PRESS THE KINGDOM :: a blog by steve trevino

Please Visit my New Blog!

2009-05-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

Check my new blog. pastorstevetrevino.com

The Promise of Paradox

2009-04-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

"Few of us are so spiritually advanced that we can accept the crosses we are given in simple obedience, as a spiritual discipline. We usually all resist the cross at first. We become so worn down, so flattened out, so drained of energy and emptied of fight that the only thing left is to accept.

The cross is, above all, a place of powerlessness. Here is the final proof that our feeble powers can no more alter life's trajectory than a magnet can pull down the moon. Here is the death of the ego, of the self that insists on being in charge, the self that continually tries to impose its own idea or order and righteousness on the world.

But once again, the cross is a place of contradiction. For the powerlessness of the cross, if fully embraced, takes us to a place of power. This is THE GREAT MYSTERY at the heart of Christian faith. . .THE MYSTERY OF THE POWER OF POWERLESSNESS. Or is it such a mystery after all? As long as I am preoccupied with the marshalling of my own feeble powers, there will be no way for God's power to flow through me. As long as I am getting in my own way, I cannot live
in the power of God's way.

Here is how Paul speaks of this moment of acceptance in Jesus' crucufixion and our own: 'In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus: his state was divine, and yet he did not cling to His equality with God but emptied Himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as we are; and being as all men are He was humbler yet, even to ACCEPTING death, death on a cross.' Phili 2:5-7."

- The Promise of Paradox by Parker J Palmer

When was Jesus Crucified?

2009-04-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Bible does not specifically state which day of the week Jesus was crucified. The two most widely held views are Friday and Wednesday. Some, however, using a synthesis of both the Friday and Wednesday arguments, accept Thursday as the day. Jesus said in Matthew 12:40, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Those who argue for a Friday crucifixion say that there is still a valid way in which He could have been considered in the grave for three days. In the Jewish mind of the First Century, a part of day was considered as a full day. Since Jesus was in the grave for part of Friday, all of Saturday, and part of Sunday—He could be considered to have been in the grave for three days. One of the principal arguments for Friday is found in Mark 15:42 that notes that Jesus was crucified "the day before the Sabbath." If that was the weekly Sabbath, i.e. Saturday, then that fact leads to a Friday crucifixion. Another argument for Friday says that verses such as Matthew 16:21 and Luke 9:22 teach that Jesus would rise on the third day; therefore, He wouldn't need to be in the grave a full three days and nights. But while some translations use "on the third day" for these verses, not all do and not everyone agrees that that is the best way to translate these verses. Furthermore, Mark 8:31 says that Jesus will be raised "after" three days.

read full article

Taken from GotQuestions.org

The Mystery of Suffering

2009-04-06T11:01:00.000-07:00

Great is the mystery of suffering; yet this much we know: suffering is in the very warp and woof of the slow progress of mankind from ''the vanity of time to the riches of eternity,'' so deeply interwoven into the stuff of things that the very Captain of our salvation, in order to be ''made like unto His brethren'' had to be ''made perfect through suffering.'' Borne rebelliously it ''works death''; borne courageously it purifies; borne vicariously it helps to redeem.

All men taste of it, the innocent with the guilty; but not till the Creator was crucified was there placed within reach of a groaning and groping humanity, not indeed the full explanation of suffering, but at least the key to its transmutation: we have to learn that faith transforms the messenger of Satan into the means of grace: that believers are to glory in tribulations, count trials all joy, because all things work together for good to them that love God: and that God's soldiers are to see in their crosses the mystery of the birth-process, whereby death works in us, but life in others, for only the corn of wheat which falls into the ground and dies bears ''much fruit.''

-''Alfred Buxton of the Congo and Abyssinia'' by Norman Grubb

Which Jesus Do You Follow?

2009-04-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

There seems to be more than one "Jesus" to choose from these days. Which one is the true Jesus and who am I following?

· There's a 'seeker friendly' Jesus, he's the one who will not offend anyone in anyway. He loves everyone no mater what they do.

· There's a 'sow and reap' Jesus, he made a covenant with man so that man could sow his seed and reap wealth and happiness on earth and then go to heaven when he dies.

· There's a 'blend in with the world' Jesus, he wants us to look like, act like, and be like the world in order to reach the lost.

· There's a 'neverending grace' Jesus, his 'grace' covers us no matter what we do or how we live.

· There's a 'just believe' Jesus. As long as you truly believe in your heart, you're saved.

· There's a 'name it claim it' Jesus. You name it; anything and it's yours! If you don't get it, it's because you lack faith. It's your fault.

· There's a 'carnal' Jesus. He doesn't expect you to overcome sin, he understands you're just carnal.

· There's a 'heart dwelling' Jesus. All you have to do is ask him into your heart and voilà, he's there. You're going to heaven!

-by Brendon Powell.

Truth:

There's the Jesus who said "Repent and believe the gospel, the kingdom of God is at hand." -Mark 1:15

He said, "Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him." -Lk 9:23-25

He said without Him you are already condemned. -John 3:18

He said He came to save the world -John 3:16

He said if we love anyone more than Him we are not worthy of Him. -Matt 10:37-39

He said if you love this life you'll lose it. -John 12:25-26

He said you cannot serve God and money. -Matt 6:24

He said fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell. -Mt 10:28

He said be extreme in your war against sin. -Matt 18:8-9

He said love God with all your heart, soul and mind and your neighbor as yourself. -Matt 22:37-39

He said the gate is narrow and the way is difficult and few find it. -Matt 7:13-14

He said those who believe in Him but work iniquity will be cast out. -Matt 7:21-23

He said you'll be hated for His name's sake, but if you endure to the end, you'll be saved. -Matt 10:22

He said I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me. -John 14:6

Which Jesus do you follow?

Taken From SafeGuardYourSoul.com

2009-03-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

What’s this “Blue Jean Gospel” all about?

It’s about the story of the Gospel being more than formal wear you put on [one time] for a special event. (The Gospel is not a tuxedo or wedding dress.)

It’s not something we put on [occasionally] when we want to look nice or dress up. (The Gospel is not a suit and tie or a dress with high heels.)

It’s also not something you put on when you need to look professional and presentable. (The Gospel is not a pair of smart casual khakis.)

It is a rough and rugged life that we embrace everyday.
It’s a life that will be scrapped and scratched, banged and bruised.
But will remain strong and will grow better with the wear and tear.

God wants to get you out of the suit and tie, out of the dress and heels and into the “Blue Jean Gospel”, that you will wear and live in everyday.

"In Greek religions - dying and rising again is a single experience undergone in the act of initiation, but for Paul it is an experience which, from the moment of his baptism, IS CONSTANTLY REPEATING ITSELF ON THE BELIEVER. With Paul, his whole being, FROM HIS BAPTISM ONWARDS, IS A CONSTANTLY RENEWED EXPERIENCING OF THE DYING AND RISING AGAIN WHICH BEGAN IN THAT ACT. As he says in 2 Cor 4:11: "For we the living are constantly given up to death for Jesus' sake that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh.” It is the realism of the Paul’s gospel which finds expression in this concept of THE CONTINUOUS DYING AND RISING AGAIN WITH CHRIST."

-Albert Schweitzer, 1953

31[I assure you] by the pride which I have in you in [your fellowship and union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily [I face death every day and die to self].

-1Corinthians 15:31amp

American Socialism?

2009-03-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

Norman Matton Thomas (November 20, 1884 - December 19, 1968) was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. He was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1911. As a candidate for President of the U. S., Norman Thomas said, in a 1944 epoch speech: "The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of "liberalism", they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." He went on to say: "I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democratic Party has adopted our platform."

Watchman Nee Nuggets

2009-03-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

The book, The Normal Christian Life is in my opinion one of the best books on true spirituality and growth available. Few books have had more impact on my life than this one. Here are a few nuggets from Watchmen Nee's great book. Download the entire book here.

"How can we ever expect the Lord to live out His life in us if we do not
offer our lives to Him?"

"If we give ourselves unreservedly to God, many adjustments may have to be
made.  God will not let anything of our old selves remain.  His finger will
touch, point by point, those things that are not of Him until everything from
our nature has been removed."

"We must go to the Cross, because what is in us by nature is a self-life.
Adam chose a self-life rather than a divine life; therefore, God had to gather
up all that was 'in Adam' and do away with it."

Knowing this, that our old (Adamic) man was crucified with Him (Christ), that
the body of sin might be done away, so that we should no longer be in bondage to
sin; for he that hath died is freed from sin.  Rom 6:6-7.

Push-Button Christianity - A.W. Tozer

2009-03-04T01:19:00.000-08:00

"A generation of Christians reared among push buttons and automatic machines is impatient of slower and less direct methods of reaching their goals. We have been trying to apply machine-age methods to our relations with God. We read our chapter, have our short devotions, and rush away, hoping to make up for our deep inward bankruptcy by attending another gospel meeting or listening to another thrilling story told by a religious adventurer lately returned from afar. The tragic results of this spirit are all about us. Shallow lives, hollow religious philosophies, the preponderance of the element of fun in gospel meetings, the glorification of men, trust in religious externalities, quasi-religious fellowships, salesmanship methods, the mistaking of dynamic personality for the power of the Spirit; these and such as these are the symptoms of an evil disease, a deep and serious malady of the soul."

-A.W. Tozer

Has Starbucks Lost it's Story?

2009-02-26T13:18:00.000-08:00

Ironically I sit in a Starbucks reading a blog about how Starbucks is no longer THE “third place” for people. Here is a great article from Church Marketing Sucks about how Starbucks has “lost it’s way”.

Another Lesson from Starbucks?

VineLife Part Two

2009-02-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

I don't believe John 15 is a chapter about prayer. This "abiding" life imagery that Christ paints for us through the vine/branch illustration speaks to more than prayer. While spending time in Gods presence, worshiping Him and adoring Him is vital to the vine life, it is only one part of a greater truth. In this analogy, prayer is the lesser truth.

