tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42494370609796381702024-03-18T05:47:37.128-04:00Thirsting for Something RealThese are the ramblings of a husband, father, friend,
and pastor who is striving to love God, live by His Truth, reflect His Love to others and live on Mission with Him.orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-36192096658811484972014-03-30T17:39:00.005-04:002014-03-30T17:44:01.260-04:00Worship - 3/30/14<b>How Deep the Father's Love</b>
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
<b>
Our God</b>
Water you turned into wine,
opened the eyes of the blind
there's no one like you,
none like You
Into the darkness you shine
out of the ashes we rise
there's no one like you
none like You
Our God is greater,
our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer,
Awesome in Power,
Our God, Our God
And if our God is for us,
then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us,
then what could stand against.
And if our God is for us,
then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us,
then what could stand against.
What could stand against.
<b>10,000 Reasons</b>
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore
<b>Sovereign</b>
Sovereign in the mountain air
Sovereign on the ocean floor
With me in the calm
With me in the storm
Sovereign in my greatest joy
Sovereign in my deepest cry
With me in the dark
With me at the dawn
In your everlasting arms
All the pieces of my life
From beginning to the end
I can trust you
In your never failing love
You work everything for good
God whatever comes my way
I will trust you
All my hopes
All I need
Held in your hands
All my life
All of me
Held in your hands
All my fears
All my dreams
Held in your hands
orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-65361285427593272762013-04-23T09:17:00.002-04:002013-04-23T09:17:55.016-04:00<i>"For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh." <b>Romans 9:3</b></i> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDbCr-KMZXVxUvPidvdXx6mjW_95JnpNZ2H_-5FaBBfeODTtpkLq0ezcNJ1aBCBgtIpjVGl7Y5HZOWswPczXVASb82vuljifveOINiiICu49j5PsxdXPCOQuis4aQusqSWzSMXZ4lNFI-/s1600/brokenness.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDbCr-KMZXVxUvPidvdXx6mjW_95JnpNZ2H_-5FaBBfeODTtpkLq0ezcNJ1aBCBgtIpjVGl7Y5HZOWswPczXVASb82vuljifveOINiiICu49j5PsxdXPCOQuis4aQusqSWzSMXZ4lNFI-/s320/brokenness.jpg" /></a>
Wow, these are some huge words from the Apostle Paul, and these words reveal his heart. They reveal his heart for the Gospel, his brokenness over the lostness of his community and his deep desire to see them come to faith in Jesus Christ. What a beautiful and convicting picture of how the heart of every believer should pound, break and bleed for those who are outside of a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In our ever changing western church culture, we have come to fill our church vocabulary with missional engagement, missional living, relational evangelism, incarnational proclamation, owning the lostness of our community, and all of these terms and the many others that have become a part of the DNA of our churches are all great, but I think they will always just be words and phrases if at the core they don't move us towards the heart of God and cause us to see the world as God sees it. Paul was educated above most, in his culture, and I am sure he knew all the religious lingo and cool Christian terms, but that's not what he led with and it certainly was not what gripped his heart. What gripped his heart was the Gospel. The Gospel changed everything for him.
The Gospel gave Paul new lenses to see himself through and to see the world around him through...In 1 Timothy 1:15 he states <i>"The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." </i>
The Gospel is also what fueled his missional engagement,(I told you I like the terms)...In 2 Corinthians 5:14 Paul states that it is <i>"the love of Christ" <b></b></i>that compelled him.
And Paul, maintained his faith that the message of the Gospel was enough. That he did not need to dress it up, change it, soften it's blow. No, he just needed to proclaim it unashamedly, with great passion, love and conviction. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul states that he delivered and shared what was of first importance and what was shared with him.
We can go on and on about the Apostle Paul's conviction, love for and faith in the Gospel, which served as the foundation and the fuel for all he did, but the bottom line for me is, is that true about me? Is that true about the believers in my circle of influence? You see, we don't have a vocabulary issue, I believe we may just have a heart issue. We just may have become innoculated to the Gospel that we have lost the wonder of it and we have stopped seeing those around us who are deep need of this saving and transforming message. So maybe this morning the simple prayer is, God, break my heart for what breaks yours and reacquaint me with the beauty, power and love of the Gospel. It seemed to work for the Apostle Paul...just another rambling. God bless! orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-33030911303444485502012-07-26T16:38:00.001-04:002012-07-26T16:38:07.419-04:00“My Father,
Enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips, supply words that proclaim ‘Love lustres at Calvary.’
There grace removes my burdens and heaps them on thy Son, made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me;
There the sword of thy justice smote the man, thy fellow;
There thy infinite attributes were magnified, and infinite atonement was made;
There infinite punishment was due, and infinite punishment was endured.
Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend,
surrendered to hell’s worst that I might attain heaven’s best,
stripped that I might be clothed,
wounded that I might be healed,
athirst that I might drink,
tormented that I might be comforted,
made a shame that I might inherit glory,
entered darkness that I might have eternal light.
My Saviour wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,
groaned that I might have endless song,
endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,
closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,
expired that I might for ever live.
O Father, who spared not thine only Son that thou mightest spare me,
All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished;
Help me to adore thee by lips and life.
O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise,
my every step buoyant with delight,
as I see my enemies crushed,
Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed,
sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood,
hell’s gates closed, heaven’s portal open.
Go forth, O conquering God, and show me the cross,
mighty to subdue, comfort and save.”
- The Valley of Vision,orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-90467142455474216922012-04-11T16:31:00.000-04:002012-04-11T16:31:54.503-04:00What mirror do you use?It's been a while since my last blog, let's hope that I still know how to do this. As I write this, I am actually in Louisville for the Together for The Gospel conference. It has been a tremendous time thus far. I have been blessed to sit under the teaching of some of today's most brilliant minds and eloquent and powerful communicators of the Gospel.<br />
<br />
This morning as I was getting ready, God gripped my heart with something. As I was getting dressed, I was a little frustrated by the lack of sleep and by the fact that I was disappointed with the mirrors in the room. None of the ones offered in my room seem to give me the proper lighting or angle that I wanted. Please catch this, the mirror was not offering to me, what I wanted, but it did give me the image of what stood in front of it. So as I grew a little frustrated, that's when my spirit just gave me one those nudges...and got me thinking, that's what I do in my daily spiritual walk.<br />
<br />
I tend to use the wrong mirrors or question what the real mirror is showing me. You see we all fall into this trap. We tend to define ourselves, measure our worth, our value, our impact or even our goodness and badness by using mirrors and standards that God never intended us to use.orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-79261009273621505422011-07-12T08:12:00.007-04:002011-07-12T09:39:42.800-04:00Lessons from Memphis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq8UmUg4IiS-aHbMtOF9XbeV6UBRBv6kDTnXXzfKfrf4FV9pKLBAfLoCkYkIKldixxbBfTk8JcA24CRMQNlsmr43ThxbJOZmoJmdZH-P-XhgOmQ7kUymGngXBzf-DFUMHS4B-jHdHp5XP/s1600/MemphisStore.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq8UmUg4IiS-aHbMtOF9XbeV6UBRBv6kDTnXXzfKfrf4FV9pKLBAfLoCkYkIKldixxbBfTk8JcA24CRMQNlsmr43ThxbJOZmoJmdZH-P-XhgOmQ7kUymGngXBzf-DFUMHS4B-jHdHp5XP/s200/MemphisStore.