Month: September 2013

I’m giving all my secrets away

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“Once exposed, a secret loses all its power.” ― Ann Aguirre, Grimspace My spiritual father once told me and quote, “Walter you are a closed book.” I think he was venting his frustration, and difficulty of trying to get me to share my secrets. His remark really didn’t matter much to me, because there was nothing personal I would ever share with him. My philosophy at the time was, “there are some secrets you want to keep in and others you dare not let out. Well, that was when I was younger and didn’t know better. In fact I met with him just yesterday. There is bondage in keeping secrets but freedom in letting it out. Everyone of us should have somebody in our lives to whom we can talk to on a regular basis. If you truly desire to live a life of freedom, victory and triumph over dark, sinful, secret habits – you must desire above all else a life of transparency. Your life has to be an open book. Letters or epistles …

Planning is not of the devil:

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Have you ever heard that planning is of the devil? Back in the day I use to run with a few guys who were convinced that planning is of the devil. I often wondered what bible they were reading. Take a look at what the bible actually says about planning: The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. Proverbs 21:5 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to meet another king in war, will not sit …

September Wars

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September oh September you unwelcome visitor you’ve brought so many tragedies over the years Wars and rumors of wars I hope you would stay far away – over there Why do you still stalk and threaten – oh september you continue to loom over mankind’s dwelling with gloom Why do you continue to taunt our home burden the nations with your peril And gas the children of earth With your deadly vesicant and sulfur mustard This time around I refuse your war – oh September the blasts of war tanks another Vietnam the horrors of Pearl Harbor a possible Syria cause I still remember your Holocaust your September Hurricanes your nine eleven but I rather give diplomacy a chance so, thanks but no thanks oh unwelcome visitor for another September war

100 Years of Fire

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Four days ago I had the privilege of revisiting a very historic Church right in the heart of San Francisco. They kicked off a three month celebration of 100 years of fruitful ministry to the city. The senior pastors of Glad Tidings San Francisco, Forrest & Christina Beiser are my spiritual parents. With them I served the Church and the city for about four years. So I was very glad to be back. We had a special time celebrating and looking back on all the great things God had done and all the pastors and their families The Lord used in the process. Robert and Mary Craig, founders of Glad Tidings Temple and Bible Institute, were part of a religious movement that since the early 1900′s has become the largest branch of contemporary Protestantism. The history of this part of Christianity is remarkable, and so is the history of the development of Glad Tidings Church. This movement emphasized that GOD could be a part of every area of life, that GOD could be experienced, and …

Before you throw the first stone

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A few weeks ago I started a class on the book of Proverbs. After a brief teaching on chapter 5 – the one about the promiscuous woman, I invited everyone to way in on the subject. Before long our conversation drifted toward Miley Cyrus. You already know the story, but I for one do not pay much attention to life in Hollywood or show business for that matter. Not because I don’t care about some of the creative and healthy stuff that do come out from time to time, but that I don’t necessarily expect anything wholesome to come out of that place. As I listen to the discussion, it was clear that the participants in the class were all shocked and angry about Miley’s twerking and dirty dancing. Quite frankly, I wasn’t too surprised when I heard about it and saw it on the news, but it was still shocking to see the girl go that dirty. I think I was more outraged about Robin Thicke being a part of the thing. I still in some …

If faith can move mountains, let the mountains move

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Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a …

Radical Redeeming Prayer

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He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. Galatians 1:23 What do you do about those who curse you, hate you, despitefully use you, persecute you and those who even try to kill you? What do you do about the one who is doing everything within his power to destroy you and what you believe in? For the early believers nothing much could be done about the man we’ve come to know as Paul, the apostle. Only prayer! Scripture is silent about whether prayers were offered up to God to stop this man who was running a campaign to exterminate the “people of the way.” But we know that prayers were indeed lifted to God to stop him. Thank God, today we have the writings of Paul the Apostle a man who was once a murderer and a persecutor of the Church. In the late 90s a mad man named Joshua Milton Blahyi, better known by his nom de guerre General Butt Naked roamed the streets of …