I enjoy reading Christian Fiction – at the present time I am reading Sea Scribe by D.I. Telbat.   His writings are usually about Christians in the world who are being persecuted and there is a team of people trying to help them.   Since I have been home for a while recouping with my 2 new knees – I get to do allot of pondering.  So recently while reading this book – I had to ask myself – am I doing anything that would cause me to be persecuted for my beliefs??????  HMMMMM
So I started looking at several areas of my life to see what that might look like for me (and you can put yourself in these situations also).

1.  At Work:   Do the people around me know that I am a Christian?  In the last few years I have been bolder about sharing my faith – I have not been persecuted – but I have been instructed to keep it out of some of my emails J….  But there is no persecution for me at work… maybe some rejection.   The rejection part will keep many of us from letting people know our Faith and I use to be one of them.
2. How about the people around me – such as the clerk at the store – my physical Therapist-  My Neighbor.   This again is something that I have started to do in the last couple of years.
   1. My physical therapist is a Christian and goes to a great church in town.
   2. My Neighbors – I am learning about them – I just moved here in July – but I do know where a few them are spiritually and we have had some great talks.
3.  The Store Clerk – well this one is a little harder – but I have tried to add something in my conversation that will show my Faith.

So am I persecuted as some Christians are for standing up for their Faith –  No –  I may get some rejections but we are blessed to live in a country that allows us to stand up for our Faith.
So the next thing I pondered on was——– am I one of those persons who is there to support a fellow Christian who is be persecuted or rejected????   There are times when one of our fellow Christians will need all the help that we can give them because of their Faith.   So I made a promise that I would look for those moments when I can at least:           *Support and stand beside    *Encourage their stand   *Back them up when there is a need   *Thank them for their courage.
So as you go forward this week – look for those areas that you can Stand Up for you Faith and also look for those moments when you can support a fellow Christian.
Bobbyg

On one of my many mornings since surgery I am up most of the night because I do not get very much sleep — I was listening to a sermon from Joel Osteen at 2am on the Subject of Obedience.   It was a great sermon…..    A couple of his examples were about when you get a prompting from the Holy Spirit to do something – What do you do?
       A couple of his examples were:

1. 1.   Joel and his wife were looking for a home to buy and when they came across this dump – the prompting from God was – Buy It….  They could afford a much better place – but they went forward with it and fixed it up….   
2. 2.  One of the leaders in his church went to school and became a Doctor – but the Spirit prompted him to go into ministry….   So he Did It…      God has used him through his Doctors Degree to do so much more for the kingdom in that area.

***Both of these responses received God’s Blessing in the end and they were rewarded for their Obedience.
    In my readings at the present time – I am in 1^st Samuel — back then God would talk to the Kings and tell them what to do…. Something like when the Spirit talks to us.     What is amazing is that what happened back then can happen to us today if we do the same.   When God instructed David to go forth and conquer other countries and destroy everything – it did not make sense.  David seemed to be always short of Man Power and to destroy everything when there could have been so much wealth – really did not make sense.   But out of Obedience David Did IT….   And was rewarded multiple times for his Obedience.
   Now comes the question again…         What is it that you are being Prompted to do at the present time by the Spirit?   You know it may not be anything that you can put your finger on – but it could be the Spirit is just telling you to go forward and do something.   The story of Jonathan and the Armor Bearer is a great example of this — instead of sitting under the tree with Saul and doing nothing – he went forward and Did something and God Blessed him.    http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+14&version=NIV
        So for this week……   pay attention to those promptings and see what it is that God wants you to do to receive his Blessing.
       So it may be –  Teaching a Sunday School Class –  Find a way to help the church – becoming friends with Neighbor – Make a meal for someone – Smile  –  Pray for someone –  Help someone pick up their leaves –   the list is Big…. 
 
