Life Goes On

Church as the "Go-to" Place

2012-02-08T16:11:00.000-05:00

I'm one of those who has emphasized many times that most of the programs in most churches are designed as "come" structures. Come to our service, come to our program, come to our concert, or revival or whatever. Cast against the backdrop of the Great Commission which emphasizes "go", it makes it seem as if we are choosing the exact opposite of what Jesus meant. Today as I was praying and thinking about an identity for our church, I began to think of "go" in a bit of a different light. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the people of our town began to think of Faith Baptist Church as the "go-to" place for all sorts of needs?

Lonely? Go to Faith Baptist.
Depressed? Go to Faith Baptist.
Hungry? Go to Faith Baptist.
Homeless? Go to Faith Baptist.
Jobless? Go to Faith Baptist.

Not that we are currently equipped to meet all those needs, but we can become equipped. When we have a member who is passionate about a particular ministry, we can help them launch that ministry through the church. Just as the temple was the center of activity in Jerusalem, I believe the church can become the center of activity in a community. In the process of meeting needs, the gospel should be shared. The
"signs and wonders" that accompanied the activities of Jesus and the early disciples served to get the attention of people in need of a relationship with Jesus. In the same way, the meeting of needs can open a hole in the heart of a person that you can drive a Mack truck of the gospel right through.
How about it Church? Let's become the "go-to" place.

National Signing Day for Believers?

2012-02-01T11:31:00.003-05:00

Wouldn't it be great if churches went after non-believers with the same intensity that colleges pursue football recruits? Here's how I see it happening;

A church identifies and locates the non-believers in their area.
Each non-believer is assigned a Believing church member to connect with them, woo them and seek to get them to commit to Jesus.
The entire coaching staff (church leaders) make connecting with the non-believer their priority. They make phone calls, write letters, make home visits, tweet, write on FaceBook pages, etc.
The "fans" (church members) are encouraged to focus their prayers on the non-believers on the list.
When the non-believer visits the church campus, they are assigned a church member to show them around, introduce them to other members and make them feel a part of the "family"

I believe that if we took reaching the unreached half as seriously as college football programs take reaching a prospective player for their team, we would see many more non-believers becoming part of "Team Jesus". What do you think?

Internal House Cleaning

2012-01-24T09:56:00.000-05:00

February was named after the Latin term februum,which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa heldon February 15 (full moon) in the old lunar Romancalendar.

What better time than this to spend some quality time withGod asking Him to reveal things in your life that need purifying.

· Take something to write on, a pen and your Bible

· Block out at least an hour with no distractions.

· Read Psalms 139:23-24 and make this your prayer.

· Write down everything that God brings to mind;don’t justify.

· Agree with God that the things He has brought tomind are sin.

· Cross off those which are only between you andGod.

· Ask forgiveness from those you have wronged byword, attitude or deed. Then cross themoff.

· Thank God for cleansing you from sin and ask Himto fill you with Holy Spirit.

· Repeat as needed.

The Week That Was

2012-01-21T10:40:00.002-05:00

This has been one of those weeks that tend to wear one down. Beginning last Saturday evening. After getting ready for bed early, we got a call that a church member had had a heart attack and was in ER at the local hospital. Quickly we changed and charged out of the condo toward our car. Before we got there, the owner of the unit below us rushed out to tell us that our shower was leaking into his unit. Explaining that we had no time to deal with this now, we left for the hospital, only to arrive too late. The man had died. We sat with his wife while the Dr. broke the news that the man she had been married to for 64 years was gone. Just as we were getting ready to leave the hospital, the owner of the unit below us called to insist that we do something about the leak. Once again I had to explain to him that we would not longer use the shower until we could get a plumber to check it out.
We assessed our shower situation later and determined that the leak was through a break in the tile on the back wall of the shower, and started patching that. Later in the week, the president of the condo association showed up at the door telling me there was a problem. I told that that I was working on it. That didn't satisfy him. Further discussion revealed that he had entered our unit while we were away (without notification, and not in an emergency) and made his own assessment.
I finally got a plumber in later in the week who, after checking everything out ($85) agreed that the problem was with the tile. He suggested a tile man whom they used. I called them, got an appointment, got an estimate and we are scheduled to have the work done next week. HOWEVER, even though the shower has not been used, the tenant downstairs tells me he still is getting water through the wall. Oh, my!
The coup de gras for the week was getting a message that a young man (52) who had been in our youth group many years ago had died as a result of a horrible industrial accident. He was working alone in his shop, and by the time he was found, it was too late. He leaves a wife and two daughters. Oh, by the way, in the midst of this I also officiated at the funeral of the man from my church. That in itself was not a problem, but the church tradition of feeding everyone who attends the funeral of a member was. Although the by-laws had been changed to say that the meal was only for family members and out of town guests, there arose a furor over what should be done. Turned out, it was a non-issue. Much ado about nothing except to reveal that there are underlying animosities that must, at some point, be dealt with.
I'm getting too old for this.

My New Year's Intentions

2011-12-28T13:59:00.003-05:00

I've decided to call them intentions this year instead of resolutions. It seems that the word resolution carries with it the idea that they will be broken. Honestly, I've not made any "resolutions" in years because most of them are usually broken before the first quarter is over. Maybe renaming them "intentions" will bode well for keeping them. At any rate, this is a work in progress. (about to be interrupted by an extended family foray to a local mall and theater)
Here are my BIG THREE intentions for 2012.

During this year I intend to make a conscious daily effort to live, think and feel as Jesus did/would.
During this year I will begin to add fasting to my prayer life.
During this year I will enter into an "iron sharpens iron" relationship with 2 other men.

Why only three? Because that is manageable. I've found that if I do any more, I get lost in the process. Also, these three will impact every area of my life and relationships, so why do more? Each of these is also measurable. I'll be able to determine daily, weekly, or monthly how I'm doing. If I were Jewish, I'd place these in a phylactery and tie them to my forehead. Since I'm not, I'll just keep them on a card in my wallet, and on to-do lists on my computer. At least that is my "intention".

Thank You, Mary & Joseph

2011-12-07T11:19:00.001-05:00

This week as Christmas draws near, I find myself thinking about a pregnant teenager and her twenty-something fiance. The faith they exhibited is phenomenal. It is almost unimaginable that they would make the decisions they did in the face of the cultural mores of the time. The dangers of being ostracized and possibly killed were very real. I know that God is sovereign and that His play would be done, if not through them, through someone else, but I can't imagine anyone else with so much on the line. Follow the story in Matthew 1:18ff from the new Common English Bible.

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. ²⁰ As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “ Joseph son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. ” ²² Now all of this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled:

²³ Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son,
And they will call him, Emmanuel.^a

( Emmanuel means “ God with us. ” )

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife. ²⁵ But he didn’t have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus.

I'm amazed at the matter of fact statement in verse 24.

Oh that we would have such faith today! Thank You, Lord for giving these young people such great faith. May we learn from their experience that we can trust You even when we may be in danger if we obey You.

Common English Bible > Home

2011-11-30T17:01:00.000-05:00

Common English Bible > Home:

'via Blog this'

I'm participating in the "Thank you- Come again-I promise" blog tour for this new translation of the Bible for the common man. I'm enjoying doing my devotional reading from the CEB. You can go to the web sight listed in the link above and get your own free copy of the new Bible.

One interesting difference I've noticed is the translating of "the Son of Man" as the "Human One". Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man most of the time in the Gospels, so this rendering "Human One" appears quite often. I'm sure I'll come across other changes that will at least make me pause and think through familiar passages. The tag line for the CEB is "a fresh translation to touch the heart and mind." In my reading so far, I think they have achieved this goal.

CEB is also available free in @YouVersion and can be downloaded free on your @Kindle.

I encourage you to check out the website and see for yourself this refreshing translation.

Appreciate Your Pastor

2011-11-21T10:39:00.001-05:00

I know that we have just passed Pastor Appreciation Month, but I wanted to log in my view from the other (pastor's) side. Granted, I'm 72 and not exactly in prime physical condition, but after I preach twice on Sunday I'm wrung out. Even after the morning service I can hardly wait to hit my recliner and nap for awhile before gearing up for the next service. All of this to say I don't know how these guys do it who preach 3-6 times on a weekend. I'm sure that most lay people have no clue as to the emotional and physical energy expended by most preachers in the process of preaching. It becomes even more laborious when there is little or no response. It is like preaching with a 1,000 lb. boulder on your back.
Couple with this the well-meaning person who "un-loads" his/her problem on the pastor as he is on the way to the pulpit (that is what office hours and telephones are for)
Let me hasten to say that my congregation is very conscious of the fact that my total focus as service draws near is the message. They know to give me announcements in writing beforehand. I'm blessed. But I have had experiences in the past when the path from the study to the pulpit was like wending your way through a mine field. I know of one pastor who was always surrounded by his deacons as he moved from study to pulpit so that they could "protect" him from the congregants who just had to see the pastor before he preached.
All of this to say, please understand the huge responsibility that your pastor has for "rightly dividing the Word of truth." Recognize that he may forget the announcement you stopped him in the aisle and verbally requested that he make. It isn't that he doesn't pay attention, it is just that his mind is on other, very important, things.

Front-line Missionaries; the American Work Force

2011-11-01T13:24:00.002-04:00

Last night our Home Group viewed a video featuring Erwin McManus entitled "What Is Work?" The idea that work can actually be worship was unpacked in a way that only master story-teller McManus can do. I was reminded of Colossians 3:17 & 23. "And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

"Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for man."

That word, "enthusiastically" comes from the words "en" (with) and "theos" (God) When we do something enthusiastically, we do it with, or full of, God. Erwin shared how the first commercial produced by his film company placed 3rd in the Frito-lay contest to be shown during the recent Super Bowl. Later it was rated #8 among "viral" videos because of the millions of "hits". All of this gave him a platform from which to share his faith story with the national press and with upper echelon people in the media industry. That reminds me of something I read in Proverbs 18:16, "A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men."

Have you discovered your spiritual gift(s)? Are you utilizing them in your daily work? Do you consider your work place as a place of worship, and your work as a sweet smelling offering on the altar before God?

Tim Tebow may never become a Hall of Fame quarterback, but because he considers his work an act of worship, millions are exposed to Jesus. Even his detractors recognize the diligence with which he goes about his work. That diligence has put him in a position to glorify Jesus before a world-wide audience.

Are you a missionary at work, or a mercenary; just in it for the money? Think about that.

World Changing Wednesdays

2011-10-26T16:22:00.001-04:00

At our church we usually pray conversationally for as much as 20-30 minutes. Our people are being trained to pray about one subject at the time for up to a minute, and then to give others the opportunity to either join in that prayer topic or introduce another one. They are free to pray as many times as they choose, but asked to keep each prayer focused on one topic. The result thus far (we've been doing this for about 6 weeks) is that more people pray about more topics than in the old method of one or two people recruited to open and close the prayer time while everyone else prays silently (if at all)
We have the opportunity to study the Bible in Sunday School, to be encouraged, inspired and challenged by a sermon in church. On Wednesday we have the opportunity to impact the world through prayer. Ron Dunn, great Bible teacher/preacher now deceased, described intercessory prayer as an ICBM missile, launched from a pad no larger than your knees which can travel at the speed of thought to anywhere in the world, be exactly on target and there is no defense against it.
Given such a powerful weapon, shouldn't we be using it to accomplish the most good for the most people in the most places? I'm excited as we are growing beyond the aches and pains we each have to the persecuted church, the un-reached people groups, those living under oppressive conditions across the world, and the lost in our families, schools, neighborhoods, government and work places.
Let's reclaim Wednesday night for prayer. Let's set aside this one night of the week to make an impact on our world.

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/2011/03/25/sneak-peek-enemies-of-the-heart-by-andy-stanley/

2011-10-17T12:03:00.003-04:00

As usual, Andy Stanley get right to the "heart" of the matter in this book. With personal anecdotes, clear scriptural exposition and to-the-point conclusions, Andy helps the reader expose the fountainhead that feeds the outflow of their life. Guilt, anger, greed and jealousy are identified as the enemies which torment us all. Not content to just help the reader discover these insidious foes, Andy then gives a clear-cut path to defeating them.
At the end of the book there are discussion questions on each chapter which makes this book a great tool for Bible study groups, Home Groups, etc. Get your hands on this book ASAP. You'll be glad you did.

Do We Ever Really Grow Up?

2011-10-11T13:24:00.001-04:00

Today I was eating lunch at our local Wendy's. Just across from me was a group of tables, pulled together to accommodate a contingent of Sr. Adults. As more and more arrived, they embarked on a lively conversation about lousy service they had experienced at other fast food places. Their conversation was peppered with profanity, and interestingly, the women held their own with the men in the cussing competition. It reminded me of times when I've signed up without a partner to play golf with the association where I live. I've been partnered with some of the most profane guys around. It almost seems as if they are once again in Middle School and trying out all the curse words they can come up with. The last guy I played with dropped "f'" bombs left and right, and never seemed to think a thing about it.

I think it may be that we grow older, but not UP. Somehow our development gets arrested along the way and we never progress beyond a certain point. What do you think?

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

2011-09-28T12:11:00.001-04:00

It seems that everywhere I look I see people getting all bent out of shape over things that don't really matter in the grand scheme of things. On the news I hear people nit-picking through a candidate's life rather than paying attention to their views on important issues. Character is almost totally overlooked just as long as the person agrees with my biases. If it just stayed there, on the news, it would be OK, but it permeates the church, family life, the neighborhood and more. Since I'm intimately involved in the church, I'll address those issues here.

While great attention was given to the building and decorating of the temple in Jerusalem, we do not have a template for building local churches. As a matter of fact, it appears that God is blessing those congregations that don't even have a place, other than a home, or vacant store-front in which to meet, while the large, stately edifices are struggling to meet payments and maintain huge budgets, most of which is spent on maintenance and up-keep. To date I've never met a person who was saved because they were blown away by the decor of a church building. Don't misunderstand, I appreciate nice buildings and worship centers so long as they enhance the worship or learning experience. At the same time, I never want people to leave our church in awe of the edifice and not having a clue as to what was preached or taught.

As best I can tell, the primary concern of Jesus was that His Father's House should not become a merchandise center, but should be called "a house of prayer". By the same token, God told Samuel that He was more concerned with what was inside man than how he looked on the outside. If I never hear again of a person being turned away or made to feel inferior at a church because of their appearance, it will be too soon.

The Holy Spirit has the job of convicting people of sin. My job is to "teach them to observe whatever (God) has commanded me." When I focus on that, I don't really have time to sweat the small stuff.

Good, Better, Best

2011-09-15T12:56:00.001-04:00

You've heard it over and over. The enemy of the best is not the worst, it is the good and the better. I find that to be so true in churches today. We settle for the good and the better (projects to feed the hungry, provide for the poor, help the needy) while we let the best (making disciples of all nations) go begging. Please understand, I'm not against these projects. I just have a problem when we are unable to get people to buy into the Great Commission on a personal level but volunteer by the droves for the "good and better" projects.
Perhaps the problem is that we have been making converts for many years without making disciples. If I'm not a disciple, then I have no idea how to make one. Maybe we should begin with a definition of "disciple". Wikipedia defines the word as...
A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other wise figure.

A Christian disciple is a follower and student of Jesus Christ as mentor, teacher, and wise figure. The Great Commission describes the process of making disciples as "teaching them to observe (do) all that I (Jesus) have commanded you (the disciple and disciple-maker)". We must do this when they are most teachable; immediately after they come to Christ.

Let's get back to "job one", the making of disciples. We can then add on the "good and better" rather than settling for them in place of the BEST.

Faith Baptist Church of Lake Placid Inc. - Lake Placid Florida

2011-09-07T14:49:00.004-04:00

Faith Baptist Church of Lake Placid Inc. - Lake Placid Florida:

'via Blog this'

This is my church. Last Sunday Rae and I joined here to begin our journey of faith with this group of believers. I'm excited about the future of this church because I truly believe that God has great plans for it. I've already come to know many of the Christ Followers here during an eight month interim I served over a year and a half ago. Little did I know that I would become the Pastor. God really does work in mysterious ways. As we begin this adventure, here are some random thoughts about how God grows a church.

