Changing Locations

I have moved my blog. Please update any links you have for the blog to its new location:
http://stanpavkovich.cotcfamily.com/

Living in Light of Eternity

As I was reading the news yesterday I came across this news clip.

Check out this Video

When I watched this video three thoughts came to my mind….
1. God’s incredible protection of this office employee.
2. The spiritual battle that was going on inside the heart and mind of this young man.
3. A reminder of the unique opportunities we are given to share His love…if we will take advantage of them.
This video brings a whole new meaning to be ready in season and out of season 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Remember as the Bible tells us don’t grow weary in well doing.

Be Blessed,
Stan

The A-Team

I’m showing my age here…. But I loved the 80’s T.V. show the A-Team. You had this group of ex soldiers that would use their military training and expertise to come to the rescue of people in need….While all along they were being hunted by the government.

They would come up with these elaborate plans to save the day…. There was always plenty of action and explosions that went into their plan… but no one was ever killed.

In the end the good guy always won…
It was tradition that at the end of each episode the leader of the A-Team would always say I love it when a plan comes together…

I think we all receive joy and pleasure when we see a plan come together especially when we know God is behind it.…

With the economy in a recession you can look in all directions and see the ramifications of it. It is easy to become discouraged and overwhelmed with what we see.
But at the same time we need to remind our selves that God is not affected by the recession. That He will provide for our needs.
Several weeks ago on a Wednesday I received a call from a young family that was in desperate need of a car….We prayed together that God would provide transportation for them. That following Sunday one of our members came up to me and asked if I knew of a young family… that needed a car… because he had one that was very reliable and he wanted to give it to someone in need. Well the rest is history…As the A-team leader would say I love it when a plan comes together. Be encouraged God is not affected by the economy…He knows our needs even before we ask.

Remember what Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25-33″Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28″And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Be Blessed,
Stan

Stay Focused

Matthew 6:33 (NIV) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Basically, this is what Jesus is saying…The most valuable things in life are not things – but pursuing God and His kingdom.

Here is a nugget I came across this week…What’s important to you… will control how you view life.

A Native American and his friend were in downtown New York City, walking near Times Square in Manhattan. It was during the noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with people. Cars were honking their horns, taxicabs were squealing around corners, sirens were wailing, and the sounds of the city were almost deafening.
Suddenly, the Native American said, “I hear a cricket.”
His friend said, “What? You must be crazy. You couldn’t possibly hear a cricket in all of this noise!”
“No, I’m sure of it,” the Native American said. “I heard a cricket.”
“That’s crazy,” said the friend.
The Native American listened carefully for a moment, and then walked across the street to a big cement planter where some shrubs were growing. He looked into the bushes, beneath the branches, and sure enough, he located a small cricket. His friend was utterly amazed. “That’s incredible,” said his friend. “You must have super-human ears!”
“No,” said the Native American. “My ears are no different from yours. It all depends on what you’re listening for.”
“But that can’t be!” said the friend. “I could never hear a cricket in this noise.”
“Yes, it’s true,” came the reply. “It depends on what is really important to you. Here, let me show you.”
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and discreetly dropped them on the sidewalk. And then, with the noise of the crowded street still blaring in their ears, they noticed every head within twenty feet turn and look to see if the money that tinkled on the pavement was theirs.
“See what I mean?” asked the Native American. “It all depends on what’s important to you.”

What is it that’s important to you?
Keep focused on the One that gave His life for you.
Be Blessed,
Stan

Unplug and Refocus

This past week I was e-mailed an article that I would like to share It’s called…Character in a Tech-Overloaded World…It’s written by Lindy Keffer

We live in a culture saturated by technology. The information, promotions, opportunities and noise it creates seem to fill in the cracks of our already-busy lives so that every waking moment is occupied. In the midst of the hubbub, teachable moments for developing character are often lost. But parents who are intentional about finding those moments can succeed at raising kids with moral fiber — and at creating small pockets of sanity in a tech-overloaded world.

