Intimidated by the holy things...

"Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests, but anyone else who comes near the holy things must be put to death." Numbers 3:10

Imagine you are a priest living in the times when they were to carry the sins of the nation. You realize that if you do not have clean hands and pure heart, you could possibly die. You have one chance to enter into the Holy of Holies. Are you able to go before the Lord...and live?

OK, wipe your brow! Return with me to the 21st century. Let's thank God that we have a new High Priest, his name is Jesus. Living as a priest in that day would've required a life of complete consecration and discipline. Do we have that kind of devotion presently? It would have been so easy to be intimidated by the holy things. But I am so thankful that God sent His son, Jesus, to be our High Priest. He sits at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us. Jesus took on the sins of the world and he conquered death, hell & the grave! Jesus walked the earth and he understands our weaknesses. He was tempted in the ways we are, but he did not sin. Have you found that it's easier to talk to someone who has "been there, done that" (and successfully)? We don't have to feel inferior or insecure, because He knows your needs before you ever pray. So let us go to Him boldly and receive the understanding and grace that we so desperately need.

Stand Up and Be Counted

"Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one." (Numbers 1: 2 NIV)

The Lord speaks to Moses and tells him to take a census of all the men twenty years or older, who were able to serve in the army. Final count: 603,550. This census did not include the Levites or women and children, so total population possibly numbered more than two million Israelites. Can you imagine setting up camp, and then later moving with that many people? In today's time, it is hard to get a church body of two hundred to move in the same direction, much less two million!

"Taking a census was long and tedious, but it was an important task. The fighting men had to be counted to determine Israel's military strength before entering the promised land. In addition, the tribes had to be organized to determine the amount of land each would need, as well as to provide genealogical records. Without such a census, the task of conquering and organizing the promised land would have been more difficult. Whenever we are at a crossroads, it is important to take inventory of our resources. We will serve more effectively, if before plunging in, we set aside time to take a "census" of all we have --- possessions, relationships, spiritual condition, time and goals" (footnote from Life Application Study Bible).

As we continue to embark on our journey into the new building, have you been counted in the "army of God? Have you taken an inventory of what you have available to be used in service? We have a large area to conquer --- the Lake Cumberland and Green River regions. It's time to prepare now, become organized and go forth to see God fulfill all that He has promised!

He Rewards the Diligent

February 25th, reading from the Chronological Bible, Leviticus 26:1 – 27:34

Leviticus 26:1, the Lord declares, “Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God. (V. 3) If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, (V. 4) I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. If I am not mistaken, I believe the Lord is instruction His people, to have no other god’s before Him, and in return for their diligence, it appears there is a harvest to be reaped.

It is no secret that Higher Praise in the middle of a building season. Our goal is to prepare a threshing floor for the harvest that all men may come unto the Lord. We are not after the approval of man, or the attention of man, we want the attention of heaven! We would not be in this building season if there was not a harvest of souls that desperately needs to be reached.

In the scripture above, I believe the message is simple, God wants to be the first and foremost priority of our lives, and if He is, we will reap the harvest! If you will do this, He will do that. I do not believe that any of you have gone out into the yard and built idols of worship. I have learned however in the pursuit of God, if we are not careful we tend to build idols that may disconnect us from the Lord. And while it is happening, we don’t even realize it. What can it be? The real question is; what can it not be? Busyness of everyday life, work, personal goals, money, stress, worry, insecurities, relationships, pleasures of life, or even any form of habitual sin that tries to ensnare us. While some of those things are responsibilities and goals are great to have, nothing should take the place of relationship with the Father. If we are not aware of the issues of life that are trying to steal our attention from Him, how can we impact the harvest? If we are not first impacted and changed by Him, how can we effectively impact the lives of others?

I can’t shake the word from the Lord Pastor Aaron shared weeks ago, I can’t remember it in entirety, but I do remember hearing these words, “What used to be ok, will no longer be ok.” Higher Praise, the Lord wants to take us all into new, and even higher levels in Him. We have to be willing to pay the price; we have to go lower before we can go higher. I’m challenging you today, stop and evaluate your life, take a glance at your heart and be sure there is nothing that is getting in the way. After all, He is the Lord your God. Make first things first, He will reward the diligent!

Year of Jubilee

Count off seven Sabbaths of years—seven times seven years: Seven Sabbaths of years adds up to forty-nine years. Then sound loud blasts on the ram's horn on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. Sound the ram's horn all over the land. Sanctify the fiftieth year; make it a holy year. Proclaim freedom all over the land to everyone who lives in it—a Jubilee for you: Each person will go back to his family's property and reunite with his extended family. The fiftieth year is your Jubilee year: Don't sow; don't reap what volunteers itself in the fields; don't harvest the untended vines because it's the Jubilee and a holy year for you. You're permitted to eat from whatever volunteers itself in the fields. Leviticus 25:8-12 NIV

During the year of Jubilee slaves were set free and land was returned to it's original owner. Basically, if someone could not pay their debt and lost their inheritance (land) or chose to sell themselves into slavery then it would only be temporary. In the year of Jubilee, everything would be restored as it was before. They were also not to work in the fields during that year or eat anything that didn't grow on it's own. When they asked what they would eat in the next year, they were told that the year before Jubilee would always yield enough food to last them 3 years. God asked them to only follow his commands and they would always have enough. It could be said that the year of Jubilee was a time or provision and restoration. For this reason, it was also a time of great celebration!

Now scholars argue as to if the year of Jubilee still occurs to this day in every 50th year or if it ended in the Bible. Some say even the death and resurrection of Jesus happened during the Year of Jubilee and I would agree that was definitely a time of provision, restoration, and celebration!
Most say that the next year of Jubilee that will be noticed is the coming the Lord. I won't get into sorting all of that out right now.

