Let it Snow!

As I sit today, looking out of this window, observing once again the majestic handiwork of our Amazing God, the wonderful snow that is falling brought to remembrance some promises from God's Word for me.  When I consider my own handiwork, and all the mistakes I've made in life, I could find myself battling through fits of depression and worthlessness.  After all, left to my own devices, I am, AT BEST, an utter and complete failure.  Paul even says in 1 Corintihians 15, that if our hope is only in this life, then we are of all men most miserable.  The best that I have to offer is somehow inadequate.  The Bible tells us that there is none good but God AND yet we are expected to go on to perfection.  If, on my own, I can not even measure up to the standard of "good", how can perfection be expected out of me?  Well, here's the hope - wait for it - you aren't expected to do it on your own - HE provides the help.

We bring to Him our stained, wretched, refuse of a life and He puts together the perfect recipe to make something beautiful out of it.  Have you ever watched someone make a cake?  Not one pretty ingredient out of the bunch - flour, eggs, vanilla, milk, cocoa, sugar (ok I'll give you that sugar can be pretty but I think it's only because we filter it through our sweet sensor).  Nothing pretty in the bunch.  And yet the amazing compilation a master baker can create will simply stupify our minds.

Jesus says "Come to me, all who labor and are heavily burdened down and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn of me - for my yoke is easy - my burden is light."

God says - "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Maybe you were perfect, never carried a heavy load, never had need of the cleansing power of God.  But I have and I did.  There's something amazing about the presence of God that allows us to go from scarlet to snow.  Our ability to be made white as snow comes from his willingness at Calvary to be made red like crimson.  Oh the blood of Jesus - Oh the blood of Jesus - Oh the blood of Jesus - that washes white as snow.  If you've never needed redemption, then you may not understand but for those who've lived imperfect lives -- you know -- there's nothing like turning it all over to Jesus and allowing the master to make something beautiful out of it.

And so when I see the snow, as I do right now, it serves as a reminder - that though I once was stained so deep, His blood has washed me clean and when He sees me, He sees what I see out my front window a blanket of white, where sins stains once were.  So --- I guess I need the reminder this morning - and maybe you do too - so I say "LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!" 

There's a song I love that's out right now, by a group called Pocket Full of Rocks (if you can believe that) that says "You can come as you are - with all your broken pieces - all your shameful scars - the pain you hold in your heart - Give it all to Jesus - for you can come as you are. . ."  If you are looking for redemption, if you are looking for peace of mind - you can come just like you are and find a Savior whose arms are open wide waiting to heal your brokenness and to give you a clean slate.

After all - that's why He came - why He was born - why He died - why He rose again - He knew that our best efforts weren't good enough ............... but His best effort was!

God bless you all - love all of you - just in case I don't write again before then - MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Celebrate the JOY of knowing HIM this season and all year through! ---- RP

Breaking Forth

Today - I began to think about the amazing presence of God.  Have you ever considered how truly amazing it is that the same God who created the universe, who spoke the world into existence, who called light out of darkness, who brought order out of chaos, who took nothing and made everything - that very same God comes to take up residence within the life of every believer?  This is absolutely amazing to me considering the amazing power of God and the frailty of humanity.  How are we able to contain the awesomeness of the presence of God?

Ironically enough, God was concerned about the same thing.  As Moses was about to go the top of Mount Sinai, God and he had a conversation.  He told Moses that he should set a boundary, a stopping point at the base of the mountain because should the people break through and ascend the mountain, the presence of God would break forth and the people would die.  After Moses descended the mountain with the law of God, to protect the people, God chose to house His amazing presence inside the tabernacle behind a thick curtain or veil allowing only one person, the high priest, access to His awesome power.  Hundreds of years go by and God's presence remained hidden, veiled, limited to only a few and yet man longed for intimacy with God, and God desired relationship with man.  Man did everything he could to get good enough, to somehow become holy enough to be worthy of God's presence, inventing laws and modifications of God's laws to insure that man remained "holy" in an effort to deserve the presence of God.  Religious groups were formed; Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and those were just the ones in Israel.  And no matter how hard they tried, they could not attain intimacy on their own - and God's presence remained veiled.

Then something amazing happened. . . this guy, an amazing sinless guy, one who had not been contaminated by the sin of this world, one who had actually come to the earth in the form of sinful man and had remained sinless, died on an awful instrument of torture - the cross.  And as he died, as he breathed his last breath, the veil, the 12 inch thick curtain, that had hidden the presence of God for so long was torn from top to bottom.  We were brought nigh unto God  by the blood of Christ, thus allowing all of us access to the presence of God, the very thing that God warned Moses would kill those who broke through to God and allowed His presence to break forth in their lives.

So why was I thinking about this today?  I think it just hit me - that my best attempts to be good enough, to be holy enough for God is an exercise in futility.  Although, I'm endeavoring to please God with my life and honestly desiring to make him happy, God's presence at work in my life is not contingent upon my ability to be good.  When He saved me from the clutches of sin, He supplied me with His Spirit, something so powerful that it gives me the ability to live a pleasing life for Him.  He proved that once and for all man's best attempts to get to Him were insufficient, but when the fulness of time had come, nothing could stop Him from breaking forth to us.  There was nothing we could do to get to Him, so He pursued us.  He came breaking thru every barrier to give you what you need to overcome every obstacle you face.

So today, I encourage you to allow the presence of God to break forth in your life and discover the greatness of a relationship, a relationship that He desires to have with you so much, that nothing, including religious tradition, could keep him from having with you.  God bless you - let's discover the nature of His amazing presence working in our life!

