Thursday, April 19, 2012
The Neglected Gift by Todd Pierce
Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. 1 Tim 4:14
Bad parenting!
Here at the Pierce home, we have pet ducks. Our ducks are too fat to fly, too dumb to find their own food and shelter and clueless on where to lay and hatch their young. Each morning I go to the barn, I find an egg right in the middle of the driveway. The problem with making animals pets is they quit doing what they were created to do. They become domesticated. Ducks were given special survival skills to help them fulfill their role in creation. Gifts like flying, finding food and finding safe places to raise their families are all neglected long enough that they simply lose their God-given instincts. You can be the same if you neglect the gifts that our Father put in you to fulfill your purpose. Fortunately, the ducks have Leslie. Consider the gifts and the calling on your life and and give yourself to them.
In service of the King,
Todd Pierce
Labels: calling, gifting, neglect, pets, purpose
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Defeating the Enemy by Todd Pierce
II Corinthians 10:3-5 "Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."
The life of a Christian should be a life that is lived in the Truth. If you are a Christian (child of God through Jesus), then it is of critical importance to know the Truth about yourself. As I have gone through my life, I have noticed that I continue to struggle with thoughts of what others may think of me and negative thoughts I have of myself. I am about 5'8", I have brown hair and I'm a caucasian male - these are a matter of fact. Even if I want to think otherwise and wear high-heeled boots, bleach my hair, tan my skin and get a sex change, I am still 5'8", have brown hair and I'm a caucasian male. So I'm not talking about that. I am talking about thoughts like: Am I powerful? Am I smart? Am I valuable? Am I loved? Am I accepted? These kinds of thoughts go pretty deep and we have many ways to answer them. As a son of God, the most important thing for me to know is the answer that my Father gives. If you ask me what I believe His answer is, I would give you the right answer from the Bible. But, if I honestly look at how I conduct myself, I would have to admit that I struggle with knowing what I believe. So what's the problem and what's the answer? I want you to understand that you really do have an enemy, his name is satan and he hates you. The good news is that he is powerless over you unless you choose to believe his lies. I can say in one moment that I am loved and accepted by God and I am of such great value to him that he paid the ultimate price to have me as a son. Then in the next moment I can act like I am an orphan. This is because there are arguments (imaginations) that are spoken to you and you accept them as truth. This is not just a head game, these are thoughts that have been spoken from the mouth of the deceiver satan, either as a thought you had or a word someone spoke to you and unless we capture them and cast them down, they can change how you live. Although these things are not true, you can believe them and allow them to become a part of your life. I suggest that you begin to consider the Truth that our Father has spoken about you, consider what you think about yourself and if they are not the same, go to war! Call the lies out and denounce them by replacing them with Truth. You are free. Begin to live that way.
Todd Pierce
II Corinthians 10:3-5 "Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."
The life of a Christian should be a life that is lived in the Truth. If you are a Christian (child of God through Jesus), then it is of critical importance to know the Truth about yourself. As I have gone through my life, I have noticed that I continue to struggle with thoughts of what others may think of me and negative thoughts I have of myself. I am about 5'8", I have brown hair and I'm a caucasian male - these are a matter of fact. Even if I want to think otherwise and wear high-heeled boots, bleach my hair, tan my skin and get a sex change, I am still 5'8", have brown hair and I'm a caucasian male. So I'm not talking about that. I am talking about thoughts like: Am I powerful? Am I smart? Am I valuable? Am I loved? Am I accepted? These kinds of thoughts go pretty deep and we have many ways to answer them. As a son of God, the most important thing for me to know is the answer that my Father gives. If you ask me what I believe His answer is, I would give you the right answer from the Bible. But, if I honestly look at how I conduct myself, I would have to admit that I struggle with knowing what I believe. So what's the problem and what's the answer? I want you to understand that you really do have an enemy, his name is satan and he hates you. The good news is that he is powerless over you unless you choose to believe his lies. I can say in one moment that I am loved and accepted by God and I am of such great value to him that he paid the ultimate price to have me as a son. Then in the next moment I can act like I am an orphan. This is because there are arguments (imaginations) that are spoken to you and you accept them as truth. This is not just a head game, these are thoughts that have been spoken from the mouth of the deceiver satan, either as a thought you had or a word someone spoke to you and unless we capture them and cast them down, they can change how you live. Although these things are not true, you can believe them and allow them to become a part of your life. I suggest that you begin to consider the Truth that our Father has spoken about you, consider what you think about yourself and if they are not the same, go to war! Call the lies out and denounce them by replacing them with Truth. You are free. Begin to live that way.
