Pastor Rudy's HeartBeat

I could only listen to some of the Congressional hearings yesterday dealing with Roger Clemens...  Why?  Because I can't handle when people lie through their teeth and expect everybody else around them to be moronic enough to believe them...  To do so means that we have to close our eyes to evidence and turn a deaf ear to all the double talk.  Fellow teammate of Clemens-Andy Pettitte who unlike the Rocket has at least a reputation of being a man of integrity- testified strongly that Roger Clemens had also received HGH shots in the past- and Clemens excuse for that- Andy must have "misremembered" the facts...  Or maybe Roger can no longer differentiate between fantasy and reality...  And what's the tragedy of it all?  People can take oaths- swear before God- and still say whatever they want...  Lying isn't as bad as it used to be as long as there is some personal gain to be obtained in the process... And if I am going to be hurt- then I must continue to blame everybody else and not be afraid to toss even my wife under the bus if it means that I can still look good. And I roll my eyes and refuse to let culture be my guide for value clarification...  And the problem is that Roger Clemens did not look good yesterday...  He looked desperate...  and I'm sorry- but no "hero" of mine will ever be known for being a "me" first guy.  The greatest men and women that I have ever admired have been all about putting others first and not being afraid to see their own name at the bottom of the list...  And the whole point of my blog today is 'WHAT ABOUT YOU AND YOUR WORD?"  Does it mean anything?  Does it carry any weight?  Can I place my future on the foundation of your reputation?  Jesus said, "You shall know the 'TRUTH' and the 'TRUTH' shall set you free."  And I believe that this world would become a better place if we would be more afraid of lying and more committed to speaking the truth...  Because I fear that there is a whole new younger generation that can't even tell the difference between the two anymore because that is what is being caught- no matter what may be taught!  LET YOUR WORD MEAN SOMETHING!!!        

Yesterday- we as a country observed another Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  The theme of this year's holiday was- "REMEMBER!  ACT!  CELEBRATE!  A DAY ON- NOT A DAY OFF!"

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JUNE 22, 2007

YESTERDAY WAS THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER...  TECHNICALLY, IT'S THE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR- THE DAY THAT WE EXPERIENCE THE MOST SUNSHINE...  FOR ME, IT COULDN'T HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME...  YESTERDAY MADE ME REALIZE HOW DESPERATE I AM FOR THE LORD'S SONSHINE...  DARKNESS COMES WHEN I SEPARATE MYSELF FROM HIS TRUTH AND BUY THE LIES THAT BOMBARD ME EVERY DAY AND DUPE ME INTO ATTEMPTING TO LIVE VIA MY OWN MEANS...  I CAN'T CREATE LIFE- ALL I CAN DO IS LIVE THE ONE LIFE THAT GOD GAVE ME!  I'VE BEEN GUILTY MORE THAN ONCE OF TRYING TO MANUFACTURE MY OWN LIGHT...  RATHER THAN JUST BEING READY TO HUMBLY RECEIVE WHATEVER THE LORD LONGS TO SEND MY WAY- I PUT CONDITIONS AND TERMS TO WHAT HE MUST SEND AND HOW HE MUST SEND IT AND THE EXACT MOMENT HE MUST SEND IT BY...  EVERY TIME I DO THAT- I SHUT HIS LIGHT OUT AND REPLACE THE BRIGHTNESS THAT I COULD BE INHABITING WITH A MURKY, LOUSY FOG THAT I STUMBLE IN AS I TRY TO NAVIGATE MY WAY THROUGH...  BUT YESTERDAY- THE SON CAME OUT AND THIS TIME I DIDN'T GO LOOKING FOR THE SHADE...  THIS TIME I LET THE FULNESS OF HIS RAYS HIT MY FACE AND WARM MY HEART AND RATHER THAN TRY TO CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE- I JUST RECEIVED THE GIFT OF THE DAY HE GAVE ME...  NOTHING MORE- NOTHING LESS- NOTHING ELSE!

SUMMER HAS NEVER REALLY BEEN MY FAVORITE SEASON- BUT THIS YEAR MAY BE DIFFERENT FOR IF EVER I NEEDED THE LORD TO ARISE AND SHINE AND LET HIS GLORY UNHIBITEDLY GO STREAMING ALL AROUND ME- ALL THROUGH ME- IT'S NOW...  AND SUMMER REMINDS ME THAT ONE DAY:

"NO LONGER WILL YOU NEED THE SUN OR THE MOON TO GIVE YOU LIGHT, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BE YOUR EVERLASTING LIGHT, AND HE WILL BE YOUR GLORY.  YOUR SUN SHALL NEVER SET; THE MOON SHALL NEVER GO DOWN- FOR THE LORD WILL BE YOUR EVERLASTING LIGHT; YOUR DAYS OF MOURNING WILL END..."  ISAIAH 60:19-20

MY WINTER SEEMED TO LAST 6 LONG MONTHS- BUT HERE COMES THE SON AND I SAY IT'S ALRIGHT!!!  THE SON HAS COME OUT AND I'M BACK-NOT LOOKING TO BE GOD- JUST LEARNING HOW TO BE CONTENT TO SERVE HIM AND BE FULLY LOVED BY HIM AND TO ALLOW HIS LIGHT TO REVEAL ONCE AGAIN THE JOY THAT HE HAS PROMISED FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS...  IT IS A SEASON OF SONSHINE- IT'S SUMMER TIME FOR MY SOUL!!!  IT'S TIME TO LET THE SONSHINE IN!!!  I AM AND I'M NOT LOOKING BACK!

