Peter McCarthy

If you gotta start sometime, why not now-ow-ow? Good song.

If I had to choose; Redemption would be my favorite “r” word.

I find certain things amazing, but what really makes me tick is when other people go from 0-60 really fast! Last Monday, I had it on my heart to challenge a leader with ownership and “leader voice activation.” Monday night I had the chance  to encourage her to step up to the plate. After ten minutes of generating discussion, she had a plan for Friday! I looked at her and knew that God had birthed something in her eternally, and now he was about to unleash it to us. What a blessing! I walked away confidently that night, knowing that our time Friday was in the hands of a leader that had jurisdiction on that campus, but also a vision, and a voice. That combination cannot be stopped!!! I was so excited, that I almost forgot to inform the other leaders that I had made a descision, without them, to give this girl the ball in her hand. Fortunately we have grace, and when God makes a plan, he gets everyone on board… and so, everyone was on board. As Friday rolled around, we all knew that, we as a team, were gonna hit a homerun, because our teammate had the potential and influence to do so. She did! People were impacted.

Here’s what a lot of people miss out on, but what we were blessed with.

1. Redemption…

This girl came to our rush club months earlier, and walked out never expecting to come back. But she did, and months later was leading the group. That is a turnaround that most people never expect, and fewer people ever see.

2. Jurisdiction…

Many “youth ministers” see them selves as the ministers and the youth as the ministry. This is an incorrect view of Christ’s body. The “youth ministers” are coaches, there to equip the students for ministry! Wait? Students minister? HEAVEN YES!!!   We have it all wrong. How dare we, from outside, from “CHURCH”, come to a campus and try to give people a message that WE THINK is worth hearing. Who are we? We are people… the best way is to enable and equip students to do the ministry, not be the ministry. This is how you raise leaders, and effectively target your harvest. Also, you have to reach your harvest with the right harvesters… preferably someone already within the school. Me, as a college student, I do not have jurisdiction at a highschool… but highschool students do! Enable them to be the carriers… because when they carry the message, they have the power and authority to exercise it. This will break walls in your ministry…. and in your thinking! It did to me… embrace it!!!

For the joy set before me,

Pete

These past few weeks I have been really laying hold of orginization and periodic development to reach long term goals. When I say development I mean ( analyzing an area of my life that God has his hand on and submitting to his plan by following through with practical application. ) It’s tough! I often can be very future motivated and neglect the things that need to be done in the present, that should be done in order to reach the goals that I have for the future. On the one hand I absolutely hate it when people are so caught up in the present that they can’t look beyond themselves or their struggle to see the other side… then there’s me, I often ignore the present day duties… planning for the future. Let me just say, that I actually like that… because then the future present always falls into it’s place because I’ve planned ahead so well… however, if I want to build strategically and increase influence to the max for each time frame of influence that I am allotted, I have got to start planning practically and mastering the present. By the way please make note that I am fully sold out on the belief that it’s only by God’s grace that his perfect will is manifested in my life and that I take no responsibility for anything good. However I do realize that I have a responsibilty to respond to his voice with obedience by being fruitful… which comes from vision + diligence! I recently realized how much a I need to be sustained by Christ. Here’s what I am getting at, the root of most of this thought… I NEED MY CHARACTER TO CATCH UP TO MY ANOINTING!

In full honesty: … and I only share it, because I know that you will relate and so it should spur you on!

I have had opportunities to let my gifts shine recently. There have been multiple times in recent past where I have either preached, prophesied, led, taught, and just been used as a temple of the Holy Ghost! I love it! But then in my spirit I feel as though that my sustenance does not come from these things that God anoints me to do… it’s the character that he builds in me that makes me last. I’ve had a deep sense in my spirit that in order for the anointing to be used effectively and increase in impartation and capacity, the well must be dug deeper. I like this! because I know that so many men around me are full of character. DISCLAIMER: I am not boasting about anointing, because anointing comes from the one who has the oil… he builds the alter, anoints, then sets the anointed alter ablaze.

This is where it all gets practical;

I was so convicted last night – realizing that I had only let my light shine around believers. Knowing that my roots are evangelism and my heart sold on being used as a vessel to win the lost, I had to bring phrophecy to the market place. So I did… I turned off the worship music in my car and said Lord show me… he did, I prophesied in Wal Mart… and then a fountain of blessing came forth. ( I’m not going into details about this… because of how deep into details I could go and want to go… it would take forever. )  I realized how I had tried to shift the alter that God had built… which was me, and as a result the oil went a different way than it was supposed to… which means that the fire was burning and sending different signals than it was supposed to. I immediately felt a release speaking God’s word in Wal Mart!

A few things that happen when you obey:

1: You realize that you can do what you’re called to do.

2: You shake off the burdens that don’t belong to you.