Abiding speaks of the full work of grace performed by God through Christ. It is the place of rest and the yoke that Jesus called us to in Matthew 11:28-29

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

A yoke is an object that binds two animals together. It creates a vital union between the two. We shouldn’t be concerned where or not Christ can pull His own weight. He is able to pull both His weight and ours. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Jesus said “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” John 15:4 To abide in Him means to find rest in Him. When a branch in being grafted into a vine it must remain totally still. The graft will not take if there is constant movement within the branch. For this reason a branch must be bound to the vine. The secret to a fruitful life is rest! Rest leads to sleep. Jesus often referred to the dead as only being asleep.

“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” John 11:11

Allow your self to “sleep” and find rest in Christ. When the old nature begins to rise up within you, instead of yielding to that thought, attitude or behavior- sleep. The old man is dead; He has been put to death at the cross. When we continue to “die daily” this is true abiding. Abiding is refusing to come out of the death of Christ. It is denying sin and self-everyday. When you learn to abide, you will bear much fruit.

VineLife Part One

2009-02-18T11:14:00.001-08:00

I want to be always living the VineLife. This is the life that is continually connected to the vine. Stop for a moment and consider this, What is fruit? When the Holy Spirit spoke of holiness it was through the imagery of fruit. This gives us incredible insight into the anatomy of holiness. Holiness in our lives is the outcome of the hidden life of the tree. It is not the life of the branch that causes fruit to produce; it is the life of the sap. The deposit of the sap into the branch, through the vine produces fruit-holiness. This is the VineLife:

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5

Who do you think you are?

2009-02-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

What comes natural to you? Just study children and you will be surprised at who we are by nature. Two babies are playing together. One of them sees the toy in the others hand and snatches it away. This makes him angry so he snatches it back. Not willing to give up so easily, the baby wrestles is away again causing loud crying and tears to ensue. The mother comes rushing in and asks, “Did you take that toy away from him?” The mischievous child puts his sweetest face on and shakes his head, no. So before a child can walk and talk he can already ENVY, LUST, STEAL and LIE. Why? It’s the same reason that a chicken is not a chicken because it lays an egg; it lays an egg because it’s a chicken. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.

This is why God commands that we put the natural man in its proper place. What is the proper place for the natural man? .It is the cross. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:24

God does not leave this work entirely up to us. He will initiate this work inside of us and all we have to do is surrender to it. The Christian life is not as forced life of willpower and self-effort. It is a yielded life of grace and peace. "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” Galatians 5:16-18

The Role of a Pastors Wife,

2009-02-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

Pastor’s wives don’t always get acknowledged for the sacrifices they make. They are often under intense pressure to have the most well behaved kids, happiest marriage, perfect image, best attitude (during all situations). They have to be hospitable, willing to host and entertain people, friendly, encouraging, outgoing and cheerful, even when they are tired, sick, overwhelmed, depressed and struggling financially.

Since she is always reminded that behind every great man there is a great woman, she carries with her a constant call to greatness that she takes very serious. The pastor’s wife needs to be always accessible for prayer, counseling, fellowship or just hanging out. She needs to be aware of the needs of the church, families, women and children.

She is often in charge of the children’s ministry departments, volunteer coordination and church event planning. It is also common for the duties of a pastor’s wife to be accounting, bookkeeping and payroll. While this is a great responsibility many insist that she be able to preach as well.

She must never neglect her children and needs to be able to balance everything under the proper order of the family first priority. Keeping time for such responsibilities as home schooling her children and being a good housekeeper and homemaker. And don’t forget her most important ministry is to her husband whom she must serve, honor and help according to the pattern of God for marriage. And we cannot fail to mention that she must always answer her cell phone and respond promptly to all text messages and emails.

I wrote this about the wonderful and amazing women that I have the pleasure of calling my wife. Thank you Julie, I don’t know how you pull it all off but somehow you do. Forgive me for not acknowledging your tremendous sacrifice; forgive me for not helping you more. You are an amazing women. Today I honor you for the sacrifices you make. May God give you increase beyond measure, strengthen your hands and heart, and cause His grace to abound toward you in every area. Happy Valentines Day 2009

-Steve Trevino

When is a church too relevant?

2009-02-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

I believe relevant teaching is not only important but that it is commanded by God. I have often said that I believe it is a sin to have boring preaching. It makes God look bad. But when does relevance cross the line? When does a church run the risk of becoming so relevant, that it becomes worldly. Greg Atkinson published a new series of blog posts called Impotent Preaching. He calls out some preachers and features a video of a very legalistic small town preacher named Steve Anderson. Now this guy is clearly arrogant and judgmental. I don't agree with his spirit or attitude. He does raise a valid point though. If a church is playing guitar hero on the big screen and playing BonJovi songs for praise and worship has it crossed the line? The video is hilarious no doubt and this guys needs some serious guidance but if this church is doing the things he is accusing them of, have they crossed the line? What do you think?

Java-lujah!

2009-02-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

The Old Landlord

2009-02-05T06:59:00.000-08:00

The Renewed Mind By Larry Christenson

Think of yourself as living in an apartment house. You live there under a landlord who has made your life miserable. He charges you exorbitant rent. When you can’t pay, he loans you money at a fearful rate of interest, to get you even further into his debt. He barges into your apartment at all hours of the day and night, wrecks and dirties the place up, then charges you extra for not maintaining the premises. Your life is miserable. Then comes someone who says, “I’ve taken over this apartment house. I’ve purchased it. You can live here as long as you like, free. The rent is paid up. I am going to be living here with you, in the managers apartment.” What a joy! You are saved! You are delivered out of the clutches of the old landlord! But what happens? You hardly have time to rejoice in your newfound freedom, when a knock comes at the door. And there he is – the old landlord! Mean, glowering, and demanding as ever. He has come for the rent, he says. What do you do? Do you pay him? Of course you don’t! Do you go out and pop him on the nose? No – he’s bigger than you are! You confidently tell him, “You’ll have to take it up with the new landlord.” He may bellow, Threaten, wheedle, and cajole. You must quietly tell him, "Take it up with the new Landlord.” If he comes back a dozen times, with all sorts of threats and arguments, waving legal looking documents in your face, you simply tell him yet again, “Take it up with the new Landlord.” In the end he has too. He just hopes that he can bluff and threaten and deceive you into doubting that the new Landlord will really take care of things.
Now this is a situation of a Christian. Once Christ has delivered you from the power of sin and the devil, you can depend on it; that old landlord will soon come back knocking at your door. And what is your defense? How do you keep him from getting the whip hand over you again? You send him to the new Landlord. You send him to Jesus.

Very interesting to read what Thomas Jefferson said in 180O’s:

2009-02-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." ~ Thomas Jefferson

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world." ~ Thomas Jefferson

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." ~ Thomas Jefferson

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." ~ Thomas Jefferson

"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." ~ Thomas Jefferson

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by
inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their
fathers conquered." ~ Thomas Jefferson

Ed Stetzer, - Starting a Church Without Losing Your Soul

2009-01-28T12:34:00.000-08:00

Taken from article on Edstetzer.com,

Eugene Peterson makes an interesting observation in his introduction to "Working the Angels." "The pastors of America have metamorphosed into a company of shopkeepers, and the shops they keep are churches. They are preoccupied with shopkeeper's concerns-how to keep the customers happy, how to lure customers away from competitors down the street, how to package the goods so that the customers will lay out more money." 1

Many pastors are feeling the pressure to attract spiritual customers, but at what price? Megachurch pastor Walt Kallestad reveals similar feelings in a recent Christianity Today article, "Showtime No More."

"On the surface, all was well. I was a megachurch pastor with invitations to speak at conferences, write books, and mingle with dignitaries. Our church had state of the art facilities next to a major freeway. But that was on the surface. Deep down inside, I was mortified at what we'd become. We had to change. We just couldn't keep going like this. Not anymore."

The Sea Kelp Christian- Written by friend and Bible Teacher, Judge Travis Bryan III

2009-01-23T13:16:00.000-08:00

As My wife and I walked the beach at Carmel-By-The Sea, California this morning, I saw a long stalk of seaweed (kelp) lying on the beach. I noticed the bottom end was very firmly attached to a rock apparently swept ashore with the kelp. I tried to separate the roots from the rock but it was too firmly connected. I pictured this plant alive and growing out in the sea but rooted on the rock deep down. On the surface it was tossed to and fro by the turmoil of the ocean. But down in the gloomy depths the plant is still, fixed, always quiet and at peace. This is a perfect picture of the Christian. On the surface we are tempest tossed in our circumstances and outer man but deep in our new man spirit we have a vital connection with Christ. To be rooted and founded in Him is to be deep down in Him and the humility of His death. For ye are dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Col 3:3. Kelp rhymes with help. Like Kelp our help and stability in life flows from our union with the Rock. That Rock is Christ. 1 Cor 10.

-Travis Bryan III

So Long Bush

2009-01-20T23:23:00.001-08:00

Contrary to the liberal media’s intense efforts, we didn’t all become Bush haters. Let’s not forget some of the great accomplishments George W. Bush did for our country. To name a few he; Banned Partial Birth Abortion, nominated two conservative Supreme Court Justices, signed no the Child Left Behind Act, took out Saddam Hussein, expanded the role of faith-based organizations and probably greatest of all, prevented a “Sept. 12”. History will judge the 43rd president more fairly. Thank you President Bush.

For a complete view of President Bush’s accomplishments click here.

Reaching the Addicted of our city.

2009-01-19T13:33:00.001-08:00

Today there are 49 men passing out 50,000 flyers in Houston, TX. for the Victory Family Recovery Center. Please pray as we bring a new harvest of men and women. There is hope in Jesus!

