Eve of New Opportunities

We are certainly in countdown mode for 2008. In a few hours we will enter 2009 with many emotions; these emotions can be both positive and negative. As I reflect on 2008 I want to thank God for the ways that He has touched our hearts and lives throughout the year. I can remember the times that the Spirit spoke words of direction, guidance, correction, and encouragement to us. I can remember seasons in which the Spirit strengthened us during times of praise, worship, and intercession. As we prepare to see 2008 come to an end we need to thank God for His presence and for His desire to strengthen our relationship with Him. As we look forward to 2009 I anticipate God working in our lives in ways that I can not fully imagine. I desire for my dreams to exceed my memories. Certainly I am grateful but I am also hopeful as I reflect on the greatness of God and all that He has planned for our lives. I am asking God to use us in the work of His Kingdom in a greater manner in 2009. God still uses people to change the world; you can and you will make a difference in the lives of those people that you encounter in 2009. Be prepared to be bold; be prepared to be courageous; be prepared to be challenged; but also be prepared to celebrate victories in the coming year. 2009 will require that many of us step out of our comfort zone and follow Christ with fresh zeal and passion; but as we obey, God will provide what we need to answer the call. Ann and I pray Blessings on you, your family, and your journey with God in 2009!

Looking Forward

We are approaching the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009. I was looking at one of my new calendars; the pages are blank waiting on me to place appointments and information on the pages. My future is full of many opportunities in which God is waiting to place His direction, inspiration, and instructions upon the pages of my life. In great anticipation I await what God is going to "write" on the pages of our lives. According to Jeremiah 29, God has good plans for me. Now that does not mean that everything that happens to me will be good (at least from my viewpoint); I believe that it means that God's presence will be with me regardless of what happens in my life. Let us look forward with a healthy spiritual anticipation and awareness of the presence of God. We can rejoice when we look back and realize that God was in our yesterday but we can also look forward with hope as we rejoice in the fact that He will be in our tomorrows. The unction of the Spirit at the Cathedral church last night was very powerful. The Lord released a word of challenge to all of us and reminded us that we will face many opportunities to make the correct decisions regarding our commitment to Christ. Pastor Douglas commented to me that he felt that God had spoken to him regarding restoration. Restoration would encompass the resurrection of our surrender and being willing to yield ourselves to God. 2009 will have its share of challenges I am sure; but I am also sure that 2009 will have its share of the strength of God for those who choose to follow Him with all of their hearts. Do you want to be among the number who follows after God with passion and fervency; ready to surrender all of ourselves to the great cause of Christ and His Kingdom? I sense that many blessings, miracles, and provisions await those who truly commit themselves to Christ and His plan for their lives. We (Ann and myself) are walking with that promise written upon the pages of our hearts!

Weekend Review

We trust that each one of you had a wonderful Christmas celebration with your friends and family. We enjoyed our family's presence in our home and our time of fellowship with them. I was asked to share the eulogy at the funeral service of a wonderful lady on Saturday. Sis. Rosie Hood and her family have been a blessing to us for many years. We were honored to serve as her and her family's Pastor at the Willisburg, KY local church. The Lord encouraged me to remind the attenders of the funeral that we needed to give attention to our relationship with God and to our relationship with our family. As we approach 2009 we need to allow the Spirit to examine our lives regarding these two important aspects of our lives. Sunday morning afforded me the opportunity to attend Ann's Sunday School class. The Lord through her challenged the class to take time and listen for the Voice of the Lord. God does not always appear in the miraculous or supernatural; on many occasions He appears in the stillness of His voice to bring direction to our lives. Each of us are in great need for direction and that direction can only come from God. 2009 needs to be a year in which we commit to do our best to draw near to the Lord. Sunday night found us in Winchester, Ky at the Cathedral Church with Pastor and Sis. Douglas. We had the privilege of being with them in a revival back in early November. We were blessed by the worship time, the fellowship of the people and the freedom to declare the Word of the Lord. The unction of the Lord was powerful and many came forward for a time of prayer and surrender. One young man surrendered his life to Christ and others received various unctions of the ministering power of the Spirit in their lives. 2009 may be full of its challenges and battles but it is also going to be full of the presence and power of the Spirit. Let us continue to prepare our hearts to seek after God with passion and fervency.

Wonderful Day!

