This is a discussion that I enjoy having with my Brother – and I tell him that I do not have to be under the Law….   Most of the time it was about something like the government making me wear a seat belt….   I have always felt that it should be my choice and not the government passing laws to make me be safe.   When I grew up – we did not wear seat belts and allot of the cars did not have them – so the Government should not be forcing Laws on me.   OK – that is the radical part of me speaking and that personality quirk has been corrected.   But I could have a great discussion with my Brother about the Law.
           But here is the question:   Do we need Laws – and should we Obey them?
                    The Scripture in Romans talks about us Obeying the Government, because God has put them there…

Romans 13:  1. Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God.   2. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow.

      This one normally gets me on the right track – I do believe God is in Charge and the Leaders who we have today are put there by God….    So the answer would be “Yes” this Scripture will tell us we do need to Obey the Laws of the land.
           Pastor Shaun referenced a passage yesterday that did get me thinking about me Needing Laws.

Galatians 3:23-25 > 23. Before it was possible to be saved from the punishment of sin by putting our trust in Christ, we were held under the Law. It was as if we were being kept in prison. We were kept this way until Christ came.  24. The Law was used to lead us to Christ. It was our teacher, and so we were made right with God by putting our trust in Christ.  25. Now that our faith is in Christ, we do not need the Law to lead us.

         Laws were meant to help us identify our Sin nature and enlighten us to what causes us to stumble.   These are the areas that hinder our relationship with Christ – and these areas are different for each of us.    I used to have that terrible problem with the Seat Belt Law and would refuse to wear it.  It finally hit me that I was constantly looking to see if there was a policeman around –  when I would see one, I would put it on.  Then I had one of those moments that hit you hard (A Duhhhhh moment) why are you looking for a policeman – it was because the Holy Spirit within me was telling me I was wrong and I was not listening.
       It was then that I really understood what verse 25 was talking about.     We have the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help us in doing what is right – He identifies those areas that separate us from Christ.   

 So do you have those areas that the Spirit is talking to you…..?  (are you listening).   

When I Accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior – I was given the Holy Spirit to help me identify the Law.  I use to have several of those Gray Areas that I could justify as being right or OK…  The Holy Spirit gets me past them and gets me to do what is Right. 

**I still have issues with the Seat Belt Law – but I am getting better….. And as Romans above states: So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow:   It did cost me a ticket once – So I am learning…

 Bobbyg

 

      I have always wondered that if I were to go today – would I be missed and what type of Legacy would I be leaving.   Well a very good friend of mine is moving away at the end of this month and I would like to share a bit of his Legacy when he leaves.   My biggest hope is that when I do leave – mine will be almost up to Nick’s.
           I first met Nick when I started going to a new Church in town – it was meeting at the Theater…   When you arrived at the front door – there was Nick faithfully greeting everyone who came in.  The Children flocked to him to get a greeting and the people were met with words of encouragement as they passed through the front door.   He was my twin brother – He had the same hair cut as mine (none) and he had this designer face that was similar to mine.   Nick would have designed his own – where I had to pay for mine… 
           Then when I was blessed to get to know Nick – his Heart/Wisdom that can only come from a relationship with Christ came out and I encountered it.   He joined GMM (God’s Mighty Men) and became a Board Member – he will be missed.   The Wisdom of Nick’s that changed my Heart – was his view on Evangelism….    We did a study on Crazy Love with a bunch of guys – I had to call it Barbarian Crazy Love (we were Guys).   While we did this study – Nick’s view of Evangelism came out…   “Love Wins” (I believe this saying is from another book).    Nick’s thoughts were – Would it not be better to tell people that God loves all people and wishes them to be in Heaven – then we can tell them about Christ in a new way.      WOW – what a concept – do not tell them about their Sin – but that Christ loves them…  It is the approach I use today…. 
           Nick got into the Art Culture – he takes a pile of Scrap Metal and turns it into Pieces of Art or something useful.   GMM was blessed because he would make us a piece of Art each year to give away.   We would tell him what our Theme was and he would create something Awesome…   When you see Nick’s Art – You see Jesus and his Faith through his Art.   Many people have been blessed by Nick’s great works of Art and Wisdom.  While visiting Nick in his studio or encountering him at an Art show – they got to see Jesus….  
           One of Nick’s Special Gifts is Mentorship and Serving…   He has this gift of being able to connect with people.   During the time that I have known him – he has made himself available to help many people in His Service (Shoveling a side walk – Moving a Piano – Coffee or a Beer with a friend).    There have been several guys that have come through Nick’s life that he has mentored and given them his wisdom…. and Heart…    I am one of them…  and we are all different because of our experience of Jesus working through Nick to make us better.
           I could go on with the stories of Nick – but my biggest point in telling a portion of Nick’s Story is:     When we leave are we going to leave a Legacy such as Nick’s…     by the way he is moving to Spokane Washington.   
 

