Charles Spurgeon, "The Prince of Preachers", once remarked, "Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter."
Which one are you?
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Cherries
Steve Brown is a pastor, seminary professor, and radio commentator here in the Orlando area. Recently on the radio he shared the story of a young boy who was visiting a farm. On the farm was a huge cherry orchard. The owner of the farm, a generous man, told the young boy to pick as many cherries as he'd like, and to eat them all!
The timid young boy picked one little cherry and popped it in his mouth.
The farmer laughed and then gathered up an enormous bunch of cherries and plopped them all in the young boy's hands. The boy was stunned at the farmer's generosity. There were more cherries than the boy could even handle. But then he enjoyed his cherry feast, despite his initial timidity, all because of a generous farmer.
God is like the farmer.
And frequently we are like the young boy.
Many times we underestimate God and the vastness of the blessings that He has in store for us. Many times we are satisfied with just one cherry from the orchard, when God wants to fill up both of our hands until they are overflowing with cherries!
In Malachi 3:10 (TNIV), God talks about how He will "throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enoug to store it."
Can you handle that much blessing?
Can you handle that many cherries?
God's waiting to give it all to you.
And He's waiting for you to accept it.
With two hands. Not just one.
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
The timid young boy picked one little cherry and popped it in his mouth.
The farmer laughed and then gathered up an enormous bunch of cherries and plopped them all in the young boy's hands. The boy was stunned at the farmer's generosity. There were more cherries than the boy could even handle. But then he enjoyed his cherry feast, despite his initial timidity, all because of a generous farmer.
God is like the farmer.
And frequently we are like the young boy.
Many times we underestimate God and the vastness of the blessings that He has in store for us. Many times we are satisfied with just one cherry from the orchard, when God wants to fill up both of our hands until they are overflowing with cherries!
In Malachi 3:10 (TNIV), God talks about how He will "throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enoug to store it."
Can you handle that much blessing?
Can you handle that many cherries?
God's waiting to give it all to you.
And He's waiting for you to accept it.
With two hands. Not just one.
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Night Of Joy
Dorcas and I had an incredible day on Monday at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, as we had the privilege to attend a CD Release Party featuring the world-famous contemporary Christian band, MercyMe.
MercyMe has a new CD coming out soon, and they performed a few songs from the new CD at the Hollywood Studios on Monday, along with a few of their older, well-known hits, including "I Can Only Imagine."
Sidewalk Prophets and Francesca Battistelli also performed on Monday. They both recently won 2010 Dove Awards.
The Monday event also was used to promote Walt Disney World's Night of Joy, an annual 2-day concert at the Magic Kingdom featuring some of the biggest names in contemporary Christian music. This year's Night of Joy will be held at the Magic Kingdom on September 10-11. Performers will include Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, Casting Crowns, MercyMe, Third Day, Family Force 5, Red, Sidewalk Prophets, Francesca Battistelli, and Barlow Girl. For more information, go to www.nightofjoy.com.
We'll see you there!
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
MercyMe has a new CD coming out soon, and they performed a few songs from the new CD at the Hollywood Studios on Monday, along with a few of their older, well-known hits, including "I Can Only Imagine."
Sidewalk Prophets and Francesca Battistelli also performed on Monday. They both recently won 2010 Dove Awards.
The Monday event also was used to promote Walt Disney World's Night of Joy, an annual 2-day concert at the Magic Kingdom featuring some of the biggest names in contemporary Christian music. This year's Night of Joy will be held at the Magic Kingdom on September 10-11. Performers will include Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, Casting Crowns, MercyMe, Third Day, Family Force 5, Red, Sidewalk Prophets, Francesca Battistelli, and Barlow Girl. For more information, go to www.nightofjoy.com.
We'll see you there!
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Happy Birthday, Dorcas!
Today I want to wish a very happy birthday to my beautiful wife, Dorcas!
We will celebrate this happy occasion somewhere at Walt Disney World.
Proverbs 18:22 (NKJV) - "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord."
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
We will celebrate this happy occasion somewhere at Walt Disney World.
Proverbs 18:22 (NKJV) - "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord."
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
JFK & Dealey Plaza
My wife, Dorcas, and I were in Dallas, Texas, USA, today, and we had the opportunity to visit Dealey Plaza, the former Texas School Book Depository building, and the 6th Floor Museum, all located on the site where former US President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963.
I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, surrounded by the Kennedy family and their legacy, and so to visit Dallas and to see the site where JFK was assassinated was especially poignant and impactful. We saw the exact spots on the street where JFK was shot while seated in his open-air presidential limousine (the spots are marked with an "X" on the Dallas street) and we saw the window on the 6th floor of the former Texas School Book Depository building where Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired on JFK (although the vast majority of Americans now believe that Oswald was part of a larger conspiracy with - choose your pick - the Mafia, the CIA, Castro loyalists, Castro opponents, Texas oilmen, and/or right-wing extremeists, or any combination of the above).
JFK was just 46 years old when he was killed (the youngest elected president in US history), and as we looked at the site on the street where he was struck down, and at the site on the 6th floor of the former school book depository building where the assassin allegedly fired the fatal shots, I was reminded of the words found in James 4:14 (TNIV), "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."
Among the items of JFK memorabilia which we viewed in the 6th Floor Museum were invitations to a luncheon which was to be held to honor JFK in Dallas on the afternoon of November 22, 1963. Needless to say, JFK never made it. JFK surely never thought that his life was about to end in such a violent manner as his limousine turned the corner and passed in front of the school book depository building. But then several shots shattered the crisp Dallas afternoon, and JFK's young life was snuffed out. There was no November 23, 1963, for JFK. There was no tomorrow. His mist-like life had vanished in a very quick and very violent manner.
