Bobby Lepinay

Eyes That See

Last night, a few of us from our Harvest staff went to see U23D.  National Geographic partnered with them to do a new form of 3D that has never been used in concert format before. 

U2 3D: The First Live-Action 3D Concert Movie, Featuring U2 -- National Geographic

U2, of course, is the Irish band that over the past 25 years has imprinted music across the board.  The "U2 sound", anthem-like, was a big inspiration for some of the most popular worship songs of the past 10 years. 

So we got our glasses and on it comes. 

I could hear my wife go "wowww..." as the promo to the new Narnia movie was shown in 3d.  The problem was:  ......the 3d effects werent working for me!

For whatever reason, my eyes don't register the full effect of 3d.  Last year we saw "Polar Express" in 3d.  Same thing.  I sat the entire movie only seeing in 1 dimension.  Remember the holograms that you stared at the picture until the 'picture within the picture' was seen?? 

Never worked for me. 

I would stare and stare and stare some more.  For whatever reason, my eyes don't register it.

Needless to say, it is and was last night deeply frustrating.  Dont get me wrong:  The concert was great, as Bono is one of the best stage performers ever.  I was amazed at how much of their music is political, quasi-religious, but, hey, they are Irish....what do you expect??? :)

I drove home thinking about how in the same way my eyes couldn't fully pick up the 3d, many are in churches every Sunday who go faithfully, but they don't fully see the grace of God, the mercy of God, displayed at Calvary's Cross.

As Jesus said, "They have eyes, but but cannot see......ears, but cannot hear." Their SPIRITUAL eyes, the 'eyes of their hearts', as Jesus called them, have not been activated.

They remain in darkness, though outwardly religious.

We need to pray for a Great Awakening.  As John Wesley said over 200 years ago, "The greatest mission field sit in church pews every week." 

God wants ALL to see!  He wants ALL to 'come to repentance and a knowledge of the truth"!

To Seeing,

PB

The "Tonic"

OK......enough of you have requested I post the ingredients for the 'tonic' I started drinking last month.  Here goes....

But first, let me explain, for those of you who are clueless...:)

Last month, my dad was admitted into the hospital.  His blood pressure had seriously dropped, with no explanation why.  He was roomed with a gentleman who was 93 years old, and I kid you not, this guy looked AMAZING!  He was in for a pain in his back that had been bothering him. Other than that, he was fit as a fiddle. 

The more I talked with him, the more impressed I became.  He had a head full of great hair, shocking white.  His skin looked like he was in his 60s.  Strong, bellowing voice, with lots of laughter.  And his hearing was totally there.   He was a strong, spirit-filled believer as well.

I asked him what in the world he did to stay in such prime condition.  Here is what he said in a nutshell:  "Every morning, without fail, I wake up around 5:30, do some stretches, then get a warm cup of water and put pure, squeezed lemon juice in it and sip it while I have my time with the Lord.  The lemon juice clears up any congestion from the night.  Then, 30 minutes before my breakfast of oatmeal and berries, I drink my "tonic".  After breakfast, I go for a 30 minute walk, get on my excercise bike and read the morning paper before going into the rest of my day."

I was intrigued.

I of course had to ask him about the "tonic". 

"Back about 50 years ago, while in the military, I came across a flyer that described a "tonic for youth and vitality".  It made sense to me, as I have always known what is and isnt good nutrition.  I have been drinking it each morning ever since.  There are 5 main ingredients..."

Here it is:

1. 2 tablespoons of EXTRA virgin Olive Oil.  (see this: FOXNews.com - Israeli Woman Claims to Be 120; If True Would Make Her Oldest Person on Earth - International News | News of th...   I only do 1 tblspn, as I am trying to lose weight.)
2. 2 tablespoons of raw, unfiltered honey made locally.  (works against allergies.  I again only do 1)
3. 2 tablespoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. (Braggs is best.  I do about 1 and a half.  He said that of all the things that can help a person, this is tops.)
4. 1 to 2 tablespoons of psyllium.  (cleanses the insides, if you know what I mean! :)..)
5. One eighth to one quarter teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper. (For the heart)

You put all that in an 8 oz glass, top it off with unfiltered apple juice, and voila, the "tonic"!!  He said you can add other things, but that is the base.

I have been doing this now for a month and really do feel better. I add the same amount of ginger and cinnamon as I do the pepper.  I also add a few tablespoons of whey protein.  This has been my breakfast. 