I think there are two important things to recognize in this observance. First, God told Moses that Jubilee must be observed so the land could rest in the 7th year. You see, man rested on the 7th day and the land rested in the 7th year. The first thing to note in this passage is that God designed everything to rest. The second and probably most important lesson to be taken away from this passage is that if God asks us to do something then He will always provide the provision for us to complete the task. We need not worry about the details or how we will work everything out. God will provide it before, during, or after His request but at some point He will make sure we have what we need to do as He commands. He truly is a God of restoration and provision for those who follow Him. And that, my friend, is reason enough to celebrate!!

Speak the Truth in Love

“If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense." (Leviticus 20:13 NLT)

Now, we're on a hot topic. How often has that verse been used to condemn those in the gay lifestyle? If you have been following along with us in Leviticus, you will find there are many things in the Levitical law that was punishable by death. In Chapter 20 alone, read the other verses surrounding this one, and many other sexual sins were serious offenses as well. Why does this one get picked out amongst the others for many Christians to use as a basis to judge and condemn?

Often times, we may look at others and judge them more harshly because we have not struggled with that same issue. Or, perhaps, we have allowed our culture to mold us into something that we're really not. Being able to understand and empathize with someone, when we have not actually been where they have, is only because of God's grace. Due to a situation many years ago, I found myself being able to truly love those individuals who struggled, or even living, in the gay lifestyle. God took a mess, and turned it into a message. He taught me to "speak the truth in love".

How often have we heard churches and preachers condemn this lifestyle, only to further drive away those individuals who so desperately need to hear the message of God's unconditional love? Are we hating the sinner as well as the sin? Our sin and behavior does not have to dictate who we are as a person. In a society where homosexuality has become more acceptable, where the media portrays it as such a normal, alternative lifestyle, where do we as Christians fit into the picture? How do we show God's love for them without compromising the truth?

I believe the easiest way for Christians to show that same compassion is for them not to elevate one sin above the rest. "It's level at the foot of the cross", and in God's eyes, sin is sin. God detests a condemning, judgmental spirit equally as much as He hates any type of immoral, sexual behavior. And, even though, what once used to be a "slippery slope" has now become a "downward grade", the only way to reach others before they reach bottom, is to extend a hand in love.

Father, of grace and mercy, forgive us for the times where we have failed you and failed others. May we show your unconditional love in the same manner that you have shown us. May we never compromise your truth while speaking in love. Amen.

Be Holy Because I am Holy

“Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” Leviticus 19:2b (NIV)

Holy-a word that has been thrown around and attached to words like cow, cake, and even expletives, is not what God intended for the word’s original use.  No, in fact, I believe God meant for the word holy to mean much, much, more, than what our secular society has turned it into.  

In our reading today from the “Book of Laws,” or Leviticus, we read a scripture that is not a suggestion, but a command.  God tells the children of Israel to “be holy,” because He is holy.  In Leviticus, God inspires the writer to pen very specific laws dealing with sacrifices, homes, sexual immorality, and much more.  But, what is holiness?

Holiness means to be set apart.  In the scriptures preceding Leviticus 19:2, the children of Israel were instructed to not commit the sins of those who lived in the land before them.  In other words, God wanted the children of Israel to abstain from what the “world” had done.  Just as God wanted the children of Israel to be holy, He wants us too, to be holy.  God wants us to be set apart from this world.  The scripture in the New Testament is very clear about holiness.  Hebrews 12:14 teaches that without holiness, no man will see the Lord.  1 Peter 1:15 explains that we must be holy in all our conduct.  

Some may want to get into a discussion of what holiness looks like.  However, I would rather strive to have holiness in my heart and in my mind.  What I wear, the places I go, and things I do, will all change when there is true holiness in my life. “Casting Crowns” put it best in the song, “What This World Needs,”-“God’s gotta change her heart before He changes her shirt.”  

Start this week off and pray that the Holy Spirit reveals things in your life that may be a stench in the nostrils of the Almighty.  

Pray that God shows you your faults and failures, so you may repent and become set apart.  The world does not want more of the same-they are looking for something different; will they find it in you?

Allow God to do the setting apart and not man.  Let Him become intimate and active in your life so He may teach His ways!  

This is a journey, and I am glad to know that He walks with us along the way, there to catch us, when we fall.   Have a blessed week!  

Shhh . . . Rest

"Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, 'These are the things the LORD has commanded you to do: For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death.' " (Exodus 35: 1-2)

Wow, talk about a punishment for disobedience! For those of us who have so much to do, sometimes it's hard to rest, even for one day. And, when we do, we find ourselves feeling guilty because we're not doing something. God even rested on the seventh day after He had created everything. If God needed to rest, how much more do we need to do the same.

Several years ago, John and I went on a trip to the Holy Land. Friday evening at sundown begins the Jewish Sabbath day of rest, continuing through until Saturday evening. They actually observe it more seriously than we do. At the hotel restaurant, we ate cold foods, such as salad or sandwiches, on that day since there was no cooking allowed on the Sabbath. There was an elevator programmed to stop on every floor so they wouldn't have to even push a button. Talk about commitment!

I recently read this devotion by Max Lucado, entitled "A Quiet Day of Rest":

"Ever feel the wheels of your life racing faster and faster as you speed past people you love? Could you use a reminder on how to slow it all down? If so, read what Jesus did during the last Sabbath of his life.

Start in the Gospel of Matthew. Didn't find anything? Try Mark. Read what Mark recorded about the way Jesus spent the Sabbath. Nothing there either? Strange. What about Luke? What does Luke say? Not a reference to the day? Not a word about it? Well, try John. Surely John mentions the Sabbath. He doesn't? No reference? Hmmmm. Looks like Jesus was quiet that day.

'Wait a minute. That's it?' That's it. 'You mean with one week left to live, Jesus observed the Sabbath?' As far as we can tell. 'You mean with all those apostles to train and people to teach, He took a day to rest and worship?' Apparently so."

God, teach us how to slow down, take a day of rest and worship you!

