Thursday, December 30, 2010

Future

We are preparing to see the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011.  It is very evident that some things will change or be altered in the coming year but there is one principle that all of us can depend on.  We can depend on and trust in the faithfulness of God.  God will not lose any power or abilities as we see the old year come to a close and the New Year begin to dawn.  He is the same God yesterday, today and for all of the tomorrows that lie in front of us.  Be encouraged today that the God who keeps watch over us never slumbers or sleeps.  He is aware of and alert to all of the activities that will take place in our individual lives in 2011.  It is no wonder that we can celebrate our relationship with God even as the calendar begins to change.  Rejoice O people of God; know and remember that your Redeemer lives and that He is prepared to face all of the attacks and strategies of the enemy in 2011.  Do not hang your heads in sorrow or shame; our God is full of power and might and He will reveal His glory to us as we passionately pursue Him this coming year.  Close out 2010 with a heartfelt spirit of thanksgiving and open 2011 with a heart full of faith and anticipation!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Prayer & Fasting

I join with other spiritual leaders in encouraging each of you to set aside January 1-21, 2011 for a time of Prayer and Fasting. We can recognize the need to seek the face of God so that we can encounter the true presence of God. The needs of our nation are very evident as we survey the spiritual landscape of the world. We recognize needs as we survey the spiritual landscape of our individual families. I refuse to surrender to the pressure that is being exerted on the church through the prevailing attitudes of the culture. We desperately need the direction and unction of the Spirit as we face the challenges of the New Year. The old phrase that we have heard for many years still holds true today; "We do not know what tomorrow holds but we do know who holds tomorrow." I encourage each of you to set aside some extra time for prayer and fasting during the month of January. We are believing God for many miracles during 2011. Let us join our faith with other believers across this nation and see the revelation of the presence of God.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas Greetings!

Merry Christmas from the Willingham's in KY!  We trust that you have an enjoyable day of fellowship with your family and friends.  Remember to celebrate the presence of God more than the presents under the tree.  Rejoice in the blessings of our Savior, Jesus Christ the King of kings.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve Thoughts

I am preparing for a Christmas Eve service this evening at New River Worship Center in Radcliff, KY.  A time of worship on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day always brings an unique sense of anticipation to my heart.  This year's service is scheduled to conclude around the midnight hour as we enter into Christmas Day.  I anticipate an unusual presence of the Holy Spirit as we pause to recognize and remember the birth of our Savior.  The true gift of Christmas is the gift of eternal life that was offered to humanity through the life and death of Jesus Christ.  The greatest and most precious gift that you will receive this year is the forgiveness of your sins and your adoption into the family of God.  Avoid any strategy of the enemy that would cause you to leave CHRIST out of Christmas.  He must be the focal point of our celebration!  E.B White made this statement: "It becomes more difficult every year to find Christ in Christmas."  We must avoid the pressure of the culture and desire for Christ and His presence to be the sincere longing of our soul.  I am determined to worship, adore, exalt, and point people to Jesus Christ.  We are the witnesses for Jesus Christ and we have a message to share.  

"And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name, Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.  So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, God with us." (Matthew 1)

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Presence or Presents

This Christmas season has been one in which God has dealt with my heart concerning the need to declare the true story of Christmas. Christmas is a time to remember the entrance of our Savior to this world in the form of humanity. Christ came to reveal the love of the Father to fallen humanity. This thought came to my heart after prayer tonight; "Am I interested in His presence or presents as I prepare to celebrate Christmas?" I truly desire to recognize and honor the presence of God as I review my spiritual journey of 2010 and prepare for my future journey in 2011. I look forward to my tomorrows in Christ!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Weekend Review

We were blessed with an awesome service this weekend at New River Worship Center (church plant in Radcliff, KY).  The building was filled with worshipers who were intent on fulfilling their purpose. Each of us were created to offer praise, adoration, glory, and honor to the King of kings and Lord of lords. Although it is the Christmas season, we did not gather to celebrate Jolly St. Nick; we did not gather to celebrate a "holiday" named Christmas, we did not gather to celebrate the Winter Solstice; NO, we gathered to celebrate our Savior, Jesus Christ.  

The Celebration began as the Children's Ministry shared songs from various nations of the world.  These songs told the story of Jesus and they reminded us of the great love that God has for every human being in this world.  The children were taught about the importance of sharing and giving as they were taught these songs and about the people living in these nations.  They put together 37 shoe boxes of Christmas gifts for a mother and her four children in Botswana, Africa.  They learned the blessing of giving and not expecting anything in return but just the thought of knowing that the life of this family was blessed by this act of kindness.  What would happen in your life if you made a conscious effort to perform some random act of kindness and expect nothing in return but the joy of assisting someone?  The college student who sang the Call to Worship song could not sing some of the words of the song due to the tears that filled her eyes and the love of God that captured her heart.  The music for the offertory was charged with the presence of the Holy Spirit.  All that I have mentioned prepared the way for the Worship Team to lead us unto the deeper presence of God through corporate praise and worship.  "Let everything that hath breath Praise the Lord."  Our hearts were captured by Emmanuel, the name of Christ that declares that "God is with us."  

No matter what set of circumstances that we are facing we can rejoice in the fact that God is with us.  You are never alone and He will never forsake you or forget you.  Those are some of the reasons that we celebrate Christ with such hearty zeal and passion.  Remember that the true story of Christmas is real, Christ came to bring hope and forgiveness to a lost and hurting world.  Don't you think that we need to share that gift with the world?

