Prupose.Identity.Call.Passion

My baptism Story

Thu, 06 May 2010 16:04:34 CDT

I wanted to take a brief moment and share some thoughts withyou. I remember when I was 5 or 6 years old. I came to the conclusion that Iwanted to follow Jesus Christ as my personal savior. In my living room inPlainview Texas I prayed a simple prayer.

What happened next was amazing- I was baptized. I remember in detail everyaspect about the day I was baptized. I was wearing an orange shirt with handpainted cars, airplanes and trains that my mom and memo (grandmother) made forme with some swim shorts. I could barely touch so I tip toe jumped all the wayto my dad who was going to baptize me. I stood there on my tippy toes andremember a lady with huge curly hair, big glasses and a camera taking mypicture. The events to follow changed my life forever.

My dad asked me if I had accepted Jesus as my Lord and savior- My reply wasYES! He asked if I understood what it meant to be baptized with water. Ithought that was easy we just went over it in the back of course I know what itmeans. When you go under the water the old you is washed away and when you comeup the new you is introduced. Simply put it was an outward expression of whathappened inwardly to my heart when I received Jesus as my personal Lord andSavior. He covered my nose and mouth and put me under the water, and that wasit I was baptized.

Why is this important? Because it is biblical. The Bible instructs us to bebaptized. Every time in Acts when there is a new believer they are baptizedwith water, this is true today. If you have accepted Jesus as your personalLord and Savior the next step in your journey with Him is water baptism.

If you have not been water baptized I want to personally invite you to ourChristian Foundations class at Church this Sunday during the 11:30am service.Following this call please come to our Baptism class this Wednesday or SundayMay 16 @ 5pm. The reason I say this is because on Sunday May 16 in the eveningat our Encounter service we are going to be baptizing people...this is yourchance!

Please let me know if you have any questions by sending me an email cwinkler@trinitytoday.com. If you areinterested in these classes or getting baptized please email me asap with acontact number so we can get it set up for you to be baptized on May 16.

Fasting

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:51:57 CDT

Fasting

In our college ministry we are in a season of fasting for the next 40 days. This is an exciting time and we would invite you to be part of it. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Should believers fast? Does 50 pounds of flour make a big biscuit? Fasting is an essential part to the life of the believer. However the discipline of fasting is becoming one of antiquity. If we truly honed into this spiritual blessing we would find that the reward at the end of a spiritual fast is indescribable.

There once was a marine who came out of the marines and for 30yrs wore nothing but civilian clothes. The marines called and invited him to come to a marine banquet. When he put his uniform on it did not fit. You see for 30yrs he did nothing to maintain his shape and discipline as a marine. So when he tried to be a marine in a moments notice he was not ready. This is the same with Christianity. If we make a commitment to follow Christ and then put it on the shelf for days, weeks, months or years at a time, when it is time for us to be ready we would be like this marine who could not fit into his uniform.

Fasting helps us realign our lives with God’s will. What we need to understand is this: Fasting is not dieting. Fasting is abstaining to fill. Fasting is starving the flesh to fill the spirit. During spiritual fasting, the believer's focus is removed from the physical things of this world and intensely concentrated on God. Here are some Biblical reasons to fast.

1. Fasting as a means of repentance

Fasting Helps identify areas of hidden sin.

a. Nehemiah 1

b. Jonah 3

2. Fasting as an essential means of Sanctification.

Fasting pulls you away from the World and pushes you closer to God

a. 1 Thess 4:3-8

b. Daniel 1

3. Fasting and Prayer allows us to not only be led by the spirit but to operate in his power

a. Luke 4

b. Acts 2

4. Fasting as a Tool for Spiritual Warfare- Ephesians 6:12

a. Daniel 10

b. 2 Chronicles 20

Types of Fast
Fasting can be abstaining from any type of food. I encourage you to do food because it directly influences the body.

Vegetable
Full Fast- consult a doctor
Water only
Daniel Fast- grains-vegetables

3 Day fast
24 hr fast
10 day fast
21 day fast
40 day fast

The important thing when fasting is to be led be the spirit into it. Pray, obey and pray some more and you hear God’s voice more clearly at the end. Be blessed and let me know your testimonies! Other things fasting does!

Fasting and Prayer realigns our obedience-
Isaiah 58
Fasting and Prayer Changes our focus-
Isaiah 58
Fasting and Prayer opens up doors in the physical world- Esther 4
Fasting and Prayer opens up doors in the spiritual world- Daniel 1 & 10
Fasting and Prayer releases a new ministry-
Acts 13
Fasting and Prayer allows us to not only be led by the spirit but to operate in his power- Luke 4
Fasting and Prayer defeats the enemy-
2 Chronicles 20
Fasting and Prayer shows us the battle is not ours-
2 Chronicles 20
Fasting and Prayer gives us on outward focus-
Isaiah 58
Fasting and Prayer allows us to hear God’s decrees- Exodus 34
Fasting and Prayer restores nations-
Nehemiah 1
Fasting and Prayer allows us to face the lions-
Daniel 6
Fasting and Prayer brings repentance-
Jonah 3
Fasting and Prayer brings salvation-
Acts 9
Fasting gives us a front row seat to see the redeemer- Luke 2

Awkward Pauses

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:52:08 CDT

Today I slept in. It was not a 5 minute slip up it was a hour and a half head wound. I woke and began to get ready while my wife Deborah packed our boys lunches and fixed breakfast. Josiah woke up we fed him changed and clothed him. As we finished his routine Joshua woke up and we began to take him through his routine. Everyone climbed in the car and we drove to work. Fortunately our work and the boys “school” is at the same location- Trinity Church. We got them out of the car and took them to their class rooms.