So think about it – if I were to move away or the best of all go see Jesus – would people have seen Jesus because of me.

So look at your life and the people you encounter – are you making a difference?

Bobbyg

     My wife and I watched the show on Fox News Last night about “Killing Jesus” – not sure about the whole story line and what was missing, but there was a part that really hit me hard.
          When they took Jesus and tortured him – it was the response of the Disciples that got my interest.   I know that I have read it a hundred times, but seeing the looks on their faces broke my Heart.  They did not know what to do – they were lost without Jesus to lead them and their Boldness went away.  It reminded me at times of where is my Boldness to tell people about Jesus.  That is an area that I have made a semi-resolution on this year (I am extremely careful when I make an Oath)…. “To be Bolder in my Faith”.   Wherever I am at – really look at the people Jesus puts in front of me.
          As you know the rest of the story – the Disciples received a Helper – the same one that we have today and then went on to tell people about the Jesus they know.   Their Deaths were ones like we are seeing today overseas – with the persecution of Christians when they make a stand – beheaded or shot.
          
My favorite verse is Hebrews 11:1 > Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
     When Jesus was killed – this is what the Disciples had to go on – and this chapter will give great examples of how to be successful.    I have to really focus on this verse when I encounter people who question me about my Faith…. and like the Disciples – I would want to have that Boldness to tell the people about the Jesus I know…

          Peter denied Christ 3 times before the day was over – and he is the Rock we look at…    I must remember – like Peter I do the same – but Also like Peter, he was forgiven before he failed and so am I.    

So this week – look for that Boldness to share Jesus with the person that has been put in front of you…

 Bobbyg

          It has been a couple of weeks since I wrote a Blog –  but it seems that there is allot of stuff going on in several lives of the people that I know….    In the last two weeks a couple of items – have stirred me on the stuff that happens around us.

1.  The speaker a couple of weeks ago talked about Intercessory Prayer and that we all need it – especially when we are in hard times.
2. The other was the song Broken Hallelujah:  What a perfect song for those who are going through some Trials and have questions as to why????

      A great verse on Intercessory Prayer is from Romans:
Romans 8:26    Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning’s too deep for words.
     This is a prayer that we can pray for ourselves or for others who are in need of prayer coverage.   We do not need to know what the issue is – but we can be praying for the Holy Spirit to intercede…    But this is something that we all need to be looking for – and to help others get through their tough times.
 
Then this song came up this last Sunday and put a couple of my friends to their knees in what was being said.   Please read the Lyrics below and you will see that sometimes we are going through some really tough times with no understanding of why – except that God is going to make Beauty out of these broken ashes…   

 “Broken Hallelujah”

I can barely stand right now.
Everything is crashing down,
And I wonder where You are.

I try to find the words to pray.
I don’t always know what to say,
But You’re the one that can hear my heart.

Even though I don’t know what your plan is,
I know You’re making beauty from these ashes.

I’ve seen joy and I’ve seen pain.
On my knees, I call Your name.
Here’s my broken hallelujah.

With nothing left to hold onto,
I raise these empty hands to You.
Here’s my broken hallelujah.

You know the things that have brought me here.
You know the story of every tear.
‘Cause You’ve been here from the very start.

