Family
Living
By Pastor Pete Cropsey
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If we keep reaching towards Jesus, He has reserved
for us the very best.
Jesus makes eight different promises to those who
overcome the pinnacle in Revelation 3:21, “To
him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me
on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down
with My Father on His throne.” Every day and
every event between now
and then is another step
closer to that throne. Everyday we are closer to
that throne our passions
should burn hotter and
our anticipation should
be heightened.
Christian,
stir yourself
up from your
slumber
I have gotten so sick of
that expression, “Back in
the day.” It sends out a
message that says the best
is behind us. God says the best is yet to come. 1
Corinthians 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
nor have entered into the heart of man the things
which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
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TheLAChristianMagazine.com
Christian, stir yourself up
from your slumber and go
outside and at the top of
your lungs declare to the
heavens and to the world.
“Oh Jesus I love You and
I am amazed at this very moment. I know that the
next moment coming will be even more amazing
because You have saved me and You are for me!”
Paul says, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have
“Lord today I will stand under the spout where
Your glory comes out. I will not hold on to the
past, either its failures or its successes. I am looking for fresh oil of anointing. I am seeking a new
and glorious height in You today, Lord. Every moment of every day and every breath I take will be
more full of You than the one before. Amen.”
Pete Cropsey is the founding pastor of
First Love Church . Pete is also the
author of “Dead Man Waking”
and “Eddie.” Find additional
information about First Love
Church at FirstLoveChurch.net.
For information about Pastor Pete’s
books, visit DeadManWaking.net
We believe it is only in a real relationship with Jesus in which he plays the
role of Savior, Redeemer and Lord and in which we acknowledge that we are
broken sinners in need of saving that the chasm separating us from God can
be closed and fellowship can take place.
First Love is a hospital for sinners not a museum for saints. It is a haven of
refuge for the dispirited and broken, not a showcase for the well-heeled religious. First Love is a place where no matter how you arrive God is there to
change you into the person He has created you to be. We don’t tell our God how big our problems are, we tell our problems how big our God is. First Love
is an expression of praise stimulated by our immense gratitude for what God has done in our lives.
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DEAD MAN WAKING AND EDDIE
Two Novels by Peter C. Cropsey
Dead Man Waking is the story of Eddie Wilkins, prison bound, heroin addicted, and
caught in a life that has consumed him. Eddie is so far from God it would appear
that there is no way that he could ever come to know God but God is in pursuit of
Eddie and He is relentless.
A motorcycle accident finds Eddie on an old farmer’s couch where he travels back
through the past and into his childhood trying to unravel the mystery of how he
got to where he is. Dead Man Waking is a fast read that fulfills the curiosity about
the darker side of life while at the same time engenders a sense of hope and the
feeling that you really want to know what is going to happen to Eddie next.
TheLAChristianMagazine.com
e can never rest in a place of satisfaction in our accomplishments.
Has God brought you a great distance and transformed you to the
point where the old you is completely unrecognizable? He has only just begun. We must press on
and not be content with our present circumstance.
If we do, we will find ourselves reminiscing over
the things that God did
back in the day and back
in the day will grow further and further into the
past until it is just a distant memory. When that
happens we will be dry
bones laying on the floor
of the valley bleaching in
the sun.
So not only should we let go of the darker and more
shameful aspects of our past but we should also let go
of our prideful attachments to our victories. Romans
8 reminds us that we are more than conquerors but
it say it is through Him who loved us. I sometimes
want to boost myself up on past accomplishments.
Things I did in and for the kingdom, and here we
go with it, “Back in the day.” So I don’t want to get
up in the morning with the shame of past failures
or the self-satisfaction of past victories either. Rather
I want to get up and give God a clean slate every
morning. I want to get up a completely empty vessel
so that I can be filled afresh and anew. Come, Thou
Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy
grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs
of loudest praise.
First Love is the vision of Pastor Pete Cropsey and his wife Dawn. Th W