Family, for too long- Christians have come to God with a "What is God's will for my life?" mentality with the ends hoped for being the expectation that God will somehow be used to make our plans a reality and our agendas sucessful and our lives easier...  Unfortunately- the very foundation of that prayer is "egocentric" with the main premise being how can I use God to revolve His purposes around me?  The real question we should be asking is "What is my life for God's will?" and to be humbly prepared to apply our faith and be courageously available to come to God with our lives as nothing more than a blank sheet of paper that we are ready and willing for Him to write His dreams and His agenda and His goals upon...  This foundation is "Theocentric" and its premise is rooted and grounded in doing whatever it takes to keep our lives revolving around Him so that in His orbit we might find the direction that we were hand designed by Him for...

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11/12/06

The first all holiday music channels have made their debut on the XM Satellite Radio today.  The decorations are starting to be unveiled at all our local shopping venues.  It's only November 12th and I have actually already seen the new Tim Allen/Martin Short movie "The Santa Clause 3" twice.  I noticed "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" was on television last night.  And suddenly-everybody's talking about the glad tidings of great joy that Walmart has decided that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas after all as they will replace their politically correct "Happy Holidays" greeting by actually saying the words: "Merry Christmas" to all their customers this year and word has it that Macy's and Kohls are going to follow suit...  And while I think that this is all very nice- I truly believe that it just exposes the reality that we are trying to get a season to accomplish what only a relationship with the Savior can do...  The power of Chistmas is not unveiled in just saying the words-MERRY CHRISTMAS..."  It comes alive when we get to know personally the One who is the WORD and invite the Living Word to rewrite the story of our lives!

I'm not mad at or can I blame society's yearly move in yearning to stretch out the Christmas season.  It's only a matter of time before somebody tries to drum up that "ol Christmas feeling" in August- and I don't think that the thought is that far fetched.  WE NEED WHAT CHRISTMAS BRINGS MORE THAN EVER!  Many of the things that our culture now only does at Christmas was once a more common occurance at other times of the year.  When I was a kid, my family ate supper together every night- not just at the holidays!  Common courtesy was a little more common and neighbors actually got together and were not just known by a quick wave on the way to the mail box.  God made us for community and the mistake we are making is trying to manufacture on our own what it took His miraculous intervention to achieve!

Jesus came from heaven to earth to bring us a taste of a kingdom that we needed to be citizens of but would never be able to discover without a little divine intervention.  The secret of Christmas is that in the midst of a world and religious system that was trying to set up the kingdom of God- the rightful owner of the crown showed up to lead the way and rescue us from being lost in our fruitless activities forever.  To anyone who received Jesus- to them he gave the relationship they deseprately needed and the fulfillment and acceptance that they would never be able to find in any other direction...  And that is why at Christmas- if we are truly going to be used to help people find their way to the authentic party-we best be sure that we ourselves-are actually looking in the right direction- to the right source-in the first and right place... 

So before I wish you Merry Christmas- let me wish you Jesus...  May you be able to practically see in me the difference that making Jesus the king of your life makes...  May I and others be able to practically see in you the difference that declaring your allegiance to Jesus has made and is making in the daily way that you choose to live your life.  Would others really believe by looking at us and the way we do Christmas that Jesus Christ is the greatest gift that any man or woman could ever receive? 

LET'S DO MORE THAN JUST SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS THIS SEASON...  LET'S LIVE OUR LIVES LIKE WE KNOW THE SAVIOR AND DESIRE OTHERS TO KNOW HIM TOO...  BECAUSE WHEN THEY DO COME INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM- THEY WON'T HAVE TO LOOK ANYMORE TO COSMETIC PROPS TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT ONLY THE LIVING CHRIST CAN PULL OFF ANYWAY... 

From the Heart,

Pastor Rudy

Monday October 30, 2006

Tomorrow night, the Lighthouse Church will be hosting Halloween Hayrides on our land on Rt 9 from 5 until 8 PM...  The whole purpose of the event is of course to get an opportunity to SHINE the light out bright on what many deem the "darkest" night of the year...  Since I have announced the event, many "concerned" but choosing to remain "anonymous" individuals have sent me documents informing me about the real "history" of Halloween and "scolding" me for choosing to have anything to do with the holiday.  I know the history- and I am very aware of the behind the scenes ramifications of Halloween which is all the more reason why I want to be out there looking to make a difference!

If we as believers are challenged to always remind ourselves of "WWJD- WHAT WOULD JESUS DO"-well- if you can convince me from Scripture that on a night when the community actually comes out from their houses and hang out in the neighborhood that our Lord would be hiding in his home with the lights out and his door locked- I would happily do the same!  But something tells me that He would be out and about ministering to the people- using whatever open door He might be given to point people to the TRUE TREAT with no TRICKS in sight!

So tomorrow night- I'm doing what the Bible tells me to do- because if "this is the day that the Lord has made" and the last I checked- Tuesday will be- then I must be glad and rejoice in it- and if I want to invite other people to my party- I can if I want to!  And it is my prayer that somebody's eternal destiny will be altered because they decided to take a hay ride on our land on a day that just happened to be Halloween...

Perfect love casts out fear and I challenge you to fight the fear so that others will hear about the One who is Lord of All!

From my heart!

Pastor Rudy