God looks for people whose hearts are completely His in order to show Himself mighty on their behalf. (2 Chronicles 16:9) Our goal is to become those people.

The church is called the "Bride of Christ" and as such must be pure in all her words, deeds and attitudes.

God ordained the church to continue the work of Christ until He comes again.

The church whose members fulfill the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is a healthy church. Healthy Churches reproduce.

Many times the busy "program" of a church actually dictates against the fulfillment of God's command for her. There are times when there should be some funerals for what have been favorite activities in order to focus time and energy on the mandate we have from God. I'm looking forward to being part of a church that is known for exemplifying Christ in all she does. My dream is that all Lake Placid, Highlands County, Florida and the world will be impacted by the ministry of Faith Baptist Church...and your church as well.

Memories

2011-08-30T08:28:00.003-04:00

l'm in my hometown, Cullman, AL. It's always good to be with family. Enjoyed lunch at Chik-fil-a. Every Monday at the Cullman, C f l you can bring your church bulletin and get BOGO (buy one, get one free) My brother, sister in law, sister, and a host of their church friends occupied about 5_6 tables.

Later, got in a round of golf w/Jerry. As we drove to and from the course I was saddened by the extensive damage left by the spate of tornadoes that devastated the area last May. My hometown will never be the same except in the memories of those of us who grew up there.

What If...

2011-08-17T12:26:00.003-04:00

Do you ever play "what if" in your mind? I certainly do. As a Pastor, I often look at my congregation and wonder, "What if they each took seriously the Great Commandment and the Great Commission?" What if each of them looked at their neighborhood or workplace or school campus as their personal mission field? What if they made it a point to tell their story of how Jesus has changed their life to someone each day, or even each week or each month?

Invariably, after such flights of fancy, I come to the realization that even if only I and my fellow pastors did this, the world would be significantly different. For my part, I'm going to take this challenge personally. And each week I'm going to invite someone to join me in this great experiment.

How about you?...today?...let's get started.

We need a Filter

2011-08-02T16:09:00.000-04:00

I just changed the water filter in our refrigerator. After putting the new filter in place, I had to run water through it for about 5 minutes to clear the air from the water line. As I was doing this, I was reminded of something Jesus said in Mark 7:18-20 "Are you also lacking in understanding? Don't you realize that nothing going into a man from the outside can defile him? For it doesn't go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated (as a result He made all foods clean) Then He said, 'What comes out of a person, that defiles him. For from within, out of people's hearts, come evil thought, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, lewdness, stinginess, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person.'" It occurred to me that we are in need of a filter; perhaps a two function one. One function to filter that which enters our life via our eyes and ears, and another to filter what comes out through our mouth. Paul reminds us in Ephesians that we need to be "washed with the water of the Word". The Word of God can function as the filter we need to help us clean up our thoughts, clean out our heart and speak only that which edifies. I remember hearing a story of a man, a Christ-follower, who worked in construction. He was subjected daily to lots of profane, vulgar language. When he returned home each evening, he immediately got his Bible and sat and read for about half an hour. He did this before doing anything else. When asked about this practice, he said, "I have to cleanse my mind from all the garbage that has entered my eye and ear gates during the day." I think that if we believers learn to let God's Word be the filter of our thoughts and words, we could literally change the world within a year.

BTW, I came across an interesting challenge on the site linked below. I'm taking this 40 day challenge. What about you?

Gmail - Welcome to 40 Days to Life Above the Negativity - bcole39@gmail.com

Everyone But Me

2011-07-21T16:02:00.000-04:00

Today as I was exiting Walmart, I stood for several minutes while about 20 people entered the exit door. They all looked at me as if I was the one in the wrong place. Sounds like a trivial thing, but it is really indicative of a far more serious problem. The problem? "Rules apply to everyone else but me." My wife is a substitute teacher in high school. She sees this attitude everyday. I see it as I drive back and forth to work. Traffic laws only apply to the old and the weak in the minds of many drivers. Why should they exert the energy to push a lever and activate a turn signal when they change lanes? Why should they slow down when the speed limit is clearly marked?

The same attitude is displayed by many when it comes to spiritual things as well. They treat the Ten Commandments as if they were Ten Suggestions. They really believe that God is going to make an exception in their case and allow them into heaven even though they have flaunted His law and never bothered to receive Christ or live according to His Word. There is no sense of "lostness" hence no need for repentance. Vance Havener once said, "You have to get them lost before you can get them saved."

In our country we are now seeing an attitude that we can violate the laws of business and finance and not have to suffer the consequences. There is a prevailing trend of thought that says we can flaunt the laws of God regarding sexuality and marriage without the result that brought Sodom, Gomorrah and even the Roman Empire down. Words are even being re-defined to fit the "me" culture. Gay was once a great word describing a sense of happiness. Now it describes a homo-sexual life style. Tolerance was once a word that was defined as allowing others to live, act or speak as they please. Now it has been re-defined to mean, you must not only ALLOW me to do "my thing", but you must applaud me for it. I find it very interesting that the only people that it is "politically correct" to be intolerant toward, are evangelical Christians.

It might be good for the "my way" crowd to read Matthew 7:21-23. But then, they don't believe that Jesus is REALLY the Son of God, or even if He is, He really didn't mean what he said and He could not possibly be the only way to God. (sarcasm implied)

There will come a day when those choosing to enter the "exit" door will discover that there really are consequences for the choices they make.

My "Take-away" from the Anthony Trial

2011-07-08T09:31:00.000-04:00

Along with most of America, I watched a great deal of the televised trial of Casey Anthony, accused of killing her two year old daughter. I came away with several realizations.

Mankind, apart from God, is capable of incredible evil.
Given a platform from which to promote oneself, ego can cause a person to lose sight of the initial goal.
The observations of professional pundits are no better than mine.
The law can be skewed in such a way as to tie the hands of a jury.
American's will reward a self-professed liar with great riches and notoriety.
Justice is only administered by the hand of God.

There is little doubt in anyone's mind that Casey Anthony at the very least knows what happened to her daughter. The zeal of the prosecution to gain a sensational victory led them to over-step logic in seeking the death penalty and dug a hole from which they could not recover. The instructions given by the judge put the jury in a difficult position. They seemed to have done the best they could within the parameters they were given. Most of them will be wracked with guilt that they were unable to convict of a lesser charge, though they feel Ms. Anthony was guilty.

My solace comes from Psalm 73. Just as Asaph, I am appalled that the obviously guilty party seems to go free. However, when I look at the situation from God's point of view, I realize that justice will be served. Mankind can not flaunt their evil in the face of Almighty God and go free. Ps. 73:18-19 "Indeed You put them in slippery places; You make them fall into ruin. How suddenly they become a desolation! They come to an end, swept away by terrors." (HCSB)

Unless those who were involved in the murder and cover up repent and turn to God, their destiny is sealed. It is not necessary for me to see their end to know what it will be. I must pray for their salvation.

Finally, the degradation of American society produces people who are capable of heinous crimes. Unless we as a country repent and return to God, we will suffer the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. As Leonard Ravenhill once said, "If God does not judge America, He will need to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah." The trial of Casey Anthony was actually a commentary on the spiritual desolation of America.

Where's the Power?

2011-06-15T16:13:00.000-04:00

In Acts 1:8 Jesus tells the disciples (and us through them) that "when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you WILL (emphasis mine) receive power and WILL tell people about Me everywhere, in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." NLT. The rest of the book of Acts and the epistles are records of that happening during the first century and following. However, as I observe what is happening, especially here in American churches today, I wonder, "where has all the power for witnessing gone?" A bit of deductive reasoning leads me to wonder if in fact the Holy Spirit is as active in local churches as we would like to believe. I understand the argument that believers are in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion. However, the evidence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of individual believers, as given in Acts 1:8, is that powerful witnessing WILL take place through these believers that will reach their church field and far, far beyond. The statistics gathered in my own denomination (Southern Baptist) seem to indicate that we are failing in the fulfillment of that prophetic statement of Jesus.

We have more resources than we've ever had. We have more highly trained leaders than ever in history. We have the benefit of technological advances that are even beyond anything that could have been dreamed in the first century, and yet we are falling further and further behind in fulfilling the Great Commission. This leads me to wonder if, in fact, the Holy Spirit has "come upon" the bulk of professing Christ-followers today. The language of the verse seems to indicate that the power and the witnessing are things that WILL happen, not MAY happen. The fact that they are not happening makes me think that our disobedience to the commands of Christ have so grieved and quenched the Holy Spirit that He is no longer active in our lives. There seems to be a crying need for a return of the "Pentecostal Power" mentioned in the old hymn. That power will not be scattered willy-nilly about the church unless there is wide spread confession, repentance of sin and return to complete obedience to the commands of Christ.

2 Chronicles 7:14 must become more than a "catch-verse" for promoting a local revival meeting. It must become the life style of every professing Christ follower. We must recognize that verse 13 sets the stage. The activity of God through drought, pestilence (and perhaps catastrophic weather events) is a wake up call to apply verse 14. Only when we, who are called by His name, humble ourselves and pray and seek His face (not His hands) and turn from our wicked ways (any way that is not God's way is a wicked way) will He hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land.

Torn Between Two Lovers

2011-06-09T14:55:00.005-04:00

The older I get the harder it is for me to abandon the known (comfortable, stable, friendly) for something that is new to me, even though it is perceived by most to be the better option. Case in point, I'm now on my third Blackberry phone. I have the BB Bold 9700. I've downloaded several aps so that now I can do my daily Bible reading and prayer time, listen to sermons, music and even novels, and read books w/the Kindle reader ap on my phone. I keep hearing and reading people talk about how the Apple I Phone has changed their lives and opened up so many opportunities. I go through periods of thinking, "Yes! That's what I want!", but then I start to think about having to part with the things I've become so used to and learn how to do it all the "Apple-way", and my enthusiasm wanes. The same goes for which brand of tablet I will eventually opt for. It seems the BB Playbook still has a ways to go to catch up with the I Pad 2 (with 3 on the horizon). Yet, I think that if I were to go for the I Pad, I'd also need the I Phone to have the complete package. Then I read where Michael Hyatt, former President and CEO of a major publishing company, has jettisoned his I Pad for the MacBook Air because it enables him to do more. Sigh! Why can't there just be one choice?

It seems that my problem doesn't stop with technology. The trauma of moving from known to unknown leaks into my vocational life as well. It seems that I occasionally grow weary of what I'm currently doing and look with longing toward other opportunities out there (wherever "out there" is) And yet, there is the pull to stay with what I'm doing because I know what to expect and am comfortable with the routine.

All of this makes me so glad that I became a Christ-follower as a child. I think that older teens and adults have a much more difficult time leaving whatever life-style they have become accustomed to and embracing a brand new life, following Jesus. For the past 2+ years I've worked with congregations that are largely older in their constituency. After spending 37 years in student ministry, and seeing numerous young people embrace Christ, I now rarely see these adults breaking ties with their old life-style in order to trust Jesus and follow Him. I'm constantly looking for ways to present the Good News in a fashion that will "click" with these older folks and help them make the choice that I know is better for them. I know that apart from the Holy Spirit, that is an impossible task. The hold of what one is accustomed to is so very strong.

Who knows? I may soon become a "convert" to the Apple life-style. And I hope that I will become far more adept at helping older adults leave the old life and thrust out in faith to follow Jesus into the great possibilities of life eternal with Him.

Am I Spoiled or What?

2011-05-16T10:32:00.003-04:00

This past Saturday, while we were out at the mall, a thunder storm rolled through our area. When we returned home, one of our satellite boxes would not work (of course it was the HD one) Then we discovered that the base unit on our cordless phones was out, so none of the three hand-held units would work. However, our corded phone did work, even though it was plugged in to the same jack as the satellite box. Later we discovered that the desk-top computer would not connect to the internet, although the wire-less router was working and we can connect via the laptop. We also found out that our neighbor lost a TV in the storm, so we assume that our problem was also associated to lightening.
These things, in and off themselves, although aggravating are not the crux of my concern. The thing that bugs me is the frustration level and down-right anger as I began the process of calling the telephone service, Direct TV people to get repair work started. I should be above all that. I just preached last night on the requirements for being a disciple, and #1 on the list is "self-denial". Yet, I find my self upset over my inconvenience while thousands in my home state of Alabama lost homes, vehicles, businesses and even loved ones in the spate of tornadoes that blew through there two weeks ago. Across the globe in Japan, the devastation is even more wide-spread following the killer tsunami. What is wrong with me?!!! The realization of my pettiness has caused me to re-examine my position as a Christ follower. I remember the conversation between Jonah and the Lord when the vine that gave him shade died and he got very angry. The Lord said, "You cared about the plant that grew up over night and then vanished quickly. You did nothing to make it grow or keep it alive. Should I not care about the many inhabitants of Ninevah." (paraphrased) Suddenly I have a fresh perspective. I find it easy to serve God so long as I have my recliner, my HDTV, my air-conditioned home, my car, cell phone, laptop, etc; but take those things away and I'm exposed as the self-centered slob that is the "old" me. Today I'm re-visiting the words of Paul in Romans 6:11 "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus."; and in Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." Thank you, Lord, for the wake up call. Now, if only those repairmen would hurry up (just kidding)

I'm Baaaaacck

2011-05-13T14:26:00.002-04:00

It has been awhile since I last posted on my blog. Two reasons for that; 1. I didn't have anything worthwhile to say, and 2. doing more reading than I've done in many years. The primary reason for the latter is the Kindle I got for Christmas from my wife and kids. I've always loved books, and have read a lot in my various fields (ministry, church, religion.) With the Kindle I've re-discovered the joy of reading fiction. I've found many very affordable books since getting my Kindle, some in the free up to $.99 range. Also, the free Bibles available on Kindle have made it easy for me to study & prepare for messages and Bible studies almost anywhere. Recently I down loaded Notepad from Seven Dragons which gives me the ability to make notes on the run so I can refer to them later as I have time. I really wish Evernote was available for Kindle, although I do have that on my BlackBerry Bold 9700.
All of that to say that, at age 72, I'm still discovering new and exciting ways to expand my mind, engage my curiosity, and utilize time more efficiently. Now you'll have to excuse me because I'm about to start Part Two of "Two Wars" by Nate Self. Though not fiction, this book fits the category of "you can't make this stuff up".

Family

2011-04-16T19:49:00.002-04:00

We've just spent a week with our older daughter and family. Our grandchildren in this family, ranging in age from 5 (almost 6 he would tell you) to 11 (going on 18) includes a pair of twins, age 9. Most of the week was spent in Orlando visiting the various theme parks, and retreating back to our condos at the Fountains for dinner and sleep so we repeat the same pattern the next day. We did take one day off and spent it involved in activities at the clubhouse and pool, a welcome respite. While I'm already back home and have napped in my favorite chair, my daughter and family are somewhere between here and Newark, NJ at the mercy of US Air. Their flights have been delayed by weather, changed by equipment problems and we're not really sure when they will get home. I know they will be whipped by the end of the trip. Tomorrow we all have responsibilities at our respective churches.

All of that leads me to some thoughts about family. Just a week prior to this, we journeyed by car to Birmingham, AL to spend some time with our other daughter and family and see our oldest granddaughter play soccer. In other words, in order to spend time with those we love most some of us had to travel for hours which included extensive planning and packing. What ever happened to extended families living at least in the same town? Sometimes they even lived on the same connected properties. The beauty of this plan is that children grow up with the nurture of not only their parents, but also their grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. Rather than limit their exposure to those outside of family, in most cases it is expanded because each family member also has connections with others through work and community events who then get to know and be known by the extended family. I'm wondering if the world might not be better if we returned to this mode of family. I guess I'm wondering how it would have been if I had not essentially left home for college and never lived back there again. I've lost my identity in my home town.

Now I get to text with my grandkids, or read of their activities on FaceBook along with everyone else. My wife helps our grandkids with homework over the phone. Wouldn't it be great to just run next door, or across the street, or across town to connect with family? I think we're missing something.

