Month: January 2012

Thirteen Years of Marital Bliss

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The Proposal Seventeen years ago I met my wife. We became friends, attended the same church, same youth group and went on mission trips together. We also worked at a Christian Radio Station, and when I decided to propose to her I did it during my show on a sunday afternoon. This is what she told me after I proposed: I will pray about it! She disappeared for several weeks and I had no clue where she went. When I asked her parents where she went, they told me that she was away on a retreat and would be back in about a week. Well, she did and avoided me for another two-weeks. I later found out that she had interviewed all my friends, classmates and professors on campus (I was in Seminary at that time) about my christian life and character. I was sitting behind the piano in the church one friday evening  (crying from a broken heart), and there she was, right behind me. She gave me a hug, looked me in the eye and said, Yes, …

Kindle Fire

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God has given you a gift Every once in a while when I bump into a friend with whom I grew up or went to school with, they are surprised to find out that I’m a pastor. Well, not because I was a bad guy, even though I was, but because I was very shy. The first time I stood before a group of people to speak I shook like a leaf from start to finish. Before I entered full-time ministry, I painfully lead worship at my home church, and reluctantly preached or shared in different group settings until 2 Tim. 1:6 actually came alive in me. God had place a gift in me, but I was too shy to step out and use that gift for his glory. I was almost incapacitated by the power of fear. Timothy was a naturally shy guy as well, and was probably in his twenties when he was called into the ministry (1 Tim. 4:12). But thank God he had somebody like Paul who recognized that he had a gift – that God had deposited something …

Taming the Tongue

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The case for Taming the Tongue A man working in the produce department was asked by a lady if she could buy half a head of lettuce. He replied, “Half a head? Are you serious? God grows these in whole heads and that’s how we sell them!” “You mean,” she persisted, “that after all the years I’ve shopped here, you won’t sell me half-a-head of lettuce?” “Look,” he said, “If you like I’ll ask the manager.” She indicated that would be appreciated, so the young man marched to the front of the store. “You won’t believe this, but there’s a lame-braided idiot of a lady back there who wants to know if she can buy half-a-head of lettuce.” He noticed the manager gesturing, and turned around to see the lady standing behind him, obviously having followed him to the front of the store. “And this nice lady was wondering if she could buy the other half” he concluded. Later in the day the manager cornered the young man and said, “That was the finest example …

Face and Admit Limitations

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Definition of VULNERABLE from Merriam-Webster Dictionary 1.  capable of being physically or emotionally wounded 2.  open to attack or damage : assailable <vulnerable to criticism> 3. liable to increased penalties but entitled to increased bonuses after winning a game in contract bridge A leader without admitted weaknesses has no need for teammates. A leader who reveals no vulnerabilities provides no opportunities for teammates to make a significant contribution. Accepting brutal facts about human limitations, including our own personal weaknesses is crucial to authenticity. The quote above is taken from the book “The leadership secrets of Billy Graham.” This is a great book. I encourage you to get it. My spiritual father bought it for me sometime in 2005, but I keep it close by in order to grab it and refresh my memory on the wisdom in it.

I still haven’t found what I’m looking for! In Jesus?

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I grew up listening, singing and jamming to music from groups like U2, UB40 and Boyz II Men etc… My musical taste was quite interesting. I listened to everything. When I turned 18 I got saved and I fell in love with Jesus. In my corner of Christendom listening to what they called ‘worldly music’ wasn’t a sin but it was something you just didn’t do as a believer. I quickly embrace that tradition and stop listening to ‘worldly music’. I still don’t listen to worldly music and this post is not an argument about whether you should or should not. But, as I was responding to comments made on a post from yesterday. I heard a melody in my head and I realized that it was a U2 song. So I said myself, this is a good one to put a spin on. You know, a quick easy post that talks about a U2 song – “I still haven’t found what I am looking for” – with a simple question – what are you looking for? Than the answer – “look to Jesus.” So I went to YouTube and there it was …

What is the gospel?