Hanging on to the Dream

Imagine you are one of 12 sons and a few daughters thrown in for good measure.  A big family with a great heritage, and a few really strange happenings as well.  Your family has big plans for the future and since birth you seem to have your Dad's favor.  When everyone else got K-Mart, you got Armani.  When your brothers ate Happy Meals, you got Steak.  While others worked the fields, you lay protected at home.  And your brothers grow angrier and angrier.  Now imagine that you've been sleeping, while they've been tending cattle and you walk into the kitchen, stretch your lanky arms out and with a big yawn say, "What ya'll been doing?"  Well with grunts and groans they inform you of what they think of your question and as they prepare to get back to work, you pipe up with, "Hey guys - I have a dream."

That's pretty much the story from the Bible of a man named Joseph.  Joseph shares his dream with his brothers (which probably wasn't the smartest thing he ever did), and explained how in his dream they were all going to be bowing down to him someday.  Well if they weren't angry enough, they certainly were boiling now.  Your dreams and your clothes and your preferred status put you in position few would want to be - in the crosshairs of 10 angry men.  They place him in a pit, fake his death, sell him into slavery aboard a transport to Egypt and are done with his dreams. . . or so they thought.

Joseph always amazed me - if anyone could have been fed up with God's dream in his life it was him.  Sold into slavery wasn't bad enough.  He digs out of the pit only to end up in prison accused of attempted rape.  Forgotten in prison, he still held on to the dream.  Finally the call from Pharoah comes and all of Joseph's dreaming and waiting pays off.  He is elevated to second in command of all Egypt and when famine hits, his brothers come and bow before him, fulfilling the dream he'd had so long ago as just a young teenager. 

God is great in that He births dreams within us, plans that He has for us that He gives us a glimpse of as we live our life for Him.  The only problem is that most of the time He doesn't reveal His schedule and how it relates to the dream.  He also doesn't share with us what it will take to bring that dream to reality.  He knows that if He showed us the complete picture, many would drop out of the dream fulfillment process and take an easier road BUT they would never fulfill the GREAT destiny that God had planned for them.  I wonder if Joseph would have so readily embraced the dream if he knew the price.  Nevertheless, if he does not embrace the dream of God, Israel as a nation probably dies of starvation before they ever become more than a single family. 

Habakkuk 2:3 says - "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

Just because it hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean that God has forgotten or you had a bad pizza.  It just means that the dream He's working on your behalf is not quite ready.  Like an amazing recipe, with all the ingredients, if one is missing, the completed product won't be as good.  So let the dream come to pass.  Don't give up, Don't give in.  Even if the path of the dream takes you through the pits and even into prison - it won't last forever - it is for an appointed time - God did not lie - wait for it - it will surely come!

I know it's been awhile.  I've been in a bit of desert place but I'm confident that He is bringing me out and through it all, the report of the Lord remains GREAT.  God bless you all - my wife keeps singing this song and so I close with its words - "Dream a dream if you dare to, dream a dream if you care to, dream a dream and prepare to see what the Father will do for you to make your dream come true. . ." Today I encourage you to hold on to your dream - the fulfillment is on the way!  Love you all!

The High Cost of Freedom

Today, I am profoundly afraid that many of my generation and those younger than I have lost touch with the true cost of Freedom. Freedom has been drilled into us as our birthright, our God-given right to live within the confines of Freedom. We take for granted the freedoms that we enjoy and we forget that their are so many who are not so fortunate. We walk through life assuming that so much of what we enjoy will always remain, even as each day those same freedoms are infringed on more and more. We no longer are truly appreciative nor respectful of the freedom that we have come to know and love. And when a generation loses touch with the value of it's freedom, can it truly be said that they still value it's cost.


Freedom is not, was not, and never will be FREE. It carries a steep price. I know that is cliche and yet because we have not for the most part been forced to step up to the check-out stand and foot the bill, we lessen it's true cost. Oh, we read about it in our history books, even as the intellectuals of our day, question their validity. Yes, we see books about it in our bookstores, alongside liberal interpretations of hatred spun at our men and women who are forced into impossible situations but serve the cause of freedom none-the-less. You see, my fear is that in our desire as a nation to remain politically correct and to promote freedom in every corner of our globe, there are some who use those freedoms to denigrate the price it took to purchase them. I fear that the country that we have become is a far cry from the beacon of liberty that our forefathers envisioned when they sat down and wrote the now famous words, "We the people of the United States. . .". We must now remind the next generation, our children, our children's children of the true cost of freedom, less they have a country that has returned to the shackles of servitude that our forefathers fought to free us from.

I'm reminded of the Children of Israel, having been delivered from the shackles of Egypt. They had a paid a great price in Egypt and yet, had grown to be a great nation. Upon leaving Egypt, with quite a display of the power of God, Moses insisted that they build memorials, altars really made of stone, as constant reminders to generations that would follow of what it took for them to be free of Egypt. Moses went on to say in Deuteronomy, referring to the laws of God and the history of the people of Israel, that parents were to constantly keep these things before their children's eyes. They should talk about them when they were in the street and when they got up in the morning and when they went to bed at night - less they forgot the Lord and His hand that had delivered them.

We are a nation of memorials. We have statues and buildings and sculptures in honor of the price that men and women paid for freedom. And unfortunately many times, because we've seen them so often, our familiarity breeds apathy and we fail to recognize or promote the true cost of freedom. Let this serve as a clarion call, a reminder to all of my generation, that when we see a memorial - that we stop and remember the cost of our fellow citizens to purchase the freedom that we so gladly and readily enjoy.

