RESPECT J.C.

Last month, I was telling a customer goodbye at work and shook his hand, and told him to have a blessed and wonderful Christmas, and he turned to look at me, and told me to have the same and then told  me to "Don't Let Your Powder Get Wet!!" At first, I didn't know what it meant, and was asking some men around work, and none of them knew either. I was thinking crazy like it meant that he was a drug dealer and that it meant not to let your little white powder wet before you take it, and I was way off with this one.

Finally, one young man told me he thought that it came from back in the early wars, that it meant that officers would go around to all of the soldiers screaming for them not to let their powder get wet. Becuase if ther gun powder got wet, their gun would not fire!! I confirmed this by googling the phrase.  The Holy Spirit really hit me hard with that phrase, that that is what is going on today!! Too many churches are not preaching to the soldiers of God that powerful message, and too many and too much of the Holy Spirits power and Word is getting watered down, and God's army is not ready to fire, and that most can't even ignite!!

It is time for us, not only in the Spiritual realm to keep our powder dry, but in the physical realm also.  I mean, I see it in business today, that so many and so much of this younger generation coming up, does not know how to earn a good living, that they think that it should be handed to them without hard work, and expect it from their employer, just as the church expects that it should be handled by the pastor, and the power (desire) in each of us is lacking to a point of just let the others handle it, we can get by, while God's army is dwindling away.

We need to make sure that our powder is kept dry, so that when we are confronted with the enemy, we are ready to ignite the Fire and Power of God, to withstand against what is being brought against us. This cannot be done, by thinking that others are going to handle it, it has to be done by the preparation of each of God's soldier. The battle against us is getting bigger and bigger each day as the return of our Father is approaching, and we need to be the "Watchmen", ready and able to know when it is time to "light up" and fire against the enemy, while protecting ourselves. Wet Powder or Watered Down Word, Will Not Get It Done!!! Prepare yourself,as the holder of the powder, being strong in the Word and in the Lord, and be the powder holder that will not allow the powder to get wet!!

Have a blessed day in the Lord!!!       

   2 Timothy 4:2
Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

     Proverbs 21:31 
The horse is prepared for the day of battle,but the victory belongs to the Lord.

      Ezekiel 38:7 
“Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them.
                                            

Wanted to share about last weekend's visit to the prison for women. We ended up worshipping with over 130 ladies in two services. God showed up and showed out. The Holy Spirit moved in ways that we wasn't expecting, but we praise God for the movement. We know and saw that lives were changed, and know that God is going to continue to watch over His children no matter where they are. Behind physical bars or mental bars, God is there to take care of the need they have. Thank you for your prayers during this time, and as we prepare to return.

In His Grip and Loving It,

Jeff

Good Columbus Day to everyone!! Let's take this opportunity to search and discover who our Christ is, and how more we can  serve him!!

To God Be The Glory

Today is a wonderful day in my life, and in the life of my family. Today is the fifth anniversary of the date that I received my fourth kidney transplant since I graduated in 1981.  The doctors told me I would never receive a fourth one, but my God had other plans. As He shared with me six weeks before the phone call from UAB came, in the song I heard playing while I was parked at the lake during my prayer time from the group 4HIM, "I'm the Promise, and I'm on my way".

Six weeks later, "The Promise Came". You see God promises us that "By His Stripes We Are Healed!" It doesn't say maybe, or might be, but we ARE healed.

I have written this little tid bit as a pre-curser to those family and friends on Facebook and those who are on my prayer list, who I have linked this blog to, because I want them to read the two stories following this blog , "I Will Rise", and "Overcomers", because I want to be able to share with them what God has been doing in my life for the past 28 years since high school, and hope and pray that someone who reads this, that if they have given up hope of overcoming anything in their life that may be pressing them down or holding them back, that they can read this and overcome it by the Blood of the Lamb, and the Word of their testimony, and just give it to God. And if there is something that I can pray for you about, or with you about, just let me know, because I personally know what God can do through the power of prayer!!

Be blessed my family and friends, and I pray blessings upon each of you that read this, and the other two blogs, that something, maybe just something, will be what you needed to hear today.

In His Grip and Loving It,

Jeff

Also, be in prayer for me, because I know that God and other people have been wanting me to write a book about what has happened in my life, to be able to share my story with others, and share the hope they can have in Jesus Christ also.

