stanpavkovich

In my study time, I came across this great piece that I wanted to share with you. Patience, trust and faith go hand – in – hand and this is some encouragement for the journey.

                                             THE PATIENCE OF FAITH
“Because thou hast kept the word of My patience.” Revelation 3:10
Patience is more than endurance. A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says – “I cannot stand any more.” God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God’s hands. For what have you need of patience just now? Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. “Though He slay me, yet will I wait for Him.”
Faith is not a pathetic sentiment, but robust vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. You cannot see Him just now, you cannot understand what He is doing, but you know Him. Shipwreck occurs where there is not that mental poise which comes from being established on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the heroic effort of your life; you fling yourself in reckless confidence on God.
God has ventured all in Jesus Christ to save us, now He wants us to venture our all in abandoned confidence in Him. There are spots where that faith has not worked in us as yet, places untouched by the life of God. There were none of those spots in Jesus Christ’s life, and there are to be none in ours. “This is life eternal, that they might know Thee.” The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. If we take this view, life becomes one great romance, a glorious opportunity for seeing marvelous things all the time. God is disciplining us to get us into this central place of power.

Blessings,
Pastor Stan

Chuck Swindoll in his book, “You and Your Child” shares how the Houston Police Department came up with “Twelve Rules for Raising Juvenile Delinquent Children.”

I want to share them with you.

1. Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way he will grow up to believe the world owes him a living.

2. When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. This will make him think that it is cute.

3. Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is twenty-one and then let him “decide for himself.’

4. Avoid use of the word “wrong.” It may develop a guilt complex. This will condition him to believe later, when he is arrested for stealing a car, that society is against him and he is being persecuted.

5. Pick up everything he leaves lying around. Do everything for him so that he will be experienced in throwing all responsibility on others.

6. Let him read any printed matter he can get his hands on. Be careful, that the silverware and drinking glasses are sterilized, but let his mind feast on garbage.

7. Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. In this way they won’t be shocked when the home is broken up later.

8. Give a child all the spending money he wants. Never let him earn his own.

9. Satisfy his every craving for food, drink and comfort. See that every sensual desire is gratified.

10. Take his side against neighbors, teachers and policemen. They are all prejudiced against your child.

11. When he gets into real trouble, apologize for yourself by saying, “I never could do anything with him.”

12. Prepare for a life of grief. You will likely have it.

This is a sober reminder of the importance of loving our kids enough to place boundaries and discipline in their lives.

The fact of the matter is, that no matter what age we are – we need boundaries and discipline in our life.

Be Blessed,
Stan

I just started a brand new series at our Church last week on building strong families and I want to share a story with you that I came across in my research for one of the messages.

An 8 year old little boy (who’s name I won’t disclose)was asked to write a paper for his third grade class – he was asked to “Explain God” quite an undertaking for anyone but especially for an 8 year old. Here was his response:

“One of God’s main jobs is making people.
He makes them to replace the ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth.
He doesn’t make grown-ups, just babies.
I think because they are smaller and easier to make.
That way, He doesn’t have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk.
He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.

God’s second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime.
God doesn’t have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this.
Because He hears everything there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off. God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere, which keeps Him pretty busy.
So you shouldn’t go wasting His time by going over your mom and dad’s head asking for something they said you couldn’t have.
Atheists are people who don’t believe in God.
I don’t think there are any in Chula Vista.
At least there aren’t any who come to our church.
Jesus is God’s Son.
He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn’t want to learn about God.
They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him.
But He was good and kind like His Father and He told His Father that they didn’t know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said OK.
His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He didn’t have to go out on the road anymore, He could stay in heaven.
So He did. And now He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God.
Like a secretary only more important.
You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to hear you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the times.
You should always go to Church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there’s anybody you want to make happy, it’s God.
Don’t skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach.
This is wrong! And, besides, the sun doesn’t come out at the beach until noon anyway.
If you don’t believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can’t go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can.
It is good to know He’s around you when you’re scared in the dark or when you can’t swim very good and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.
But you shouldn’t just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases. And that’s why I believe in God.”

