Pete Wilson's Blog, page 23

Grateful

My youngest son Brewer is playing flag football this year and each Wednesday night I get the honor of taking him to practice. Half of the practice I just sit there and watch him as he darts all over the field. I love the way this kid loves sports. The other half I take advantage of the beautiful park  they practice in to get a little exercise. So last night I went on a little jog. Toward the end I felt winded enough that I decided to go into the “cool down” phase of my workout which just so happens to be my favorite phase.

I sat down on a conveniently placed bench and just took in the beauty of the sky. In fact, it was so remarkable I took this picture so I could share it with you.

For the next few minutes I took the opportunity to thank God for everything He’s doing in my life these days. When I slow down enough to think about it, it’s absolutely remarkable that God has blessed me like he has.

My family.

My church.

My friends.

I could go on and on.

And you know what? If God doesn’t bless me with one more thing, I still owe Him everything.

Hope you’ll find some time this week to just sit down and thank God for the gifts upon gifts He sends our way daily. And you might want to start with tonight’s sunset.

Being Free Vs. Living Free

I read an interesting article the other day about how difficult it is for prisoners coming out of prison to adjust to being a free citizen again. Did you know studies show more than four out of 10 adult offenders nationwide return to state prisons within three years of their release.

This same article told the story of a man named Randall Church who spent 26 years in prison for stabbing and killing another man. After 96 days of freedom he purposely set a house on fire and burned it to the ground then immediately turned himself in so he could be arrested and return to prison. He literally could not handle his freedom.

The same thing happened to the people of Israel. They had lived as slaves for 400 years, then suddenly were released from captivity. They were free, but they didn’t know how to live free. Generation after generation had lived and died in bondage, so they didn’t know any other way. So when God called them to trust him they just couldn’t muster up the courage to do it. Instead they reverted back to fear. They were free, but they continued living in bondage.

I think there’s a lot of us who have been set free from the power of sin and the penalty of sin by trusting in Jesus and his substitutionary death on the cross. But even though we’ve been set free we’re still living in bondage.

Some of us are in bondage to….

addictions

unforgiveness

fear

worry

ego

entitlement.

There’s a difference between being free and living free.

Isaiah 61:1 says,

The Spirit of the Lord, the Eternal, is on me.

    The Lord has appointed me for a special purpose.

He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

    He has sent me to repair broken hearts,

And to declare to those who are held captive and bound in prison,

    “Be free from your imprisonment!

We serve a chain breaking God and I want and need to continue to explore what it means to actually live free. The chains are gone, I’m free from my imprisonment and I want to live the life God designed me to live.

A Disturbing Trend

There’s a disturbing trend I see among Christians these days. It seems like a lot of individuals and couples have a completely different set of friends every 2 to 3 years. And, as they talk about it, you quickly discover that their relational past is full of hurt and betrayal. And none of this hurt and betrayal has really one time led anyone to ask what deep truths about “themselves” this may have revealed. It’s always what the other people have “done” or “not done.” Or what the other people “believe” or “don’t believe.”

These days if someone experiences any kind of relational conflict it appears to just be easier to cut off those relationships than to do the hard work of seeing what deep truths God might be revealing about us. Now I’m not saying there’s not a time to rearrange our relationships or even cut some unhealthy relationships off. There’s certainly a time for that. However, I’m wondering if maybe we should be a little slower to cut off relationships due to conflicts and quicker to stop and ask God what patterns, what sins, what fears we might need to come face to face with in our own lives that are being revealed in that relational conflict.

We’ll never live out true community if we’re always experts on everyone else’s weaknesses and our strengths.

Help My Unbelief

If you feel like your life is marked by fear and anxiety right now on any level than I’m praying this prayer for you today.

Beyond What We Can Handle

Have you ever heard the statement “God will never give you more than you can handle”? Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus will continually allow us to face situations that are greater than we can handle. He has no problem with leading you into circumstances and tasks where you are completely in over your head. Let me explain…

Your Value

I read an interesting article a few years ago about how insurance companies calculate an individual’s worth in order to determine whether to cover a new medical procedure. Apparently, the international standard most private and government-run health insurance plans use puts your value at $50,000. The article argues that this figure is outdated and the new figure would put your worth at a whopping $129,000 (this is the result of inflation not anything you did, so don’t get a big head).

There are days, to be honest, I don’t feel like I’m worth fifty bucks, much less $50,000. There are days I’m surprised…

my church lets me serve

my wife puts up with me

my friends stick around

Ever have those days?

But here’s the biggest shocker of all. The one that I just can’t comprehend. The Creator of the universe thinks I’m so valuable he can’t even put a number on it. Take a second to let this sink in…

Matt 10:29-31 (nlt)

29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin[? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

Romans 5:7-8 (TM)

We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

My friend, Lisa Harper, spoke at Cross Point yesterday and while there were several things in her message that stayed with me there’s one quote I just can’t shake. She said,

Even on your worst day God still calls you beautiful.

Isn’t that great? We serve an amazing God. So let’s walk forward today in the knowledge that there’s nothing we could ever do to make God love us anymore or any less than he does in this very moment.

 

There’s just one thing that matters

Ever struggle with your priorities? Ever wonder what really counts? Stop wondering. Here’s what really matters.

Come Even Closer

Thirsty?

Hungry?

Doubting?

Struggling?

Wondering if God’s promises and presence are still true for you?

Come to India with me!

I’m going to India, but I’m not going alone…Will you come?

I’m looking for pastors or those involved in missions to come see the work we’re doing in Kolkata, India on November 10-15th. We’re loving on a handful of communities in and around the city and we’re watching God do incredible things! In a slum that only a few years ago was nothing but tents and trash, we’ve helped start a school, feeding program, public sanitation, vocational programs and a church! The community has been transformed as we try and show the love of Jesus!

Here’s a video of the ribbon cutting of public toilets we have installed in the slum. Previously, the residents had to use the restroom in the open.

Though we’ve seen amazing success, we still need help. We want to continue to expand into other communities in and around Kolkata. The need is unimaginable and there is so much more to do!

Are you passionate about missions? Is your church looking for a grassroots, effective organization to partner with? If so, I encourage you to come and see. When we see the poor with our eyes, when we learn their names, when we eat with them in their homes, when we know their laughs, their stories and their lives, our perspective changes. When our perspective changes, our understanding changes. And when our understanding changes… our lives change!

When our lives change, so do the lives of the poor. We meet them in the streets and with them we meet Jesus.

If you’re interested in going on this trip, please send me an email at

pete@crosspoint.tv and tell me your name, role, church, and why you’d like to travel to India with me and my team. The cost of the trip will be around $2500 and includes — flights, hotels, transportation, food, and water. Deadline for submitting is July 25th.

 

(photos by Susie Aboulhosn)

Why We Don’t Pray

Prayer is a interesting thing for us Christians. We know we should pray. We also know how to pray (you just talk to God).  But if we know we should and we know how why is it that so many of us feel as if our prayer life is lacking?

Here’s one reason…