And as great as our political and personal freedom is - it pales in comparison to our spiritual freedom. Spiritually the Bible tells us that we were all dead in our sin. It tells that the just reward of our sin was death. It tells us that all of us are sinners and so therefore no matter who we are, we were shackled and enslaved to our sinful nature - and yet there was one who willing to pay the price of freedom - to set you and I free from spiritual death and eternal hell. It was a price that all of us were responsible for and yet He paid it on our behalf. When the cry that shook heaven and Earth from the top of Golgotha came from the soul of Jesus Christ, "IT IS FINISHED", the transaction was complete, the bill paid. He took upon himself the sin of humanity and was willing to do it because your freedom and my freedom was worth the price. Today, you can be free. You can live free from the sin of this world. Not because you have the power to do so, but simply because He paid the price for your freedom. That's why Paul could write, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away and behold all things have become new." Thank God that He was willing to pay the price for you & I.

I close once again with the words of a Gaither Vocal Band song, titled "Let Freedom Ring":

Deep within the heart has always known that there was freedom
Somehow breathed into the very soul alive
The prisoner, the powerless, the saved have always known it
There’s something that keeps reaching for the sky

Even life begins because a baby fights for freedom
And songs we love to sing have freedom’s theme
Some have walked through fire and flood to find a place of freedom
And some faced hell itself for freedom’s dream

Let freedom ring wherever minds know what it means to be in chains
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
We can be free and we can sing --- let freedom ring

God built freedom into every fiber of creation
And He meant for us to all be free and whole
When my Lord bought freedom with the blood of His redemption
His cross stamped pardon on my very soul

I’ll sing it out with every breath, I’ll let the whole world hear it
This hallelujah anthem of the free
That iron bars and heavy chains can never hold us captive
The Son has made us free and free indeed

Let freedom ring down through the ages from a hill called Calvary
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring

Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring

You can be free and you can sing --- let freedom ring --- let freedom ring

This Independence Day, take the time to remember the price of freedom. Thank God for men and women who have laid down their very life for our Independence. But more importantly breath a prayer of thanks, that there was a man who carried on His shoulders a cross that was weighed down by the sin of an entire race of people and He was willing to do it to break the chains of the curse of sin ONCE AND FOR ALL. . . If you haven't done so, find your Freedom in Christ Jesus today - and if you have, celebrate the fact that Jesus paid the price that you might be free.

Love everyone - Happy Independence Day - pass it on to your kids that freedom is not free - thank someone who paid the price - and pray everyday that God will continue to bless America! -- RP
(Re-published from July 2009)

Thanking God for an AMAZING Dad!

Last year, at about this time, I wrote my first blog entry.  (Feel free to take a look back if you'd like.)  The subject of my first entry was my hero, My Dad.  Over the last year, my opinion of my hero has been supersized.  My Dad is now a SUPERHero!

Superheroes don't come along everyday.  They aren't a dime-a-dozen.  They can't be found on every street corner.  The essence of heroism is an undefined quality that is not present in every person you see.  Few, when given opportunity to pay the price of heroism, do so.  It's a costly road - but my Dad is now a Superhero.

When I was growing up, there was nobody bigger than my Dad.  No one was stronger than my Dad.  No one was faster than my Dad.  No one was able to leap tall buildings with a single bound like my Dad.  But as great as my Dad was when I was a boy, he has risen to a stature in my eyes that few have ever gotten too.  That's right - Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Peter Parker, Tony Stark and Clyde Pavie.

Over the last year I've watched my Dad go from being a mild-mannered mechanic who loved his family and gave His best to God, to possessing a strength that supersedes muscular capabilities.  Over the last year, my Dad has watched his beloved wife be crippled by an insidious disease and when he could have been angry, frustrated, even mad at God, He has remained ever faithful.  When he's received news that would have rocked the core of nearly every other person I know, He has stood with tear-filled eyes and a faith-filled heart and in the face of the negative, remained a force for the positive.  As my mom's physical faculties continue to fail and as she's gone from being a strong independent woman to completely dependent for every moment, my Dad has become the care-giver, the bath-giver, the body-lifter, the nurse, the doctor, the whatever-my-wife-needs-to-sustain-her-life-for-the-next-moment provider.  When he needs a break, he won't take one.  When he should get away, he remains a constant at his post.  When others would walk away, he remains as faithful as the ticks of a clock.

While my mom has walked through this horrible time with this horrible disease, there have been three constants.  1)  Jesus Christ who is always with us.  2)  3 Sons who love her and have done the best we can for her.  3)  Clyde Pavie, an amazing husband, a wonderful father, and newly introduced SUPERHERO who continues to amaze me.  Dad - I was always proud of the way you provided for our family.  But now, your strength and your courage have left me humbled and completely in awe.  You are my SUPERHERO - the most Jesus-like man I've ever met.  I love you and I'm thankful to not only call you my hero - I'm thankful to call you MY DAD! ~ RP

Happy Mother's Day!

If you are blessed, as I am, to have an amazing Mom, you should take some time, not just at Mother's Day, but every day to be thankful for the tremendous gift you have been given.  Life is fleeting.  It is here today and gone tomorrow and the moments to learn and to grow from being in the presence of your Mother are not promised to last forever.  I've learned so much over the last few months, watching my mom deal with cancer and struggle through what has been emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting times.  She stays true to herself and to God who has given her so much joy over the years.  Finding her smiling and laughing when there's so little to laugh about has been one of my biggest joys.  To hear her say, "You might as well laugh as cry," makes my day.  Because I've realized through her example that you work on the things that you can do something about, and the ones you can't, you have to release to God and trust Him to make the difference.