Summertime lesson / Anytime application

2009-01-12T08:34:00.001-08:00

Day on the Beach

What I thought was going to be another day on the beach with my kids turned out to be one of the most profound and practical lessons of my Christian life. Earlier that day I purchased a skim board for my daughters to play with along the shores shallow edge. While I was content to relax in my chair and enjoy a book, my children were determined to draw me into their adventure. They begged and pleaded for me to show them how to gracefully glide on a small board (with a 150lb weight limit) across an inch of water. It was a crowded beach in the peak of summer and I knew how this would play out. I just wasn't in the mood for making a fool out of myself as the clumbsy dad. "No" was my final answer. I wasn't prepared for what happened next. As my children turned away in disappointment, I felt the Spirit of God speak to me as I sat on the beach that afternoon. In that moment I saw more clearly than ever, the principle of the cross. There was an opportunity to resurrect a joy within my daughters but it meant that I would have to be willing to die to myself. I had a chance to usher in resurrection power into my relationship with my children but I would have to die to my pride, comfort, and agenda. God was calling me into the story of the cross through what seemed to be an insignificant event. In that moment I thought of the countless other times I had missed opportunities like this. ‘You don't want to die so that something within your daughters might live,’ is what I felt God speaking to me that day. I was led to repentance and into the story of the cross. We learned how to skim board that day. I fell many times and probably looked very silly but it was glorious. I was full of joy, uplifted with my girls, and a memory was created that will never be erased. Who knew that on a sandy beach during a summer vacation I would have a cross to bear? In speaking of the principle of the cross, the Apostle Paul said "So then death worketh in us, but life in you." 2 Corinthians 4:12 As the LORD blessed me to place Himself and my children before myself (death), His life filled our whole situation and blessed my daughters beyond measure.”

Do you know what grace looks like?

2009-01-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

You have probably heard the joke about the man lost at sea. He cries out to the Lord to save him. Not long after the Coast Guard comes by and throws him a lifesaver. “No thanks, I’m waiting on God to rescue me,” the man foolishly replies.

Do we recognize when God is revealing His grace to us? When someone hurts you, do you accept the hurt and hold resentment toward that person, or do you allow that hurt to bring you to the low place of forgiveness? Instead of seeing an injustice or a wrong, let the Spirit open your eyes to the opportunity before you. Through this test God has provided the means for you to humble yourself. It seems that God will almost always use other people to test us.

There are two beams of the cross. The beam that stands upright and is held in place by the earth, and the beam that was placed upon the back of Jesus by the Roman soldiers. The vertical beam represents our relationship with God. There is a level of brokenness that enters into our life through dealings with God Himself. This is the sorrow and repentance that is ushered into us through the deep conviction of personal sins. These are internal dealing with our conscience and convictions. Then there is the horizontal bar. This speaks of our relationships with others. The ones in whom we live and work, shoulder-to-shoulder everyday. There is the portion of the cross that is imposed upon us by other people. These are often the hardest to carry. If you remember, Jesus Himself was unable to carry the cross beam to the top of the hill on His own.

And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. -Matthew 27:32

As Christ humbly carried out His sentence of death we see the limitations of the human flesh. God provided someone for Jesus. A man standing on the side of the road to help. Just as Christ was hindered by the limits of the flesh and could not bear the cross on His own, how much more will you and I never be able to bear the cross on our own strength? God has also provided someone to come along side us to bear the weight of the cross for us. We cannot endure it on our own. We cannot forgive others, love our enemies or even keep “The golden rule”, without the power of the Spirit. If you look around and see only hurt and wrong, allow God to open your eyes to the grace He is affording you. No only does God call us to take up our cross and follow Him, but He himself will bear the cross for us when we have reached the end of ourselves

The Stockdale Paradox- An exert from Good to Great by Jim Collins

2008-12-27T19:49:00.000-08:00

The name refers to Admiral Jim Stockdale, who was the highest ranking United States military officer in the “Hanoi Hilton” prisoner-of-war camp during the height of the Vietnam War. Tortured over 20 times during his eight-year imprisonment from 1965 to 1973, Stockdale lived out the war without any prisoner's rights, no set release date, and no certainty as to whether he would even survive to see his family again. He shouldered the burden of command, doing everything he could to create conditions that would increase the number of prisoners who would survive unbroken, while fighting an internal war against his captors and their attempts to use the prisoners for propaganda. At one point, he beat himself with a stool and cut himself with a razor, deliberately disfiguring himself, so that he could not be put on videotape as an example of a “well-treated prisoner.” He exchanged secret intelligence information with his wife through their letters, knowing that discovery would mean more torture and perhaps death. He instituted rules that would help people to deal with torture (no one can resist torture indefinitely, so he created a step-wise system—after x minutes, you can say certain things—that gave the men milestones to survive toward). He instituted an elaborate internal communications system to reduce the sense of isolation that their captors tried to create, which used a five-by-five matrix of tap codes for alpha characters. (Tap-tap equals the letter a, tap-pause-tap-tap equals the letter b, tap-tap-pause-tap equals the letter f, and so forth, for 25 letters, c doubling for k.) At one point, during an imposed silence, the prisoners mopped and swept the central yard using the code, swish-swashing out “We love you” to Stockdale, on the third anniversary of his being shot down. After his release, Stockdale became the first three-star officer in the history of the navy to wear both aviator wings and the Congressional Medal of Honor.

You can understand, then, my anticipation at the prospect of spending part of an afternoon with Stockdale. One of my students had written his paper on Stockdale, who happened to be a senior research fellow studying the Stoic philosophers at the Hoover Institution right across the street from my office, and Stockdale invited the two of us for lunch. In preparation, I read In Love and War, the book Stockdale and his wife had written in alternating chapters, chronicling their experiences during those eight years.

As I moved through the book, I found myself getting depressed. It just seemed so bleak—the uncertainty of his fate, the brutality of his captors, and so forth. And then, it dawned on me: “Here I am sitting in my warm and comfortable office, looking out over the beautiful Stanford campus on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I’m getting depressed reading this, and I know the end of the story! I know that he gets out, reunites with his family, becomes a national hero, and gets to spend the later years of his life studying philosophy on this same beautiful campus. If it feels depressing for me, how on earth did he deal with it when he was actually there and did not know the end of the story?”

“I never lost faith in the end of the story,” he said, when I asked him. “I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade.”

* * *

I didn’t say anything for many minutes, and we continued the slow walk toward the faculty club, Stockdale limping and arc-swinging his stiff leg that had never fully recovered from repeated torture. Finally, after about a hundred meters of silence, I asked, “Who didn’t make it out?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” he said. “The optimists.”

“The optimists? I don’t understand,” I said, now completely confused, given what he’d said a hundred meters earlier.

“The optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they’d say,‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.”

Another long pause, and more walking. Then he turned to me and said, “This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”

To this day, I carry a mental image of Stockdale admonishing the optimists: “We’re not getting out by Christmas; deal with it!”

Taken from JimCollins.com

You're in swaddling cloths too!

2008-12-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

Aside from wrapping babies, swaddling clothes were used to prepare dead bodies for burial. Jesus was born and wrapped in dead mans cloths as a sign of his call to die. When we are born again we become wrapped in dead cloths, and we are called to die daily! The dead cloths are this flesh, (Body of Sin). Romans 6:6

Consider this reality: You are walking around today DEAD ON THE OUTER MAN but ALIVE ON THE INNER MAN. The outer man (the flesh) is the life of sin; the inner man (the spirit) is the Life of Christ. The more you die to the flesh, the more alive you become to the spirit! Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and so are we!

The swaddling cloths will become old and slowly waist away!

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. - 2Corinthians 4:16

Your flesh should be in constant state of decline and decay. Decay means to decline in quality gradually and steadily, or cause something to undergo such a decline, to decrease gradually in magnitude, the fading away of a musical note

The power of sin, lust for sin, desire for sin and all that is of the flesh, is in constant decay within the life of the believer. We are wrapped in swaddling clothes, like Christ. This speaks of our daily dieing and rising with Christ. The Christmas story is not about a baby lying in a manger any longer. It is about a savior God, who bids man to come and die with Him. God is not asking for a blood sacrifice any longer, he is looking for men and women who will be living sacrifices. Those who will die daily with Him. If we say with Paul “I die daily” 1 Corinthians 15:31, we will know what it is to be risen daily into new life.

2008-12-17T00:39:00.001-08:00

What if I owned an automobile that needed to be taken into the shop at least once a week for servicing? It had some malfunction, which caused it to stall every few days. You would probably tell me that I either needed a new vehicle or a new shop. What if I told you that the shop I took it to every week was called a gas station and the service it received was gasoline? You would obviously have a different attitude since automobiles are designed with a dependency on fuel. All who operate motor vehicles are in constant need for a source of gasoline. To consider filling a tank with premium gas and enjoying peak performance only to later fill the same tank with water and experience engine stall, is to understand the intensity of Paul’s confrontation. “You foolish Galatians…Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” Galatians 3:1-3 The Christian life is designed for constant dependency on Christ as our source. Just as we received the Spirit of God by believing in the finished work of the Cross-, we also must receive power to live out that finished work by faith in the Cross. It is the cross alone for salvation and the cross alone for sanctification. A few degrees away from this truth are enough to throw us entirely off course. God is still calling us to the highest standard of faith, to be a Cross-centered church.

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

1Corinthians 2:2

2008-12-08T16:38:00.001-08:00

Years ago I heard a riddle that says something like this; let’s say you could climb into a space craft that had the ability to travel at the speed of light. You are 25 years old when you boarded the ship and blasted off, and were gone for 100 years, how old would you be when you returned? The simple answer would be 125 years old. But we know that questions like this don’t have the simple answer. The answer is that you would still be 25 years old when you returned. Apparently at the speed of light the particles that make up our human body would undergo a process of breaking down into smaller particles until we essentially become the very essence of light. You would be removed from the realm of life and transferred into the realm of light. If you found this content remotely interesting, you may have some geek-like tendencies. If not however, please allow to seaway into my reason for sharing this with you. Much like the realm of light travel, there is a mysterious unseen realm that transcends space-time. I know that sounds kind of weird and mystical or even silly, but if you will bear with me for a few moments I want to explain some amazing things to you today.