3: You gain faith! Faith that can’t be with-held… with that takes action is dangerous to the kingdom of darkness and reveals the kingdom of light!

I am one the loves to press passed the crowd to touch Jesus’ garment… and in the last few months I have had opportunities to be a witness in Wal Mart… but have declined… feeling like a loser and knowing that I was being disobedient, however I did speak to my future – asking God to make me brave for the next time that I was called too share his name in Wal Mart… knowing that it was his will. Sure enough those blessings and seeds of faith that were planted even in the midst of losing took blossom and exploded with one step of action.

THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PUT THE PRACTICAL PRESENT AND FUTURE EXPECTATION TOGETHER!

VISION + OBEDIENCE = SCORE!

Pete ( joysetbeforeme )

I need his word, I was made to need it… I have yet to read it at the level that I am called… diligently. I very much need it. One part of me loves to utilize all that I read in the Scriptures, therefore how could I press in deeper if I am me who is lost, yet I know that the more I press in… the more I will be transformed and be able to carry that which I am being fed. The other side of me wants to just read the whole Bible right now, and be able to interpret and live it. But from what I have read in recent past here is one thing that I am learning.

Jesus loves to heal.  He really does.

He loves it when people have a need and they go to him and expect a response, He loves that.

He loves to contradict the ways of thinking that man has and go beyond human understanding into a realm of freedom, purpose, authority and truth.

Jesus loves the unloved, he loves to heal hearts, lands, nations, bodies, relationships. He loves to restore.. and he loves it when people obey.    I am so glad that I learned obedience growing up, it was tough… but I wish that I still had that connection of correction to show me what is right and punish me if I wavered from that standard.

His mercy is new every morning and great is his faithfulness…

Those are my raw thoughts.

-Pete

I have this struggle in whether to believe you are always supposed to go deeper in life, or supposed to cover much ground and become a complete individual. My way of thinking says that there is only one way to become a complete individual and that is by pressing in to Christ and everything that He is and has given to us. I believe that I am to press into the truth that will set me free, and continue to abide, grow, strengthen, be enriched… all by pressing in to Him!

Then there comes the thought that seems to have been coming at me, that I must be balanced… and be accomplished at many things so that I can be above reproach. Let me just say, that I’m burnt from expanding where I’m not called to expand. I kind of hate taking my eyes off the vision so that I can foolishly chase accalades that will somehow increase my potential from reaching that vision. I find that when I am focused on serving the Lord, and knowing him that I am strehgthened, and have increased strength by others catching that vision and running with it.

I do truly believe that it is good to be mature, and well seasoned… balanced in life if you will. I also believe however that if God chooses to gift and grace someone a certain way, that it is your goal, your opportunity, your call to embrace and press in to that specific avenue of gifting.  I think that of late the Lord has been testing me in many areas, and expanding me sphere of influence, and helping me to become a more complete individual… but when it comes to a point of draining out that first love… it’s gotta stop! There comes a point where doing stuff cuz somebody else thinks that you should do it… just isn’t a good idea. I’m specifically referring to people that surround, not people in authority. After all, authority is authority.

Main point… and btw: I will come back to this with Scripture… but I’m pretty tired now.

I think that there are many people that need to stay the course of who God has called them to be as a whole… and even if others beg youto come nye, you’ve gotta buckle down and serve and lead the exact place that you are graced to serve and lead. You also can’t change who you are for the moment, or for a season so that you can accomdate. I believe that God made each person unique, and that there is a special vocation for each person that creatively fits them with the people that they serve… it’s the hand of God!

So let’s stay the course… and guys… feel free to say no… to anything that pulls you away from who you are in Christ!  You can’t be somebody else in Christ… only you.

… more thoughts later…

-Pete

Life… the glorious endeavor to fulfill destiny. A place of longing, and yet appreciation. Is life a place? Or is life a race? Is life our story? Or is it his story? Ponder these.

Recently I have been captivated by a mindset of fulfillment, a mindset of catching the vision in Heaven and somehow through obediance and faith bringing that vision to earth… I pine, I perish. If the truth truly sets us free, then why do we not pursue truth? The realm of truth is this; Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Church, Kingdom, advancing, sacrifice, measure, time, love, obedience, decrease, increase, serve, die, live.  I love the fact that somehow in our greatest weakness we are made great, not in human eyes, or hearts, but in the sight of God we are made great. There are times where I certainly do not realize that in my weaknesses I am being perfected, yet I hold on to the truth in which “where there is less of me, there shall be more of Him.” Isn’t it a blessing that Christ has allowed us to be less? I’ve been pondering this… and it really is a blessing.   Philipians 1:21-23: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me;and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.”    Here there is obviously a statement that it is obviosuly better to be with Christ away from the body, and yet… much to be gained while here in the body! INCREASE!