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628455537249546610" /></a><br />I have been extremely grateful that the Elders, staff and church family have given me this extended time away, to be refreshed and renewed by the Lord. It truly has been a huge blessing to my heart and spirit. For the last few days I have been in Memphis with one of my good friends Nathan. Nathan and his wife moved to downtown Memphis a couple of years ago to plant a church. As a church planter I kind of had an idea of what that entails and the sacrifices that go into such a work, but after being here I have a new profound respect for their obedience to the Lord. Nathan, and his family along with the other pastors are ministering in a very impoverished and crime infested area, and in obedience to the Lord and in the step with the Holy Spirit they have moved right in to the center of this dark region in hopes to bring the light, hope and love of the Gospel. On the surface and in the natural, you can't help but to say and think, what in the world are you doing? Are you crazy? Do you want to get shot? But, the reality is when we read the words of Jesus, when we study the Bible, we see that this example is pretty normal. I was at Grace Church this weekend and Pastor Jordan delivered a powerful and God honoring word. One of the questions he posed was this, "Are our lives and faith a seamless transition from the lives and faiths described and depicted in Hebrews chapter 11?" Many of us know Hebrews chapter 11. It has been deemed by many as the "hall of fame" of faith. But it was never meant to be treated as a memorial that we read and look at and just move on, our lives should reflect that heart and desire to sacrifice and follow God at any cost for His glory. The problem is, we as Christians have made the glory of God, the Words of God more about our comfort than God's fame. We have bought into sermons and books that tell us God wants us to be happy. Whenever my happiness becomes the center of God's glory it will always be a slippery slope to a man-centered theology. And once I arrive at that place, the truths of the Scripture will never make sense, because the truths of the Bible are NOT about me, they are about God. The Gospel is definitely about a person, it's just not you or me, it's about Jesus! <br /><br />Now, before I go any further, I am not saying that what is happening here in downtown Memphis is what every Christian is called to do necessarily, but what I am saying is that sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel, for the sake of the glory of God and for the sake of the good of others, is the normal and plausible response to those of us who have truly tasted and seen the goodness of God. Being here these last few days has been a beautiful and convicting display of what it means to truly own the lostness of our community. Being here these last few days have reignited my heart to the importance of trumpeting the Gospel, because the Gospel is in fact every man, woman and child's greatest need. Being here these past few days has once again confirmed that what we are striving to do in and through Summit is right on point and we actually need to be willing and ready to take deeper and more profound strides as God leads us to. I am praying for myself, my family, my friends, our staff and our church that we begin to posture ourselves in asking God to prepare us more to sacrifice in such a way that our lives don't make sense in the natural, but in the spiritual realm it is but a reflection of the call of God in His Word. I am praying that their grows an ever burning and committed desire to God's glory above any other possible competing force. I pray that we grow in our understanding that if we don't become consumed as Christians with God's glory, than what is at stake is our joy, not God's glory itself. Jonathan Edwards to me stated it best "when God gets His glory, His people get there joy!" David Platt in his book "Radical Together" puts it this way, "Gospel-filled obedience, produces Gospel-filled joy!"<br /><br />The beauty is that God has made His power available to us through His Holy Spirit to accomplish His purposes. So may we abide, rest in that power and find our joy solely in Him. When we do that, then and only then could moving into a less desirable neighborhood, or down sizing, or living below our means to free more assets up for God's work, or serving in some capacity that actually takes us out of our comfort zone, will actually "make sense and feel normal." Just a rambling but I do hope you'll join me in praying to this end.<br /><br />"Brothers my hearts desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved." Romans 10:1orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-24785031960510166592011-06-27T09:42:00.007-04:002011-06-30T11:50:34.982-04:00Rest"You made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until it finds its place in you." Augustine<br /><br />Augustine would make this a part of his daily prayers. Interesting that in this fast paced world that we live in, this world that we have pretty much everything at our disposal, that there is still one thing that trips us up and that is rest. Even with all of our technology and digital advancement, it is rest, that is still one of the most elusive things in our culture and in our lives. Rest, a four letter, simple, yet profound word, that we have for the most part neglected. Rest, something that we all need, yet try to get by without. Rest, the thing that God set in place that we all would need, but we try hard to deny. Rest, the thing that may be the wisest thing we could do to find, yet we act as though it is the weakest thing we could do. Most of us won't be active in seeking this rest out, until it is prescribed to us by a doctor or a counselor or some other trained professional. Interesting that the advancements made in society have not freed us up as much as they have in some sense burdened us more. Amazing how sovereign and omniscient God is, that from the beginning of time He knew we would struggle with rest, so much so that He not only commanded us to do it, but also gave us an example.<br /><br />We read the creation story and we see that God created all things in 6 days and on the seventh He rest. God, the almighty, all consuming, all knowing, sufficient in Himself God, just chills. In a world that celebrates and cheers people for burning the candle at both ends, God would have us to remember that He instituted rest, because He knew we would need it. God does cheer our burn out, He would see it as yet another form of idol worship. It doesn't matter how gifted, how skilled, how awesome you may think you are, if you are cheating yourself of rest, you really are just building your life on sand and living on borrowed time, because eventually that lack of rest will catch up to you. <br /><br />Tomorrow I enter into something I have never done before and that is take a sabbatical. I am looking forward to this time to step away from my position as an Elder and Teaching Pastor and just be. One of the hardest struggles in ministry at times is to not allow the doing to overshadow the becoming. I am grateful for this given time away to be renewed, refreshed and reacquainted with the importance of rest. I am looking forward to what God will do in me and through me during this time. Just another rambling, but I do pray we will find our rest in God, because the absence or failure of that can be quite detrimental to our souls and lives.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-41265313603372089742011-06-01T11:38:00.005-04:002011-06-01T12:15:27.340-04:00Celebrate...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxLl7vBLh-N8wkzlk6DrgqkZUo2FVEkb5Pi0ET8tsQP17P6JXLxiqC1ULunwY5Sr_aPrzFDGODFwp88MwfFRT2ZnCd-3Lsyk2ROGHhHZ7G1qi2DFmCJwnLw-wd6Tei6HxSk8dFpMLrEC5/s1600/max.waterslide.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxLl7vBLh-N8wkzlk6DrgqkZUo2FVEkb5Pi0ET8tsQP17P6JXLxiqC1ULunwY5Sr_aPrzFDGODFwp88MwfFRT2ZnCd-3Lsyk2ROGHhHZ7G1qi2DFmCJwnLw-wd6Tei6HxSk8dFpMLrEC5/s200/max.waterslide.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613284531556757234" /></a><br />For the last couple of years my wife and I have been navigating through the journey and world of Autism Spectrum Disorder as we have seen our son, Max, struggle and strive with it. There have been lots of low moments, tears, frustrations but also lots of victories and shouts of joy. Through it all we have seen the goodness and faithfulness of God. One of the things that autism has done for our family is, it has given us a new perspective on the importance of celebrating everything. The celebrations are milestones for us, they are reminders and markers of the goodness of God. We celebrated Max's first words which we thought would never come. We celebrated his first sight word, his first non-scripted conversation and the list goes on and on. <br /><br />This past weekend we witnessed and celebrated his accomplishment over winning over his fear of water slides at Aquatica. Max was like a champ not just going down the water slide and plunging into the pool and exiting on his own, but even the fact of him standing in line waiting patiently for his turn is a crowning achievement. It was absolutely awesome to see his excitement and his joy. There are still many many miles for us to travel on this journey and many hurdles to overcome, but today I can rejoice that in it and through it all we can remain confident in the goodness and the grace of God, who never disappoints. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." <span style="font-weight:bold;">Psalm 73:25-26</span></span>orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-70145711472477304742011-04-05T14:06:00.004-04:002011-04-05T14:34:00.045-04:00Things that I am enjoying right now<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCz_qupF69FDnMVMvDCU3RvHWZSnnD8IEqdF26ZnW2d9hnyNoSWGeGwQF8VltqqXLMz6cbKP1iLQtwE3u5wsJdnsfCGVP_cfvTGa30MOpsQ7J0A4KgOTx8xf5_vIhA_DJy8Gmgtnn7AwL/s1600/mom.emi.nightparade.