What's Wrong With Follow-ship?

2011-03-17T10:14:00.003-04:00

My in box is crammed with admonitions to attend this leadership conference, buy this leadership book, or be coached to become a more effective leader. I don't hear anyone talking about the importance of "follow-ship". That is anyone but Jesus. If I remember correctly, His command was "Follow Me." Paul picked up on that and encouraged those to whom he wrote to essentially "follow me as I follow Christ". I came across an interesting article in WordSearch;

The Discipline of Following

Thus leaders are also followers, followers of Christ, and willing to accept the leadership of others. This turns out to be the harder discipline. Almost all aspire to be leaders; few aspire to be followers. Following involves the recognition that we must operate not as a cluster of independent individuals but as the body of Christ. God has designed the body for interdependence, not codependence or independence. On a deeper level, following requires personal humility and the crucifixion of pride. Too rarely do leaders say, “I am laying all my professional skills, abilities, and economic resources at your disposal. Take them and use them as you see fit.” We are too proud to give our lives away to people who are not perfect.

Accepting the leadership ministry of others is also a call to faith. We must entrust both the leaders and the process to God’s sovereignty. Leaders will make mistakes. But God is more than able to make all things—even mistakes—work together for good (Romans 8:28). Following also requires discernment. As stated earlier, control and compliance are the structures of pseudoleadership and pseudofollowing. Discerning leaders call forth participation, discussion and even opposition; they are not satisfied with either control or compliance. Better yet is to cultivate decision-making processes that lead to true mutual submission. Discerning followers also can read their own compliant responses, or the controlling tendencies of leaders, name these unworthy strategies and insist on a process of mutual submission.

So there is something in the Bible better than a prescription for the ideal leadership structure in the local church. There is a theology and spirituality of leadership that makes the experience of giving and receiving leadership—something we all must do at some level—an incentive for spiritual growth. In the end, Jesus must have had this in mind when he forbade the disciples to seek leadership positions (Mark 10:35-45) and reminded them that he was their only leader. Only when leadership is for God and focused on helping everyone depend on God, rather than on the pastor or elder, is it safe and productive to be a leader, for then one’s identity is first of all to be a follower.

The Complete Book of Everyday Christianity: An A-To-Z Guide To Following Christ in Every Aspect of Life.
This says far better than I can something about the importance of following. The process of discipleship is learning to follow someone who is farther down the road to spiritual maturity than you are. Only then can you lead someone who is a bit behind you in the growth process. Our call is to follow Jesus. If I can't seem to see Jesus clearly, then I must focus on someone whom He puts into my life who is a bit ahead of me on the path and follow them.

Re-thinking Disciple Making

2011-03-10T11:35:00.003-05:00

I'm currently reading David Platt's book "Radical: taking back your faith from the American Dream". In addition to being convicted, challenged and chastised, I've been forced to re-think the process of disciple-making. The truth of the matter is that most of our current disciple making "programs" are extra-biblical at best. There is no place in the Bible that even hints that disciple making involves taking a course, or completing a curriculum. When I look at the example of Jesus, I see Him spending 24/7 with 12 men for 3+years. He taught by word, deed and assignment. The closest I've seen any contemporary plan to that is the pattern that Reach-out Ministries (in the old days) had. That pattern was "I do it; I do it and they are with me; they do it and I'm in the background; they do it and I've moved on."
I used to have a sticky note on the dash of my car which read D.D.A.A. It stood for "Don't Do Anything Alone". It was a reminder for me to take a student or an intern with me as I went about ministry. It was the best tool I had for passing along the process of "doing" ministry, and it is the closest I could come to doing it Jesus' way. The truth is, I can only take someone as far as I have gone. Anything else is hypothesis at best. So, when I have progressed one step in following Jesus, I can reach back and help someone behind me to take that step. Then as I take another step, the process is repeated.
This is a process that can be replicated by every member of every church in the world. It is the process commanded in the Great Commission. My paraphrase is; "As you are going about your daily traffic pattern of life, take someone with you and show them how you've learned to DO the commands of Jesus. As you do this over and over, the Holy Spirit is with you, empowering you to effectively transmit the practical "living out" of the gospel."

Move Over, Jonah

2011-02-24T11:08:00.004-05:00

Today I'm feeling a lot like Jonah when the plant that God had caused to grow to give him shade suddenly withered and died. Jonah got so upset that he also prayed to die. Here's the dialogue that followed. But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die." And the Lord said, "You pity the plan, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Ninevah, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?"
So, why am I feeling like Jonah? Today I caught myself praying for God to help me find a misplaced Bible and a power cord for my Kindle. I suddenly realized that I had not prayed for the situation in Somalia, or Egypt, or Afghanistan, and yet I was upset and selfishly praying for God to help me find these "lost" items. Just last evening I had voiced concern that the people at church had not placed names of unsaved acquaintances on a poster so we could pray for them, and now here I was more concerned for items that will surely turn up, exactly where I left them, than for the lost in my community and the world.
I have challenged the people to whom I preach each week to make their focus this year to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." Very easy to say, but very hard to do especially when we've (I've) become so self-absorbed that we're more concerned for misplaced items than for lost people. I'm not proud of this. I'm asking God to use every thought of my lost items as a reminder to pray about those things that are most important on His agenda. Perhaps this will help me get out of the "Jonah Syndrome."

Armadillo Hunting

2011-02-08T13:54:00.003-05:00

A while back as we were sitting watching TV one evening, we heard a thumping sound seeming to come from under the floor. My wife wondered if we had an armadillo under the house. Several days later she mentioned it to our pest control people and they checked and said, yes, there does seem to be indications that you could have an armadillo. Now these creatures have been known to eat the insulation around the a/c ducts that are under our manufactured home, resulting in hundreds of dollars for repairs. Thus began the armadillo hunt.

The Bugs Bee Ware people put out 2 traps near where they thought the creature went in and out from under the house. Two days later there was a creature in one of the traps...an opossum, not and armadillo. A call to the pest control people was made, they came and picked up the creature and set a new trap with some bait this time. Today when we awoke, there was another creature in one of the traps; a raccoon. We called the pest control folks again. Since we both had to leave for appointments, we were not here when the Bugs Bee Ware man came this time, but now the traps...and the occupant, are gone.

So far we are out @ $150.00 for setting the traps and euthanizing the the creatures. To get river rock put in the area around the house where such creatures can dig under the house will cost another $250. Don't know but what it would have been cheaper to let them feast on the a/c insulation. Oh, and we still haven't caught an armadillo.

Old Men at the Gates

2011-01-28T10:18:00.002-05:00

Way back in Biblical times the old men of the city would go every day to the city gates and there mediate disputes, give advise and otherwise counsel those who came for help. Their years of experience, knowledge of the local laws and understanding of human nature were all beneficial to inhabitants of the city. It also kept the courts from being over whelmed by penny ante suits. Today we seem to try our best to put our aged ones out of sight and out of mind. We consign them to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, etc. Anything to get them out of our hair. As we do so, we also lose the benefit of their wisdom gained by years of living.

As I was thinking of this I was reminded of the book, "Marley and Me". Only occasionally do we find someone who stumbles upon the gold mine of experience and wisdom locked in the minds of those with lots of "miles" on them.

This week I took time to watch the DVD "The New Karate Kid" starring Jackie Chan and Will Smith's son Jaden. Just as with the original movies starring Pat Morita and Ralph Machio, a young boy being tormented by bullies is rescued by an old, seedy looking Oriental who then teaches the boy not only the skills of Kung Fu, but also the wisdom that comes from age. These movies present a powerful case for mentoring.

During my life I have sought different mentors to give me wisdom and guidance. As a youth pastor, rather than go to conferences, I sometimes contacted a successful youth pastor who had more experience than me. With their permission, I traveled to their locale and followed them around for a week, observing what they did, and asking questions to understand the "why" behind their actions. I became a better youth pastor by doing this.

At other times, I contacted a pastor whose books and teaching had impacted my life, and went and spent a few days with him, again observing his actions and asking clarifying questions. These mentoring experiences, though brief, had a great impact on my life.

I've thought about opening a coffee shop called "The Gates" and inviting certain retired folks to come down and hang out with the clientele and just chat with them. Somehow we have to re-claim this reservoir of wisdom and experience. As older folks, we need to look for opportunities to pour our lives into those who are coming up after us. We desperately need to impart the wealth of experience that comes by living to the next generation. We need to get the old men back at the gates.

Priorities

2011-01-16T10:15:00.005-05:00

I remember the story of a man who gave Andrew Carnegy a slip of paper with an idea on it and said, "Try this, and then send me what you think it's worth." The story goes that six months later Carnegy sent the man a check for $25,000. So what was on the slip of paper? A simple idea: write down the 10 most important things you need to do tomorrow. Then rank them in order of importance. Tomorrow begin with number one and work your way through the list, not leaving one until it is done. That idea has served millions of people well over the years.

Long before that idea, Jesus Christ presented a better one. In Matthew 6:33 He said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."

Why is it that we find it so hard to do that one thing? Probably, for most, we don't understand what it means to seek first the kingdom of God. Perhaps we have no idea of what the kingdom of God is. Let me share a few thought I've been thinking about this. I hope they are helpful.

Anyone who has a kingdom, is an absolute, sovereign ruler. Therefore, what they say goes, without question.
Anything the Sovereign Ruler wants, He gets, immediately if not sooner.
If the Sovereign Ruler provides a handbook of how to function successfully in His kingdom, it would be wise to know what is in it and live by it if I want to get along in His kingdom.
If my primary concern is to be for His kingdom, then everything else, my needs, desires, etc. will have to take a back seat.

That being said, to choose to ignore these points is to create a life of frustration. The truth is, there are not prioritIES. There is only a priority. One thing. Learning this truth will not only enable us to live an abundant life as Jesus promised, it will keep us from a great deal of un-necessary stress.

Coping With Being Stranded

2010-12-30T11:53:00.002-05:00

My wife and I were among the thousands who were left stranded by the big blizzard in the NE. Our flight was scheduled to leave on Tuesday Dec. 28th. At bed time on Monday the flight was still scheduled. We awoke on Tuesday, packed and ready only to receive an e-mail from JetBlue that our flight had been cancelled. That began a plethora of phone calls to JetBlue trying to get arrangements made for getting back to Florida. 20-30 of those calls ended with a recorded message telling us that phone traffic was very heavy and that we should call again. The call was then terminated. Finally I was placed on hold and after 1 hour and 5 minutes got to speak with a live person. The earliest flights available, I was told, were on Saturday. We grabbed those reservations and began to make adjustments for an extended stay.

We have been at our daughter, son-in-law and 4 grandkid's since December 21. We were to leave on the 28th and the other set of in-laws were to arrive on the same day. Now we had to make arrangements for 2 sets of grandparents at the same time. We re-located from the basement bed/play room to the pull-out sofa in the living room. In the meantime I managed to come down with some kind of cold/flu thing complete with achy body, sore throat and congestion. We've made a couple of forays to local malls just to give the kids (ages 5-11) some room to move around, and the adults an opportunity to check out the post-Christmas sales. The kids have also enjoyed playing in the gradually shrinking 15 inches of snow while the adults have come up with excuses to stay indoors. We've also enjoyed bowls of "snow-cream" which my wife made from snow we caught in large bowls as it fell (hopefully the atmosphere is clean).

While all of this is going on, my daughter goes for daily radiation treatments. So far we have not had any melt-downs. We're learning to dodge the 3 remote controlled helicopters and one remote controlled car that are whizzing around. The kids have watched the "Despicable Me" video about 6-8 times. Oh yes, yesterday a family of five dropped by for a visit, so we had eight adults and seven kids scattered throughout the house.

Two and a half days to go. Hopefully our creativity in keeping everyone occupied and happy will stretch that long.

Christmas Musings

2010-12-13T11:17:00.002-05:00

It has been almost a month since I last posted on my blog. A combination of busy-ness and writer's block totally derailed me. Now, as Christmas is rapidly approaching, I'm mulling some things over in my mind that I've decided to put into the blog. These are random, and in no particular order of importance.

Are we perpetuating a false meaning of Christmas when we spend untold time and money on the search for and purchase of gifts for everyone we know during Christmas?
Do we lose focus as to what Christmas is all about in the hectic pace of activities surrounding the season?
Even though we'd like it to be true, is Jesus REALLY the reason for the season in our lives (and our churches)?
Does it occur to us that most modern depictions of the Nativity scene includes the Magi (who didn't show up at the manger, but months later)?
At the first Christmas, only the Christ-child got gifts.
Does our current celebration of Christmas draw our attention more to the "unspeakable gift" God gave us or to the commercialization of the season?
Have "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" reached equal importance with Christmas Day?
Has anyone noticed that little kids seem more interested in playing with the box in which the gift came than with the gift itself?

I don't want to cast a pall over Christmas. I just want to re-claim it for what it is truly meant to be; the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Somehow that gets lost in the frenetic pace of the holiday which used to be a Holy Day. So what are you doing this year to give Jesus His rightful place in Christmas?

Thankful

2010-11-22T11:46:00.003-05:00

Sitting here having a conversation with with Joshua, my 7 year old grandson...for that I'm thankful.

Hearing my daughters laughing and talking in the next room...for that I'm thankful.

Seeing my wife at the airport last night as she and my son in law Marshall picked me up after midnight...for this I'm thankful.

Waking without a headache this morning...for that I'm thankful.

Enjoying connecting with friends on the internet...for that I'm thankful.

For life, health, peace, freedom, a wonderful wife, 2 brilliant, outstanding and talented daughters, 2 godly sons in law and 7 marvelous, enthusiastic and smart grandkids; best of all, they are all saved...we'll be together for eternity...for all that I'm thankful

Reading in Psalm 138 today that "the Lord will fulfill His purposes for me". For that I'm VERY thankful.

I want to live my life giving thanks to the Father for all His gifts...mostly for the gift of His Son, Jesus, my Saviour and my big brother in the family of God.

I'm thankful.

The Ministry of Being There

2010-11-11T09:32:00.002-05:00

This has been a hectic week in our lives. On Monday we flew from FL to NJ. Tuesday morning we helped get four grandkids off to school while our son in law took our daughter to the hospital. After getting the kids away to school we joined our son in law at the hospital to await the report from our daughter's surgery for breast cancer. There were actually two surgeries; one for removal of the breasts, and another for the beginning of reconstruction. Five and a half hours later, we finally got to see our daughter in recovery. All of this detail is just to set the stage for this blog update.

It seemed that both my wife and my son in law had well defined duties during this ordeal. As for me, I was there. I prayed, I ran errands, I played with the kids, I helped with meals and clean up, but mostly I was just there. At first this bothered me because everyone else was so "purpose driven" to borrow a phrase. Finally, as I asked God to help me be of some use, He gave me peace with just "being here". Hopefully everyone in the family knows that I'm available to do whatever, whenever. Today my assignment is to be at home with a sick grandchild while the others are all about specific duties. At least that frees up the others to be out and about.

Not to spiritualize my position, but I do notice in scripture that there seems to be a premium on those who are available for "whatever". Even King David saw fit to give the same portion of spoils to those who "stayed by the stuff" as to those who went to battle. I'm still feeling a bit on the outside, but I'm becoming more comfortable with my ministry of "being there".

Random Thoughts

2010-10-26T10:34:00.003-04:00

It seems that my blog posts are becoming farther and farther apart. The reason is that I don't see the need for just putting words on a screen. If I don't have anything to say that I deem worthwhile, I just keep my fingers from the keyboard and my thoughts to myself. Come to think of it, that would be a good bit of advice for the many politicians running for office right now. In the absence of any real substance to their platform, most are relying on smear ads aimed at their opponents.

Many of those running in Florida are so closely matched in their questionable backgrounds, that the choices have dwindled down to the least crooked, inept, or dishonest. Poor commentary on our times isn't it?