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Part 3 We have shared some quotes from Greg Gilbert’s – What is the Gospel. Thanks to all of you for you comments. I would like to share just a few more quotes from the book. I hope you find something thought-provoking, after all this is the purpose of the post – to get you thinking critically about what you have come to believe about the gospel.. Take the last 5 quotes Repentance is more fundamentally a matter of the heart’s attitude toward sin than it is a mere change of behavior. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. This is actually a quote from Jim Elliot, the missionary. One of the greatest dangers the body of Christ faces today is the temptation to rethink and rearticulate the gospel in a way that makes its center something other than the death of Jesus on the cross in the place of sinners. At the end of the day, I wonder if the impulse to shove the cross out of the center of …

What is the Gospel?

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Part 2 of Quotes from Greg Gilbert’s book – What is the Gospel I apologize for the delay in bringing part two of these wonderful and well crafted nuggets of truths that Greg shares in his book. The purpose of this post is to provoke you to some critical thinking about what you have come to understand the gospel to be. So without further a due, I would like to give you five more quotes from the book – What is the Gospel? Take another 5 To talk about salvation being from meaninglessness or purposelessness without tracing those things down to their root in sin may make the medicine go down easier, but it is the wrong medicine. The Bible teaches that a big part of our problem is that we think too highly of ourselves, not too lowly. You are a sinner destined to be condemned. But God has acted to save sinners just like you! Children believe in Santa Claus and the Easter bunny. Mystics believe in the power of stones and crystals. Crazy …

The secret of the Scarecrow

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The Secret of the Scarecrow! I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word harvest it makes me happy. I don’t know much about farming but I am crazy about harvest – am crazy about the outcome of seed sowing. Don’t bore me to death about fertilizers, and watering and pruning and keeping out the weeds; just tell me when it’s time to pluck that peach, slice that mango or roast the corn. Just tell me about the harvest. In the bible I am aware though, that one has to work hard or invest time and energy to reap a harvest. The bible say that there is time for everything – a time to plant and a time to harvest (Ecclesiastes 3:2). That God makes everything beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In other words it is in God’s plan to make you productive in every sphere of your life. For the pastor he wants effectiveness in his personal, spiritual, vocational life. For the business man/woman He has planned success and productivity. For the student He wants you …

What is the Gospel?

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One of ten from the past There is a list of ten books I wanted to read last year but failed to. Besides the ones I have my eyes on this year, I decided to knock those ten books from last year out-of-the-way before tackling the ones I’ve set aside for this year. Beginning at number ten, I present to you, Greg Gilbert’ “What is the Gospel? Well, I finished reading the book two weeks ago and have started the second. The name I will reveal in another post. But for now I would like to share with you some very powerful quotes from the book “What is the Gospel?” Take Five quotes from the book 1. The gospel is the proclamation of Jesus, in two senses. It is the proclamation announced by Jesus. But also the proclamation about Jesus – that in dying and rising Jesus has made the kingdom he proclaimed available to us. 2. An emaciated gospel leads to emaciated worship. It lowers our eyes from God to self and cheapens what God has accomplished …

Versatile Blogger Award

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A Note of Thanks I would like to thank http://jhasmoments.wordpress.com/ for nominating me for this award. I don’t think I deserve it, but thank you. For those of you who don’t know me well, here is a list of a few crazy or cool things about me: Every time I go to Starbucks I get a White Chocolate Mocha and a Blueberry Scone I have a Stardoll account and my name username is Maximillion… Well, I have a stardoll account because I have two beautiful daughters with stardoll accounts I play Chess I write music, play piano, drums and guitar I am a pastor I don’t snore or let me say I have never heard myself snore. By the way my wife insist I do Here is a list of 15 Bloggers I follow and would like to nominate: http://jhasmoments.wordpress.com/ http://nothappeninonmywatch.wordpress.com/ http://poeticjourney251.com/ http://virtuouswoman73.wordpress.com/ http://crosslifethots.com/ http://mtsweat.com/ http://justsimplyinlove.wordpress.com/ http://doctortisms.wordpress.com/ http://brusharbors.wordpress.com/ http://goss-coaching.com/ http://theresataylordotme.wordpress.com/ http://scottsholar.com/ http://mattsmonthlymusings.wordpress.com/ http://joycedevivre.wordpress.com/ http://maryannepale.com/ I guess there are rules to follow. Here they are: 1. Nominate 15 fellow bloggers 2. Inform the bloggers of their nomination. 3. Share …