Children learn so much from their mothers.  We rarely recognize the impact when we are learning the lessons, but their fingerprints on our life leave undeniable marks.  In honor of my mom, and all the things that she has taught me, I've decided to share a few of the many lessons she has taught me over the years:

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.  "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me THE POWER OF PRAYER.  "You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.  "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC.  "Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.  "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.  "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY.  "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.  "Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.  "Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.  "You are going to sit there until all that meatloaf is gone."
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.  "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.  "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.  "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about ENVY.  "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."
15. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.  "Just wait until your Dad gets home."
16. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.  "You are going to get it when you get home!"
17. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.  "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."
18. My mother taught me ESP.  "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
19. My mother taught me HUMOR.  "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
20. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.  "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
21. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.  "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
22. My mother taught me WISDOM.  "When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
23.  My mother taught me about PAIN.  "This is going to hurt me  more than it hurts you."
24.  My mother taught me about IMPOSSIBLE TASKS.  "You sit there and shut your mouth.  Do you hear what I am saying to you?  Answer me!"
25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE.  "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

So thanks Mom for all the wonderful lessons - some less painful than others.  The scary part is I find myself saying the same things to my kids from time to time.  So, if you've said any of these things, don't feel bad.  Someday your kids will grow up and share with the world in a blog about all the wonderful things you taught them.
 
In all seriousness, my mom is a true beacon of hope and inspiration that I draw strength from daily.  Throughout all of my life, I've learned to appreciate the good things, learn from the bad, trust God with all and to be thankful for the amazing family that God has surrounded me with.  Thank you Mom!  I love you with all my heart!

Living To Please God

Have you ever recognized, in your life, the need to be liked?  The drive to make everybody happy?  The seemingly unquenching desire to make sure that everyone is always pleased with you?  In the midst of that desire - have you come to the conclusion yet that no matter how hard you try, you can't please everybody?  You can't.  So many times we are consumed by what others think of us.  And the truth is that when we obsess about what others think about us, we can insure that we will forget what God thinks about us.   

One of the things that I believe has been my greatest struggle in life is overcoming my need to please.  I want everyone to always be happy with me.  I don't ever want to disappoint.  I don't ever want to let anyone down.  I am driven at times by a desire to make others happy with me.  Many times, if I'm being completely honest, I think that I'm more concerned about what others think of me than I am of what God thinks of me.  Maybe you are too.

At some point, we must come to the realization that no matter how hard we try, we can't please everyone.  But there is ONE who we can please.  I want to live me life in pursuit of the applause of heaven and no longer be concerned with the applause of men.  I want to know that the life I'm living in pleasing to God and HIM ALONE.  If you like me or you don't is of little value.  But if Jesus is pleased with me holds eternal consequence.  I want to live for an audience of ONE.  And at the end of the day, if I receive His applause, everyone else's will come or won't matter.

And so today - I want to encourage you.  Don't get caught in the traps laid before us, clammoring for man's approval and desirous of others applause.  Concern yourself with putting Jesus in His proper place in your life and live to please Him.  In so doing, you will insure that your relationship with Him becomes deeper and more fulfilling as you recognize the power of knowing what God truly thinks about You. 

I know it's been a while since I've posted (almost a month).  Just a few updates for you:  Please continue to pray for my mom - she's been undergoing treatements for cancer that was pretty wide spread.  I've been spending a lot of time with her and I can honestly say that everyday I'm encouraged by her wisdom, her strength and her undying love for Jesus Christ.  We serve a God who's able and we stand on His Word and seek His favor.  Thanks again for standing with us in faith.  God bless you - love all of you - let's aim to please Jesus and watch our life blossom and grow for Him!  Pray for Him today to regenerate your mind and allow you to have your mind transformed into His image. . . "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)

I'm living for the applause of God - if I receive a little of man's applause along the way, I guess that is just a byproduct of aiming to please Him!

Fact OR Truth?

I have always been a fan of courtroom drama.  I have read countless numbers of novels and books about our legal system. I have even had the opportunity on occasion to sit in court and watch the drama that is carried out every day.  My favorite television shows usually center around some part of the system of justice.  Our legal system in courtrooms across America has one aim and that is to present facts throughout the course of a trial in order that they might discover the truth.  But if you’ve observed for very long you will know that fact does not always equal truth.  Throughout every day in the courtroom there are men and women who will in all honesty present facts and then promptly turn those facts not into truth but into lies.  It never ceases to amaze me that two different people can have the same set of facts and come up with several different “truths”.  Why?  Because fact does not equate to truth.

Facts are simply the exact happenings of events that have taken place.  What can be scientifically proven to have occurred is a fact.  But a truth is so much more. It is what has actually occurred despite the facts. Once a truth has been realized there can be no doubt no matter what the facts say.  Let me show you what I mean:

Fact: Lazarus is dead.
Fact: He has been buried for 4 days.
Fact: By now he stinks.
Truth: Jesus is the resurrection and the life.


Fact: Jesus died at Calvary
Fact: He was buried in a borrowed tomb.
Fact: The stone was sealed with the governor’s seal to insure that grave robbers would not come and steal the body.
Truth: On the third day, early on Easter morning, the tomb is empty and today we serve a risen savior.


The fact of the matter is that every indication points to the fact that we are worthless, without hope, deserve judgment, and have no right to even approach the throne of God.  And yet the truth is we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, called out of darkness and into His marvelous light.


You see something happens when the facts come in contact with the word of God.  The facts no matter how grim or confusing can not stand under the weight of the truth.  Why? Because “thy word is truth. . .”


Fact:  You may be sick in your body.
Truth: By his stripes you are already healed.


Fact:  You may be racked with guilt over the mistakes of your past.
Truth: He has cast my iniquity into the sea and remembers it no more.


Fact:  You may be lonely without a friend in the world.
Truth: There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother and he will never leave you nor fosake you.


Fact:  You may be facing obstacles that you can’t overcome.
Truth: I serve a God who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all I can ask or think and I can do all things through Him.