Bobbyg
 

Brother Jim Schamerhorn sent this to me  –  it is a great read……      Radical Obedience in two ways…. can you see it…
Daniel’s Gloves
I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day.
As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, ‘I will work for food.’ My heart sank.
I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.
We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind.. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.
Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: ‘Don’t go back to the office until you’ve at least driven once more around the square.’
Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square’s third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the church, going through his sack.
I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from
God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town’s newest visitor.
‘Looking for the pastor?’ I asked.
‘Not really,’ he replied, ‘just resting.’
‘Have you eaten today?’
‘Oh, I ate something early this morning.’
‘Would you like to have lunch with me?’
‘Do you have some work I could do for you?’
‘No work,’ I replied ‘I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.’
‘Sure,’ he replied with a smile.
As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. Where you headed?’
‘St. Louis ‘
‘Where you from?’
‘Oh, all over; mostly Florida ..’
‘How long you been walking?’
‘Fourteen years,’ came the reply.
I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his
38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, ‘Jesus is The Never Ending Story.’
Then Daniel’s story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life.
He’d made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences.. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona… He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought.
He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God.
‘Nothing’s been the same since,’ he said, ‘I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.’
‘Ever think of stopping?’ I asked.
‘Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me. But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That’s what’s in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.’
I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: ‘What’s it like?’
‘What?’
‘To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?’
‘Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments.
Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn’t make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people’s concepts of other folks like me.’
My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused. He turned to me and said, ‘Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I’ve prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.’
I felt as if we were on holy ground. ‘Could you use another Bible?’ I asked.
He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite.. ‘I’ve read through it 14 times,’ he said.
‘I’m not sure we’ve got one of those, but let’s stop by our church and see’
I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful.
‘Where are you headed from here?’ I asked.
‘Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.’
‘Are you hoping to hire on there for a while?’
‘No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that’s where I’m going next.’
He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we’d met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.
‘Would you sign my autograph book?’ he asked… ‘I like to keep messages from folks I meet.’
I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, ‘I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.’
‘Thanks, man,’ he said. ‘I know we just met and we’re really just strangers, but I love you.’
‘I know,’ I said, ‘I love you, too.’ ‘The Lord is good!’
‘Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?’ I asked.
A long time,’ he replied
And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed.. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, ‘See you in the New Jerusalem.’
‘I’ll be there!’ was my reply.
He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, ‘When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?’
‘You bet,’ I shouted back, ‘God bless.’
‘God bless.’ And that was the last I saw of him.
Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them…. a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them.
Then I remembered his words: ‘If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?’
Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office.. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. ‘See you in the New Jerusalem,’ he said. Yes, Daniel, I know I will…
‘I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.’
This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached. Prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let each of us continue to pray for one another. God bless and have a nice day!
‘Father, I ask you to bless my friends, relatives and those reading this now. Show them a new revelation of your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask you to minister to their spirit. Where there is pain, give them your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through your grace, In Jesus’ precious Name Amen.’

Well it has been about 3 weeks since I wrote my last Blog – but since then I have two new Titanium Knees that are gradually progressing along – but not without allot of Pain…     But God has been with me throughout the whole process and my Relationship is at an ultimate level.   One extra service I got out of the new knees is that I now have 2 weather devices that can tell me when the weather is going to change.
I do need to explain that my surgery was postponed for 2 weeks because of the floods in Fort Collins and this created a very hard decision that my family had to make.   If I went through my surgery – then I would get out on Tuesday and my wife was having Major Surgery on Wednesday.   We prayed allot and talked about what that would be like and could we handle it.  (If I waited it would have been late November before I could get another date for my surgery.)
Well we decided we would both have surgery and depend on God Meeting our needs….    It was a Radical Step of Obedience that has just been overwhelming to us on how God supplied our needs…     We had Family, Friends and Relationships that took us in and blessed us beyond what we could have ever imagined.
So my question to all of you – have you taken one of those Radical Steps of Obedience and let God supply your needs.   Has there been one of those Promptings from the Spirit that said – go forward and do it – not knowing how everything will be accomplished.    Today could be one of those steps of Faith that God is calling you to do and you are weighing out all the stuff that goes with it and holding back.  I would encourage you to take that Step —      God has promised that when you go forward in Faith – he will supply all of your needs…..
Bobbyg
I am going to write another Blog on What Radical Steps of Obedicence looks like and would like some feedback from you guys…        Please send me an email to rogudahl@wyoming.com on what you think.