The one thing that I find comforting is that God is still on His throne. His position isn't open for election. His plans for America will work out regardless of who is in what office. While I don't know His plans for America, I do know His plan for me and for all believers. I found if in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you" (this is the Lord's declaration) "plans for your welfare,not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

That is the promise I am clinging to in the midst of the doom and gloom political prophesies that spew from our media constantly. Just as many of you, I've read the last page...we win!!!

Sin: The Cancer of the Soul

2010-10-12T08:26:00.004-04:00

This has been a trying year. In May our daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since the beginning of her chemo in June, her mom, my wife has been with her to help with the household (4 children age 10 and under) during the chemo. Our daughter has blogged throughout the experience (http://rodneynkendra.blogspot.com) We're now in a brief hiatus before surgery. As I think back over the toll that cancer has taken in our family over the years, it is readily apparent that this disease effects not only the patient, but also the extended family and friends. As I have pondered the impact of this disease on our family, I've also thought about the expanded impact of the sin of an individual on family and friends

In Psalm 51, King David, having been exposed by the prophet Nathan writes to God, "Against Thee and Thee only have I sinned." My question is, "what about Bathsheba? Uriah? Your other wives and your children?" The old caveat, "It's my life, and it is no one's business but mine." is just not true. Our sins effect the lives of those who know us, love us and are influenced by us. Though, like cancer, our sins are contagious, they are somewhat like throwing a pebble into water. The eddies keep moving outward, influencing the whole body of water. The recent allegations about a prominent NFL quarterback, if true, will have an impact on his wife, family, friends and fans. Nothing happens in isolation. It is time for us to realize that, even though we consider ourselves not to be very influential, there are many more than we know who are affected by our choices and actions. Sin eats away at our soul, and even when forgiven, there is always a scar.

Pharisees Are Among Us

2010-09-20T12:41:00.003-04:00

This post has been stewing in my mind for a while. I've waited so that I could write it as objectively as possible, though I'm sure that emotions will permeate throughout. Recently I've been made aware of a church operating according to a Pharisaical mindset rather than scripture. By Pharisaical mindset, I mean man-made rules that are observed as equal to if not above the laws of God. It seems there are churches that operate on a business model rather than following the clear guidelines of scripture. The end result is that hearts are broken, lives are disrupted, and in some cases churches are split as leaders take actions that they deem "for the greater good". Is it any wonder that the most scathing words of Jesus were directed toward the Pharisees of His day? He equated them to a "brood of vipers", and to "wolves in sheep's clothing".

In this most recent incident, the staff member being asked to "resign" complied by writing a letter of resignation. Because the powers that be didn't agree with the wording of the letter, rather than read it, or allow the staff member to read it, a committee chairperson paraphrased it to make it more palatable and hide the fact that the resignation was being coerced. My heart grieves for that church, because they have chosen a path that is diametrically opposed to the purposes of God. The world will now have another arrow in their quiver to use in their campaign against Christianity. Hopefully there will be repentance and a return to following the ways of God in "doing" church.

The Great Commission can only be successful as churches also fulfill the Great Commandment...to love God and one another. Jesus told His disciples, "By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, that you have love for one another."

To churches that are operating under a Pharisaical system I ask, "Where is the love?" "What are you doing for the "least of these"?" "How can you say you love God and despite-fully use one who serves the kingdom through your church?"

Glen Beck and the Evangelicals

2010-09-07T07:37:00.003-04:00

I find it very interesting that many evangelicals are ga-ga over Glen Beck since his rally in D.C. on the anniversary of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. I watched and listened on C-span to Beck's call for a return to God, and to Biblical principles. While this is admirable, I'm troubled by some things I did not hear.

I did not hear that Jesus is THE way, THE truth and THE life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him.
I did not hear Glen Beck give testimony to a conversion experience where he acknowledged his sin which separated him from God, received Christ as His personal Lord and Savior and experienced forgiveness.

While I understand that this was not a church service, it did have all the "trappings" of one; choirs, gospel songs, prayers, etc. Since the rally I've noticed that Beck has stepped up his ecumenical push by having Jewish rabbis, Catholic priests, and evangelical pastors on his program and gushing about another "Great Awakening" in America. Yet, so far as I know, he has not renounced his Mormonism which does not acknowledge Jesus as "the only begotten Son" of God, believes that blood atonement means the shedding of one's own blood for redemption and espouses the idea that "as we are God once was. As God is we shall become".

We evangelicals have to evaluate a person by their fruit. It is too early to evaluate the fruit of the "new" Glen Beck. As one old pastor explained, "It ain't how high you jump, it is how straight you walk." Let's watch the "walk" before we jump on the band-wagon. Political conservatism and evangelical zeal are not one and the same. Perhaps a re-reading of Matthew 7:21-23 is in order.

Man's Way vs God's Way

2010-08-28T11:59:00.003-04:00

As I watch on C-span the Glen Beck rally in Washington D.C. I'm struck with the contradiction between man's approach to change and the plan that God gave us in the Bible to bring about lasting change. While man opts for "events" such as this rally, God's emphasis is on the individual; each one reaching and discipling one (Matt. 28:18-20) The result of disciple-making is that each disciple is then empowered to make disciples, and a movement is set in motion, not just an event. Jesus set the example for us in that He spent the majority of His time discipling and equipping a small group of men. Although He did, on occasion, speak to multitudes, the bulk of His time was invested in His disciples.

If the money and man power that went into this rally were expended through disciple-making churches to train, equip and send out disciples of Jesus through our nation, lasting change would result. Once this rally is over, it is over. However, a disciple-making movement will continue to expand across space and time until the whole world is changed.

Please understand, I'm not against the rally I'm watching. I'm pleased that God is being honored by most of those featured in the rally. I'm just saying that we (Christians) have spent thousands of years trying to improve on the un-improvable; the GREAT COMMISSION. For our country to become GREAT, the individuals who make up the country must become GREAT, and that only happens as Christ is LORD in each individual heart. That only happens as we "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded YOU." Only then are we promised the presence of Christ with us to the end of the age.

We are so caught up in the "newest, biggest, most creative" approaches that we overlook the only approach that is promised the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

America, we must also pay attention to the places on our planet where the Spirit of God is moving mightily. Most of these places are what we call, "third world" countries. Most of them have endured untold horrors, and yet have persevered through the strength of God. We have forgotten not only the GREAT COMMISSION, but also the suffering that disciples through the ages have endured so that we might have freedom. Fulfilling the GREAT COMMISSION will not be without suffering, but it is the ONLY WAY that America will be restored.

A New Kind of Entitlement

2010-08-18T17:35:00.002-04:00

Today I was in McDonald's grabbing a bite to eat before some meetings. At a booth in front of me was a mother and 2 children. She had her netbook out, and was calling someone on her cell phone. Her MP3 player was lying near the Netbook. I saw no evidence that they had ordered anything. When they rose to leave, she had a HUGE stack of napkins in her hand, and her youngest child has a handful of straws. It reminded me of a story an intern of mine told me once. She was living with her grandparents while attending college nearby. She said she hated to go out to eat with them because they took everything that wasn't tied down. One day she came into the office laughing. "Today", she said, "my grandmother said as she prepared lunch, 'Irving, we've got to go back to Burger King. We're almost out of napkins.'"

So, back to the family in McD's. With enough money to afford a netbook, cell phone, & MP3 player, they still had to steal napkins??? The mother evidently set the example for the kids. I remember hearing Bill Gothard say, "What the parents do in moderation, their children will do to excess." Is it any wonder we have a society that thinks the "haves" must pay the way for the "have-nots".

I think the apostle Paul summed it up very well when he penned, "If a man does not work, he should not eat."

Why Obama Will Not End the War

2010-08-09T10:37:00.003-04:00

The primary reason for Obama's low popularity numbers is the current economy and loss of jobs. That reason alone is enough to determine whether or not he moves aggressively to end the US involvement in Afghanistan. It has far less to do with Al Quaida than with the economy. To bring home thousands of troops and thrust them into the failing job market will only exacerbate the problems. Add to that the expense of dealing with the medical and psychological issues that will emanate from the readjustment of those who have been on the front lines for so long, and the die is cast.

The old adage, "promises are made to keep" does not apply in the political arena. A better rendering of it would be "promises are made to change with the political climate". As much as we Americans would like to think that our ongoing involvement in the war is altruistic, the truth of the matter is that it is politically expedient. While I firmly believe that we entered the fray with the best of motives, and our fighting men and women are there because they believe strongly in what they are doing, there is too much evidence that politics have taken over. Just as with Desert Storm, which ended before complete victory was achieved, this war could be ended quickly if we allowed our military personnel to run it.

I don't usually get into political issues on this blog, but I woke up thinking about this today and decided to put my thoughts in this update.

Time to Use Our Greatest Weapon

2010-07-28T16:33:00.003-04:00

We have reached a point in our American society where there is primarily one group of people who can be ridiculed, verbally attacked and otherwise vilified by the media, politicians, public educators, and the entertainment industry without any outcry by the general public. That group is comprised of Christians; believers in and followers of Jesus Christ. Those whose guide for living is the Bible. Any stance taken by a Christian based on their Biblical beliefs is fair game for the aforementioned groups. College and grad students are being denied pursuit of their education by some universities unless they go through a "re-education" process to change their beliefs to be more in line with the secular mind-set of the school. Does this sound a bit like Nazi-ism and Communism? Yet it goes on uncontested in America every day. The time has come to get out the "big gun". What is that weapon? It is prayer. The Psalmist, King David knew how to incorporate this weapon when he was put upon by many enemies. Time and again he poured out his complaint s against his enemies and asked the Lord to intervene on his behalf. Time and again God complied with his requests. It is time for churches to train their people as prayer warriors and intercessors. We need to pray with a newspaper in our hands. We need to pray as we watch TV or listen to the radio. We need to pray for our politicians and against ungodly positions that many of them have taken.

Years ago I hear Bible Teacher/Preacher Ron Dunn explain that prayer is like an intercontinental ballistic missile; it can be fired from a launching pad no larger than our knees; it can travel at the speed of thought to any location in the world and be exactly on target, and there is no defense against it. It is true that a Christian can never stand any taller than when he or she is on their knees in prayer.

We have somehow relegated prayer to opening & closing events or meetings and asking for healing for the myriad diseases that plague mankind. However, if we want to change the status quo, the time has come to realize that our primary weapon for doing so is prayer; persistent, urgent, direct, honest prayer that brings the power of the Almighty into the midst of the fray.

The Gift of TODAY

2010-07-19T08:28:00.003-04:00

TODAY is a gift. You were never promised TODAY. You've done nothing to earn TODAY. Yet you have it. Watching my twin granddaughters open birthday presents last week reminded me that I get gifts all the time that I never really thought of as gifts. Seeing their delight with each gift they opened, reminded me that I have the choice of "delighting myself in the Lord" everyday that He sees fit to give me. So, just how does one "delight" themselves in the Lord? Well it may be a bit different for everyone, but here are some ideas for starters.

Greet the day with a positive attitude.
Start your day in God's Word. Let Him speak to you early today.
Choose to look on the positive side of every event or encounter today.
Embrace the joys of breathing, smelling, tasting, and experiencing today.
Look at circumstances as opportunities.
Expect the best from everyone you encounter

Enjoy your gift of TODAY. At the end of TODAY, reflect on all you experienced, file them away in your memory box, and look forward to the next gift that God has in store for you. By the way, He is delighted when you choose to delight in Him and His gift of TODAY.

Taking Up an Offense

2010-07-10T12:31:00.002-04:00

Serving in ministry for 50+ years, I've seen this scenario played out time and again, and every time the enemy gets the victory over the believer. Here's the scene; someone in the church, or family, or workplace, or school is offended by the actions of words of another person. A friend, acquaintance or family member hears of or observes the incident and becomes offended on behalf of their friend, etc. Long after the two actual participants in the event have settled things and moved on, those who have taken up the offense are still fuming and stewing every time they are reminded of the event or the people involved. Why? I think I know.

When I'm offended, God immediately gives me grace to forgive and move on. I can deal directly with the offender and our relationship can be restored. However, if I take on an offense on behalf of another, I am not afforded the grace of God needed to forgive. I'm pretty much on my own to do it the hard way; by strength of will. As I begin to take steps of obedience, God does offer grace, and it gets easier as I go along. The scripture that addresses this issue is found in Hebrews 12:14-15 "Strive for peace with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble and by it many become defiled;"

So, what should I do when someone comes to me and wants to talk about "the incident"? I should offer to pray with and for them, and go with them to the other party and seek resolution (with me only as a spectator) What if the one who comes to me was not a direct participant, but is passing along "hearsay"? My response should be "I have promised God not to listen to bad reports about people lest I become offended at them and become a part of the problem rather than a part of the solution. I will pray with you for the people involved, but I don't need particulars in order to do that."

God wants unity in His body, the church. In order for there to be corporate unity, there must first be individual unity between persons involved in conflict.

Does God Watch Fox and Friends?

2010-07-06T09:57:00.002-04:00

I'm constantly amazed at the reaction of Believers to the current headlines. Many of them react just the same as unbelievers with worry and almost panic. It is as if God didn't know what was coming down the pike, and had to find out from our frantic prayers what was happening in the world. Should we be concerned? Yes. Should we worry? No! Should we pray? Absolutely! Our Sovereign God has fore-knowledge of every event that takes place on earth. He could intervene and change things before we even know about them. Instead, He allows them to occur and uses them as tools to shape and conform Believers into the image of Jesus. Our possible responses to events such as the oil spill are either FAITH, FEAR, or APATHY. As I mentioned in a blog post not long ago, some of what we consider to be disasters result in a new creativity and ingenuity on the part of man-kind. This occurs when we seek God's wisdom and understanding of what has happened and why. I was glad to read that governors of three gulf states called for prayer after 70+days of the oil disaster, however, I think their timing was all wrong. The time to pray is up front. We still have the attitude that we are supposed to do all we can in any situation and, if all else fails, then pray.

I'm pretty sure that God knows about the events on earth far before Fox and Friends. Not only that, He also knows how we are going to react, and how the whole thing will end up. The formula for Believers should be

Pray
Listen
Respond (not react)
Obey

God is not asleep at the wheel. He is not an absentee Creator. He is still sovereign.

How Strongly Do You Believe?

2010-06-30T17:34:00.004-04:00

As we approach the 4th of July weekend most folks are looking forward to a day off, grilling at the beach or in the back yard, hanging with friends and family at the lake, and fireworks. In the midst of it all, the grey-heads will march in parades, hold special meetings at the flag pole, and generally, uphold the reason for the holiday...the celebration of our independence. I wonder just how much longer we will be able to hold on to the relevance of the day. It seems that with the revisionists changing much of our history, and schools doing away with the pledge of allegiance, and families giving little or no thought to why we're celebrating and not passing the legacy on to their kids, it won't be long until it becomes a meaningless day.

Do you believe strongly enough in the history of our nation to take the time to read, study and pass along the history behind the holiday? Does it cross your mind that your children and grandchildren are growing up without a clue? I'm reminded of the quote of George Santayana "those who can't remember history are bound to repeat it." This is usually mis-quoted "those who forget the mistakes of history are prone (doomed) to repeat them." Either way, we need to give some time and energy to the reason we celebrate Independence Day, or it will soon go the way of Christmas and Easter...wonderful holidays which have lost the real "reason for the season".

Real Riches: Relationships

2010-06-22T10:48:00.002-04:00

Today my wife and I wind up a reunion trip. We've had the opportunity over the past few days to re-connect with people who were in our Youth Group almost forty years ago. This has reminded me that I am a rich man. I am rich because God has enabled me to build relationships with many people through the years. I know that there are people scattered across the globe who I count as friends, and on whom I could call in time of need. What more could anyone want?

Now I look for opportunities to build new relationships; to meet and learn about new people and to seek to share my life with them. Relationships among believers will last forever. I think of those who have already preceded me in going to their reward, and I look forward to re-connecting with them one day in Glory.

Thank You, Lord for friends. Thank You for being my friend that sticks closer than a brother.