Deborah and I had no breakfast, limited sanity and I was without phone. I jumped back in the car to go home and get my phone. I was driving through the church parking lot and lo and behold I approached the dreaded four way stop. The car to my right beat me there by at least 10 seconds but it didn’t matter, what happened next was inevitable. There was an awkward pause where we just sat there and looked at each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move. He motioned me through but me being the Good Samaritan I am I shook my head and allowed him to pass through the stop sign safely.

As I started my journey home the Holy Spirit began to speak to me. I heard Him say these words to me “I love awkward pauses.” I was so confused what did that mean. He began to minister and speak to my spirit in convicting fashion. This is what the Holy Spirit left me with:

“As you go through the busyness of your life even with right motives and a good heart you can miss the voice of God. In missing His voice you begin to feel disconnected and begin to allow yourself to become busier than before. It is in this rush of life that you come to a screeching halt. Drowning in busyness you approach the inevitable four way stop. Gods will approaches first and yours comes stumbling up after. You sit awkwardly waiting for Him to make a move- the anticipation of which move He is going to make is about to overwhelm you. He gives the choice to pass through…in that moment you can allow your busyness overtake you or let His will be done in your life.”

WOW! I now love awkward pauses it is in these moments where I anticipate God to be the clearest and the loudest. Let Him lead! Remember his Yoke is easy and his Burden is light…and that is scripture. See you at the next awkward pause.

Let me know what God speaks to you at the next awkward pause in your life.

You Know What They Say About Assumptions...

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:58:41 CDT

I am heart deep in a book right now by Mark Batterson called, Wild Goose Chase. If you have not read this book buy it. If you cannot afford to buy it let me know and I will get you a copy. It is a must read. Most of my thoughts in this post come from this book, while the rest lay in the Bible.

Assumptions are the leading cause for a boring Christian life in the world today. We assume and profess to have unlocked the mysterious attributes of an infinite God. The reality is we have fashioned God into our image; a bleak and indefinable image at that. However we still hold fast to our own assumptions about God. We use words and phrase like God cant, God wont and it’s too late or too early for me. These assumptions and this approach to God only creates a tiny box in which we train our minds to force God. I think the movie, Aladdin, paints this picture best when the genie says, I have ALL cosmic power and iddy biddy living space.

So challenged! Have my own assumption conditioned my mind to take a genie approach with God? I rub the lamp when I need something from Him but ignore His leading and purpose for my life by pushing Him back into His lamp. The only way to allow God to take His rightful place is to stop assuming. Stop assuming that God can’t or won’t do something. I believe it was the Sadducees who said the messiah couldn’t raise from the dead. Their assumption was that resurrection could not happen. Good thing Jesus didn’t assume that- what a catastrophe that would have been!

Stop assuming and start believing! How many instances in the Bible does God take impossible situations and make them possible? Luke says that with God all things are possible! Today I choose belief over assumption. What would happen in our own lives if we assumed less and believed more? Take God at His Word and don’t assume you know more than you do. You know what they say about assumptions.

Jesus is Better!

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:00:52 CDT

A recent statistic just came out that Lubbock Texas per capita is one of the drunkest cities in America. We beat out towns like Las Vegas and New Orleans. Some might be proud of this statistic and express their desire to continue the celebration with a party. This statistic does not arouse this response in my spirit. In fact it shows a greater problem and dilemma. It shows the hopelessness and loneliness people walk in…but call it partying.

There are numerous verses that invite us to taste and experience the goodness God has to offer. Psalms instructs us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Ephesians says to not be drunk on wine but be filled with the Spirit. It seems that when we overwhelm our bodies with substance to fulfill the need for pleasure outside of God it leaves us empty and longing. A.W. Tozer writes, “Deep within the heart of a man lies a shrine that was intended for God.” I find it interesting that he uses the word intended. It seems that we replace the shrine for the things this world says is satisfying and good.

The illusion is that we can experience pleasure in the world and boredom in Christianity. Some go to the gray areas of faith to experience the worlds pleasure while others consume everything the world has to offer: emptiness, loneliness, depression and a false sense of control. Let me be the millionth person to make the declaration that, JESUS IS BETTER!

Psalm 16:11 says that in God’s right hand are His eternal pleasures. When we experience pleasure in the context of God’s plan for our life we are eternally and internally satisfied. Where the world offers emptiness; God offers completion. Where the world offers loneliness…God offers friendship. Where the world offers depression…God offers life and life more abundant. Where the world offers a false sense of control…God offers guidance and purpose. Trust me between the world and Jesus. Jesus is better!