Where has God called you to instill increase today? If nothing can truly seperate us from the Love of Christ,then all power is ours. Here’s why; because Christ was seperated from the Love of God so that we would not have to. His fulfillment of filling that void, and becoming that void on our behalf has made our entire being, calling, destiny complete in him who is our completion. So when we put our hand to the plow, the power of fulfillment is our portion in Christ! It is ours to gain Church, the increase!  Realizing this is the first step to mobilization. Mobilization to what?  To doing the same as Christ… laying down our lives to declaritively gain what we cannot gain in the body. To raise up what only comes to fruition by ones sacrifice, it is our motivation to persevere, and our revelation to serve.  Till death do us part, and yet we will be closer.

You may be saying… how is this practical? Read you Bible. In the Old testament “practical” was raising sheep, in the New Testament “practical” is dying to gain. To submit all that you have, your desires, your fears, your wants, your sheep, your money… so that there will be room for the Holy spirit to fill you, and plain and simple… if you die to your flesh… then you become more like Christ. Example, if God is love… and Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek it’s own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails! – 1st Corinthians 13:4-8ish. If that is love, then of course we have to die to our flesh… our soulish desires ( I want, I think, I feel.)  But in dying… you see what we gain… love.  Love births in us Christlikeness,  because he love… it increases our portion, the portion that he has set for us. I LOVE it!

So my question for the day is: What is your love, and how can you decrease so that you may increase?   When increasing, it is not just you who are increased, but those around you.   The desire is that we become more like Christ… but that all people and places around us become more like Christ to the glory of God the Father!

In all things we are able!

-Pete

Pete Ray:

                     *Flying over bus stops and playgrounds

                     I’m here soaked to the core

                       I’ll stay here Forever

                       I’m safe with you

Pete Mac:

                      Becoming afraid I made a stand

                      When will my heart be free from this land

                      All I see and trust is your hand

                      I’m safe with you

Pete Ray:

                     Losing sight of the days

                     When will I come back to the race

                     My eye is blind, make it see

                     Cause you’re all I need, I’m safe with you

Pete Mac:

                     My Heart longs deeper, deeper still

                     For something greater, a sighing chill

                     My breath is gone but my heart sings on

                     I’m safe with you.

This was a facebook rap. That we did. It’s amazazing!!!

* the first part is from a band called “athlete”… the rest is simply genius… and pure southern skillz!!!

-Pete

This video is amazazing!!! It is a must see… and get your Bibles ready!

Tonight I start Intro to Theology. I’m extremely excited as you might imagine. Before our class begins, my professor has asked me to read this blog post:  Where Are The Christian Intellectuals? I find it very inspiring and Intriguing.

Well, as you may have guessed… I have successfully started college classes this week. It’s good, it’s gooooooood. I jumped into Church History 1 last night, dude, stellarrr. Not gonna lie, life’s flowing right along… it’s funny cause down here life actually does flow. I’ve met many new people, seen lot’s of familiar faces, and shared a couple of laughs. I’ve been fulfilling dreams and visions already, entering into the presence of God on a regular basis, and been challenged in just about everything that there is to be challenged in. I love my life, I love the people that surround me here… But most of all, I LOVE HIM!!!!

-Pete

Let the spirit of God breathe upon my life in such a way that all I feel, all I see, all I need is a transparent encounter with the maker of the Heavens and earth.  Man, I’m already being challenged to grow up and be a MAN! In the north country I was challenged… but mostly physically and financially… and there’s nothing wrong with that. But give me a few days in Fayetteville… and this surge of conviction/excitement/anticipation and The Fear of the Lord comes over me. I’m challenged. One reason being; I’m staying in the home of a Doctor who has really high standards of maintenance…. lets just say that my standards are forced to go from kindergarten… all the way to the olympics! Which of course if you’re Chinese that’s the same thing. But He has an edge trimmer for his grass. I mean, I have a hamper for my dirty clothes but that doesn’t normally help me. Now I have to do it all baby. Man-Hood…. here I come! From seeking Him at a higher level, to studying ten times harder than I ever have… to being disciplined in taking care of all that is provided in this lovely home. Plus these side things called relationships that happen to be my forte. Wooftuh! 

Anyways, enough about that. I’m just so excited to be here. Old friends, Carolina air, people that I relate to racially, southern food, seeing people love Jesus everywhere, seeing people need Jesus everywhere… seeing Jesus everywhere! I’ve been so busy… pray for me. I still have some infection in my leg that won’t go away.

Oh and… I bought a CAR!!! I think I’ll name her Caroline-uh. It’s a beauty. I wish that I had pictures. The Lord totally provided this wonderful car for me. Anyways Jesus is GOOOOOOD. I met my roommate today. What a man of God! A great guy!

Anyways, just wanna shout out to my people up north. love you all!!! Or should I say ya’ll???

-Pete