Our "News" is not "News" to God

2010-06-12T10:11:00.002-04:00

I get a little amused when watching the news, that everyone seems so caught up in the "breaking news", or "this just in to our news desk" announcements. Even believers seem to be wondering what in the world is going on. The truth of the matter is that what we call "news" God has know about forever. In many instances He has even tried to get our attention BEFORE the "news" broke so that we would be ready. Even the Apostle Paul reminds us in several places in his writings that we should not be "caught unaware".

What is going on is that God is trying to get the attention of His people and warn them that "we ain't seen nothing yet". It is only going to get worse until (or unless) we start paying attention to such admonitions as 2 Chronicles 7:14) The little word "if" is powerful. "If" we, the people of God, don't humble ourselves and pray and repent (turn from our wicked ways) and seek God's face (not just His hands) then we can't expect healing for our land...we can only expect judgment. Someone has well said, "If God doesn't judge America, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."

I'm not a gloom and doom prophet, but I can read. My prayer for America is that the people of God will realize that all these so-called "natural disasters" along with the man-made ones (oil spill,etc.) are really wake up calls. We can't keep hitting the snooze button. We must change our behavior and our attitude or the other shoe will soon drop. We must also realize that God spanks His own kids for their disobedience, and even putting padding in our pants won't lessen the pain of His correction.

Just as the anger of Jesus was directed toward the so-called "religious" establishment, the anger of God is now pointed directly toward the complacent, lazy, disobedient ones who claim to be in His Forever Family. Go back and read Matthew 7:21-23. WAKE UP CHURCH!

The Same, But Different

2010-06-01T10:19:00.002-04:00

Just 10 1/2 years ago my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. The trepidation that descended on our lives was palpable. Suddenly every day was overshadowed by both the treatments, the "what-if's" as we walked on, what for us, was a new path. At the last "Walk for the Cure" in our town, we celebrated with other survivors with a victory lap.

Now it has started over again, this time with our oldest daughter, Kendra. The realization that Rae has beaten this disease for 10 1/2 years gives us hope. But, at the same time there is dread as Kendra embarks on her treatment. Each day is a gift; every tomorrow is truly in doubt. I've asked God to let me bear the cancer in my own body. After all, I've already lived a long, full life. Kendra has "miles to go" with her four children, ages 5-10.

My understanding of true intercession is that the intercessor must be willing to bear the burden of the one for whom they are praying. I'm willing!

So, we are going down the "C" road once again. It is vaguely familiar, yet surprisingly different. Much has changed in 10+ years. Treatments have improved and we've been assured that this type is the most curable. Still there are crooks and turns in the road that we can't see around, and there is uncertainty as to what around the next curve. However, our hope is in God as we press on.

When a Disaster Isn't

2010-05-28T05:24:00.002-04:00

The news is filled with thoughts, opinions, charges and counter charges regarding the oil debacle in the Gulf. Words and phrases like "disaster", "world changing", "end of life as we know it" are being thrown around. All of which makes me stop and think about when a disaster really isn't a disaster. I truly believe that the deciding factor is what we do when a so-called disaster strikes. If we moan and groan and look for someone to bail us out, it is a disaster. If we learn from it and begin to look for solutions and alternatives, it becomes a stepping stone to a new and better life. Through out history we've seen "disasters" lead to new discoveries, better ways of preparing for the unexpected. Rather than list them here, I want to urge you to do your own research.

Bottom line; there will be bad things that come with catastrophic events, however, these can be the catalysts that catapult us into a new and better way of life for millions of people. A "disaster" doesn't have to be a disaster.

Guest Blogger: My Wife: Our Prayer

2010-05-25T09:47:00.000-04:00

Forty plus years ago the doctors told us that we would be unable to have children of our own. Then a group of teenagers at Greenleaf Ave. Baptist Church, in their weekly Prayer and Share hour, began praying. They prayed that we would have children, or, as I remember one person particularly praying, that we would be content either way.

This past Sunday, May 23, 2010, as we were singing "Because He Lives", the second verse hit me very hard!

"How sweet to hold a new-born baby and feel the pride and joy (she) gives". We found that joy in Sept. 1970 as our first-born daughter came. (I feel that was a direct answer to the prayers of those youth in Prayer and Share.) However, the second part of that verse really got me--"But greater still the calm assurrance, This child can face uncertain days because He lives".

On Friday, May 21, those lines became truth in our lives as we discovered that our "baby" has stage 2 cancer.

Now we are asking our youth groups (and adults as well) from Calvary So. in San Diego;

Greenleaf Ave in Whittier; Gardendale 1st; Parkwood, Jacksonsville; Hillview, Birmingham; Pompano Beach 1st; Perrine 1st; Northwood, West Palm Beach; Boca Glades; Sebring 1st; Avon Park 1st; Faith, Lake Placid; and Fellowship, Avon Park to join us as pray during these "uncertain days" that we will remember that God is in control and He loves us.

My verse I still claim is Ps. 73:26 and Nahum 1:7 was sent to us by a former youth and has come to mean a lot to us, too. What a blessing all of you have already been! We are amazed, blessed and excited to see what God is going to do through Kendra and her family in these "uncertain days." We want to be able to say on the other side of this time that once again God showed Himself mighty and answered the prayers of those faithful pray-ers.

Thank you for all you do and for Him who does it through you.

RAE

WHO, ME???

2010-05-20T08:15:00.002-04:00

Seems as if we Americans have regressed to our childhood. We never take responsibility for anything anymore. Just as a kid standing over a puddle of spilled milk, with an empty glass in his hand will say to his mom, "Not me!", our politicians are taking denial to a new level. It is not just the politicians though, it is also people who claim to be followers of Jesus. We have lost the importance of confession of sin as the catalyst for forgiveness. We, along with the politician, claim to have "mis-spoken" rather than lied. We have become adept at blaming those who came before us (the previous administration) for our own inaction or failure to deal with issues. Our problems are now our Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, or grandparent's fault.

Truth be known, until we take ownership of our SINS (not our mistakes, or slip-ups, or goofs) we will never receive the forgiveness promised in 1 John 1:9. The little word "if" makes it very clear that God's forgiveness of our sins is based on our confession of our sins. Re-naming sin to make it more palatable is now the favorite sport of many American Christians. Unless and until we take 2 Chronicles 7:14 seriously and really "turn from our wicked ways", we might as well forget about revival and forget about God's blessing on our lives or on our country. Come on people. Fess up. Acknowledge your sin. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God...or He will humiliate you; count on it!

Who's In Charge Here?

2010-05-13T09:24:00.004-04:00

Have you ever asked that question? My wife is really good at cutting to the chase. If she sees a clerk doing a really good job at a store, she'll look up the manager and commend the clerk to the one in charge. On more than one occasion when she has witnessed a manager publicly reprimanding an employee, she will call the manager aside and suggest that the reprimand should have been done in private. The bottom line is, she has learned that when you go to the person "in charge", you can make the most impact. That being said, let me ask you; "Who is in charge of your life?" The truth of the matter is, you are. Even if you have given your life to Christ, He will not give you a daily agenda or "to-do" list. His Word will be your guide. His Spirit will nudge you in the direction He knows you should go, but, at the end of the day, you decide what you do and when. One of the problems I see in society today is that very few are willing to take responsibility for their choices. When things don't go as we hope, we are quick to look for someone to blame.

It is time that we hark back to the mantra of President Harry Truman; "The buck stops here!" I vaguely remember a little poem that I learned long ago and have forgotten, except for the message. It went something like...

"Each of us is given a bag of tools;

a block of time and a book of rules.

And each must fashion, ere time has flown

a stumbling block or a stepping stone."

So, my question to you today is, Who is in charge of your life? What are you fashioning with the tools, the rules and the time you've been given?

WHY???

2010-05-05T14:48:00.002-04:00

I just watched a video (link above) in which Simon Sinek was talking about "Starting with Why". It occurred to me that most churches deal with the "what" we do rather than "why" we do it. When I meet with my worship team, the first questions are always, "What are we doing next Sunday?" "What is the sermon topic?" We never seem to get to the "Why are we meeting next Sunday, and what does it have to do with our reason for being a church?" question.

In this world of "cookie-cutter" churches and people, it seems we're always trying to find another church or another leader to emulate. It is the old Anthony Robbins theory, "find someone who is successful, do what they do the way they do it and you too will be successful." The only thing wrong with that strategy is that it doesn't work. Given that each of us is created differently, with a different gifts-mix-set, we can't just emulate someone and become successful. We must determine why we are where we are and what we believe about it in order to become what God intended for us (both the individual and the church). Once we do that, and learn to communicate it, then those who are like-minded will buy into our "what" which is the result of our "why" and "how". People who are attracted to a church because of the program, will soon tire of it and be lured away to another, more interesting program. Those who are attracted to a dream (here's what we believe about why we're here) are much more likely to bond with other like-minded people in the church and remain, so long as the dream remains intact.

Do First, Then Be

2010-04-28T13:55:00.003-04:00

I'm always fascinated by child prodigies. This morning on Fox News I saw a 7 year old tap-dancer who was phenomenal. I don't know the percentages, but I'd guess that prodigies in any field of endeavor are few and far between. On the other hand there are those who became great at what they do by doing it...over and over again. I remember reading that Einstein was not a very good student. Lincoln failed at numerous attempts for public office before becoming one of our best known presidents.

Sometimes there is a parent who sacrifices a great deal and pushes a child to become great (Tiger Woods)

In my own life I've experienced modest success in several fields of ministry simply by doing them. I started out in Music & Youth ministry,and was mediocre at best in both of them. Finally, after 20 years of combination ministry, I sensed God asking me to move into full-time Student Ministry. Though I was not young (40 at the time) and was not a former athlete, scintillating speaker, or had any of the other skill sets that most Youth Ministers had, God gave me a fruitful ministry with students. Later, at the request of my pastor, I became a Minster to Singles. Once again, I had to "do" it before I "became" an effective Singles Minister. Then God led me into becoming an Associate Pastor with emphasis on Christian Education and Discipleship, and finally, in my early retirement, I'm serving in my second interim pastorate. Every day of my life I've seen the truth that God is more interested in AVAILABILITY than ABILITY. I don't think that Isaiah had ever even been on a short-term mission trip when he said to God, "Here am I, send me." Now, because he was willing to "do" as God led, he has become "The Prophet".

Bottom line...God is looking for F.A.T. people; those who are FAITHFUL, AVAILABLE and TEACHABLE. When He finds someone like that, He delights to show Himself mighty on their behalf. Don't shrink back from "doing" as God presents opportunity, and, viola! one day you'll find yourself "being".

Justifying My Existence

2010-04-21T17:13:00.002-04:00

Today it dawned on me that for all the teaching and preaching I do, nothing will ever match the accomplishment of sharing the gospel with a lost person and seeing the light come on in their soul as they receive Christ. Even writing that is convicting. Today I scoured both my Twitter and FaceBook accts. and found no mention of a person being led to Christ...and the large majority of my FB "friends" and Twitter "buds" are professing Christians. I spent my time today studying and preparing for the Wednesday evening prayer meeting and Sunday morning services. That is a good use of time, but during that time 1000s went into eternity without Christ. I'm on the verge of deciding that Christians are some of the least effective people on the planet when it comes to propagating their own kind. For all our rhetoric, words in print, programs and plans, we see very little return. That makes me wonder if God is all that involved with what we are doing. If so, where is His power? Where is the fruit?

I understand that scripture teaches that it is never easy to follow Christ, but I also understand that He said if I did follow Him, He would make me a "fisher of men". Caught any lately? Me neither. I'm sure this rant will pass, but I almost hope that it doesn't. I really hope that God will so discomfit me that I will be miserable until I can point to the seeds I've sown and to the harvest I've participated in on a regular, if not daily, basis.

The Mis-understanding of Prayer

2010-04-09T11:24:00.002-04:00

After 50+ years in local church ministry, I'm convinced that most churches/Christians don't understand the power or purpose for prayer. Fully 90% of the prayer topics addressed in most churches are health related; 5% is asking blessing upon whatever meeting is taking place, with only 5% left to deal with such issues as the Good News of the Kingdom, salvation of the lost, missions, elected civil leaders and spiritual growth of the saints. (all of which are Biblical) If we learn to use the formidable tool that God has given us, I believe we will see the church come alive and our nation once again impacted by the Gospel of Christ. A study of the prayers of Jesus, Paul, David, Daniel and Nehemiah gives insight into prayer that prompts God's response. I think that God is waiting for His people to seek Him as something other than an EMT. We need to learn to seek His face, not just His hands. Once we begin to pray as the Bible teaches, we will see God's intervention in all aspects of our lives, our society and our nation.

I've heard it said that we spend more time praying to keep Christians out of heaven, i.e. healed, than we do to get the lost into heaven. It is OK to bring our concerns to the Lord. It is not OK when we ignore His concerns. Real prayer addresses the issues that are on the mind and heart of God, and gets us in sync with His agenda. What has helped me is to allow God to initiate my prayer time through His Word. When I read and the Holy Spirit quickens something to my attention, I use that as the springboard to pray. We need to say as the early disciples did, "Lord, teach us to pray."

Salvation Comes Complete; No Add-ons

2010-04-05T15:42:00.002-04:00

We just bought a Blue-ray disc player as an anniversary gift, from us-to us-with love. I unpacked it, connected it to the TV, but then read that to get the most from it I would need to hook up to the internet. I have a wireless router, but behold...in order to connect to my router, I must purchase a "wireless bridge" which noone in Sebring, FL carries. On line searches revealed that I can bid for one on E-bay; buy one from Amazon for @ $85 or buy one on-line from various stores for anywhere from $100 to $130 plus shipping and handling. When I went wireless in the house, I also had to buy 2 bridges to connect my 2 Tivo's to the internet. Are you getting the picture? It seems that everything digital comes bare-bones but...for a price you can buy add-ons that make your system what you thought you were getting in the first place.

All of this makes me so very glad that when I accepted Christ, I got it all! I got eternal life with Christ, a home in heaven, the in-dwelling Holy Spirit with all the leadership and power that He brings. I did not have to opt for a "bare-bones" salvation with add-ons to come later at a price. When Jesus paid it all, He paid it all. When I accepted Him, I got it all. I will admit that accessing what is already mine is sometimes problematic because I like to do it my way and according to my time table. When this happens, I'm usually disappointed that my salvation seems not to stack up with that of someone else. However, once I look in the instruction manual (Bible) and follow the instructions, I find how to access what is already mine. I'm so glad that salvation doesn't come from the electronics store.

Birthing a Sermon

2010-03-30T15:15:00.002-04:00

It's not easy! As much as you might think, "I could do that" when you hear your pastor preach, it is a lot more work than you can imagine. Oh, occasionally there will be a sermon that will just "pop" out and come together in a matter of minutes, but that is not the norm. Just as in a pregnancy, there is conception (getting an idea from God) gestation (studying) maturation (ironing out the wrinkles) and finally, birth. When you're faced with a holiday, like Easter, the challenge is to present the material in a fresh mode that is in the vernacular of the people to whom you're preaching and yet is challenging. The ratio of preparation to delivery, in my experience has been almost 3-1. That is, 3 hours study and prep time for each hour of preaching.

I remember hearing of a pastor being interviewed by a search committee who asked them, "Do you want my head or my feet?" The committee puzzled over that and asked, "What do you mean?" "Well," replied the pastor, "If you want my head, you'll need to plan on my spending 30+ hours each week in study and prayer. If you want my feet, you'll be expecting me to visit the sick, shut ins, prospects, etc. Study time will take a back seat and the sermons will lack the power that comes from study and prayer." That particular committee chose his head, reasoning that the other ministries could be covered by other staff or lay persons. The man had a long, fruitful ministry in that church which led their state in baptisms for most of the years he was pastor.

Moses often spent days on end on the mountain with God before returning to tell the people what God had said. Paul told Timothy to "study to show himself approved unto God...". That being said, respect your pastor's need to spend time in study and prayer. Before you pick up the phone to make a call to ask your pastor to pay a visit to Aunt Judy, ask yourself "would her Sunday School teacher do just as well?"