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Room in the Inn

I read a daily devotion that is written by a friend of mine, Dr. Sylvester Smith of Alabama. His writings during this season of Christmas celebration has especially challenged my thinking. Do I consistently make the proper room for Christ in my life? During prayer time today I made a commitment to Christ concerning this very thought. I do not want to be guilty of crowding Christ out of my life because I become so busy with the things of life. Are you truly making room for Christ or do you only give Him entrance when it is convenient for you? Let each of us examine our hearts and make proper room for Christ!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Weekend Review

On Saturday I was given the privilege and honor to participate in my nephew's wedding in Alabama. It is always a blessing to enjoy fellowship and celebration with my wife's family. My wife and her siblings have worked very hard to maintain a close relationship with each other even though their parents passed away several years ago. Family relationships can get lost in all of the hustle and bustle of life. I have made this statement of several occasions as I have sought to emphasize the importance of family. "Through the years of ministry I have been with several people who have passed on to eternal life and I have never heard anyone of them ask for their checkbook, their car keys, or the deeds to their property but I have heard them on many occasions ask for their family and friends." Take some time and appreciate your family. I am blessed with a wonderful family for which I am thankful. I am married to an awesome wife, we have two great sons and two precious daughter-in-laws and four of the greatest grandchildren who have ever been born (that is the truth if I have ever spoken it). Enjoy the blessings of God and express your love to your family today.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

How Do I Lead?

Being a leader can take on many shapes and forms.  Leadership can be defined and described in many terms and many accomplishments.  But in the simplest of terms leadership is simply the opportunity to influence some individual or a group of individuals in the right direction.  Is my leadership confined to the sermons that I deliver or the leadership meetings that I conduct?  Is my leadership confined to a list of orders or requests that I may speak?  Is my leadership confined to the Pastoral activities or responsibilities that I conduct on a daily basis?  I truly hope that the answer to these questions on a personal basis is a resounding NO!  I trust that my leadership has moved beyond the point of simply relying on my position or my authority.  You are already facing an uphill battle if your leadership is confined to your position or your title or the fulfillment of your responsibilities.  Surely each of us desire that our lives be lived in such a manner that that we reflect the lifestyle of a servant which will lead people to identify the work of Christ in our life.

According to Albert Schweitzer, "Example is not the main thing in influencing others...it is the only thing."  Our lives need to model the course of action or response that we are trying to develop or initiate in our home or even in our church.  People will emulate what they see being modeled in our lives.  Leadership gives us the opportunity to live a life that is an example to those that we are influencing.  It is important to realize that our actions do speak louder than our words.  We are able to set the direction of people around us if we are willing to lead the way through the effort of being an example.  You are able to influence people through example.  You can make a difference in the thought processes of people through example.  You can change the actions and reactions of people through example.  Many good works can be accomplished in our lives as well as the lives of others as we commit ourselves to living by example as well as by precepts.  People are looking for good examples and you are able to fill that void in their lives through dedicated service to the cause of Christ.  Make a decision today that you will rise to the occasion and become a person of influence.  You will change and you will see a change among others that you are influencing!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Am I a Leader?

This past Monday night I participated in a meeting with the core leadership team of the church plant with which I am working.  Each of these are very talented leaders in their own right but they are willing to commit their gifts and talents to this outreach effort.  I am truly blessed and honored to serve this group of individuals as "Lead Pastor."  After I arrived home from this meeting, the word "lead" kept resurfacing in my thoughts.  What does it mean to lead someone?  Am I leading anyone or am I just taking a walk by myself?  Does anyone care where I am going or is my journey one in which I am walking all alone?  These were not thoughts of feeling sorry for myself or even the thoughts of failure.  These were thoughts of an individual who desires to be a leader but also has a desire to follow those who are leading.  I want my life to have purpose and meaning and I desire to accomplish the goals and plans that God has placed in the plan for my life.  I will either fail or succeed based on my desire to lead and based on my desire to follow those who are leaders in my life.  That may sound confusing but let us look at the next area of possibility.

Each of you are a leader in some capacity.  You are a leader in your home as a spouse and/or a parent.  You are a leader in the work place in which you are employed.  You are a leader in the school which you attend.  You are a leader in the church which you worship on a consistent basis.  You are a leader around the dinner table or when you are at a restaurant with your friends or family.  You are a leader to your family and friends! I could go on with this list but I want you to recognize the important role that you play in the lives of people with which you interact.  John Maxwell equates being a leader with being a person of influence.  You influence people on a daily basis.  Our challenge is to make sure that we influence them in a positive manner and direction.  Many people have influenced my life since I was born.  It began with my parents and even to this day they are still an influence in my life.  We have seen our lives take on maturity and development through all of these individuals that have passed through our lives.  Some of these individuals have been in our life for a brief season and others have been involved in our lives for an extended period of time.  Each of us have been influenced and each of us have influenced others.  What type of influence are you exerting today?

To be continued!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Weekend Review

I was blessed in two separate ways this past weekend.  First, I was privileged to spend some time with my parents and a large portion of my immediate family (35 to be exact) at a pre-Christmas party in Alabama.  We gathered to eat, share the stories from our past, catch up on the present, and even discuss the future with my parents and siblings.  There was an exchange of some gifts but an even greater exchange of warm embraces; kind words; and heartfelt words such as; "How are you doing?  How have you been feeling? and the most important words of all, "I LOVE YOU."  In my opinion the last words I wrote, "I love you", truly depict and describe the true meaning of Christmas.  God gave us His Son, Jesus, because He loved us.  Jesus came to earth because He loves us.  We share the Gospel story because we love and we want to see all people come into a loving relationship with the Heavenly Father.

