Calling all Quarters!

Hey Check out this picture I just got on my phone.  The sub-title said  "Oooooohhhhh.........look what i got!!!!   This is $162.50 worth of quarters!  Do you realize that will feed 650 starving Children around the world?  But, if you look real close in the picture, you can see additional coins in the bottom of a jar, not yet counted! 

This look like a challenge to me!  But, not only to me, but to you as well. So, I'm searching all over, digging out all my quarters for this coming Sunday.  I hope you do the same.  And don't forget those ONE DOLLAR BILLS as well.  If we all pitch in and do our part, I truly believe we can reach our goal of $10,000 that will feed 40,000  starving Children!  Wow, wouldn't that bless the heart of Jesus! 

Come get on board with us @ Northstar these next two Sundays as we partner with "Feed the Need" and "Worship in the City" on August 26-27 @ the Worlds Fair Park in downtown Knoxville.  Together our dream is to provide a meal for 1 Million starving children.  Together we can!

A Bear Crossing!

 This past Friday I made an early morning run around the Cades Cove loop on my Old School, Walmart special, one speed, Huffy Beach Cruiser Bike.  About 9 miles into the 11 mile loop I road up on this beautiful Smoky Mountain Black Bear.  By that time my legs were a little noodley.  I was thankful for big stand of Blackberries close by.  He chose them instead of me for lunch!  (They say preachers taste bitter anyhow you know.)  Thank you Lord for sharing with me such a beautiful display of your creation!  It was awesome!

A New Thing!

Tonight my mind races with excitement as the Lord continues to pour out His Spirit on me in fresh new ways.  As I sat and listened to the tree frogs and watched the twinkling of the fireflies in the tree tops, God reminded me that it is all for His glory!  I am more convinced at this moment that the Lord is preparing to do some incredible New Things at Northstar and Knoxville in the days just ahead.

This journey of faith is much like a trip floating down a river.  You watch with excitement and great anticipation as you make each turn, not really certain what is just around the next bend.  This is exactly how I feel in this moment of sleeplessness as the Lord just reminded me of the passage He recently gave me from the book of Isaiah chapter 43.
^{18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.} I really believe that God is about to do things in our midst that we once thought were impossible!  Please stop right now as you read this entry and pray that the Father would have His perfect way with us and that He would open doors of opportunity before us that no man can shut!  Get ready, It's coming!

Jesus Is Big on Forgiveness

I have been reading through the Gospel of Matthew the past few days and was reminded that Jesus is big on forgiveness.  It starts with the model prayer in chapter 6 where He says "forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors."  The last part is past tense, in other words forgive us only after we have forgiven others.  In verse 15 Jesus states; "But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."  This is serious business!

In chapter 18 verse 21, Peter is trying to be all holy and pious when he publicly asks Jesus "how many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"  And Jesus replies in verse 22, "not seven times, but seventy-seven times."  Seven being the number of perfection or completion, Jesus is not saying 490 times, but rather indefinitely or however many it takes.  He is commanding us to forgive every time, as long as it takes.  The number is irrelevant.

He then tells the parable of the unmerciful servant who is harshly judged because he was unwilling to forgive as he was forgiven.  He then brings the closer in verse 35 when He says; "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."  Did you see that?  He was not talking about lip service or just going through the motions of forgiveness just because you have too, but rather a true forgiveness that comes from the deepest part of your heart with great sincerity. 

This kind of forgiveness seems impossible at times and is, apart from the power of the Holy Spirit that lives inside of each of us as believers in Christ.  Lets all allow the Spirit of God in us bring us to complete forgiveness to all those who have wronged us.  This is His way!