Bittersweet

2010-03-20T08:32:00.002-04:00

Interesting word, bittersweet. It really is descriptive of many events in life. Today I'm in a bittersweet mood. After a week of spring break, my three grandkids from AL headed out with their Nana to meet up with their parents some six hours up the road. I'm conflicted because, as interim pastor of a church with planned activities today, I can't go with them. Also, I'm conflicted because, although I enjoyed having them here, I clearly realized why God gives children to the young. My patience was tried daily, and my responses were more often reactions. I remember hearing Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, say one time "The second greatest sight in the world is seeing your grandkids come up the walk from the car to your house. The greatest sight is seeing them go down the walk, back to the car." As much as I wanted to make a positive impression on them, I'm afraid that I missed the mark because of constantly correcting or disciplining them. Having grown up seeing my grandparents almost daily, I've always fretted with being so far removed from the daily lives of my grandkids.

Perhaps the best thing I can do is continue to pray through their lives. I started a prayer notebook for each of the seven "grandies" years ago and have been adding to them periodically. On their 12th birthday I'm giving them the notebook and encouraging them to begin to journal their prayers in the balance of the notebook. So far I've only had one reach that milestone. I'm praying today for a safe return home for them and for my wife as she drives the final six hours home alone. I'll not really rest today until I know that they are all safe a home.

I Must be Getting Old

2010-03-13T12:35:00.002-05:00

We just returned from a quick trip to Alabama. Left on Monday and returned on Friday, both days were occupied with 11+ hours driving. In between we were in rainy, cool to cold weather. Got to see our granddaughter star in their school production of Willy Wonka, Jr. She played the part of Charlie and was brilliant. The return trip to Sebring was with the three Alabama "grandies" who are spending spring break with us. Already I've discovered that I'm not a patient nor as energetic as I once was. This morning's trip to the church, the bank and McDonald's with the boys exposed me as an old guy. One older gentleman at McD's said quietly to me as I was getting some tea "You have your hands full." Another came to the rescue when one of the boys went scurrying after ketchup by offering us a couple of packets he had left over.

I'm also discovering that I have hearing problems I didn't know I had. On the one hand, the decibels are hurting my ears. On the other, the speed with which the Alabamans speak with very few consonants enunciated leave me having to ask them to repeat what they've just said. The only words that come through loud and clear are "I can't" and "but he did..." I'm thinking of banning those words from general usage at my house.

All of this has caused me to recognize what others probably already knew...I'm old.

Living Off-balanced

2010-03-02T10:44:00.003-05:00

Just about the time I think I've got life by the tail, I find myself face to face with the snarling other end. Circumstances always get in the way of my carefully laid out plans for life. Weather (earthquakes, tsnamis) illness, the economy, loss of a loved one, you name it; any one or a combination of those can throw me off-balance in the blink of an eye. All of which brings me to the question, "Is it really such a bad thing to live an off-balanced life? I realize that all the self-help gurus would respond in chorus "Yes! You must learn to live a balanced life!" Let me see if I can validate my point.

When I'm living off-balanced, my senses are more alive because I don't know what is coming next.
When I'm living off-balanced I'm more open to a hand from an outside helper.
When I'm living off-balanced I'm more likely to discover new abilities I didn't know that I had.
When I'm living off-balanced I'm more tuned in to God and more likely to trust Him than my own abilities and instincts.

So there! Have I made my point? Even though it is important for us to have core values, plans, mission statements, etc. it is more important for us to recognize that God is God and we are not. He is the One who controls the "big picture"; He holds the remote. He can change the channel any time He pleases. I'm learning (at age 71) that, like it or not, life is usually not "balanced". And, I'm learning to like it that way.

2010-02-24T10:42:00.001-05:00

Trying to learn to use PING-fm to update all my social/business networks.

Are American Christians Soft?

2010-02-23T09:04:00.002-05:00

Recently I preached on the topic "Loving God With All Your Strength". That the message coincided with the Winter Olympics gave me ample metaphors from the world of sport. For the week prior to the message we had seen via TV athletes who "played hurt" because participating in the Olympics meant so much to them. One athlete fell into a ravine, clamored out and finished the ski race. A post race exam showed that she had four broken ribs and a punctured lung. Oh that American Christians had such "grit".
In our day, a headache, sniffles, allergies, being "worn out" from being a week end athlete on Saturday and any number of other minor maladies will often take a believer out of action on Sunday. Amazingly, healing takes place in time for work or school on Monday. We can play through pain and tiredness for the sake of a grade or a paycheck, but not in service for our King.
I recently read a quote by C. S. Lewis which said, "God whispers to us through our ease, He speaks to us through our consciences, but He shouts to us through our pain." That reminds me of the Paul Billheimer book, "Don't Waste Your Sorrows". The premise of both the quote and the book is that often our greatest blessings lay just beyond pain, suffering or sorrow. These are so distasteful to us that we will spend great efforts and large sums of money to avoid or escape pain or suffering, never realizing that these are tools which God uses in our lives.
At the end of the sermon on "Loving God With All Your Strength", I quoted from the hymn "Am I A Soldier of the Cross".
"Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?"
When the circumstances of the American Christian gets tough (and they will) are we going to be ready to heed the words of the Apostle Paul, "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Eph. 6:13 NKJV)

Loving God With All Your Strength

2010-02-16T11:27:00.003-05:00

In the gospels of Matthew and Mark, we find quotes from Deuteronomy 6:5 reminding us of the need to love God with our total being. One aspect of our being is "strength". A good definition of strength is "power", "might", or "exertion". Consequently, if we are to love God with all our strength, it will require us to work up a sweat for His sake. Mark Batterson in his book PRIMAL reminds readers that the words of Jesus at the judgment are "Well DONE good and faithful servant" not "well SAID". I thought of this as I watched cross-country skiers collapse across the finish line at the Olympics the other night. The athletes were totally spent. They were gasping for breath, they fell face first into the snow. All of this for a medal? Those of us who know and love Christ are vying for a much greater reward and yet, few of us are expending that kind of energy in expressing our love for God. I'm convinced that the heart of God is saddened by those of us who in the words of the old hymn "Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?"
Personally, I don't want to arrive at the gates of heaven all smiles and full of vim and vigor. I want to collapse across the portal of the gate with every last ounce of my physical strength expended expressing my love for God who "so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believed in Him might have everlasting life."

2010-02-12T09:44:00.001-05:00

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"Life Goes On" blog about life, relationships, religion, and more.

Seeking First the Kingdom: What Does it Mean?

2010-02-08T13:20:00.003-05:00

Most Christians are familiar with Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." However, there is a wide discrepancy as to what this means. The question that needs to be addressed is "what is the kingdom of God"? In scripture we find references to the "kingdom of heaven", as well as the "kingdom of God. In the New Testament there are at least 27 references to the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. In several parables Jesus told us what the Kingdom of Heaven is like; a man who sowed good seed, but his enemy sowed weeds; a mustard seed which, though very small, produces a tree or bush capable of providing a perch for the birds of the air; and yeast that is folded into a measure of flour. With this background, we can assume that the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom in which the will of God is done immediately and gladly by all it's inhabitants. It is a kingdom where love prevails. It is a kingdom where God reigns supremely without question. To seek such a kingdom is to do our part to make this true even here on earth. ("Your will be done, Your kingdom come") To pray that phrase is to say "I'm willing to do Your will and to seek to bring Your kingdom on earth by living according to Kingdom Principles such as the Beatitudes and the Great Commandment.

Thinking Outside the Church Building

2010-02-04T20:31:00.002-05:00

Many years ago Ralph Neighbor drew attention to the fact that most of our church programming is based on getting people inside our building. The truth of the matter is, if we are to ever be successful getting them into our building, we're going to have to go outside the building to find them. In Matt. 28:19-20, Jesus commanded us to "Go and make disciples of all nations..." We are not commanded to "invite them", or even "bring them". He said "Go". The literal translation of that is "as you are going". Therefore, our disciple making is to take place as we are going about our normal traffic pattern of life. When we connect to people where they are, and build meaningful relationships, it is then easier to get them to accompany us to church.

This being true, the purpose of our time "in" church should be preparation for going outside the church and doing the work of ministry there. Everything that happens in the building; Worship, Bible Study, Fellowship and Prayer should be preparing us to go into the world, where the people are, and communicate the love of Christ in tangible ways. We must remember that it is Jesus who builds His church, and that God "adds to the church those who are being saved". It sounds as if they are being saved elsewhere and then God puts them in the church to be trained to go back into the world and repeat the process that brought them to the church initially. Think about it...and share with me your thoughts in a comment.

God is In Control

2010-01-27T11:04:00.002-05:00

I have several friends who are extremely upset over the situation in our country. While I understand and appreciate their concern, I refuse to let it dominate my life. Daily I remind myself of the truth of Proverbs 21:1 "A kings heart is a water channel in the Lord's hand; He directs it wherever He chooses." Before you think that this is a cop-out on my part, stop and realize that the ultimate fate of this nation is not in the hands of the politicians, but rather in the hands of Almighty God. Even before I've done my part in voting and have spoken my mind through communication with elected officials, the most important thing I can do is pray for our nation. I've made a covenant with God that whenever I wake up during the night that is my call to prayer for our nation. Primarily I pray for repentance beginning in the halls of government and moving throughout the nation. I'm using Ninevah as my example. I'm asking God to send a prophet or prophets throughout our land with His strong message, and I'm asking that the response will be the same as in Ninevah. Just as God used Darius the Mede (in the day of Daniel) and Artaxerxes (in the day of Nehemiah) he can use a current president and elected officials to accomplish His purposes. My word to believers in our nation is "PRAY, PRAY, PRAY and OBEY, OBEY OBEY." God is in control!!!

Pharisees Alive and Well

2010-01-11T11:18:00.004-05:00

The recent furor kicked off by Brit Hume's statements on a Fox News panel just highlights the point that Pharisees are still among us. Even those who claim a personal relationship with Christ have gone out of their way to lambaste Hume for daring to suggest that Christianity is superior to other religions of the world. Here are my questions to these folks.

In what other religion is there a Savior who bled and died for the sins of mankind?
What other religion has a leader who rose from the dead and lives today "ever making intercession for the saints"?
What other religion offers forgiveness to those who confess and repent of their sins

My take on the reason so many have tee'd off on Hume is that either they are under conviction because they recognize the truth of what he said, or (if they are believers) they are convicted because they don't have the guts to publicly acknowledge their faith. I'm reminded that Jesus warned that those who denied Him before man, He would deny before the Father.
I'm also aware that God's Word tells us that He does not want "any to perish, but all to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
I'm so pleased and proud that a brother in Christ who has been given a platform from which to speak had the courage to speak his convictions without being afraid of what the PC's of the world would think. May his tribe increase.

2010: So What?

2010-01-02T10:03:00.002-05:00

Here I was feeling like a slacker because I had not updated my blog in several weeks. Then I checked on some blogs that I follow and found that I had a lot of company. It seems that in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, going all the way back to Thanksgiving, many people got caught up in the day to day "stuff" and blogging took a back seat. I feel better.
That being said, I want to address a few random thoughts that are buzzing around in my head, in no particular order.

Football coaches are far too serious for their own good. If they approached life like Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno, they would live longer and enjoy life more.
The Purpose for Christmas is lost in the frenzy of gift-buying-giving-receiving.
The best ideas for New Year's resolutions are found in Philippians 2:1-11.
If I'm still alive then there is more for me to do be and become.
To paraphrase the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:13 "But learning from what lies behind..."
Prov. 21:1 "The king's (president's) heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will."
The Great Commission will never be accomplished until the Great Commandment is learned and applied in the church.

There! I feel better. May 2010 be the best year yet as God continues to "conform us to the image of His Son" Romans 8:29.

Primal; A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity

2009-12-14T18:31:00.004-05:00

In his new book, PRIMAL, Mark Batterson takes the reader far beneath the surface of the words of the Great Commandment as given by Jesus in Mark 12:30. With a mixture of personal experiences and broad research, Batterson challenges the reader to think very much outside the box. In his own words, this is "a re-imagining of the four primal elements detailed by Jesus in the Great Commandment." As with his earlier books, IN A PIT WITH A LION ON A SNOWY DAY, and WILD GOOSE CHASE, these are not "easy reads". I found myself pausing time and again to think through what I had just read. Loving God with all one's heart is, according to Batterson, primal compassion; with all the soul is primal wonder, with all the mind is primal curiosity and with all the strength is primal energy. The beauty of this book is that it will challenge the reader to delve more deeply into their own personal relationship with God and to get in touch with the primal part of their own faith. I can say with assurance, you won't be the same after reading this book.

Standing in The Gap

2009-12-08T11:40:00.002-05:00

Perhaps the saddest verse in scripture is found in Ezekial 22:30 "And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach (gap) before Me for the land that I should not destroy it, but I found none."
Israel had sinned against God, and He sought an intercessor to "stand in the gap" between Him and Israel, and sadly, there was not one. The next verse tells the sad end of the incident "Therefore I have poured out My indignation upon them, I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God."
I firmly believe that this same situation exists in America today. We have deliberately sinned against God, and are in the cross-hairs of His wrath. Unless there are intercessors who will step between America and the wrath of God, we may well experience His wrath. For the past few weeks I have promised God that when I wake up during the night, I will intercede for America before I go back to sleep. My plea to Him is that we will be like Ninevah when Jonah finally preached there. From the king to the common man there was grief over their sin, repenance and returning to God. Oh that this would be true of our nation.
Intercessors arise!!! Be willing to stand in the gap and build up the wall. Until the wrath of God begins to fall, there is still time.

One Man's Opinion

2009-11-20T11:47:00.003-05:00

To this point I've resisted the urge to give my opinion on some of the inane descisions, past and present, made by the elite politicians. From their own version of Mount Olympus (Washington, D. C.) and exempt from any of the restrictions their legislation puts on the rest of us, they have reached at point where it matters not what the public thinks. At the very least they have a term to foist their evil upon us. Un-doing what they do in the meantime will take decades (cite Roe v Wade) if not longer. Since I've mentioned the legalization of infanticide in America, have any of these progressive "thinkers" weighed the economic impact of killing babies? Because of the mass murder of over a million babies, there will be fewer people down the road to pay into the Social Security system, thereby hastening it's demise. Of course, those who passed the legislation aren't worried because they are exempt from Soial Security. Link the abortion issue with granting homosexual marriage rights, and the hand writing is on the wall for America. We'll soon (hopefully not in my grandchildren's lives) cease to exist as a free nation. We will be a nation of illegal immigrants at best since there is no incentive for any immigrant to do it the old fashioned way (legally). They have all they could possibly want without the burden of citizenship.
The straw that broke the camel's back for me is the recent decision of our President and Attorney General to grant a confessed war criminal full rights as a citizen of the country he has sworn to destroy. As if that were not enough, then both of them went out of their way to taint the jury pool by guaranteeing a guilty verdict and death penalty. I can hear the plethora of legal shenanegans now as lawyers for the accused cite reasons why a fair trial is not possible. All it will take is one liberal judge, and the master mind of 7/11 walks. AG Holder says that he won't be freed which means we'll pay his room and board for he next 20 years or so.
Here's my suggestion to Obama, Holder, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of their ilk. If you don't like the way America has thrived for over 200 years, please move to Europe, or Canada, or any of the countries now under Shiara (?) government. I know that many of them have stricter immigration laws than we do (thanks to you) but you've made a career of finding loopholes.

Guilt vs Conviction

2009-11-16T11:56:00.002-05:00

I read a statement the other day that if people learned to deal with guilt and un-forgiveness, our hospitals would be relatively empty. It reminded me of the book by Dr. Carl Meninger entitled "What Ever Happened to Sin?" This morning I had a woman in my office dealing with what she perceived to be guilt over the death of her 27 year old daughter. The daughter died of a brain aneurysm. I explained to her that there was no way she could have prevented such an unfortunate death even if she had been sitting in the room with her daughter at the time. As we continued to talk about the myriad problems the woman had, I suggested that perhaps her guilt was connected to something else, but had just manifested at the death of her daughter. Immediately she said, "That's it!" I explained that when there is un-confessed sin in our lives that we have neglected or refused to acknowledge that "guilt" is really conviction, and sometimes manifests attached to something other than the event or action that is really the cause. We must ask God to reveal the true cause and confess and repent of it and then we can be free. She then said, "I have to go!" and left to deal with the cause of her conviction.
I've discovered that when guilt is "floating" and not attached to anything specific, it is likely a ruse of the enemy seeking to divert us from focus on God and His will. The Holy Spirit is very specific in His conviction and pinpoints the cause so that we can deal with it.