It takes some getting used to, but I actually LIKE it now.  And hey, ....... you guys know I am a "bottom line" person. The bottom line? I can't argue with a 93 year old man who I SAW in action! 

Have a great one!

PB

PS  Did I mention that each day he was in the hospital he would do his walks in the morning, AND the evening thru the hospital hallways??? :)

America's Most Sinful Cities

This past Sunday night, I got home from church and watched the end of the Academy Awards.  What happened, or what was said....the very last thing spoken,.. literally stunned me.

The movie, "No Country For Old Men" won best movie.  The directors came up, as well as the Producer.  The directors said their thanks. 

Then the Producer spoke. 

He went through his list of people he wanted to thank, then ended with this: "And finally,.....I want to thank the love of my life.....John....for his love and support.  I love you sweetheart."

I was shocked and seriously felt sick.

The MC, came forward on that note, said, "Drive safe..until next year...", everyone stood and applauded...

Show over.

America is in dire straits and doesn't even realize it. 

Just 20 years ago, the above scenario would have been almost unthinkable. We have fallen off the cliff so quickly it is stunning. I think about Sodom and Gommorah and wonder at what point it had just gone too far. 

There is a point where the weight of sin just reaches the tipping point. 

We need an "Awakening", folks...... a REAL one.  We need to cry out to God for mercy, that He would do what He has done before, that we would be spared judgement.

I read this incredibly interesting article yesterday that was compiled by Forbes magazine based on the 7 deadly sins.  It is interactive and easy to scan. 

Check it out: America's Most Sinful Cities - Forbes.com

To Mercy,

PB

How Rock Stars are Born

As most of you know, our youngest, Victoria, loves to sing.  Seriously, I can not remember a time in our home since she was little that she was not singing....!

....outside, on the trampoline.....top of her lungs making up worship songs....!

....inside, in the tub......again, top of her lungs, belting out one of her songs....

Pretty much anywhere, the child just LOVES to sing!! :)

Robert Pooley posted this.  I think it really does give evidence that some people REALLY were born to be musicians!

Enjoy...

PB

Standing Upon Shoulders

Last night, after watching "Elizebeth: The Golden Age", Deb and I were talking about just how much further our kids are than we were when we were their respective ages. 

The more we talked, the more we realized how HUGE the difference is between "1st generation" and "2nd generation" Christians.

Deb and I, or course, are 1st generation, .......at least as being SOLD-OUT, FULLY-DEVOTED to Jesus!  We were both teenagers when we turned our lives over to Christ.  We started dating within 6 months of getting saved, then got married, had children....etc.....ALL with no training, no discipleship.

We did everything the HARD WAY.  It wasn't our fault. It was just the way it was.  Here are some of the areas we talked about, that we through our YEARS of learning, failing, praying, trying to "cut paths" in life, are now able to pass on something BETTER to our kids and church:

• Dating.  I was 19 when I turned the keys of my life over to Christ.  Deb was my friend, all of 16.  I started sharing the little I knew with her.  She turned her life over to Jesus as well.  Within 6 months we started dating.  There was NOTHING out there at the time to instruct us.  We sooooooo did it the "hard way"!!!  I was a freshman in college, Deb a Junior in High School.  There was no youth group or youth pastor to speak into our lives in this area.  NOTE:  I DO NOT, WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS WAY!!!!  :)  We survived.  Our kids are so much wiser than we were!!! They can stand on our shoulders and not have to make the same dumb mistakes.
• Marriage.  Again, our premarital counseling was ONE meeting that lasted all of 1 hour.  We were both young, dumb and had 'cajun' blood in us, meaning the sparks could fly!  Again, we were the '1st generation pioneers', cutting the path for generations to follow in building a strong marriage in Christ.  NOT THE EASY WAY FOR SURE!!! Our kids are so, so far ahead in their frame of mind for marriage.....Praise God!! :)
• Business.  I started a business while in Bible College from scratch, with no mentoring....just figuring it all out by pain and pressure.  I did it, but, man, it could have been soooo much easier!  Michael wants to start a business and is MILES ahead of where I was when I started.
• Investing/Money Management.  I cant even begin to go into just how STUPID we were when it came to money! I started investing at 27 and have made and lost more than you could ever imagine.  I have scratched and clawed to figure things out, as my parents gave me ZERO when it came to money management.  Our kids are "FPU" (Financial Peace University) grads 2 times over.  Michael is at 22 where I was around 40 in investment knowledge.  Our kids will be FAR better off by the stage we are now, as Deb and I 'cut the path' (thru the thickets and briars, mind you...!..) for them to prosper.
• Home Building.  At 27, we likewise decided to build the house we have lived in the past 16 years.  We couldnt afford what was out there at the time, and the way I figured it, I was as smart as most contractors I knew....so why not??? HARD WAY for sure, as I had hardly ever even swung a hammer and set out to build a house!!! But in the end, we had a nice 2500 sq ft house in a good neighborhood that we built for 90k (118k with lot).  I had no mentoring, no training, .....again, Deb and I were just 'pioneering', laying out a path for succeeding generations to build on.
• Church.  At 33, I was sent out with Deb and 5 others to start Harvest.  The church we were sent out of had NO VISION for church planting.  We had no training, no direction, .....NOTHING.  Just "We bless you and send you with $400....go start a church!!"  It really is a flat out miracle that Harvest even exists, much less thrives. AGAIN, I IN NO WAY ENDORSE THIS WAY!! The stress and difficulty of launching like this is just plain idiotic.  Trust me when I say, all who follow on this path we have cut will have it MUCH EASIER!  Why?  They stand on our shoulders.

