stanpavkovich

I’ve heard it said before that “when life gives you lemons…make lemonade”. Or how about, “life isn’t a bowl of cherries”? I’m sure you’ve heard these before; but they hit me in a new way today. This has been the coldest winter I can ever remember for Florida and had you asked me a few weeks ago if I wanted a glass of ice cold lemonade I would have said “are you kidding me…..its freeeeezzzzzing”!!! Today, however, I was finally able to get out and go for a lovely walk in the warm sunshine as well as sit by the pool and absorb the heat of the suns rays. Lemonade today, well, actually sounds like a winner and I’m making myself thirsty by the minute thinking about it. And as far as those cherries go, well I’m not real big on just eating a bowl of juicy red cherries. I mean they have their place and all that, but my tendency would be to throw them in a pie crust and make a yummy hot cherry pie (maybe a little ice cream on top). So how does all this fruit add up to what life gives us? If I had a bad day (a day full of lemons) and I made lemonade, chances are someone else may not want any of my lemonade. Or should my day not turn out to be a “bowl full of cherries” and I made a cherry pie instead with it, chances are someone else may have wanted to eat those cherries plain instead ~ (probably would be one of my friends on a diet at the time ). Life is so full of ups and downs and I may look at my day and think I’m having a really rotten day, but compared to the persons around me…….they may think my life is really wonderful compared to what they may be going through at the time. And chances are it just might be.
We cannot judge what someone else might be going through and how they are handling what it is they are going through. There are so many different things going on at every given moment in our world, and very few of these things do we actually have privy to. Yet at times we act as though we have a handle on it all……not only our lives but for all those lives around us as well. I think sometimes we need to take ourselves off our own soap boxes, quit looking inward at all the problems around us, cause I can assure you if you seek problems you will find them. Instead, we need to focus on what’s going on right around us and be God’s hands and feet to help solve the problems around us rather than rag about them.
So the next time I get handed a bunch of lemons or a bowl of cherries…….I’ll be thinking about how I can make a difference in this huge world I live in.

“When God Ran”, I love that old song! It tells a little different story than what the title would presume. It talks about God running straight for us, taking us in His arms holding our heads to His chest proclaiming how happy He is that we came home to Him and offers us forgiveness.

Someone asked the other day if God actually walks away from us or “takes a break from us”… my response was; No ~ the bible has many verses on the subject~ such as “I will never leave you nor forsake you” , “I am with you always, yea even til the end of the earth”. He tells us He will be with us in the bad times as well as the good times. I know as a parent and even as a grandparent the love that I have for my kids and grandkids is so strong that I would never abandon them in their time of need. How much greater love does the “Father” have for us that He laid down His life for us. I have a hard time believing that a love so great would walk away from us even in the good time. When my kids or grandkids are having a great time doing something, I WANT to be there. I don’t see it as a time to walk away and just let them celebrate on their own. Just like when my kids are going through a hard time, I want to be there for them as well; not just ignore their pain and leave them stranded until times are happy and good again.

I think that sometimes we may not feel God’s presence or we don’t get the answers we want or perhaps no answers at all and we feel like God has deserted us or walked away from us. Perhaps we can’t feel His presence because we’ve been too busy, noisy, or preoccupied with our lives that we haven’t focused enough on Him to feel His presence or to hear His answers. Maybe, just maybe it’s US doing the walking away from or deserting and not HIM. Could it be that He is actually standing there waiting for us to turn around and run back to Him so that He can run to us. What an amazing thought!!!!

One sure fire way to know ~ turn towards God and start running with all your might towards Him and see what happens. He won’t let you down, He is standing there ready with his arms opened wide just for YOU!!!
One other old song that is appropriate for closing this thought is, “Soul be still, my… soul be still and know that… HE… is GOD!!!!!

May your running be full of pure JOY as you run after HIM… God Bless

In my devotion this morning I read Proverbs 16.

This passage is a great reminder that not only is God in control… but the need for us to slow down and seek God’s direction and will for our life.