This boy’s comments weren’t exactly theologically accurate – but there is no question about the fact that his parents had taught him that God wasn’t just a being to be feared and obeyed. The God they had told him about cared for Him, was there for him when he was lonely and in danger.

This was a God who was on his side. This coming week have that child like faith that reminds you of the fact that God is for you and not against you – that he is on your side.

Be Blessed,
Stan

This weekend is Mother’s Day. It is a time set aside to honor and show appreciation to the person that brought us into the world, nurtured us and cared for us – our mothers.

So often whether you are a mother or not, we forget how our lives can impact not only people currently around us, but also can impact future generations. One such person is Naomi, a mother whose story is found in the Old Testament; a story that is often overlooked.

Her family had to move to a foreign country because of a terrible famine. And while they were there, her sons married. But in time, her husband and sons died and she decided it was time to return to her home in Bethlehem.

Here is the cool thing… she was so dedicated to God, that her daughter-in-law, Ruth decided she wanted that life for herself as well. Ruth was so impressed by the dedication of Naomi’s life to God, she told Naomi, “Your people shall be my people and your God shall be my God.” From that day forward Ruth turned her back on the old life she used to live and embraced a new life she found in God.

Because of Naomi’s influence, Ruth influenced her family, and Ruth’s love for God was so powerful that her great grandson became one of the most influential men of the Old Testament – David, King of Israel.

Ultimately, Ruth is one of the few women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
All this took place because one woman, Naomi… built her life around her dedication to God.

Often we’re simply focused on the influence that we have right here and right now on our children, grandchildren, etc. But the life of a man or woman who give themselves totally to God can have a ripple that will impact generations to come.

I don’t know about you but I love me some “salty” food from time to time. But have you ever noticed when you eat salty food you usually end up getting really thirsty. In fact, just sitting here thinking about salt and water I had to stop and take a drink of some ice cold water. Even now while reading this your mouth is probably starting to water. Isn’t the body amazing how it works? By now you are probably starting to really want to pick up a really cold refreshing drink of water. Have you ever been sitting and watching a movie where the scene is in the desert and the guys lips are parched, cracked and broken from the heat of the desert. His face is swollen and burned from the elements. He even begins to hallucinate about seeing an “oasis” of water that he can drink. I usually have to take a sip of my diet coke during the movie at that time… and if there is no diet coke then my hubbie better be making a beeline out to the concession stand for me.

Salt is used in many different things such as a preservative in foods and other things as well as “enhancing” the taste of our food. However, too much salt and not enough water to compensate; and we can have some very uncomfortable bloating, swelling and inflammation within our bodies. I was told once that in order to alleviate the swelling and inflammation from having too much salty food you need to drink more water. Too me that was an oxymoron, because the last thing I wanted to add to my body was more fluid to be retained. But you have to actually over-compensate the water with the salt in order for the salt to be used where needed and the rest washed away.

I believe everything in our universe has checks and balances right down to the balancing of salt & water in our diet. Amazing isn’t it! God’s word tells us that as Christians we need to be the salt of the world and God will be the “Living Water”. In other words our lives should be lived in such a way as to make other people’s souls literally thirst for HIM, the Living Water. Maybe when people only get the saltiness from us and not reach out to the “Living Water” an imbalance can occur. We need to perhaps encourage them to drink more of the “Living Water” on their own rather than continuing to lick the salt block only. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could all be like that? Maybe there would be less bloated, swelling, inflamed lives out there that are stagnant – and more joyful, comforted, healed lives out there that are producing. So go ahead GRAB your SALT but take THE WATER along with you to help water the dry, thirsty, parched souls you encounter.