Living in the Moment

2009-11-11T14:35:00.002-05:00

Last week, the night before I was to play golf the next morning, I woke up early thinking again about how golf is a metaphor for life. It occurred to me that the only shot you can do any thing about in golf is the one that you are taking at the moment. Your last shot is over and done with, your next one is a mystery because you don't even know where the ball will be. It remains for you to concentrate on grip, setup, direction, back-swing, down-swing and follow-through for the shot you are now making. In reality, you can only address each of these one at the time. I really like it better when I don't think about any of these, but, using the technique of John Daley, just "grip it and rip it".
Life is a lot like that. The only moment I can control is the one I'm in right now. The past is gone, even if only a few seconds ago. The future is yet to come, and once again, I have no idea what it holds. Right now, no, now, no, now...(you get the drift) I can concentrate on what I'm doing. Sure my past is a part of my present, and what I'm doing presently will impact my future; but the reality is, I only have control of NOW.
I really think this is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he penned these words to the Philippian church, "But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus." What I am doing at the moment really is part of my pursuit of the goal I have in Christ. Now, if I can just remember to keep my head down and back-swing slow, I think I'll do better in golf...and in life.

Eden Revisited

2009-10-28T11:55:00.002-04:00

You've heard the old sayings "What goes around comes around." and "There's nothing new under the sun." It occurred to me this week that modern society gives credence to these adages. The original sin was launched by the question, "Did God really say 'You can't eat from any tree in the garden?'" That seemingly innocuous question put a doubt in Eve's mind that led to her succumbing to the temptation to check to see if God was really serious about His admonition. Unfortunately for her, and for all mankind, He was very serious. All the enemy had to do was raise a doubt. We still face the same question over and over today in many ways. Some examples are:

The speed limit; conventional wisdom says that the posted sign of 70 mph allows you to go at least 75 without fear of being caught.
Lying: we have created incremental lying; white lies, fibs, lies, and big honking lies.
Theft: It is OK to take someone's work by plagiarizing, or copying answers to a test; it is OK to steal time by falsifying your work hours; it is OK to take paper clips, pens, pencils, napkins, or as I discovered this week, all the Splenda packets put on the condiment station at fast food restaurants.

In each of these instances, and probably many more that I didn't cite, we create a sense that rules are made to be at least stretched, if not broken. The question in the minds of many is "Did they REALLY mean what they said?" Unfortunately we don't limit this question to the civil law (which Paul tells us we should obey) but we also stretch it to include the laws of God.
When God said "You shall not commit adultery." He didn't prohibit a little "hanky-panky" did He?
When God said "You shall not kill." He didn't mean that you couldn't assassinate someone's character did He?
The bottom line is that what God said, He meant. The consequences that He said would come, do come, if not immediately, eventually. There are no such things as victimless crimes. Someone is always hurt even if it is the perpetrator. It seems we haven't come very far from Eden after all.

Where's the Passion for Souls?

2009-10-17T09:58:00.004-04:00

Even writing this post is convicting to me. My passion for seeing people born into the kingdom of God is at best intermittent. As I look around in my city and county, I can't find a church that demonstrates a real passion for seeing the lost come to Christ. Most of the churches are content to hold on to what they've got, or grow by "swapping sheep" with other churches and hope they can get some two-for-one deals along the way.
This week I led a conference session on "Sharing Your Faith" for a group of Sr. Adults. Amazingly, fifty people showed up and packed a room designed for about half that many. (even in our planning we don't expect people to be interested in learning how to share their faith) As we discussed how to tell our salvation stories, how to share the gospel using only one verse of scripture (John 3:16), and how to use the "Bridge to Life" illustration, there was a genuine sense of excitement in the room. Of course the "proof of the pudding is in the eating". It remains to be seen if even one of those in the conference will use these, or any other tools, to communicate the gospel.
We've expanded use of the so-called "social gospel" (doing random acts of kindness in the name of Jesus) while diminishing life-style evangelism. While there is nothing wrong with the social gospel, there is little evidence that it is making significant in-roads in our pagan society. We drift from one program to the other while ignoring the fact that the Great Commission is a call to a life-style, not a program. The literal translation for the first few words of that commission is "As you are going, make disciples". Rather than just complain about this trend, I'm seeking to implement some steps toward changing it.

As a leader in my church, I'm going to demonstrate life-style evangelism by making the gospel a part of my everyday conversation.
I'm going to hammer on the fact that, as Leonard Ravenhill said, "A person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument."
I'm going to challenge my people to use their story as their primary method of sharing the Good News of Jesus.
I'm also going out of my way to equip them with several simple methods so that they will have more than one arrow in their quiver.
I'm going to have someone tell their story from the pulpit or in their SS class every week.

That's my plan. I'd love to hear yours.

Business as Usual

2009-10-07T06:57:00.002-04:00

Currently I'm working with two churches; one a small, mostly Sr. Adult church and the other a First Baptist in a small town. Both are currently without a pastor. I'm serving as Interim pastor for one (the small church) and helping with pastoral ministries for the the other. The thing that I'm finding true in both is that they are striving to continue doing "business as usual" (whatever that means). They are missing a great opportunity to make some changes that have long been needed. I have a friend who often says, "The best time to make changes is when change is happening." The loss of a pastor is change. Obviously things will be done differently because those who remain have different gift sets, strengths and weaknesses. The key to adapting to the current situation is that someone or some group must step up and take responsibility for leading. That doesn't mean there should be a power struggle. Unless someone steps forward, it is very easy for a form of anarchy to arise. Every ministry, every group, and in some cases individuals, begin to "do their own thing" without regard for others.
One step in the right direction is to bring in an Intentional Interim pastor. That is an interim with training and experience in leading a church to make needed changes so that a new pastor will not have to struggle with some of the old entrenched modes of operation. In addition to preaching, teaching, and doing pastoral ministry, the I.I.M. helps the church identify strengths and weaknesses and find better ways of accomplishing their mandate as a church. Rather than rushing to get a warm body into the pulpit ASAP, the church can step back, analyze what they are doing, determine needed changes and put them in motion. That will help them also know the sort of pastor they need.
Business as usual is somewhat like the old adage "insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results".

Seizing the Moment

2009-10-02T14:25:00.000-04:00

Since June of this year I have been involved in three funerals and will be doing another this coming week. Thankfully, each of the deceased were strong Christians and had lived their faith in such a way that comforting the believing family and friends was easy. At each funeral I do, I always present the gospel, believing that this is a vulnerable moment for any un-believers in the audience. There are certain times when people are more open to the gospel than others, and I believe that we should discern those times and boldly seize the moment to present the good news.

Just last week when I did this, two people, including a relative of the deceased, gave their lives to Christ. We did not have an “altar call” as such, but after I had prayed a prayer of repentance and faith and invited any one to make that prayer their own, I asked that those who did pray that prayer please open their eyes and make eye contact with me. This in no way took away from the service. Having identified those responding, I was able then to make arrangements for follow-up.

My on-going prayer to the Father is for discernment so that I will know when and where He is working, and be ready and able to join Him. As Erwin McManus states in Chasing Daylight, “Every moment counts, and we must engage them with fierceness and zeal.”

The next time you are around those who are vulnerable to the gospel because of the circumstance they are in, please seize the moment to share the life-changing news of Jesus.

Becoming a Dangerous Church

2009-09-23T18:02:00.002-04:00

Matthew 16:18 (HCSB) And I also say to you that you are Peter (petros, a rock), and on this rock (boulder; the statement “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”) I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it.

It is Jesus’ intention that the church overwhelms the gates of Satan’s domain. He wants us to be on the offensive for the Kingdom of God. We are never to be in retreat or in a circle the wagons mode. We are to be on the attack. We are to take captives away from Satan and lead them into the kingdom through faith in Jesus. We must learn what our rights are and how to use the weapons God has supplied.

Our rights

Matthew 16:19 (HCSB) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 18:19 (HCSB) Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.

* Our Weapons

o 2 Corinthians 10:4 (HCSB) since the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high minded thing raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

o Ephesians 6:18 (HCSB) With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and stay alert in this, with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

Let’s become dangerous!!!

What in the World is a Church to Do?

2009-09-15T14:47:00.003-04:00

In this day of cookie-cutter churches, it seems that when one church does something that results in numerical increase, many other churches line up behind and emulate them. The primary idea seems to be the old Tony Robbins mot "Find someone who is successful, do what they do, the way they do it, and you too will be successful." BTW that probably is not a completely accurate quote, but you get the gist. The problem with this approach when used by churches is that they copy the technique, the program, or the marketing approach while giving little thought to their scriptural assignment. That assignment is found in Matthew 28:18-20. Having discovered the assignment, the real question is how do we accomplish it? Jesus gave us help, both as individuals and as churches in Matthew 25:31-46, commonly called the parable of the sheep and the goats. The defining factors that determined who was welcomed into the kingdom and who was not were these;

Feed the hungry
Give water to the thirsty
Take in the stranger
Clothe the un-clothed
Look after the sick
Visit those in prison

These are things every church can do without a slick advertising campaign, impressive building or high-powered communicator. Simply put it mean that a church does what it can, where they are with what they have to meet needs.

The Place of Fellowship in the Church

2009-09-08T09:48:00.002-04:00

On Labor Day our church had a fish fry. More people attended than have attended church or Bible Study on any given Sunday in the past three months. This got me to thinking about the place that fellowship occupies in the life of the church. In Acts 2:46 we find the new church members meeting together daily in the temple and then "breaking bread" (having fellowship over food) from house to house. This reminded me of something I once heard; "it is hard to put on airs while eating". We are more apt to be ourselves over a meal or refreshments than in most other settings.
The only problem I see is that many churches have elevated fellowship to a position above worship, evangelism, discipleship and ministry. At one point the Sunday School was known as the "outreach arm" of the church. In the early 1970s, that changed to being the Bible Study FELLOWSHIP, or Small Group FELLOWSHIP. The drop in baptisms can be traced back to that change in philosophy.
I think that fellowship is somewhat like icing on a cake. It makes the cake taste better if it is applied in the right proportion. However, too much icing will make you sick. When fellowship prevails over all the other activities and ministries of a church, the DNA becomes unbalanced and the church becomes sick. The real place of fellowship is to build a deeper "koinonia" in the body and to serve as an entry point for those outside the body.
Fellowship, then, is essential, but not primary to the health of a church. Everything should flow from WORSHIP. More on that later. What do YOU think?

The Purpose of the Church

2009-08-31T10:54:00.002-04:00

It seems to me from scripture that the primary purpose of the church is to represent Christ to the world. The unfortunate reality is that many, if not most, church members think that the church exists to cater to them. They expect the church to entertain, comfort, inspire and pamper them simply because they are "members". If the opening statement of this blog is true, how does that play out in reality? Here are some random thoughts.

The church should serve as a "service station" to members equipping them for ministry to and in the world in which they live.
The church should demonstrate to the world how to live in community with one another.
The church should do for those outside the church what Christ did for the multitudes when He was here on earth.
The church should provide nurture and care for new believers, helping them discover and develop their gifts that enable them to function as Christ's ambassadors to the world.
The church should be a platform for corporate worship that includes far more than just musical entertainment.
The church should promote synergy so that the end result of corporate efforts at ministry far exceed that of individuals functioning separately.

The church in the west (United States) must take some cues from the oppressed church in third world countries if we are to return to the purpose for which we were established by Jesus. What do you think?

How To "Seek First the Kingdom of God" as a Church

2009-08-24T07:14:00.002-04:00

Anything that can or should be done individually can be done corporately. The key is getting everyone "on board". For the individual to "seek first the kingdom of God" one must establish kingdom pursuit as the priority ("a" priority becomes one of many, or no priority at all) For the church to do it, the pastoral leadership must consider seeking the kingdom as their reason for being.
Perhaps delving into what it means to "seek first the kingdom of God" will help with focus.

The realization that God's Word is to be obeyed and lived, not just learned.
The recongnition that God's kingdom is under His rule, and not open to a democratic process.
Realizing that the Holy Spirit can and will bring consensus to a church body as they seek the kingdom.
Understanding that delayed obedience is disobedience.
Grasping the importance of "nevertheless, Your will be done".

Kingdom growth does not come via the latest church growth secret. It comes when all energies and resources are focused on "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven". It comes when churches realize that they are all part of the same body, and therefore have a responsibility to and for each other. That means that if my church has resources that your church needs, we share them. It (kingdom growth) comes when the focus is on Christ, THE supreme leader of the church. It comes when the church recognizes that all the necessary tools are readily available to even the smallest the lot. Those tools are the Word of God, the Holy Spirit and prayer.

As with any human attempt to explain spiritual reality, this post falls short. Hopefully it will spark some thought and prayer which will lead to individuals, and the churches they comprise, to become more kingdom focused.

The U.N.I.S.O.N. Approach to Church Health

2009-08-17T11:59:00.002-04:00

Over the past 15-20 years the emphasis in the "church world" has been on church growth. There have been numerous strategies and plans espoused as being the foolproof route to a growing church. The reality is, if a church is not healthy, any growth that stems from any strategy will be short-lived and ultimately will do more harm than good. From years of observation, prayer and trial and error, I would suggest the following.

Uncover: This is sort of like going to a clinic for a complete physical. There are issues in most churches that are covered by layers of programs, traditions and the like. These issues must be uncovered so that a plan can be devised to deal with them.

Needs: The first item which must be exposed is NEED. What are the needs of the people? What are the needs of the community around the church? What are the needs of the church? The process of uncovering these needs involves question/answer; surveys; observation, and of course, prayer.

Interests: The next area of concern which should be brought to the surface are the interests of the people the church and the community. These interests will create an intersection between the church and the community where connections can be made. Ministries will grow along these connections as those with common interests are brought together.

Strengths: Every church has strengths and weaknesses. Many hours and dollars are spent trying to shore up the weaknesses while the strengths are left to fend for themselves. If the strengths of the members and the corporate strengths of the church are uncovered, harnessed and put into action the cause of the kingdom will flourish. God gave those strengths (talents, gifts, experiences, personality traits, etc.) to prepare the church for the assignment He has for them.

Organize: Once the needs, interests and strengths of a church have been uncovered, specific plans can be laid for meeting the needs through the interests and strengths of the body. People are liberated to function within the church according to their strengths and interests rather than be "guilted" into filling a position that causes them to stress. The organization process is then done ...

Naturally: Rather than trying to put round pegs into square holes, the needs and interests and strengths are brought together, "fits" are found and ministries are birthed where the needs, interests and strengths intersect. This is taking into consideration the fact that God puts people in the church (local) according to their abilities and the assignment He has for that particular body. It also considers that when we don't find the interest or strength to fit the needs we discover, we can "pray the Lord of the harvest that He would thrust forth workers into His harvest."

Of course, there is much meat to be put on these bones, but at least this gives a basic structure to build upon.

The Benefits of Being an Opportunist

2009-08-11T09:29:00.003-04:00

Sometimes the term "opportunist" gets bad press. There are those who think that opportunists are taking advantage of people and/or situations for personal gain. However, on the flip side seizing an opportunity is what has won wars, launched companies, saved lives and propagated the Gospel of Christ. In Malcolm Gladwell's book The Outliers he shows graphically how seizing opportunities has given us Apple Computers, Microsoft, Starbucks, etc. Erwin McManus in Chasing Daylight (originally Seizing Your Divine Moment) and Mark Batterson in In a Pit With A Lion on a Snowy Day show us from scripture and personal experience how the believer is benefitted by being an opportunist.