Beating the Stuff Monster
You may remember what life was like without digital cameras, iPods, tiny cell phones, video game consoles, high definition TVs and laptops, but your kids don’t. So it’s easy for them to adopt the mentality that they need the newest techno devices on the market. That’s expensive. And in the rush to get their hands on the newest and best items, giving is often the last thing on kids’ minds — unless you help them to remember.
It’s important to start early — as soon as kids have an allowance or other income — and set standards that emphasize the importance of generosity. For example, one family required their young teens to save double the amount needed for any major purchase. The extra money was to go into savings, but families interested in raising generous kids could just as easily split it between savings and giving.
Another approach is the envelope system recommended by Christian financial counselors. The idea here is to reserve a certain percentage of earnings for giving and to limit the percentage that can be spent on stuff.
Either of these strategies slows down the accumulation of new gadgets. At the same time, setting aside cash specifically for giving helps kids to prioritize generosity. After the money is saved, make sure to give youngsters some ownership in deciding where it goes. Encourage them to give to your church, but allow them some freedom to meet other needs they feel strongly about. They might support a child through a sponsorship organization or anonymously buy school supplies for a classmate who can’t afford them. When giving is personal, it’s easier for children to see that they’re making a difference. In turn, they’re more likely to make generosity a way of life.

Entertain Me! … Or Maybe Not
A 2006 Yahoo online poll reported that the average U.S. family owns 12 tech devices, including three TVs, two computers, and seven other gadgets such as MP3 players, video game consoles and mobile phones. Poll respondents said their overlapping use of all these devices adds up to about 43 hours during each 24-hour day.3 Sound like your house?
Unless we make a deliberate effort to unplug, we can literally be entertained all day long. That doesn’t leave much room for important spiritual pursuits like praying (1 Thes. 5:17), meditating on God’s Word (Josh. 1:8, Ps. 1:2) and examining ourselves (Lam. 3:40, 1 Cor. 11:28 and 2 Cor. 13:5). It’s not that technology is bad, but its constant presence can distract us from important exercises that make our spirits strong.
Whatever our normal tech-drenched state is, let’s call its opposite contentment. It’s the ability to be still (Ps. 37:7, Ps. 46:10, Zech. 2:13) — to be alone with our thoughts and be at peace (Prov. 14:30; Is. 26:3, Jn. 14:27, 2 Tim. 1:7). Getting there in today’s culture takes some work, but it’s possible. We can start with the biblical discipline of fasting — but instead of fasting from food, we can fast from technology. Pick a week and turn off the TV. Stay off the Internet for a day. Once in a while, leave the radio off when you get in the car. Create some space in your life — and your kids’ lives — that’s free from electronic input.
Another practical option is to teach kids to be comfortable with silence and solitude. In later years, these can become rich spiritual disciplines, but with little ones the goal is to help them get comfortable with noiseless time in their lives. Start by declaring a tech-free hour each afternoon or evening. Books are definitely allowed in this quiet zone, as are walks outside and time spent on hobbies. A gadget-free hour probably isn’t practical every day, but honoring this quiet time often can create in kids a lasting appreciation for a bit of peace and quiet.

Love the Ones You’re With
It’s funny: Our techno-gadgetry allows us to stay in contact with so many different friends that we’re often guilty of ignoring the people in the room with us in favor of those we’re talking to online or on the cell phone. Furthermore, we sometimes interact long-distance in ways that we wouldn’t up close, and intimacy is lost. It takes some intentionality to ensure that real, high-touch bonds get maintained in an age of cyber-communication.
Priority number one is to create time for your family to focus on each other, without the distractions of technology. That might mean no text messaging at the dinner table. (Even better: no electronics at the dinner table.) Take time to look each other in the eye and catch up on everyone’s day.
Second, talk with your teens about how they communicate with their online friends. Are they being honest, or are they trying to look like someone they’re not? Treating others with honor means shooting straight about your identity.
Finally, kindness toward others also means not taking advantage of them just because you have the tech-skills to do so. Anastasia Goodstein, author of the book Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online, says that the Internet has made it possible for anyone to become a bully. And many are doing so: One third of kids say they’ve been victims of online bullying; 16 percent say they’ve done some bullying of their own.4 Clearly that’s not kindness, but since it’s becoming common practice, you may need to give your teen some encouragement to be uncommon.

Logging Off
It goes without saying that children are most likely to pick-up on these character-building practices if they see you doing them yourself. Make yours a home where character is the core and technology is an accessory — not vice-versa.

Let’s remember to keep the main thing the main thing.
Feel free to share this article with someone else.