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCz_qupF69FDnMVMvDCU3RvHWZSnnD8IEqdF26ZnW2d9hnyNoSWGeGwQF8VltqqXLMz6cbKP1iLQtwE3u5wsJdnsfCGVP_cfvTGa30MOpsQ7J0A4KgOTx8xf5_vIhA_DJy8Gmgtnn7AwL/s200/mom.emi.nightparade.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592169442024499778" /></a><br />Five things I am really loving and enjoying in this season, not in order of ranking, just random thoughts...<br /><br />#1. My wife! I have been blessed with such a wonderful woman who is a great mom, friend and partner to me. I have been amazed in this season to watch God's activity in her life. Her passion for Christ, challenges, convicts and encourages me. I love that God has given me a front row seat to see His glory shine through His daughter. It's incredible and I am humbled.<br /><br />#2. My kids...I have been blessed with two rug rats that have a way of bringing a smile to my face and driving me crazy all at once...This season has been so great as God grows them in stature and understanding. I have enjoyed the conversations that I have been able to have with them in this season about everything from God, Jesus, creation, to heaven. It is amazing to see how a 4 year old and 5 year old mind process things. <br /><br />#3. The Yankees...yes, major league baseball is back and with it comes one of my great passions, the New York Yankees. I am hoping for another championship and a lot of<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5tm-Sgg40FuOz0BvFUVlLtN1d8B9m8xxu7gUleqrylhQku3xcrTNeTlSQW_MKAXyeOrjm0K0fUkQ26qDgmr0M2A4bYNJ6r0pz56MoYXMRdmKv4_jtqY-fHYww1aoCqTuF7bLghJQ42Sr/s1600/Yankees.WorldSeries.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5tm-Sgg40FuOz0BvFUVlLtN1d8B9m8xxu7gUleqrylhQku3xcrTNeTlSQW_MKAXyeOrjm0K0fUkQ26qDgmr0M2A4bYNJ6r0pz56MoYXMRdmKv4_jtqY-fHYww1aoCqTuF7bLghJQ42Sr/s200/Yankees.WorldSeries.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592168284699817522" /></a> lively discussion and ribbing with my misguided Red Sox friends...<br /><br />#4. The Church...not only am I enjoying the great church I get to be a part of Summit, but I am enjoying seeing God's activity in His CHURCH. It has been great to hear stories of God's provision, movement and breakthroughs in the life of the churches we have the privilege to partner with. One church can not do it, we need the every expression that stands on the Gospel to reach it's highest God potential for us to see substantial movement for the Kingdom of God. I am really enjoying watching God's undeniable activity in the lives of His people at Summit in this season.<br /><br />#5. Reading...I would have never thought I would ever have said that, because I read more out of necessity because of the nature of my job, but this season has been different. I have really enjoyed the latest books I have read and have taken a lot away from each of those books. If you are looking to some books to dive into, I would highly recommend Greg Gilbert's "What is The Gospel? and John Piper's "Think", are two of some of the books that have challenged me in this season.orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-58014964993401862012011-03-24T11:50:00.001-04:002011-03-24T11:50:37.439-04:00Working on my memoryIt is amazing how easy I default back to living essentially like a practical atheist. Now before you jump to conclusions to soon, please give me a minute to explain. I love Jesus, and I am fully convinced that there is only one true God that exist in three persons. I believe there is only one mediator between God and man, and that is Jesus Christ. I believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God. I can give you another ten evangelical doctrines that I believe and am fully resting and trusting in, but even in all of that I can say that there have been lapses in my walk with Christ that I suffer from some sort of "spiritual amnesia". You see stating belief in these things is not so much for me the hard part, the part I get tripped up on is actually living them out day by day, consistently. I can honestly say that there have been lapses of time in my life that I walk, think and live as a practical atheist. No I would never consciously deny the existence of God, but in my flesh and fallen nature, it sure is easy to live as though He didn't exist. Now, I am not talking so much about open defiant sin, though I know those things can and do occur. I am more talking about those moments, when we live as though we were in charge, as though we were the ones who were omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. Those moments in our lives where we fail to acknowledge the Lordship of Christ over our lives. Those moments where we place more trust in our plans, than God's will. Those moments where we are quicker and more diligent to run to everyone for advise rather than go humbly to our Wonderful Counselor. Those moments when our faith went from believing God spoke the world into existence. parted the Red Sea, sent Jesus to defeat sin, death and the grave, and yet now we don't have faith enough to believe He can meet even our basic of all needs. What a paradox we find ourselves int those moments. But the truth is God is God, whether I forget that fact or not. He's in charge whether I fail to realize that or not. But the danger is that when I am sleep walking and suffering from "spiritual amnesia" I usually end up seeking to place my trust in other things or other people. That eventually puts me in danger. The Psalmist wrote in chapter 146..."Put NOT your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish."<br /><br />You see the outcome is never to bright when my hope and faith is in anything less than Christ. Later on in that same chapter the Psalmist gives this challenge..."Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who keeps his faith forever." Praying I don't forget the reality of God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Praying my faith is not one that just rest in doctrine, but my faith is one that lives in light and reverence of the Truth. Just a rambling, God bless you!orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-7513930480981467722011-03-22T14:40:00.006-04:002011-03-22T15:21:19.238-04:00Heart Check Time...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWgmKIl-F4Lr2Cmgiwj9XR0aRkXCxpVCcbPyTK5LQB62HEdV0sPceY6-Ke9-UEp9VvI2ox7rd6WCLXCqvvhku4KnmOXiiC1wTKArNoL4b0O6_GxR56ldqMbdiVJkUvCNNipDLi2X9m-k3/s1600/Heart_CheckUp.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWgmKIl-F4Lr2Cmgiwj9XR0aRkXCxpVCcbPyTK5LQB62HEdV0sPceY6-Ke9-UEp9VvI2ox7rd6WCLXCqvvhku4KnmOXiiC1wTKArNoL4b0O6_GxR56ldqMbdiVJkUvCNNipDLi2X9m-k3/s200/Heart_CheckUp.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586986508011954402" /></a><br />This month we have had our people at Summit reading through the Psalms with a focus on thanksgiving and praise. Yesterday's assigned reading really challenged me. The verses were not ones that you would necessarily gravitate towards, but definitely verses that convicted me. The verses were from <span style="font-weight:bold;">Psalm 106</span>...<span style="font-style:italic;">"Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise. They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the Lord."</span> You see what I mean, not necessarily verses you will be using on your next prayer gram or birthday card you send out, but verses that are critically important to our spiritual walks nonetheless.<br /><br />This Psalm speaks to the journey of God's people out of slavery and bondage from Egypt. These individuals witnessed first hand the power and love of God, as He led them by day through a cloud and at night through a pillar of fire, they tasted the very provision of God that rained down from heaven, they saw countless miracles and yet here we see that they still were not satisfied and not grateful. Now before we cast judgment on the Israelites, we need to take a minute and examine ourselves. I know if I were honest, at times my life and attitude can reflect the heart of the people in this passage. You see I too have seen the marvelous power of God as He has delivered me from the bondage of sin, continues to lead me through the power of His Truth and the illumination and conviction of His Spirit. I continue to see countless miracles performed through and around my life and yet at times I complain like a spoiled school-aged child. I am sure that if you have stumbled across this blog, you probably have never suffered from moments like that...