Blessing To You All

Have you ever gone through a season of life where it just seems like there are more trials then there are victories? And when you pray it just seems like God is not listening… there is just this silence that you seem to be feeling from God. I remember reading something that really helped me when I face those seasons in life, which we all do. It said that in those of times of silence with God it is when He is testing you. It is like when you were taking a test in school… the teacher was silent during the test but would resume talking when the test was completed. I found that to be so true in my life.

I came across a story this past week I hope will encourage you…
A man and a woman entered a china shop in England. The man admired a beautiful teacup on a shelf and asked to look at it. “I’ve never seen a teacup like it. It’s beautiful!” Suddenly the teacup spoke. “You don’t understand. I haven’t always been a teacup. There was a time when I was nothing but red clay. My master rolled and kneaded and pounded me over and over and I yelled, ‘Leave me alone!’ But he only smiled and said, ‘Not yet.’ Then I was placed on a spinning wheel,” the teacup said, “suddenly I was spun around and around and around. ‘Stop it! I’m getting dizzy!’ I screamed. The master only nodded and said, ‘Not yet.’ Then he put me in an oven. I’ve never felt such heat! I wonder why he wanted to burn me. And I yelled and I knocked on the door and I could see him through the opening and read his lips as he shook his head: ‘Not yet.’ Finally, the door did open. He put me on the shelf and I began to cool down. ‘There. That’s better,’ I said. Then suddenly, he took me and brushed me and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible! I thought I would gag. ‘Stop it! Stop it!’ I cried. He only nodded. ‘Not yet.’ Then suddenly, he put me back in an oven—not the first one, but one twice as hot! I knew I would suffocate. I begged, I pleaded, I screamed, I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening, nodding his head and saying, ‘Not yet.’ And I knew there would be no hope and I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on a shelf. An hour later, he handed me a mirror and said, ‘Look at yourself.’ And I did. And I said, ‘That’s not me! It couldn’t be me! I’m beautiful.’ He said, ‘I want you to remember; I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded. But if I’d left you, you would have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I’d stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn’t put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed you and painted you all over; but if I hadn’t, you would never have hardened. There would have been no color to your life. And if I hadn’t put you back in the second over, you would not have survived for very long and the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You’re what I had in mind when I first began with you.’”

Some of you are hurting. Some of you are suffering for one reason or another. God may be doing something special in you and you don’t even recognize it.

God is conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ.
Although at times the process may be painful, he says, “I’m going see you through it….in the end your life is going to be something vey beautiful.”

Be Blessed,
Stan

Maybe you have seen the movie or read the book about the true story of the Arctic Explorer, Ernest Shackleton.
On the first arctic journey, his ship, the Endurance, was crushed by ice and his crew was stranded for 281 days. Shackleton had to leave his crew and sailed in a small ship to get help. Four months later he returned and rescued his crew without a single life lost.
Who would ever want to go back on a mission like that? Remember these guys were not stranded on some Island like Gilligan’s Island…this was in the Arctic…. when you watch the movie you curl up in a blanket not because it is cold in the room… you get cold just watching the movie.
As he advertised for a crew for his second expedition, Shackleton placed this ad in the London Times, “Wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant journey and safe return doubtful.” An amazing thing happened…He got 5,000 applications!
There’s just something within each one of us that we want to be apart of something bigger then ourselves…actually that is something that God has placed within each of our hearts. Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has planted eternity in the human heart.”
God the creator of the universe desires to have a relationship with us through His Son Jesus Christ and out of that relationship will come a plan and a purpose for our life. Don’t miss out on what God has for you.