Our Inheritance

^1-2 The Levitical priests—that's the entire tribe of Levi—don't get any land-inheritance with the rest of Israel. They get the Fire-Gift-Offerings of God—they will live on that inheritance. But they don't get land-inheritance like the rest of their kinsmen. God is their inheritance. Deuteronomy 18:1-2

(From the reading of the Chronological Bible Feb 18th NIT & translated here into the Message Bible version)

In Deuteronomy 18, we are still discussing the laws and all of the things that they shalt not do. In reading the laws from Leviticus and Deuteronomy, I found this verse intriguing. As stated in an earlier post, the tribe of Levi did not inherit any land but instead their lives were committed to serving the church. In this verse, we find that what they do get are fire gift offerings and most importantly "God is their inheritance". It is true that most of the Old Testament laws no longer apply to us because they are now out of context. This is one statement that we can proudly still claim, "God is our inheritance!" It doesn't matter if you come from a wealthy family or a poor family. It doesn't matter if you have life insurance or any possessions to leave behind. God is one thing you can leave with your family no matter who you are and the Only thing that you can actually take with you!

Father, today we thank you that no matter what this life may bring us, how much we own or do not own, we are all the same in your eyes. We thank you for the opportunity to claim you as Savior and leave a legacy to our families through a lifetime of serving you. Most of all, we thank you that when our life ends, we will be with You for all eternity. Thank you for our lasting inheritance! Amen!

Keep the Fire Burning

"The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out." (Leviticus 6: 12-13)

As we are progressing in Leviticus, I can't help but ask, "Why all these rules and regulations? It seems so complicated". Can you imagine today's society having to follow the Levitical law, when so many of us cannot even follow Ten Commandments?! I think about "Life's Little Instruction Book". The Israelites would have had a "large" instruction book to carry with them. How else would they remember all that? :)

The priests had many responsibilities, with one of them being to keep the fire on the altar burning. I remember growing up, we had a wood stove for several years; John and I used to have a wood-burning insert in the fireplace where we lived in Lexington. It was someone's responsibility to keep the fire going in the winter time. Most of the time, Dad or John would take care of that chore. But, I have had my share of adding firewood as well. It was always great to have plenty of hot coals there to work with. But, allow it to die down, and some mornings there might be just a spark.

That's how it is with the fire within our hearts. The Holy Spirit ignited the flame. It's now up to us to keep the fire alive. Oh, we can listen to our pastor (or priest), and they can help to "fuel the flame", but if we don't nurture it daily, the fire will begin to die down. And, all we'll have left are ashes.

God, kindle the flames within our hearts. May we burn with passion in our love for you and your Kingdom. May we daily add "fuel to our fires", allowing the Holy Spirit to burn. Amen!

Nothing but the Blood

From the reading of the Chronological Bible, February 16th.

Today’s passage of reading covers Leviticus 1:1- 4:35. The Lord spoke to Moses, instructing him, “When any of you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock (V. 1:2).”

You will notice during this reading there were different offerings that were brought to the Lord depending on the sin that is committed. These offerings included: The burnt offering, the grain offering, the fellowship offering, and the sin offering. The burnt offering was to make payments for sin in general. This was a person’s way for showing devotion to God. The grain offering was to show honor and respect to God in worship. This offering was a person’s acknowledgment that all we have belongs to God. The fellowship offering was a way of expressing gratitude to God, symbolizing peace and fellowship with Him. The sin offering was to make payment for unintentional sin, and sins of uncleanness. This particular offering restored the sinner to relationship with God, and showed ones seriousness of the sins that were in their life.

When a person would bring an offering from the herd or the flock, it was usually a lamb or a bull that was unblemished. The person then laid his hand on the head of the animal to symbolize the person’s complete identification with the animal as his substitute. The animal was killed and the priest would sprinkle the blood. This symbolically transferred his sins to the animal, thus his sins were taken away (atonement).

When a person had committed sin, the only way to be forgiven and restored to relationship with God, something had to die; blood had to be shed to cover the sin. I also believe that in our lives, in order for addictions and habitual sins to be broken, there will be apart of us that has to die. I am so thankful that today, I don’t have to go out in the back yard to find an animal to sacrifice on behalf of my sins. What can wash away my sins, what can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! Hebrews 9:28 says, “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Christ came to this world on our behalf to give all, to offer his life for us just once. This was His precious love for us; sacrificing His life so everyday we can experience grace and forgiveness, and come into the holy place of His presence! Who says love isn’t painful? It was His love for us that caused Him to experience the most pain anyone has ever encountered. Be thankful, praise Him always for what He has done, and never cease to plead His blood over your life, and the lives of your friends and family!

Where He Leads . . .

(Numbers 9: 17,23 NIV) 17 "Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. 23 At the LORD's command they encamped, and at the LORD's command they set out. They obeyed the LORD's order, in accordance with his command through Moses."

Moses has been called by God to lead the Israelites on a journey to the Promised Land. A tabernacle (the Tent) has been constructed in order to house the Ark of the Covenant, as well as a place of worship. Since they had no GPS, God led them by a cloud by day, and a fire in the cloud by night.

Fast forward to 2010. The tabernacle or tent is now a church building. Our leader is a pastor. The congregation is a group of people being led by a pastor, heading to the Promised Land. God speaks to the pastor, giving him instructions on how and where to lead the people. But, are we like the Israelites? Do we obey all the commands of our leaders? When they say move, do we move, or do we question or resist? Do we totally trust them to hear the voice of God and take us where we need to go, or do we want to follow our own agenda?

As part of the church body of Higher Praise, we have a responsibility to follow our pastor, Eric. God has called him to lead us. God has given him a vision. As being a part of the leadership team, I have a greater responsibility to share in his vision and help to share in leading HPC where God has instructed Eric on where to take us. I know God has a great destiny for Higher Praise. I am excited to see where this journey will lead. Let us join together in unity, as we head towards the Promised Land. Greater things are yet to come!