(please sense the sarcasm...) We all can agree that there have been times when we have been tripped up by this type of attitude. <br /><br />How do God-fearing, God-loving, humble followers of God find themselves in these types of seasons of ingratitude and ungratefulness? There could be tons of reasons, but here's one that the Lord laid on my heart. It's when I set the "blessing" or ascribe more worth or affection to the "blessing" over the BLESSOR. Whenever we set the blessing over the Blessor, we run the risk of heading down a slippery slope of ingratitude and ungratefulness. The reason I say that is because the blessing was never meant to make us eternally happy. The blessing was never meant to be a replacement for the only thing that brings eternal joy, which is God Himself. He alone is the ultimate gift of the Gospel, that has been accomplished for us by Christ. When I set all of my affections and attention on the "blessing", I may run the risk of attaching God's worth to the blessing. God's worth is not in the blessing, we may see some of God's goodness in it, but the fact remains, God is good and He is worthy of my praise, apart from His blessings. He stands alone as supreme! My heart as a worshiper must be similar to Job's who in the midst of losing all, stated "the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord..." You see as Christians, we always have a reason to be grateful, because we have already been given and entrusted with the greatest gift, Christ, and His Gospel. Does your life reflect gratitude today? Are you thankful for all that God has done on your behalf? And all that God is? If you are, take a moment to tell Him, and you may even want to include in that time a prayer of forgiveness for your murmuring. Just another rambling...<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! </span><span style="font-weight:bold;">Psalm 106:1 </span>orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-81891531025818536722011-03-14T10:31:00.002-04:002011-03-14T10:40:51.358-04:00The GospelBelow is the Gospel statement that was written by Jamin Stinziano, one of our Elders, with the support of the rest of our Elder Team and Senior Staff. This doctrinal statement has been reviewed and shared with pastors from around the country that we respect and hold in high esteem. It is not our intent to make the people of Summit memorize this statement, but it is our prayer that our people grow in their understanding of the Gospel. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Gospel Message:</span><br /><br />The one and only God, who is Righteous, created us to love, know, and represent him. We made a choice, however, to violate God's righteousness with our sin and thus we are unable to love, know, and represent him on our own. Our sin and lack of righteousness deserves a punishment, the anger and judgment of God. Because we cannot bear this punishment on our own, God sent his Son, Jesus, who was both fully human and fully God, to live a perfectly righteous life and to die on a cross that he might save us from the punishment that our sin deserves. After three days, Jesus rose from the dead, showing that God the Father had accepted the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus, on behalf of his people. And now, God calls us to trust in Jesus - to have faith in the sufficiency of his work on the cross and to repent, changing our minds about the sufficiency of our old way of living. When we trust in Jesus, we are forgiven of our sin, credited with Christ's righteousness, adopted as sons and daughters, and given new and eternal life. We also receive the presence of God's Spirit in our lives, thus producing the fruit of the gospel and enabling us to love, know, and represent God as we were created to do.orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-80245771921676241662011-01-06T14:41:00.007-05:002011-01-06T15:33:27.574-05:00Think!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2_QfbLzSbG3LwvTSqk82yBNO3zL3GNA9_un_1vh4x6oPZEA2s58A3T8X_p41yF_bwaRl-6fBu9uIAOSt8pxj4mHHL2v9qvtFQbWNmxZSycEbYv_cSANcBoo_ntxX8jJK8zQx2VM2kRbG/s1600/thinker.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 186px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2_QfbLzSbG3LwvTSqk82yBNO3zL3GNA9_un_1vh4x6oPZEA2s58A3T8X_p41yF_bwaRl-6fBu9uIAOSt8pxj4mHHL2v9qvtFQbWNmxZSycEbYv_cSANcBoo_ntxX8jJK8zQx2VM2kRbG/s320/thinker.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559173705377269026" /></a><br />I am currently reading John Piper's latest book "Think". I love the challenge and aim of this book, which is to awaken our minds and exercise them in light of God's Truth. Piper's challenge is to be committed to Jesus' command in <span style="font-weight:bold;">Matthew 22:37</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">"And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.</span>"<br /><br />The mind and the heart are to work in tandem and are to serve as vehicles to an ever growing, deeper relationship with Christ. I loved this quote from the book...<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"The mind serves to know the truth that fuels the fires of the heart. The apex of glorifying God is enjoying him with the heart. But this is an empty emotionalism where that joy is not awakened and sustained by true views of God for who he really is. That is mainly what the mind is for."</span> <br /><br />I resonate with this so much, because I desperately as a follower of Christ want to think rightly about Him, knowing that everything else in my walk with Him will flow from there. I think if we are not careful a lot of our walk and relationship with Christ can flow out of sensationalism and emotion and not be grounded in Truth. There are so many dangers in that, one of which, we may lend ourselves to creating a God of our image, also we can become easily swayed by the ever changing circumstances of our lives. We can become as James said, "double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways." <br /><br />Exercising our minds, not out of arrogance, but out of a true desire to know God rightly and out of an understanding that in turn it would fuel our worship, is a commitment that I want to have a goal that quite frankly all believers should be committed to. If we allow our minds to grow dormant, we run the risk of worshipping God from a shallow and maybe even hollow base. So may we allow the Spirit of God to stretch us and fuel our passion to love Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind! Just a rambling. God Bless You.orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-86385882665800099522011-01-03T10:08:00.002-05:002011-01-03T10:09:21.957-05:00Fast-Forward...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9gwZnOEpTKwPlttO2snU43k4pRKosettp5gkSzKDHhbssJMjH3c4CH7-uiKVoVMLkldidFkFxtev-KxSTGKvnG-r6ev2_QJyw6MJ4CrzVBD6XJrFcA76n_OeoxB8O-EQTSSMViuApSEP/s1600/Fast_Forward_Slide.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 244px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9gwZnOEpTKwPlttO2snU43k4pRKosettp5gkSzKDHhbssJMjH3c4CH7-uiKVoVMLkldidFkFxtev-KxSTGKvnG-r6ev2_QJyw6MJ4CrzVBD6XJrFcA76n_OeoxB8O-EQTSSMViuApSEP/s320/Fast_Forward_Slide.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557976826726490018" /></a><br />"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14<br />Points of Focus...<br /> #1. Spend time praying for yourself. Ask God to reveal any unconfessed sin. Pray that God would continue to fuel your passion for Him. Pray that God would continue to give you the discipline to pursue Him and spend time with Him in the Word and in prayer. Pray that God would reveal to you any specific goals for 2011 or ministry opportunities that He would want you to pursue or participate in.<br /><br />#2. Pray for our community, specifically for those who do not know Christ. Pray that God would continue to draw those who do not know Him into a loving relationship with Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.<br /><br />#3. Pray for our mission partnerships and missionaries around the world. Pray that God would work in mighty ways in and through these different organizations that are striving to bring the Gospel to every man, woman and child. Please pray specifically for our mission partner, Mission of Hope Haiti, and our upcoming construction trip in February. Pray that all the details will be worked out for this trip and for the building project they will be engaged in. <br /> <br />#4. Pray for our age appropriate ministries, Big Enuf, Kid Zone, Reality, Crave and Ignite. Pray that God would increase the faith our students and move mightily through their lives. Pray for all of our volunteers that serve faithfully in these areas of ministry. Pray that God would stir in the hearts of more people to get involved and serve especially during our “Heart of Service” emphasis.<br /><br />#5. Pray for our Recovery Ministry that will be launching on January 11th. Pray for Todd Wermers, our Pastor of Recovery and all of the leaders who will be serving in this ministry. Pray for those who maybe struggling with hurts, habits or hang-ups to find healing, hope and reconciliation in Jesus through this ministry.<br /><br />#6. Pray for our newest staff member David Gold and his family. Pray for their transition and for the four children. Pray for David as he assumes the role of Life Group Pastor. <br /><br />#7. Pray for our ministry as a whole. Pray that God would bless our church and expand our influence in this coming year. That the mission of presenting the Gospel to every man, woman and child would stretch even further and produce more fruit for God’s glory in this new year.orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-68476257991458479172010-12-06T07:01:00.002-05:002010-12-06T07:06:34.329-05:00Fast-Forward...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWquMRyoRqtxnlOCBWVrLZZEtMJi7Ol-Qw6PWbxaxwWNmczLZ8soEtf8M7VWclng9Dp4VzmTIuEJK5lJ8_rdvKAl1avW1d8LMy0q7lqcjQciFekw62zi-HZHJpFG7LIk2UhHJsu9V68HY/s1600/Fast_Forward_Slide.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 244px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWquMRyoRqtxnlOCBWVrLZZEtMJi7Ol-Qw6PWbxaxwWNmczLZ8soEtf8M7VWclng9Dp4VzmTIuEJK5lJ8_rdvKAl1avW1d8LMy0q7lqcjQciFekw62zi-HZHJpFG7LIk2UhHJsu9V68HY/s320/Fast_Forward_Slide.