Hope

I have hope. Some may say that "God is not at work", but I see it all the time. I see it in the faces of so many that are committed to Him. I see it in the way God places people in our paths to get to know. I see it in the way that so many people are seeking "more" but can't quite seem to nail down what "more" is. I believe people want to serve God but are looking for someone who is faithful to lead the way. I believe people want to know the God of the Bible but are looking for those who are committed to finding Him themselves. In the book of Esther we don't see God's name mentioned even once, but you can see strongly that God's providence is there. He is there, behind it all orchestrating all that takes place. Why do I have hope you ask, because I know that the God of the Bible uses the weak to humble the proud. I know that human strength cannot even begin to compare to God's "weakness", if He indeed had any. I have hope because I'm not in charge of God pouring out His spirit on us all, He is. "Pour out your Holy Spirit Lord as we bath in your presence, Amen."

Got Questions?

Habakkuk is so cool. I love his questions of what God was doing, makes me feel like I'm not the only one! Questioning what God is up to isn't wrong, God can handle it. Make sure however to do it with sincerity, that's the key. Habakkuk had questions and wasn't afraid to ask God. As a matter of fact he went up to a watchtower to listen intently for God's response. He didn't necessarily get the answer he thought he would get but God did show him what he was up to and for Habakkuk it was cause to sing praise to God. The next time you seek answers of what God is up to, make sure to:

1.Seek sincerely for God to show you His ways.

2.Listen intently somewhere where you can connect with God.

3.Praise God for His goodness when He does respond to you.

Be blessed today!

The Wrestling Match

A friend of mine recently posted a status on Facebook talking about wrestling with God. The question he was asking was what would it look like for him to wrestle with God for what he wants most. Jacob wrestled with God in Genesis 32:23-34 and would not stop until he was blessed. I think we all want to be blessed by God, and rightly so. I think one of the biggest problems facing us today is the wrestling match of wills that we have with God.

In this corner, weighing in at 170#(give or take a few pounds) is the contender, Clint Reeves. In this corner, weighing in at 0#(remember, God is a spirit) is the creator of the universe, the big El Elyon, the great I AM, the Alpha and Omega, none other than GOD! To say it that way may sound a bit funny, but it's true, we do battle wills with Him. We go back and forth, yell, scream, cry, beg, plead and so on...you get the picture. Then we just make the decision and move on as if we are capable of making our own life decisions. Of course, we are not able to make these decisions ourselves. God is always leading us. We can wrestle with Him all we want, but in the end if it's the battle of the wills, He will win. It isn't until we turn our trust over to Him and wrestle with Him for the right reason, to receive His blessing, that He will indeed bless us.

I read this tonight in my time of wrestling that really forced me to see that I was wrestling wills with God. It is found in Hosea. It made me ponder my wrestling with God and ask myself if I was righteous, wise or discerning. It is this:
Hosea 14:9
"Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those who are discerning listen carefully. The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But sinners stumble and fall along the way."
Live by walking in His ways.

Be blessed today!

Seasons of Life

There are more "sure things" in life than just death and taxes. Those things are sure even if we choose to not pay the taxes for a time and then they come back to haunt us in a bad way! We cannot get away from them. Death will inevitably come for us all one day or another too. There are other things in life that are "sure things" as well, like seasons of life. One thing I have found in my own life in looking back on the journey we have come through is seasons.

In 1992 I was leaving High School and had no idea what I would do. I remember doing the only thing that was available to me at the time and got a job at the place where my father had worked for many years, Pacific Metal Co. I remember so many highs and lows and times I thought I would work there for the rest of my life, but ultimately found it was only a season of life. God placed in our lives a wonderful couple who saw so much more in us than we saw in ourselves and they began to challenge us in our life. Little by little God began to build confidence in us and the desire to serve Him deeper. Southside Christian Center was a great season for Kim and I, but still only a season. As we were encouraged and grew in the Lord, we took a great step of faith to move from Portland to Eugene and go to school. Kim worked full time as I went to school and worked in the evenings. We were only there about a year, but it seemed like the longest year of our lives. We were broke during that year, and it was hard for our kids but again, it was only a season. From there we went back to Portland to take a job working for a rock crushing company taking parts calls from all over the country. It was there that God gave me a friend who other than my wife is one of the greatest people in my life. After five months of being back in the Portland area, God called it a season and opened the door for a new one. Leaving behind friends and family again, God opened the door to a ministry position in southern Oregon. It was there that God gave us the opportunity to serve Him vocationally in ministry. The town was small and the people were a bit closed from us but over time God opened their hearts to us and ours to them. Two and a half years later God again laid it on our hearts that it was the end of a season and He would lead us into what He had ahead. After two months now, God has again opened the door to a new season in our life. We are on the brink of a move to central Washington that is another step of faith for sure. I don't know exactly what all lies ahead but I do know this, that when God closes the door to one season, He opens the door to a new season. Kim and I know that sense and try never to quench the new season that the Lord wants us to walk through.

I have been a warehouse worker, a student, a janitor, a parts representitive, an associate pastor, a worship leader, a youth pastor, and for the past two months a jobless & homeless guy! But I will tell you what I have learned. God has seasons that are set in His timing and if you surrender to Him enough you get pretty good at sensing His timing. It requires taking yourself out of the situation and serving Him and His people wherever that may be. Whatever season you are in right now know this, it's not forever. Serve Him with all you are and be open to serving His people anywhere at anytime. Don't worry, He will lead the way.
Be blessed today!

Daniel's Favor

I was reading in Daniel this morning when all of the sudden four words stood out to me. These words were as follows:
1.Resolved
2.Defile
3.Favor
4.Compassion
These four words are very important words in this portion of scripture. Daniel and his companions, as well as many others, were to stand before King Nebuchadnezzar after their three years of training in knowledge and strength. Then scripture tells us that...