God, when you tell us to move, may we move. But, when you say stop, may we stay where we are until you tell us to move again. May we be sensitive to your leading, and may we trust our pastor to lead us in the direction that you want to take us. Amen.

February 13, 2010

My post today comes from the book of Numbers which is the daily reading in my One Year Chronological Bible.

The Book of Numbers is "Bemidbar" in Hebrew and literally means "in the desert". (Wikipedia)
We find ourselves following Moses as he leads the people through the desert with hopes of entering the Promised Land. Many of the Israelites have either died in the plague or were killed in the conquest of Moab, along with those that have died of natural death. That number was also probably higher than normal under their difficult circumstances. They know they will have to defeat the land of Canaan and set out to take another Census or count of those who would be able to fight in the army. Some tribes have increased, some have decreased, and the Levites have increased greatly. The Levites were not chosen for battle, but instead were the tribe chosen by God to take care of the tabernacle and lead the religious services. In Numbers 26:63-65 we learn that all of the original disbelievers from the first count of the people were now dead. They began the journey, but they did not get to see the Promised Land. Due to their disbelief and complaining, the Lord chose that they not continue on for the promise. In the same respect, he has now told Moses that he will not be able to cross into the Promised Land. Finally, we learn that Moses asks God to appoint him a successor.

¹⁵ Moses said to the LORD, ¹⁶ "May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community ¹⁷ to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD's people will not be like sheep without a shepherd."

As the Israelites watched their numbers dwindle, I am sure they wondered how they would ever be able to defeat Canaan and enter the Promised Land which has been their goal for all of these years. I have no doubt that they had conversations in their tents about the impossibility of this feat. In fact, God knew their parents had done so and that is why many of them were no longer with them to complete the journey. It is easy when you work very hard at something (especially Kingdom work) without seeing the anticipated results to find yourselves in disbelief that it will ever happen. I think that becomes even more difficult if you know God promised it and you still can't see it. What we see in this story, is that even though the outside of the picture looks dim that the details of the picture prove that God had already worked it out. Yes, He took people away from them but He also gave them people. Those that were left were the redeemed in God's eyes and they were the ones who would see the Promise. Those that had gone before them had literally given their lives for a Kingdom agenda they would never see fulfilled while they were on Earth. Moses would also fall into this category. We know Moses was a great man of God, but due to the area where he did fail God then God did not see it fit that he walk into the Promised Land. Moses accepted this, only asking for a successor so that his people would not be without a Shepherd. I am certain God was ahead of him on this request and we see that Joshua was the chosen Shepherd.

Everything we do for the Kingdom is a small part of the big picture. It truly may be that as we continue working for God that the real Promise is not fulfilled until after we have gone to be with the Lord. Much of our work may be for the sake of our children and our children's children. Someday, it will all come full circle and we will understand things better as we stand praising the Father together. Every action has a reaction, for every cause there is an effect. Some of us will be Moses and lead the people as far as we can lead them until we have to hand our role off to a successor. Some of us will be Joshua who held the role of an intern for many years until finally he was given the greatest role of leading the people right into the Promised Land! Does either seem fair? I don't think God's idea of fair is the same as ours. We look at summaries of stories and try to make assumptions. God looks at the details, the microscopic parts that we can't see with our eyes. He sees all the effects and the reactions before they ever occur.

Trust in the Lord today that you have a role in the Kingdom agenda and whether it is big or small, short or long, it is still important.

40 Days!

When you look through Scripture it is easy to find multiple signficant events that happened during various 40 day segments of time. Likewise, I believe the last 40 days at Higher Praise Church have served to give us one of the most meaningful and momentous periods of time in our church's history.

I have just left the main sanctuary after my 5am prayer time and stopped by my office to update the blog with some info. The Spirit of the Lord was mighty and I even found myself staying well past my alloted time because I didn't want to leave.

The church is open from 5am-5pm today for anyone who would like to join us in a day of prayer. Tonight we will close out the 40 days of prayer and fasting with a corporate prayer service @ 5pm. Its gonna be good and I hope to see you here.

Let's Experience God together in 2010!

Day 40 Not Easy........but Worth It!!

“urging them to stick with what they had begun to believe and not quit, making it clear to them that it wouldn't be easy: "Anyone signing up for the kingdom of God has to go through plenty of hard times." Acts 14:21-22

It was the night of my 19th birthday. I had just received Jesus as my savior. I was driving home that night and I remember saying to God with tears in my eyes “I know it’s going to be hard, but I know it will be worth it!”

The 15 min drive home felt like an eternity. I felt the Holy Spirit so strong that I cried the entire time. I realized from the beginning that Christianity would not be easy. I knew that following Christ would mean I would have to stop following my own desires. I remember counting the cost! I made a laundry list of things that needed to go! I made my decision, right there in the car. I would follow Christ through thick and thin, mountain and valley, victory and defeat – because in the end I knew “it will be worth it”!

It breaks my heart to see how many people lose faith in God when things get difficult. We must realize that hard times are not an excuse to fall away; rather they are an avenue for faith to grow. We must understand that faith grows! In order for God to grow faith in our hearts, sometimes He allows it to rain in our lives. Rain can be a wet, nasty, and difficult experience; but without rain nothing grows. In the Bible, God compares your faith to a mustard seed. A seed cannot grow without water and our faith cannot grow without rain. God is growing the faith of Higher Praise Church, so that we can believe even more that “it’s going to be worth it”! One day we will look back on this moment in time and thank God that He loved us enough to allow temporary despair to birth eternal growth!

Day 39 After God's Own Heart...

After Saul had ruled forty years, God removed him from office and put King David in his place, with this commendation: “I've searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He's a man whose heart beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him,” (Acts 13:22 The Message).

I love the way The Message bible portrays this scripture saying that David’s heart beats to the Lord’s heart. I honestly cannot wrap my mind around the entire concept. To have my own heart perfectly in rhythm with God’s most pure and holy heart seems unimaginable. Yet, God is searching the earth for believers who are trying to catch hold of this rhythm. Reading on in the rest of this scripture we find that David’s heart matched the Lord’s because he was willing to do whatever the Lord asked of him. When is the last time you heard the Lord ask you to do something for him? How did you respond?