Fact: You may be bound up, can’t move, can’t worship, can’t hardly make it.
Truth: The word says that the Truth will make you free. ---


The Fact is that that there are many different paths that people are on today. The Fact is that there are many different roads that lead to various places.  But the truth is this morning there is only one way to get to where you need to go. There is only one path. There is only one road.  Jesus said in John 14:6: “. . ."I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  Today, regardless of how bad the facts may say the situation is, regardless of what the reports may say, regardless of the conditions or the circumstances, you can count on God's truth to be greater than the facts.

To all of those who faithfully read, I say, once again, Thanks!  I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts with you all.  Please take a moment and say a prayer for my mom.  The facts say some pretty dreadful things. . . but the truth is, God is able.  I'm choosing to place my trust in the truth.  I hope you will too!  God bless you all - RP

How Great is our God!

I woke up this morning with alot of things running through my mind.  Worries, frustrations, fears, family situations, financial struggles, decisions that need to be made, on and on my mind running rampant.  So I decided to spend some time in prayer.  And as I began to pray, I kept hearing one thought over and over in my mind.  "How Great Is Your God!"  "How Great Is Your God!" 

The Heavens are His throne.  The Earth is His footstool.  He has storehouses for rain, snow, hail, even the waters of the deep.  His mercy is inexhaustable, it's renewed every morning.  His love never fails.  He hangs planets and stars on nothing.  He holds everything together by the words of His mouth.  His grace is Amazing.  His power knows no limits.  He knows everythings.  There's no place that He is not.  If we go to the heighest heights, He's there.  If we descend to the deepest depths, He's there.  Everything that exists, exists within Him.  He is not slack concerning His promises.  He cares for every bird, every flower and maintains knowledge of every single hair on our heads.  Nothing is too hard for Him.  How truly and amazingly great is our wonderful God!

In light of His greatness - I'm just gonna trust Him with my cares, my worries, my fears, and my struggles.  After all, if He can't handle it, then I have no hope.  But today my hope is in Christ!  I hope yours is as well!  Until next time - God Bless - Love you all!  - RP

Through the Storm

Into every life a little rain must fall.  Every one faces storms.  Even Winnie the Pooh had a blustery day.  Stuff happens to all of us.  Just.  Unjust.  Really doesn't matter which end of the spectrum you fall on, rain will fall on you.  Most of the time, as Christians, we pray for God to deliver us from the storm.  We sit on the bow of the ship of life and we wait for Jesus to step from the hull where He has obviously fallen asleep and scream with His divine vocal chords, "PEACE BE STILL."  And then our storm will turn and retreat from whence it came.  Isn't that what most of us expect?  But the truth falls somewhere short.

I only find a few times in scripture where Jesus delivered people from the storm.  Rarely do I find him saying, "Wind stop blowing, Lightning stop striking, Thunder be quiet, Rain - that's enough out of you as well."  More often than not, I find a Jesus who says, "I'll never leave you nor forsake you. . . I'm forever faithful . . . My grace is sufficient for you."  David - unfortunately I can't calm this storm.  Your child is sick and will die . . . but I'll be with you through the storm.  Jonah - this storm is bad and unfortunately you are going to be swallowed by a big fish - but I'll be with you in it's belly.  Paul - yes - the storm you are in is really bad and unfortuately this ship is going to fall apart.  BUT if you will hold on to a piece of wood, I'll be with you and deliver the whole crew.  Most of the time, we just have to go through the storm.

The Bible describes the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, as a Comforter.  If we never have to go through anything, why would we need a Comforter.  The Greek word for the Holy Spirit is "Paraclete" and it literally means "one who comes alongside to help."  I need His help more often than not, and I'm thankful that He is an abiding faithful friend who never turns His back. 

I would love it if He bailed out out of every storm.  I would love to see Him step up and say "Peace Be Still" everytime I faced something that was bigger than me.  But instead, I find that He gently reminds me that He is with me and that His grace will help me to make it through.  The Apostle Paul begged on numerous occasions that God would remove from him "a thorn in the flesh".  Whatever that thorn was, God's answer was "My grace is sufficient."  And then I really like what He tells Paul next, "for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  I have lots of weaknesses and so I've come to the conclusion that His grace is enough and He's got a lot off opportunity to perfect His strength in my life.

Until next time - thanks for continuing to read.  I love all of you - always remember that He may not pull you out but He will see you through!  -- RP

You Belong. . .

To belong. . . isn't that what we all really want? We want to know where we fit. We want to know what our place is. We want to be accepted and loved for who we are - no strings attached, no questions asked. We want to belong. Countless millions all over our world join groups, become members of organizations, join in activities and attempt to make friends all in an effort to BELONG. We want to belong. This morning I woke up with a thought and it has stewed around in my brain all day. Everyone of us want to belong - particularly we want to belong, to be a part of a family.

At birth, I was adopted into the Pavie family. My parents were told they could not have children and so in early 1971 they began making plans to adopt a child and in July, I was born and left the hospital as a Pavie. I've never met my biological parents, don't even know who they are, but I'm thankful that I belong in the Pavie Family. I was welcomed in and loved and cared for and that's where I belong. Two years later, my wonderful parents adopted a second boy, also at birth and three months later what doctors was impossible happened. My Mom became pregnant with her third son. Notice I said her third son. While it was her first biologically, we never knew any different because we were Pavie's - that's where we belonged. Adopted or born. . . it didn't matter - we were a part of the family.