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547538795232303778" /></a><br />"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Points of Focus...</span></span><br /> #1. Spend time praying for yourself. Ask God to reveal any unconfessed sin. Pray that God would continue to fuel your passion for Him. Pray that God would continue to give you the discipline to pursue Him and spend time with Him in the Word & in prayer. Spend time meditating on Psalm 63:1-8.<br /><br />#2. Pray for our community, specifically for those who do not know Christ. Pray that God would continue to draw those who do not know Him into a loving relationship with Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.<br /><br />#3. Pray for our mission partnerships and missionaries around the world. Pray that God would work in mighty ways in and through these different organizations that are striving to bring the Gospel to every man, woman and child. Ask God to continue to meet the ever growing needs of these different organizations.<br /><br /> #4. Pray for those who call Summit Church their home. Pray that those who do not know Christ as their Savior at this time would respond to the Gospel. Pray for those who do identify themselves as followers of Christ would continue to strive to build their lives on the values: God, Truth, Love, Mission and would seek to live those values out day to day through our five outcomes.<br /><br />#5. Pray for Summit’s budget. Pray that God’s people would respond in obedience and faithfulness. Pray that God would grow us all in the area of stewardship of life and that as He does He would accomplish greater things in and through us as followers and collectively as a church.<br /><br />#6. Pray for our Christmas Eve services at both of our campuses. Pray that God would draw many from our community to our church and more importantly to Himself. Pray that many would respond to the Gospel message and God’s extension of love and forgiveness.<br /> <br />#7. Pray for our Recovery Ministry that will be launching in January. Pray for Todd Wermers, our Pastor of Recovery and all of the leaders who will be serving in this ministry. Pray for those who maybe struggling with hurts, habits or hang-ups to find healing, hope and reconciliation in Jesus through this ministry.orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-20651924705466369052010-10-13T12:22:00.004-04:002010-10-13T12:47:56.457-04:00A Watchman of Sorts...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3BaPx8iZ4U3DUdHaJfle-MOiZ3EPgdlZG5VFXYKHoMRjhiqDXa9jJlZF1Z52wRA7s31WVA237cZDbu8Wu5Gd_797uBBhQjSGNpJ5vIP7C-QVZQPSypNbHU0ZcYMtTeMCNFvclDV_BHLw/s1600/hazor_watchman.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3BaPx8iZ4U3DUdHaJfle-MOiZ3EPgdlZG5VFXYKHoMRjhiqDXa9jJlZF1Z52wRA7s31WVA237cZDbu8Wu5Gd_797uBBhQjSGNpJ5vIP7C-QVZQPSypNbHU0ZcYMtTeMCNFvclDV_BHLw/s320/hazor_watchman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527572977139140594" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">1The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. 7 "So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. </span> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Ezekiel 33:1-7</span><br /><br />I read this passage this morning and could not help but to think of my role as a husband, father, friend, and pastor. In a way God has placed me to be a watchman in all of those distinct arenas. If you are a husband, father, friend, pastor, employer, coach, whatever it is, hopefully you feel blessed to be in such a position. I know I thank God daily for the wife I get to share my life with, the kids that I get to raise, the friends I live in community with and the church I get to help shepherd. All of these arenas of life are ALL wonderful blessings from God, and I am sure you have similar arenas of blessings as well. <br /><br />But the question for me today and maybe for you is, what kind of watchman am I? If I am not careful I can dwell in these arenas, enjoy them and still not be engaged to level God wants me to be. If I am not careful I can dwell in these arenas as though they existed for me, and my needs and wants. If I am not careful I can become lazy and lax in my God-given role in those different domains, and as you can see from this passage, there could be grave consequences as a result of my spiritual laziness and indifference.<br /><br />I know that as a husband, father, friend, and pastor God has called me to be a watchman of sorts and if I love those in my circle of care, then I must be spiritually alert not only for my own benefit but also for those God has placed me in life with. My kids are at an age that they are solely dependent upon my wife and I for their care and protection as is all kids their age. But, in regards to my friends, and the church I help lead, I can not make decisions for them. My job is to be faithful to instruct, encourage, lead and warn about impending dangers, the choice is theirs. But woe to me, if I see the "sword coming", if I see potential harm and danger beginning to encompass around them and I stay silent. I think we fail as watchman a lot of times because we care too much about the friendship than the friend, or we care too much about what they will think of us, over what God thinks. Not sure what tower, wall, perch God has you propped up on as a watchman, I just pray that you'll be faithful while He has you there. Just a rambling. God Bless You!orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-29219160871808220402010-10-07T15:21:00.004-04:002010-10-07T15:51:00.631-04:00Are You A Leader?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqqQeOCS9D6JsK7Ny_mMbRKst_iq9Q6aflF1uf3rdKNuCBSAGqeuafa42Nd-yxBZPVjaPu0YSjepOPaPOox8tD_TyzI6844ZklF1VlMh6gjYnixjvdUkM_JJZMhfR2KRyL5QzWmrQ9jRj/s1600/Leader_on_pedastal.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqqQeOCS9D6JsK7Ny_mMbRKst_iq9Q6aflF1uf3rdKNuCBSAGqeuafa42Nd-yxBZPVjaPu0YSjepOPaPOox8tD_TyzI6844ZklF1VlMh6gjYnixjvdUkM_JJZMhfR2KRyL5QzWmrQ9jRj/s320/Leader_on_pedastal.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525393222880542994" /></a><br />In ministry all you tend to hear about is "leadership". Now leadership is a huge part of ministry no doubt. I believe strongly in leadership, I believe whole-heartily that as a leader, we must continue to grow, sharpen our gifts, challenge the process. I resonate with so much of the things presented, taught, "conferenced" around concerning leadership, I really do. The only caveat I would throw in there, is that to me, the greatest leaders, are the ones who are the greatest followers. Sometimes, in our desire to lead, and lead well and lead effectively, it comes at the expense and detriment of our followership. The greatest thing I can do as a leader is be more committed to following than to the actual piece of leading. Leading is important, but if leading becomes primary, over following, then my leading has just lost a lot of power and to be quite frank it might even be tainted.<br /><br />The greatest gift to ministry, is not you, the leader, its not your gifts, its not your ideas, its not your strategies, the greatest gift is Jesus. He is the only one who is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. All of my so called "great qualities as a leader"pale in comparison to Christ. That being said, my acknowledgement of that fact should cause me as a leader to seek Him first. Everything I do as a leader should be an overflow from my direct followership of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul said "follow me as I follow Christ." That's the declaration I want to make as a leader.<br /><br />Leadership that flows out of following, will not allow those they are called to lead, to put them on a pedestal. Leadership that flows out of following, will cause the leader to remember that the only one worthy to be exalted and held high is Jesus. Leadership that flows out of following, keeps at the center the mission of Jesus Christ and doesn't manipulate others for selfish gain. <br /><br />So the next time you pick up that next great leadership book or attend the latest and greatest leadership conference and listen to the next big thing in the area of leadership, none of which is bad, remember, it will still boil down to this one thing...how's your followership? Your leadership is effectiveness believe it or not is in direct proportion to how well you follow. So keep leading and lead well, but strive harder to follower!orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-70417843217408883182010-10-06T13:10:00.003-04:002010-10-06T13:38:42.788-04:00Connecting with God<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMILD_-fb5JwWxatSVt5o76KPWlokI04_UhoAHNzRo6x3m82TZiOeQnHcbTjyf6mcM957lIOdYbv2lOL6Eib4EmtL_mjtv1zq8k-_345rTKN29HlVeAiLoPU8XNbmNj9Hhdy4W24hd9hk/s1600/Marathon.Me&Pam.2010.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMILD_-fb5JwWxatSVt5o76KPWlokI04_UhoAHNzRo6x3m82TZiOeQnHcbTjyf6mcM957lIOdYbv2lOL6Eib4EmtL_mjtv1zq8k-_345rTKN29HlVeAiLoPU8XNbmNj9Hhdy4W24hd9hk/s320/Marathon.Me&Pam.2010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524987952033116850" /></a><br />My marathon training has officially started once again. Though I have not stopped running since my last marathon earlier this year, it is now time to bring some much need focused attention to my running. I took up running solely for the purpose of meditation and worship. It has become a very therapeutic(I hate that word because it sounds so humanistic, but bare with me)time for me. I have found that my time while running is a good opportunity to pray, clear my mind, meditate on God's Word, think through some of the things I am facing, things facing my family, places I believe God is at work and places I believe He is leading us to.