The dictionary defines realm as a particular area or space, a domain or a kingdom. God has created a realm for man to step into. In this realm are some incredible solutions! May I be so bold as to say that in this realm are the solutions for every known problem in the world today? From addiction to world poverty, the true source of social justice and reconciliation emanates from this sphere of divine creation. There are three kinds of people in the world today. Those whom God is calling into this realm, those who have answered the call and stepped into this realm and those who stepped in at one time and have walked away. It is THE REALM OF THE CROSS. Which person are you?

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. -Galatians 6:14

To the world the cross was a terror, to God it is a tool. To man the cross was shameful; to God it is the path to victory. To onlookers the cross was a gory display of torture; to Jesus Christ it was glorious display of love. Some amazing things occurred at the cross and are waiting to be experienced today. God calls us into this realm so the realities of the cross can become our realities.

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. -Romans 6:3-9

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family.

2008-11-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day- a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness.

Let us never forget what we are truly thankful for. I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for my salvation. Without Christ I am nothing.

Texas A&M students to unveil architectural concepts for faith-based drug rehab center

2008-11-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

Texas A&M architecture students will unveil designs for a new facility to house the Victory Family Recovery Center, an inner city faith-based drug treatment program in Houston, during a public presentation set for 5 p.m. Nov. 19 at Victory Family Church, 712 Llano St. in Pasadena.

Five alternative architectural designs for the 14-year-old center will be presented in models and sketches developed by students in a fourth-year healthcare architecture studio led by George J. Mann, holder of the Skaggs-Sprague Endowed Chair in Health Facilities Design at Texas A&M University.

“The students were challenged to create a facility that better portrays the transformative mission of the Victory Family, which has been hampered by the run-down, dilapidated buildings currently in use,” said Steve Treviño, the center director.

The nonprofit Victory Family Recovery Center currently provides a no-cost, Christian faith-based six-month residential recovery program for men and women with substance abuse problems.

“Our mission is to bring Jesus to hurting people, restore families, change lives and provide a safe haven for people where their addictive natures can be overcome through the power of Jesus Christ,” said Treviño.

Located at 222 Royder St. in Houston, the center is mostly housed in a two-story apartment building that was donated to Victory Family Church in 1992. At the time, Treviño said, the building had become a magnet for drug and criminal activity.

The recovery center opened in 1994 as a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in the rehabilitated apartment building and it has since expanded to included two adjacent homes.

read full story

The Message of the Cross- 1Corinthians 1:18

2008-11-03T08:53:00.001-08:00

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Every pastor should be preaching this. The reality is that they are not. Churches today have deviated from the gospel of the Cross and drifted into a gospel of self.

This is not a recent phenomenon. The church in the New Testament was already dealing with this problem. The apostle Paul addressed the Galatians as *“Stupid” because of it! *Foolish in most translations

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?”- Galatians 3:1-3

The flesh exalts human-effort, the Cross extinguishes it. This is why the message of the Cross is “foolishness” to the one perishing spiritually. The Cross attacks the best of mans efforts in order to reveal the best of God; which is Christ.

More Dying not Doing.

2008-10-21T05:34:00.000-07:00

The death and burial of Christ is the only death and burial, which leads to resurrection. It is the only environment that we can cling to, which leads to life. If we cling to the world or to self, (which is natural life) we will experience spiritual death. If we cling to the death and burial of Christ, (which is a crucified life) it leads to resurrected circumstances or experiences.

If we descend daily into the crucified life, we will ascend daily into the resurrected life. The key to changing our situations is not more DOING but more DYING.

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. " Luke 9:24

Try explaining "breve latte" to a Chinese in Starbuck- Success!

2008-10-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

MAN vs. CITY

2008-10-09T09:32:00.001-07:00

In the photo above: Steve is enjoying a serving of dove. Yum!

Attention readers of Press The Kingdom, this is Julie, Steve's tai tai (wife) posting today.

Steve has a favorite show on t.v. that he likes to watch it is called Man vs. Wild. On this show Bear Grylls the host is dropped off in the middle of no where and must hunt for food, find shelter and learn to adapt to his environment in order to survive as he finds his way back to civilization.

Many of you know that we are in ShenZen China and we are currently coming to the end of our third day. We have had an adventure to remember thus far. We have arrived at a place where no one speaks more than a few words of English, the food is not items that we would find on our American Chinese buffets and we don't blend in very well with the locals. The people of China have welcomed us and are being great host to the Trevinos. We are greatful to our new family in China.
I must say that Steve is the man to travel with. Steve has managed to adapt and survive in the environment God has brought us to. Within a few hours he was able to get online to update his blog, text home to see if all was well and download his pictures using a converter for all his electronics. He got me an iron and ironing board from the front desk of our hotel using hand signals. He turned the t.v. on in our room with the remote of strange Chinese writing on it and not to mention we discovered only 1 of 78 channels are in English. We bravely adventured out without our guide the other day and was able to eat, shop and find our way back home. Even after our taxi driver took us to the wrong place first. But Steve once again saved the day! I have enjoyed watching him use hand signals to communicate and learn to speak phrases in mandarin. It has been a fun and exciting adventure with Steve and his parents in China. I feel safe and secure knowing that Pastor Panda is leading the way. (Pastor Panda is the nick-name given to him because of his dark eyes) Let us see what tomorrow holds for us all.
Good night and God bless from ShenZen!

Audrie and Alyssa are the best!

2008-10-06T20:29:00.001-07:00

To our wonderful girls,

You amaze us with your ability to adjust and continue in all situations. Our minds are at peace because you are going above and beyond everything being asked of you. You girls may not realize it but you are being used of God right now. Because you have given us the permission and peace to follow where God leads us. We miss you so much. We Miss hearing your voice and laughter. We love you forever and think about you every minute. We hope one day to bring you both to Hong Kong, you would love it here!

Sunday Morning in Hong Kong

2008-10-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

We walked from the church Sunday morning in Hong Kong to a mission house for more Bible study time. The all women congregation of mostly Filipinos work here in Hong Kong as domestic workers (house keepers). Sunday is their only day off so they spend all day at church. Since the space they rent for Sunday morning worship is paid hourly, as soon as service is dismissed they tear down all their equipment and decorations and hurry over to the mission house for lunch and more teaching. Their spirit is hungry for more of God's word and their hearts are very humble. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and Julie shared a great teaching about the Garden of Gethsemane experience of Christ as well as the believer.

20/20 Vision for Schools

2008-09-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

My friend Jeremy Del Rio speaks here on the 20/20 vision for schools. This could be the single most transforming initiative for public education ever. Let this vision stir you and your church to action. This could change everything!

Somebody Cares Ike Report

2008-09-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

Workers Affected by Hurricane Ike Have 30 Days to Apply For Assistance

2008-09-23T22:44:00.000-07:00

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has announced that as a result of Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA-1791-DR, TWC is accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) from individuals whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted due to Hurricane Ike starting September 7, 2008, and continuing. Applications for DUA must be filed by Wednesday, October 15, 2008.
Texas counties included in the disaster declaration are Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Cherokee, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller, and Washington.
DUA is available to individuals who:
worked or were self-employed in or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment,
can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster,
establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income,
do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits from any state,
cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster, or
who became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of household.
Applications filed after Wednesday, October 15, 2008, will be considered untimely, unless the individual provides good cause for filing after the deadline.
Individuals will need their Social Security number, a copy of their most recent federal income tax forms or check stubs, or documentation to support they were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred. To receive DUA benefits, all required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed.

To file for disaster-related unemployment assistance, click here
or call the nearest TWC Tele-Center from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time at (800) 939-6631 Houston local: (281) 983-1100

Overcoming Ike

2008-09-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Houston Food Bank and all of the volunteers who helped out Saturday.

After Ike

2008-09-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and family,

Would you prayerfully consider sending us a financial donation to help us in this critical time. As you know the Texas gulf coast is suffering the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Victory Family has been affected by this storm. We have suspended all our fundraising efforts indefinitely and our current resources are limited.

The Church has become an overnight shelter for families who have no power. Thanks to Doug Stringer and Somebody Cares America for supplying two emergency generators to our Men's Recovery Center which is currently without electricity. We have had to cancel four church services and will resume worship this week. There are reports that power may take up to four weeks to be restored in some places! As you can imagine our needs are growing daily. Please pray and give as the Lord leads to help us during this time.

Through the Cross,
Pastor Steve Trevino
Cell: 713-291-9625
Off: 713-699-4357

Make checks payable to: VICTORY FAMILY

PO Box 205
South Houston, TX 77587

more photos

Before IKE

2008-09-12T07:11:00.001-07:00

Well Ike is about 200 miles away and we are bracing ourselves. It’s only during times like this that words such as “20’ storm surge”, “Mandatory evacuation”, “Shelter in place”, or my personal favorite, “Hunker down” used in casual conversation. Besides standing in line at Home Depot for two hours to buy plywood and chasing down grocery carts at Wal-Mart, it has been uneventful. We will be riding out the storm at my parents home on the far north side of Houston.

Check out the live cams of Galveston here.

Track Ike live here

31 Candles for me!

2008-09-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

I finally crossed over to the darkside. They say it's all down hill from here.