The lesson is one which we all must learn. Not all of us will be presidents or prime ministers, but all of us are living lives that hold no guarantee of a tomorrow. 9/11/01 taught us the same lesson as 11/22/63. For JFK, for you, and for me, life is but a mist. We are on this planet for a little while, and then we all will vanish into eternity.
Make the most of your time. You never know when your own 11/22/63 will come.
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, surrounded by the Kennedy family and their legacy, and so to visit Dallas and to see the site where JFK was assassinated was especially poignant and impactful. We saw the exact spots on the street where JFK was shot while seated in his open-air presidential limousine (the spots are marked with an "X" on the Dallas street) and we saw the window on the 6th floor of the former Texas School Book Depository building where Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired on JFK (although the vast majority of Americans now believe that Oswald was part of a larger conspiracy with - choose your pick - the Mafia, the CIA, Castro loyalists, Castro opponents, Texas oilmen, and/or right-wing extremeists, or any combination of the above).
JFK was just 46 years old when he was killed (the youngest elected president in US history), and as we looked at the site on the street where he was struck down, and at the site on the 6th floor of the former school book depository building where the assassin allegedly fired the fatal shots, I was reminded of the words found in James 4:14 (TNIV), "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."
Among the items of JFK memorabilia which we viewed in the 6th Floor Museum were invitations to a luncheon which was to be held to honor JFK in Dallas on the afternoon of November 22, 1963. Needless to say, JFK never made it. JFK surely never thought that his life was about to end in such a violent manner as his limousine turned the corner and passed in front of the school book depository building. But then several shots shattered the crisp Dallas afternoon, and JFK's young life was snuffed out. There was no November 23, 1963, for JFK. There was no tomorrow. His mist-like life had vanished in a very quick and very violent manner.
The lesson is one which we all must learn. Not all of us will be presidents or prime ministers, but all of us are living lives that hold no guarantee of a tomorrow. 9/11/01 taught us the same lesson as 11/22/63. For JFK, for you, and for me, life is but a mist. We are on this planet for a little while, and then we all will vanish into eternity.
Make the most of your time. You never know when your own 11/22/63 will come.
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Las Vegas
My wife, Dorcas, and I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Las Vegas earlier this week. It was a fascinating time.
Las Vegas is best known as the gambling capital of the USA. Las Vegas' touristic slogan is, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." Las Vegas is a city of extremes. On one hand, there is extreme beauty, luxury, and opulence, as seen in the dazzling 5-star hotels such as the Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, the Venetian, the Paris, and the Wynn.
Only in Las Vegas can one see an Egyptian pyramid, the MGM lion, the Statue of Liberty, dancing fountains, the Eiffel Tower, pirate ships, and a Venetian canal complete with gondolas, and all within walking distance of each other.
Yet despite its very impressive beauty and opulence and luxury, Las Vegas also has its dark side. Many people suffer from gambling addiction there and lose their family's savings at the casino tables. Advertisements for escort services - thinly-veiled prostitution - are everywhere. The suicide rate in Las Vegas is one of the highest of any city in the USA.
Las Vegas is a truly fascinating place to visit. It would also be a truly fascinating place to do ministry. There is a great need there. There are many hurting people in the midst of all of the city's glamor and glitz. Pray for those who already are ministering in Las Vegas. Think about how you, too, can help.
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
Las Vegas is best known as the gambling capital of the USA. Las Vegas' touristic slogan is, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." Las Vegas is a city of extremes. On one hand, there is extreme beauty, luxury, and opulence, as seen in the dazzling 5-star hotels such as the Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, the Venetian, the Paris, and the Wynn.
Only in Las Vegas can one see an Egyptian pyramid, the MGM lion, the Statue of Liberty, dancing fountains, the Eiffel Tower, pirate ships, and a Venetian canal complete with gondolas, and all within walking distance of each other.
Yet despite its very impressive beauty and opulence and luxury, Las Vegas also has its dark side. Many people suffer from gambling addiction there and lose their family's savings at the casino tables. Advertisements for escort services - thinly-veiled prostitution - are everywhere. The suicide rate in Las Vegas is one of the highest of any city in the USA.
Las Vegas is a truly fascinating place to visit. It would also be a truly fascinating place to do ministry. There is a great need there. There are many hurting people in the midst of all of the city's glamor and glitz. Pray for those who already are ministering in Las Vegas. Think about how you, too, can help.
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Weave
There's an old German proverb that says, "Grow where you are planted. Begin to weave, and God will give the thread."
God has you where you are for a reason and a purpose. You may find life and ministry very difficult right now, and you may wish that you were elsewhere right now, or doing something different, but you need to persevere. Keep moving forward. God will use you mightily in His time and in His way and for His purpose.
God has planted you where you are. Keep growing there until He decides to transplant you elsewhere. Keep weaving where you are right now, and have the faith to believe that God will supply all of the thread that you need to create a masterpiece for Him and His kingdom and His glory.
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
God has you where you are for a reason and a purpose. You may find life and ministry very difficult right now, and you may wish that you were elsewhere right now, or doing something different, but you need to persevere. Keep moving forward. God will use you mightily in His time and in His way and for His purpose.
God has planted you where you are. Keep growing there until He decides to transplant you elsewhere. Keep weaving where you are right now, and have the faith to believe that God will supply all of the thread that you need to create a masterpiece for Him and His kingdom and His glory.
Read more at www.twitter.com/StephenGuschov.
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