Turn Your Radio On

I've been teaching on the Holy Spirit the past few Wednesday nights at church, and I've talked about how the Holy Spirit leads and guides. Many struggle with the concept of "hearing" the voice of God. The problem is that we think in terms of the human body, but we need to think in spiritual terms. I have a saying that I teach my church which may help the reader. We are not a physical body that a happens to have a spirit; but rather, we are spiritual beings that happen to be in a human body. When this body is gone, the spirit will live on. With that understanding, realize that our spirit communicates with the Holy Spirit, and that is spirit to spirit. We "hear" with our spirit. As we develop a more intimate relationship with the Lord, we come to know his "voice." Jesus, speaking of the Holy Spirit said that he will lead us into all truth. It is God's desire to communicate with us on a daily basis. Another thing I have taught my church is that prayer is much more about hearing God than it is speaking. In fact, in the Gospel of Matthew where the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and Jesus answered with what we call the Lord's Prayer, the term that is translated "pray" literally means "to catch" or "to set a trap." The implication is to "catch what God is speaking." It is vital to our Christian faith walk that we learn to catch what God is speaking to us as we go through our daily lives.

An example of this is something that happened today. As I was going through the day, just taking care of business, I felt an incredibly strong urge or prompting of the Holy Spirit to get away and pray specifically for two people. I sent both of them a text message a short time later asking if they were OK. One of them I never heard from, the other, a teenager who attends my church, did respond and said she was OK, other than being really stressed because she was working with a group of grade school kids and had been at a museum and they were acting up some. I didn't concern myself further, knowing that the Holy Spirit had prompted me to pray, and I had done what I knew to do. The rest was up the God. I actually had pretty much dismissed this from my mind until a short while ago my phone rang and it was this young lady thanking me for praying. She said, "I should have been on that bus." I did not have a clue what she was talking about until she filled me in. One of the buses that was bringing the kids back from the Quad Cities had the windshield blow out of it and several of the kids were taken to the hospital. Amanda told me that she was supposed to be on that bus, but they had made a change and put her and her kids on a different bus for the trip home. She knew nothing about it either, until she came in and her father told her what had happened. She said, "Oh my God, I was supposed to be on that bus!" And then she remembered my message that I felt such an overwhelming prompting to pray for her. She said she knew that God had intervened and kept her and her kids off that bus.

OK, some will say coincidence. Say what you want, but God is speaking, and if we will only listen, he wants to direct our lives. The question is, will we listen. I'm suddenly reminded of the old song, "Turn Your Radio On."

Calling All Coffee Lovers!

Our church has partnered with Just Love Coffee and we now have an online coffee store. All of our proceeds from this adventure will be going to our missions projects and we will keep you updated at time goes on as to how we are able to be a blessing to these projects. (We will rotate who the proceeds go to so that all of them are blessed.)

I've tried the coffee, as have a couple of my members and the coffee is very good. In fact, since I've been drinking it, my trips to the local coffee house have been cut by probably about 85% or more. The prices are very comparable to our local coffee house (Innkeepers) and I believe they are lower than Starbucks. They ship by Priority Mail, so you receive your coffee in a couple of days.

I would appreciate you giving it a try... and remember, 100% of what we receive on this will go to our missions projects.

To visit our store, please click on this link: Harvest Church Coffee

Thanks so much for your support!

You DON'T Want To Cross This Line

IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR

IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.

IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.

IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE JAILED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.

IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.

IF YOU CROSS THE U.S. BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET:

1 - A JOB,
2 - A DRIVERS LICENSE,
3 - SOCIAL SECURITY CARD,
4 - WELFARE,
5 - FOOD STAMPS,
6 - CREDIT CARDS,
7 - SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE,
8 - FREE EDUCATION,
9 - FREE HEALTH CARE,
10 - A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON
11 - BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE
12 - AND THE RIGHT TO CARRY YOUR COUNTRY'S FLAG WHILE YOU PROTEST THAT YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH RESPECT

The Strength of My Life

After I posted my blog earlier today talking about the men of Heaven Fire that are coming to our church next week, I received a phone call from a friend asking me "how do you do it?" The woman who was on the phone who has known me since I was a teenager. Truthfully she knew me far better as a strung out and drunk kid who was known as being a bit crazy and suicidal. We'd lost contact after I went to prison until we reconnected through Myspace a few years ago. But this is a person who "knew me when," and she knows some of the struggles and pain I've contended with over the years. She has commented to me several times since we've reconnected how that she is amazed at the difference in my life. Today when she called she wanted to know how I can remain strong, how I can write about the things I write about in my blogs. She said that if it were her she'd try to bury that past and never remember it again. I can certainly relate to that, and in fact know others who have done just that, and I cannot blame them. But I explained that I feel like God has called me to use my story to help others. The message is clear that with Christ, all things are possible and new life really is NEW LIFE! Sometimes I wish I could just erase it all. My past hinders me a great deal of the time. There are things I will never be able to do or become because of that part of my life. That is part of the price I must pay for my irresponsible youth. One thing that my friend asked me is what caused me to write this blog. She said that the Darrell she knew in high school and for several years after was always so troubled and unstable. She talked about the numerous suicide attempts and the escalating drug use and then she asked, "Where did you find the strength? I sure could use some of that." I'll say it again, the difference is Jesus. Nothing more, nothing less.. only Jesus.