When we come to know Jesus Christ - the same thing occurs. We were born into a family - a family of sin. We're a member there and that's who we are. But then a father steps on the scene. He loves us with an amazing love. His love is so perfect and so unconditional. Romans 5:8 tells us that ". . . God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." I thought today - before I was ever born, while technically I still was attached to another family, my Mom & Dad began to make preparations for me to be their son. They prepared a room. They bought baby clothes. They bought a crib. They bought diapers and bottles and all the things that they knew that I would need. They paid doctor's bills and lawyer's bills all in an effort so that I would belong to them. Jesus Christ came and while we were still attached to that other family - that sinful lifestyle - that old way of living - He died for us. He paid the necessary price to purchase us from that sinful lifestyle. He made the necessary preparations so that if we wanted, we could become a part of His family.

At some point, my Mom and Dad had to sign documentation to let all know that I had been granted the right of adoption, so that I was no longer a member of my biological family, but now I was a member of the Pavie family. That I had been endued and empowered as a member of the Pavie family and that bond went beyond the blood that flowed in my veins. Their love was not contingent upon my pedigree or my birth. Their love was a choice that they made. They choose to allow me to belong.

Romans 8:15 says, ". . . you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba Father'." I love that verse. It's for me indicative of my physical life, but more importantly my spiritual life. You see, because of my background, my pedigree, my lifestyle choices, I really did not belong in the family of God. . . and neither did you. His family is pure and holy and righteous -- all the things that I am not. BUT He grants me an adoption. He says, "I love you, even though you don't deserve it. I love you even though I don't have to. I love you even though you don't live up to my standards. I love you even though you are not my blood relation. And because I love you, I'm adopting you into the family of God. I'm granting all rights and privileges of an heir in my family. You are My own. And because you are, you have the right to cry out to me as My child - like you would your Daddy - and as a child would climb upon the lap of His father - you are welcome in My family."

I realized one day that my Mom & Dad did not have to love me. They had no biological, paternal or maternal obligation to me. They were not required by some sense of loyalty or patronage to show love toward me. They simply chose to love me, to care for me and to make me their own. They did for me what someone else could not. They chose to allow me to belong. . . and Jesus did as well. He chose to love us when we had done nothing to deserve it. He loved us, not because He had to but because He wanted to. Oh, how thankful I am to BELONG to the body of Christ!

And so - having been twice adopted - I feel especially loved and blessed today. I have a wonderful MOM & DAD who CHOSE to love me and I have an even more WONDERFUL GOD who died for me to show His love when I deserved nothing -- and He did the same for you! Oh how He loves you and me! Love all of you - thanks again for reading - It's great to know that we BELONG to such a wonderful family - the family of GOD!

Passion

Passion - it's used to describe everything. Passionate Romance - Passionate Desire - Passionate Hunger - even in some states there are laws that give leniency in sentencing for murder that is committed in the heat of passion. Passion drives us. Passion moves us. It motivates us to take action. As the children of God, we ought to be striving to be the most bright, most hot, most passionate people on planet Earth for the cause of Christ. God would rather have 1 man, utterly abandoned to passion for Him than 1000 great speakers or great leaders who are not sold out to His cause. The men who left their mark on the word are those who expanded God's kingdom and God's influence through their passionate pursuit of excellence in the kingdom of God.

What are you passionate about? What are you hungry for? What is the thing that you have an intense desire for? What is the thing that drives your to sacrifice? Passion to me is the fuel that ignites the fire of meaningfulness in my life. It is the force that drives my soul. It is the reason that I exist - the reason that I live. Passion should drive your life . . . it should drive you every day. What drives you? What moves you? What is it that gives your life purpose?

Passion has always been the difference between good and great. Today many will join and watch Peyton Manning and Drew Brees lead their teams into the Super Bowl. The reason these two gentleman are successful quarterbacks is more than their athletic ability, rather it is their passionate pursuit of preparation and execution and excellence. Ferdinand Foch, commander of the Allied Forces in World War II made the following statement: "The most powerful weapon on planet Earth is the human soul when it catches on fire." Stronger than any bomb, stronger than any tank - give me one man or woman who's driven, who's soul has caught a burning passion - and I'll show you a force that can't be stopped. D.L. Moody when asked why people showed up in parks and in out of the way places to hear him preach, he simply said, "I set myself on fire and people show up to watch me burn." Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision which has fed hungry children around the world since 1950 said, "My heart will be broken for the things that break the heart of God." What is it that motivates you to act? What is it that will force you to move beyond your comfort zone and respond to what needs to be done with passion and desire?

When I study the life of Christ, I hear the words of Jesus saying things like: "I seek not my own but the will of Him that sent me." "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done." A complete loss of self, He must increase, I must decrease. Jesus was driven by such a passion to fulfill His purpose, an earthly kingdom couldn't dissuade Him. His disciples couldn't deter Him. Other's plans couldn't turn Him around. He was passionately pursuing His ONE purpose, to redeem mankind by dying for their sin. When the disciples heard Him pray, He prayed with such passion. His passion drove Him to touch lepers, to heal blinded eyes, to stop funerals, and to raise paralytics. His passion was always causing Him to love those who needed loving, healing those who were hurting and ultimately reconciling those who were separated from Him by sin.

I want to passionately pursue the things that God has put in my life to accomplish. God's purpose for me is bigger than I can dream for myself and so I must passionately pursue to accomplish His greatest dreams for me.

I'm sorry if this is long today - but one last thing I'd like to share with you. I have carried this in my Bible for nearly 15 years. It is a statement from a missionary who had lost his entire family in a foreign land for trying to impact that world for the cause of Christ. It is simply called "My Commitment as a Christian." It states:

"I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit Power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me -- My banner will be clear!"

