SOMETHING IS MISSING

Quotes:
"Illusion is needed to hide the emptiness within." -Aurthur Erickson

"The beginning of love is a horror of emptiness." -Robert Bly

Scriptures:
"Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." -John 4:13,14

"The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family." -Acts 16:34

Recently I came across a story in the ESPN golf magazine about a long time successful pro golfer Bernhard Langer. This is an excerpt from his life story found on his personal website: "That year I won seven tournaments in five continents. I was ranked number one in the world, I had a beautiful, young wife, and had achieved everything that I could have ever dreamed of. The problem was that there was still something missing." Langer, who considered himself a Christian at the time, went on to say that one night at a PGA Tour Bible study he heard that in order to be saved he needed to be born again (John 3). He did not understand what this meant...he was 28 how was he gonna be born again. The minister explain to him the message of Jesus Christ. "He told me that every one of us is separated from the perfect and holy God because of our imperfection and sinfulness. He went on to say that many religious people think they can overcome this problem by doing lots of good deeds for God but no one is so good that they can save themselves and no one is so bad that God can’t save them. The reason that Jesus Christ came to earth was to pay the penalty for our sins so we would not have to be separated from God forever." After hearing this he realized what was missing: A real relationship with Jesus Christ! He had been trying to fill the void in his heart with success, money, career, possessions, fame, good deeds, and even family. But at the end of the day when he had all of these things he was still empty. He soon found the missing piece in his life and gave his heart and life to the Lord Jesus. Maybe you are empty today...maybe there is something missing in you! Can I tell you that the fill for that void is a relationship with Jesus. To walk closely with him, to know him, to live for him. He died on the cross so that we, includes you, could have eternal life and also the abundant life here on earth. This does not mean we will not have difficulty in this world as his follower, but It means that he will be with us every step of the way. Decide today to follow him! He is what is missing. He loves you and he is calling your name. Follow him. God Bless you.
-Cam
bernhardlangerstory.com

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Quotes:
"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." -Flora Whittemore

"Some choices we live not only once but a thousand times over, remembering them for the rest of our lives." -Richard Bach

"You don't get to choose how you're going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you're going to live." -Joan Baez

Scriptures:
"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14,15)

"At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her." (Ruth 1:14)

"Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh...." (Jonah 3:3a)

"Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, 'That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.'" (Acts 24:24,25)


The video above is a highlight from the okc thunder-la lakers playoff game. What an awesome series the underdog thunder played against the reigning NBA champs! I wanted to use this highlight to emphasize the power decisions play in the outcome of our lives. With time winding down Mr. Kobe Bryant, a notorious clutch shooter, dribbles down the court and misses the final shot. All the Thunder needed to do in order to win the game is get the rebound. I pause here to say that one bad decision can negate a lifetime of good decisions. The Okc Thunder had played a great game but did not box out one time and it cost them the game/series. I want you to be aware of how important the decisions you make this week will be. Some of us are putting off decisions that could cost us, some of us are stuck in bad decisions. Either way this life we are living is a life of decisions. A great sign of maturity is when we begin to make the right decision where we have always seemed to make the wrong one. Grow up for life is waiting and destiny hangs in the balance. Jesus loves you!
-Cam

Focus

Quotes:
"Lose not thyself in a far off time seize the moment that is thine."
-Johann Friedrich Von Schiller

"Only when your consciousness is totally focused on the moment you are in can you receive whatever gift, lesson, or delight that moment has to offer."
-Barbara de Angelis

"The first rule of focus is 'Wherever you are be there."
-Anonymous

"You can't depend on your judgement when your imagination is out of focus."
-Mark Twain

Scriptures:
Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?"
"A staff," he replied. The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it."
-Exodus 4:2,3

"Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.....Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground."
-1 Samuel 17:40,49)

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save...."
-Zephaniah 3:17a

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light."
-Matthew 6:22

"He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness."
-Matthew 10:1

This past weekend I had a great experience with the Lord. I began to think of all that used to be in my life and ministry. I also began to think of all that I didn't have in my life and ministry. This can be a discouraging thought for us: "all that used to be and all that we do not have." At that moment God impressed upon me that life isn't about what we HAD or what we DON'T HAVE, it is about what we have! He used Moses' staff to perform the miraculous, he used David's sling to slay the giant, and he used the willingness of his disciples to GO to drive out demons, heal the sick, and bring a message of hope to the hopeless. What I am trying to say is "Stop looking at all that has been lost and focus on what is your hand." When combined with faith and God's power it makes all the difference. When your focus is on your God who is mighty to save then all things are possible! Focus...the victory belongs to God's people!

Believe

Quotes:
"Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted in spite of your changing moods." -C.S. Lewis

"Faith is not belief. Belief is passive. Faith is active." -Edith Hamilton

"Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God, whose ways you may not understand at the time...." -Oswald Chambers

"The root of all difficulties is a lack of the sense of the presence of God."
-Emmett Fox

Scriptures:
"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." (John 20:19-20)

"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
(Hebrews 11:1)

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead."
(James 2:17)

I have been thinking alot lately about dealing with doubt. What is faith? Is having passing thoughts of doubt, normal? Is it sin? The more I have prayed and studied the scriptures about it I have come to the realization that passing doubts and struggling with your faith is not only a normal occurrence but it is a natural occurrence. Our minds are built to think and reason....let's face it sometimes following an unseen entity (JESUS) feels a little strange. A little unnatural. But faith is far beyond a feeling...it is a commitment birthed out of an experience/experiences with the LIVING God. The cure for these doubts is an experience with a LIVING God. Great faith is birthed out of these experiences. Seek him this week and he will come and stand among you to bring you peace.(John 19:19,20)

-Cam

Hope at Last!

Keep hitting 'em big fella! Can't help but be hopeful that the braves can make a run this year. Good starting pitching, solid line up, veteran bullpen, and of course "THE KID." 20 years old and compared to Pujols...a reason to get excited. Bobby Cox is even in awe of this guy and he has been around long enough to see a thing or two. Hopefully Heyward is not the second coming of Andruw Jones who had similar hype but very little lasting character to carry the Braves anywhere. Hopefully Jason can put together a great year and there will be a reason for hope post Bobby Cox era. Geez....Bobby Cox looks so excited about him that he may stick around for a few more. Take us home Jason!

I Do

Quotes:
"Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry."
-Tom Mullen
"Marriage is the alliance of two people, one of whom never remembers bithdays and the other never forgets them."
-Ogden Nash
"What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how much you deal with incompatability."
-Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

Scriptures:
"Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; so she will be called woman, for she was taken out of man.' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."
-Genesis 2:22-24 (NIV)

"Commit your way to the Lord...."
-Psalms 37:5a (NIV)

"The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had it's foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell with a great crash."
-Matthew 7:25-27 (NIV)

"For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her"
-Ephesians 5:23-25 (NIV)

Today is my two year anniversary to the love of my life and best friend. I recognize that I am nowhere near being a good enough spouse to lecture anybody about marriage but none the less I feel inspired to call the people of God to a close Godly relationship with their spouse. If there is one thing I know about marriage it is that there is great attack upon it in our society today. Marriages are falling apart all around us and it just seems okay. As you read above in Genesis the idea of marriage was God's. It is not coincidental that man longs for a woman or that a woman longs to be with a man. It was God's idea...he created it and if he created it then he can maintain it. A marriage built on the rock can hold. Commit your way to the Lord and your marriage can prosper! God promises us that. I know that it isn't always easy but Jesus can complete the work he started in your marriage. Decide today, as you can control, to love your wife or husband and submit....in these things you will both discover the plan of God for your marriage and house...STRONG!