Todd Pierce
Labels: Arguments, Believe, Deceiver, Imaginations, Lies, Truth
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Give Me Your Eyes to See by Todd Pierce
For years now, I have asked our Father to help me see people the way He sees them. I want to be a man who has His heart. One who loves what He loves and hates what He hates. I am not sure how close I am to realizing what this can be like, but I do know that I can see clearer now than ever why He hates sin and empowers love. The pictures you see attached are children I met while in Guatemala. I saw in their eyes what sin has done to them. Physical poverty and sickness is bad enough, but when someone is hopeless and sin is all they can see, devastation is inevitable. It broke my heart to see children who were turned away from the feeding center because there wasn't enough food, but I wept over the reality that these children have never tasted nor seen how good the Lord is. They were not given the chance to hear the Gospel and receive the ancient Truth that could rescue their generation. I am certain that our Father hates people starving to death, but I want to encourage you to see deeper than that. If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. If a man gains the Holy Spirit, he will eat forever. I am still sorting through the emotions I have over what I saw in Guatemala and know that it will forever change me. But for now, I want to encourage you to join me in this beautiful adventure of knowing our Father's heart. You are surrounded by suffering people, all you need to do is learn to see. Watch this video and consider the invitation to join our Father's rescue mission to those who are starving. You are powerful and have been trusted to steward so much. Please use it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGr8as7pPBE
In service of the King,
Todd Pierce
www.ridinghighministries.org
For years now, I have asked our Father to help me see people the way He sees them. I want to be a man who has His heart. One who loves what He loves and hates what He hates. I am not sure how close I am to realizing what this can be like, but I do know that I can see clearer now than ever why He hates sin and empowers love. The pictures you see attached are children I met while in Guatemala. I saw in their eyes what sin has done to them. Physical poverty and sickness is bad enough, but when someone is hopeless and sin is all they can see, devastation is inevitable. It broke my heart to see children who were turned away from the feeding center because there wasn't enough food, but I wept over the reality that these children have never tasted nor seen how good the Lord is. They were not given the chance to hear the Gospel and receive the ancient Truth that could rescue their generation. I am certain that our Father hates people starving to death, but I want to encourage you to see deeper than that. If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. If a man gains the Holy Spirit, he will eat forever. I am still sorting through the emotions I have over what I saw in Guatemala and know that it will forever change me. But for now, I want to encourage you to join me in this beautiful adventure of knowing our Father's heart. You are surrounded by suffering people, all you need to do is learn to see. Watch this video and consider the invitation to join our Father's rescue mission to those who are starving. You are powerful and have been trusted to steward so much. Please use it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGr8as7pPBE
In service of the King,
Todd Pierce
www.ridinghighministries.org
Labels: food, poverty, rescue, sin, steward, Suffering
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The Inside Look by Todd Pierce
Hi, Family ~
I am on my way home from our event in the Dallas Stadium where the men competed in front of 34,000 fans. It was a great success for the PBR and another confirmation of why our Father continues to do such a mighty work through the men within the sport. Although the fans see what is happening in the arena and they roar with applause, I get to see more of what is happening behind the scenes and in the hearts of these men. When the pressure is on, I see what comes out. I am proud to say that when the pressure was on these men of faith, I saw the evidence of great fruit. They showed love, support and compassion for each other, yet demanded that they gave the task at hand their greatest effort. I witnessed one man come to the brother who just put him out of competition and slapped him on the back and told him "Go win this thing!" One man who was competing for a $100,000.00 prize and facing great danger, stood behind the chutes and chose to express to the men around him what God is doing in his life. I am always encouraged to see what our Father does through us as we press on to give the Gospel to the world around us, but sometimes I need to see what is happening within us. These are the same men, who just days ago, were playing in the dirt with the children of Guatemala and giving them the message that can save them. They shared their own fears that they have to face and told them how to deal with those fears through Jesus. These are great men in a great position to encourage millions with the message they contain. Thank you for making this work possible.