I can think of many occasions in my life where God asked something of me. He’s constantly speaking to his church and asking us to move on his behalf. I believe God is looking for a body of believers who will not only be sensitive enough to hear God, but to be passionate enough to obey even when it hurts.

Right after Jeremy and I were married, we moved to Indianapolis, Indiana where he had been offered an accounting job. We were young and looking for a place of worship to call home. Both of us were raised in the Church of God of Prophecy denomination, so we sought out to find a local church in the area that fell under the same covering. After arriving late (because we were lost) we entered what I can only describe as an old brick building buried in the heart of the city. Upon entering, we quickly discovered that we were the only people under the age of 55 in the building! Not exactly what we pictured for our first home church as newlyweds. But God spoke and moved on our hearts that this was where he wanted us to be.

We served in that local church for a little over two years before accepting God’s call in our lives to move to Somerset and join the HPC family. But those two years were some of the most spiritually formative years of my life. There were nights that I cried myself to sleep asking God, “why on earth is this where you’ve called us?” And he would simply say back, “This is where I want you.” On the outside, my flesh could see no good in the situation. But God knew that we had much to learn in ministry, so he answered our prayers of speeding along the process by increasing the need for sacrifice on our end.

Looking back, I could go into numerous stories of God’s unfailing love and mercy that we received during that season of our lives. But to speed things along I’ll simply say this, “It was worth every minute!” We learned that by being obedient to the Father we were aligning our hearts with his heart and growing closer and closer to him daily. It came with a price of laying down our own desires for his, but the payoff was beyond anything I could ever imagine! Lessons learned that only come through hard times, perseverance, and learning to completely rely on God.

Today you can make a decision to live your life obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit. When he knocks on the door of your heart, open it wide and let him in! The more we allow him to enter in, the more he can change us and mold our hearts to his heart. My prayer is that as God searches the earth that he would stop and say, “There is Higher Praise Church! A church after my own heart…a congregation that will do whatever I ask of them.” I believe as we seek to follow God’s heart that a new sound will rise from our worship and we will find ourselves exchanging our sound for God’s sound.

My Prayer:
Jesus, today help me to be sensitive to your Holy Spirit. When you speak, give me courage to obey. When I see an easy way out, help me to take the challenging path where you can shape me into the person you want me to become. As I take that path, let my heart become one with yours. Let my life seek to bring you glory. Amen.

Don’t forget about service tonight at HPC @ 7:00pm CST. Let’s go after the heartbeat of God!

Day 38 - Your answer is waiting for you...

When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" 15"You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." 16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

There is so much going on in this passage! One thing that I find intriguing, but will not go into deeply is that when the servant girl came and told the group that Peter was at the door they thought it more plausible that it was his angel at the door. Most people view this statement as the group declaring just how implausible it was that Peter was at the door. But I tend to think of it exactly opposite. In that maybe encounters with angels were so common among the apostles that this was a rational and normal explanation of who was at the door! Wow!

Now that we have went down that irrelevant rabbit trail, lets look at what is going on in this passage. What we see is that this group had been praying for Peter’s release for quite some time and when Peter arrives they do not believe that God could have answered their prayers. Isn’t that the place that we often find ourselves in? I see believers (myself included) pray for God to do something miraculous in their lives and when he does they don’t believe it really happened. I knew an individual that had been praying for God’s healing in their body for quite some time. One day God healed them! And before they would believe that He actually did they went and got several opinions and tests from doctors! God hears all of our prayers. And unlike us, if we ask Him just one time, He remembers that prayer. Unfortunately we often don’t truly believe that God can and will answer our prayers.

Have you been praying for something for a long time? Maybe it’s a new job, a spouse, a financial blessing, or anything in between. Just because the answer doesn’t come delivered in the package you had preconceived it would doesn’t mean God didn’t answer the prayer. The new job might be doing something you don’t like! But that doesn’t mean God didn’t answer the prayer! And your answer may be waiting for you right outside the door!

Day 37 - You’re more than common

Acts 11: 9, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” Sometimes we just forget how precious the blood of Christ actually is. His blood that has been shed for our lives, covers all of our sins, the mistakes of the past, and allows us to have life and have it more abundantly. That just doesn’t sound common. It’s not common, it’s miraculous! The power of His blood has transformed our lives, causing old things to pass away, and all things to become new again. Because of the cleansing that is brought to us through His grace, we are all more than common.

Acts 11: 23-24 tells us, “When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

I know it can be hard to fathom, but we’ve got to see the grace of God. Grace is that of an ocean’s tide. As we stand on the shore, there is a tide of grace, that continually flows in and out, and all around us all day long, every day that we live. Though there may be times when you stumble and fall, trust in the Lord, renew your strength. Grace has the ability to make us glad, renew our hearts and allow us to continue the purposes of God. When we see the grace of God operating in our life, and realize that we are cleansed and more than common, it allows room for the Holy Spirit to work in our life. Keep pressing on everyday that you live, grow in grace, be cleansed by the Holy Spirit. Be glad in the Lord, because if you get this down, negative thoughts are transformed into positive thoughts. We live and walk in God’s grace so that His purposes may be accomplished in this earth, that many people can be added to the Lord! Remember everyday of your life, You’re more than common, because what God has cleansed, is not common!

He Fell Upon ALL!

Hello to all who reading this blog. I hope and pray that all is well with each of you. I am writing about scripture from Acts Chapter 10.

Many of us have seen others who seem to "have it all together," so to speak. They seem to be blessed by God and have the favor of God in their lives. I used to wonder, at times, and if I also could have God moving in my life and have the Holy Spirit moving upon me as I seen him move upon them. At times, to be honest, it felt like I was on the outside looking in and I wondered if this was me also. If we look at Acts chapter 10 we can see that God sees past things like nationality, gender, family background, and other differences and instead looks at those who he has cleansed and who call out to him in prayer! Cornelius we not a Jew but verse 2 states that he prayed to God always and gave generously to people. God was about to move for Cornelius and change his life.