Leave comments and let me know what you think, or maybe your prayer requests, I do truly love you guys in the Lord!!

I like when the Word of God talks about in the book of Revelation when it speaks of "being overcomers by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony".

I know what God has done for me over the past 30 years after being diagnosed with kidney failure and through the four kidney transplants, I know that God has given me a testimony to share. I know that things have been tossed upon me, and through God's help and salvation from Jesus, I have been able to shake it off and rise above those things, and testify to what God has done.

I look at it like the old farmers tale we have all heard. A farmer's mule had fallen into an old abandoned well, and the farmer could not get him out, so he called all the neighbors over to bring their shovels and just fill in the well with the mule in it. As they began to toss dirt in the well, the mule became agitated and wasn't going to accept the fact that he was going to be buried alive, so he shook the dirt off his back each time it was shoveled down. And as he did this, he began to us the dirt shaken off, to step up. After several hours, the mule walked away, knowing that he overcome everything that was being thrown at him.

That is how our walk with Christ should be. Whatever is thrown at us, we should get agitated, not take it, and shake it off with the power of the Holy Spirit, and step UP! Rise Above!! and and walk away, giving glory to God for what He has done!!

Chris Tomlin's song says, " I will rise, when He calls my name. No more sorrow, no more shame. I will rise on eagle's wings, before my God, fall on my knees, and rise!! I will Rise" 

Get on your knees and rise before God, giving Him glory and giving Him it all!! Sometimes we have to fall, in order to stand.

Be Blessed!!!!

Good evening.

I had a blessed weekend this past weekend, as we were able to go and share with my nephew his graduation from Masters Commission. What a glorious event it was, as both the morning service and the graduation ceremony was held and presented by the students of Masters Commission.  The worship was wonderful, and one of the songs that they sang was called "Overcome", which was written by Jon Egan, and recorded by the Desperation Band. It hit my heart real strong, because it was something that was being laid on my heart by God to speak at the Women's Prison next month. About we too, are to become "Overcomers". Revelations 12:11(NIV)--They overcame him by the blood fo the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.

I know what God has done in my life and the life of my family, causes us to want to testify to how great and awesome our God is, but yet I see some churches that are not reaching out and allowing them to be placed in situations where God can use them, and create a testimony in their life. Those who sit on their pews and worry about what is taking place inside the four walls of their own church is missing out on what God has in store for them, out in the REAL WORLD. I know that God has placed us in many situations, that we have been able to testify, and yes, don't get me wrong, some of them have taken place inside the four walls of the church, but 99% of what God has done in our lives, has been outside of the church, where the REAL church is. God's "Great Commission" was to GO!!! And I guess the sad part about it all is when, churches are approached to go and help and be able to be put in a situation where you can be used by God, and be able to testify to what He has done, they don't go through the door that has been opened. A pastor speaks of that testimonies are stepping stones or building blocks of the future, but when you can't get to the door to open it, it won't ever happen. Great and wonderful things do happen in church, but great and wonderful things happen outside of church also. 

Have you ever gone to feed the homeless and share the Word with them, or just to go help and clean a small church that just needs a little love and support? Try it and you just might see what God can use in this situation. Or even go to a place where parents stay while their kids are in the hospital. We have, and God showed up and showed out, and because of that special moment, a lasting friendship was made and God allowed the testimony that came forth from that situation to carry a family through hard times, and even today, as God healed their infant son, and they even remember that "Blood of the Lamb" that was shed for the healing of their child, and that by the "Word of their Testimony" they have been able to share to others, that they have overcame, just as Jesus did for each of us.

Open the Door--Walk outside--and visit the church that God intended for us to reach!!

I know what a difference it has made in my life, as I have been overcome by the Blood of the Lamb, and being able to share the Word of my Testimony so that others can know the power of Jesus Christ--the Love of Jesus Christ--the authority of Jesus Christ--and every Victory of Jesus Christ--You may never know who may be listening or watching, and may be able to overcome by "The Blood of the Lamb and the Word of their Testimony".