What is the source of your passion? Find it, get in the middle of it, and use it to drive you to accomplish great things for God. It's time to make an impact for His kingdom - let's pursue the things of God with reckless abandon and burning passion. Until next time - God Bless - love you all! -- RP

I'm A Worshipper, No Matter The Weather

Today, I sit in my living room, looking out the window as we yet another snow storm has blown into the area - this one predicted to bring record amounts of snow to our area. Amazingly, in my lifetime I don't remember so much snow over a two month period in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I'm sure there is some weather historian out there who can prove me wrong but certainly if there has been, I don't remember it. Watching the snow pour down, the inches beginning to pile up, and coming to the realization that we will not be able to have services again this week at our church, I began to think how thankful I am that my ability to worship Jesus Christ is not contingent upon the weather.

Many people are worshippers only when they attend a church service, but when I came to know Jesus Christ, I made a lifestyle decision to be a worshipper - regardless of where I am or what day of the week it is. Coming to that decision, it gives me great joy because I experience the presence of God, not just on Sunday, but whenever I give verbalization to the decision of my heart - by extending praise and worship to the one whom I've decided to live my life for. Thus my worship is not hemmed in by a building, by a church service, and certainly not by the weather. I can choose to worship the creator of the universe, regardless of my circumstances.

One of my favorite songs that we sing at our church is called "Blessed Be Your Name." The bridge of the song refers to the words of Job when it says, "You give and take away, You give and take away - Still my heart will choose to say, Blessed be Your Name." I love this part of the song because I truly believe that my worship of Jesus is not contingent upon my circumstances but rather on my decision to LOVE HIM, regardless of the weather in my life. Another song that I love is by Clint Brown, the chorus of which says, "Lord, I praise you. Lord, I glorify your name. Lord, I praise you. Lord, I glorify your name. And if the sun says I won't rise and dark clouds fill my skies - Lord, just know that I will always give you praise. And if troubles on the way, I will always say, no matter, come what may, I'll always give you praise." I truly want that to be the cry of my heart. No matter what comes into my life - I will worship Jesus Christ FOR He alone is worthy of my honor, my praise, my thanksgiving and my devotion.

So don't let the weather get you down. Don't allow the conditions that surround us to influence how we worship the God who lives within us. Choose to be a worshipper, no matter the weather!
Until next time - I'm so thankful for all of you who read - God bless and love you all!

Jump Start. . . Your Connection To God

Have you ever gone to your car, opened the door, put your key into the ignition, turned the key and. . . NehNehNehNehNehNothing. You try again . . . and . . . Nothing. It had plenty of power the last time you drove it. It didn't even hesitate the last time you turned the key. But now for some reason, some failed level of maintenance, has now placed your power source in a faulty position. What do you do? You pull out cables and you connect those cables to a different power source, usually the battery of a different vehicle, and you JUMP START your car.

Sometimes our connection with God seems to be disconnected. Sometimes it seems that we have no power source in our relationship. Why is that? Just as in your car, more than likely a disconnect takes place when some necessary maintenance has been neglected. Jesus says that His burden is light and His yoke is easy and yet many times it doesn't seem that way. The reason is because we're trying to live our Christian lives without the source of power. Relationship with Christ has always been about vertical connection. We've got to connect to Jesus Christ, the source of power in our life, if we are to be a strong, fulfilled, growing, effective Christian. Otherwise at best, we're simply turning the ignition and there's nothing happening. The car looks good on the outside. The engine has the ability to run. But without the source of power, it's nothing more than a beautiful machine in the driveway. BUT You were created to thrive. So it's time for a JUMP START. It's time to reconnect to the source of power.

How do we connect to God? I mean He's God! What possible way can we be connected to Him? I am convinced that there is really only one way to connect with God and that is through communication with Him.

Communication with God all begins with prayer. Do you take time to talk with God every day? When you do, do you just recite your needs to Him OR do you actually give Him a chance to have a conversation? If, when you spend time in prayer, you give Him a chance to talk back, He will. Maybe it's through His Word. Maybe it's through His Spirit. Maybe it's through a prompting of things to do. Whatever it is, if you will talk to Him and let Him talk back you will suddenly discover your relationship with Him has gone to a whole new level.

Another way that we connect with God is through praise and worship. They are not equivalent but they are dependant upon one another. Worship is a lifestyle. It's a decision to show forth the value of Jesus Christ in my life. And because worship Him, not for what He's done but because of who He is, it causes me to have outward expressions of praise and thanksgiving to God. When we sing wonderful songs of praise to Him, I feel compelled to lift my hands in worship to God. Sometimes I feel compelled to express my joy with tears. Sometimes I've even compelled to dance before the Lord. I don't do any of those things to bring recognition to me but rather to show forth the praises of HIM who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Amazingly when my connection is right with God and I am linked to the source of spiritual power, Jesus Christ, my relationships around me seem to work better as well. Similarly to your car, when the battery is not functioning properly none of the electrical system seems to work as well. Lights, Radio, dash board gauges, everything just seems to be in crisis mode. BUT when the power source is properly connected, everything works like it's supposed to. The same is true in my life. When I am vertically connected (between me and God), my horizontal connections (between me and others) all seem to work properly. But when I'm in need of a JUMP START, I usually find deficiencies in my relationships with others as well.

Take the challenge today - it's time to JUMP START your relationship with Jesus Christ. Maybe you should make a goal of spending 15 minutes a day trying to share with God and allowing Him to share with you in a time of prayer. Also - the next time you are in a Church Service, don't be afraid to express yourself in worship. Do something you wouldn't normally do to let God know that He is more valuable to you than anything else - including what others might think. You'd be surprise at the surge of power you will receive AND I'm convinced that it won't be long before you're no longer just a pretty machine on the showroom floor. Instead you are in the fast lane with your pedal to the floor MOVING FORWARD into the great things that HE has prepared for you.

