Tag: Forgiveness

Drop Your Stones

Today’s a new day! With all the division in the world, it’s easy to throw stones at those we disagree with. My hope and prayer is we will learn to love and respect everyone God allows us to meet on this journey called life. I pray we will drop our life destroying stones.

Drop the stone of Hate.

Drop the stone of Fear.

Drop the stone of Division.

Drop the stone of Unforgiveness.

Drop the stone of Racism.

Drop the stone of Selfishness.

Drop the stone of Pride.

Drop the stone of Comparison.

Drop the stone of Political Parties.

Obviously I could add more, but I believe you get the point. Drop any stone that is distracting you from showing the love and peace of God. Blessings. ~OC

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End Racism

Today’s a new day! God is calling each of us to actively engage in the work of racial justice by eradicating racism, white nationalism and working towards racial reconciliation. There is no room for racism in our world. Will you take a stand? ~OC

What does the Lord require of you but to do Justice. ~ Micah 6:8

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The Old Is Made New

Today’s a new day! God has already set us free from our past. Today our identity is no longer connected to our past mistakes. Now our identity is connected to what God has done for us. You are now washed, set apart and made right. The old is made new. Walk in that truth. Live out that freedom. ~OC

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You Are In My Heart

Today’s a new day! I’ve looked back on it a thousand times. It plays on rewind in my mind. When did we become so divided? Family and friends divided over things that really don’t matter at the end of the day. Words spoken that have divided us and caused pain. Opinions over relationships. When did we become so divided? You are in my heart.

All this division has me praying and hoping for better days. Believing in healing days. Praying for those who choose opinions over friendships. Love keeps no record. You are in my heart

Would you love me across the political aisle? Would you love me if I worshiped in a different style? Would you love me if I thought in a different way? Would you love me if I chose a different lifestyle? Love keeps no record. You are in my heart.

What do we do with all this division? All this negative space between us. How can we come together and erase all that separates us? I am praying for better days. Believing in healing days. Love keeps no record. You are in my heart.


As I replay all this negativity in my head, I have nothing but love for all. I choose to look past the differences and embrace the beautiful diversity all around me. I choose to listen and learn. I refuse to hate and judge. Love keeps no record. You are in my heart.

I will not allow all this division to steal my joy. I will continue to pray and work for better days. Believing in healing days. Love keeps no record. You will always be in my heart. ~OC

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God and Justice

Today’s a new day! As I study scripture, I have come to the conclusion that faith in God and a desire to do His will goes hand-in-hand with standing for social justice. Honestly, I do not believe you can have one without the other. You cannot fully walk with Christ without serving the the least of these and you cannot fully serve the least of these without an understanding and faith in Christ. Without Christ, you will never fulfill more than the surface-level needs of those you are trying to serve.

This is where Christians needs to take a stand. We should be a fortress for social justice. If we were truly following the scriptures, Christianity would be synonymous with social justice. I think our faith and social justice should be so intertwined they cannot be separated from each other. As Christians, we truly need to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We cannot just talk about the different issues that plague our country and world. We cannot continue to deal with every tragedy by just expressing our thoughts and prayers. No, as Christians we need to stand up for what’s right. Even if that means being challenged by society or other Christians for our beliefs. I believe social justice is close to the heart of God. ~OC

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Dear Christian Community

As I scroll through social media, I shake my head at some of the things I read from the Christian community. A community I am part of, but often cringe at the post and comments of so many Christians.

As Christians we talk about the love, grace and forgiveness of God. We love to talk about redemption. We share stories from the Bible about amazing life changing experiences involving King David, the women at the well and Saul becoming Paul. The stories bring us hope. Unfortunately, I do not always see that lived out in the Christian community. Let me explain.

Recently Carl Lentz a former pastor at Hillsong NYC was hired by another church. I will not bore you with Pastor Lentz past troubles. There are plenty articles online. Based on some poor choices, Pastor Lentz has been out of the spotlight for the past few years. But as I mentioned above, he was recently hired by a church. According to some articles concerning this hire, Pastor Lentz has been working on rebuilding his family and himself. To me this is something to celebrate. There should have been articles encouraging Pastor Lentz in his new position. Instead, I saw post, articles and videos attacking Pastor Lentz and the church that decided to give him a second chance. A second chance. I thought we were supposed to celebrate second chances. God loves second chances.

I do not personally know Pastor Lentz. Have never met him, but I am praying God uses him and his family in a mighty way. Praying Pastor Lentz uses his life experiences to encourage and support others walking through their own storms. Praying he embraces the second chances in every area of his life. I for one will be rooting for him. I think God will to. ~OC

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Hope

Today’s a new day! To be honest, there are moments when I would like nothing more than to walk away from battling the storms of life. Walking away can sound so much better than this journey of building endurance, character, and hope. How many storms do I need to face in life? But in those tough moments, hope reminds me that I am not its source. The hope I walk in does not come from me, but from God who is compassionate, loving and faithful.

