This Sunday I will be concluding the Difficult People series with a message that I think will help alot of people. Heck,...its already helped me as I have been preparing for it! :)
Most of us either get hurt, fight back, or, retreat. The Bible teaches us the RIGHT way to deal with those critical people in your life.
Join us 8:30 and 10am Sunday morning, Harvest @ The Rave Bayou Blvd! See you there..!
PB
Needless to say, today is a GREAT day for the Pensacola area! The stagnant, 'status quo' form of government that had been in place over 80 years has been OVERTURNED as of last night.
This is the first time I have gotten heavily involved in the political process. Many have questioned, been perplexed (even in our own church) why I as a Pastor would dive into such volatile waters. I took some harsh shots from the PNJ article, very personal attacks from people who have never met me. It stung, but was a great "re"-introduction to the REAL world beyond church and the safety our church borders seem to provide.
At the SAY YES campaign party last night, Brian and Crystal Spencer, who spearheaded the crusade said, "Thank you Bob, for sticking your neck out and taking hits for something this important. In your position, that is dangerous."
My reply?
"There wasn't an option. Anyone else who understands how important this is would do exactly the same and more."
I am vested here. I believe God has a desire to prosper and bless our area. I am violently opposed to everything that blocks that and keeps things stagnant. On one hand, I have been involved with the (divinely timed) Pray For Pensacola movement that Joe Miller spearheaded 3 years ago. But on the other hand, I needed to be involved with the SAY YES movement, the boots on the ground, visible side of things.
Change was being stopped up by the structure. To see change begin, you start with changing the governmental structure that will ALLOW change to start happening. Leadership will arise with vision and the ABILITY to execute that vision.
And THAT, my friends, in a nutshell, is why I dove in.
To be quite honest, this was an eye opener. I spent a good part of Monday and Tuesday making calls to people who hadnt voted in the East Hill area, the area I was assigned. I took off the "Pastor" hat and put on my "Citizen" hat and worked the phones. It was shocking how mean and negative some were. Trust me when I say that politics really does bring out the worst in some people!
On the other hand, it was great to see over a 1000 people head to the voters office downtown to cast last minute votes. I am convinced the last 2 days of pushing by everyone on the team did it. I learned alot about not quitting, as the polls as of Monday morning had this not passing, as the under 40 crowd was not showing up.
God gave me a promise a year ago as I prayed for our City. In the next 10 years, people will not recognize Pensacola, so great will the changes be. Strongholds that have been entrenched for almost a century are being overturned. I am excited about the future, for our church, for the churches....for our city.
After much prayer from so many through the years, a new season is finally upon us....!
Grace,
PB
Every day, I make a habit of reading the paper and watching the news, just to keep up. Here's what I have been hearing: "The "Great Recession" is over. America is now in recovery mode. All the money, trillions, thrown at the economy worked."
Being a pastor, I know the REAL lives of where people are, the pain, the struggles, the good seasons, the bad. I know how tight so many are nowadays.
Am I missing something???
Or is the government just blowing smoke??
I read the following article today. 1 in 4 homeowners! Then, the unemployment figures were adjusted a few hours ago. 17.5% is the REAL figure of those without jobs nation-wide, and get this.....a whopping 34.5% for African American men between 18 and 24.
I do not want to ever be negative, a pessimist. I pray for our country and believe God wants us to prosper. But the 'smoke and mirrors' game the government plays by trying to get people to spend money they dont have or shouldnt be spending is wrong.
Off my soapbox for today....
pb
There have been a number of attempts to come up with a figure about how many U.S. home mortgages are under water -- in other words, the value of the home loan is more than the value of the house.
All estimates are bound to be wrong because no one has had the time or money to appraise every house in America and match it with the value of its mortgage plus any second mortgages. But The Wall Street Journal has asked First American CoreLogic, a real estate research company, to give it a try. The report, which is available free online, says that that 23% of mortgages were under water at the end of the third quarter.
The data makes two salient points: 1) Negative equity and near negative equity mortgages account for nearly 28% of all residential properties with a mortgage nationwide, and 2) The rise in negative equity is closely tied to increases in pre-foreclosure activity.
A number of economists have voiced concerns that falling housing prices actually offer people a perverse incentive to turn their keys in to the bank and desert their homes. A homeowner who believes that his house will never be worth more than its mortgage foresees the day that he will sell his most important asset and have to write his lender a check for the difference between the value of his home and its mortgage.
The news about under water real estate is nearly as bad for banks as it is for homeowners. Default rates and foreclosures will almost certainly continue to rise. Banks will end up owning more and more properties that they are ill suited to sell. Many of those homes will be auctioned off at a fraction of what their values were two or three years ago.
And the housing death spiral will continue to circle downward.
Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 24/7 Wall St.
".....It is inevitable that offenses will come....."
Matthew 18:7
This past Sunday, Doug Gehman, director of Globe International, spoke a great message on being easily offended as we continued our 'Difficult People" series at Harvest. To hear it, go to the media page: www.harvestpensacola.com
Opportunities for offense and misunderstanding never end. There will ALWAYS be something to get ticked off about, something that seems wrong, something we dont agree with. We live in an imperfect world filled with imperfect people. Our churches are thereby imperfect, our businesses imperfect, our families imperfect.
As a matter of fact, if we look in the mirror hard enough, we will find that WE are imperfect! :)
The truth is, I tick other people off. I offend people. Even when I dont mean to, I do. But I want mercy in those times. Jesus said that if I want it myself, I need to GIVE it freely.
So I ask you today, "ARE YOU A MERCY-GIVER?" Do you try to sow listening and understanding the other's point of view....as hard as that may seem.....because you want that very thing when you inevitably are on the other side, rather than sheer judgement?
Doug did a great job expounding on this Sunday. Take the time to listen to the 35 minute message.
I leave you with a verse I have been thinking of since Sunday......
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ forgave you."
To Mercy!
PB