I could go on, but this is already way to long.  You get the point. 

It is interesting that most of the fastest growing churches in America are led by 2nd and 3rd generation leaders:  Andy Stanley (dad Charles), Ed Youngs (dad Ed Sr.), Larry Stockstill (dad Roy), Joel Osteen (dad John)......and many others. 

I am glad my kids get to stand on our shoulders.  They benefit from the wisdom (much learned through pain) we gained.  In this, a 'generational LEGACY' begins!

Done for today,

PB

The Making of a Stronghold

   Yesterday was one of those "ah, ha!!" moments in my Bible reading time.  You know, you see something that you have never seen before in something you have read hundreds of times???

Don't you LOVE those?

I sure do!

Anyway, I was reading Psalm 19, and the following verses struck me with immense power:

"How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?  Cleanse me from these hidden faults ('flaws'), keep your servant from deliberate sins ! Don't let them control me.  Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin."  (Ps 19: 12-14 NLT)

Here is what I wrote in my journal, my observation, my prayer.....

It is scary how easily sin can overtake us!  Ted Haggard and so many others who were exposed of "great sin"....it did not START there.  "Strongholds" of sin in our life and personality start as 1.) "Hidden faults".  These are propensities and predispositions deep down in our hard wiring.  Usually, they are 'family line', passed down generationally.  These 'flaws' are HIDDEN down in us, often waiting like 'time-bombs' to show up in our life. 

BUT....!!!....Thankfully, there is something more powerful than natural genetic flawed predispositions toward particular sins.....the Blood of Christ! As David cried out here, "CLEANSE me from these hidden faults!!"  We share in a HIGHER, GREATER, DIVINE 'bloodline'!!

If we do not allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse us though, the 'stronghold' continues to be built.  We move to 2.) "Deliberate sin". At this point, we no longer fight the urges.  We start PLANNING it out.  We are now controlled by sin, and in great danger. 

We become guilty of 3.) "Great sin". God in His mercy exposes us, much as with Ted Haggard last year.  People were astonished of the MAGNITUDE of what this leader in the Body of Christ was guilty of.  A major 'stronghold' of lust/homosexual urgings had been established and acted upon, planned out, exposed.  May God help us to seek 'cleansing in our inward parts, the hidden places where, as David said, 'sin lurks in our hearts', undetected.

"Lord Jesus, CLEANSE ME in the hidden recesses of my heart!  Please, Master, keep me from deliberate sin.  FREE me from the controlling power of sin.  I choose to live by the Spirit, and thus not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.  I will serve You ALONE, my King!"