In Acts 10 verses 10-16 the apostle Peter had an experience in which the Lord showed him that he should never call anyone common or unclean. He states this in verse 28. What a revelation! It would do many of us good to learn the same thing. We should know that God doesn't want us to look down on anyone because of race, gender, income, or any other factor. Thanks to God that when he saves and cleanses us by the blood of Jesus none of us are common or unclean in God's eyes, but we are his children! One of the most important things that I have ever learned in life that gives me strength in difficult moments is that Jesus loves me and I am special to him!

In verse 44 and 45 Jews and Gentiles who were gathered together hearing Peter speak all received the gift of the Holy Spirit and it astonished people that God poured out his spirit on Gentiles as well as Jews. If you have ever wondered if the gift of the Holy Spirit is for you then you can shout and rejoice in knowing that you are special to God and the Holy Spirit is for you and all who are called of God (Acts 2:39)!

I'm glad that God qualifies the called instead of calling the qualified. You don't have to feel like you're on the "outside looking in" but you are special in God's eyes and he wants you to have the Holy Spirit moving greatly in your life. I pray that he blesses each of you in a great way today.

Day 35 - Close Encounters of the "Godly" Kind

Acts 9: "3As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. 7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone."

If you have been in church for any amount of time, you are probably familiar with this passage of scripture and this particular event, often referred to as the "Damascus Road experience". Saul, (later called Paul), was heading to Damascus, along with his followers, in search of those who believed in Christ (who belonged to the "Way") in order to persecute and imprison them. Suddenly, a light appears, a voice is heard, and Saul and his companions are stopped, dead in their tracks.

In 1977, a movie was released entitled, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". It's a science fiction film, depicting the story of an Indiana electrical lineman whose life changes after he has an encounter with an unidentified flying object (UFO) (info per Wikipedia.com). I remember the front cover of the book, and it shows a bright light at the end of a highway. In the 70's, there was much talk about UFO's. There would be movies and books, telling the stories of different ones, claiming that they had actually seen an UFO. Had the event that Saul experienced happened in the 20th century, there would have been those who would have tried to explain it away as some unusual, scientific phenomenon.

Anytime someone has an experience that is out of the ordinary, there is going to be some type of after effect. For three days, Saul was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. Saul gets converted, and then goes on a three-day fast --- now that should inspire us more mature Christians. :) Scripture doesn't say if the men who were with Saul were converted, but for Saul, it changed his life! Saul immediately responded back "Lord". He knew he had experienced a Godly encounter!

There may be those who are waiting for that "Damascus Road experience". You may feel, that since you didn't hear a voice or see bright lights, you have not truly had a total conversion. Some of you may have felt very emotional at the time of your salvation; for others, it occurred much more quietly and subdued. Irregardless of how it transpired, an encounter with God occurred, and your life has never been the same.

Father, help us to seek you, to experience you in the fullness of your glory. May your light so shine that we become speechless in your presence. May those around us see and know, that 'we have been with You'. Amen.

Day 34- All That He Offers

¹⁴When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. ¹⁵When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into^[c] the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money ¹⁹and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

Acts 8:14-18

My heart is saddened right now to know so many preachers of the Word who find themselves struggling to feel God and churches full of people who feel the same way. I hear it from people that I talk to at least once a week. It wasn’t that long ago, when our own county saw 4 preachers resign from their positions on the same Sunday. It isn’t just preachers that experience this form of being disheartened, it is the same with any position in the church that leads the people.

I think so many churches today are struggling to find a better way. They are reaching out for something more and they are not sure how to get it. We cannot sit back and state that it isn’t happening to our preacher or in our church and therefore we have no responsibility for it. I pray daily for Christian people whom I have known a long time to finally experience everything God is offering them. The fact is that Higher Praise Church has been commissioned by God to minister to and pray for the Lake Cumberland Region. This means that the burdens of this region are our burdens. We must petition the Lord not only on behalf of those walking through our door,but also those we may never see as they walk through other church doors.

For so long now, many churches have rejected the power of the Holy Spirit. This is especially true in many areas of our region. You will notice in Acts 8:14-18 that the people first accepted the word of God and then they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, but they did not stop there. It goes on to say that they received the Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He proclaimed that He was leaving us with a helper. This helper was the Holy Spirit. You see, we were never meant to be able to make every decision on our own. We were never meant to know how to counsel everyone or what to pray for, all on our own. It is the Holy Spirit that can tell us things we would not know in the flesh. It is the Holy Spirit that can lead us down paths we would not choose on our own. It is the Holy Spirit that can lead us into unexpected times to share our testimony. It is the Holy Spirit that can give us the ability to pray to God in a spiritual language when we don’t know what to pray.

I think sometimes a church can become so desperate in knowing they need something more but not recognizing what it is, that they are actually willing to pay money to try and find it. They purchase the latest series, the best instruments, the newest curriculum, and they bring in the most original speakers. There is nothing wrong with doing these things if God leads you that way. The problem arises when we depend on these things to bring us into the presence of God. When that happens, we are missing the forest for the trees. The truth is that what we truly need has always been right there waiting on us to accept Him, and that is the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit enters a place of worship, it does not matter what else is going on because God will use everything and everyone in that room for His glory when we are open to such an experience.

The Holy Spirit will not force himself on anyone. He will not force himself into a heart or a church service. You have to be accepting of His presence in your life and in your gatherings. Allowing the Holy Spirit to move often requires us to lay aside our own agendas. Have you ever given someone a gift that you felt would really help them out? Did you find out later that they never opened the box? Do you think that is how Jesus feels when He knows He left us with such a special gift and we never open the box?