Be Blessed,
Pastor Stan

Live Passionately

One comedian had a great take on the whole aging thing…

He said, “Do you realize the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we are kids. When you’re less than ten years old you’re so excited about aging you think in fractions. ‘How old are you?’ I’m four and a half. You’re never thirty-six and a half. You’re four and a half, going on five. You get into your teens and now they can’t hold you back. You jump to the next number, even a few ahead. ‘How old are you?’ I’m going to be sixteen. You could be thirteen but you’re going to be sixteen. Then the greatest day of your life. You become twenty-one. Even the words sound like a ceremony. You become twenty-one. Yes. But then you turn thirty. What happened there? It makes you sound like bad milk. He turned! No fun now, you just soured. What’s wrong? What changed? You become twenty-one, you turn thirty. Then you’re pushing forty. Whoa! Put on the breaks. It’s all slipping away now! Before you know it, you reach fifty and your dreams are gone. But wait! You make it to sixty. They didn’t think you would but you make it to sixty. So you become twenty-one, turn thirty, push forty, reach fifty, make it to sixty. You build up so much speed now that you hit seventy. After that it’s a day to day thing. You hit Wednesday. Then you get into your eighties and everything’s a complete cycle. You hit lunch. You turn four thirty. You reach bedtime. It doesn’t end there. Into your nineties you start going backwards. I was just ninety-two. Then if you make it over a hundred you become a little kid again. I’m a hundred and a half.”

He definitely hit the nail on the head.

Solomon in Psalm 90:12 tells us this about aging…“Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are: help us to spend them as we should.”

What does that… look like?

It means loving God with your whole heart… and serving Him passionately.

What is passion? A lot of people think passion and excitement is one and the same. It’s not.
Excitement comes and goes… Passion is much deeper.
One person put it this way…”Passion bubbles up in your soul. It’s what you live for. It’s what you get up in the morning for.”

When you connect the dots about what matters the most…and you begin to move that direction…passion shows up.

Here is the cool thing….God will give you the power to go after what matters the most in life.

Eph.1:18-23 (NIV) I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

That’s saying that the same power that defeated death is available to you.
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to you.
The same power that created the heavens and earth is available to you.

It’s the power to help you live your life with meaning.

There’s a condition to obtaining the power.

The power is available to those of us “who believe in Him.”

If you’re not a believer…you can change that right now.
All you’ve got to do is say yes to Him and open up your heart and say…
“God, I want to believe that You can come into my life… that you can forgive me of my sins… that we can restore a broken relationship and I can be connected with You. Jesus I ask you to come into my heart…Make me a new person.”
You will instantly have access to God’s power.
He is truly an awesome God.

Be Blessed,
Stan

Sharpen Your Ax

In my devotion this morning I read Proverbs 16.

This passage is a great reminder that not only is God in control… but the need for us to slow down and seek God’s direction and will for our life.

Proverbs16:1-9 To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
The LORD works out everything for his own ends—
even the wicked for a day of disaster.
The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
Better a little with righteousness
than much gain with injustice.
In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

When we run ahead of God… and not take the time to seek God… it can cause some problems and setbacks for us in life.

I came across a story that illustrated this very point …

A young man who approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. “That depends,” replied the foreman. “Let’s see you fell this tree.” The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, “Start Monday!” Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by, and Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, “You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today.”

Startled, he replied, “I thought you paid on Friday.”

“Normally we do,” answered the foreman, “but we’re letting you go today because you’ve fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you’ve dropped from first place on Monday to last on Wednesday.”

“But I’m a hard worker,” the young man objected. “I arrive first, leave last, and even have worked through my coffee breaks!”

The foreman, sensing the boy’s integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, “Have you been sharpening your ax?” The young man replied, “I’ve been working too hard to take the time.”

Sometimes we are so busy working that we forget to sharpen our ax…

That is, we forget to seek the Lord’s will and direction for our lives. Again it causes problems and leads to burnout.

We need to pause daily to seek the Lord’s plans for our lives. We need to sharpen the ax daily so to speak.

A pastor and author by the name of Warren Weirsbe said this about Hudson Taylor who was the first missionary that brought the gospel to China….”He had definite convictions about how God’s work should be done. We can make our best plans and try to carry them out in our own strength. Or we can make careful plans and ask God to bless them. Yet another way of working is to begin with God; to ask His plans, and to offer ourselves to Him to carry out His purposes.”