The pattern of God's love continued to be revealed in the worship service Sunday morning at New Worship Center in Radcliff, KY.  The Call to Worship Expressive Worship ushered us into the celebration of Holy Communion in which we were able to remind ourselves of the sacrificial death of our Savior, Jesus Christ.    The Worship Team led us into the presence of the Lord through song and music.  The Word of God reminded us of the personal interest that Christ has for each member of the human race.  We saw people throughout the building respond to the awesome presence of the Lord with two ladies specifically (first time attenders) receiving a fresh reminder of the love of God.  One of these ladies rededicated her life to Christ and the other lady received from the Lord the touch that she needed.  I know that I have gone into detail today but I wanted you to grasp the true story of Christmas.  Christmas is the love of God being released to fallen and depraved humanity.  LET US REJOICE, THE TRUE SAVIOR HAS COME TO SAVE, HEAL AND DELIVER!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Praise Report

I wanted to take this opportunity and offer a praise report regarding my recovery from the injuries that I received in a fall six weeks ago.  In that fall I sustained a fractured shoulder and elbow.  Two weeks ago the Dr. was concerned about the process of healing that was taking place in my elbow.  X-rays had revealed that my elbow was not healing in the manner that he had expected and he mentioned the possibility of surgery if the elbow did not improve over the course of the next two weeks.  Today was my Dr.'s visit and he was satisfied with the recovery process and he ordered intense therapy for the next four weeks so that I can regain full motion and full strength in my left arm and hand.  I am THANKFUL that God answered prayer.  This past Sunday morning the church plant (New River Worship Center in Radcliff, KY) had a special prayer for me and I believe that the Lord heard that prayer of faith and responded to the need in my life.  I also believe that full motion and full strength will return to my left arm and hand.  God is a mighty God and He deserves our highest praise.

I want to thank each of you who have prayed for me.  I am grateful for your concern and I am thankful for your prayers.  I appreciate the congregation of New River Worship Center for their prayer, support, and encouragement during my recovery from these injuries.  It is such a privilege to be a part of the family of God!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Excitement!

This is the time of the year in which we see excitement on display in many areas of society.  The local malls as well as individual stores are enticing us to enter their establishments with "exciting sales and discounts."  Even "cyber" Monday has turned into "cyber week" (at least on some web sites).  All of these events and much more are an example of the excitement of the Christmas celebration displayed by the retailers of of our nation.  One of our grandchildren even has the countdown to Christmas displayed on their Ipod; it is still hard to realize that our grandchildren are old enough to have an Ipod.  I must remember that I am living in the 21st century and come to accept and understand all of the technology that is available to us.

But I sincerely believe that the true worshipers of Christ need to have their spiritual excitement on display this season of celebration.  We must make sure that the true meaning of the entrance of Christ into our world is not lost in all of the clutter of excitement that is displayed in our society.  I am not desiring to take the approach of a grinch or a party pooper but I do believe that we need to display our affection and appreciation for the birth of our Savior who came to seek and save that which was lost.  I challenge each of you to make sure that your family and friends are made aware of your deep love and commitment to Jesus Christ, the True Savior of the world.  After all, He is worthy of our praise and adoration.  

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Personal Reflections

During my time of personal devotions this morning a song kept flowing through my spirit.  Some of the words of this song goes like this; "I will bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and all that is within me.  I will bless His holy name.  He has done great things for me, He has done great things for me, He has done great things for me, Bless His holy name."  My heart was filled with rejoicing as I began to reflect on just a small portion of the blessings that God has given to me through the years of my life.  Those moments of reflection afforded me the opportunity to share my praise with God and afforded me the opportunity to offer some moments of sincere praise and adoration to the True and living God.

It was during this song that my mind drifted back to a sermon that I heard Dr. Tom Renfroe share in a Minister's Conference in Kentucky.  Dr. Renfroe received a miraculous healing from cancer and in his sermon he reminded us of what He says to people who are facing uncertain circumstances.  He reminds them to enter the presence of God with thanksgiving and praise (based on the Psalms).  Dr. Renfroe said that he encourages people to practice this very approach to God as they seek Him for healing or other forms of deliverance that they may need.  I was challenged by those words and I have made it a practice in my time of prayer and interaction with God.  I have found my faith both encouraged and strengthened as I pause to reflect on what God has done (thanksgiving) and who God is (praise).  I sincerely believe that each of you will see your faith grow stronger as we shift our thought process away from our needs and we shift our thought process towards the greatness of our God.

This process of shifting our thinking and reflection will lead us to sing another chorus from the old song that I referenced earlier in my post.  That line of the song declares; "He will do great things, He will do great things, Bless His Holy name."  God will do great things in our lives and we need to give Him praise and honor.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Refreshing Presence

Normally I wait to Monday to post about any weekend services in which I was involved. I could not wait until Monday after the service at New River Worship Center this morning. The presence of the Holy Spirit filled the house as the worshipers lifted their voices in praise and adoration for the True Savior, Jesus Christ. This Christmas season of celebration must become one of recognition; we must recognize that Christ is the source of all our resources. Once again Christ must be exalted into the place of prominence and leadership. We must reestablish Christ as our living Hope and remember that without Him (Christ) we can do nothing. The congregation at New River declared that we would not allow the "clutter of life" to conceal Christ from our view and we refuse to allow the clutter hinder the declaration of the Gospel message. Let this be a time in which we rediscover the true meaning of Christ coming to earth.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thankful, Part 4

We desire to wish each one of you a Happy and blessed Thanksgiving,  We are truly blessed to be able to live in America and have the opportunities and freedom that we are privileged to enjoy.  I want to give thanks for my wonderful family and great friends that God has placed in my life.  I am thankful for my church family at New River Worship Center; their love, support, prayer covering, and encouragement is such a blessing and strength to us.  I am thankful for the military (both past as well as present) who place their lives in harms way each day that I might be able to enjoy freedom each and every day of my life.  I understand that our nation is facing a litany of problems and challenges but we still need to take time to be thankful for the blessings that God has given to America.  President Abraham Lincoln called for a day of "Thanksgiving and Praise" when he signed the initial Thanksgiving declaration in 1863.  We need to make sure that we offer sincere thanksgiving and praise to our great God and let him know that we recognize His presence in our lives.

Take some time today and specifically identify some of the blessings that God has placed in your life.  Express to God sincere thanks and gratefulness for these blessings and I believe that your heart will begin to sense a deeper presence of God in your life.