I have noticed that seizing opportunity leads to more opportunity. Perhaps that is the reason we have some of our mega-churches today. In grabbing hold of an opportunity, they showed themselves faithful and God sent more opportunity. It is sort of like the parable of the 3 servants (often called the parable of the talents.) The ones who invested their talent(s) were rewarded with greater opportunity while the one who squirreled his lone talent away was stripped of what he had. Sadly there are many churches across our land today that are vainly trying to hold on to the status quo only to find themselves sinking into oblivion primarily because they have refused to "chase the lion" as Batterson puts it, or "seize the moment" according to McManus. In order for them to turn things around and become Great Commission Churches, they need to recognize and capture the opportunities that God presents them. It can be done even after years of decline. In a subsequent blog, I'll deal with some ways a church can become opportunistic for the kingdom of God.

Cut To The Chase

2009-07-27T11:52:00.002-04:00

I love that phrase! It causes me to bring everything down to the simplest common denominator. I've just finished outlining a sermon from Matthew 5:31-48. This passage deals with some of the more difficult teachings of Jesus. He was answering His critics who were accusing Him of changing or dismissing the laws of Moses. Here He deals with divorce, using oaths, retaliation, and treatment of enemies. The last line of the passage is the "cut to the chase" statement. "Be perfect therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." Wow!!! Two by four to the face! When you stop to think about it, how could a perfect God set any standard for His followers that is less than perfect? The moment He does so, He becomes less than perfect. The beauty of this command is that Jesus has met the standard on our behalf. Just as He paid the sin-debt owed by all mankind, He has met the impossible standard of Godly perfection and applied it to our account.
Can I be perfect? Absolutely not! Can I appropriate the perfection of Jesus? Absolutely! I do it by faith, just as I also gain eternal life with Christ. Faith is the coin of the realm that buys spiritual standing that I can never claim any other way. Now THAT is cutting to the chase.

Golf; A Metaphor for Life

2009-07-20T05:06:00.003-04:00

I've heard it many times before. "Golf is a metaphor for life". After this year's British Open, I believe it. For 71 improbable holes, Tom Watson looked to be the victor; a 59 year old putting all the 20, 30 & 40 somethings in their place. He rose to every challenge. He sank impossible 60 foot putts that he called "no brainers". Time and again he split the fairways with magnificent drives that matched his younger opponents not only for accuracy, but for length. Then, on the 72nd hole, with victory in his grasp, something unexpected happened. After a bold putt from the fringe zipped by the cup and settled some 8 feet away, Tom Watson putted, not to win, but to keep from losing. At that moment, the British Open was over. Oh I know that he and Stewart Cink played a four hole playoff, but the tournament ended when Tom switched from offense to defense on that next to last putt. At that point, the 72 hole finish line was moved to the 76th hole, and Tom was programmed for 72.
There is a phrase in the Book of Revelation that is repeated several times; "to him who overcomes". The phrase always precedes a promise for eternal reward. It implies that a person must persevere, not let down, never give up. To win 71 holes is not enough. You must win the 72nd hole, or if need be, the 76th, in order to collect the reward.
I'm interim pastor of a small church made up mostly of people in their mid sixties and up. Many of them are on their 72nd hole, and are clinging to the hope of the reward to come. Their favorite hymns and choruses are those pertaining to heaven. They have switched from offense for the kingdom to defense, just hanging on to what they have and hoping that life doesn't go into overtime.
I know a person who announced before their 87th birthday that they would die either on or soon after that day. They will be 88 next week, and have lived almost every day of the past year in disappointment that they are still alive. How sad! I've often said that I would like to have the epitaph of Moses. It is recorded in Deuteronomy 34:7, "Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated." What a way to go! On the 76th hole in overtime and still going strong. Now that's how the game is supposed to be played.

The Inigma of LIfe

2009-07-13T07:26:00.002-04:00

Life can often seem complicated. The Apostle Paul mentioned his struggle in Romans 7 where he repeatedly said, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." That appears to be a universal struggle among Christians. Time and again we find ourselves wandering from our chosen path of following Christ to following our own base desires. Sometimes it is a chosen action on our part, but more often it is a reaction to some stimulus; either what someone says to/about us or does to us or to someone we care about. In my experience I've found that the best course of action when I'm tempted to do this is to RESPOND rather than REACT. What's the difference?
When I react to something or someone, I am not in control. It is like when the Dr. hits your knee with that little hammer. You don't think about it, your body just reacts. By allowing my "knee-jerk" reaction free reign, I'm constantly giving the person or occurrence which caused the reaction to control my life, even if just for the moment. When I respond, I take time to think, to refocus, and choose an action which tips the scale in my direction.
So here is my thought for today. I'm choosing not to dwell on the past, but to learn from it and move on. I'm choosing not to worry about the future, but plan for it as I live in the now, moment by moment. I'm also choosing to process my first impression when I encounter an unexpected bump in the road and choose a reasoned response rather than a knee-jerk reaction. Join me?

The Miracle @ Cana; Fresh Insight

2009-07-07T13:29:00.004-04:00

In continuing writing my devotional book on the sayings of Jesus, today I re-read the passage where Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. This is commonly considered to be Jesus' first recorded miracle. As I read it this time, I saw something I hadn't noticed before. I believe there are some lessons here regarding prayer.
Prayer is not limited to just presenting a laundry list of requests to God. Sometimes it is discussing situations with Him with the expectation that He will do what is best in the situation. That seems to be the case in this story. Mary, His mother, simply apprises Him of the situation; the wine had run out. Jesus' response would seem to have ended the discussion, however Mary assumed that He would do something, and alerted the servants to follow His direction. The directions that Jesus gave defied logic, and yet, when the servants obediently did as He bade them, the result was miraculous.
So it is with our prayers. Perhaps we need to spend some prayer time discussing our situation with God and expecting Him to act regarding it without telling Him what He should do. When He does respond, often in ways we don't understand, we need to obediently carry out His directions with the expectation that the miraculous could quite possibly occur. This to me opens up an exciting new dimension of prayer. If I should put it in a formula, it would be;

Situation presented to God
Faith that God will answer demonstrated in what I do next
Obedience to His direction regarding the situation
Experiencing a miracle

I'm always thrilled to discover something fresh and new to me in scripture. It just happened again.

Public Praying

2009-07-06T11:48:00.003-04:00

Often prayers that are uttered in public seem to be done on auto-pilot. There are certain words or phrases that are repeated seemingly without thought as to whether they fit the context of the prayer. It seems that when we open our mouths to pray, part of our brain shuts down.
When our girls were young, we determined that we were not going to teach them the rote meal blessings (God is great, God is good...etc) We thought we'd teach them to think about what they wanted to say rather than just recite a memorized prayer. Interestingly, they invented their own rote meal prayers, memorized them and repeated them over and over.
I had a student in my youth group who used the word "Lord" as a punctuation mark or instead of saying "er" or "uh". He was totally unaware until I pointed out to him that in a brief (two minute) prayer he'd said the word "Lord" twenty eight times. The next time he prayed publicly he was almost tongue-tied.
Here is how I deal with the temptation to shift into auto-pilot. Before the prayer, I remind myself that I'm communicating with God aloud, and others just happen to be eavesdropping. I make a conscious effort not to pray for the benefit of the audience of many, but rather to the audience of ONE. I find that if I'm not careful, I'll begin to address the wrong audience. (I once served with a pastor who would preach two sermons in the same service; one in the normal fashion, and the other in his closing prayer.)
Anytime we approach the Lord in prayer, be it public (aloud) or private (in our minds) we should be very aware of what we are doing and what we are saying. Anything else trivializes one of the greatest gifts that God has given us; the gift of a personal audience with Him.

Multi-Tasking Prayer; Y or N?

2009-06-27T11:58:00.003-04:00

This morning as I enjoyed brunch at Denny's, I found myself praying for my grandkids. All the while I was eating, eavesdropping on a conversation nearby, noticing the people walking about in the restaurant, etc. The thought popped into my head, "I wonder how effective this prayer is when I'm mixing it in with everything else going on around me?" Thinking back, I recall praying while driving, watching TV, and (blush) while in the bath room. I'll share my conclusions with you, but I'd really like to hear from you on this matter.
My bottom line on this is that so long as multi-tasking prayer isn't all the praying that you do, it is OK. As a matter of fact, it is probably a great add-on to your prayer life. However, there must be prayer time which is totally focused on the Lord and the prayer needs at hand without a bunch of other "stuff" competing for your attention. I think that is what Jesus meant by "go into your closet" when teaching on prayer. In His own life here on earth, Jesus took personal, private time to get alone with His Father and totally focus in prayer.
I'm going to continue to pray in the midst of various activities, but I'm also going to make sure that I have a daily time when I give God my total attention in prayer. I believe that the least used tool or weapon in the Christian's arsenal is prayer. I'm in the process of re-claiming the Wednesday night meeting at our church for prayer. In many churches today, what used to be Prayer Meeting has become just another Bible Study with the reading of a lengthy prayer request list (90% of which deals with physical ailments) which is usually longer than the prayer time. I'm convinced that the enemy will let us do all the Bible Study we want just as long as we don't get serious about praying.
That's my opinion. What do YOU think?

Longing for the Jesus-life

2009-06-19T10:08:00.004-04:00

This past week in my daily Bible reading I came across John 14:12 where Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." Every time I read that, I ache for it to be true in my life. The word, "believe" is the same here as in John 3:16. Therefore, if I "believe" enough to be granted eternal life, I should also be doing the works of Jesus. I'm really tired of living beneath the privilege of a child of God and spiritual younger brother of Jesus. According to Romans 8:29, God intends to conform me to the image of Jesus. I know that the speed with which this happens depends on my obedience. God doesn't just arbitrarily mature some folks faster than others. I take far too many "Jonah side-trips" instead of obeying immediately.
I long to be in a church that believes and acts upon the Word of God. I know that it is God's will for this to happen in every church. I can only surmise that we are doing our own thing(s) far more than we are following the clear direction of God through His Word. I see far more interest in marketing techniques that I do in sold out following of God's Word.
I'm sure there are many others who are longing for the "Jesus-life" of John 14:12. Oh that we would get serious about being faithful, available and teachable so that God would be pleased to pour out His Spirit on us and through us to a world that is heading to hell like a run away semi down an icy slope in the mountains.
Oh, God! Please make John 14:12 true in my life...starting right now!

Pulling the Trigger

2009-06-12T10:42:00.002-04:00

You've probably seen this scenario replayed a thousand times on TV and in the movies. The goodguy/badguy (you choose) has his target in the sights of his high powered sniper's rifle. He has a clear shot. His finger begins to tighten on the trigger...and then...for some unknown reason, he lowers the gun and the moment passes.
I find myself in somewhat the same situation. I'm writing a devotional book. I had set a deadline for publishing (which has passed) contacted several self-publishing companies, talked with numerous representatives and visited myriad websites. However, along the way I got diverted from my target and have never finished the book. I'm down to the last 14 weeks which will complete the year long devotional book. Somehow I know that when I finish the writing, I'll have to pull the trigger on selecting a publishing package and invest some money in my project. As I take aim, a thousand thoughts buzz through my brain. What If I publish it and no one buys it? Should I go paper back or hard back? Am I just on an ego trip, or has God really put this in my heart? etc, etc.
The bottom line is that until I "pull the trigger" I'll never know the answer to those questions. I imagine that there are others out there who struggle with the moment of decision. Should I take that job? Should I sell the house? Should I send the kids to public school? Should I talk with my neighbor about Christ? Everyone has a different "should I", but we all reach that moment when the target is in our sights, we have a clear shot, and it is time to pull the trigger. It is a scary moment, but one that is necessary if anything is going to be accomplished. I'm going back to the keyboard and finishing those last 14 weeks. I'll let you know when I take the shot.

When Will It Ever End?

2009-06-08T18:17:00.003-04:00

About the time I think that the "worship wars" are over, I hear of another flare up. I know that God must be very tired of this. The silly thing about it is that those who are wrangling over what style of music to use in worship services aren't at all shy about taking potshots at those with other opinions. Their mantra seems to be "any opinion is good so long as it is mine."
I got to thinking today on my walk about the words, "contempory" and "traditional". If you break these words down, neither make sense in the way people are bandying them around regarding church music.
Example; Con (with) temporary (that which is passing away); so, what is contemporary today is not tomorrow...because it was only temporary to start with. Also, contemporary music depends on the part of the country or world being referred to. What is contemporary in So. America is not in No. America, etc.
Then there is "traditional". Once again it depends on where you live as to what is traditional. There are traditions that exist where I grew up that don't where I live now. The church I now attend would call Southern Gospel music traditional.
It seems to me that there is a bit of the "Cain" spirit rampant in the church today. You know; if my offering isn't acceptable to God, I'll just get rid of the competition. Hmmmm.

Life After Work

2009-06-05T11:46:00.002-04:00

One of the things that I'm discovering during "retirement" is that I don't do well without deadlines and job descriptions. Complain as I may (and as I have) about these, it seems that I've become somewhat dependent on them. Now that I'm in charge of what I do and when I do it, I'm likely to fritter away huge blocks of time that I can't really account for. I'm feeling the need to set a daily schedule that includes my workout, writing, the "honey-do's" around the house, and all those things I used to say that I would do "when I had time". Perhaps I've not yet purged myself of 50+ years of employer expectations. I'm hoping that one day soon I'll wake up and find that I really have developed a personal schedule that is flexible and yet productive.
Now that I've accepted an interim pastorate, I'm once again under deadlines to produce two sermons and one Bible Study per week as well as do some ministry tasks like hospital and evangelistic visits. This will be my "fix" for the duration of the interim, and I'm hoping that by then I'll have discovered how to remain productive...though unemployed.

That Lovin' Feeling

2009-06-01T17:55:00.004-04:00

A couple of entries back I talked about love for one another being a badge of discipleship. That idea acutally springs from the words of Jesus in John 13:34-35. One problem that many of today's Christ-followers have with this is that their definition of love is too shallow. Anyone raised in the modern west has been programmed to believe that love is primarily a feeling that comes upon you and there is little or nothing that you can do about it. We're stuck in the phileo (brotherly love) or eros (physical or fleshly love) definitions of love, and have very little understanding of agapaeo. Agape love is what I call "love on purpose". The act(s) of love precede, and eventually produce, feelings. The old DC Talk song, "Love is Something You Do" pretty much nailed it.
Bottom line; I can choose to love people that I really don't even like. I can choose to do loving things for them because that is what Jesus did for me. I can choose to love that other Christ-follower who radically disagrees with me on worship styles, and if I persist long enough, who knows? I just may get that lovin' feeling.

What's Going On?

2009-05-29T13:50:00.003-04:00

Did you ever get to the point in your life where you just couldn't figure out what was happening to you? You thought you were doing everything right, but the results you were getting was far from what you expected. Have you ever cried out to God asking, "What's going on?" or something to that effect? Here is a possible answer to to that question. Romans 8:29. Most believers have memorized Romans 8:28, and use it often to cast our circumstances in a better light. The usual take on this verse is that, no matter how bad things are right now, God will turn it around for our good. However, there is a BIG condition attached..."for those who are called according to His purpose." What follows in verse 29 is often overlooked. "For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers." The mental image that I get when I read that takes me back to when I used to see my Mom getting ready to sew a dress. She would lay out a piece of cloth on the bed. Then she would lay a pattern on the cloth and pin it. Finally, she would take scissors and cut away all the cloth that protruded out from the pattern. Thus the cloth was "conformed to the image" of the pattern.
That's what Paul is saying in verse 29. God lays Jesus (the pattern) on us. Then every thing that sticks out must be cut away in order for us to be "conformed to His image". As with any analogy, this falls somewhat short, but it does give us a picture of God's intention and activity in our lives once we have received Christ. The things in our lives that do not conform to the image of Jesus, must be cut away. This "spiritual surgery" can be painful.
The next time you're going through a painful experience, perhaps one question your should ask is, "Did I bring this on myself, or is God at work conforming me to the image of Jesus?" You may find that on the other side of the painful experience you are more Christ-like. And that is all a part of His plan for you.