Saturday, February 23, 2008

Who Do You Call....When They Come For You?

The great opening song for Ghost Busters, "Who do you call when they come for you?" has been an icon in the past generation, but the question today isn't really about ghosts. It is about calling out for help in time of need. So let me ask you again, "Who do you call...when they come for you?"

Let me explain where I'm trying to take you today.

Last night while "stumbling" around the internet I cam across a very cool website: www.24-7prayer.com . (Please go to the website and check out the story) This site is dedicated to prayer 24-7. What? Yes! Groups of people around the world have united in prayer, and are doing so 24 hours a day 7 days a week. What is most interesting about this group is that they are comprised mostly of young people and youth groups!

There is no greater force on or in earth than prayer. Not only is it good for your health, soul and mind it is also good for your spirit. Through Prayer lives are being changed. Through Prayer people are being healed. Through Prayer countries are changing policies to benefit the people. Through Prayer revival is taking place! Through Prayer disasters are being avoided! Prayer Changes Things!

I don't really care if you have never prayed before, or haven't prayed on a regular basis. I still want to challenge you to prayer. What better way to learn how to pray than to to just do it! Just talk to Jesus like you would talk to me or your best friend. You don't have to hold back, but you do need to be honest! Prayer will change your life!

There is an only saying, "An Apple A Day will Keep the Doctor Away." Well, I have another saying for you, "A Prayer A Day will Keep You Singing Alway!"

P ray
U ntil
S omething
H appens

Websites about/on Prayer:
http://www.wnop.org
www.24-7prayer.com
http://www.sacredspace.ie/
http://www.allaboutprayer.org/

Monday, February 18, 2008

What is most important to you?

It has been said that in any given relationship of any kind usually one party gives 80% to said relationship and the other party give only about 20%.

It has also been said that out of any given relationship a person will only get about 80% of what they need, will look in other areas for that final 20% that they need to fulfill themselves.

Unfortunately what can happen is the 20% can look so much better than the 80%, and we can leave to 80% to attain unto that 20% of satisfaction. It could be your work. It could be sports. It could be another person. It could be online chat rooms. It could be friends. It could be video/computer/console games. Whatever situation you find yourself in it is time to stop, take a break, look around and re-evaluate your life.

I've also heard this one, "My marriage is based on a 50 / 50 principle. I give 50% to the marriage and she gives 50% and that equals 100%." Unfortunately you are wrong! A marriage isn't based on simple addition or subtraction. A marriage is based upon multiplication. Not 1 + 1 = 2, but 1 X 1 = 1!

In a relationship, especially marriage, it is a union of hearts, spirits, minds and bodies. As the Bible describes it; two become one! That is multiplication. Therefore, it behooves the man to give 100% of himself to his family, and the woman to give 100% to her family. Remember 1 x 1 = 1! When each person in the relationship is willing to give all their selves to each other that is when true love and unity can be explored and seen!

What is most important to you? Your Career? Your Sports? Your Volunteering? Your Games? Your Family? I am sure that most people who read will readily say that they think their family is important to them, but I am not interested in talk. My wife and I recently took time to have a very personal, honest and open talk. Through this conversation and discussion, which at times erupted into arguments, I discovered some very important feelings that wife has been dealing with for a fairly long time. These very important issues where by and large unknown to me. Sure I recognized that my wife was going through some things, but really didn't know what they were. It wasn't until we took the time to confront each other about these, and then take a honest look at our issues that we were able to fix them.

How can you find out what you really think is important? Well, you can try what I've been doing for a couple of weeks now. I had become very dissatisfied about myself, and the direction my life was taking.
  1. So I bought myself a very good daily/weekly planner, and began to write down everything that I do each day.
  2. After a few days of this I was able to identify in which direction my time was being funneled.
  3. Once I saw where my time was going I was able to identify what I really would like to do, and what should be very important to me each day.
  4. Next I wrote a list of important activities I should do every day. 1. Study 2. Practice Juggling/Balancing/Karate 3. Spend time with my wife 4. Spend time with my Children 5. Read my Bible/Pray 6. Read books 7. Business Plan 8. Relationship Book 9. Church Studies/Sermons. (I haven't arranged them in any particular order of importance.)
  5. I am beginning to arrange my time so that these priorities will be met every day, or at least in a timely fashion throughout the week.
  6. In doing the above activities I noticed that too much of my time was being spent doing things that really were not productive to developing my family. I was spending too much time working and resting, and not enough time with my family. I wasn't talking to my wife like I used to. I wasn't treating my children with respect and kindness. I discovered what was truly important, and realize I must change my ways.
  7. I began to research ways to better myself, my family, my time management and life ethic on the internet. Then the practical things I found I am trying to implement and practice in my life.
  8. So far I have found that these things have been working quite well, and I've noticed a difference in my family already, and will continue to make positive changes that will lead to a healthy relationships with my wife and children.
What people mistakenly believe is that clergy are invulnerable to these types of disasters, but we are only human and must learn the best we can to find truth in every aspect of our lives. I pray and study my Bible often so I can know truth, but without a true open relationship with my family what good will all the revelations of the universe do me? If you can truly be honest with yourself you will see that a personal relationship with your family will bring the best and truest form of satisfaction in life!