Ann and I enjoyed having our children and grandchildren in our home on Christmas Day! Christmas is a time to reflect on the importance of family; we need to appreciate those family members that God has placed in our lives. Of course we enjoyed a wonderful meal that Ann had prepared and also the time of exchanging gifts with one another. As I was praying one morning the Lord had impressed my spirit for us to take some time and allow the family to exchange some thoughts concerning the true meaning of Christmas as well as sharing some of our Christmas memories. We took that time before we exchanged our gifts. It was a little awkward at the beginning (our grandchildren range in age from eight to two); but as they begin to talk they seemed to enjoy the opportunity to talk about Christmas. I just felt that we needed to remember and discuss the true meaning of the Christmas celebration. We do not need to push Christ out of Christmas. All of us have our "family traditions" but the greatest blessing of Christmas is the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us rejoice and be glad, our Savior came to this world to offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Oh what a Savior!

Christmas Blessings!

Ann and I send Christmas blessings to our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is such a great blessing to be a part of the family of God. God has rewarded our lives in so many ways through the years and we are grateful for all of the wonderful friends that He has given to us as we have made our journey through life. We pray that God will bless you and meet the needs of your lives as you continue your pursuit of a deeper relationship with God. Gifts will be opened today and meals will be prepared but let us keep in perspective the true meaning of this day of celebration. Jesus Christ came to this earth to provide the greatest opportunity for mankind; the opportunity of relationship. His birth, death, and resurrection provided humanity the freedom from our sins and the blessing of a fresh start in Christ. As we spend time with our family and friends today let us pause for a few moments and offer God praise for the birth of our Savior. Let us express to each other our sincere gratefulness for all that God has provided. It is so easy to remember all of the battles, struggles, challenges and daily heart aches of life and fail to remember the victories and strength that God has provided. It is true that many of us have faced some trying circumstances this year but it is also true that we have sensed the presence of God's Grace during those moments. It is certain that 2009 will bring its share of those moments but once again we will be able to come to the throne of Grace and obtain help in time of need. Let us REJOICE our Savior and Redeemer is alive! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hope!

Christmas Eve allows us to meditate and reflect on the great promises that we find in the story of the birth of Christ. One of these promises is hope. We are presently facing some very trying circumstances in our nation and around the world. We are confronting the war on terrorism, the continuing economic struggles, and the stress that these and other challenges are bringing to our families. But I ask you to take another look in the manger this year and realize that we can have our hope renewed and strengthened. God has not forsaken you and neither has His Word lost any of its power. God is prepared to come along side of you in your moments of challenge. Allow your hope to be revived as you face the storms and challenges of life. Let us pray one for another that God's mercy and grace will be present in the lives of those who need Him the most. Ann and I are looking forward to the Christmas Eve service at Eastside Praise. It is always a blessing to be able to worship God on this special day of Christian celebration. Although I do not need a "holiday" to worship God; I am blessed by the unique opportunity of Christmas to be able to focus my attention on the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christmas Week

I am enjoying a few days at home with my family. This time of the year allows us to reflect on the rich and wonderful blessings of God; the encouragement and love of our family is one of the many blessings that God daily provides for us. I was able to teach Ann's Sunday School class yesterday; I was blessed by the exchange and interaction with the students. Today we are privileged to spend time with two of our grandsons, Cade and Luke. They are enjoying the first day of the their Christmas break from school. We were able to see them participate in the children's program at Highland Park church last night; certainly we thought they done an awesome job in presenting the story of the birth of Christ. Let us remember our military and their families at this time of the year. We are blessed to live in a country of freedom but we need to remember that freedom comes with a price. We are thankful for our military force who is willing to defend our nation at whatever cost is necessary. May God bless them and their families this Christmas season.

Sharing

Different thoughts and ideas have flooded my mind as I have been writing about sharing and giving. I have asked myself, am I person that willingly shares my time, gifts and talents? I can sense the Spirit challenging my heart to spend some time in self-examination as I approach 2009. I do not want to become a "spiritual Scrooge" who fails to understand the blessing of sharing. I thought of another gift that we can offer this Christmas season. It the gift of our testimony. People need to hear our story of trial and triumph. Many times people can become aware of our trials but they also need to become aware of our triumphs. How long has it been since you shared a testimony of victory with someone? In a recent revival meeting we were privileged to have a large number of youth from several youth groups. I felt impressed to tell them to look around the room and realize that the room was full of people with testimonies of battles that have been won, healing that has been received, sins that have been forgiven, and miracles that God has provided for them as they walked down the road of life. Each of us have stories to tell that will bless and encourage those with whom we share them. Find an opportunity this Christmas to share your story and testify of the goodness of God. You may be amazed at the response that you will receive. We must not allow our stories to be lost in all of the "noise" of this world. Lift your voice and share your testimony with someone today.