The Beauty of Simplicity

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:07:44 CDT

I am a dad of two of the craziest, awesomest, smartest and coolest kids out there! Okay, enough of the cheesy parental bragging. On a more serious note most of my lessons regarding faith come from these two kids. I see how the innocence of a child can really come in handy when dealing with issues of faith.

In regards to the most controversial topic of the Bible my boys have the upper hand. This topic is not abortion, same-sex marriage or anything in regards to the deity of Christ. The topic is of the miraculous gifts of God. I argue, if we as Christians took all the “knowledge” we self-profess to have about and infinite eternal God, put it aside to activate the innocence of child-like faith there would be less disagreements and more life change. The following story illustrates this point.

The other day my two year old was shutting the car door. We try to give him freedom to explore his world so he was doing this all by his lonesome. He is a professional door closer he rarely makes a mistake This is because he has qualities of a perfectionist. However, this particular time the unthinkable happened…he shut his finger in the door.

I was across the house in his room; mom was standing right by him when the tragedy happened. From across the house I heard the heart stopping billowing cry from my son. I stopped what I was doing and made record time across the house and into the garage. Mom swooped him up in her arms and held him close; crocodile tears flooded the shoulder of her shirt. I watched in disbelief as my child suffered this immense amount of pain on his little finger. I felt helpless.

We did what any parent in this situation would do, we tried to distract him with food. The pain was too much, the food made no impact on the severity of the wound. I took him into my arms and held him. He was saying something to me. Amongst the sobbing it was hard to determine what he was saying. I listened closer. The words coming out of my 2 year olds mouth were, “pray?.”

I thought to myself, “ya, sure we can do that.” I began a prayer, “Dear Jesus, take the pain out and heal my finger.” He repeated every word after me and at the end shouted his favorite word, “AMEN!” The heavens did not open, a dove did not descend but the crying stopped he looked me in the eye and with all certainty and beautiful faith he said, “all better.”

WHAT? That was it? No big deal? No progressive healing? He was just done with the pain, because of a little prayer? I was convicted immediately on how I handle pain, prayer and healing. How much more can we do when we activate our child-like faith and stop walking in self professed head “knowledge?”

Sinking

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:45:46 CDT

From the time I was 14 until June of 2009 I lived in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Vancouver Washington. Please do not be mistaken...this is not the CANADA Vancouver. Vancouver Washington sits on the border of southern Washington and Northern Oregon. In fact the only natural divider between these two states is the mighty Columbian river. That being said, I grew up around trees, mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans and beaches. Growing up around all this water made me realize something about myself. I do not like swimming in water that I cannot see what is under me!To make matters worse I started watching this show on the discovery channel called, River Monsters. NOT A GOOD IDEA! This show tells of giant man eating fish that swim and lurk in the murky waters of the world most dangerous rivers. In reality I am not afraid of dying in the water. I am not afraid of being eaten by a huge man eating fish or a shark. The fact of the matter is what terrifies me the most in this water are the crabs and smaller animals that will not kill you but that will cause some serious bodily damage. Let's be honest if I go face to face with a shark...I'll get eaten! If i go toe to toe with a crab I WILL LOSE A TOE, Especially if that sucker sneaks up on me un-expectantly. David Crowder sings a song, "How He Loves Us." In this song one of the lines reads, "If Grace is an ocean, were all sinking." The ocean of grace could be considered murky waters. Not knowing what grace really consists of, often times disqualifies people from truly indulging in and experiencing the true grace that only Christ offers. In my human mind often times I get in the ocean of grace and the uncertainty of not knowing what lurks in the water causes me to swim against the current and fight the pulling of God's grace!This idea plagues me; “I choose to struggle through condemnation, instead of sinking in grace.” Allowing my own insecurities to keep me from everything God has for me. When all I have to do is begin sinking. When I enter into the ocean of God's grace and sink I find my purpose, passion, identity and call easier.Today I choose sinking!

The Vortex

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:49:46 CDT

I remember a ride growing up called, The Vortex. This ride as an elementary student was the highlight of going to our local amusement park (if you call it that) in Lubbock Texas. I remember as a 5th grader racing into the park and running directly to the black slide, because it was of course the fastest slide.

I recently went back to this amusement park, with our Children's Ministry in the 2009 summer season for a Family Fun Day. As I walked around the park so many memories flooded my mind. As we made our journey through the massivley small park I came face to face with the coolest ride ever...The Vortex! I laughed as my memory had built The Vortex up as this huge accomplishment in my life when in reality it was nothing more than a small water slide. My adult mind had no room for child like imagination.

I am convicted by this thought. What else has my adult mind choked out due to the child like qualities of it. As I pondered this I began to realize that my passionate persuit for God was a lot like my experience with The Vortex. I had allowed my adult mind to hinder and even stunt my passionate pursuit after my Loving God.

The irony in this is- whenever I allow my adult mind to view God with child like imagination my picture of Him so "much more bigger." In my child like imagination the image of God became "The Vortex" of my soul. My pursuit and passion for God became more fervent and meaningful.

Lord allow m to have child like imagination in my adult mind!