Even though I don’t know what your plan is,
I know You’re making beauty from these ashes.
 

So this week – please be looking for opportunities to bless someone with Intercessory Prayer – they need the coverage.

Bobbyg

      In one of our First Tuesday night Bible study at Cheyenne Alliance – the topic of Pier Pressure came up.  We were talking about how it really caused allot of grief in the young and old.   My friend Jim H.  –   Stated that Pier Pressure was not a problem for him – he looks to Christ for his guidance.  One item that I responded with is:   We should be one creating the Pier Pressure and people should be looking at us for guidance.  As in my last Blog I talked about the importance of our Pastors and that we should be able to imitate them – the same is for us… 
           The speaker at our Church this last Sunday referenced a couple of massages from Luke 15: 1 & 2:  Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.   And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”   Jesus was the creating the Pier Pressure in his days – and when you look at these verses – it was the Sinners who were drawing near to him to hear what he had to say.   The Pharisees hated it – the people were supposed to be imitating them.  So we should be having the same response as Jesus was having – people should be coming to us to hear what we have to say.
           Our GMM Conference Theme (True Identity) this year really hits home for me on what are people going to see in me when they look at me.   The world has characterized what a Man should look like – but it is really not who I would want people to see me as.   The Book “Wild at Heart” has come up recently because of a Speaker we would like to have at the Conference  to help us on the issue of True Identity.
           The Book identifies 3 areas we need to recapture as Men – below is a portion of what it is about.

•  A battle to fight.
• An adventure to live.
• A beauty to rescue.

These are the core desires panting deep in the heart of every man. From the Amazon to Parliament, from the academy to the factory, these desires are universal, true for every man. And they are essential in order to live life as a man; they provide the power for his life. Misplaced, forgotten, or misdirected, they do not go away; they go underground and surface later in anger, addiction, and compulsion. You pay a high price when you neglect these desires. 
This has been a powerful book in redirecting me and where my passion falls.  There is allot more to the book then just this short blurb and it is a must read to see what needs to happen in redirecting the identity of the Real Man inside of us.

Now back to the main theme of this Blog. 

Are you the one Creating the Pier Pressure?

What does that look like?

Are your Sons/Daughters and the people that surround you seeing the real Person in you that is Grounded in

Jesus?

Bobbyg

 

 

 

     I have always had a Heart for Pastors – their job is one of the hardest ones that I know of.   I am just starting to get to know my Pastors and will be having lunch with them tomorrow.  I would like to know what their vision is and how I can help them… 
          Pastor Shaun finished the book of Hebrews yesterday and Chapter 13 has some great advice for all of us to follow in regards to those who have been put in charge of teaching us.
        Verse 7 below talks about the Wisdom of our Leaders who teach us and that it should be one that we follow.  One of the main reasons I attend the church that I do is because of Pastor Shaun – he has been given a great gift of interpreting the Bible and it is Wisdom that I can Imitate.  
Hebrews 13:
7.   Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.
       Then towards the end of this chapter (Below) comes one of the strongest challenges for us in regards to our Pastors.   The first one is something that is an Act of Worship and should not be taken lightly.   We must fall into Obedience and submit to our leaders – this is an Act that we must do to encourage them and lift them up.  This is one of the few Oaths that I take and it is a very important one to me and that is for me to be Obedient to the leadership of the church that I attend. 
Hebrews 13:
17.  Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you.   18.  Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.
      Then verse 18 talks about Praying for them – this is a must – our leaders have to be covered with Prayer.  
 One of GMM’s newest changes is – what will men come away with when they attend a GMM Conference (Statement below).   The Acronym we came up with is DEPTH – and when you look at the H – it is one that talks about supporting your Pastors vision.   Our Pastors have been given Vision’s from God on how to lead their people and we need to honor that.
Men will come away with “D.E.P.T.H.”
Deeper – relationship with Christ.
Encouragement – from community and Holy Spirit.
Passion – renewed, celebration of our gifts and talents.
Team – Band of Brothers, Unity in Community.
Home Church – daily bread and support of the pastor’s vision

 So my question to you is:   Do you fall under Obedience to the Leaders of your church and do you Pray for them.