Perhaps you wonder why you hear so much about this lately or why some of us think it is so important that you understand things of the Spirit. Isn’t it enough to know the Word and operate in the Word? Isn’t it enough to have salvation? It is most assuredly wonderful and the most important thing to know the Word and to have salvation in our hearts. However,in today’s difficult times, it is most beneficial to take advantage of all that God has to offer us. It is enough to have a car that runs. A car that runs will still get you where you are going, but the ride is much easier if you have power steering. Right? Perhaps the heartfelt answer to that question would be, we feel it is important because some of us know that without the Holy Spirit we would have never made it this far. Without the Holy Spirit, there are times when I am not certain I would still be on the right side of this journey. Watching how God uses the Holy Spirit to guide me is like finding little gifts along the road every day. They are reminders that He is still with me. We have such a strong desire to see the Holy Spirit work in lives because accepting this helper that Jesus left for us will build you up. It will give you new strength in times when all you know to do is lay on the floor and pray in words only God understands. The intimacy with God that you walk away with after moments like these is something that cannot be fabricated, purchased, or created by man. It is because of our strong love for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that we pray for everyone to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit in their Christian walk.

Finally, when you can take those private moments into a group of like minded believers to experience a corporate time led by the Holy Spirit-well those are the moments when cities can be turned upside down, when denominational walls will fall, and when a lasting bond of love and unity will be built in their place. It isn’t so that spectators can comment on the strangeness of it all, but rather it is so that everyone in the midst of His presence can comment on the beauty of it all! It isn’t so that we can publicly make a show of what God has given us. It is so that several people can privately commune with God at the same time, in the same room; and only through God that which was separate can be made whole and transformed into one body worshiping and praising Him.

It’s time. It’s time that we follow the lead of those in Acts 8, turn away from that which the world offers to us with no lasting effects, and accept what the Lord has waiting for us. The time has come for us to be joined by the God we serve instead of being separated by the doctrine we have been taught. I believe a decision to both individually and corporately move towards God in this way could begin a revolution that will change churches from the inside out; not just on a hillside in Russell Springs but in every corner of our region! Let's make a decision together to be open to all that God has to offer to us as we continue to petition Him on behalf of HPC and the entire Lake Cumberland region!

Day 34- Out Of The Difficult Comes Action

^{In reading Acts 8, I found two sections that I felt like I needed to write about. For the sake of clarity, I will post them individually.}

⁹Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, ¹⁰and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." ¹¹They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. ¹²But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

Acts 8:9-13

Leading into this verse, Stephen had been stoned, others were arrested, and it would be safe to say they were living under difficult circumstances. Yet, it was the difficult circumstances in their lives that led many others to travel and spread the gospel to all they saw. In other words, normal, everyday people saw the importance in becoming Missionaries. Difficult circumstances often lead to desperation which often leads to action. Sometimes we may feel that God isn’t paying attention to our situation when in fact He has had His hand in it all along.

When I read this verse today, I think of Haiti. I think about all of those in Haiti who have spread their voodoo magic and astonished the people with such things for many years. The Christians have been the minority in Haiti, or so we thought. Suddenly, tragedy strikes and everything they know is turned upside down. In the midst of their suffering and death, God’s Hand is still writing on the wall of Haiti. The first thing He did was to show the world that there truly are Christians in Haiti who will praise God no matter what circumstances they find themselves in. People are now traveling to Haiti that would have never fathomed the thought before this tragedy. You see, difficult circumstances have led to desperation and finally to action. When God’s people get desperate, they will move in new ways. No,let me rephrase that. When God’s people get desperate enough, they will allow Him to move them in new ways. They will open up their hearts and minds, put down their own pen, and let God write the book. Just as the people saw a God greater than Simon in Acts 8, just as Simon himself saw a new way, the voodoo priests in Haiti and those who followed them are turning to a God that they once rejected.

Isn't it wonderful what God can do with a difficult situation?

Day 33 - Acts Chapter 7 - Rest

Acts Chapter 7 – Rest

Acts Chapter 7 is the only place in the Bible that we hear the story of Stephen, a man filled with the Holy Spirit. So, if somebody asked you to write a blog on Acts Chapter 7, you naturally would want to write the blog about Stephen. Although I would love to expound upon the revelation of Stephen’s life, I find myself being pulled to another revelation in this chapter and I pray through the power of the Holy Spirit you find strength in the words that follow.

Gen 2:3 “God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from His work of creation”. Wow, to think that God the maker of heaven and earth took a day OFF is fascinating. I don’t believe God needed this day to rest as much as He was trying to set an example for humanity that even God Himself takes time to rest.
Sometimes our lives are so busy that we forget to make time to rest. I truly believe we look over the importance of rest. Rest is a time of refueling; a time to calm your soul and reflect upon your actions, thoughts, and motivations. Rest is much more than sleep. Rest is NOT sitting in front of a TV. Have you ever had a long hard day and all you want to do is crash on the couch and watch TV and then you get up hours later feeling more tired then when you sat down? Why? Because TV is programmed to stimulate your mind and sitting in front of it makes your mind stimulated and your mind cannot rest, rather it works harder. True rest is finding the place of your origin, GOD HIMSELF, and allowing Him to carry your burdens. A man that does not rest will have nothing to give when it is required of him. Have you ever felt empty or have you ever felt like you didn’t have anything more to give? This feeling comes into our lives when we have not made time to rest.

So you might be thinking, what in the world does this have to do with Acts Chapter 7. Well, during the seventh chapter (seven being the number that represents rest or completion) of our devotional in the book of Acts, I believe God would remind us to put aside all of the hustle and bustle of our lives and find a place to be with Him and rest. I challenge you this day, make time to REST, so that you may have something to GIVE when the time it right.

Day 32 -No Time for Complaining!

Acts 6:1(NKJV) “Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint….”

Doesn’t that sound all too familiar? The moment God starts moving and new believers are being added to the kingdom, the devil starts to ruffle a few feathers. We’ve all been there. Someone said something that hurt your feelings, another person failed to give you the recognition you deserve…and all of the sudden rising from within you (myself included) comes the desire to COMPLAIN!

