As a follow-up from last week’s blog about our GMM Conference Theme of “Relentless “ Engaging Men to be fully alive, I thought I would try to tackle what is “Relentless”.   Once again what does that mean – it is another action word that has a different meaning for each of us.  I looked up a Simple definition and here is what I came up with:

Simple Definition of relentless

1. Continuing without becoming weaker, less severe, etc.

2. remaining strict or determined.

     Well this did not help very much in trying to identify Relentless in my own personal life, so I did a further search on the meaning of Relentless.   I came across an article from Jon Bloom and this one really helped in trying to identify how I can become “Relentless” in my walk with Jesus.
          Please read and enjoy….
  Article by – Jon Bloom (he describes Relentless as Gritty)
He uses this scripture as an example of Relentless:

(1 Corinthians 15:58) Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

**Then here are some great examples he gives of people in the Bible”

The Bible is replete with gritty examples:

◾Noah building a huge ship over decades as he waited for the fulfillment of God’s promise.

◾Abraham and Sarah living like strangers in the land of promise and waiting a quarter century into old age as they waited for the fulfillment of God’s promised child.

◾Jacob serving his devious uncle, Laban, for many years as he waited for the fulfillment of God’s promises.

◾Joseph languishing in an Egyptian prison as he waited for the fulfillment of God’s promise.

◾Moses leading the recalcitrant Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years as he waited for the fulfillment of God’s promises.

◾And “time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32), and of Mary, the disciples, and Paul.

******And Jesus. Jesus, the man of such sorrows as we’ll never know, who in the garden, facing a horror that only God could experience, said to his Father, “not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36) and moved with relentless determination to the cross. Never has more grit for the sake of love ever been seen.

    These examples have really challenged me on what I can to do achieve what God would have be do and go forward in a way that will glorify Him.   I do see that “Relentless” is a long term goal and something that will not happen in a moment – so I have to be patient. 
          ***I do have to tell you that I am excited to see what the Speakers have been enlightened with from the Holy Spirit this weekend as they explain what it means to them.    It is going to be an AWESOME SATURDAY MORNING>
 

I normally write a challenge – but the only thing I can challenge you with today is to come Saturday be BLESSED.

Bobbyg

          Part of the GMM Theme for this year’s Conference is: “Relentless” “Engaging men to be fully alive” – so the question is what does that mean.   It can mean allot of different things for each man – which includes me.   I have been struggling on how Christ would have me become fully alive – and he has given me some hints lately which I will share in a minute.
 
   For now here is what the GMM President has said about it:  (Jim S.)

We hope to challenge men to consider their role in “God’s Plan”.  God has called men to be role models and leaders in our homes, churches and communities.

 
   Our main speaker this year is Matt Heard and on his web site The Gathering is where we got the term of engaging men to be fully alive.  One of their goals is:

We exist to honor and glorify God by focusing our energies on, reaching out to our community, teaching the love and truth of the Bible, and sending as many as we can out into the world with the good news of forgiveness and life through Jesus Christ.

 
So as you see I have not really answered the question of what this means – but I can tell you at the conference it will be explained in a more meaningful way. 
 
          Now for me:  One way Christ has called me recently to be more engaged and fully alive has been with a new resolution that was put out by our City Council.   It was a non-discrimination bill that could affect Christians and what they believe in.  I have been forwarding emails about how to get engaged and how to help in trying to get this ordinance stopped, but I was not doing anything.   I was convicted while in a prayer moment to get engaged – so I did what I had been writing about.  I cannot tell you if I had any part in helping, but the City Council member I wrote to, passed an amendment to the resolution to protect Christians in their beliefs (I hope it is enough to help).
          During this process one of the Pastors (BK) stated that we may not have won, but I am praying that this will get Men to engage in presenting their Christian beliefs.   I enjoyed his saying to one of the opponents after telling them how well they did and how they were very well organized.  He stated that you may have “Awakened a Sleeping Giant”.
          My hope is that they have – it is time for Christians to speak out on what our Beliefs is Jesus are.   We cannot just sit back anymore and be doormat – we must be awakened and be engaged.  Once I became engaged I can tell you the feeling of being fully alive started to burn a little – it felt good.
 

So what does Engaging Men to be fully alive mean to you?

Are you engaging?

Christ has given us the Power to be Bold and share our Beliefs – are You?

