you can't make it down to the church, you can watch it live online (www.pfblive.tv).
• Sunday morning I am teaching the high schoolers of PFB Church.  I absolutely love my time with these students.  They are awesome.

Here is a video teaser of what IGNITE is all about.


Ignite 2010 Worship Conference from Pomona First Baptist on Vimeo.

If you could get the word out to others who may ant to come and be part of it, that would be so great.  Thank you again.

Unchanged Is Unreal

"For some days [Paul] was with the disciples at Damascus.  And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, 'He is the Son of God.'  And all who heard him were amazed and said, 'Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?' But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ." —Acts 9:19-23, ESV

The beginning of Acts 9 shows Saul on his way to Damascus from Jerusalem to arrest Christians.  Then he got knocked onto his tailend by Jesus.  Then after Ananias came and shared with Paul God's plans for him.  Paul believed and was baptized.  From that moment on, Paul was unstoppable for Christ and his kingdom.

Here's the thing that hit me: Paul was changed.  He was confronted and rocked by Jesus and he was CHANGED!!!  And as I keep spending time in Scripture, the idea keeps popping out that life-change is proof that a person has truly met Christ.  For someone to claim to have met Christ while seeing no life change proves that the initial meeting was not with Christ.  Talk is cheap when a person's life shouts something completely different than his mouth.

If you claim you've met Christ but have not experienced any change, chances are that you didn't meet Jesus in the first place.  I know we can claim that it's a process (and sanctification truly is a process), but conversion, being brought from death to life, happens at once.  There is not a slow process of moving from death to life.  It's in an instant.  At one moment you're dead.  The next: you're a live.  The process of becoming healthier is truly that, a process, but the initial meeting should change everything.

Grace In Action

This is grace at its finest. Joy at its purest.

Prayer Update...

Thank you so much for praying for me last week.  It was a long and busy weekend, but the weddings were absolutely beautiful.  Such a great honor for me to getting to officiate the weddings for Chris and Amy and for Rob and Bekah.  Here's how you could be praying for me this week.  Thank you in advance.

1. This Wednesday I will be speaking two times to the senior class at Western Christian High School for something called, "Senior Renewal." The theme: Not Ashamed.


2. Wednesday night I am teaching at FLOOD at PFB.  Please join us if you can at 7:00pm on Wednesday.


3. Thursday I am speaking to the Christian Club at San Dimas High School.


4. Sunday morning I get to teach the amazing high school students at PFB Church.

Thank you for praying.

My Cousin Can PREACH!!!

I am so proud of my cousin.  Enjoy this message by Megan Fate.  My prayer: that Jesus rips your face off when he's done with you. :) This is the message that she taught last Wednesday night at FLOOD. Hold on!!! It's gonna get a little bumpy. :)

09/29/10 Flood - Megan Fate from Pomona First Baptist on Vimeo.

Update from Last Night at FLOOD

Did you hear heaven celebrating? If not, PAY ATTENTION!!!! :) Last night I spoke from John 8, the woman caught in the act of adultery.  We looked at how Christ showed compassion to the woman while then challenging and calling her to stop sinning.  It was a message to bring people to a surrendered life to Christ, whether for the first time or for Christians to live as citizens of heaven rather than as citizens of hell.

As I called people to surrender to Christ for the first time, two young ladies stood up.  The place went CRAZY!!! The thing that excited me most (after the fact that they now belong to Jesus) was that they were both brought by other people committed to Flood.  They put into practice the Oikos principle - striving to impact the 8-15 people that God has put into their sphere of influence to encourage them to follow Christ.

On top of the two people surrendering to Christ, four people professed their faith in and love for Jesus by being baptized.  Three were planned and one decided that night as she watched the example of her parents who were both baptized (and by the way, our next baptism service is Wednesday night, November 3rd).

Last night was explosive.  I met a good chunk of people who had come for the first time last night and are excited to make Flood a part of their lives.  I LOVE IT!!! Keep on praying. God is moving.  It's a stinking blast to be part of it.

Somebody Push the Button

For the past two days we, the pastors at PFB, have been in planning and vision meetings.  This has been a great time.  Yesterday we went from 8:30am - 4:30pm, talking about what we think God is doing and where he is leading us next.  When it was finished, a group of us gathered our stuff and went to the elevator.  The doors opened.  It was empty.  About five of us got in.  As we got in we all just waited as the elevator started to move.  The only probably is this: no one on the elevator had pushed the button for the first floor.  Rather, we all just stood there talking.  The elevator went up to the third flood because someone up there pushed the button to call the elevator up there.  We all felt kind of stupid and someone finally pushed the button for the first floor.

Here's what hit me: leaders are the ones who need to be willing to push the button.  To have a group of people in one place who are there for a specific reason/purpose is one thing.  However, if the group is just meeting with itself without making a difference in any one else and not going any where, the group of leaders aren't leading.  A leader has to be willing to push the button.  Pull the trigger.  Whatever your favorite expression, the message is still the same: leaders lead.  If we are leading, we need to make sure that we are willing to make the decision and deal with the ramifications.  We pray for guidance.  We seek counsel.  We meet with others and work through the process.  But at the end of the day, we need to push the button if we are going to be going anywhere.  If we don't, someone else will and we will be where we were never supposed to be.

Update for This Week

Can you please pray for me for this next week?

• Please pray for me as I teach this Wednesday night at Flood.  God did amazing things last week, bringing 4 people into a relationship with himself.  Also, this Wednesday is a baptism service.  I absolutely LOVE baptism services.


• I have the honor or performing the wedding of Amy Floyd and Chris Baergen this Saturday.


• This Sunday morning I get to teach the high school students at PFB Church.


• I also have the honor of performing the wedding of Rebekah Tenney and Rob Schwandt on Sunday afternoon.

I'm so excited about this next week of teaching ministry.  Thank you for praying.