The storm

Yesterday morning I started to think about what the spiritual significance of Hurricane Sandy is.  Remember, every event in the physical realm is a manifestation of what is happening in the spiritual realm. So I asked God what this meant.  To my surprise, I got an instant answer as the Holy Spirit spoke to me.  In my mind I saw the weather map of the storm superimposed on the US map, with the storm stretching out to the Mississippi River. God said, "This storm is just a portent, a small shadowing of what will happen to America if there is not repentance. Everything will be shaken, and many things will be destroyed." I was also suddenly aware that the storm will hit the Bos-Wash corridor, the beginning of the nation and still its power center.  I became aware that this is hitting right before Election Day as a warning.

Regardless of what happens in the election, we need revival, or very dark times are ahead.

Vision

Recently I had a vision of the future of monmouth Worship Center.  I saw something/someone being raised up from this church that will have a major impact upon the nation.  It will start here.  This will happen after I am no longer leading the church.

Curious what/who it will be.

Unexpected questions of Jesus

As I have looked at the questions of Jesus, I am shocked by how frustrated he got with the disciples often.  Consider the following questions of Jesus-

"How much longer do I have to put up with you?"
"Could you not even pray with me for an hour?"
"Does this offend you?"
"Are you still sleeping?"
"Are you willing to suffer for me?"
"Why do you worry so much?"
"Why is it that you have so little faith?"

Though as a pastor I have felt like these sometimes, I won't be preaching on any of these!

A wedding to remember

Saturday I officiated at a wedding at a local catering facility.  After, I walked inside to a cocktail hour, where they had a buffet of great snacks before the dinner.  Their buffalo chicken with blue cheese sauce was the best I have ever tasted- incredible.  So I went back for seconds.  Then I saw 3 adult men with yamulkes. Looking around, I realized that none of the people were from the wedding seemed present.  Wondering, I walked over to a sign on the wall- "Welcome to Justin's bar-mitzvah"!  I had been unknowingly crashing a bar-mitvah.

The spiritual lesson-it is easy to find yourself in the wrong place.

But the bar-mitzvah had great food.

The opposite of faith

What is the opposite of faith?  I have always assumed it was unbelief.

But reading this morning in Habakkuk 2:4 (the famous verse which started the Reformation), I think another opposite is pride.  The verse says, "Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith."  Pride is really trusting in yourself, humility is having faith in another, such as God.  Pride and faith truly are opposites!

Must-see movie to see

Check out "2016- Obama's America."  The church was abuzz last Sunday with people talking about it, so I saw it this week.  I was there during dinner, and was surprised by the large crowd at it.  It is very thought-provoking.  The author/editor is Dinesh D'Souza, a fascinating Christian guy who I saw debate Peter Singer (the ungodly founder of the animal rights movement and supporter of euthanasia) at Princeton a few years ago.

Shooting in Manalapan

Saturday morning at 8:15pm  my phone rang with a call from my mother.  "Did you hear that a policeman was shot on Taylors Mills Road ?(my street) How close is that to you?"

Turns out that this was about a mile and a half away from us, on the other side of Route 9. It was a domestic dispute between a boyfriend (the cop) and an estranged husband.  Fortunately, the cop was OK, and was released the same day.

It's a jungle out there.