This is one of the most important acts of Worship that we can do.

Bobbyg

 

I went to see my Grandson Jonah this weekend for his Birthday – he turned the great age of 8.   So this prompted me to write about Jonah – well the Jonah of the Bible…    My last blog was about God’s Discipline and with this story you can see what could happen if God were to call you for an act of Obedience. 

           As you know the story of Jonah, God instructed him to go to Nineveh.
             Jonah 1:2 & 3 > “Jonah Tries to Run Away from God”
2.   “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.”  3.  But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
       How many times do we run away from God when he has instructed us to do something?   Well as you know it did not do Jonah any good – when he tried to hide and run away, he ended up in some Big Fish.    But through Prayer – he was given a second chance to be Obedient.   We are also given second chances to be faithful to the calling of God.
    My study Bible talks about the Reasoning behind this encounter with Jonah and God…    “Jonah’s Hate, God’s Love.”  “Why did Jonah disobey God?  Because he despised the Ninevites.  Why did God send Jonah to Nineveh?  Because he loved the Ninevites.  Reaching beyond racial, cultural, gender and ethnic barriers to demonstrate the power of Biblical unity is more than a nice idea.  It is God’s will and command.  To miss this fact is to miss the message of Jonah’s story.”           
WOW  –  do you see this being a problem in today’s world…. I do – and I believe I am as guilty as Jonah was..
           I was talking with Jim H. last week and he brought up the topic of being of one mind with God…    I struggle with this at times – especially when it comes to the Obedience in the realm of what Jonah had to conquer.  
     One of my hardest but most rewarding acts of Obedience was to pray for my worst enemy – that he might know the Love of Jesus and be in Heaven.   I have to tell you this was a major change in my relationship with Christ and it opened up doors that I had closed because of my Hardened Heart.   I still have some very deep areas of Obedience that I need to overcome to be where Christ would have me be and it is an everyday work to accomplish His Will.   But the more I do it – the easier it comes to have one Mind with God…

 Do you have any of those Areas as Jonah did that you are not being Obedient to what God is calling you to do..    Please look at those areas – because you are given second chances. If you do not do His will be careful the next time you go fishing – “There might be a Big Fish that has your number to help you become Obedient”

Bobbyg

       This is a really tough one (I have that written alongside these verses in my Bible) and it can be one that is extremely challenging.  The area of Discipline that I have to be careful with is:   Differentiating it between Trials and Discipline…   They are both put into our lives to help us grow closer to Christ – but are very different.
          Trials are the tough times we go through and are not caused by a Sin that we have not concurred.   Where Discipline is correcting an action that we should not be doing.  
           The Scripture below is a portion of Hebrews that my Pastor has been teaching on and a great example of what Discipline is about:
Hebrews 12:4-11 > 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  5 And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor lose courage when you are punished by him.

6 For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.  9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?  10 For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.  11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
      As you can see – Discipline is not a bad thing – it may be painful and really unpleasant, but it is because God Loves us that Discipline comes.  My study Bible states “When God corrects you, see it as proof of his love and ask him what he trying to teach you.”   This is his way of directing us to go down the Right Path – and Obedience will be required to accomplish this.   The best example I can think of is Saul’s Transformation when he was blinded by Jesus and then he became Paul.
           One of the greatest things about Discipline when we have overcame the cause of it – is that now we can now help others who may be struggling with the same problems. 

When he has broken us:  it is then when he can use us…

So when you go through Discipline – you must remember that is produces a harvest of Righteousness and Peace for those who have been trained by it.

