01.31.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:24 pm by Perry
I just wanted to make a quick post to announce that my little brother, Patrick Poteet, who is a sophmore in high school made a profession of faith this past Sunday at a church service. Pat has adamently denied not only Jesus’ diety for some time but even the concept of an existence of God.
God has been working amazing feats in our family recently. Pat came to God just this week, my Mom was brought back to full health from her very death bed when all the doctors said she was for sure going to a few weeks ago, and in other ways which are personal and not appropiate to discuss in such an open forum. Also, through much adversity that has challenged us I have been able to re-gain and strengthen my relationships with my younger brother and sister who I had neglected for so long. Truly, grace is falling like rain upon our family and praise God for it.
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01.24.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:40 am by Perry
I previously wrote about the Westboro Baptist Church ( www.godhatesfags.com ) who is known for their extreme hatred and bigotry(see previous post concerning this church from November: http://www.adorationprophet.com/2005/alert/ ). They are better known as the God hates fags, the army, the president, West Virginia, and coal miners church. Recently, members of the church protested the funerals for the 12 coal miners who died because the church says that “God hates West Virginia!” (seriously, these guys are for real, I couldn’t make this up). They have also been known to protest funerals for american troops who died in Iraq becuase they state that “God hates the war in Iraq and the army” because America allows homosexuals in the army.
In response to these senseless protests a congressmen is proposing a bill to outlaw protests at funerals. The ACLU (America Civil Liberties Union) is opposed to this proposed bill because they say it limits a person’s right to free speech. How far the the first amendment go though? Are not the rights of the people at the funeral being impinged upon by these protests? What is truly sacred enough to warrant protecting in this way?
I am interested to hear what other people think. Please post your opinion as a comment. Even better, write you congressmen with your opinion and Westboro Baptist Church to tell them that they not only don’t speak for God but they don’t know him either.
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01.19.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:11 pm by Perry
This will be a quick (and short post) because I am so busy right now but I just wanted to get on-line and say how awesome God truly is. I was so blessed to be able to stand in front of my peers and friends and testify to God’s glory. What an awesome opportunity! Pastor Turner from Apex gave a great sermon on 1 John 5: 1-5 and the worship band gets better every week.
I would like to ask anyone who reads this to keep a few things in your prayers. First, please keep my mother in your prayers since she was admitted to the ICU at Grandview Hospital on Monday and is just now starting a long road to recovery. She is being moved from the ICU tomorrow to another ward. Praise God because the doctors told us Monday night she wouldn’t live to see the morning. Also, please keep Pastor Turner and his wife in your prayers and they prepare to bring another child into their family.
Well, I must now return to my last minute studies.
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01.16.06
Posted in Personal at 10:58 am by Perry
All of Miriam and I’s wedding and honeymoon pictures are available for viewing on-line through my blog by clicking on the photos link or you can go to:
www.adorationprophet.com/photos .
Chris went above and beyond to prepare these pictures and Miriam and I are very grateful.
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01.11.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:12 am by Perry
I have been putting a lot of thought recently into what it means to truly know God and how having a relationship with Him manifests itself in ones life. After much thought, prayer, and discussion with others, I have come to realize that such knowledge of God manifests itself in a person’s life in many ways. A desire for ministry and spreading the gospel to others, a devotion for reading and studying the Bible and a wiliness to serve God in all aspects of ones life are all outward signs of having a relationship with God.
Recently, though, I have been reading Knowing God by J.I. Packer and in the book Packer makes an interesting distinction between knowledge of God and knowing about God compared to knowing God. Packard goes on to elaborate in the introduction that many theologians and lay persons study doctrine and scripture vehemently and are very knowledgeable about God but yet do not know Him personally in their lives.
Last year I went through a bible study with Matt Martin where he said something to me that really stuck. He told me that all the knowledge of God is worthless if you do not actually know God in your life. Matt stated, and Packer affirmed, that to know God brings about the ability to find joy in God; to not just enjoy the things of God such as his power, grace, mercy, wrath, etc. but to truly find joy in these things because you experience them daily in your life through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
For a long time I have known much about God through church, Sunday school, spending time with my brother Chris and other Christians, and personal study of the Bible. But it is only recently that I am beginning to undertand what it means to find joy in God through knowing him personally. The lyrics to a song title You are my Joy by the David Crowder Band off their most recent CD express the what it means to find joy in God and his glory well:
And He set me on fire, and I am burning alive.
With His breath in my lungs I am coming undone.
And I cannot hold it in and remain composed.
Love’s taken over me and so I propose the letting myself go.
I am letting myself go.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
And He set me on fire, and I am burning alive.
With His breath in my lungs I am coming undone.
And I cannot hold it in and remain composed.
Love’s taken over me and so I propose the letting myself go.
I am letting myself go.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
I need to catch my breath, I need to.
I need to catch my breath, give me a moment now.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
I’m laughing so hard…
Of course we must also look to the scriptures to affirm that we are to find joy in the glory of the almighty God:
Matthew 25:21
"His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
Luke 19:37
As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen,
John 15:11
" These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
Acts 13:52
And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
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