A Royal Fellowship of Death pt.1

2008-09-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

What we know of death in the natural realm can be applied to dying to self in the spiritual realm. We understand death to be the climatic conclusion of weakness in the body carried out in its matured form. The highest manifestation of weakness in the body is death. His strength (life) is perfected in our weakness (death). 2 Cor. 12:9. He was crucified through weakness, yet He lives by the power of God, we are also weak (dead) in Him but we live with Him through the
power of God. 2 Cor. 13:4 In death the spirit lives on independent of the body. The Apostle Paul declared to be absent from the body (death) was to be present with the Lord. 2Cor. 5:8. In our daily life there must be an "absence" from the flesh. Putting to death whatever belongs to the earthly nature- Col 3:5 and the misdeeds of the body, you will live Rom. 8:13

"What man considers death angels consider birth" -FB Meyer

The moments of "absence" are moments of His presence. The way to experience the presence of God is through a daily dying to self. The dead in Christ shall rise first! 1Thes. 4:14,16

What do you think?

-Steve

Cross-Moments

2008-08-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

When the Spirit prompts you to move, to act, he is really prompting us to trust, and believe. These are opportunities to die to self. The instinctive nature of man is self-preservation and it will hinder you from dieing to self.

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin — because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. –Romans 6:6,7,11

We accepted this death because we believed that God could resurrect new life within us. You had a Cross-moment. The cross is not a one-time moment.

Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. –Luke 9:23

God wants us to have cross moments everyday. We need to die to self; daily.
The key to experiencing spiritual power is dieing to self. If we desire to become like Christ in His life we must become like Him in His death. The reason we do not want to die to self is because we do not believe that God raises the dead. The key to victory and defeat is in yielding. Romans 6:11-13

The Amazing Cross is even woven into our DNA structure!

2008-08-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

Watch this. It's kind of long but wait for the "hook" it will be worth it.

The Magna Carta of Spiritual Liberty - Romans 6

2008-08-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

"The sixth chapter of Romans is the Magna Carta of spiritual liberty because it reveals God's plan of deliverance through the Cross of Christ. Every babe in Christ needs to know the truth of this passage of Scripture. Romans 6 very clearly explains the basis of deliverance...

"Only by understanding what it means to have died with Christ (Romans 6:3-8), and what it means to put to death the 'deeds of the body' (Romans 8:13), can the believer live and walk and act through the Spirit, and in this way become a spiritual man..."

-Jesse Penn-Lewis

Funny Commercial- Don't skip your breakfast!

2008-08-17T22:46:00.000-07:00

Wanderlust

2008-08-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

I have often told the men in our Maxman Men's ministry that "wondering eyes is a sign of a wondering heart". Have you ever wondered into a place of spiritual defeat? It's sort of the opposite side of the pendulum swing. Maybe you feel as if discouragement or uncertainty has moved in like a thick fog. Although you feel a heaviness lingering, you cannot point to a specific sin. It may be that you are experiencing the effects of a wondering heart. It could be in the form of a thought that is slightly out of line with Gods Word. Or it could be an unforgiving seed that has begun breaking skin. How do you resolve this unseen heart condition? Here is a simple suggestion. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any area of wanderlust in your heart. Ask God to realign your heart and produce the proper response in you. I have found that this simple act of humility can often be enough to realign the heart because it refocuses our faith and causes us to return to a place of dependence on Christ.

-PST

Brother where art thou?

2008-08-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

As I write this, government has spent over $29 billion dollars fighting the war on drugs. Check out the war on drugs clock. Those same dollars in the hands of Christ-centered programs would literally reshape society, as we know it. A newspaper reporter once asked me, “Do you have any clinical professionals on staff at your recovery center?” My question for her was “Why would I want any?” Conventional wisdom would say that you need clinical professionals to treat substance abuse. Yet the hospitals and clinics that employ these high paid professionals have a 90% failure rate among patients. Now before we get to sidetracked here and start blaming the government, we should consider one thing. It has only been the past few decades since the church has stepped up and began reaching out to the addicted. Even still it is mostly Para-church organizations doing the work. So this is only one area that the tables have been turned. Government still has the church beat in most other forms of outreach. The difference is they call it “Human Resources”.

Pastor Herbert is a friend of mine who pastors a church in the slums of Uganda, Africa. He regularly experiences power outings during his church services and its not uncommon for his chairs to be stolen since his building has no walls. When his brother died of AIDS he left behind eight children. Read more

In search for the perfect podcast logo.

2008-07-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

Which one do you like best?
Vote for your pick.

1.

2.

3.

Watchman Nee Quotes- The Crucified Life

2008-07-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

You believe in the death of the Lord Jesus and you believe in the death of the thieves with Him. Now what about your own death? Your crucifixion is more intimate than theirs. They were crucified at the same time as the Lord but on different crosses, whereas you were crucified on the selfsame cross as He, for you were in Him when He died. How can you know? You can know for the one sufficient reason that God said so. It does not depend on your feelings. If you feel that Christ has died, He has died; and if you do not feel that He has died, He had died. If you feel that you have died, you have died; and if you do not feel that you have died, you have nevertheless just as surely died. These are divine facts. That Christ has died is a fact, that the two thieves have died is a fact, and that you have died is a fact also. Let me tell you, You have died! You are done with! You are ruled out! The self you loathe is on the Cross of Christ. And "he that is dead is freed from sin" (Romans 6:7 Amplified). This is the Gospel for Christians.

A message by Steve Trevino on proper devotion to God.

2008-07-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

Play Here

I feel like a Blog Slacker too.

2008-07-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine Jeremy, wrote in his blog a couple of weeks ago that he felt like a blog slacker because he hadn't posted anything in a few days. I know what you mean man, I feel like one too. It's been crazy the past couple of days! I was hosting Dr. Buddy Bell and wife Kathy last week as we held a ministry of helps conference. You need to bring Buddy to your church he is awesome. I built a new website for the ministry called www.victoryfamilylive.com I am very excited to anounce that we have started streaming our church services live on the web, every week! If you go to the new website you can see the past services and check out the conference.

Doug Stringer steaks at the Texas State Convention of the Republican Party

2008-07-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

Something Amazing has happen in the last 5o years!

2008-06-30T14:30:00.001-07:00

There is a world wide epidemic called drug addiction that is enslaving millions of men and women. But something amazing is happening! An amazing phenomenon has quietly occurred around the world in the past 50 years.

People are being CURED FROM DRUG ADDICTION! Not in hospitals, clinics, prisons or government programs. IT’S HAPPENING IN CHURCHES! It's happening in residential Christ-centered programs like Victory Family. Drug-Addicts all over the world are TURNING TO JESUS CHRIST to be set free from their addictions! Why? There is only one name given among men whereby we can be saved! JESUS.

Congratulations to David Wilkerson and Teen Challenge on their 50th anniversary. They have truly paved the way for others like us and have made a difference in countless lives. Read about them in this months issue of Charisma Magazine.

Men of Light- Someone who will get in your face and say “Dude”

2008-06-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

John Olgetree 0f First Metropolitan Church speaks at Ultimate Impact 2008 Mens Conference, Friday night, June 20

Ephesians 5:8-21

Light symbolizes the favor and presence of God.
We must remind ourselves that we are to be light to this dark world.

We are men of light!

As men of light our lifestyle should reflect light. Our language should reflect light.

The reason that Paul wrote chapters 4 and 5 was that there were far to many Christians who were “Slipping into darkness” He had heard about what was going on within the believers.

Some of us have the prepotency to “Slip into darkness”

It could just be that someone who you work with, live with or play with is not even aware that you are a Christian!

Every young man needs a mature man in his face, challenging him with wisdom and correction when he makes bad decisions.

While I agree with that, I look back at all the men that I have mentored and I am convinced that GROWN men also need someone from time to time to get in their face and correct and encourage them to do the right thing.

If we are going to be men of light we need each other.

I am intrigued by the “Dude” commercials. Not the product but the philosophy that is promoted. When “inappropriate behavior” is displayed by another man someone is there to step in and say “DUDE”

We need men of light who are ready wiling and able to fight and get in another brothers face and say “DUDE!”

I think of the friends that I should have got into their face and said something; maybe I could have saved their marriage. Maybe I could have saved them from destruction.

D-U-D-E

D- Devout lifestyle- Eph. 5:8 We need men who have a devout lifestyle. We need men
who are sincerely devoted to God. Not Sunday morning men, not conference men, men of light.

U- Uncompromising Character. Eph. 5:11-13, This is the man who doesn’t allow the
culture to change him, he changes the culture.

D- Discerning Nature- Eph. 5:15-16, This is a man who is careful how he lives.

E- Empowered by the Spirit- Eph. 5:18, This a man who cannot be under the influence
of any other spirits. The Spirit must control our thoughts and our motivations.

When you see another man messing up get in his face and say D-U-D-E!

Report from friend and co-laborer in the Gospel, Paul Cole from Jakarta, Indonesia

2008-06-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

Amazing event last night in Jakarta... past five days have been stunning...huge...
Last night over 4000 jammed into a central conference center in Jakarta - 500 men were graduated from Maximized Manhood studies - over 60 people saved - it was amazing!
The CMN team here led by Pastor Eddy Leo and the key national director Budi Jonatan and his team are amazing...they are conducting over 200 mens camps this year alone - and going into 8 other nations...!!

To read more visit Paul's Blog

Our crisis becomes our cross. If we will bear it, it will become the pathway to glory : A message by Steve Trevino

2008-06-15T23:15:00.000-07:00

PLAY HERE

Sermon by Steve Trevino

2008-06-10T09:31:00.001-07:00

PLAY SERMON

Some Papercut

2008-06-08T22:23:00.000-07:00

2008-06-04T22:55:00.001-07:00

Another reason I love Macs

Lion looks toward storm

2008-06-02T16:06:00.001-07:00

I came across this image the other day and was stirred. This is a good example of maturity in a believers life. The storm is approaching and yet the lion sits unmoved. Looking toward his storm not away, confident and bold.

The wicked flee when no man pursues but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

Prov. 28:1

MEET FRANK

2008-05-29T15:55:00.001-07:00

Waiting in front of a dope house on a hot Houston afternoon, Frank Medders had been gone for twenty-five days now. Leaving his two sons with their grandmother, as he continued down a path that had become very familiar during his 15-year addiction to crack-cocaine. While waiting to score, he raised his head to examine the surroundings. He could see a school across the street. Not just any school, but the school where his oldest son attended. Other parents were lining up to pick up their children but Frank was waiting outside of his connection buying dope. His son had stopped expecting to see his dad picking him up long ago.

