I recently have had some request to get some video posted...so I opened a Vimeo account. Don't know how much I'm going to like their service, mainly because I can't view it on my iPhone. So we'll see.

Bambi And Feline from Jim Coursey on Vimeo.

Devotion – Acts 1:9-11

Found this interesting…straight from my devotional journal…

Acts 1:9-11

“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, you men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.”

Fewer places intrigue us as much as Heaven does. It’s magical. It’s mysterious. It’s frightening. Heaven is clothed in many different ways, and about the only thing we do know for sure about Heaven is that it’s up. The consistency in these three scriptures rings that absolute truth.

Devotion – Acts 1:3

I’ve started dissecting the Book of Acts over the last couple of weeks. I really want to try and see it and know it more intimately. So my devotions for a while to come will all be from that book alone. This is the first of two devotions this morning…

Acts 1:3

“To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God”

Did you catch that last part of the scripture?

Jesus got a second chance to come back upon the earth. I think it’s safe to say that when we die, we are not going to get a second chance to come back to this earth. At least I wouldn’t plan on it. That being said…if you could come back, what would you do? Would you spend it doing the same things you’ve been doing?

Jesus did. I think that is a testimony of how He lived. He lived like a dying man. He preached like a dying man. What he was saying was so important and so life changing that he spent His second resurrected time, 40 days, preaching on Kingdom principles.

That brings me to my second point of interest…

Jesus spent the entire 40 days speaking on Kingdom principles. If Jesus spent His last 40 days on earth speaking on Kingdom principles, don’t you think we should preach more on Kingdom principles? Kingdom preaching leads to Kingdom living, Kingdom living leads to Kingdom loving, and Kingdom loving leads to earthly change…

Lord prepare us...

The last song I published here had been written over 3 years ago. My song writing abilities had dried up so to speak for a season. I haven’t even thought about writing a song…and that is when the Lord gave me one.

It’s not much…but it’s mine. The Lord gave it to me, and that is enough for me. I’ve already introduced it at my church and it’s just the right fit. I’m so thankful to the Lord for new songs. We all need one once in a while. It inspires me to inspire others.

Thanks Lord...

Below is a link to the song, lyrics and chord sheet…

We Sing Glory.mp3

We Sing Glory (Lyrics/Chords)

I came back from District Council on fire...

So yea…I’ve been gone for a while. Believe me I feel a writer’s explosion in my head and hands. I have a lot of stuff to bring to the blog…but unfortunately due to time restraints, I can only lay down a few things today.

Where have I been?

Last week I attended the 2009 Assemblies of God-North Texas District Council. What an awesome opportunity to get refreshed and refocused on kingdom building. I absolutely loved it. As I always do…here are some sound bites from the conference.

Pastor Rick Dubose

· “Sometimes pastors are too consumed about getting money rather than giving money.”

· “Sometimes pastors are more worried about being comfortable than being effective.”

· “Your dreams are tied to what you love.” (Love this one…)

· “If you love correctly, you will live correctly.” (Love this one too…)

· “What you love, effects how you dream.”

· “Your dreams must include the world…because God loves the whole world.”

· “It takes a love we’ve never loved, a hope we’ve never hoped, and a faith we’ve never exercised to turn a Nineveh into a Jericho.”

I have to say…that I love listening to Pastor Rick. He challenges me every time I hear him. Here are the questions I walked out asking myself…

· What is my dream?

· Where am I headed without a dream?

· When I’m credentialed…what’s next?

As I sat their pondering those questions, Pastor Rick threw this out there… “God’s dreams will always stretch our dreams.” So true…

Dr. Gary Jones

· “Are we prepared for a Latin American revival?”

· “Will we answer the call that God has for Latin American today?”

· “God has always had an associate in his redemptive business.” (Amen)

· “The best church growth strategy is simply, ‘get on your knees’.” (Love it!)

Rev. Crabtree

· “Legalism leads to a miserable holiness.” (So true…and yet still people go down that road daily.)

· “The scripture is the cutting-edge of ministry” (Amen)

· “Preach the Word, not yourself.” (This guy was on fire!)

· “People don’t believe in healing anymore because people aren’t getting healed…They still keep building hospitals despite the fact that people are constantly dying on the operating table.” (Preach it!)

Hope this stuff speaks to you as much as it has spoken to me. Like I said, I absolutely loved it. Great preaching and a great encouraging sight to see that there are still great men of God on the face of the Earth. I really felt the winds of change stirring…

This is going to be short. Mainly because I am squeezing time in between a few events to write a few words. I don't have anything inspiring just yet to layout. Got a lot on my mind after this week and I can't wait to put it all down on cyber paper. But it's going to have to wait. Why? Because what God is doing to me here at the North Texas District Council is reminding me why I'm here.

He is encouraging me for the journey like someone holding a nice cold glass of water to a marathon runner. You know what's funny about that analogy? That is exactly how it is. I'm running as fast as I can. As I throw down the empty cup of refreshing and continue the run leaving God behind...but there He is again with another cup of water waiting on me...just waiting on me. He is encouraging me to finish. He is pushing me to continue the journey...to embrace the unknown...to realize that no matter how fast I run, He will be there with the next cup of water. He is always there. He has been watching and cheering the whole way.

Who is like our God?

I have been falling in love with Jesus all over again these days. I have been so consumed with the simplicity of the gospel. I have been thinking constantly how much love and grace flows from the cross. I have been thinking heavily on how much forgiveness is required to even love me. 

I finished reading through the book of Joshua and have now moved onto Corinthians. I like to read one book in the Old Testament and then one book in the New Testament. I like the diversity in the timeline.