Have a great day with your family and friends!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Thankful, Part 3

Last night I was involved a wonderful and amazing service in Radcliff, Kentucky.  I assisted in leading a Praise and Thanksgiving service at New River Worship Center.  The service centered around our commitment to give God authentic and genuine praise and thanksgiving for all of His daily provisions.  God deserves more than just a "casual" Thank You; God deserves our heartfelt and sincere praise and adoration for all of the blessings that He has bestowed and continues to bestow on our lives.  I was both blessed and amazed at the number of marvelous miracles that was shared in the meeting last night.  It was certain that our faith was strengthened and encouraged by those who were willing to share a story from their life that revealed the power of God's healing and deliverance.  The love, grace, power, and healing power of God is not a myth or fairy tale BUT the attributes of God are REAL AND TRUE.  I offer thanks and gratitude to each of those who shared their story and were willing to give us a brief look into a challenging moment in their lives.  Remember this old axiom; "You can't have a testimony without a test."

Each of you have a story to tell.  Each of us have had moments of divine intervention in which God revealed Himself in a miraculous manner.  We must share the stories with others so that their faith can be encouraged. Your testimony/witness can encourage someone to believe God in the midst of their trying circumstances.  Take some time during the Thanksgiving celebration to tell someone about Christ and all that He has done in your life.  Thankfulness needs to be shared with others so that they can recognize the faithfulness of God.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Thankful, Part 2

I consider myself a "rich" man. I understand my richness is not defined or determined by the standards of our culture. I will never appear on an episode of "The Rich and Famous" or the Forbes 500 list but compared to many of the people of the world I am rich. But my richness goes beyond the possessions of this world. My riches is defined first and foremost in my relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ. My richness is further defined in my relationship with my wonderful wife, sons and daughter-in-laws that I love and respect, and four awesome grandchildren. My richness is further enhanced by the Leadership Team at New River and my brothers and sisters in the family of God as well as all of the leaders and mentors who have played a major role in my spiritual development. I will stop now although I have just begun listing the inventory of my riches. Take a moment today and review the inventory of your riches.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Thankful

It has been almost three weeks since I have made a post and I have truly missed this form of communication.  I am still only able to use one arm and my other responsibilities have consumed much of my time.  It seems that it takes me much longer to complete a task since I incurred this injury on October 19th.  My recovery continues to make progress but I do need your prayers; in an exam on this past Friday the Doctor noticed a potential problem with the healing of the fracture in my elbow.  I need for you to join in faith with me that the elbow will not require surgery.  I know and believe that God is able to answer that prayer need that I am facing.  I am like many of you; I have much to do and I need to be able to be at full strength so that I can give my best effort to the work of the Kingdom of God.

The church plant in Radcliff, Kentucky is going well.  We are involved in 40 days of prayer and fasting.  The Leadership Team issued this challenge to the congregation on November 7th and many of those who were in attendance that day joined in agreement with us.  We are entering our third week of this effort and already prayers have been answered.  The initial call for this effort was raised up in a Leadership meeting when our Worship leader shared what God had placed on her heart.  It is a blessing to work with people who are sensitive to the call of the Spirit.  The past two Sunday services have been rich with the presence of the Holy Spirit and we are anticipating a deeper and richer anointing of the Spirit in future services.

I spoke about gratitude in yesterday's service.  Gratitude is not an option but a command of the Word of God.  I want to offer to God my sincere gratitude and thanksgiving.  It is so easy to fall into the rut of saying the "right words" but having the wrong motive.  I want my words to express what is in my heart.  Let this be a week in which we speak to God from the depths of a sincere heart of thankfulness.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Recovery Update

I have missed the opportunity to share my heart with you due to the injuries that I sustained two weeks ago.  My daily schedule has been interrupted and rearranged due to my need to have assistance in some of my daily activities and routine.  I am learning patience (at least most of the time) and I am learning a fresh revelation of my need to depend on God to supply ALL of my needs and not just a portion of them.  God is also revealing the depth of His grace and mercy through the kindness and concern of my natural family as well as my spiritual family.  God is good even in the midst of our challenges and difficulties.  I have had to cancel some revival services due to my injuries but I just pray that the people will understand my limitations.  The congregation of the church plant in Radcliff, KY has been a great blessing and a source of encouragement and prayer covering.  It is a great blessing to know that someone is praying for you.  Thank you for your prayers; the past two weeks have been full of some ups and downs during the recovery process but I am constantly reminded of God's protection even in the midst of my difficulties.  I still look forward to what God has planned for my future.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Update

I have not made a post in the past week due to recovering from some injuries that I received in a fall from an extension ladder.  I was assisting my son in a painting project when the ladder slid out from under me.  My typing is limited to one hand so my posts may be limited over the next few weeks.  I certainly desire your prayers  for a speedy and healthy recovery from the injuries that I sustained (cuts, bruises, fractured elbow & shoulder).  I have work to do and I need to be at full strength.  I am truly THANKFUL for the mercies and kindness of God; my injuries could have been and should have been more serious.  I give God praise and glory for His protection.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Thoughts from the Weekend

The Spirit uses many things and many situations to speak illumination and information into our hearts.  I am doing my best to become more sensitive to the revelation of the Spirit and also more responsive to those truths and reminders that He is placing in my life.  I spoke with a young man this weekend who had been sensing the unction from the Spirit to draw closer to God.  In some ways He wanted to respond to this call yet in other ways he was intimidated by this calling because of the fear that people might think that he had committed sin.  This reminded me that all of us face the challenge to either respond or reject the call from the Spirit based on our assumption of the feelings of other people.  Regardless of our age all of us are concerned about the perceptions of our peers and even the perception of our family and friends.  We must allow the Spirit to help us look beyond this intimidation and realize the reward of obedience.