Remember this little acronym to help your find direction.

J = Jesus
O = Others
Y = You

Stop thinking about yourself and begin to think about your family!

Pastor Fred

Friday, February 15, 2008

To my wife


Love is tender and kind
Love is a decision to be blind
Love is a once in a life time find
Love will get you out of a bind

I am glad that I found you in time
So I can keep my life in rhyme
Without you my life would be in ruin
You make my life a perfect tune

Thanks for taking time to be with me
And soon you will see
That we will grow old
And will be together and be bold

I Love You!

copyright February 2008 Frederick J Gothe

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Jesus I forgot....


As I was cleaning off the lunch table this afternoon I noticed one of my children's books on the high chair. It was a Frank Meyer's book, "I Just Forgot." The book tells the tail of a little boys adventures in forgetting to do or not do certain activities during the run of a day. Things like forgetting to turn of the taps and having the water run over the floor and such the like. You know things we do every day because we forget!

I am endeavoring to better myself and be more organized, which in itself is one of those unending, undo able tasks, but I will succeed - sooner or later!

One of the hardest things I am finding to overcome is my mind and memory. I do have a rather good mind, but it seems I have cluttered it up with useless stuff, and now I am waging war on my brain trying to clean it up! If we can overcome our habits, and force ourselves to do a new thing we can actually succeed.

As powerful as a habit and a schedule are we must have the backbone and fortitude to overcome ourselves. Thus, forcing ourself to do something new. As a Green Belt in Karate I have learnt that in order to train my body to remember and do certain actions I must over exaggerate some of my movements in the training phase so that when it comes time to use those actions my body has them memorized and they become second nature. So, in order to change in life and do something different and better we must exaggerate ourselves at first so we can overcome our little idiosyncrasies and win the battle of our mind!

Did you know that forgetting is no excuse? The fact is everything we ever hear, read, write or otherwise experience with our senses becomes a permanent part of our memory. The problem with most of us, including myself, is that we haven't trained our minds to have a proper filing system. Our mental filing cabinets are all messed up. The letters and numbers are all mixed together and vis versa. What we must learn to do is re-program ourselves to file our memories correctly.

Now for the question of the day. Do you think that Jesus is going to accept the "I forgot excuse" come judgment day?

NO! Of course not. We don't allow it as a legitimate excuse so why would Jesus? Just because you forgot to pray doesn't make it right. Just because you forgot to read your Bible doesn't make it O.K.. Just because you were to busy and forgot to go to Church doesn't mean you are off the hook. No, we have many means of forcing ourselves to remember in today's society that there is no excuse to forget anything!

Stop working so much!
Stop worrying so much!
Stop over thinking everything!
Stop procrastinating!
Stop allowing yourself to forget the important things in life!

Don't forget how old your children are.
Don't forget your anniversary.
Don't forget your spouses birthday.
Don't forget your wifes favorite flower.

Make yourself remember, be a better man - a better person - and don't allow yourself to tell Jesus you forgot. What would happen to your soul if Jesus forgot to die on the cross? What would happen to your chances of heaven if Jesus forgot to ascend to heaven, and pour out his spirit.

DON'T FORGET!

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Ignorance Isn't always Bliss....

It came to my attention recently that "as a Pastor" I shouldn't be using pictures from other websites without permission. This statement is true in part. It doesn't matter if I'm a Pastor or not using these types of media can be wrong.

The truth be known I really hadn't put much thought into it. I would just Google a topic and find pictures that suite the thought. Then I'd paste the URL and viola there is the picture. It really never occurred to me that some people might not like me using there already posted to the public pictures for my own use. This fact triggered some thoughts in my mind.

In the Bible ignorance was no excuse for breaking the law. As a matter of fact in Leviticus there are sacrifices given for sins committed in ignorance. I guess it would be like being pulled over by the local law enforcement, and telling them that you didn't know that the speed limit was only 50Km. They would probably still give you a ticket because it is the drivers responsibility to pay attention to the road signs.