 

Bobbyg

     About a month ago I was sitting in a waiting room at the hospital and just happen to start a conversation with the person next to me…   We ended up talking about our Faith and then the person asked me “Does God Speak to You?”  I had to pause for a second because I was not sure what I had gotten myself into.  But then the person went on to say that they had been told God only speaks to us through the Bible.   This person lives in the on a Ranch and during their prayer walk in the wilderness God will be speaking to them.  This person just wanted to reaffirm that they were hearing from God.
          I had to explain my experience when God started speaking to me.   It was not until I cleared my heart of some malice towards a person that I really wanted to be dead that He was able to speak to me.  I believe that we need to clear our Hearts before God can really reveal Himself to us.  When I started praying for the Salvation of this person I did not like – God Spoke.  I want you to know I had to look around in the Car to make sure no one else was there – I was driving north on I25.  
           So when I had breakfast with a really good Pastor Friend of mine yesterday he explained that God was speaking to him.   For two weeks I could not get in touch with him.   I asked him if he was on a Mission trip and out of the country (Not taking my call was not something that would happen – well maybe).   This Pastor has allot of wisdom when it comes to seeking God’s will in his life, so he went to God and asked Him about where he should be going.  He took two weeks off and shut everything off (including his phone) so that he could visit with God about Direction.   He now has this Glow that I believe must look like a Moses Glow when God spoke to him. 
 
          So I have learned that when you are Seeking God’s Presence and really want to visit with Him – You need some Wilderness Time.   You must clear your Heart of anything that would keep Him from being able to connect with you.  Then enjoy the conversation  He is going to reveal His will to you and it is a really great experience when you really talk to Jesus.  Then get ready for what He is going to say – When God Talks – You must listen and Obey. 
          I have to tell you that when God spoke to me – I was obedient to His call and was transformed and my relationship with Jesus was changed. 
 

So has Jesus been talking to you?

Have you cleared your heart so that you can hear His voice?

Be ready to be Obedient for what He is going to speak to you.

 

Bobbyg

 

         

     I normally do not get into politics when I write my blogs, but this week after hearing all of the accusations going around against both of the Presidential candidates I thought I would write something.  First of all I have already voted so that I can quit listening to all the new stuff coming out.  If you want to know who I voted for – that will have to be over a cup of coffee.
          My biggest question to myself is:   “Can Jesus use someone who is so Deplorable and broken?”  Both Candidates have a past that has come to the fore front to haunt them and it has made this campaign ugly.   But to answer my question I only have to look to the Bible to find the answer…

1.  Peter when he denied Jesus 3 times was broken the moment he did it.  Look what happened after this – Christ built his rock on Peter.
2. David committed murder and was an adulterer – with a repentant heart look what he wrote in Psalms.
3. Jonah tried to run away from God and ended up in a Fish – after he spent a little bit of quite time he became the Man that God could work through.
4. Paul –   Broken in so many ways and had a past of murdering Christians – what happened after an encounter with Christ – he became the most powerful asset for our Christian Faith.

 
     So back to my main Question to myself.   “Can Jesus use someone who is so Deplorable and broken?” and the answer is Yes He can.   I have been broken as have so many people around me – This is when Christ does His best work through us.   He has taken those bad situations we have encountered and molded us so that He can work through us in some very powerful ways. 
     One of the main responses I have to accomplish is to have a repentant heart – when that happens I hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit working inside of me.   This can happen to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton also.   If they are repentant – they can become the Leader that Christ would have them be and they will be led by the Holy Spirit…  We must be praying that this will happen. 
 

Through all of this I must remember that God is in control and He knows who is going to take this Country forward.  He will use them for His purpose to accomplish His will.

I just need to Trust in HIM>>>

Bobbyg

As the GMM Team prepares for the upcoming 2016 Conference things seem to get more serious than what they should.   This morning after reading a few items on Facebook and my emails it reminded me that we have to stop and laugh at times.   Our GMM president recently posted something on his Facebook and he commented that it was “Good Silliness”.    
This is something that I kept in my achieves – enjoy reading and have a brighter day….

 The Fifteen Funniest Church Bulletin Bloopers!

1. The Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7:00.  Please use the back door.
2. Berth Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight.  Come her Bertha Belch all he way from Africa.
3. Weight Watchers will meet at 7 p.m.  Please use large double door at the side entrance.
4. Usher will eat latecomers.
5. Don’t let worry kill you off – let the church help.
6. Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir.  They need all the help they can get.
7. The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church.
8. Pastor is on vacation.  Massages can be given to the church secretary.
9. Potluck supper:  Prayer and medication to follow.
10. This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.
11. A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall.  Music will follow.
12. Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale.  It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house.  Bring your husbands.    (This was my favorite)
13. The third verse of Blessed Assurance will be sung without musical accomplishment.
14. Announcement in a church bulletin for National Prayer & Fasting Conference.  “The cost for attending the Fasting & Prayer conference includes meals.”
15. Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 am.  All ladies are invited to lunch in the fellowship hall after B. S. is done. 

So today – remember to laugh and while you are at it

– please pass it on to those you encounter and get them to laugh also.