Not long after I was released from prison in April of 1984 I went to a Nicky Cruz crusade and he had as a guest singer a young woman named Leslie Phillips who sang a song that has been near and dear to my heart ever since. I have it on my computer today, and I play it frequently. The song was, "Strength of My Life." I find my strength in Jesus.

Here is a link to the song if you don't know it: Strength of My Life

And the lyrics:

I open my eyes to the sound of morning news
And wish for ten more minutes left to sleep
And as I get into the shower the thoughts of
Facing one more day
Overwhelm me and I begin to weep
And I’ve never felt like I’ve needed your help,
So bad

Verse 2:
Well, my tears are pushed away now for the
Sake of morning rush
’til the Bible on the table catches my eye
And I read that you are near to the hearts that
Break with grief
And I realize that I don’t have to try
To live life myself because you’re ready to help me live

Bridge 1:
And everyday I look to you
To be the strength of my life
You’re the hope I hold onto
Be the strength of my life

Chorus:
Be the strength of my life
Strength of my life
Be the strength of my life today
Be the strength of my life
Strength of my life
Be the strength of my life today

Verse 3:
Each day has it’s problems, it troubles and it’s tears
And it seems I’m always anything but strong
When I learn to know my weakness,
I understand your strength
And even when the hard times last so long
I won’t try by myself, I’ll just ask for your help
Each day

Bridge 2:
And everyday I look to you
To be the strength of my life
Breathe on me and make me knew
Be the strength of my life

Chorus:
Be the strength of my life
Strength of my life
Be the strength of my life today
Be the strength of my life
Strength of my life
Be the strength of my life today.

What a Difference Jesus Makes

This coming Sunday, April 25, my church will be honoring me by marking Pastor Appreciation Day. They surprised me with a gift of bringing in some of my best friends I've ever had. These men were all men I met while in prison more than 26 years ago. Back in the day, we sang together in a Christian group we formed in Vienna Correctional Center, called "Heaven Fire." I cannot tell you how excited I am to be reunited with these guys. Two of them I have not seen in more than 24 years, and this will be the first time that we've all been together since Easter Sunday, 1984. One of the guys cannot make it, but it is going to be such a blast to be with all the others. I cannot thank my church enough for making this happen.

A few days ago I was thinking about all this and about my friends and a thought crossed my mind. While statistics vary some, they all agree that well over half, somewhere in the neighborhood of 60% or more of all male inmates that were released from prison from 1984 - 2006 returned to prison within 3 years. That's an incredible statistic, but what I noticed is this.... NONE of my friends who sang in our band has ever gone back. That's a strong statement, but you have to understand that as men were released, others stepped into their position in the band, and NONE of these guys (more than 10) ever went back. In fact, of our close friends, those who were also born again followers of Christ, I only know of one man who was ever returned to prison, and to very frank, I always felt that that man was shallow in his walk with Christ, and I kept him at a distance from me. But even including him, you include a good sized circle of friends, of which only one returned to prison. That totally blows away the statistical recidivism rate of roughly two of every three returning to prison within three years. So, what's the difference? I'd say it has to be Jesus Christ.

The prison system calls itself a "Corrections" system. I have to flatly say, little if anything is being corrected, which is why there is such a high recidivism rate. Simply locking a man (or woman) up does not change him. Well, maybe it does, because when you take a person and lock him up in a place where violence and evil is the norm rather than the exception, he is apt to become a product of the environment in which you have place him. They become comfortable there. (See a blog I wrote a couple of years ago "A Man Named Nod." ) The only way to change a person has to be an inward change, not an environmental change. In other words, it is a spiritual issue. The one man I referred to who did return to prison was a "con artist." The reason he was in prison when I met him was because he had been running "con games" on people. He'd even impersonated a priest on several occasions in order to make his schemes more believable. While I liked this guy, I never trusted him, because I always felt he was running a game. On the other hand, the other men I am referring to, I'd trust any one of them with my very life. In fact, one of them was the Best Man in my wedding. You'd have to sit down and talk with these men to really see what I am talking about, but on the surface, we are all as different as night and day, from different backgrounds and walks of life. Ethnically, some are white, some black, one from Panama, one Puerto Rican..., some from the city, some from the country... my point is, the bond we had was not in "normal" life circumstances. The bond was found in Christ. The force that changed our lives was not religion or church... it is Christ. Within this group, there are former gang members, drug dealers and runners, murderers, armed robbers and thieves... you name it... but the key word is former. When Jesus came into our lives, we were born again; old things passed away and all things became new. That's the difference. It was not about learning a new way of life, it was about being born again with a new nature. I'm so thankful, first of all that Jesus has done in my life since that day I met him in June of 1981, but I am also thankful that my friends found Jesus as well. Guys, where would we be without Jesus? I don't even want to think about it.