The service on Sunday night at New River Worship Center spoke powerfully in my heart.  The children and youth of this outreach effort took the lead in the service and provided the ministry to the people who attended the Sunday night celebration.  I was blessed by the preparation and presentation of the Gospel message by these "children" of God.  The service reminded me of the blessing of watching people allow God to use their talents and gifts to share the message of the Gospel in their unique manner ( I use the word "unique" in a very POSITIVE manner).  The previous statement is true of people on any generation but especially true of this younger generation.  The older we become the more likely we are to think inside the box of learned actions but when you are young you look at ways to say the same thing but in a different way.  I rejoice over the fact that God is raising up children and youth who are willing to think outside of the box and use different measures and means to share the love of God.  These methods may be new to many of us yet they call for a decision from a generation that is being challenged to accept many philosophies and religions of man as the Truth of God.  I desire to be a believer and leader that encourages the release of these gifts and let these young Christians know that there is room for them in the family of God and that we welcome their gifts and abilities.  I am preparing my heart to learn from them and allow them to enrich my life with their passion for Christ.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Trusting God

Psalm 91:14, "The Lord says, I will rescue those who love me.  I will protect those who trust in my name " (NLT).  


It is such a privilege and honor to place our trust in the True and Living God.  It is such a privilege and honor to recognize that the True and Living God has made Himself available to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is such a privilege and honor to take the bold step of releasing our faith and to believe that God is at work in our lives and that God has our best interests in mind as He directs our steps.  True trust in God allows us to recognize His love and presence even in the most difficult and trying times.  Even when we don't "feel" God we can rest assured that He is present to protect us.  Many people in our nation have alarm systems in their place of residence.  These alarm systems provide us a certain amount of comfort but even they are not full proof by any means.  The combination of the Word of God and the presence of the Spirit can provide us the comfort that we need as we confront the tactics and the challenges of the enemy.  We need to remember that the enemy seeks to make us feel lonely and vulnerable.  Thieves may try to steal our possessions but the "thief" of our soul seeks to steal our peace, our hope, our rest, and our confidence in the strength of the Lord God Almighty.  It is during those times that we must rest in the promises of the protection of God.  We can rest in the fact that God is on duty 24/7; He is ever present to respond to the cry of our hearts.

It is reassuring to know that we can trust in God and place our life in His hands.  But our trust in God is more than just some emotional feeling.  Our trust in God is rooted in a deep faith that the Creator of the Universe loves us and that He is interested in each of us as individuals.  There will be times in our lives in which it may "feel" that God is very distant or even in some cases absent from the events that are taking place around us.  It is during those types of situations that we turn our hearts to the Word of God and read once more the true revelation and declaration of God's presence.  Our feelings can be unreliable and fickle but the Word of God remains true and faithful regardless of how we feel or how those feel who live around us.  Our feelings are a lot like the weather; they can change quickly.  We can place our complete trust in God because He is trustworthy and the Bible declares that He can not lie.  We just need to remember that God is present with us whether we "feel" Him or not.  He is prepared to release His love and mercy as we face the daily challenges of life as well as those moments of emergency in which we need an unique visitation of the Spirit in our hearts.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Thought for the Day

God places people with gifts, talents, and abilities in our lives. God has a plan to use these people to assist us on the journey of life. Each of us must be willing to receive these people as a gift from God and value them as a gift from God. This means that each of us need to mature so that we are not intimidated by those gifted individuals. I desire to recognize the gifts that God is sending my way today!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Weekend Thoughts

Throughout the past several weeks the Spirit has been speaking to my heart regarding the connection between our past and our future.   I am thankful for my walk with the Lord up till this point in my life but I am interested in my future journey with God.  My ongoing relationship with God allows me to be excited about my future.  I must not allow either my failures or my successes hinder me from walking into the promises of my future.  I sincerely feel that God has blessings prepared for this day and time and I have not fully received those blessings as of yet.  I must continue my passionate pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and truly sense that my today and tomorrow can be greater than my yesterday.  I must allow the Holy Spirit to fully prepare my spirit for my future walk with Christ.  I need to embrace the leading of the Spirit rather than resisting the leading of the Spirit if I fully expect to receive the full measure of God's future direction for my life.  The Prophet Amos challenges us to remember this principle; "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" (Amos3:3)  We must be willing to walk in agreement with God if we are truly looking to reach our full potential in Christ.  We can not afford to settle for less than our full potential.  Coaches of various sports teams are always encouraging their players to play up to their potential. Spiritual success will be obtained as we live up to our potential through the power and presence of Christ.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Answered Prayers

I am quite sure that many of us are looking to God to answer our prayers concerning a variety of needs.  We are facing spiritual, physical, emotional, financial challenges and we are looking to God to bring the proper solution to these situations.  But we can pray in confidence because of the promises that God has spoken in His Word.  One of these promises is found in Luke 1:37, "For nothing is impossible with God" (NLT).  I felt led to encourage those of you who are praying for answers to needs that either you or your family are facing.  As a matter of fact, I received an email this morning from a mother whose son is facing a battle with depression.  We are facing all types of situations but we can understand that with God all things are possible.  God is able to perform the impossible even in the midst of the overwhelming challenges of life.

The enemy would have each of us to believe that we are facing situations that are too big for God to handle.  We may have prayed for something but deep inside of us the enemy tried to sow the seed of doubt and a lack of trust that God would make provision in that need.  It is so easy to feel that our prayer may be the one that goes unanswered by our God.  But we must remember that nothing is impossible with God!  God who created the universe is able to change the unbeliever's heart.  God is able to heal the broken body that is facing a battle with an illness or disease.  God who looks at everything from an eternal purpose has a plan for each of us and He is working to complete that plan in our lives.  I  must learn to trust Him more and pray in confidence that God does hear me when I pray (Jeremiah 29:12).  We also learn to trust God as we recognize that He has the authority to answer the prayer in His way and plan rather than the plan that always satisfies and pleases us.  God loves us more than you and I can ever fully comprehend; He desires to reveal that love through His care and concern for us and for the issues of life that we face.  I encourage you this morning to continue bringing your needs to the Lord through the opportunity of prayer and allow Him to work His plan in your life.  Remember, nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible with God!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Thought for Today

Do we truly possess a strong desire to draw closer to God or have we just learned to "talk the language of religion?" There is a distinct difference between talking and seeking. Read Psalm 42:1-2.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

The Presence of God, Part 2

It is so easy to become captured by the spirit and attitudes of the culture of this world.  Even our thought process can be tainted by the flesh which will hinder us from identifying the life-changing presence of God.  Our lives are changed when we learn to identify and respond to the presence of God.  The Apostle Paul was inspired of the Holy Spirit to share some encouraging words in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will" (NIV).


