Faithfulness – Peter Gowesky

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response time…

February 2, 2009 No Comments

How do you deal with difficulties?

I was reading today about Joseph and the cards that he was dealt. This guy suffered some serious hardships! He was:

1. Thrown in a pit by his brothers

2. Sold by his brothers to merchants as a slave

3. Made a house servant

4. Accused of raping the Master’s wife

5. Thrown in prison

6. Forgotten in prison

That is some serious stuff. I can’t say that any of that has happened to me. I have been through several hard times over the course of my short life, however, nothing quite as brutal as that. I mean that is some serious stuff. As I was reading I was wondering how is Joseph going to respond? I’ve read it before, but still, I wondered what is he going to do. You can check it out here at Genesis 37-47. Check this out. He says, “Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourself for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” Honestly, here’s Joseph’s response in english… Hey don’t worry about it guys. I mean, honestly don’t beat yourselves up over it. It actually was really a good thing, because God used it to save lives!

That almost makes me laugh. It is almost so ridiculous that I could laugh at his response. But seriously, I shouldn’t be laughing. It just seems so crazy. Doesn’t it? I mean am I the only one who finds it hard to believe that for years Joseph went through the incredible loss of family, friends, jobs, status, income, and peace of mind, and he woke up on the other end of it and said, “this was a good thing!” It is incredible to me. His response is amazng.

I know that we are in a crazy world right now. I know plenty of guys loosing their jobs, or at least in fear of loosing their jobs. When things get dicey what is your response? I know what I wish my response would be more like… …

~Peter

In Faith in Real Life

2008

January 6, 2009 1 Comment

What has God done in 2008? (in no particular order)

God Has…

settled Tiffany and I here in Doylestown.
broken my heart for the need’s of people.
poured out blessing after blessing during times of serious financial need
kept each one of us safe and healthy
seen us through the creation of a Junior High and Senior High Youth Group.
grew those groups spiritually
grew those groups numerically
worked in the lives of over a hundred teenagers here at FBC
placed a burden on the hearts of people to give over $20,000 to the youth ministry
cultivated rich friendships in my life
grown my relationship with my wife to the degree that I didn’t know was possible
stretched Tiffany and I in ways we couldn’t have imagined
freed my dad from the limitations of sickness, disease, & brought him to the place of wholeness, and perfection
allowed me some very special and intimate moments with my dad in the last few days
gave me the strength to give testimony at my Dad’s funeral of not only who Dad was but who the very God that Dad served is
given our youth ministry 21 solid youth leaders who not only love God with all their hearts, but also have a passion for students
given me an anxious anticipation for the ministry that is to come in 2009!

What has God done in your life in 2008? It has been pretty quiet around here lately, through the holiday’s I have been spending extra time with my family and loving it! Let’s keep up the conversation in 2009! Thanks to each one of you who come back and read everyday! HAPPY NEW YEAR…

~Peter

In Faith in Real Life

Looking Back

December 29, 2008 1 Comment

Well today is December 29th. Can you believe that? Today I spent the morning with my wife and kids on the beaches of LBI and driving around looking at all the old familiar spots. We went to our second apartment, we went to the different places we loved. Then we met a friend for lunch. It was great. It felt like old times.

After all this nostalgic reminiscing, it made me think… “what has God done in the last year?” So, I’m challenging myself to take a look at the last year, and analyize it. I want to look back and see what God has done in my life over the last year. I want to take some time to think about it, but then I will share some of it with you.

So I challenge you with this question… “What has God done in your life this last year?”

Share with us! Let’s give God some praise…

~Peter

In Faith in Real Life

What will it take…

December 4, 2008 2 Comments

Sometimes I can’t help but laugh at people. People are just downright funny… sometimes. I think people are funny when they aren’t even trying to be funny. Like here is this guy… I couldn’t help but laugh about this guy…

Yeah, he’s relaxed alright. You know his wife is perusing the racks in J.C. Penny or something and I can only imagine that his dollar got spent a long time ago. Conked out on the massage chairs… CLASSIC! I was walking through the mall with Tiffany when I spotted him. I started laughing immediately. I couldn’t help but covertly take a picture of this dude… You know how it goes.