Proverbs16:1-9 To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
The LORD works out everything for his own ends—
even the wicked for a day of disaster.
The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
Better a little with righteousness
than much gain with injustice.
In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

When we run ahead of God… and not take the time to seek God… it can cause some problems and setbacks for us in life.

I came across a story that illustrated this very point …

A young man who approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. “That depends,” replied the foreman. “Let’s see you fell this tree.” The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, “Start Monday!” Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by, and Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, “You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today.”

Startled, he replied, “I thought you paid on Friday.”

“Normally we do,” answered the foreman, “but we’re letting you go today because you’ve fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you’ve dropped from first place on Monday to last on Wednesday.”

“But I’m a hard worker,” the young man objected. “I arrive first, leave last, and even have worked through my coffee breaks!”

The foreman, sensing the boy’s integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, “Have you been sharpening your ax?” The young man replied, “I’ve been working too hard to take the time.”

Sometimes we are so busy working that we forget to sharpen our ax…

That is, we forget to seek the Lord’s will and direction for our lives. Again it causes problems and leads to burnout.

We need to pause daily to seek the Lord’s plans for our lives. We need to sharpen the ax daily so to speak.

A pastor and author by the name of Warren Weirsbe said this about Hudson Taylor who was the first missionary that brought the gospel to China….”He had definite convictions about how God’s work should be done. We can make our best plans and try to carry them out in our own strength. Or we can make careful plans and ask God to bless them. Yet another way of working is to begin with God; to ask His plans, and to offer ourselves to Him to carry out His purposes.”

Eph. 5:15-17 “Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

The Bible also says That God orders the steps of the righteous… but we need to take time to hear the orders …

Be Blessed
Stan

I ran across a very moving story that John Trent, the President of StrongFamilies.com and the Center for Strong Families shared in an article.

A true story that  illustrates in a very real way, the power of our words. The Bible says that the power of life and death are found in the tongue.

Mary had grown up knowing that she was different from the other kids, and she hated it. She was born with a cleft palate and had to bear the jokes and stares of cruel children who teased her non-stop about her misshaped lip, crooked nose, and garbled speech. With all the teasing, Mary grew up hating the fact that she was “different”. She was convinced that no one, outside her family, could ever love her … until she entered Mrs. Leonard’s class.

Mrs. Leonard had a warm smile, a round face, and shiny brown hair. While everyone in her class liked her, Mary came to love Mrs. Leonard. In the 1950′s, it was common for teachers to give their children an annual hearing test. However, in Mary’s case, in addition to her cleft palate, she was barely able to hear out of one ear. Determined not to let the other children have another “difference” to point out, she would cheat on the test each year. The “whisper test” was given by having a child walk to the classroom door, turn sideways, close one ear with a finger, and then repeat something, which the teacher whispered. Mary turned her bad ear towards her teacher and pretended to cover her good ear. She knew that teachers would often say things like, “The sky is blue,” or “What color are your shoes?” But not on that day. Surely, God put seven words in Mrs. Leonard’s mouth that changed Mary’s life forever. When the “Whisper test” came, Mary heard the words: “I wish you were my little girl.”

That was a God moment for Mary… It was the turning point in her life …to know she was loved and valued…  Those 7 words began to change her life.

God wants to change our life as well.

But many times because of sins we committed and poor choices we have made… often times we feel like we can’t have a relationship with God…

That God no longer loves us or He has given up on us. But nothing can be farther from the truth.

To those who are crippled by sin or enslaved to things you know are not pleasing to God…
He says, “I wish you were my son” or “I wish you were my daughter.”

Remember what the book of James tells us draw close to God and He will draw close to you.

Isaiah 43:4 “You are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you… ”

Be Blessed,
Stan

This week the tough question we are going to look at is…
Why would a loving God send someone to hell?

I want to start with this statement…God is for you, not against you.

The Bible says this… that God does not desire for one person to perish.

God doesn’t want to send anybody to hell. That is not His heart at all.