Bobbyg

      I have been asking that question for my Dad on my Prayer walks for a while now – My Dad has Alzheimer and the disease is taking over more rapidly lately.  This is a terrible disease and the quality of life for my dad is not very good at the present time.   I have been blessed in the aspect that my Dad still knows me when I visit, but if you asked him what he had for lunch 10 minutes after he has eaten – He will tell you he has not had lunch.
     I have felt guilty at times when my Prayer is “Father can you take my dad home Now – TODAY – Please make the next call I get is to tell me has went home”.   I tell God that my father has had a great life and it is time.   I know that God can do this but I also know that He has purpose and reasoning as to why my Dad is still here.  There are days that I really have to question it, but I know that I have to trust in the Lord and he will work all things to bring out His Glory. 
          I will probably keep asking the same question when I do my Prayer Walks in the future “When is it time to go Home?”   For my Dad I hope it is soon. 
 
          Someone shared a testimony from Wynonna on Facebook and she sang the song “I can only imagine” and it really brought me home to the fact that my dad has to be singing this song also.     Please enjoy listening to either:
Wynonna    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlv62wB4VNs    or the original from
Mercy Me:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_lrrq_opng
 
          You know someday we will get to go Home and it will be this wonderful place with no pain or disease and a new body.   We will be praising our Lord and I cannot even imagine how glorious it will be.  But for today I know that God is using my Dad to help others get to go Home with him. 
 

So my question is:   “When is it time to go Home?” 

 Bobbyg

      This is an area that I really struggle with – I do not like how our country has taken the word and input it into how we should live.  I do believe that there is a place for tolerance, but it should not take away our rights to express what we believe in. 
          I googled the meaning of tolerance and this is the first definition that came up:        

Noun:  tolerance – 1. The ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.

“The tolerance of corruption”   –   (synonyms: acceptance, toleration; open-mindedness, broad-mindedness, forbearance, liberality, liberalism; patience, charity, indulgence, understanding “an attitude of tolerance toward other people”)

      OK – I like most of this, except it does not explain that we can also express our disagreement with someone else’s behavior or opinion.  The definition is right on the aspect that it will require an ability and willingness on my part to be Tolerant.
 
Then I read an article yesterday and a portion of it dealt with Tolerance – I only copied the portions that dealt with this topic.

Letter to the Editor by (Calvin Oliverius).

Here are just a few parts of his Article…  You can read the rest on the Wyoming Tribune/Eagle Web Site.
         ** God knows and clearly communicates that his love does not tolerate sin. In fact, His intolerance is very loving, just like Mother Theresa’s intolerance of poverty or Martin Luther King’s intolerance of racism.
          The religion of tolerance not only puts you in a predicament, but what about the police officer who is caught in the crossfire? Several have already been killed. How do they tolerate lawlessness and yet maintain law and order? How do we deal with the rebellion and offense that is at the root of the present cultural definition of tolerance?
     **Often our offense at people who don’t agree with us is also removed if we let the Holy Spirit direct us. There is hope for America, but it is found in individually and collectively walking toward God and his righteousness, rather than away from him.
          Calvin has done a great job in explaining how my actions as a Christian should be.  It is through the working of the Holy Spirit within me that will enable me to be Tolerant and Loving at the same time.  I should always be walking towards Jesus and then be under His guidance with the people I disagree with.   This WORKS and I am getting better on how I deal with the people I disagree with, but as for the people who know me:  they know it has taken me a while to get there and Jesus has to do allot of molding of me before I get to where I need to be.  
 

So how are you dealing with Tolerance?

Are you seeking the Wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit?

Are you Walking towards Jesus?

 

Bobbyg

     I had one of those weekends when everything started right but then changed in a drastic way.   We enjoyed our Grand Kids in Colorado Springs- did I forget to say that we enjoyed my Son and Daughter in-law also (When you become a Papa you will understand).  I went to Church at “Pulpit Rock” in Colorado Springs and the sermon was on Grace – the part of Grace that I give when someone disappoints me.  God gives us Grace and in return the Grace given to us I need to pass onto those who I know.   
          The Scripture was in Galatians 6: and the verses that stuck out to me were 1 & 2:  Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
 
          Well getting back to the topic of this Blog “When God Changes my Prayer Life!” and how it changed.  My prayer walks have been good and I thought how I was praying was the right way.   God please help change the hearts of these specific people. Then I was awakened by the fact that I need to be Praying for God to work in my Heart first so that I can be Gentle to the people who are disappointing me.  I need to give them Grace and help them carry their burdens instead of telling them how I believe they should be going.   My eyes were opened to Two extremely important people in my life and how they are really struggling.  
          So on my way to my Prayer walk this morning I was listening to the radio and I was being told that I need to focus on Jesus first and he will lead me to what I need to accomplish with these two very special people.  I get caught up in Life at times and lose my priorities and it takes a tragedy sometimes to get me back to where I should be.   So my prayers this morning were:  Jesus work in me so that I can do your work in the correct way with “GRACE”.    When I pray this way, then I can be the person who Christ wants me to be in helping the ones who are disappointing me.  “Love Always Wins”        Now I can go forward this week in a whole new light on the situations and I will be working in Grace.
 