The school bell rang and soon children poured into the schoolyard. The potent reality of the moment set off a whirlwind of emotions that could no longer be ignored. The driver door flung open and Frank bolted out of his vehicle into the street and ran. A sprinting, six-foot, four-inch white man with quite a stride is an unusual sight for a quiet neighborhood street. He wasn’t even sure why he was running or what he was running from but he just ran. Maybe he was ashamed at the man he had become, a deadbeat dad, a thief, and a crack head. Maybe he hoped to out run the misery and despair that had become his life. He ran with the desperation of one fleeing danger until he could run no longer. Collapsing under a tree in the middle of a sprawling urban district sat a man who had been defeated by crack-cocaine. Like Elijah fleeing the wrath of Jezebel under the disappearing shade of the juniper tree, Frank was running from a different spirit. Broken, ashamed and defeated Frank wept. He wept bitterly and painfully over his condition. He needs to change and he wants to change but doesn’t know how.

Fortunately for Frank, his story has a happy ending. He was later picked up by the police and taken to Harris County Jail. FULL ARTICLE

This is pretty funny!

2008-05-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

Mary vs. Martha = Law vs. Grace

2008-05-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”- Luke 10:38-42

Here we have a clear example of the two covenants. Mary & Martha have opened their home (hearts) to Christ and they have two completely different modes of living out their new faith. Martha represents the old economy of Law. This is works righteousness that strives through serving to earn an audience with Christ. It was tradition and customary to serve guests as they arrived to your house. Mary on the other hand broke custom and tradition and chose to rest at the feet of Jesus. Mary represents the new economy of Grace, resting in the finished work of Christ. Notice the reaction of Martha toward Mary, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?” Typical response of a legalistic mindset is to be critical, tired, and bitter and feels the need to question God. “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Do you ever find yourself wrestling instead of resting?
How does the Holy Spirit draw you back into grace?

Blue Ocean Strategy

2008-05-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

Pastor Robert Barriger of Camino De Vida, Lima Peru speaks about Blue Ocean Strategy during the premier United Pastors Network gathering in Dallas, TX May 12-14 2008

Notes adapted from Marketing Trends PPT, Philip Kotler – Brian Houston

Blue Ocean Strategy
W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

At the heart of Blue Ocean Strategy is differentiation.

“The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.” Deuteronomy 11:10-12

Red Ocean vs. Blue Ocean

The Red Ocean is red because of competition. Two companies with similar production competing for the same customers.

Ex. Coke vs. Pepsi

Similar products, similar profits, similar people= Red Ocean. This breeds fierce competition and much blood shed.

Why not get out of the Red Ocean and into the Blue Ocean?
The Ocean is blue because its free of blood. No fierce competition and an untapped market.

Ex. The Strategy Canvas of Cirque du Soleil

Leave the red ocean of intense competition and capture a blue ocean of uncontested market space.

The key value is innovation

Start with a strategy canvas

The horizontal axis captures the range of factors the industry competes on and invests in.

The vertical axis captures the offering level that buyers receive across all the key competing factors (high to low).

The challenge is to find a new value curve to escape from the red ocean.

Use the four action framework:

1.What factors to eliminate? (cost goes down)
2.What factors to reduce well below the industry’s standard? (cost goes down) –
3.What factors to raise well above the industry’s standard? (differentiation goes up)
4.What new factors to add that the industry has never offered? (differentiation goes up)

OUR MISSION, A message by Pastor Steve, Thursday Night May, 15,2008

2008-05-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

In Christ, Through Christ, Of Christ

These are the crosses we bear:

Calling people INTO CHRIST,

Rom. 6:11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1Cor. 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

2Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Teaching them to live THROUGH CHRIST,

Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Embracing daily the Cross OF CHRIST.

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

1Cor. 15:31 I die every day — I mean that, brothers — just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Phil. 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

2Cor. 4:10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.

2Cor. 4:12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

When light falls upon an object a form is cast without effort.

The forms of the cross, (shadows)

OUR CORE VALUES OF DISCIPLESHIP

LORDSHIP (in Christ)
Calling all people at all times to believe into Christ Jesus and experience the Lordship of Christ in their lives.

FELLOWSHIP/MEMBERSHIP (through Christ)
The ongoing work of Sanctification through the cross continues in the believer.

We are committed to providing and encouraging environments, which complement authentic relationships and connections between God and others.

We are dedicated to the local church. Allowing the love of Christ to flow through us toward each other, the community and the world.

PARTNERSHIP/LEADERSHIP (of Christ)
Through partnering with our members we are fulfilling the great commission of Jesus Christ. We are committed to building and creating ministry opportunities and helping others fulfill the calling of God upon their lives.

Paying above 'fair trade' Some Houston roasters travel directly to Central America for supply

2008-05-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

ACATENANGO, GUATEMALA — Like most Houston businessmen heading to work in the pre-dawn darkness, all Mike McKim could think about was coffee.

But as others satisfied their urge sipping takeout lattes on traffic-clogged highways, McKim was following his obsession up a winding mountain road into Guatemala's misty highlands.

The owner of a small Houston coffee-roasting house, he spent the morning trudging between snow-capped volcanoes thousands of miles from home looking for the perfect brew.

In the past, small U.S. coffee roasters seldom visited faraway Third World producer countries. Instead they bought beans directly from an importer.

But now a growing number of small-scale, high-end roasters are going straight to the farmer's gate to find "single origin" beans that will dazzle picky customers' palates.

"Flying down here is a massive investment, but it's one I'm prepared to make," McKim, who owns Spring-based roaster Cuvée Coffee, said recently during his first trip to Guatemala in search of a supplier. "There are some really great coffees in some very obscure regions."

In a process dubbed "direct trade," roasters sign multiyear contracts promising farmers more than the volatile world coffee price in exchange for steady, high-quality supply.

McKim pays farmers between $2.50 and $4.50 a pound for green coffee, which is currently going for about $1.33 a pound on the New York Board of Trade.

Industry giant Starbucks already offers such long-term contracts. Now small- to medium-size roasters focusing on the $12.3 billion-a-year luxury food market are getting in on the act.

FULL ARTICLE

MaxMan Saturday Morning MInistry

2008-05-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

Pastor Cyrus Rod of Uganda, Africa visits Victory Family Men’s Ministry

2008-05-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

WHAT'S YOUR DRIVE AND PASSION?

1 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

Genesis 4:1

Here we have two men, Cain and Able. They are both born with a sinful nature however they have not been opened up to sins yet (according to scripture). As they grow up they are friends. But when they come into the presence of God sin is revealed. How? They offer sacrifices. They each presented two entirely different types of offerings.

Abel offered an offering of blood, through death.
Cain offered an offering of grain through the work of his hands.

Abel’s offering is accepted. Cain’s offering is rejected.

When Abel’s offering was accepted, God poured His favor upon Abel. Everything he touched had the favor and blessing of God upon his life. But Cain’s offering was not accepted. When his offering was not accepted something was revealed within Cain.

From the rejection of his offering was manifested a drive and passion to commit sin.

[Motivational speaking] causes discontentment to be stirred up within people so that a carnal, fleshly, satanic drive will arise within people.

Are you tired of living from paycheck to paycheck? Are you tired of struggling all the time? You don’t have to struggle anymore. All you need is 10 steps to victory, or 7 keys to success. All of the answers you need are already within you. This type of message will stir you up and creating a drive and passion within you. The root of it is a desire for acceptance among the high achievers. At the core of this dangerous message is discontentment. Christ is the passion, the drive. He will “cause” you, Christ will move you.

There is a drive and a passion that manifests through a spirit of rejection. There is a drive within men that springs from man’s envy. When we are not accepted by God or others we feel the need to work and earn acceptance. This is only flesh and will never fulfill a person’s life.

And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Eccl. 4:4

Subscribe and Delight!

2008-05-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

Always insightful and thought provoking, Sweetstuff.

Testimony of a MaxMan

2008-05-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have been a student of the Majoring Men curriculum at my church for only 11 months. In that short time, I have had the undeserved honor of watching men become transformed into real men; men who have come to the understanding that “manhood and Christ likeness are synonymous”. I have seen a man on the brink of leaving his family acknowledge his own sin, repent, and receive complete restoration in his home. I have seen a mother sit in her car for 2 hours on many Saturday mornings in front of a church while her two sons are inside at a men’s meeting being taught the truth about manhood so that they can avoid the same path that led their father to imprisonment. I have seen many men receive deliverance of all sorts of sexual and substance addictions. I have personally learned more about being a real husband and father in the last 11 months of studying the Word through the guidance of Dr. Edwin Louis Cole’s books than the world has attempted to teach me in the first 30 years of my life. “While men look for better methods, God looks for better men.” Whether you are a new believer in Christ or have been in men’s ministry for 20 years, the Majoring in Men curriculum will open the eyes of your heart to the true calling of God on the life of every man – to walk-in the responsibility of being Christ to your home and to the nations.

Abel Villarreal – Music Minister
Victory Family Fellowship

Mighty To Save!

2008-05-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

Learn to live freely and lightly

2008-04-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

The Message- Matt. 11:28-30

I'm not a huge fan of The Message bible but Peterston hit this one out of the park.

How do you interpret these verses?

Exposing Leaders

2008-04-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

There is a principal in Scripture that teaches it is wrong to expose your leaders flaws. Some delight in revealing the "sins" of leadership. Canaan saw his fathers nakedness and "told his two brothers". This was gossip. The two brothers had the proper response. Instead of exposing their father and looking at his flaws they covered him. That is true loyalty. Read the story:

20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.” 26 He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem.