<br /><br />While I was running this morning I began to thank God for showing me, how in everything and in all things we could worship Him and connect with Him. God has designed us to live in relationship with Him, but unfortunately even as Christians we have designated that to be a weekend church experience, or midweek Bible Study, or private devotion, yet God desires that we strive to live in communion with him. The Apostle Paul stated in 1 Thessalonians that we "are to pray without ceasing." The idea there is to strive to live in communication with God. We are not to compartmentalize our faith in such a way that we only connect with God through our different forms of religious expressions. But, that we are constantly desiring to seek God and connect with Him in all things and in all parts of our normal walking around life.<br /><br />What does that mean? Well, you like to work out, use that time to pray, to meditate. Are you blessed with a friendship, relationship, spouse? Figure out how that or those relationships cause you and others to get deeper connected to Christ. Do you have a job? Remember that the actual job is secondary, to why God has you there. The primary reason you are at the place of work is not to get a check although that is important; the primary reason you are there is to be a conduit and catalyst for God's redemptive mission. You see if we desired and if we took the time to recognize, there are so many outlets provided for us to live in authentic community with God.<br /><br />I love our worship services, but I certainly don't want that 1 hour to be my full of God or my commune with Him. I want connecting with the Creator, who has made it possible for me to connect with Him through Christ, a high priority and focus of my daily life. I am sure you want the same. So before you take your next run, your next drive, have your next conversation, punch in for your next shift, ask yourself, how can I maximize this time for Christ and deepen my walk with Him. I know that's a whole of rambling, but I am praying to that end. God Bless!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."</span> <span style="font-weight:bold;">(Romans 12:1-2 The Message)</span>orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-63022879861940542452010-10-05T09:02:00.005-04:002010-10-05T14:01:31.883-04:00What do I live for?I have been reading thru the book of 2 Corinthians right now and I have been really convicted by the verses of chapter five.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">"And He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who for their sake died and was raised." (verse 5)<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span><br /></span><br />It is so easy as a Christian to embrace the Gospel, praise God for the message and promise of the Gospel and still miss the full depth of it. And I know that may seem as a huge overstatement but I know that in different seasons and moments of my life it is true. I thank God for my salvation, I thank God for reconciling me and changing my reality from enemy of Christ to friend of God. I truly am grateful for that, but my flesh is so cunning and my faith so weak, that I quickly revert to making the Gospel about me. I quickly put myself in the center of God's Gospel purpose instead of His glory!l. And then I come to a verse like this and my heart is just pierced!<br /><br />The benefits of the Gospel are amazing and so undeserved but the purpose of the Gospel must also grip and and cause my heart to be in awe of as well. The fact that Christ died not to make much of me, but to make much if Him and of the Father. I must stay focused on the fact that Christ died so that my old life would be crucified thru Him and my new life hidden in Him as well. I must set at the forefront of my mind that Christ died so that I in turn would live for Him. Living for myself is what was leading me to a road of destruction, living for myself is what caused me to feel empty, living for myself is what open the door for addiction, living for myself is what tainted every thing in my life, and yet while I was consumed with that type of living, God demonstrated His love towards me, but sending His Son to die on the cross for my sin and for my life, my true life.<br /><br />There is no joy or freedom in living for self, true and peace is found in being hid in Christ and living for Him and Him alone. I am praying that The Spirit would lead me to not to distort the Gospel, but actually walk in the fullness of it. I pray that the Spirit continue to illuminate my heart and mind and convict my heart of the times when I put myself in the center of God's universe instead of His glory. The Gospel is the good news, not about me, but about God. So here's a question that we may not want to answer to quickly and that is what am I living for right now? And before we give the typical Sunday School answer, it maybe good just to take a moment to ask the Spirit to illuminate that answer for us and then respond accordingly. Just a rambling, but one that I hope will cause us to think about the nature of the Gospel and my full and true response to it. God bless you!orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-68108979581358085452010-08-02T09:48:00.003-04:002010-08-02T10:14:43.306-04:00He is the same...<span style="font-style:italic;">"Jesus Christ, is the same yesterday, and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span><br /><br />I love how the Word of God can bring such encouragement and clarity right when you need it. In 10 words, my heart was gripped with the fact that we serve and worship a God that does not change. We have a God that is absolutely sufficient in Himself and a God who is never caught unaware, off guard or lacking in anything. The reminder that our Savior, who conquered sin, death, hell and the grave over 2000 years ago, is the same today. The Christ that we read about who extended forgiveness to those who were unworthy is the same Jesus who still extends His grace today. The Jesus who turned water into wine, multiplied the fishes and the loaves, calmed the storm with His spoken word, is the same God who does the impossible, provides in the midst of our limited resources, and who stands with us in the midst of life's storms. Our Jesus is greater and is glorious.<br /><br />What great encouragement for the child of God to know, that we can rest in the faithfulness of our unchanging God. I am not sure what you may be facing or what uncertainties may have you feeling trapped in fear, but may the circumstances that you are standing in not overshadow the fact that your God, revealed to you in Christ and in His Word has not, and will not change! Be encouraged that in a world that continues to change and in a world that is so uncertain, ONE thing never does, and that is Jesus Christ. Take a moment today and celebrate that fact and may the Spirit of our unchanging God awaken us to recognize how awesome our God is. God bless!orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-65649453714380564552010-05-06T16:20:00.005-04:002010-05-06T16:38:34.870-04:00"Act Like Men"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7CTdthjkkEy6CJQS0sfubccWhdvRQoUDCocOCb8SvQI2rFBsvZ3MqqKKcAVnBaZ54utiy6v0Mf8WffhjRvSqGppvy085GeOKPeYv0WXP_Aewde7G1z0JgyzPWrVOPyHSTcmr3BRRuhSg/s1600/Phillies.fan.tased.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7CTdthjkkEy6CJQS0sfubccWhdvRQoUDCocOCb8SvQI2rFBsvZ3MqqKKcAVnBaZ54utiy6v0Mf8WffhjRvSqGppvy085GeOKPeYv0WXP_Aewde7G1z0JgyzPWrVOPyHSTcmr3BRRuhSg/s320/Phillies.fan.tased.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468258389165394706" /></a><br />This past week a 17 year old Phillies fan was tazed as he disrupted a game between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. There were mixed reviews and opinions by the public on whether the security at the stadium used excessive force by tazing the young man. My feeling is he broke the law and the security and police at these stadiums have one duty and that is to protect the players and the fans. Don't want to be tazed, don't run out on the field. Now for me, that is not the real story of this story. Guys and gals interupting sporting events by running on to the field, sometimes in nothing more then their sneakers is nothing new. We should not be surprised by the fact that so many in our society will do just about anything for 15 seconds, minutes, hours of fame, no matter how shameful it is. Why do you think "reality" shows are so big today? People will willingly debase themselves for fame, and we will tune in to watch.