Opening up my eyes, God encourages me to look at the world with more hope. To look deeper and see more than what is and more of what could be. To hope.


Taking a deeper, more honest look at the realities of a hurting world can also become an act of hope. I believe in the power of love and peace. My hope is in God who is filled with love, mercy and compassion. My faith always leads me back to hope. This hope is real and available to each of us. Today, I encourage you to take a step towards Hope. ~OC

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His Hand

Today’s a new day! God offers His hand, holds yours and shelters you under His wing during the storms and crashing waves. ~OC

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Are You Ready For Revival?

As I continue to reflect on my time at the Asbury Revival, the fire for revival in my community as grown stronger. But what does that look like? As I have been praying, here are some things God has placed on my heart.

*Before revival can come to any community, there must be an increase in prayer. You might say a Revival of Prayer. We must make prayer a priority. Stay in prayer.

*We must sacrifice some things in our life. Instead of binge watching a tv series, take that time to pray. Sacrifice some worldly pursuits to truly hear from God. Stay in prayer.

*Make a new commitment to reaching a lost and hurting world. We must be willing to step out of our comfort zone. Lean into Jesus. Stay in prayer

*Ask God to reveal the sin in your life and then truly repent. Stop carrying your sin around like a backpack. Leave your sin at the Cross. Stay in prayer.

*Ask God to transform your life. Seek His purpose for your life. Walk it out. Stay in prayer.

*Stop being so busy with the things of this world. We are easily distracted from praying. Now is the time to pray and hunger after the things of God. Stay in prayer.

*Believe in the power of God. Expect Him to answer your prayers. Believe that God wants to bring revival to your community. Stay in prayer.

*Revival starts with us. It starts in our hearts. Be serious about praying and seeking God’s guidance. God wants to move in his churches and communities. Stay in prayer.

Are You Ready For Revival? ~OC

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My Asbury Revival 2023 Experience

When revival broke out at Asbury University, I watched with excitement from my home in South Florida. The more I watched, the more I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to attend. So I texted several people and asked who was up for a road-trip. Thankfully one friend responded and we quickly planned our trip. My friend and his youngest son jumped in a SUV on Sunday morning February 19th and made the 14 hour drive to Asbury. My friends wife joined us later that evening. We were excited to see how God was moving in Wilmore, Kentucky. We wanted to experience what God was doing at Asbury. I am grateful we did.

On Monday February 20th, we drove over to Asbury University. Once we entered the campus, you could feel the power of the Holy Spirit. So many people from around the world had already come to experience the revival and Monday was no different. The lines to enter Hughes Chapel went on for miles. As the four of us got in line, the power of God’s presence was overwhelming. We all started sharing what brought each of us to this quaint little town in Kentucky. Like me, most people felt called by God to make the trip. We each wanted to experience the power and love of God. One key theme I kept hearing was Unity. Those I met in the line and those I met as I walked around the grounds talked about the importance of unity. No one cared about your denominations or political beliefs. Everyone wanted to hear why you attended the revival and how God was working in your life. As much as I enjoyed praising God inside Hughes Chapel, the stories in the line touched me in a powerful way.

As I reflect on my experience at the Asbury Revival, God put a few things on my heart. I believe over time, God will reveal more from this amazing experience.

  1. Revival truly did break out at Asbury. God was very present.
  2. Those of us who attended the Asbury Revival have a responsibility to share our experience and pray for revival in our own communities.
  3. This was not just another religious event. God was moving in a powerful way at Asbury. This was a life changing experience for all who attended.
  4. We must continue to pray that revival spreads across America and the world. We cannot let this moment slip away. We must lean into God and see how He wants to use each of us in the coming days, weeks, months and years.
  5. As Christians, we have to stop using excuses. God wants each of us plugged into our local churches, ministries and communities.
  6. Our worship should never be a performance. Worship should be glorious and simple.
  7. As Christians, we cannot be confined to the four walls of the church. We must be the hands and feet of Jesus outside those four walls.
  8. Every Christian has a role in God’s Kingdom. He blessed each of us with different talents.
  9. We must step out of our comfort zones. I am sure a lot of people stepped out of their comfort zones to attend this revival.
  10. Never be afraid to tell your story. Hearing the people in line was the highlight of the experience for me. It encouraged and strengthened my faith.
  11. The only way Christians can reach people with the Gospel, is to be truly unified. We must be One Church Family.

We must continue to pray for our churches and the and people in our city. Cry out for the Holy Spirit to move as never before. Seek revival personally and fervently. Ask God to search your heart and remove anything that is quenching the flow of His Spirit. Ask God to breakdown all barriers that are keeping you from being all that God created you to be.

Pray that God would allow revival to spread throughout His churches. Pray for a Mighty Awakening in your church and city. Pray that as revival spreads across the world, that millions will experience Jesus in a new and life changing way.

Are you ready for Revival to spread across your city? As believers we must be ready for the move of God. We must be ready to pray for and serve all those that God will bring to our communities. ~OC

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