Gen. 9:20-26

My Hero's

2008-04-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

In 1992 Monico and Andrea Melchor gave Joe and Carmen Trevino (my parents) a two-story apartment building just outside of downtown Houston. Many people could have seen this as an excellent opportunity create wealth and positive cash flow, but not my parents. They saw an opportunity to help people. The property was old and rundown and had become a magnet for drug and criminal activity. After much cleaning, painting and repairs (the place still didn’t look all that great), my parents announced the opening of a free program that would offer a Christ-centered approach to curing drug and alcohol addictions.

In 1994 Victory Family opened up its doors to the city and no one showed up! What good is a free community program if no one knows about it? We needed to spread the word. So drove around town and started to get the word out. When we saw a homeless person we would get out of the car and loving tell them about a place for change. We had flyers printed up with our information and we hit the streets like crusaders on a sacred mission to love the addicted. We found ourselves walking around downtown, under bridges, at the bus station telling anyone who would listen that there was a place to shower, eat, sleep, get off the streets and change their life, all for free. It was gorilla marketing at its finest.

I remember the very first man we brought into the home. He responded right in the middle of the street. “Can you take me there right now?” he said in a low voice that weighed heavy from years of addiction and homelessness. We were shocked that someone actually wanted to come in that we had to hide our amazement. “Of course you can,” we told him and soon he was riding in our car toward his new life.

Since that day, thousands of men and women have poured into Victory Family. We average 60-80 men and women everyday living in the Recovery Center. These men and women don’t just come in from off the streets anymore. They come from Galveston to Conroe, From Beaumont to Sugerland; People come from all over the United States, Canada, Mexico and even overseas. The people who come for treatment are not just homeless, they are fathers, mothers, professionals, college educated and have careers. People from all walks of life are coming for one reason. Drug addicts and alcoholics are changing at Victory Family.

DE:motivators

2008-04-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

No single raindrop believes it is to blame for the flood.

MOTIVATION. Psychology tells us that motivation- true, lasting motivation- can only come from within. Common sense tells us it can't be manufactured or productized. So how is it that a multi-billion dollar industry thrives through the sale of motivational commodities and services? Because, in our world of instant gratification, people desperately want to believe that there are simple solutions to complex problems. And when desperation has disposable income, market opportunities abound. Demotivators.com

-I though it was funny, -PST

The Rhythm of God

2008-04-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

There is a rhythm and flow to God. All creation is designed around a pattern of give and take. The seasons are an example of this principle that governs all creation. Summer heats and winter cools, spring buds and fall removes. The human heart expands and extracts, our lungs must inhale before they can exhale. Light always springs out of darkness. Suffering is the pathway to blessing.

You may be experiencing a time of abundance and peace, but know that the ebb and flow of life will allow that season to change. Equally if you are deep in despair and trials they are only for a moment. Your season will change. Cling to your cross and allow it to perform its work in your life. The cross you bear will be the cross that bears you. Life always springs out of death.

-PST

What season are you in right now?

Sins Leaders Commit No.3 // Exodus 17:17-27

2008-04-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

3. Failing to Delegate V.21

Some surveys rank “inability to delegate” as the No. 1 reason that
leaders fail.

You can’t do everything by yourself. And even if you could, doing everything by yourself isn’t the most effective use of your time or talent as a leader.

You may be highly skilled and and excellent worker, but when you become the leader of a team of highly skilled, excellent workers, your job CHANGES!

Your job is no longer to only carry our your responsibilities, but to manage and develop a group of people and help them become better leaders.

When you delegate responsibilities to others, you multiply the amount of work that you can do.

A project that seems overwhelming on the surface is suddenly very manageable when you divide it up among 5 different people.

When you delegate work to others, you also create opportunities to develop them and their leadership skills. Whenever you take on a new assignment, task or an ongoing job, ask yourself whether one of the men can do it instead (and if the answer is yes, then delegate it!)

Anonymous Posters??

2008-04-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

Why do people choose to remain anonymous when they post?
Does it influence your words if you do not have to be identified?
Should people be accountable for their comments?

What do you think?

Sins Leaders Commit No.2 // Exodus 17:17-27

2008-04-17T22:39:00.000-07:00

2. Not Setting clear Goals and Expectations V. 20

Do the words rudderless ship mean anything to you? They should. Effective performance starts with clear goals. If you don’t set goals, your people will have no direction and they will have few challenges.

As a result, men have little motivation to do anything but what is asked of them.

Goals begin with a vision of where leadership desires to be in the future.
Meet with your team to develop realistic, attainable goals that guide them in their efforts to achieve the vision of the ministry or organization.

Don’t leave your people in the dark. People want to help and be a part of the big picture. Help them to help you. By setting goals and then by working with them to achieve those goals your team will have ownership of the vision.

Geraldo vs. O'Reilly Blowup

2008-04-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

Not particularly a Geraldo fan but on the immigration issue, he's right. If you've never seen this interview, you should.

Sins Leaders Commit // Exodus 17:17-27

2008-04-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

Not Making the Transition from Worker to Leader. V. 18

When you’re a worker, you have a job and you do it. Although your job likely requires you to join a team or to work closely with other people, you’re ultimately responsible only for yourself.

Did you attain the goals? Did you complete assignments on time? Was your work or task done correctly?

When you become a leader, everything changes. Suddenly, you are responsible for the results of a group of people, not just for yourself. Did your team attain their goals? Are the people under your supervision highly motivated? Did your team do their work correctly?

Becoming a leader requires the development of a whole new set of skills – people skills.

Just because a person is hard working, honest and loyal doesn’t mean they will automatically make a good leader. He must make the transition from Worker to Leader.

Summary of Joseph

2008-04-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

There is nothing negative recorded about Joseph in the Bible. He was the first child Jacob had by Rachel.

Early in his life, his father evidently treated him with favoritism. He also had a dream in which sheeves representing his brothers bowed down to him. His brothers thought that Joseph had too high of an opinion for himself.

Even though God had shown Joseph that he was special in some way, he didn't know in what way. When things began to go against him, he must have wondered if he had misinterpreted God's plans for him. His brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt. His master's wife falsely accused him of trying to rape her, and, as a result, Joseph was thrown into prison.

Read more about Joseph here

In what ways is Josephs life like yours?

Material taken from Evangelbabtist.org

Unique Addiction

2008-04-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

Where is addiction? Is it hidden in the recesses of the mind? Does addiction flow through the blood streams, inherited from our genealogy like a generational curse? Is it a learned behavior that has become imbedded with our character because of years of practice? Is it a defense mechanism we’ve developed to medicate our emotional sicknesses? Addiction is not reserved for the under privileged, uneducated, or minority. It crosses all social-economic and cultural demographics. From the penitentiary to the penthouse, from nightclubs to rotary clubs, from poppy fields of the Middle East to football fields of Middle America, addiction is no respecter of persons. Lets consider the drug addict for a moment.

Read the full article here

Window of Opportunity

2008-04-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

I’m sitting in a Days Inn hotel in the small town Decatur Mississippi. According to the 2000 census, population was 1,426. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1 square mile. If not for the Internet, I would feel like I am trapped in an old episode of The X-files. I think I saw Mulder and Scully in a diner earlier.

Why am I here? Because God is getting ready to do something amazing in this small community of 407 households. A window of opportunity has opened up that cannot be ignored. You are going to have to stay tuned for more details. In the mean time, keep Decatur, MS in your prayers.

-PST

In Honor of Dr. King - 40 years

2008-04-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

the blogging church members

2008-04-03T23:34:00.000-07:00

Blogging church members are becoming more common these days. It is a new paradigm for the pastor. I personally think it's cool for Christians and church goers to blog, but I also know that it comes with responsibility as well.

As a pastor and blogger and pastor of bloggers I think a few words of caution are in order.

If you blogg...

1. Remember once your words are on the Internet, they will NEVER come off.

You write your thoughts with a permanent marker for the whole world to see.
Be open and honest but not too open and honest. It's a blog not a therapy session.

2. Write your passions.

What moves you? What stirs you? There is only one you and you are pretty interesting with a unique perspective.

3. Allow the Lord to use your blog.

It's not all about you. Share testimonies, praise reports, prayer request, etc. Keep lifting Jesus up. You never know who will stumble upon your site.

Anyway, just a few thoughts from a fellow blogger and pastor.

-PST

Self Disposal Not Self Improvement

2008-04-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

These are some books I'm reading. I will be posting exerts from them. Hope you enjoy and leave your comments. Here is the first.

"Christs' cross was the sinners cross; not of course in the matter of atonement Godward, but in the taking of the of the old-creation life to the cross so that the believer could be delivered from the power of sin- and that, not by conquering it but by dying to it."

- The Centrality of the Cross, Jessie Penn-Lewis

God's solution has always been self disposal not self improvement. So much of what is taught today in church is self help. Psychology is good and very helpful, leadership is of much value, business principals are in great demand. Should we really teach these things from the pulpit? Should we give so much attention to learned "skills"? What would you think if attended a church and the sermon topic was "How to buy a house" or "How to grow tulips"?

Surely we would say that this preacher has diverted from the integrity of Scripture and gotten off track. Unless of course you were in the market for a house or trying to grow tulips.

-PST

KSBJ Volunteers needed

2008-03-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

KSBJ emailed me today with this request- if you are interested post a reply before 4pm Tuesday

Volunteers are needed for the KSBJ Booth at the HEB Children’s Festival

Saturday April 5, 2008

SHIFT TWO: 12:30PM – 3:30PM / Details: Greet Children, Distribute Promotional Materials

SHIFT THREE: 3:30PM – 7PM / Details: Greet Children, Distribute Promotional Materials, and Tear Down

Sunday, April 4, 2008

SHIFT ONE: 9AM – 12:30PM / Details: Set-Up, Greet Children, and Distribute Promotional Materials

SHIFT TWO: 12:30PM – 3:30PM / Details: Greet Children, Distribute Promotional Materials

SHIFT THREE: 3:30PM – 7PM / Details: Greet Children, Distribute Promotional Materials, and Tear Down

Location: City Hall area of Downtown Houston (Tranquility & Sam Houston Parks)

Thanks to my volunteers for making my Easter sermon a hit.