I had a great lunch with a good friend of mine yesterday (Choe) – he has a ministry of bringing some Awesome Christian Artist to Cheyenne for everyone to enjoy.   During our conversation we talked about what you should experience at a Christian Concert or even one of my Gods Mighty Men’s Conference.   This is just not just going to an event and to have an enjoyable time – but there should be more to it.  But do not get me wrong – you should have an AWESOME time at the event.
These events are not based on any Denomination or for just Christians – they are open for anyone to come and unite in one cause.   Choe has a vision that the GMM team has – we want people to come away different then when they arrived.  Here are a couple of visionary experiences we would like to see happen.

1.  People should come together in unity and drop any denomination barriers and enjoy praising the Lord together.  We should become The Church at these times…
2. At these events you should encounter the Power of the Holy Spirit at work in all the Hearts of the people.   To make one of these events successful to you personally – you must be open to what the Holy Spirit is trying to work through you.
3. One of the major experiences that I believe should happen is that your relationship with Christ would be enhanced to a much deeper level.  When you leave the event – people should see Jesus in you and want to know what makes you glow.
4. Passion:    Your Passion after a event should be so great that it becomes contagious to the people who surround you and your Joy is passed on.
5. I would also like to see people being encouraged to go forward in Faith and be led by the Spirit to get involved in ministry…   this looks different to everyone – it can be just greeting people at church – praying for people – or it can be as big as putting together a Concert or Conference.  But we must go forward with a purpose in passing on the good news of Jesus Christ.

There are some great events coming up – so please check out our GMM Web site or watch for them to be announce through one of the Media Sources and then attend.
Bobbyg
***So as you go forward this week – have lunch with a friend or family member and then go enjoy a Concert….
 

As I am getting ready for my surgery – there is just a little bit of Panic coming and it can be overwhelming at times.   Allot of prayer and a few pills have been helping – but one of my main helps is in my friends.   Several of them have called me to remind me that is will be OK and again to tell me of the one who is in Charge and that he will get me through all of this.
One of my Great Friends (Tom C) sent me some awesome words of wisdom with allot of scripture to go with it and I would like to share parts of his wisdom.    It came in several parts – so I am going to share a few of them and why they have helped me.
 

1.  Why does He heal us? He loves us, He promised, so we can serve Him here on earth: Love Him and love our neighbor.  So many reasons. So cool!   –                  Matt 8:16. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
   1. a.   When I eventually get through my surgery (2 knee replacements) – I will be able to serve Christ in a bigger way and to know it is through his love that all of this can be accomplished is so reassuring.
2. Oh, ho, so good.  See it.  Yesterday in Isaiah, he promised healing.  Today (when Jesus walked the earth) He gave healing to all.  Forever (right now and forever) He heals us now.  In His name. Amen. Amen means “so be it” – not, man I hope this works.                                 Matt 9:2-6 (portions). When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” … “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins ….”
   1. a.   To know that Christ is here today as he was in the Past gives me hope and to know that I am forgiven no matter what doubts I have as I go forward brings me pure Joy…   AMEN
3. We don’t create or build our faith.  He does.  It’s not any of our work.  It’s all His!                              Acts 1:8. “… You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.”
   1. a.   This one was great – to know that Faith will be given to me by what Christ does through me….   So many times we believe that we have to do so many things to get Faith – but he has already given it to us – we just need to use it. 

    These are just a few words of wisdom that were given to me by a great friend who knew that I needed them…   He was right and these great words are what helps me keep my focus on the real reason of my molding that Christ has me going through.
  “Keeping my focus on Jesus is what is going to make this all worth it and in the end  I will get to experience a great relationship with him through it all.” 
Bobbyg
Radical Truth and Grace from a friend – I could have not asked for anything greater.