<br /><br />That being said, the real shocker here, is that this 17 year old was at the game with his dad. And as this act of stupidity was brewing in the mind of this teenager, he leans over to share it with his dad, almost as if to say "what you think dad, should I go for it?" Now I am going to let that sit there for a minute............................okay, you got it. This kids asked his dad, what his opinion was of breaking the law. The dad readily admitted that he told the son, I'm not sure about it, but if you want to go for it, go ahead. WHAT? Is that where we are today, is that how far we've come...answer is yes. Now it may seem like I am coming across hard on this dad, but I am just using this moment to highlight a greater issue...the lack of men acting like men and leading themselves, their families, their homes, their kids. Do you ever wonder why there isn't greater movement for the Gospel, don't look any further than the men that make up our society, communities and churches.<br /><br />Now before you think I am trying to raise myself as the alpha-male, I'm not. I've got a long way to go, and a story like this serves as a wake up call. As a man who is striving to live for Christ and His glory there are no days off. Days off, slips in character, minor compromises in character are never minor and are always detrimental to me, my walk and those God has called me to lead. I pray that I as a man, would strive to be the man that God has called me to be, a man of Truth and of integrity and I pray the same for all my Christian brothers. Its time to start acting like men, because our lack of doing that will have a ripple effect and no telling how many the enemy will taze and enslave because of it!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. <br />1 Corinthians 16:13<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span></span>orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-42086599949882324282010-05-03T12:23:00.004-04:002010-05-03T12:31:40.453-04:00FastForward<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNjZw2Z3oSQwFaWjksHNMd76xfAqZH9gub4NnAG3LhtTxF8PqQ-obC48zCeaYbcTc2NSG6x62VAYOuRXFpOJAA5R8W2bRu9sYsnD_vFJygqQIXsr2roWhC9ItSYhRZ3rlR-1mbfV4hZTe/s1600/Fast_Forward_Slide.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 244px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNjZw2Z3oSQwFaWjksHNMd76xfAqZH9gub4NnAG3LhtTxF8PqQ-obC48zCeaYbcTc2NSG6x62VAYOuRXFpOJAA5R8W2bRu9sYsnD_vFJygqQIXsr2roWhC9ItSYhRZ3rlR-1mbfV4hZTe/s320/Fast_Forward_Slide.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467081371508148802" /></a><br />Today is Summit's prayer and fasting day, FastForward. We believe strongly that if we truly want to see the mission of God move forward then we must be individuals and a collective body that is devoted to prayer. Below are the prayer points that we are asking our people to pray through throughout the day.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Points of Focus...</span><br /> #1. Pray for our community, specifically for those who do not know Christ. Pray that God would continue to draw those who do not know Him into a loving relationship with Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.<br /><br />#2. Pray for the people of Summit. Pray for those who are in need of employment or other provisions. Pray for those who are hurting emotionally, spiritually and physically. Pray for the many marriages in our church that they would be strong & kids to be wise. <br /><br />#3. Pray also for those who call Summit Church their home and who do not know Christ as their Savior at this time. Pray that they would respond to the Gospel. Pray for those who do identify themselves as followers of Christ. Pray that they would continue to strive to build their lives on the values: God, Truth, Love, Mission and would seek to live those values out day to day through our five outcomes.<br /><br />#4. Pray for our mission partnerships and missionaries around the world. Pray that God would work in mighty ways in and through these different organizations that are striving to bring the Gospel to every man, woman and child. Ask God to continue to meet the ever growing needs of these different organizations.<br /><br />#5. Pray for the Elders of Summit as they continue to seek God in regards to future expansion plans of another campus and a space in the Naples area that would give us greater opportunities for deeper community impact. Pray that God would grant them wisdom and lead them to His desired agenda, plan and mission.<br /><br />#6. Pray for our age appropriate ministries, Big Enuf, Kid Zone, Reality, Crave and Ignite. Pray that God would increase the faith our students and move mightily through their lives. Pray for all of our volunteers that serve faithfully in these areas of ministry.orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-47605462668437139492010-04-30T10:33:00.001-04:002010-04-30T10:33:11.223-04:00Looking forward to spending the way with my amazing bride. God is so good. I love that I can see and be reminded of God's goodness thru my spouse. I am blessed!orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-52068190505446520112010-03-22T21:25:00.002-04:002010-03-22T21:30:53.824-04:00Evan's Story<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVXEuYI-BC-YD3CYSS8xZohrr68BK_fsCEy4zvtvCug_Jawn2qayvNUjhvVUZ5qsDSPcSEMp-awV6c-NTGdxZuvoRj_6rJ-5sHnnCkm7FbanrNhLDb2TVH61qkuWKRa9YdXfJ3MTVgqVh/s1600-h/evan2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVXEuYI-BC-YD3CYSS8xZohrr68BK_fsCEy4zvtvCug_Jawn2qayvNUjhvVUZ5qsDSPcSEMp-awV6c-NTGdxZuvoRj_6rJ-5sHnnCkm7FbanrNhLDb2TVH61qkuWKRa9YdXfJ3MTVgqVh/s200/evan2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451635584964440082" /></a><br />Yesterday I had the privilege of doing the baby dedication for a couple who have been a part of Summit for a while now and who have come to be friends that I respect. Below is the challenging story of their first child, Evan's, journey. His story truly points to the power and glory of God.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Evan’s Story<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />We found out in December of 2008 that we were pregnant with our 1st child after we had been trying for over a year. At 17 weeks we got an ultrasound done that showed we were having a boy. We went to the Bahamas trying to enjoy a last vacation before having our son. We got a phone call from our Dr. that there was a problem with our son and we needed to call them. They told us that our son had enlarged ventricles in his brain filled with fluid. Later we got the diagnosis of severe hydrocephalus. In the Bahamas, we decided on the name Evan because we wanted our son to fight, and his name “Evan” means “Young Warrior”.<br /><br />We were sent to a high risk pregnancy group that discussed what was going on. They asked us numerous times if we wanted to terminate and literally scared us to death trying to persuade us to terminate. They gave us information on X-linked hydrocephalus which had an extremely poor prognosis. They also told us that Evan had a high chance of dying before he could even be delivered. <br /><br />We were crushed and so we talked to Orlando & Todd at Summit. They prayed with us and they cried with us. They took our story to prayer teams and stayed in touch with us throughout the whole pregnancy. I remember Todd saying “God hasn’t written this story yet”! We also sought prayer from family and friends outside our church. The word got around quickly and we heard about families and churches around the country that were praying for Evan!<br /><br />So at this point, all we could do is research hydrocephalus as much as we could. We found a neonatal neurosurgeon in Orlando with a really good reputation with shunt surgery for hydrocephalus infants. When we saw him he was very sympathetic about our situation and gave us all the facts that he could. He told us that when Evan was born that he would have to have a shunt inserted into his brain to drain the fluid and release the pressure in his brain to survive. This shunt would be with him the rest of his life. He also said with the amount of fluid and the size of Evan’s head that we should sign a DNR before he is born. He explained that if Evan could not breathe on his own then he would pretty much be a vegetable and that we should strongly consider signing the DNR. <br /><br />At 26 weeks, Michelle was in a car accident where some teenagers pulled out in front of her and she had to stay overnight because she went into pre-term labor. Pre-term labor came and went throughout the pregnancy with the doctors prescribing bed rest several times. But Evan amazingly survived a high speed car accident at around 40 mph!<br /><br />We were told that with the size of Evan’s head that he would not make it to delivery….again. We had to go up to Orlando to deliver because they didn’t have a neonatal neurosurgeon in Ft, Myers. We also had to go up early because of the pre-term labor from the accident & the increased size of Evans head. The delivering Dr said we had to deliver early because his head was getting too large and it would become increasingly dangerous to wait. <br /><br />In Orlando we stayed at the Ronald McDonald house and scheduled his C-section delivery for August 3rd, 2009. <br /><br />On the day he was born, the doctors had a respiratory team in the delivery room because they weren’t sure if he would breathe on his own. When he came out, we were so scared but he started crying & breathing on his own and we both cried with him! He weighed 7 lbs 5 oz being 6 weeks premature. He scored a 9 out of 10 on the apgar scale which is near perfect.