A wonderful day

Today I taught at the Calvary Chapel South Bay Men's Conference, and it was quite a blessing. Raul Ries was the first teacher, and his heartfelt cry to the men to yield to the Holy Spirit was timely, moving, and very important. The men responded with great emotion to the call, and I was blessed to see such a response, and to also feel a personal desire for more of the Lord in my life. The second speaker was a missionary to the Sudan. He came and spoke to us, and his message was very convicting and encouraging at the same time. He shared stories of the men he trains as chaplains, and how they have given up everything to follow the Lord. Some have been murdered, others have been tortured, and yet others have had their wives and children killed for the simple reason that they are Christians, living in a Muslim environment. It was sobering, and made me reconsider what I actually think are the "costs" of following Jesus. When I spoke, my message was simple: if I love Jesus, I will obey Him.  I am greatly concerned that my love for Him actually grows daily, and that I avoid the trap of getting busy doing ministry and forgetting why I do what I do. As I write this, I am getting ready to travel to the Santa Cruz, Ca area to teach at a Calvary Chapel Pastor's/leaders conference. I pray that the message God has placed on my heart, as well as the hearts of the other teachers,  is received and that we who lead churches will learn to walk in God's Spirit and to become people whose faith is real, and evident. God bless you all, and I pray the Lord continues working in all of our lives. Hope to see many of you in church service tomorrow, and may the Lord draw you closer to Himself!