Daniel 1:8-9... "Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the kings food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave him favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs."

Daniel committed himself to what he knew would be right in the sight of the Lord and God gave him favor and compassion with the leaders. Daniel was completely able to try to gain favor himself by doing everything that he thought would win points with the eunuchs, but made the choice to do what was right in the Lords sight. What do we choose today? We don't live by a set of rules or a to do list, but we all have to seek the to do what the will of God would be. Living to foolishly try to gain favor in our own strength leads to failure. The only way we gain true favor with others is through doing the will of God and He will work in their hearts. God always honors those who do His will without seeking the approval of others, always. That is not to say life will be peaches and cream, but with our resolve to not defile, He will always show himself true...it's who He is...it is His nature. What a great God we serve.
Be blessed today!

Church Health

All churches inevitably have problems that need to be dealt with. While reading in Revelation today I read of the seven churches and their strong points as well as their weak points. We too can take from these strengths and weaknesses and try our best to glean from them as churches today. A few things we should take from these churches are:

-Hold to strong scriptural doctrine
-Endure spiritual persecution
-Put full trust in the name of Jesus
-Grow in love & service
-Stay pure and loyal
-Keep God's word front and center

These are the essentials for a church body and also the things that Jesus commended the seven churches for. There are also rebukes to these churches that we should learn from as to not fall into them today. They are as follows:

-The loss of our first love Jesus
-Any false teaching
-Poor discernment
-Tolerating heresy and wickedness
-Dead works
-Being spiritually blind
-Being lukewarm

As we strive for healthy churches in todays world we would do well to look at the very things that Jesus commended & rebuked these churches for. These are the same things that sadly get into churches today and cause all kinds of strife and dissention. Let's hold fast to the very things that Jesus looks at in all of us. Look at these churches and let's repent of anything we have allowed in that have caused us to be less than effective. The church has the power to change the world for Jesus if we strive to be healthy and focus on these very things.
Be blessed today!

Golf and Life

I love to play golf. It is one of my favorite things to do with my free time. I have played all around the Pacific Northwest and there are so many great places to play. A few of the favorites I have played are Pumpkin Ridge in North Plains OR., Trophy Lake near Tacoma WA., Persimmon G.C. in Gresham OR., and Tokatee G.C. in Blue River OR. There are many more I would love to play, but haven't been able to yet. Maybe someday. The thing about golf courses is that a person can tell right away how well they have been taken care of. It only takes a moment to look at the course and be able to see whether it is green and lush or whether it is brown, dry and hard. I have seen both kinds.
There are many times we can look at a persons life and see either green lush or see it brown, dry and hard. It doesn't take long for us to be able to see what is really in a persons heart. Just a few short minutes of sitting and talking with a person reveals much about where their lives are at. In Colossians Paul talks about being "rooted, and built in Jesus Christ, established in the faith". Being rooted means letting the roots of your life run deep down into Jesus and allowing His character to shine through in our lives so that we can be green and lush. Our goal isn't to just imitate Jesus, but to allow His character to be shown through us. This is why we must let our life roots run down into Him because we can't be green and lush without drinking from His water, the kind that never leaves us thirsty.
Be blessed today!

Aquire The Fire trip - April 2009

About Waiting...

I don't know what it is about waiting. It is the hardest thing in life to do. We see it all throughout the Bible and it hasn't become any easier for us in today's world either. I know there are many things we can do during times of waiting that are beneficial but I want to share just a few things that the Lord has been showing me during my study of Philippians that has encouraged me during our time of waiting.

1) We have been given the privileges of TRUSTING in the Lord and also SUFFERING for Him, so no matter where in life we are we know that we will suffer some of the time. Waiting often seems like those times of suffering but it is then God is building within us.
2) We must live a life worthy of the good news about Christ. This does NOT mean that we must be perfect, as Christ was, but does mean we must live expectantly and hopeful that God who began the good work in us will see it through until Christ's return. God IS working within our lives with His providence and during times of waiting we are stretched in our faith.
3) Be a great friend to someone else to help take the burden of yourself away. Timothy was that kind of friend to Paul. When we begin to focus on being a friend and help to someone else we are able to pour into them and at the same time it fills us back up as we give. When we worry about ourselves alone it only drains us without the refilling we need. Be a friend like no other to someone.

~Pastor Clint

Nothing Impossible

In Joshua 10:12-14 is the story of the nation of Israel defeating the Amorites. Really it was more like God defeating them, but then again that's always the story for those who serve God. We don't deserve the credit in our victories, we should always give the credit to God who win's all of our battles for us. God stopped the sun on this paticular day for the Israelites and gave them the time needed to win a victory over the Amorites. Joshua's prayer was bold, he asked God to stop the sun to provide the victory for them. God listened and did so for them.
When was the last time we prayed a bold prayer like that? Maybe not for the sun to be stopped but for something of great magnitude in our lives? What about a marriage to be reconciled? What about a healing that can only come through God? What about salvation for our friends and family members who seem to not care at all about God? What will your bold prayer be??

~Pastor Clint

Turn to the Cross

Sharing in the ministry

Paul writes to the Philippian church in verses 3-14 to tell them how great it is for him to have them sharing in the ministry. He loves them and wants to let them know just what they mean to him. Too often we don't do the same. We push and push to have others sign up for things or to help out with things but never allow them to see just how much we appreciate them and their service. I love many in my life and am making a decision today to let them know more often just how thankful I am to them. Today, if you read this and share in the ministry with me, know that I appreciate you and am thankful for all you do. Be blessed today and continue to share the work and spread the Good News like the Philippians and Paul did together.

~Pastor Clint