<br /><br />That wasn’t the end. The day before his surgery they told us that they couldn’t do it because his blood work came back with some issues. After many blood transfusions they finally did a bone marrow test that came back with 10-15 percent abnormal bone marrow cells. They told us that it would either get better or get worse; leukemia is 25% abnormal bone marrow cells so they thought he could be headed that way. <br /><br />He ended up having his shunt surgery on August 11th because his head started to increase in size and they couldn’t wait any longer. Evan came out of the surgery on a respirator having tubes coming out from all over but he was so strong throughout. We again had to worry about infection because his immune system was still so weak. We had to wear gowns, gloves, and masks just to be in the same room with him. At one point, they had to put his IV in his head because they had poked him so many times in the arms. We spent our days & nights in the NICU feeding him and just spending time with him, praying every day that somehow Evan would be ok.<br /><br />When we were able to bring him home, his immune system was still weak and we had to get his blood work done every week. Finally in December, his immune system finally recovered and again he made it through yet another obstacle. The cancer doctor we had to go to said “you can’t rule out prayer” and with the support of family and our church family we felt that we were very well covered in prayer.<br /><br />Evan is now 7 ½ months old; he weighs over 18 lbs, and is in the 90th percentile for his height. He is truly doing amazing; his neonatal neurosurgeon said he expects Evan to be a “normal independent functioning adult”! What a day that was, we cried tears of joy that could not be held back. We finally got to see God’s introductory chapter of Evan’s story that He is still writing.<br /><br />Evan is a true miracle that can only be described as a gift from God.<br /><br />We want to thank our family & friends, the Leadership team, and all the people of Summit church for all their prayers and support through this difficult time in our lives. Thank you to the families that brought us meals and the endless words of support that we received. Every time we felt discouraged someone or something would give us a little boost of hope, the timing of which could not be explained other than God guiding our family through this. So thank you for allowing yourselves to be the work of God to our family. <br /><br />We cannot thank you enough,<br />Jason, Michelle, & Evan Pluckerorlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-6932329925329872492010-03-10T13:15:00.003-05:002010-03-10T13:46:14.298-05:00Why do you read your Bible?The other day I was sitting in a coffee shop and there was a gentleman reading his Bible and a stranger walked up and asked him why he read the Bible. I quickly leaned in with great expectation to what the response was going to be. I thought, wow, what a divine appointment. Man, this is going to be great, bring the heat man, go for it, set it off, paint that picture of the grandness of the God we serve...and the guy answered because that's what we do as Christians...what? That's it, that's the best answer you have to why you engage in God's infallible and eternal truth. Well there were no fireworks there and there was certainly no amazement on the face of the guy who asked the question.<br /><br />Now before you go judging me, understand I am not judging the man, for his answer. I am not questioning his walk or love for Christ, I was just shocked that there wasn't more to his reason and motive. Well that got me thinking. Why do we read the Bible? What would I answer? What would the people who I help to pastor answer? Reading the Word each day is great and we at Summit encourage it greatly. But obedience to the Word is the key. <br /><br />The goal in reading the Word is not to finish, but to change. I hear so many Christians post, update, or even say that they read their Bible, but I wish I would read or hear as frequently about people's struggles and enlightenment's of the Truth they are claiming they read. Now before you go labeling me a "Bible thumper" or a "Debbie-downer" that's not my heart at all. My fear is that for so many reading their Bibles has become a "have to" and the wrong "have to" at that. For many they have to read their Bible because their Pastor told them to, or their small group leader, or because that's what a good Christian does...And I just wonder where the passion and power is in that. I think God's "have to" would be, because without it, we would be lost, we would be left to ourselves, we would never fully experience the joy and wonder of intimacy with God, without it we would continue to struggle with the lure and grip of sin, without it we would be lulled to believe that what this world has to offer is better than the pleasures God holds in His hands.<br /><br />You see if we read the Bible because as a Christian we "have to", we may miss the wonder in communing with the eternal and connecting with the divine, and therefore we may end answering like the gentleman at the coffee shop. Why do you read the Word? Are you passionate about it? Do you see it as your map and guide? The next time you sit down to read, ask yourself, why am I doing this? Don't be in such a hurry to check your box and pat yourself on the back for doing the "have to". Ask God to show you His glory, illuminate your sin, and draw you closer to Him? Don't worry so much about the quantity of what you read as you do the quality. Remember don't read to finish, read to change. Just a rambling. God Bless!orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249437060979638170.post-77260119583805368262010-02-24T15:11:00.005-05:002010-02-24T15:43:10.116-05:00No More Crutches...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNviBpONMJwdVsqZ8jEEzKgJiMCM99hWS16s-HANcLN0FWItFdFVWhjpd44pNw-McdqWn6SNI82sRu_g1No4XGY17oSGOGMGh2LFMt1imOHjE7-LunIQznx_dh_gs7FCwiMh6VZOWEG6_/s1600-h/glass.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNviBpONMJwdVsqZ8jEEzKgJiMCM99hWS16s-HANcLN0FWItFdFVWhjpd44pNw-McdqWn6SNI82sRu_g1No4XGY17oSGOGMGh2LFMt1imOHjE7-LunIQznx_dh_gs7FCwiMh6VZOWEG6_/s200/glass.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441911639195486482" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Could my life stand on it's own?</span> That is the question that God has been using in this season to challenge, convict and prune me. What area or areas of my life, in this season could not stand on its own, but needs explanation? My buddy, Todd, and I started a discipleship group for men on Tuesday mornings, and the challenge has been to be men of the Word, men of prayer and men of integrity. Well, if I am growing in those areas my life should be able to stand on the goodness of God and reflect the transforming power of the Gospel. I want so desperately to be a man whose life reflects the character of God, and yet as you know that is a lot easier to say than to live out. But, why is that? I mean, God has promised us His grace, His Spirit, His Truth to lead us, and empower us over sin and yet there are still so many fumbles.<br /><br />I don't claim to have the answer, but one thing I have come to realize in my own life is that there is a huge difference between managing your sin and image and living transparently before God and others. I think a lot of times as Christians we spend the majority of our time trying to explain away our actions than pursuing holiness and Christ-likeness. God hasn't called us to guard our image or manage our sin, He has called us to bear His manage and deal ruthlessly with our sin. That is totally different than the way we as Christians live sometimes. I know what you're thinking, this post is already five sentences too long, so let me go back to the beginning...yes the beginning.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Can your life in this season stand on its own?</span> Could people look at your life all facets of it and walk away and say I know what that man/woman is all about? Or would they be confused that your life which is to resemble and reflect Christ looks no different than the unbelieving world. I don't ask the question in judgment, believe me, its the question I ask myself daily...whether I am at the gym, outside with my kids, out to dinner with my wife, or even sitting a lone at Starbucks could my life stand on its own. If the answer is no, or not in this area, it's time to stop talking to cover ourselves, and start talking to God for forgiveness, and change.<br /><br />The Gospel is the power of God to bring salvation and transformation...maybe it's time we stop confusing people not so much with our doctrine, but with our lives. Just another rambling, but praying hard our lives will be able to stand without the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcmnV_tZVL-PYjfTeaQecBNk_CtSU8JIinJgV8TOaQcQJZcEZE37AO7xFJ4WHQjiuBxHj8vpLup8ucIJ-I-zFm0IXo_sTUuTkallmjL0qiZ8jZoYC3tL7uaMANrKbY01AnkQSnqWc2bRU/s1600-h/crutches.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcmnV_tZVL-PYjfTeaQecBNk_CtSU8JIinJgV8TOaQcQJZcEZE37AO7xFJ4WHQjiuBxHj8vpLup8ucIJ-I-zFm0IXo_sTUuTkallmjL0qiZ8jZoYC3tL7uaMANrKbY01AnkQSnqWc2bRU/s200/crutches.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441911812330436098" /></a>crutches of excuses...God Bless.orlando cabrerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00291864856545251079noreply@blogger.com3