Sharing

This is called the season of giving and sharing. But for Christians that should be the attitude that we possess throughout the year. We should always be looking for opportunities to share our time and concern with those around us. How many of us truly look for those opportunities. The Bible still declares that "it is more blessed to give than receive." That Biblical principle sounds great but do I truly walk with that view in mind? What other gifts do we have to offer? We have the gift of friendship to share. Several weeks ago I wrote about the blessings of friends that God has placed in our lives. But today I want to look at the other side of the equation. Am I offering myself to others in the gift of friendship? What do my acquaintances say about me when I am not in their presence? Do these people describe me as friendly and even more importantly would they declare that I am their friend? As I approach 2009 I want to develop the desire to become a friend to those who are in need of a friend. It is easy to become a friend with someone who has many friends but what about that individual who has no one to call friend? Let us commit to being more sensitive to those around us who are in need of the gift of friendship. All of us possess the ability to become a friend to people and what a joy to watch that friendship develop through the years.

Sharing

Let us continue exploring the inventory of gifts that each of us have to share with those people that God places around us. Do you realize that you are influencing people whether this is your intention or not your intention? As we approach 2009 let each of us commit our hearts to being aware and alert to those "God moments" in which God has strategically placed us to make a difference in the life of someone. What do I have to share with anyone may be a question that constantly arises in your heart? Each of us are blessed with various gifts and talents that God has placed in us so that we can benefit others on their journey with God. Many of us keep these gifts and talents hidden from the view of others. In some cases we do this out of fear that our abilities do not measure up to the ability of others. We fail to share what God has given us because we are always playing the "game of comparison." We need to stop comparing ourselves to each other and just become dedicated to the improvement of what God has deposited in our lives. I once read this challenge from someone; "Just imagine where we would be if we focused our energies on improving our strengths as we did in be-moaning our weaknesses." I am not saying that we do not need to improve the areas in which we are weak; but I am saying that we need to develop what God has placed in us and surrender these gifts to serving Him in His Kingdom. Stop putting your gifts "under a basket"; use them and share them for the glory of God. There are some very gifted and talented people that will read this challenge; lay aside whatever has hindered you and offer your gifts and talents to the body of Christ.

Sharing

Many of us don't share or give as we should because we don't think that we have much to offer. But that is not true, each of us have much to offer if we would only take the time to perform an honest inventory of our lives and the gifts that God has placed in us. In many cases we fail to understand that others will be blessed and encouraged by us taking the time to share with them. Each of us need to take the time to do a proper inventory of our lives. Much of our basis of giving is based on our monetary wealth but I want you to take a look at other resources that you possess. Each one of us have "time" to share with others. The real question is whether or not we will "take the time" to share our time with those who need us. We are all very busy and in many cases the truly important things get pushed to the side. Our children need the gift of our time, our parents and grandparents need the gift of our time, our siblings need the gift of our time, and those special friends of ours need the gift of our time. The list is endless of those who would be blessed if we were just willing to spend some quality time with them. During the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season take some of your time and invest it in the life of someone else. You will be blessed and the recipient of your gift will be blessed.

Weekend Review

I was blessed to be able to attend church this weekend with my wife, Ann. I have been speaking about giving and sharing during this Christmas season but I would like to share another thought today. As I sat in the Sunday School class listening to Ann share her heart with the class, the Lord placed her words deep in my heart. She taught about being willing to say "yes" to the Lord decision by decision. I had to ask myself, "Am I truly willing to say Yes to the Lord in each of the decisions that I am facing?" Or do I seek just to say Yes in the major decisions that I face? But the Lord reminded me that I can not make the major decisions unless I learn to make the daily decisions in the correct manner. Today I pause to thank God for reminding me of the importance of be willing to follow the direction of the Lord in the daily manner that pleases Him. Each of us need to ask God to help us make the daily decisions that will open the door of blessings in our lives.

Scripture Reading

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be open to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents--if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him" (NLT). Each one of us need to be consistent and persistent in pursuit of our relationship with God. We can not afford to stop asking, seeking, and knocking.

