Albany was cold yesterday. I didnt realize I was such a so-cal softy until all the locals noticed me shivering and told me to cheer up since it could be a lot worse. But in the midst of the cold and snow there is something special happening in the middle of the city. There is prayer and there is healing, both spiritual and physical.
When I was picked up from the airport I was not taken to the usual hotel room, but instead I was taken to a place called The Capital Region Prayer And Healing Center. Now I must admit I was a little out of my element. New place, new people. But as the hours passed and I began to connect with hearts and hear stories I saw that this place was special. Twenty-Four hours around the clock there are people praying for the region, for their families, for whatever the Lord puts on their heart. And on the top floor there is a doctor named Bob Paeglow who offers his services for free to all the surrounding community. His story has been featured in USA Today, People Magazine, and Newsweek as well as some TV shows such as 60 minutes. I am told he received a humanitarian of the year award as well.
Needless to say the Lord is using this place to share his love with the community. I played at a school a few miles away, and it was an amazing time of worship.
This is me and Bob, the doctor that I was telling you about.
There is an interesting way of thinking I have noticed within a lot of the church, and if I were to put it in one phrase it would go something like this “different things are wrong things”. You may substitute “not the best” for “wrong” if you would like. By things I mean ways, procedures, or even thought processes as they pertain to Christianity.
I’m not about to get into some big, long psychological thing, I just write this to say that I have had the opportunity to witness the body of Christ on a larger scale than I ever thought I would, and I have seen it to be a broken and beautiful thing filled with people who very desperately need the grace and love of the Father. I love to see the Lord encountering different people in different ways. I love to see Him somehow push through the weakness of the human heart and use us to make each other aware of His love. I love that He loves us.
Jesus says in John 15:12 “This is My commandment that you love one another as I have loved you”.
So here is todays challenge: Love each other. Seriously, go totally out of your way to love people and see what happens. Then come back and tell us the story here on the blog.
I look forward to hearing from you!!
Phil
Sarah (with an "H")
March 1st, 2008 at 11:39 amHey Phil!
Thanks for coming out to Albany in the frigid tundra. We all really appreciate your humility and selfless love for the Lord that is so evident in your music! Keep on rockin’ and come to Light of the World Church in Latham, NY if you get a chance!! God Bless!
Lori George
March 1st, 2008 at 11:42 amFunny– this has already been tested in my life today before I even got online & read your blog, Phil.
Things between a particular relative and I are…. strained… to say the least…and things were boiling beneath the surface inside of me this morning in regards to this relative of mine.
Thanks to an amazing book, by Dr. James B. Richards, “How to Stop the Pain,” I’m learning thought-by-thought that pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.
So, I give the situation over to God. He knows my heart — He knows my limits.
(Amazing photographs, by the way. My church, Victory Assembly Of God, has a 24/7 prayer center and we are aiming torwards a similar outreach with on-site doctors as well.)
Have a restful weekend, Phil! =)
Julia
March 1st, 2008 at 3:25 pmSpeaking of prayer…
Please keep my friend’s family in prayer– the family who lost their mom last Wednesday (and their dad in last December)– These next few weeks are going to be really hard, as their family will be leaving, and they’ll have to face being home alone for the first time.
Thank you so much.
~Julia
Jessica
March 1st, 2008 at 3:45 pmwow that sounds amazing. It looks like you had a good time. I love to hear encouraging stories like that about people advancing God’s kingdom. I pray that every person has a burden on their hearts like that. Well if you are ever looking for a blog to check out you a free to check mine out http://www.morethanriches.blogspot.com I just started the site and love blogging so far!
Rebecca
March 1st, 2008 at 5:57 pmIt’s so amazing to see how God uses people through such unique ways, de-constructing our limited paradigms of how we think the Church can reach people in our society.
I like this blog. Blessings in your travels
Rebecca
PS (Julia): So sorry about your friends; they will be in my prayers.
keely
March 1st, 2008 at 9:18 pmi love what you’re doing. it’s so amazing. keep it up philbo. hee hee, in the first picture, you look like you have elf feet!
Shealee
March 2nd, 2008 at 12:25 amNice, Phil. Agreed.
I was waiting for my usual iced venti non-fat latte at Starbucks yesterday and all of a sudden, this older man dressed in an overly colorful sweater and ripped pants got up from his seat. By his clothes, dirty hands, and belongings, he was clearly homeless. He started yelling loud enough for the entire shop to hear, “Will someone please buy me a coffee…. I don’t want these people to get fired…. Starbucks will sue me…. I just want a coffee…. I don’t want to get into trouble….” That’s all I can remember of what he said, but afterward, we all concluded that he had scitzophrenia (I know I spelled it wrong). He came right up to me and said, “Miss, can you buy me a coffee?” I was raised to never give anything to homeless-and that their situation it is their fault. I have seen the Lord change my heart on this in preticular… but I my first response was still, “No, I am sorry…” He walked off, still yelling. I realized what I had just done… I had said that without even thinking… and then I remembered I had a five dollar bill in my purse. I went and got it and handed it to him. He bought a pastry and a cup of coffee and scurried out the door. To see him leave with food was one of the most peaceful things. I think God just enjoys loving on people through other people they come across.
Annie
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:38 pmWow Phil, you were so amazing at the concert. I loved it!! i’m so glad that you came!and I cant believe that you remembered my name at the end because I know that you went around to many of the volunteers and fans introducing yourself. That shocked me but I’m sorry that you weren’t use to the weather…
I play the guitar for the Worship team at Our Saviors Lutheran…wow I wish I played just as well as you do…my dad (the soundman)was telling me that your voice was so strong that the speakers were overloading!