In service of the King,
Todd Pierce
www.ridinghighministries.org
Hi, Family ~
I am on my way home from our event in the Dallas Stadium where the men competed in front of 34,000 fans. It was a great success for the PBR and another confirmation of why our Father continues to do such a mighty work through the men within the sport. Although the fans see what is happening in the arena and they roar with applause, I get to see more of what is happening behind the scenes and in the hearts of these men. When the pressure is on, I see what comes out. I am proud to say that when the pressure was on these men of faith, I saw the evidence of great fruit. They showed love, support and compassion for each other, yet demanded that they gave the task at hand their greatest effort. I witnessed one man come to the brother who just put him out of competition and slapped him on the back and told him "Go win this thing!" One man who was competing for a $100,000.00 prize and facing great danger, stood behind the chutes and chose to express to the men around him what God is doing in his life. I am always encouraged to see what our Father does through us as we press on to give the Gospel to the world around us, but sometimes I need to see what is happening within us. These are the same men, who just days ago, were playing in the dirt with the children of Guatemala and giving them the message that can save them. They shared their own fears that they have to face and told them how to deal with those fears through Jesus. These are great men in a great position to encourage millions with the message they contain. Thank you for making this work possible.
In service of the King,
Todd Pierce
www.ridinghighministries.org
Labels: compassion, encourage, Fear, inside
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Guatemala update of Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Today's visit to a feeding center was a very different experience as it was in a more urban setting. The feeding center was the nicest building in the town.
The team is heading back to the States in the morning.
In Service to the King ~
Todd Pierce
Today's visit to a feeding center was a very different experience as it was in a more urban setting. The feeding center was the nicest building in the town.
The team is heading back to the States in the morning.
In Service to the King ~
Todd Pierce
Labels: feeding center
Monday, February 27, 2012
GUATEMALA UPDATE
It is now Monday, February 27, 2012. Good morning from Guatemala! Today, we will visit one of the many feeding centers within the Guatemala City area. These feeding programs are meeting the physical needs of many children as the love of God is being displayed.
What an incredible day for our PBR team! We got to see first hand what MANNA is doing in their feeding center program. When we arrived on site, it was in the middle of a filthy town with dirt roads and trash strewed everywhere. The homes were mostly tin shacks with dirt floors and the children played in the roads along with the cattle, chickens and pigs. In contrast, the MANNA house was a clean, safe environment where the children received food daily. In addition to food, they are learning basic sanitation, how to serve each other and the Bible. We handed out our 100 bags of treats along with toys, coloring books, toothbrushes and toothpaste. These folks need our help. Please consider what you can do.
Todd Pierce
It is now Monday, February 27, 2012. Good morning from Guatemala! Today, we will visit one of the many feeding centers within the Guatemala City area. These feeding programs are meeting the physical needs of many children as the love of God is being displayed.
What an incredible day for our PBR team! We got to see first hand what MANNA is doing in their feeding center program. When we arrived on site, it was in the middle of a filthy town with dirt roads and trash strewed everywhere. The homes were mostly tin shacks with dirt floors and the children played in the roads along with the cattle, chickens and pigs. In contrast, the MANNA house was a clean, safe environment where the children received food daily. In addition to food, they are learning basic sanitation, how to serve each other and the Bible. We handed out our 100 bags of treats along with toys, coloring books, toothbrushes and toothpaste. These folks need our help. Please consider what you can do.
Todd Pierce
Labels: Children, Feeding, MANNA
Sunday, February 26, 2012
GUATEMALA UPDATE
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The PBR team has safely arrived in Guatemala City. We have been greeted by the MANNA Staff and settled into the house we will stay in for the next three days. Our ride from the airport was shocking, as we saw the severity of the situation here and the level of poverty these people are forced to live in. We are all very humbled and moved with compassion as we consider the weight of this trip. It's amazing how you can go from a focus of riding bulls for $35,000.00 in the Houston coliseum to being in a position where all you can think about is how to help these people get enough food to make it another day. Please pray with us that the love that God has trusted us with will overflow in a special way to these people.
We are headed to a church in Sumpongo to share the Gospel message.
In service of the King,
Todd Pierce
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The PBR team has safely arrived in Guatemala City. We have been greeted by the MANNA Staff and settled into the house we will stay in for the next three days. Our ride from the airport was shocking, as we saw the severity of the situation here and the level of poverty these people are forced to live in. We are all very humbled and moved with compassion as we consider the weight of this trip. It's amazing how you can go from a focus of riding bulls for $35,000.00 in the Houston coliseum to being in a position where all you can think about is how to help these people get enough food to make it another day. Please pray with us that the love that God has trusted us with will overflow in a special way to these people.
We are headed to a church in Sumpongo to share the Gospel message.
In service of the King,
Todd Pierce
Labels: compassion, focus, food, love