I want to focus on the "renewing of your mind."  I must allow the process of the Spirit to influence my thinking about myself as well as about God.  It is very easy to think on the negative side of life rather than viewing the positive influence and presence of God at all times in our lives.  We easily identify the problem and many of us set in motion the process to repair or fix the problem that we are facing.  I am not saying that we do not need to be pro-active in our response to the challenges of life; but I am saying that we need to make room for the renewing of our minds through the power and presence of the Spirit.  God desires to work His will in us and through us and there are times that His will runs contrary to my thought pattern.  It is during those moments that I must make the choice to surrender my life and will to Christ and allow Him to work HIS process in my life.  I must allow my thoughts to flow toward God and His awesome love and concern for me as an individual believer.

I must stop trying to rest in my self sufficiency and trust in the all sufficiency of Christ.  He is truly all that I (You) need as we make our way though life.  We must remember that we live in a world that is broken and prior to our conversion we were living under the influence of that brokenness.  Our lives have been healed and redeemed through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We now can walk in the strength of the "renewing of our mind" on a daily basis.  The Psalmist David declared these words in Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way" (NASB).  Christ will lead if we will follow!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

The Presence of God

Each of us face our own unique set of circumstances as we travel down the road of life.  Some of these circumstances can not be avoided even if we tried; they are just a part of life.  We face the common issues of sickness, death of a loved one, financial concerns, raising our children, and a long list of other issues that can challenge our faith and our plan to walk after the Heart of God.  It is during those moments that we learn to focus on the presence of God and not just focus on the presence of our problems.  There will certainly be times when we can identify the presence of our problems quicker than we can identify the supernatural presence of God.  Faith allows us to look to the Lord and realize that we can come to Him and seek His help as we face these issues and challenges of life.  Each of us make the conscious decision that we will turn to the Lord and allow His presence to strengthen us during those difficult times.

Jesus shares some encouraging words with us in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (NIV).  Each of us can know the facts concerning the invitation of God but no one can make that decision to accept His invitation but you.  Each of us must choose to make our way to Christ as we face those moments of weariness and heavy burdens.  We can cast our care on Him because He truly cares about us.  We can find rest in Christ because we can trust in the promises of His Word.  The Word of God is true and we can receive His truth into our hearts and lives.  My perspective on life can become more joyful and peaceful as I learn to keep my focus on Christ and the promises that He has made in His Word.  I can find myself feeling overwhelmed and discouraged when I become preoccupied with my problems and my difficulties.  But when I turn my thoughts toward the presence of God I can sense the strength and calmness of Christ and remember one more time that I am not alone on my journey.  It is very important to remember that you are not alone and that Christ is at work in your life as you face the issues of life.  We must choose to focus on the presence of Christ and not just the presence of our problems.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Weekend Reflections

I was blessed to be able to enjoy a spiritually challenging as well as fulfilling weekend. The Spirit of the Lord challenged my heart at a Minister's Conference in Kentucky. The Friday evening service was led by a group of "on-fire" youth who love Jesus Christ and they are not ashamed of Him. Saturday's service included a testimony/sermon by Dr. Tom Renfroe who received a dramatic healing from cancer in 1997. These services reminded me of the Awesome power of God and they also served as a reminder that we have a responsibility to share the Good News of the Gospel with this world. Sunday morning found me sharing the Gospel at New River Worship Center in Radcliff, KY. The presence of God was very near as we celebrated Communion as a family of God. The call to Worship as well as the entire Worship service reminded us that God is still able to meet our needs as we continue to put our trust in Him. I then proceeded to remind the congregation that we can trust God as He leads us into the destiny of our future. We are living in perilous or dangerous times but we can take courage as we realize who is walking with us and in us on this journey. Do not be discouraged or overwhelmed; God is still at work in the lives of His children. Trust in Him and in the promises of His Word.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Be Encouraged

I returned yesterday from a great week of spiritual activities.  The Minister's Conference in Georgia was awesome and the Revival meeting at the Harris Chapel church in Alabama was highly anointed and the Word of God challenged us each evening.  The past few days have challenged me to expand my view of the influence of the Kingdom of God.  It is so easy to limit the ability of God and the power of His Kingdom that is at work in this world.  I can have the tendency to look at the influence of the Kingdom of God through the eyes of the flesh rather than through the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  The Kingdom of God is an ever expanding Kingdom that is encompassing people from all around the world.  It is a blessing to be a part of a Kingdom that is inclusive rather than exclusive.  The Kingdom of God is open to anyone and everyone who will choose to commit their life to Jesus Christ and commit to following after Him in a lifetime of discipleship and development.  The people of God can be encouraged as we observe the spiritual landscape and realize that Christ is still making a difference in this world.  I encourage you to continue your passionate pursuit of a personal relationship with our Great Savior and allow Him to use you in the harvest field of His pursuit of the lost and hurting of our world.  Remember that Christ came to "seek and save that which is lost."  Let us be encouraged as we continue to commit to the ministry efforts of the Kingdom of God!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Empty Cisterns

Jeremiah 2:13, "For my people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water." The Spirit brought this passage to my heart as I was preparing for this evening's service. What is my (our) source of strength in this day and time? Where am I (we) looking for direction? What is the source of my (our) hope and dreams? Which cistern am I (we) drinking from? We must take the time to make an honest evaluation of these questions. The spirit which is at work in this culture has led us to drink from the cistern of fame, the cistern of wealth and possessions, and the cistern of empty and vain works. We also have been influenced to build the cisterns that are filled with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. What have these cisterns supplied for this generation? This generation is living under the influence of sin and rebellion. Our lives are filled with everything but a true relationship with Christ. Take a moment and examine the cistern from which you are drinking. Make sure you are drinking from the "fountain of living waters."