Be blessed,

Jeff

Revival? What is True Revival? 19 Apr 2005 

When Revival comes to your church, how do you accept it? Do you take what the evangelist has to say while he is there, and then when he leaves, is Revival still going on, or is it gone?
What does the Bible say about revival?
Nehemiah 2:17-18--Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me.
Spiritual revival starts with a vision, and Nehemiah had this vision. And he was excited about it and he shared it with Jerusalem's leaders to rebuild the walls and they became inspired. We frequently underestimate people and don't challenge them with our dreams for God's work in the world. When God plants an idea in your mind to accomplish something for him, share it with others and trust the Holy Spirit to impress them with similar thoughts. Don't regard yourself as the only one through whom God is working. Often God uses one person to express the vision and others to turn it into reality. When you encourage and inspire others, you put teamwork into action to accomplish God's goals.
This is what an evangelist does that comes to your church during revival. God has given him the vision for what needs to be said and to be done for that church he is going to be speaking at. He already knows ahead of time the needs of the church, and its situation where it stands with Almighty God. And he begins to share these visions with the congregation, and then it is up to the Holy Spirit to convict the congregation of what they are doing or not doing for God's kingdom. As the evangelist continues each night to express what God has laid on his heart, more and more people are going to realize whether they are on the right page or not! And when everyone realizes, through the Holy Spirit, not self, and not the evangelist, that they are on the right page or need to get on the right page, then the teamwork part begins in the church. I am blessed to be in a church that this is the vision that is given to our pastor every service. He makes sure that we, through the convicting of the Holy Spirit, are where we need to be daily with our walk with Christ. These are things that are supposed to be taking places in churches everyday, not just when revival comes to town. These are the last days, and the Bible tells us that in the last days, God's Spirit will be pouring out on all of us to receive, in bountiful amounts! And we have to be in a position to receive it. Our lives need to be as such that when the Spirit blows upon us, we recognize it and are ready to receive it. I like the comparison of the Holy Spirit to the wind. Wind blows from high pressure to low pressure, to the point of weakest resistance. That is what the Holy Spirit also does. He blows from our highest point to our lowest point, to our point of weakest resistance, and it is then that we feel the Holy Spirit in our life. Have you got down to your lowest point, to the place of least resistance to receive what the Holy Spirit has to bring to you?
2 Chronicles 31:20-21--This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
Because Hezekiah did "what was good and right and faithful before the Lord," he led the people of Judah in spiritual revival. His actions serve as a model of renewal for us:
1. he remembered God's compassion
2. he kept going despite ridicule
3. he aggressively removed evil influences from his life
4. he interceded for the people, asking for the Lord's pardon
5. he was open to spontaneity in worship
6. he contributed generously to God's work.
If any of these are lacking in your life, consider how they might apply, and renew your commitment to God.
When Peter, James and John witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain, Luke 9:28-35, they experienced a wonderful moment, and they didn't want to leave. Sometimes we too have such an inspiring experience that we want to stay where we are--away from the reality and problems of our daily lives. Knowing that struggles await us in the valley encourages us to linger on the mountaintop. Yet staying on top of a mountain prohibits our ministering to others. Instead of becoming spiritual giants, we would soon become dwarfed by our self-centeredness. We need times of retreat and revival, but only so we can return to minister to the world. Our faith must make sense off the mountain as well as on it.
So what happens to you after revival? Are you still on that mountaintop, reveling in the experience you had, or are you coming off that mountain top, still reveling in the experience you had, and ready to share it with others who need it.
The Lord knows that there are people hurting everywhere in our cities, communities, and towns. And when He sends a revival to a church, He doesn't expect them to just sit on it and leave it as an experience for them only to share, He expects them to carry it on into the world, not just the week after, but 365 days a year and 366 in leap year. So where are you at?
And one last question, and this is to all pastors. When revival hits your church, are you equipped and prepared to handle it, and equipped and prepared to follow through with what God wants you to do with it?
In His Grip,
Jeff
(scripture references and commentary references are from the Life Application Bible, NIV)