Be Blessed,
Stan

I cannot get away from My Utmost for His Highest devotional book….it has been a great source of strength and encouragement over the years in my life. If you don’t have a copy I would encourage you to pick one up or check it out on the link at the bottom of this blog but here is today’s reading I wanted to pass on to you…

“Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?” Luke 24:26
Our Lord’s Cross is the gateway into His life: His Resurrection means that He has power now to convey His life to me. When I am born again from above, I receive from the Risen Lord His very life.
Our Lord’s Resurrection destiny is to bring “many sons unto glory.” The fulfilling of His destiny gives Him the right to make us sons and daughters of God. We are never in the relationship to God that the Son of God is in; but we are brought by the Son into the relation of sonship. When Our Lord rose from the dead, He rose to an absolutely new life, to a life He did not live before He was incarnate. He rose to a life that had never been before; and His resurrection means for us that we are raised to His risen life, not to our old life. One day we shall have a body like unto His glorious body, but we can know now the efficacy of His resurrection and walk in newness of life. “I would know Him in the power of His resurrection.”
As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him.” “Holy Spirit” is the experimental name for Eternal Life working in human beings here and now. The Holy Spirit is the Deity in proceeding power Who applies the Atonement to our experience. Thank God it is gloriously and majestically true that the Holy Ghost can work in us the very nature of Jesus if we will obey Him.

http://www.myutmost.org/04/0407.html

This past weekend at our Easter services we had an individual give his testimony of coming out of a lifestyle of drugs and alcohol addiction…and a statement he made has stuck with me – he said ….”Make no mistake I would never trade my new life in Christ for my old life” he experienced the real deal and if you haven’t, you can experience the real deal by surrendering your life to Christ.

Be Blessed,
Stan

As I was pondering all the glamour and glitz of the “Easter Egg” these days I began to see my life in a whole new way. The shells of the Easter Eggs can be beautifully dyed, bejeweled, stickered , crayoned etc. etc. They can be hidden and found; much to the delight of many a child or they can be placed in a beautiful basket or container with beautifully colored artificial grass to enhance its beauty. Families and friends all get together to color eggs together and show off “their particular artwork”. Many smiles, fond memories, stained coffee mugs and tea towels are to be had during these fun times together. Everyone oohs and aaaaahhhh’s over each other’s “colored eggs” in hopes that their eggs will also be noticed and accepted as beautiful. On Easter day the eggs are usually taken out and hidden amongst trees and bushes to be found later during a hunt. Sometimes special eggs with prizes are hidden thereby giving them even more value than just its beauty if by chance you were the one who found it. After that some of the eggs may be eaten, tossed in the trash, or worse lost and never found. Some eggs are actually cracked in the preparation process and are deemed useless before the beautiful beginnings ever start; while other eggs may make it all the way through the process only to be stepped upon and smashed with one small foot during the massive “hunt”. What usefulness is there of the egg when the beautifully decorated shell is cracked, crushed, bruised, or smashed. Some would say the egg is useless, but I say it may not be so. I once read where eggs are considered the “perfect food”. Although it is touted as having a high cholesterol content, it has a lot of good potential in the food group. Eggs are used for all kinds of things from helping to bind ingredients together in your favorite cake or muffin mix to actual facial skin tighteners and hair tonics. Not to mention those scrambled eggs, breakfast burritos, and omelets….yummy!!!
How much are we like eggs….kind of a gross thought unless you ponder the Easter egg and its beauty. Sometimes we can paint out faces, dye our hair, bejewel our outfits, sticker our skin etc. etc. Sometimes we can be placed in a beautiful atmosphere where we are continually looked upon and placed upon a pedestal. At other times we may be hidden, never noticed and never looked upon. Perhaps during our lifetime we get cracked, broken, bruised, or lost. Sometimes we try so hard just to fit in or to be noticed by others. Then again, we may be the one who is overlooking, ignoring, hiding from, and never looking at the person(s) around you. Those that are in need of a gentle, kind word of encouragement, a hug, or perhaps even a smile to say “its gonna be ok”.
Time and time again people overlook those that are broken, bruised, etc. because they are not just like us. This Easter season I want to remember those around me who may be hurting, broken or cracked. I want to remember the good stuff that can be found on the inside. The stuff that Jesus can put there as a special treasure to our world around us when one’s brokenness is turned to wholeness, hurting and pain is turned to healing, and those who are isolating can find freedom in friendships.
May you have a joyful Easter as you reach out to the cracked shells around you!!

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.