Like I said… People are funny. I was reading this morning from Acts 12 and I got to laughing again. Believe me, I think that the Apostles were some pretty intense people… but man sometimes those guys just didn’t get it. I’m reading in Acts 12 and I come to verse 11 and it says this… “When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

DUH! I MEAN SERIOUSLY! WHAT ELSE WOULD IT TAKE TO HELP YOU REALIZE THIS ONE!

Let’s have a simple review… So Peter is arrested after James the brother of John has been executed. Likely Pete’s fate is the same as James’. I don’t think that King Herod was arranging some bonding time. He was serious. So Peter is in jail chained to two guards, waiting for the big moment.

Hmm… Now I know for sure? Here’s the progression as I see it…

You couldn’t tell that God was involved here from any of these steps?

An angel appears… (I’d love to have an angel appear to me… that would be proof in the pudding for me…)
The angel pokes Peter in the side waking him up… (This has happened to me… I must admit. Except my angel’s name isn’t Gabriel, or Michael, it’s Tiffany…)
The Angel says put your shoes on… (implying, YOU’RE GONNA NEED THEM)
Oh yeah, and when your done with your shoes, put your cloak on… (It’s cold outside fool! Don’t catch a cold…)
The chains fell off his hands… (Seriously, that would be something that would be a good addition to David Blane’s stunts.)
Leaving the two guards who you were just chained to…
Leaving the guarded cell that you were just occupying
Seeing the cities iron gates open up for you
Walking through an empty street with an angel

At what step do you think it would be pretty obvious that this was a God thing… Don’t you just want to laugh at Pete when he comes up with a statement like, “Hmm… Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent me His angel and rescued me.” Oh yeah… Good work Pete! Way to be super discerning. (Sarcastic overtones implied)

We can laugh at this, and Luke may have even included it because he knew that it was funny. However, does this look like your life even a little bit? How obvious does God need to be before we acknowledge His divine, loving, crazy, abnormal, from time to time covert, sometimes overt, intense, life changing work in our lives. Seriously though… I’m that guy. I am that guy in Acts who goes, duh… I just got out of the King’s severely guarded jail. It must have been a God thing.

Can you recall moments in life like this?

The birth of my children were both like this. The very first time I held my children in my arms I said, “God you have made this. How amazing you are! I am humbled and dumbstruck that you would choose me to be the earthly daddy to this precious little life.” This was clearly a God moment.

I can recall times of God moving me so that I would be spared pain, rejection, anger, disappointment, and many other things. In the moment I questioned if God was in it, and months later looking back I saw that God was not only in it, but He was weaving all the situations together to protect me, shield me, love me, lead me, use me, and be honored through me.

Can you recall moments in life like this? Or are we so deaf and dumb, visionless and senseless that we can’t embrace what God is doing in our lives?

Tune in… Investigate… Explore… Probe… Chase after the God who is Chasing after YOU!

~Peter

In Faith in Real Life

You Never Let Go…

May 5, 2008 1 Comment

I have been thinking alot lately. I know… that sounds funny. Seriously though, there have been times in my lief when I have just coasted, and haven’t really thought alot, and then times where I find myself continually thinking about things. Well, right now is just one of those times. I know that I haven’t posted anything in a couple days, but I honestly have been thinking about how best to put into words what I am thinking. I went to Texas to visit my parents and my family. Coming home on the plane, I had several hours to sit and think. (When I wasn’t trying to keep grace out of the guys hair piece in front of me…) But I was thinking and listening to one of my favorite bands, David Crowder Band. I was listening to their new album, Remedy. On that album there is a song called Never Let Go. What a worshipful experience that was for me.

Before we go further with this conversation you need to hear the words to the song. This is a simple video that someone else put together and posted on youtube. Listen to the words. And if you don’t hear them the first time, listen again, or just click here and read them as the music plays.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=Hx5Y9DhoLJQ]

Have you, or are you experiencing something or a time in your life right now when you feel like God has left you behind, or forgotten about you?

“Ever faithful, Ever True, You I know, You never let Go!”

Let me encourage you if you are going through a difficult time, lean on God, and realize that He never changes, He is still the same today as He was yesterday.

What do you think?