Willing to Share

Each one of us have much to contribute to our fellow travelers on the road of life. The Spirit spoke these encouraging words to the church at Ephesus. Ephesians 4:16, "He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love" (NLT). This is such an encouraging verse of opportunity to each one of us. Everyone of us are given the opportunity to contribute to the success of the body of Christ. Do I willingly share my gifts, talents, and abilities with my brothers and sisters in the Lord? Do I shrink back from my duty because I view my abilities as inferior to my fellow believers? Yet the Bible declares that as I do my "own special work" the body grows and matures. Look what you miss and look at what others miss when you hold back what God has given you to share. During the Christmas season of 2008 let us recommit ourselves to sharing what God has placed in our lives. Do not hold back from sharing the great gifts that God has deposited in your life. God has created you and me to share with others; don't be a "spiritual Grinch" this Christmas.

Reflections on Giving

As I was praying this morning the Lord reminded me that He set the pattern regarding giving and sharing. He shared His Son, Jesus, with with the world. Jesus shared His life with the world and was willing to die on the cross for the sins of humanity. Jesus shared His life as a ransom for those who were bound in the bondage of sin. We can rejoice when we consider all that God was willing to do that we might have the opportunity to have fellowship with Him. This brings us to the question of the day. What am I willing to share with others? I want us to think beyond the obvious of money, gifts, and other materialistic items. I want us to think about our "personal" offerings to others. Most of us look at our ability to give based on our material wealth. We think in terms of dollars and cents rather in terms of availability to God. We think in terms of comparison and competition rather than in terms of encouragement and support. Each one of us have many resources from which to draw if only we can become willing to give cheerfully and to give without looking for anything in return. The real blessing comes when we give to someone who needs what we can offer and they do not have the ability to return a gift of equal or greater value. Let this be a season in which we give cheerfully. We will look at some of the resources that we possess as we proceed through this Christmas season which serves as a reminder of God's gift to this world; the gift of Jesus Christ our Savior.

Possessing a Heart that Shares

The celebration of Christmas reminds us of giving and sharing. I enjoy the opportunity to share a gift with someone and watch the effect that the gift has on them. I can remember seeing tears of joy and excitement fill the eyes of our children and now we are able to witness the same expressions on the faces of our grandchildren. Being willing to give and share with someone is a great attribute to possess in our lives. We need to develop that attitude even more as we see the pain and suffering in our world. I know that we are unable to meet the needs of everyone but we can be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit when the Lord presents us an opportunity to bring a smile to the face of someone who is need of encouragement. The Bible expresses a wonderful challenge in 2 Corinthians 9:7, "You must decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully" (NLT). It is such a blessing to give out of a heart that recognizes the opportunity to invest in the life of an individual rather than feeling that we are forced into some action that fails to produce any response from either the recipient of the gift or a response from our Heavenly Father. I desire to give cheerfully and not out of obligation. We will explore this further over the next few days as we move through this season of gifts and giving. Let us take a moment and ask God to examine our motives in giving. I desire for God to be pleased with not only my actions but the motives behind those actions.

Prayer for Today

Dear God, as I am preparing to celebrate Christmas help me to remember the true meaning of this celebration. Let me remember that Christ came to offer reconciliation to God, He came to give His life a ransom for my life, He came to give His life as a sacrifice for my sins. Forgive us of placing the emphasis of Christmas on us and not on You! Forgive us of being selfish and absorbed with satisfying our wants and not seeing the needs of others. Speak to our hearts and lead us to offer gifts of kindness, thoughtfulness, and cheer to those who are in need around us. Finally, let us remember that the gift of Salvation was for everyone in the world and not just for a select group of people. AMEN!

Weekend Review

Due to my travel schedule I have been unable to place any updates on the blog. I was able to enjoy a trip to Decatur, Alabama on Friday and spend some time with my parents and many of my extended family members. Our family is scattered around the nation but we do our best to assemble before Christmas and spend time with each other. The more mature (sounds better than becoming older) I become the more important family becomes. In these times of crisis and uncertainty we need the strength and encouragement of our family and friends. Our family is blessed in that we have have parents who are intercessors/prayer warriors who understand the importance of praying for their family. As we approach the conclusion of 08 and the beginning of 09 each of us need to commit to be intercessors for our family members. As I traveled to Alabama on Friday, I received a phone call from Rick Phillips (Ann's brother) who felt led of the Lord to call and pray a prayer of blessing over me and my family. Before Ann's mother passed away she was a great intercessor/prayer warrior and her family is carrying on that same rich tradition. It is such a blessing to know that God uses the power of prayer and intercession to encourage the people in His Kingdom. Don't wait another day become a person of prayer today; do not overlook this important ministry in the Kingdom of God. We were privileged to be with Pastor Terry and Sue Burkhead and the Bethesda church in Shelbyville, KY for Sunday services. The presence of the Lord was very evident as we gathered to worship the Lord and exalt His name. The Lord reminded us that He is "mindful of us" and that He has promised to be with us as we journey down the road of life. Many responded to the invitation in both of the services; God is speaking to our hearts, will we listen and pay close attention to the Voice of God? I have a renewed desire to hear clearly what God is saying to me both personally as well as ministerially. This is not the time to lose our spiritual hearing; O God give us ears to hear and a heart to respond to your guidance.