I recently had coffee with a great Pastor friend of mine (Max) and we had a great visit…..   He prayed for my upcoming surgery that my anxiety would go away and be covered by God’s presence…  (Please keep praying for that – I am writing this as 3:43 in the morningJ).   But during our conversation we got on the topic of “Who are we supposed to Trust?”
Well the right answer is we are to Trust the lord our God with all our Heart:              Proverbs 3:5-6 – (NIV) –⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him,    and he will make your paths straight.
This is a great passage and it is the one we should be taking – but how many times do we put our trust in someone else.   A great friend – our Pastor – our Spouse – our children – our leaders and the people who surround us.  The big question is:     Should we put our trust in the people that surround our daily walk?
I have had to really ponder on this after my talk with Max – because we had talked about that we should not….   But what does that mean.    When we put our Trust in the people around us – we then put these expectations on them that they have not asked for.   Is this fair?   Will they fail?   When we put trust and expectations on someone – most likely they are not going to meet what I have set them up for – and that is not fair to them.
So there has to be some type of balance and that is why I am up writing this so early in the morning.   We as people naturally put trust in the ones that surround us and that is not a bad thing – they have earned it.   What we need to be careful about is putting expectations on that trust – and when we do that our response has to be one of Radical Truth and Grace when they do not meet it.    The Truth is that they did not ask for what we have expected out of them and if they do not meet those expectations – we need to Love them even more…   It was not their fault but ours.
So Remember –  we should be putting our trust in Jesus Christ our Lord and he will guide our paths straight.   Always be obedient in the direction he is taking you….
Bobbyg

I am currently getting ready to have both of my knees replaced and just the thought of what I have to go through is giving me anxiety.   Do I really want to go through with what it takes to accomplish this – I know that eventually my knees will not hurt anymore – but the pain I have to go through to get there – Is it worth it…   At 2am in the morning I have been asking this allot – and my prayers go up and his answer comes back at me.
Christ keeps reminding me of what he went through for us and it was worth all the pain he suffered.   So my answer has to come up to – yes no problem – mine is minor compared to his – and he will be with me all the way.
So now comes the real questions….      What is it that God wants you to go through to accomplish his will.    God is always at work molding us to be like him and some times that requires Pain – but most of the time it requires us just giving up our time for a purpose he has designed for us to do.   I was thinking back to the time when a nephew of mine wanted a little bit of my time – and it was just too inconvenient at the moment to give it.  Man have I blown it – what if Christ would say I just do not have time for you….   Where would I be?   Of course Christ does not do that and that is the example that I need to be willing to take when the moments come that he requires me to accomplish his will.
To be in tune with Christ – we must be looking for those moments that he has put in front of us to accomplish his will – it takes practice.    Is God calling on you to give some time up for a friend – help in the church – heal a relationship (Forgiveness and Grace) – pray for someone – or maybe it is just sitting down to talk with a nephew.
I must say as I go forward in the path that he has chosen for me at the moment that my Relationship with Christ is growing in ways that I could not imagine.   It is only through Christ that I can to do what is required of me and he promises to be with me through it all….
Bobbyg