Monday, September 27, 2010

Weekend Review

The past weekend was a very busy one. Friday and Saturday found us in Lizella, GA in a Minister's Conference with Bishop Billy Adams and his wife, Charlotte. I can truly say that the anointing of the Holy Ghost was upon each session of this Conference and that each of us encountered a life-altering experience with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit challenged us to be "fresh" in our approach to the ministry opportunities that God will place in our path. Each session found leaders from across Georgia seeking God for a deeper and fresher anointing of the Holy Spirit in their personal lives. I truly believe that there was an impartation and transfer of Holy Spirit anointing in each of those who made themselves available to God. Sunday found us in the Harris Chapel church joining with them in a Homecoming Celebration revival. The church is celebrating their 82nd Anniversary. I was able to sense the same anointing in AL as we experienced in GA. I believe that God will reveal Himself to anyone who is looking for the revelation of Christ. The altars of the local church filled with people who were looking for the ministering presence of the Holy Spirit. The Word still declares that we will find Him when we seek for Him with all of our heart. I desire to be one of those who seek for Him with all my heart. Each of us need to commit our heart to God without reservation!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Feelings of Inadequacy

Life is filled with struggles that reveal our human inadequacy.  These struggles span the cross section of the physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial sectors of our lives.  We encounter some of these struggles on a daily basis yet we do not have to feel hopeless or helpless.  The Lord has already provided a remedy for those moments of defeat and discouragement.  The Apostle Paul shares these words of encouragement and strength with us in 2 Corinthians 3:5, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" (NKJV).  Each of us can identify with those moments in which we were incapable of meeting the challenges that life had placed before us.  We identified our weaknesses and failed to realize that Christ would provide the strength that we needed to move through that particular situation.  Each of us can identify what we lack in our lives yet we fail to remember that Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider, is at work on our behalf as we face the challenges of life.

Let us take a moment and consider that our inadequacies can actually be converted into a blessing from God.  How can that statement be true?  Our inadequacy drives us to God as we recognize our helplessness.  We cry out to God and let Him know that we need Him to provide the strength that we need.  Our recognition of our inadequacy relieves us of the burden of trying to do God's will in our own power and strength.  Many of us try to please God through the work and ability of flesh when in reality that is impossible to do.  We please God when we walk in faith, trust, and obedience to the provision of His love and grace.  Christianity is more than just a form of spiritual performance; it is a life that is fully surrendered to the mighty presence of God who provides the courage and strength to live out the will of God in our daily lives.  God is able to give us His peace as we rely upon Him.  Many Christians live in a spirit of restlessness and frustration as we identify our faults, failures, weaknesses, and our inadequacies.  Rest assured that the the "accuser of the brethren" will join  in the process of self-humiliation and self-depreciation if we allow him that opportunity.  I am not advocating that we walk in pride and arrogance but I am advocating that we walk in the provision that the death of Jesus Christ has made for us.  Remember, "...our sufficiency is from God."

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Love of God

Isaiah 54:10: "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love (emphasis mine) for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you" (NIV).

It is very easy to say that we know that God is love and that He loves this world.  But we must also understand that the love of God is the foundational truth of our relationship with Jesus Christ.  The "unfailing love" of God provides us the opportunity to exchange our sins for the righteousness of Christ.  We must learn to allow the love of God to permeate every aspect of our life and as a sponge we need to soak up and soak in the wonderful presence of His love.  I feel that many people fail in their journey with God because they fail to embrace this foundational principle.  We become overwhelmed through the process of trying to earn the favor and love of God.  The love of God can not be earned it can only be accepted and appreciated.  The NASB translation of Psalm 46:10a gives us this thought, "Stop striving and know that I am God..."  We must stop striving to earn the love of God through our actions and activities; we need to accept the idea that God loves us and remember that according to Romans 8 nothing can separate us from the love of God.  Accepting the fact that God truly loves us is such a liberating principle and that principle encourages us to focus on building our relationship with Jesus Christ.

We were created to know God.  We were created to love God.  We were created to enjoy our relationship with God.  We were created to center our life around the relationship that God has offered to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Don't you think that it is time that we started "enjoying" our relationship with God?  Walking in the knowledge that God is love and that His love is unchangeable and unmovable allows us to focus on the greatness of God and all that He has offered to us through Jesus Christ.
Each of us need to take some time and reflect on the faithfulness of God and realize that the promises and covenants of God are true.  The love and care of man can be fickle and change at any moment but we can be confident that the love of God is founded on the principle of God's inability to lie or change.  God loved us as we were brought into this world through the process of birth and God will love us as we travel through the process of life.  Give God some "serious praise" for the love that He extends to you on a daily basis.  Your life will be enriched and encouraged as you place this principle of love deep in your heart.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Thirst for the Presence of God

Over the past several weeks the Spirit has dealt with my heart concerning our thirst for the presence of God.  I am convinced that God has much to deposit in the lives of His children if only I (we) would position ourselves to receive them.  We must position ourselves at the proper place even when we are hungry or thirsty for the natural nutriments that our physical body needs.  We can not remain in the family room if the meal being served is in the dining room.  We must move toward the natural meal and I believe that we must move toward the spiritual drink or the spiritual food that we need as we face these trying and challenging days.  I still believe that Christ is the One that we need in our lives; He will sustain us as we face the decisions of daily living.  Let us be encouraged and strengthened by the Word of God today.