Maybe you are reading this and you are looking for a life change. I want to tell you clearly that the difference is not found in religion, programs or just in church. It is only in a relationship with Jesus that you will find what you are looking for.

Closet Cleaning Time

"I decided to clean out my closets (yes, plural, I have 3 of them) to get rid of clothes that I did not wear, either because I did not like them, or because they no longer fit. I have pulled 4 suits, 2 sport jackets, 39 dress shirts and more than 40 casual shirts, and 17 pairs of pants. That is just ridiculous in itself, but I look and I still have at least 3 times that much left filling my closets. Out of curiosity I just counted my " Hawaiian" type shirts that are still in the closet and I have enough there to wear a different one every day for almost 3 weeks. I'm standing here scratching my head thinking, "how did you accumulate so much stuff?" Amazing. I think I need to go through the closets again and rid myself of some more stuff."

I posted the above message on a messaging board where I and several of my friends in the ministry post, and as I concluded that message, the thought hit me... "there is a spiritual message in this, as well. We all need to "clean out our closets" from time to time, in a spiritual sense. As I was going through my closets, there was in internal struggle over some of those clothes. Some of them were literally never worn. Someone had bought them for me, and I just never wore them, either because of the color(s) or in many cases because I just did not like the way the material felt. In both cases, it was because those clothes just "were not me." I got to thinking about how much "stuff" we drag around in life, because it came to us, either through someone else, another religious idealogue, or maybe we picked it up ourselves, thinking it would be good for us, only to find out it just does not work. As I worked through the clothing, there were several instances where I said that something had to go, only to pick it back up again. Some of those are back in my closet, some are in the bags in my van waiting to go to the Salvation Army. But I had to wrestle with those decisions until I found a peace about letting it go, or keeping them. So it is with these emotional and spiritual issues in our "closets" that we must deal with, make decisions about... do they stay or do they go? Funny thing, there are several things that I took out, realized they do not fit, but told myself, "I'm going to get back into this." When we do a personal inventory of our lives, going through our closets, we often realize that there are things that we really like, really enjoy, even need... and that these things have been pushed out of our lives by other things, and in our reflection we make the determination that we need to do some things to get them back in our lives. Just as it means I need to trim few pounds from my life to fit those clothing items I want back, in my life there are somethings I need to either rid myself of, or at bare minimum, reign under control because they have taken some important things from my life. How many times have you ever come to the realization that television, the internet or other hobbies have robbed you of an important time or thing in your life?

As I cleaned out my physical closets today, I had to make some tough decisions to let go of some shirts that I really liked, but it was time to let them go. The fact was, they just were not me any more, although at one time, they very much were. There was sentimental meaning to them, but the truth is, they were taking up space, which also caused the closet to be over crowded, thus wrinkling my clothes that I now wear. Wow... is there a dynamic in that thought! There are some things in our lives that we need to be thankful that they were there for that season of our lives, but now it is time to cut them loose. They serve to only muddle our lives and bog us down with sentiments of memories and times that were good... but they are no longer useful to us. Time to let them go. I've been mindful of this very thing a lot lately. There are some issues, memories... even people in my life that I am having to let go of. That hurts, and I mean deeply. But they honestly are in the way of where I am going at this stage in my life.

Maybe no one else really even sees what I'm blogging about today... but I can tell you, that I'm going through spiritual surgery as I write this. The Holy Spirit is revealing to me things that it is now time to say good-bye to. That is seldom easy.

One last thought. As I went back to my closet for another pass through to rid myself of more stuff, I discovered a bag with several shirts and a couple pairs of pants in the top of that closet. I had started cleaning it out about a year ago and put those in there to get rid of, but never did. They are in my van now and they are going today as well. How many of us "intended" to get rid of something long ago... but it's still in there? Just a thought.

Peace out!

Thank You Lord For Working In Spite of Me!