I blogged this a while back – but would like to repost it………….   Matthew West is coming and it was one of his songs that inspired me to write it…                               Bobbyg
In my work I get to travel allot and during this time I get some great quite/praise time.   One of the topics that I have been doing allot of pondering on – is Forgiveness and very often the Word Grace is included with this because of how hard forgiveness can be.
Have you ever had someone-church-or situation that has been so terrible to you or your family that you have convinced yourself that it does not deserve Forgiveness?  You have even gone so far as to convince yourself that God is Ok with it and you are justified for your feelings.   I have one of those occasions and carried it for almost 20 years until a young friend of mine (Ryan) got my attention.   We were around a camp fire and the conversation of forgiveness came up so I told my story (a most convincing one) of the situation that happened and that I would rather see the person dead then forgive them – and God was OK with that.  The young friend proceeded to ask the question – What Jesus would do?  (OK – so our friendship was going really south now – just kidding…)  It took about 2 days for this to take hold and then GOD started working.
Matthew West has a song out called Forgiveness – below are some of the words.
      “It’s the hardest thing to give away – And the last thing on your mind today –  It always goes to those that don’t deserve –  It’s the opposite of how you feel –  When the pain they caused is just to real – It takes everything you have just to say the word…  Forgiveness
            It flies in the face of all your pride – It moves away the mad inside – It’s always anger’s own worst enemy -Even when the jury and the judge –  Say you gotta right to hold a grudge –  It’s the whisper in your ear saying ‘Set It Free’   Forgiveness
Show me how to love the unlovable – Show me how to reach the unreachable – Help me now to do the impossible – Forgiveness
It’ll clear the bitterness away – It can even set a prisoner free – There is no end to what it’s power can do -So, let it go and be amazed – By what you see through eyes of grace – The prisoner that it really frees is you
            I want to finally set it free – So show me how to see what Your mercy sees – Help me now to give what You gave to me  Forgiveness.
These words are powerful and right on…   I wish this song had come out about 20 years ago.    But as I pondered the wisdom of my young friend – I had to start praying to God about this person who had done my family a great wrong.  As one of Lyrics from a Tenth Avenue West song states “Oh, Father won’t You forgive them -They don’t know what they’ve been doing -Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them -Cause I feel like the one losing”.
I had to pray just these words – and my prayers were that someday this person would know the Love of Jesus and be in Heaven.  I am not sure I was able to pray for me to forgive this person – but to have God forgive them.  From that day forward God started talking to me in a whole new way – I had finally set it free and the communication between GOD and me was not being blocked.  There were times I would actually look around to see if there was someone next to me talking – but it was the spirit within me opening new doors of communication that I could not have thought possibleJ.
Now comes that terrible word Grace (giving someone something they do not deserve) and it is really a hard gift to grasp and live.   I like to give the illustration that a very wise Pastor (Jeff) stated in one of his Sermons – but I use a $2 bill to explain it.  In my travels I eat out allot – so when I go to the bank I always buy all their $2 bills and use them as Tips.  I tell everyone that the person who gets the most $2 bills is the worst waitress of the day – I give them something they do not deserve.  Try it sometime – it changes you and the other person.  But this is something that does not come easy or naturally – you will have to discipline yourself and it will take practice.  “Giving Grace”
My very good friend (Nick) has this saying from a Book title “Love Wins” and he lives it.  Nick explained that one of the best ways to witness to someone is with Love.  Instead of telling them that if they do not Change their ways they will go straight to Hell.  But instead tell them that God loves them and wishes that all would be in Heaven with him – then go on to explain how that works.  Love always wins….
**”If I speak in tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”                                    1 Corinthians 13:1
One of the things that I have been trying to live is:  Do they see Jesus in me – and whatever I do points to him.  (Another song lyric – you can see I do allot of worship in my travels – but most of it is in prayer).  I have to continually examine myself to see if I am truly living this – it takes allot of discipline and practice.
 So Please go forward today and ask the question “What would Jesus DO?”
 Bobby G

I had a great time this last weekend at COH (Convoy of Hope) – it went well beyond any expectations of mine.  I was able to help head up the Front Line (as we call it at GMM) and we recorded @ 4,305 people coming through the front gate.  We had a great team there to greet everyone and give them a Hand out or two.
Towards the end there was a family that wanted to leave – but not through the area that was set up for the exit.  I was at an area along with A Mom and her young daughter which we could open up for people to exit.  As this family was exiting they handed us back 2 of the tickets we had given to them for FREE Groceries and wanted us to give them to someone who would use them.   Then there response was that they refused to go through a Prayer tent to receive Groceries – they did not believe in that Religious stuff and it was terrible.  (They were extremely unappreciative of the reason for COH).
The young daughter was upset over their response (She knew this was a great event and had great purpose) – her Mom had stated that one of the main objectives of this event was for these people and that we needed to pray for them.   I agreed – but I also added that I was glad it was us that they spoke to when they left – they had a message to give someone and we were that someone.
Now my question to myself a couple of days later was…   We said that we needed to Pray for this family – But did I???  That one hit me hard – I said we needed to but I failed to follow-up – I did pray for them today.
So here is where I would like to challenge everyone – When we say that we need to or are going to pray for someone —   DO WE?  As I was going to Fort Collins today I thought back to the many times that I stated about praying for someone of something and failed…    I am challenging myself from now on to make sure that does not happen again and my prayers need to be specific to the needs of what God is going to accomplish.
**I have to tell you that 2 great friends of mine and a Pastor knew of some struggles that I am going through presently called me up and prayed over the phone with me….  POWERUL Prayers…    (Paul – Mike and Bill – THANK YOU).   But they did something about the Prayer Power that God has given them…   We must do the same.
So today – think of someone or something to Pray for and DO IT>>>>>>
Bobbyg