Until Next Time - God bless you as you JUMP START your relationship with Him! -- RP

Light Your World!

A few years back, we were having one of those spring thunderstorms that rattles the windows of your house and makes your walls feel like they are about to come down. You know the ones where the thunder crashes and the lightening strikes and the dogs and cats go running under the couch or the bed. I remember we went to bed, tucked our son in and turned off all the lights. But at about 2 am, we lost electricity at our home. We discovered at that moment that there is a major difference between turning off the lights and being in the dark. Without the electricity, there was no night lights, no digital readouts on the alarm clocks, no flashing lights on the answering machine. . . it was completely dark. And then to top it off, my son lets out a blood curdling scream that to this day, just thinking about it, makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYYYYY -- it's dark in here." "No kidding, you're supposed to be asleep." But of course as every dad would do in that situation, after discovering that the flashlights are all just dead battery cases, I struck a match, lit a candle and like a knight on a white horse, I strode into my son's bedroom and with one solitary flame, I fought off the evil darkness. But of course 10 minutes later the light came back on and I was no longer needed --- all you parents out there can appreciate that.

Isn't it amazing at how bright one solitary flame can be in the midst of the darkness? Our world is filled with darkness right now. Moral failure by leaders - darkness. Economic collapse - darkness. Constant threat of terrorist attack - darkness. Divorce rate at an all time high - darkness. Stress and fear driving people to heart attacks and suicide - darkness. And yet we know from scripture that Jesus prophesied that all these things must come before He would return -- "As it was in the days of Noah. . ." and "As it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah . . . so shall it be. . ." when the Son of Man returns. And so we it sit at a time of unprecedented darkness AND YET we sit at a time of unprecedented opportunity. Because Jesus also said that we "are the light of the world." When it's at its darkest, the light is most effective. You may feel insignificant. You may feel that it's too dark to matter. But when it's darkest, your little candle, your little light, can force back the darkness and bring hope to our world.

And so today - my simple encouragement is this - Go light your world. Yes, I know it's dark. There are people everywhere with greater needs than ever before. It's up to you and eye to bring hope to the hopeless, the bring healing to the hurting, to bring help to the helpless, to bring liberty to those who are bound, and yes to bring light to those who are in the dark. The darkness is EVERYWHERE --- and we who know Jesus Christ, need to step out into the darkness and bring the light.

There's an old Sunday School song - maybe you know it. It says, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine." One verse says, "Hide it under a bushel - OH NO - I'm gonna let it shine." Another says, "Won't let Satan blow it out - I'm gonna let it shine." One thing I know - it only takes a small spark to begin a great blaze. Why don't we make up our mind to let our light shine, to not hide it, and if we'll do our part to shine in the darkness, Satan or nobody else will be able to ever put out the blaze that will have begun. It's time to SHINE!

Until next time - make a difference in your world by letting your simple light to shine. You don't have to do anything supernatural - you just need to be who God created you to be and His love and His light will shine through! God bless you all - thank for reading. I'm ready to fight off the darkness - How about you? --- RP

Connected -- Are you really plugged into God?

Today, as I looked at my Facebook page, I realized that I am "connected" to a lot of people. I have nearly 800 "friends" and almost 240 blog followers . . . and yet there are a lot of times that I feel completely alone. Do you find it ironic that we are more "connected" as a society than we've ever been and yet many would admit that they struggle with feelings of loneliness? I mean we have e-mail, cell phones, home phones, work phones, e-mail on the phone, social networking sites, ichat, instant messaging, text messaging, blogs, video chats, etc. I've been amazed recently by my son's new Xbox system. He can play games on his system which is wirelessly connected to our internet service against people from all over the country. Not only can he play with them, but he now has a head set that the internet connection allows him to talk with his friends who he's playing with over the internet. I walk in and he's playing a game while talking with his friends who are playing the same game and are being represented by characters on my television screen. We are truly living in a connected world. Why then do we feel alone?

As connected as we are, we still need intimate interactions with others to feel complete. It's not enough to just get emails and text messages to feel like we belong. Rather, we need to be involved in the lives of others to shun the feelings of isolation. God created man and He understood our needs for connections - after all, His observation of Adam caused Him to realize that "It is not good that man is alone. . ." And thus He created woman, and all the men are so glad that He did.

Spiritually we are desperate for connection as well. Some people go through learning about God, hearing good messages, knowing all the stories, reading good books, listening to songs about God, even telling others about God. But at the end of the day, spiritual completeness occurs only when we are connected to God. We need intimate connection with God to discover how great He wants to be in our lives. The Bible tells us that He "will never leave us nor forsake us", so we know that God is always there. And yet there are moments that we wonder where He is. Where does the break down occur? It occurs, not because He's not there, but rather because we are not tuned in and are not aware of His presence.

Whenever I feel disconnected from God, I don't have to look very far to discover where the break down has occurred. Without fail, my lack of connection can always be rectified by working on my communication with God. When I focus on my prayer life, enjoy my time in praise and lose myself in worship, I soon will discover that the severed connection is fixed. That's why it's so important that we spend time in prayer everyday. That why our lives must be lived in worship of Jesus Christ. That why, with every opportunity, we must express ourselves in praise to our Great God. There's nothing like being connected to God.

We can have every possible connecting device but if we aren't intimately connected to those closest to us, we feel alone. Similarly we can know everything there is to know about Jesus, but if we don't maintain intimate connection with Jesus Christ, spiritually we will feel isolated, and we will not experience growth. It's time to place our focus on those things that matter most - maintaining our connection to God through prayer, praise and worship. Let's live a life of connection -- with God and with our fellow man -- and we will experience spritual growth and we will feel socially complete. Until next time - let's get connected! -- Love all of you -- RP