I can't believe I let the whole month of April slide by without sharing.  God has been speaking to me about a lot of things, just haven't had time, with work and all, to sit down and share. Got to thinking about something the other day when I was riding to work. The area I live in is a real beautiful area, and I go past some falls, that you can't see from the road, but you know they are there, and are beautiful. Kind of like your relationship with Jesus, you can't physically see him personally, but You can see what and who He is, by the things around you. But in this big curve before you get to the falls, is a beautiful fence that surrounds the property. It has been fixed several times, where people just go straight and not turn to the right at the curve. It got me to thinking about all of the people that are sitting on the fence this day and time. Our society has gotten so awful, that people's rear end is getting sore from straddling the fence.  To fit in where they need to, in whatever situation that they may face, depends upon which side of the fence they will jump off at that certain time. Take for instance, I work with some individuals that boy when things look tough, it is all about God and what He can do for them, and then when things are just fine, they jump back across the fence, and forget and don't remember the Name of the One they just called out for. In fact, they look kind of funny, when you are walking from behind them after they have straddled that fence, and then jumped off of it. The book of Revelations tells us in Chapter 3, verse 16, "But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!" God wants you with Him, or without Him, not fence straddling. It seems that that is where our world is heading. Down a fence row that is leading to destruction. And as each person sits and straddles the fence, he pulls more with him. I don't know about you, but I grew up watching my dad chew tobacco and spit it out of his mouth and it doesn't look pretty good, so I do not want to imagine what it would look or feel like, when God spits you out of His mouth.

Revelations 2: 4-5

   ⁴ “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5

Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.

This verse talks about more of how our society and world is going to. Our love, our First Love, is fading away fast, as well as our love for each other. Sometimes I think the people who run through the fence and tear it down, are doing the right thing. It is time for us to remember who our First Love is, and tear the fences down that is allowing so many people to straddle, and turn and walk funny. If there is no fences, then there is nothing we can straddle. If we turn back to our First Love, and turn back to the Truth, the Whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, then there would be no room for fences. 

Next time you are riding or walking down the road, and you go by a fence, ask yourself this question:  What side of the fence am I on, or am I straddling the middle of it? Sometimes you can just tell by the way you walk, whether you are straddling it or not.

In His Grip and Loving It,

Jeff

This past Tuesday, March 24th, was our 25th Wedding Anniversary. WOW!! What a glorious ride that it has been over the past 25 years. Through all of the things that we have went through, with my health and all the problems, I praise God that we are still together and celebrating another year.

I had a special day planned for Christine that she did not even know about. I had worked it out with her boss and best friend Vickie that Christine be off on that Tuesday, because I had already taken off. But Vickie had her on the schedule as if she was working to make it look good. I did not even tell her I was off. I did not set the alarm for Tuesday morning, and around 4:30, Christine got up and went to the bathroom and then came back and laid in bed, thinking the alarm was going to go off at 5:15 a.m.. She fell back asleep, as well as I did, and at 7:30 a.m., she woke up and saw daylight and freaked. She hollered at me and ask me if I had set the alarm, and I told her no, that I wasn't going to work today. She said what! I told her I wasn't going to work today, and that neither was she. This went on for about 15 minutes, when she told me she had to go, because she was on the schedule, and I told her it was a fake schedule. Happy Anniversary, Christine, you and I are spending the day together. I told her she had to be ready to leave by 8:15 a.m.. She couldn't believe it.

Our first journey of the day, took us to a new restaurant that some friends had opened up, called the Flat Iron Skillet, for a big country breakfast.After breakfast, came what the Holy Spirit had laid on my heart. I had worked it out with some family friends down home, to have the little Baptist Church in Claysville, Alabama opened up for us. This was the church where I grew up, and where I married Christine, and then two years later, met Jesus. I took a back way to the church when we got down there, and we went through the back door, and proceeded to the sanctuary, where on the communion table, they had prepared for me juice and crackers. Of course Christine lost it, and so did I. We stood before the Lord, where we had stood 25 years earlier, and I served her and I commune, and then just prayed whatever the Holy Spirit laid on my heart, but most of all, asked for forgiveness for things that I had not for the past 25 years. We renewed our covenant with each other and with God, to get ready to start the next 25. It was so cool, and I give God the praise and Glory!!!

We ran to my mom and dads' just down the road to drop in on them to see how there were doing. My mom and dad didn't even know what was happening. We had a pleasant visit, and then we rode to Lake Guntersville State Park where we had spent some of our honeymoon and walked around it and toured the facility. They had just renovated the whole place. It was awesome.

We then proceeded to do some more riding around to places and then went shopping in Scottsboro at Unclaimed Baggage, and then took the long way home through the back side of Monteagle Mountain. This gave our daughters and our best friends time to join us at O'Charley's for supper. Christine didn't even know this.