2008-03-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

2008-03-30T16:44:00.001-07:00

Got this from a friends blog, it's classic.

Most Important Trio of the NT

2008-03-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

I believe Romans 6,7,8 are the most important chapters in the New Testament for the believer. They hold the key to moving us from spiritual infancy to maturity. Check out this comparison and see if it enlightens you the way it did me.

Romans 6 = Red Sea (Baptism into Christ)
Romans 7= Wilderness (Experience apart from Christ)
Romans 8= Promise land (Fullness of Christ)

Do you agree or disagree?

Letter and Calander from Paul

2008-03-27T22:59:00.001-07:00

Dear Friend,

Sometimes, we must awaken to embrace a deeply pure reality — it’s just all about Jesus. Sometimes, when one sees the fight for position, prosperity, prestige — sometimes...quietly/intensely focused in — it has to be just all, all, all about Him. It must be Christ we confess, Christ we live and Christ we deliver. no pretense, no prattle, just pure smoking raw power.

We just took Global MoMENtum to Houston where we stood with author and futurist Leonard Sweet, theologian Walter Kaiser, Pastor Sunday Adelaja and others, and showcased the results of the primitive power of God in men’s lives. It was one of the most powerful things I’ve been part of. Pastors swamped the table and we sold out of MAJORING IN MEN Leadership Kits in a matter of minutes.

Please come and take part — be part — of these events where we’re taking men’s ministry across the globe — it’s smoking hot — we need your fire!!

Global MoMENtum Tour - key dates

APRIL:

APRIL 1-3 SYNERGIZE!
Eurasia Best to the Rest
Kiev, Ukraine with Sunday Adelaja

Hillsong Church | Kiev, Ukraine
Five weekend services—great pastors Zhenya and Vera

April 11-12 Men’s Event | Washington DC

April 18 PointMan Camp | San Antonio

April 19 Men’s Meeting | Dallas

April 22 SYNERGIZE! | Kansas City

April 24 Men’s Event | Portland, ME

April 25-26 Iron Sharpens Iron | Portsmouth, NH

April 26-27 Men’s Weekend Services | Plymouth, MA

May 1 SYNERGIZE! | Salt Lake City

INTERNATIONAL

May 8-10 Mexico Men’s Event | Juarez, Mexico

June 2-14 SYNERGIZE! | Indonesia

July 1-18 | Latvia, Germany, Uganda, Ghana

Please go with me to any event on the calendar...just call us...

Grace and peace,

Paul L. Cole
President
CMN Worldwide

Part 2

2008-03-26T22:16:00.001-07:00

I know a 25 year old girl that was a Vice Lord. She told me that when she was 16 both she and her cousin were shot in a drive by shooting. She was pregnant at the time. Her cousin died. And so did her unborn baby. Now she will never have kids. No one from her gang was able to take her pain and suffering away. Not one of them could give her, her baby back. None of them can make it where she can have a baby now. Their promises of love and sisterhood were useless and as dead as her child. That's the reality of it. I think sometimes people don't tell you guys what reality is. But here it is! I have had to face life and death situations all of my gang life, nearly coming close to losing my life at a very young age. The reality is that no one lives a long life in a gang, and if you survive the life and the streets, there is no retirement plan, no insurance to cover you if you were shot or stabbed, like me. Today, I still suffer from major headaches, and pain in my legs from being shot at 15 – now I am 48 years old, and still because of my choices I suffer.

There is no safe way to stay in the gang and stay alive. The very nature of gang life is not about love or family it is about war. War within yourself and with others on the streets that live in different parts of town and wear different colors or represents a different set or clique. Is the neighborhood you live in worth losing a child over? Is the neighborhood you live in worth being in a wheelchair the rest of your life or being in a bed with all kinds of tubes running into you, someone wiping your butt for you, waiting for you to eventually die? Is it worth dying for?

For more than 17 years I lived according Islam – the deen, believing in ALLAH, the Prophet Mohammad was the seal of the Prophet. I did not have much compassion for others, in the sense that I do now that I have given my life to Jesus Christ. Over a period of five year, a Christian woman God used brought me to a crossroad in my life: do I continue to live as I am or do I walk away and do something different – something better. And so I prayed and my Father told me it was time to accept a better life, and so I gave my life to Christ. In this new life, it was frightening at first. Sometimes change is a frightening move for some people, as it was for me. You guys must remember that I lived that gangster lifestyle for more than 26 years, and that was all I knew. When I decided to give my life to Christ, the Spirit birthed in me a desire to want better, so I decided to return to school. I had enrolled in a college degree program at Lincoln Land Community College, and I earned an associate of liberal arts. The desire for better only increased from that point, so I went on to another college where I earned an Associate in Applied Science (Business Data Processing) (Carl Sandburg College), and I also earned a certificate in Microcomputer Applications. Dude that felt good!

In the early 1990’s, I was accepted into a 4-year degree program (Roosevelt University in Chicago) where I earned a bachelor in general education. To my great surprise, I was eventually accepted into a graduate degree program at Western Illinois University, where I completed course work towards a Master’s Degree in Social Work, and I was eventually certified to do general counseling. I have been counseling young gang members since 1995.

Today, I am considered a street pastor and I am also the founder of Saving Our Sons Ministries, that is a street outreach ministry. We seek to help young people [like many of you] find a way out of the gang life, and we seek to provide a paradigm of what a “better” is.

In closing, let me say to you that this journey has not been an easy one, but it has been one that I would not trade in for all the money, women, power, influence and material things in the world.

-David Square
Saving Our Sons Ministries

His burial is yours.

2008-03-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

In the natural realm death leads to burial. When someone dies the body is released to the ground. We know that the cycle of life finds its destiny in death. But in the spiritual realm it is not that way.

In the realm of Gods economy, burial can precede death. First our life becomes buried in Christ, then we are baptized into His death. The great paradox is that in becoming unified with Christ, death becomes our reality but not our destiny. Burial in Christ becomes life in Christ.

In the case of our Lord the natural and the supernatural intersect in a glorious display of love at the cross. The humanity of Christ was put to death and his body lay buried on the Sabbath. But death could not reign for Easter Sunday will come in the morning and our savior lives.

-PST

Peace and Justice became one on a Friday afternoon

2008-03-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

"Perfect peace and perfect justice became united in one death on a Friday afternoon some two thousand years ago. The thief who repented while hanging on the cross next to Jesus understood the paradox. No one else knew so well the physical agony of what Jesus was suffering in crucifixion. And the thief knew that he deserved it. He knew the fear of God. But he received the assurance of pardon from the blameless Man hanging beside him." - Dr. Ravi Zacharias from the forward of Radical Cross, AW Tozer

And that blameless Man who was the embodiment of the Godhead became the embodiment of sin for all humanity. Ironically we call this day Good Friday. It is a fitting phrase for the dichotomy of this Gospel. The day of our saviors horrific death on the most barbaric instrument of elimination which the Romans created for one purpose alone, to dispose of a man, is the day we call good. The day is good because death was not the destiny. Death is the passage to life. A cross draped in darkness would be the beacon from which all light would come. We look to our Lord's death today and become one with Him. For only by becoming one with His death will we become one with His resurrection.

-PST

The best (and most unselfish) birthday party I’ve ever been to.

2008-03-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

When my daughter Audrie was about ten years old she came up with an idea and stuck to her word, even after we tempted to change her mind. While some girls have visions of beautiful fifteen’s or fabulous sweet sixteen’s, Audrie had a different thought. She wanted to travel somewhere grand when she turned thirteen. So she approached Mom and Dad a few years ago and presented us with a request; “Can you take me to San Francisco for my thirteenth birthday?” she asked. Well thirteen or not, Mom and I thought that was a pretty cool request. Even though this would be a huge financial stretch for us we thought the fact that she wants to travel was very bright of her. Having done some traveling ourselves we can respect the broadening perspective it gives you. With a few years of planning and preparation we just might be able to pull this off. Time passed and the desired destination changed from San Francisco to New York City. A couple of months ago we were getting ready to make the decision and invest in the airfare and hotel so we approached Audrie with a question. “Do you want all new bedroom furniture and a laptop computer, or do you want to travel to NYC?” She thought, long and hard for a few days and then returned with her final decision.

The past five days have been great. We have been freezing on top of skyscrapers, bouncing underneath the city on subways, eating dumpling soup in Chinatown, sampling as many pizzerias as possible, shopping on Madison Ave, people watching in Union Square, stuffing our face with cheesecake, dazzled by the lights of Times Square, walking our feet sore and nodding off in the back of cabs. We will never forget this time in NYC. Thanks to a thirteen year old who was unselfish with her birthday wishes. Happy Birthday Audrie, I love you and thanks for being a great daughter.

The funny thing is Alyssa who is eight says she wants to travel to Tokyo for her thirteen birthday! If I know Alyssa, that destination will probably change 100 times before that day comes. If not I better start saving now.

Special thanks to friend Jeremy DelRio for (my first ever) texting tour of NYC. Great recommendations man.

The Boyz are on Fire!

2008-03-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

WHAT THE MEDIA IS SAYING

NBA.com's John Schuhmann: Power Rankings - Rockets No. 1

New York Newsday: Why the Rockets are This Good

Baltimore Sun: Houston Rockets in Rarified Air

Toronto Star: Morey's 'Moneyball' Approach Paying Off

Houston Chronicle: Good and Twenty

ESPN.com: Twenty Story: The Worst Win, The Best Of Times

FOX Sports.com: Hey Rockets -- Sorry I Wrote You Off

ESPN.com: Rookie Watch: Another Rockets rookie turning heads

CBS Sportsline.com: Always Overlooked, Houston Coach Adelman Just Continues to Win