So are you praying for others to change instead of yourself?

Are you praying for yourself to be reconnected with Christ?

Are you dealing with those around you in Grace?

Bobbyg            PS:  My Prayer life did change this morning.  
 

     In the last month I am being prompted with the action of being Obedient to what Jesus is telling me to do.  I have been taking several Prayer walks and asking God what am I supposed to do?  The answer is always the same “seek me first and then all shall be added” – I am to be Obedient to his calling. 
     
          One of the verses that I looked up on this topic is:

2 John 1:6 – And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

    When you look at the world around us – this is something that is needed and will be required as we go forward.   I am afraid that our country is going to get what they are asking for when it comes to who is going to lead us forward.  This may not be someone that I want but as in the days past when the people wanted a King – God granted them their desire.   So one of the most powerful ways of obedience for Christians is for us to walk in Love as we see what is going to transpire around us.
 
I enjoy listening to John Bevere’s talks and he has one on obeying God:

Don’t wait to obey until God provides while God is waiting to provide until you obey. When you’ve heard God’s voice and you know He’s calling you to do something, step out in faith. The next step will be there.  https://www.facebook.com/32273893010/videos/10154310930998011/?pnref=story

John talks about there will be times that God Speaks to you and you will not have the resources to do it.   Then he gives examples of when Jesus told people to go forward, he supplied the resources to accomplish the task.

   We are going to be prompted to do the same….  God will be telling us to do some very hard things this year….   I have a list of several items that I am being told to be Obedient in and it is a struggle, but I know that I must be Obey. 
       
Here is another portion of an article I read about Radical Obedience:

**The Secret of Radical Obedience:

Hearing God in the secret place is one of the greatest keys to living the Christian life. However, it must be linked with its corollary: radical obedience. We hear, and then we do. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22, NKJV).

By “radical obedience,” I mean immediate obedience that fulfills the commandment to its fullest measure. Radical obedience does not seek to comply to the minimal standards but pursues extravagant, lavish fulfillment. If Jesus says, “Sell all,” then we sell all! Immediately.

    This last section got me:   “Radical Obedience” – that is where I need to be.  This is not something that will come easy for me and I will probably fail several times.  I know as I persevere and go forward that he will be with me and Obedience will come…..
 

So what is Jesus calling you to do?

Are you going forward in Obedience?

As you persevering?

 

Bobbyg

 

 

 

A couple weeks ago, I (Bob W.) read an article contrasting Johnny Barnes, Bermuda’s famously loving & joyful Christian greeter; with India’s Datta Phuge, “the gold man of Pune” with his $250,000 shirt made of pure gold.
The obituary/article in this very secular magazine tells the stories behind both men, who both happen to have died last month. It’s worth a read. It has been one of those occasional stories that comes to mind again and again, long after reading it.
For this blog, I’ll focus on the conclusion, where the author writes:
“The moral of the tale seems almost too easy to draw: the selfish flaunter of happiness (murder victim Datta Phuge), weighed down by gold, came to an awful end, while the selfless one, wearing his prodigious love so lightly (Johnny Barnes), was praised and lamented.
Both men, though, left behind a deficit of magic. After Mr Phuge died, no one could find the wonderful gold shirt. It was not in the house, nor at Ranka Jewellers; rumour had it that a creditor from Mumbai had taken it away. As for Mr Barnes, people searched up and down, far and wide, for the true secret of his happiness; for that, too, had disappeared with him.”
But has the true secret of Mr. Barnes contagious joy REALLY disappeared with him?
In the article, the source of Mr. Barnes’ joy is obvious to anyone with discernment to see it:

• “the genuine joy in the life God had blessed him with…“
• “often prayed with his visitors beside the road…“
• “death… in the firm conviction he was heading home…“

Faith. Gratitude to God. Loving his neighbors as himself.
I doubt many of us are called of God to spend our days telling passing rush-hour motorists how sweet life is and how much we love them, as Mr. Barnes was.  But the questions for me, and anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ, are:

• Is MY faith in Christ like “a spring of water welling up to eternal life”? (John 4:7-14)
• Do I want to make a habit of looking for God’s blessings, in the routine, the good, and the bad times… and to give Him thanks?
• Am I willing to tell others the true secret of happiness?

Bob W.