 Bobbyg

       Last night at our Tuesday night study – I had a question?  “What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit and Fire?”   I understood what being filled with Holy Spirit is about but the emphasis was what does the fire look like –…     We were talking about the DNA of Men and what does that look like in today’s world – this is an even bigger question.    This year’s GMM Conference is hoping to tackle this question with the theme of “True Identity”.
          Now back to the question of Fire:   Leigh Commented on what the Fire  should look like – and it had to do with the Passion that we get when the Spirit is active inside of us.  The example he used was the Disciples.  When the Spirit came upon them – there was this fire burning inside of them to get the word out.   This meant at all Costs – and when you look at their stories – you see the passion that they had in telling people about Jesus. 
          Then his next comment at the end was…    How do we get this fire and keep it aflame.   Then how do we help others?               I have to tell you – I am still working on the answers to all of this – and it is an extremely important aspect of our Christian walk if we are to be affective.  
      My wife was listening to a Third Day Song the other day and stated how powerful it was.   She said you may have to do a Blog on it…..     Well she was right…
        This song really addresses the Fire –  “Soul on Fire”  –   All I can say is – please listen to the song and the lyrics (Below).       It is what we should be doing on a Daily basis…  A Really POWERFUL Song.  
 Bobbyg
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7lv9oMjv_0
 “Soul On Fire”
God, I’m running for Your heart
 I’m running for Your heart
 Till I am a soul on fire
 Lord, I’m longing for Your ways
 I’m waiting for the day
 When I am a soul on fire
 Till I am a soul on fire
 
 Lord, restore the joy I had
 I have wandered, bring me back
 In this darkness, lead me through
 Until all I see is You
 
 God, I’m running for Your heart
 I’m running for Your heart
 Till I am a soul on fire
 Lord, I’m longing for Your ways
 I’m waiting for the day
 When I am a soul on fire
 Till I am a soul on fire
 
 Lord, let me burn for You again
 Let me return to You again
 And Lord, let me burn for You again
 And let me return to You again
 
 God, I’m running for Your heart
 I’m running for Your heart
 Till I am a soul on fire
 Lord, I’m longing for Your ways
 I’m waiting for the day
 When I am a soul on fire
 
 God, I’m running for Your heart
 I’m running for Your heart
 Till I am a soul on fire
 I wanna be
 Till I am a soul on fire
 Till I am a soul on fire

       I have always enjoyed reading the stories about Jesus walking on Water – especially the one when Peter steps out of the boat to meet him on the Water.  One of my favorite books is “If you want to walk on Water – You have to get out of the Boat” – this is a powerful read for men who need a spark to get them going.
           But the story below is a different time when Jesus walked on the Water – Jesus had just fed the 5000 and then sent His Disciples ahead of him in the Boat…
          Here is the story:
Mark 6:45-51 – Jesus Walks on the Water
45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Beth-sa′ida, while he dismissed the crowd.  46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.  47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.  48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,  49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out;  50 for they all saw him, and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.”  51 And he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,
      I was visiting with a Pastor Friend of mine (Pastor Grant) and his study group were going over this – but he mentioned that there is a part that stood out this time that he had not noticed before.    Jesus did not plan on walking to the Boat to be with the Disciples – he had meant to pass by them…    HUH>….   I had never read it that way either…  but there it is.    What is amazing is that Jesus did not come to them until they had cried out…  and then he was able to comfort them.
           Now I had to look at myself and ask – How many times do I do this?   I bet more times then I want to know…     Nick is our Artist for GMM and he has put together this piece of art that we will be giving away in November.  It is a Heart with a door on it and when you open the door there is a Cross made out of wrenches.   Again how many times do I close that door on Jesus – and he has the tools to make it better.
           We must learn to cry out for Jesus at all times – that would be in the Good and the Bad…   He is our Light and has all the tools to comfort us – but most of all to enhance that relationship that we should have with Him.  I have a really good friend (Tom) and he has this amazing Relationship with Jesus at the present time that is out of this world.   As I have told him – it is something extremely special and when you meet him – You meet Jesus…   At the present time he too would be crying out for Jesus to lead him towards the future that Christ has in store for him.
          Like Tom – we should all have that same type of Relationship with Jesus….

 So are you Crying out for Jesus or is He just going to pass by You.

If you want the comfort that only comes through Him – You better start crying out now and really LOUD.

Bobbyg