I say all of this, just to say that when and if you get the chance, and you don't even have to go back to where you were married, or even serve commune or have it served to you, but grab a hold of the one you love. Stand before God, ask for forgiveness and renew your covenant with your spouse, and with God daily. What an awesome feeling we had that day as we held each other and cried in the presence of God. Because you know, God stands and cries and holds us, even when we turn our back on him, He holds on to us, just waiting for us to come back to Him. I pray that not only we will do this as individuals, but that we as a nation will embrace God once again. So many people are losing that special embrace that God has, and doesn't even know what it feels to be held by God. They have "forsaken their first love". Lord, forgive us. Lord, we humble ourselves before You once again. Lord, life us up, and let us soar once again on the wings of eagles.Let us run once again, and not grow weary. Because Lord, YOU ARE OUR GOD! YOU ARE OUR FATHER!! Hold tight to us, as we make our way back to You. In Jesus Name, Amen

Be blessed--In His Grip and Loving It

Jeff

Was speaking with a Pastor friend of mine at work today, when I required of him how his niece was doing. His niece had underwent a heart and lung transplant, and she had always been on our prayer list. He said she was doing fine, and asked me if I had heard the story of what God had done and how awesome the situation of her getting her transplant was. He said that they were in the Children's hospital already when she had a dream. She woke up from her dream and told her dad that God showed her and told her she was fixing to get her transplant.  A few days later, the doctors walked into her room, and told them that they had a heart and lungs for her. A young 16 year old boy was playing Russian roulette with a friend, and the bullet went off and killed him. Now the young girl receiving the lung and heart is a very tall and big girl, to be so young in age, and when they went to place the lungs in her chest, they did not have to trim the lungs at all. They fit just like they were made for her. But why wouldn't they be, God told her He had her some lungs and heart. Continue to pray for her and her family. I told the Pastor friend of mine that pretty much that was what happened to me. About six weeks before my 4th kidney transplant, I was having a rough time with dialysis, and coming under attack from the enemy, and I just rode to my quet place near the lake, and began to cry out and pray. And I heard this audible voice, just as if someone was in the car with me, and of course He was, and told me to hold on, that He had never left me in my times of trouble, and that I had always been consistent with Him, and don't stop being consistent in my faith and believing that everything was going to be okay. And then it turned quiet. And just after that a song on the radio was playing. It was called "The Promise" by 4Him. 

I have been watching you,  holding on for me. Through the waiting and the wonder, somehow you still believe, if your faith is strong, someday you will find,  it may not be like you expected, but I will come to you in a perfect time.

You may be waiting for the fire, when I am calling  through the rain, you may be listening for thunder, when I am whispering your name, you may be searching for a sign to let you know that it's okay, hold on, because I"M on my way.

I came to Abraham,  I was the sacrifice, for forty years I walked with Moses through the wilderness of life, I came to Bethlehem, I saw them crucify the Lamb, and as I rolled away the stone, I heard Him say,  "He's coming back again"

You may be waiting for the fire, when I am calling  through the rain, you may be listening for thunder, when I am whispering your name, you may be searching for a sign to let you know that it's okay, hold on, because I"M on my way.

Hold On, I Am on my way. I began to cry and understand that all was not lost, that God was still in conrol. And for the next six weeks we could see God's plan in action, and that special night on September 13, when I went to bed, I told my wife that the phone was going to ring in the morning, and at 2:30 am on the morning of the 14th, the phone rang, and they said they needed me in Birmingham. And as I was writing down stuff from the organ bank, our youngest daughter came out of her bedroom and was crying hysterically, and when we asked what was wrong, she told us that she dreamed that daddy got his transplant. And we told her that he did. It was just double confirmation that God was working.

So no matter what you may be going through, and what you may be facing, don't ever give up hope. Don't ever feel that you are going to fail, and that you are alone, just listen for that Still Small Voice, and He will tell you that you are not alone. God will get you through no matter what you are facing, but you have to be willing to listen to Him, and listen for Him, because He is on His way.  HOLD ON! HOLD ON! I AM THE PROMISE AND I AM ON MY WAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Be blessed in the name of Jesus,

Jeff

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