Also, when we all get to heaven's gates many people are going to claim ignorance, but the Bible tells us that "God doesn't wink at ignorance" anymore. The "No one told me that I had to repent of my sins, and call out the Jesus for salvation" excuse will not hold any water any longer. Sure there is much more to it than just repentance and calling out to Jesus, but that will at least get you pointed in the right direction. Just like the tip I received about pirating pictures points me in the right direction. Now it is up to me to take action and start asking permission for these types of pictures. So, it is up to you to look into the perfect law of liberty, and truly find out how and why you must be saved.

PS. "Sorry for posting personal pictures without permission!"

Sunday, February 03, 2008

What's Common To You?

Almost everyday we encounter things, people, items, products, signs, and stores that have become common place to us. The wonder of those things are no longer visible or important to us. If you traveled to see the Grand Canyon it would be amazing, wonderful, awesome, glorious. However, I wonder how the tour guide feels about it? He or She has only seen the Grand Canyon every day for the past "X" number of years, and the wonder of it has begun to wear off.

I recently heard a story about a man who was traveling by train a number of years ago. He sat across from another gentleman who was looking out the car window, and wondering at the sights which the train passed. They were traveling across the midwest of the United States, and as they would pass hills, trees, towns, rocks and any other everyday sight the man who was looking out the window would exclaim, "Wonderful," "Amazing," "Wow," and many other expletives. Finally, after a few hours of listening to this the other man asked the man looking out the window, "Sir, what is it that is so interesting, we are just crossing the mid-west and those are just trees, hills, towns and so on. What is so amazing about that?" The gentleman who had been looking out the window explained, "Sir, Last week I was blind and could not see. I have recently seen a doctor who was able to fix my sight, and now I can see everything that I haven't been able to see in years." With this new information our questioning man began to realize that our gazing friend was right. Those things which we take for granted everyday are really, awesome, wonderful, amazing, and wow!

Family
When you see your family everyday do you take them for granted? You may automatically say no of course not? But, let me ask you a couple questions that might stimulate your mind.
  • Do you feel upset when you come home and dinner isn't ready?
  • Do your children tend to annoy you by asking seemingly endless questions?
  • Do you feel put out when your laundry isn't ready when you think it should be?
  • Do you put your children, wife, or husband off when they ask to spend time with you? (You may think that there is always later, and you are just too busy right now.)
  • Do you listen to your children, wife or husband when they talk to you? (Do you actually hear them?)
  • How often do you eat meals together as a family?
  • How often do you help your wife clean up around the house?
  • Do you spend time with you children at their level everyday?
  • Do you spend time with your wife everyday at her level?
If you can't answer yes or put a time on each of these questions, then you like myself are probably getting a little to common with your family. Family is everything! Don't waste it! Money and work are important, but they are not too important to loose your family too! Don't wait until you come home to an empty house to realize that your priorities were all wrong!

There are times when I take my family for granted, and just expect things to happen. All the really happens then is I get upset with some or all of my family. Then I wake up and realize my mistake and have to apologize for my stupidity.

Your family may not always be there. One night while you're at work late your house could burn down on your precious wife and children. What then? What will you have to remember them by? What memories do you have of playing cowboys and Indians with your children. What memories do you have of going out for that late night coffee with your wife? If you spend your time away from home if home goes you will be left with nothing!

Once you begin to take a close look at your life you will begin to realize that there are many things that have lost their wonder to you. Many things are just common and no big deal. I encourage you to wake up and smell the flowers in the garden. Realize the beauty and wonder of everything that is around you!

Something to Laugh About!

Pastor Fred Online: Sermons & Puppets

Our Prayer Family: A List of Prayer Requests

  • Newfoundland & Labrador! That a wave of God's Spirit would flood this great province!
  • Your Neighbors, that Jesus would save their souls!
  • Springdale, Newfoundland: Pray that God's Spirit would awaken souls to their need of salvation and continued spiritual growth. Also, pray that Pastor Fred can teach many Home Bible Studies.
  • Pastor Fred and his family: Pray for Health, Strength, Inspiration, Revival and that God will lead him to many hungry souls
  • The Country You Live in: Pray for Salvation, Revival, Missionaries and the Moving of God's Spirit

Weekly Prayer for A Country on my counter:

Please pray with me for the country that is in focus each week. Thank You and may God richly bless your prayer life.


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A Prayer for Canada:



This week Lord Jesus we bring the country of Canada. Let the revival of your Word and Name sweep across this vast dominion. Let all ethnic groups that now call this great land home become hungry for something more, and find YOU! Let the Church arise to become the bastion of Truth that it is meant to be. Let you people become the light and power that spreads your Gospel throughout all this land!
We ask this all in the Name of Jesus Christ -- Amen!