Webster’s dictionary defines a complaint as an expression of grief, pain, or dissatisfaction. So why do we complain? Typically a complaint stems from a lack of feeling loved, appreciated, valued, or respected. In Acts chapter 6, a complaint arose because two parties (the Grecian Jews and the Hebraic Jews) were arguing over the proper dispersion of food. One group felt that they were getting slighted. So, out of anger and hurt, they begin to complain that one group was being ‘favored’ over the other. Have you ever felt that way? Like someone else was getting what you deserved?

It’s so easy to get caught up in the ‘woe is me’ mentality. Pastor Eric mentioned something in this past Sunday’s message that stuck with me. He said, “It’s easy to find a reason to quit, but it’s harder to find a reason to stay.” Those words are so true, especially when you are hurt and feeling unloved. But as we grow in Christ, we must come to the understanding that we do not need man’s approval. We are living for God and God alone. He is our strength and a strong tower that we can run to. So when the world makes you feel alone and Satan tries to make you see all the bad in a situation, RISE UP! Don’t let Satan be a stumbling block to your destiny in God.

While it’s easy to sit back and complain, it’s a lot harder to give praise. We live in a society full of judgment and comparison. But thankfully, we serve a God full of love and compassion. A God who is gracious, slow to anger, and rich in love. Scripture states that, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). May God create in us a clean heart and renew within us a steadfast spirit.

Greater things are yet to come in the Lake Cumberland and Green River regions! Let’s keep lifting each other up as we go after God. I would like to end by sharing a few lyrics to a song that have been echoing in my heart the past few days:

For I’m in love with God, and God’s in love with me.
This is who I am, and this is who I’ll be.
That settles it! Completely!

Have a blessed Thursday and see you at HPC at 7:00pm CST ready to worship!

Day 30 – Not Education, But Experience

Hello Higher Praise, This is your Pastoral Intern Jason Hood. I’m the first guest blogger, here to encourage you during this last-half of our corporate 40 day Fast. Acts 4 is an amazing chapter, and there are many encouraging lessons that can be taken from it. What I’m about to share with you is a passage that has spoke volumes to me; I hope that you will allow it to bless your life.

Acts 4:13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they (Peter & John) had been with Jesus.

In Acts 4 Peter and John are captured due to preaching the gospel and performing a miracle. When questioned about their ministry (v.7), “By what power and what name have you done this?” Peter speaks by the power of the Holy Ghost, with boldness the name of Jesus, giving all the credit to Christ! How could one attain such boldness, especially in life changing situation? It wasn’t his education or his flattering speech; it was attained by having been with Jesus.

Boldness and courageousness comes from the experience of being with Jesus. We will all encounter tough situations when our faith will be put to the test, or even seasons of our life when absolutely everything seems to be going wrong. It is only through the experience of being with Jesus, hearing His voice, and knowing His word that will sustain us in those moments. If we choose not to be experienced in Him, we will learn a lot of lessons the hard way. We can either learn from the school of hard knocks, or we can learn from the school of the Holy Spirit! We must be with Jesus! And when we have, I believe that the light of our life will so shine that everywhere we go, the people around us will realize, “They have been with Jesus!” I say that as a family, we experience God, by being with Jesus.

Day 31 - You shouldn't speak of...

Acts 5:40...They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.


In this passage of scripture we find the apostles being flogged for preaching in the name of Jesus. Ironically, they just had been arrested the previous day for the same thing! Unbeknownst to the guards and seemingly everyone else, they were freed during the night by an angel of God.


Throughout their ministries the apostles are stoned, whipped, and left for dead for preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. Fast-forward to 2010 and depending on what part of the world you are in this may or may not be the reality that you live in. Christians in China and parts of the Middle East face this harsh reality every day-- that their testimony can and will cost them their lives.


Are we that far from a similar reality here in the United States? Believe it or not this type of persecution always begins with a "You shouldn't speak of..." That declaration should have a familiar ring to it. Our children are already being told they cannot proclaim the name of Christ. They are being told they cannot pray to their God in school. In many school systems children proclaim Christ at the risk of suspension. But alarmingly on the other side of this equation children of other religions are being told to express themselves in any way they deem fit. They are allowed to express their religion through their attire and their writing.

But there is an even more important theme at work here. And if we aren’t careful we will miss it. The apostles were arrested and flogged the previous day for the same supposed criminal act of preaching in the name of Christ. That very night God sends an angel that frees the men and commands them to go and preach in the temple complex. The penalty was another flogging. Just as he opened the jail cells for the apostles, He will always open the door for you to share with your co-workers and family. And if that door is shut He will open another. This is obvious, but what we tend to miss is that while God always opened the door, He did not always spare the apostles from the floggings. And He may not spare you from the ridicule or the verbal persecution of your peers. But your reward is not here on earth, but being stored in heaven. Luke 15:7 – 10 tells us that the angels of heaven rejoice when a sinner repents. 1 of only 5 events that scripture tells us the angels of heaven rejoice for! IT’S THAT IMPORTANT TO GOD AND HEAVEN!

Go and share the good news of Christ! You have the attention of heaven! And never forget that persecution always starts with a "You shouldn't speak of.."– But it always ends with God making a way for "You to speak of.."

Guest Bloggers Coming Soon!

The building project has moved into high gear and I find myself being stretched a bit thin as of late, but I want to keep encouraging you as we move forward through the last-half of our corporate 40-day Fast. So.... I have invited some friends to be guest bloggers over the next few weeks.

Right now you can access this blog via the link at the top of my personal blog: www.ericgilbert.net but beginning later this week you will be able to conveniently get to this site via: www.redeemthetime.org

Debuting tomorrow will be Jason Hood! Don't miss it as he shares a devotion from Acts 4.

Thanks for joining on this journey into the greater things of God!