Bobby

Weekend Review 2/17

• Deb, Tory and myself left Thursday afternoon and drove to Birmingham.  We went to see our daughter, Brittany, perform in their annual "Cajun Dinner Theater" at Church of the Highlands, a megachurch in America now (7000 plus).  We stayed at our former neighbor and Frontline leader's house, Dot Tidwell.  What a cute little house she has up on the mountain!  She misses Harvest terribly and we miss her terribly but she is where she is supposed to be in this season.  She said to say "hi" to everyone..... so "HI!!" from Dot! :)
• Brittany was FANTASTIC as "Christine" in 'Phantom of the Cajun Dinner Theater'!  She actually even sang.  They had over 1700 people attend over the 2 nights and raised over 45k for their 5 week missions trip to China in May.  WOW?!?!!?
• The 24/7 team of about 15 kids did pretty much the WHOLE thing, from setting it up, cooking the dinner, tearing down, acting, ....you name it.  Our family stayed to help tear down and set up for church on Sunday, which took from 9pm to almost 1am.
• 2500 seats!!!!!  You don't realize just how many tables that is to tear down and put up, then, after mopping the entire auditorium, setting up all those chairs in rows, put the 'booties' on the end chairs so they don't slip.......as Brit said, "Dad, I will NEVER complain again about how much I serve at Harvest.  I have learned the difference between 'serving' and being a 'serVANT'."  I will leave that one for you to think about....:)
• I heard that Sunday morning @ the Rave was great!  We attended the morning service up there and it was solid and good, but man,..... I LOVE our church!! :)
• Jody Barham did a great job speaking at Harvest @ 5.  Jody is without question one of the most sincere, tender men of God I have ever known.  He and his wife Terri LIVE it and we are proud to have them serving the flock here as Overseers!

Meeting day....gotta run!

PB

Birthday Week Continued.....

Last night was a special night:  We celebrated mine (45), my sister's (40), AND my dad's (84) birthdays.  Our birthdays all fall in the same week, with my sis on the 12th, me the 13th, my dad on the 17th.

We had a full house.  Deb made her PHENOMENAL chicken and sausage Gumbo with garlic bread, topped off by homemade keylime pie. 

....man, that girl can cook...!

:)

....a part of my fight to lose 10 lbs...

:(

......But my family bought me an I-Phone!!!.... 

:) 

.....The only problem is I cant get out of my Altell contract until March 16th or I pay $200.....

:(

Soooo.....my new I-Phone sits in my office, waiting a month to be activated.  I can't wait to put it to use, as everyone I have talked to who has one LOVES it.

We are headed to Birmingham to see Brittany perform in the Cajun Dinner Theater.  They have sold it out and are using the proceeds to pay for their China missions trip in May.  Michael is meeting us there so it will be a great family time for us.

See you 'Harvesters' Sunday!!  BRING FRIENDS!!!!!!!!  It is going to be AWESOME!!

PB

A Happy Heart

In keeping with celebrating my 'birthday week', ...)....I have been singing in the car and in the house my version of "Bocelli".

OOOOhhhhSooolllooooomiaoooooo......OOOOhhhssooolloooommmiooooo.....!!!!

Needless to say, I am hearing alot of "PLEASE, DAD....SSTTTOOPPPP!!!!!"

:)

The Bible says 'a merry heart does one good, like a medicine."  I am 45, have an "oohlala" wife!, :), have 3 kids who love God, are smart and sharp, have a great church with great friends.  I may not be in the best shape of my life but I can still run and am active. 

No complaining from this boy!!!  Only singing....!! :)

Anyway, I am obviously on a roll with the youtube stuff.  This came my way last night, and unlike "Cleavis Get the Reel", is no joke.  This guy is really serious!  I am not sure what church it is, except that it is DEFINITELY a "KJV only" church. 

I will just let one hint out of the bag:  President Bush is a 'sitter'.  German people are 'sitters'.  NIV Bible readers are 'sitters'. 

Which is confusing,.......I read the NIV, but.....

Nevermind. :)

UNBELIEVABLE that people sit in pews every week and THIS kind of ridiculous stuff is what they are fed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (there arent enough exclamation marks for this one) 

And to think that THIS is what people think of church.....grievious.

To loving God and not being stupid, wasting life on inane idiocies....

PB

That for SURE ain't right......

It's Monday morning and I am in a GREAT mood, ready to celebrate my "Birthday Week"! 

I like the idea some other countries have of celebrations lasting for a few days or week, not just a day.  And as I have gotten older and less serious about myself (in some ways), I say, CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE,....!!.....find any reason to throw a party! :)

....If no one else throws you a party, ....THROW ONE YOURSELF!!! :)

I love the fact that God commanded the Israelites to CELEBRATE.  They had specific 'feasts' that they were to observe for a week at a time.  Lots of dancing, celebration, worship......I love it!

We dont 'party' enough in the Body of Christ.  We are all work, then TV, ....movies, whatever.  We are dull.

We have lost the ability to really CELEBRATE!

Anyway......

I found this video HILARIOUS!  These goofballs did a takeoff of Carrie Underwoods "Jesus Take the Wheel" and I havent laughed that hard in a long time.

To more laughter, more fun, and more CELEBRATION!!

PB