Eph. 5:15-17 “Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

The Bible also says That God orders the steps of the righteous… but we need to take time to hear the orders …

Be Blessed
Stan

Be Vigilant

It is hard to believe that it has been 8 years since the 9-11 attack on our country. I remember just after the attack there was a coming together of Americans. People seemed to go out of their way to greet and help each other.

Even in Congress… for a time there were no Republicans or Democrats but Americans wearing flag pins united together against a common enemy that wanted to take away our freedom and our way of life.

8 short years later… in my opinion we have forgotten the lessons that was learned….following 9-11. We are more divided today politically then we ever have been.

Have you watched on the news the town hall meetings…where they are debating healthcare…a guy actually had part of his finger bit off last week at one of the meetings.
(UNBELIEVEABLE)

President Obama and his administration refuse to use the term war on terror because we may offend someone. Yet we have soldiers dying on a regular basis in Afghanistan.

I read yesterday where a town is canceling their 9-11 memorial service because a lack of interest. In other words we have forgotten that we are at war.

There is a lesson in this for us as Christians… we can forget as well… that you and I are in an unseen spiritual war.
The apostle Paul says, “For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood … but against principalities and powers in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

The term he uses to describe the battle we are in… is wrestle. If you’ve ever watched a wrestling match it is non-stop with no timeouts and it is a constant engagement.

We have an enemy who does not fight fair…he kicks us when we are down…he looks for any opportunity to exploit our weaknesses.

But the good news is this we serve the one who gives us the power to overcome our adversity….

The Bible says greater is He that is in you then he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4

We are not to walk in fear but… we have to be on our spiritual toes…keeping short accounts with God and each other. Don’t neglect your spiritual walk. As Hebrews 10:25 says “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Be Blessed,

Pastor Stan

Faith

As we look around and see the chaos and the uncertainty around…
I want to remind you of what God has been reminding me of….
And that is this… To maintain a simple child like faith.

Matthew 6:26-36 (NIV) Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In my devotional reading this week Oswald Chambers the author of My Upmost for His Highest…addresses this very issue but with a different insight he said…

Every time you venture out in the life of faith, you will find something in your common-sense circumstances that flatly contradicts your faith.

Common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense; they stand in the relation of the natural and the spiritual.

Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him?

Can you venture heroically on Jesus Christ’s statements when the facts of your common-sense life shout – “It’s a lie?” ….

Every time my programme of belief is clear to my own mind, I come across something that contradicts it.

Let me say I believe God will supply all my need, and then let me run dry, with no outlook, and see whether I will go through the trial of faith, or whether I will sink back to something lower.

Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into a personal possession only through conflict.

What is your faith up against just now?

The test will either prove that your faith is right, or it will kill it. “Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me.”
The final thing is confidence in Jesus. Believe steadfastly on Him and all you come up against will develop your faith.
There is continual testing in the life of faith, and the last great test is death. May God keep us in fighting trim!
Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us. (End of Quote)

Keep the faith and remember God is on your side.

Be Blessed,
Stan

Share

In my recent studies I came across an excerpt from a letter written by a new follower of Christ to the person whose life impacted her the most.

Here is the excerpt….

You know when we met; I began to discover a new vulnerability, a warmth, and a lack of pretence that impressed me. I saw in you a thriving spirit – no signs of internal stagnation anywhere. I could tell you were a growing person and I liked that. I saw you had strong self-esteem, not based on the fluff of self-help books, but on something a whole lot deeper. I saw that you lived by convictions and priorities and not just by convenience, selfish pleasure, and financial gain. And I had never met anyone like that before. I felt a depth of love and concern as you listened to me and didn’t judge me. You tried to understand me, you sympathized and you celebrated with me, you demonstrated kindness and generosity – and not just to me, but to other people, as well. And you stood for something. You were willing to go against the grain of society and follow what you believed to be true, no matter what people said, and no matter how much it cost you. And for those reasons and a whole host of others, I found myself really wanting what you had. Now that I’ve become a Christian, I wanted to write to tell you I’m grateful beyond words for how you lived out your Christian life in front of me.

Basically she was writing a thank you to this person for being the real deal…
Don’t underestimate the power of your influence …nor the power of how you live your life.

People are watching you and people are hungry for what is real.

As followers of Christ remember… you have what people need…. be willing to share it.

Be Blessed,
Stan