In fact, why is there a hell?

Hell was not created for you.

Hell was created for Satan and his angels who rebelled against God.
It is a place where they could be apart from the presence of God in the last days when God finally cuts off sin.

Hell is a place for them.

It was never meant for you….It was never meant for man.

God doesn’t want you to go there.

And he’s doing everything he can to keep you out and to give you life.

But God does allow you to choose. Don’t be deceived….Hell is a choice.

If you choose to reject God all of your life and you say…
God, I want no part of you…. I don’t want anything to do with you…
And God has reached out to you throughout your life here on earth and you say I’m not interested.

Why would God force you to be in his presence forever?

It would only make sense that you would be apart from Him for eternity.

God says…Have it your way. Have it your way.

Hell is the permanent consequences of choosing to live a life apart from God.

The good news is this that Jesus came.

He was the remedy for sin and God loves you and he is a just God.

If you humble yourself to Him and allow Him to rule and reign in your life you will have an incredible future forever!

Be Blessed,
Pastor Stan

Many times in life we face crisis points – loss of job, a struggling family member, a child caught up in behavior and situations that you have no control over, or a recurring sin in your own life. In these moments we can easily lose confidence in God. The confidence in who we are in Him, in how much we matter to Him and even in His power to change our circumstances. In these times I want to encourage you to remember as Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” You can ask God confidently to step into every situation that you face.
Take a look at the following clip and be confident of God’s power to change us, to love us enough to not leave us where we are.

http://ianhughclary.com/2009/02/11/racial-reconciliation/

Do you know who the greatest college football team in history is?

You might guess Oklahoma, or Notre Dame, or Alabama–but you’d be wrong.

The greatest college football team was the 1899 team from the University of the South which is in East Tennessee.

Today, college football teams play one game a week.

But in 1899, the 12 players on the Tigers team left to play five major college teams in 6 days.

They boarded a train and in one week they beat Texas, Texas A&M, Tulane, LSU, and Mississippi.

None of those teams scored a single point.

For the season the Tigers were 12-0.
They outscored their opponents 332-10.

Those were the days when the helmets were made of thin leather with no face guards.

They could fold their helmets up and put them in their back pockets after the game.

There were only twelve players…

They played five teams in six days…

What is my point in sharing this story?

It means those guys played hurt.

I’m sure they sustained injuries and pain…

But they kept on playing anyway.

As we follow God in this life we are going to face a lot more then football injuries.

I want to encourage you to not quit…don’t give up.

Remember 2 things…

First…Remember you are not alone God doesn’t expect you to do this on your own.

You are on a team… the team is called the church. We need to lean on each other.

Second…Remember those that went before us are cheering us on.
We don’t have a stadium of people rooting for us. We have generations of people who have gone before us, cheering us on.
Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Be Blessed,
Stan

This week I wanted to share with you a video that I came across. It’s a perfect illustration of a life radically transformed by having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Please click on this link to view the video http://www.youtube.com/illbehonest

Be Blessed,

Stan

This week we begin a new series, Dare You To Move.

For the next month we will be unpacking our Mission statement which is Love God. Love others. Serve the world. This week we will be focusing on Love God.

I John 4:16 “We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.”

The most popular attribute of God is probably the one that is most misunderstood. It says, “God is love”; it doesn’t say “Love is God”.

This does not mean that God lets me get away with murder. I do anything I want to and because God loves me He just looks the other way. What it means is that God wants what’s best for you. He’s for you. He’s not against you.

If that’s true, then why do so many people avoid God?

Many people avoid Him like the plague. They run from Him.

The reason they do that is because of a fear. They’re afraid of what might happen if they really give their life to God. They’re hesitant. They want to keep a safe distance.

Bottom line is they don’t understand that they are missing out on the very reason they were created and that was to experience and enjoy a relationship with their creator.

And with that relationship come benefits.

This week bring a friend as we paint a picture of what a journey into loving God looks like.

Be Blessed,

Stan