Thankful

Last night was the concluding service at the revival in Gallatin,TN. It can be truly said that the presence of the Lord was with us. The worship was encouraging and uplifting; the fellowship was rewarding; the anointing of the Spirit was powerful; and the freedom to seek God in the altar was very evident. We just give God all the Glory for what was accomplished in all of our lives. We need to recognize that God through Jesus Christ desires to draw near to us. He has provided the opportunity of relationship and fellowship. I desire to recognize His ongoing presence in my life and I desire to share that knowledge with people that I contact. We need to know that God cares and that God is ready to come to our aid in time of trouble. Pastor Windell Moore and his wife, Myrna are to be commended for the leadership that they are providing for the local church in Gallatin. We were blessed last night with the Youth Pastors from the Lebanon, TN and the Portland, TN churches. Each of them brought a group of youth from their church and many of them were in the altar seeking more of God in their lives. We must remember that God desires to reach all generations and we are challenged to make sure that we are sharing the Good News of the Gospel with everyone. The Youth Praise and Worship team of Gallatin led the service last night; they were certainly a blessing to the service. Several of the Gallatin youth were in the altar seeking for the direction of God in their lives. God is calling, will we answer that call or will we continue to ignore God?

Prayer & Fasting

I truly believe in the power of Prayer & Fasting. It has been a common practice of ours for several years to begin the New Year with a time of intercession and fasting. As we approach 2009, I would like join distinguished colleagues such as Randall Howard, General Overseer of the Church of God Prophecy; William Wilson, Director of the Center of Spiritual Renewal; and Don Brock of Synergy Ministries in calling for 21 days of Fasting and Prayer beginning January 1- January 21 of 2009. This would be an unique opportunity for Christian believers to unite together in a time of seeking the face of God. All of us can certainly recognize the fact that we are in need of seeking for the direction of God in America. Would you give consideration to this great challenge from these spiritual leaders of the church? I believe that God still responds to the prayers of the people of God.

Challenges

Each one of us are facing our own unique set of challenges and circumstances. Our response to those circumstances with either produce hope or discouragement. We must turn to the Word of God as we walk through the valley of decision regarding our response to the challenges of life. As individuals as well as collectively as a nation we are facing some challenging times but we must remember that God will not forsake our abandon us; we can trust in His promises. I read a wonderful passage in James 1:2-4 today and I would like to share it with you. "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." (NLT) All of us have faced times of trouble and until Christ comes for our soul we will continue to face those times of trouble. But we do have a choice to make; will I look for the opportunity of joy? I will not find joy in my trouble but I believe that I will find joy in knowing that God is at work in me completing what He began at my conversion. It is not always easy when we are going through the process of spiritual development but remember the reward of the process is worth the price that you had to pay. God is good even in the midst of our troubles; just stay focused on the promise of His presence.

God Draws Near

The celebration of Advent reminds us that God desires to draw near to us and to the challenges that we face in our lives. "Emmanuel, God with us" reminds us of the awesome love that God has revealed to this world and it is through this love that we are brought to a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Oh, we have so much to celebrate! We can rejoice in the fact that God does not avoid us at the times of our difficulty but rather He chooses to respond to the cry of our heart. All of us can be grateful that through Christ we can have access to the Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Father loves us more than we can realize. Do not allow the "holidays" to lose its spiritual significance; recognize and remember the door of opportunity that God has opened to us through the birth of Jesus Christ. The service yesterday at Gallatin, TN was wonderful. The worship time was anointed and inspiring. It is such a blessing when we feel the "heart connection" with God as we gather to celebrate His Greatness. We do not gather to celebrate our great accomplishments; we gather to celebrate the GREATNESS OF OUR GOD and recognize Him as the One who is worthy of our praise. We must remember who deserves the praise and the glory; take a moment today and let God know that you recognize His Greatness!