I am attending a Chaplain's Training Seminar in Clinton, Illinois this week. Tonight, I was really tired and honestly was not feeling like going out to eat, but I kept feeling like I should. I drove around town looking for something that sounded good, but nothing really struck me as something I wanted. I turned around after driving all the way through town and as I hit the middle of town, I saw one restaurant and I felt a tugging in my heart that this was where I should go. So, I went in and stood there for several minutes before it seemed like anyone even noticed me. The young lady who seated me seemed to be very uninterested in the fact that I was there. She barely spoke to me, led me to a table and set a menu down and walked away without a word. I'm thinking, "real friendly people in this town." A couple of minutes later the same woman comes out and asks me if I am ready to order. She is still pretty distracted and I could tell she was not really listening to me. When I finished ordering, she started to walk away and I said, "Excuse me, would you mind repeating that back to me?" She was obviously ticked at my request and rattled it back with a sharp tone of aggitation in her voice. I told her that she did not quite have it right, and she snapped, "Well that's exactly what you said!" Now if you know me... I'm in slow burn mode right about this point. I said, "Hon, that's not what I said, now let's try this again", and I repeated my order. She spins around and starts to walk away, and I said, "Excuse me... would you please read that back?" Fire is shooting from her eyes and she had the look of murder on her face. I said, "Maam, I am sorry, but I've had a long day too, and I just want to get my meal right. Would you please?" She reads it back, slowly and loudly... and believe it or not, it was still not correct! I could only laugh, and corrected her again. Surprisingly, I'm really sounding pretty patient as I talked to her, even though inside I was wanting to just leave. After she left I'm sitting at my table (no water) waiting on my meal and I'm thinking, "I really missed God on this one!"

I was surprised that my food arrived very quickly, but it was slid onto the table almost in front of me, without a word being spoken. I asked her for my water and if looks could kill, I'm six feet under. While she was getting my water, I looked and sure enough, the order was not as I ordered. I decided not to say anything... but she asked... and I told her, but said I'd just eat it as it was. She said, "you're not from around here, are you?" I just shook my head to say no, and she walked away muttering under her breath. I never saw her again while I ate.

After my meal, I waited for my bill. Then I waited some more.... and then some more. Nearly 15 minutes after I'm finished another employee came over and asked if there was anything wrong. I started to let it rip, but the Holy Spirit grabbed my tongue and would not let me say what I wanted to say. I just said, "I'm just waiting for my check." A couple of minutes later, my waitress emerges from the back and tosses my check on the table without a word and walks away. I thought... "no tip for you!" I started to get up to leave and the Holy Spirit told me to leave the woman a $20 tip. I sat back down and said to God, "you are not even funny Lord! This woman has been aweful and my entire meal was only $11 and you want me to give her $20? Not happening!" Seriously, I told God that! I again felt the Lord impressing me to give her a $20 tip. I literally said, out loud... "OK, but I'm NOT happy about it!" I paid and was on my way out the door when I felt a pull on my shirt sleeve and I turned around and there stood this woman, and she tried to give me the tip back and said, "You can't do this. I don't diserve it and you know it."
Ding, ding, ding.... this was a Holy Ghost set up if I ever saw it!

I said, "No Sally (not her real name), you don't diserve it. But God said to give it to you, so I did." She stood there for about 20 seconds, literally with her jaw dropped while still holding her arm out to me with the $20 in her hand. "What did you say?" she said. Again, I told her God told me to give it to her. She told me that she did not understand. So I told her the whole story, how that the Lord had told me to go there, even though I did not want to, and that he had told me to give her that tip, even though she did not deserve it. She teared up and said, "Mister, thank you for showing me Jesus." Truthfully, I felt about 3 inches tall, because I knew my attitude had shown a bit during the placing of my order. Then she told me that just before coming into work she had a flat tire and it had cost her $20, the last bit of money she had. She went on to say that she had recently gone back to church and given her life to Christ. She said that her boyfriend had left her when she got saved and she was struggling to pay bills; and that people around her had been telling her to "trust Jesus" to provide for her needs. She said that after she paid that last $20 to the tire shop, she had gotten back in her car and muttered, "so Jesus, how about giving me my $20 back? Do this and I will trust you from now on." She was late getting to work because of the flat tire and her boss chewed her out. Right after that, I walked in... and her anger was taken out on me. She again tried to hand me the money... and I said, "Sally, God said give it to you. I did. Be blessed in Jesus Name." She hugged me and kissed me on the cheek and turned and walked back into work.

I'm amazed. God just amazes me, again and again and again. He can work through my frailties... and that just amazes me. I'm so glad that God does not give any of us what we deserve. "Sally" did not really deserve it. I did not deserve the honor of being used by the Lord. But God did a work in both of us tonight.

Phil Hare Doesn't Care About the Constitution?

From a friend on Facebook...

"My Congressman: He doesn't care about the constitution and can't tell the difference between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. OMG! We are in so much trouble!!! THEN, he walks out on the town hall meeting that HE called to discuss the Health Care Bill! We are shopping for a new Congressman!!!!"