I heard that a few of you guys went to Bombers after the show..I hope you liked it…Bombers is one of the best restraunts in Albany.
I hope that you come out to Albany again!! I wish it was friday night all over again
Maria
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:40 pmHi Phil,
I had the pleasure of worshipping with you in Albany. I experienced an open heaven unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I think if I were to travel & experience the Body of Christ as you do I might have broken heart. You do share the love of Christ! You really took time to speak to people and I even got to say hello to you. When the Body of Christ learns to really be INTIMATE with Him we will be healed & love one another. Be blessed as you share your exquisite voice in worship so we all can enjoy the sound!
Raquel TWG
March 2nd, 2008 at 5:33 pmI don’t know if you’re as excited to hear from me than from everyone else, but this is a great post, Philly. Love is definitely something this world needs and I definitely need help loving people and witnessing to them as well. I’ll even be praying for you, like it or not.
And I see that you won in 4 categories of Musicfaith.com’s Picks in 2007.
Let’s see:
Male Artist of 2007,
Album of 2007,
Best Worship Album of 2007,
and Best Worship Song of 2007.
I’m proud of you, mister.
Raquel TWG
March 2nd, 2008 at 5:35 pmOh and being from Miami, as you know, I can empathize with you. I’m a South Florida softy.
Rachel
March 2nd, 2008 at 6:49 pmWord! Sounds like a remarkable experience, too.
Kelly
March 7th, 2008 at 9:29 amHi Phil, glad you always go back to basics…He is our everything. He loves us and it is undeserved. I pray we would all learn to love like He loves. I find He placed love in my heart for a colleague at work whose sister passed away from pancreatic cancer this past Sunday. He keeps giving me the boldness to share scriptures with her. –Psalm 62; Matthew 7:24-25
Krystal Dolan
March 8th, 2008 at 9:34 pmWow, the Lord has really put that scripture upon my heart too! Ever since I was listening to a Kenneth Copeland cd on healing and he said that this commandment, to love, IS NOT AN OPTION. I am so excited that I am free to love everyone. It sure takes a weight off my shoulders. I don’t have to judge them, yah!
I do have a story to tell you as well. The other day I was driving down the street, and God pointed out a kid sitting at the public bus stop to me. I noticed he had on one of those skeleton sweatshirts. God asked me to go talk to him. Yikes! Because I love God with all my heart, and have given myself over to Him as a living sacrifice, I obeyed. As I walked down the sidewalk talking to God and asking him, “Lord, what shall I say? What do you want to tell him?” The Lord said, “Just love him.” Wow, ok. I was sent to love a complete stranger. God totally showed up! I gave him a bible, $20, a powerful word from God, prayed with him, and we hugged. I love loving!!! In the end, this stranger was blessed, I was blessed and God was blessed. God has sent us all to walk in love, and restore His people to Him. Oh how His heart grieves for the lost!
anon4him
March 10th, 2008 at 5:08 pmWell, this week I’ve been trying to get out of my comfort zone some and be a loving individual, but I guess I might have an easier time acting as such to Christians. Anyway, I’ve been at spring training for softball in Florida this past week, and Cedarville University had thier softball team staying at the same hotel as us. Anyway, I ended up finishing the book “The Case for Faith” while I was here and a girl from Cedarville’s team was going to need to read it for a paper she was writing, so I just gave it to her. They also showed love to me as well as my entire team in that they invited me to join them for thier bible study, and (as they were returning before us) gave my team their left over snacks and toaster! I love loving and being loved by people! It’s great!
Jaimi Revard
March 26th, 2008 at 9:27 pmSo I’m in a cooking class at school. We’re in groups that are assigned to a kitchen. one particular boy in my group is just one of those people that are so lost, and need the love of god in their lives. he gets away with whatever he wants, he’s greedy with cooking duties, and never helps clean. He ended up taking half of the food we cooked, and didn’t share it and made a big mess in the kitchen at the same time. It frusterated me so much that I decided to just love on him. When he was supposed to do the dishes, I did them for him. When he was supposed to clean the kitchen, I helped him do it. and He came up to me, saying, why are doing this? can I help you please? and it was then, when I realized that it took someone to love on him, for him to do the same.
Shannon Elle
March 27th, 2008 at 5:03 pmSomeone wise once told me that “Love wins… not always in the ways we expect it to, not always in the ways that look like love… but no matter what, love always wins.”
Have struggled with the very thing you speak of, for years. Sometimes the institutional church so does not look like the Jesus we profess. We’re so quick to put boxes around what Jesus must be like, and prescribe rules for the way the church should be. There are lines drawn, and walls built, and we’re fragmented into denominations, governed by racial boundaries, and social status, and even by our pet sins. And I know I’m missing some…
That’s the thing that’s so amazing about Jesus. He didn’t fall into the man-made boundaries, but instead superceded them by dying once and for all. We’re all on equal footing at the base of the cross.
Oh how I was reminded of that this past Sunday… Easter Sunday, in fact. I live in a small NC town where times are tough for so many. A homeless man showed up at our church for services Sunday morn. Actually lives down by the river here in town. He grew up in this church as a boy, and then walked away from God. Said it had been 18 years since he’d been back. Two years ago, I probably would’ve shunned him. But through the transforming love of my God, I saw not a homeless man, but a man. His circumstances are different than mine, and there are so many lines I could draw to prove how we’re different, but those lines are all superficial. In the depths of our hearts, he and I are very much alike… except that I’ve been redeemed, and he’s not yet. Yet. Because I believe that love wins.
I can’t wait to see what God does in him…