Psalm 63:1-5, "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you...I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and glory.  Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.  My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you" (NIV).  Read the last verse of this passage and be encouraged today.  Christ is able to satisfy the "hunger" that you sense in your life.  We do not have to look to the "food and drink supplies" of the world to satisfy what we need, Christ can meet the need of our soul.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Weekend Review

I was blessed to be able to enjoy a wonderful weekend.  My wife and I were able to spend some time with our grandchildren and children through some family activities (meal, football game, and local festival activities).  I am still amazed at the energy level of our grandchildren.  I truly believe that their energy level has increased and our energy level has decreased.  Oh well, the challenge of being grandparents.  Seriously, we are blessed with a wonderful family for which I am grateful.

We were blessed to be able to participate in a wonderful worship service on Sunday morning at New River Worship Center in Radcliff, KY.  New River is the church plant in which I am participating and we are seeing the blessings of God upon our desire to reach out to the community surrounding Fort Knox, KY.  The service began with a testimony from our Children's Church Minister regarding the progressive healing of her sister from a very serious illness.  Then the call to worship song reminded us to worship God for who is He and to trust Him to fulfill His promises.  The singer's testimony reminded us to "worship while we wait."  It goes without saying that the presence of anointing was powerful as I stepped to the pulpit to share the Word of God.  I reminded the people that Christ is still the "drink of living water" that we need and that we do not need to drink any substitute that the culture of our world will offer.  The "spirit" of the culture is offering many  imitations of a true relationship with God but many people will soon learn that this spiked drink of false religion will only leave them spiritually dry, thirsty, and looking for something that is real and lasting.  I am thankful that I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and I am committed to following Him with all of my heart.  Have you made that decision today?  Do not fall prey to the spirit of deception that is very prevalent in our society but drink in life from the presence of Truth and Life.

Last night found us conducting an informational meeting concerning the possible relocation of New River Worship Center.  The blessings of God have caused us to have outgrown our present facility and we are in need of more room to expand our outreach ministry.  I have shared this information because I am asking for your prayer covering.  We are in need of direction as well as provision.  Every decision that we have made up to this time has been a decision based on our faith in the power of God.  God has provided what we have needed because we are doing our best to stay focused on the call that we have heard and are hearing from God.  Would you join us in prayer for God to lead us in the right direction and for us to trust Him for the Provision that we need?


Have a great week as you walk in the strength of the presence of God!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Light vs. Darkness

The discussion concerning the struggle between light and darkness has been very prominent in the media over the past few weeks.  We have discussed the building of the mosque near Ground Zero in New York City; we have discussed the burning of books that are a part of the religion of Islam as well as other individual battles that pit the powers of darkness against the power of the True Light.  The Words TRUE LIGHT have resonated in my heart over the past few days.  I believe that the answer to the struggles with the powers of darkness is the declaration of the truth concerning True Light.  The enemy of our soul does not want the Truth declared.  The Truth will reveal and expose the fallacies of the darkness.  This is one of the reasons that the church must resist the temptation to operate under the influence of the philosophies and ideologies of man; we must have the direction and anointing of God upon the spiritual leadership of our nation.  Satan always struggles with the truth because his kingdom is built upon the foundation of lies and deception.  The Truth called satan a liar and the father of lies.  We combat lies with truth.  We combat darkness with Light and the True Light is Jesus Christ our Lord.  Christ still remains the Light of the world regardless of the actions of the darkness.  Just as a light bulb will dispel darkness in a room so the power of Christ will dispel the power of darkness in this sinful and evil world.  Our greatest weapon against darkness is the revelation of Light.  Each of us need to display the Light of Christ in our lives so that people can recognize that the Way, the Truth, and the Life are at work in our personal life.  Light still defeats the power of darkness.  The Body of Christ is hearing the renewed call to remain faithful to our call and to our message.  We still have the message of Truth and Light to declare and we need to remain resolved to declare that message to a world living under the influence of darkness.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Revival Services

The services this week have been wonderful and challenging.  I have been in many, many services in my lifetime but I am still amazed at the ministering presence of the Holy Spirit.  I am still amazed that a group of individuals, with different needs I might add, can gather in a room and the Spirit of God deal with them on an individual basis.  The Word of God can speak to individuals at their point of need and each individual can hear from God what they need to hear.  Certain items can be purchased that use these words in their advertisements, "one size fits all."  But with God it is different, the Spirit of God tailors the Word of God to fit the specific need or needs of the individual person who is sitting in any particular service.  That is one of the reasons that you see a teenager as well as a Senior respond to the Spirit; that is one of the reasons that you see seasoned believers as well as new converts respond to the Spirit; and that is the reason that you see the Minister as well as the congregation respond to the Spirit.  We should never forget that God identifies our individual needs as well as the corporate needs of the local body of believers.  As a preacher of the Gospel I am glad that I can report these encouraging words to you because I notice this happening in service after service that I attend.  We must praise God that He recognizes our individuality and that He will respond to the cry of our hearts (Jeremiah 29:12).

The above listed testimony is one of the reasons that I truly believe that God will respond to the honest hearted application of the spiritual process found in 2 Chronicles 7:14.  The Word teaches that God will fulfill the portion of His promises/covenants with His people.  We see that declared and revealed throughout the stories of interaction between God and His people that we find in the Holy Scriptures.  I am convinced that God will respond to His people if we will obey Him in honest and sincere obedience.  God will recognize any half-hearted obedience and He will recognize any attempt to walk in the state of hypocrisy.  I desire to be open and honest with God and allow Him to perform His work in my individual life.  I trust and pray that you are looking at 2 Chronicles 7 in the manner of personal application instead of just a corporate application to the Body of Christ.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Turning to God

Is it possible that the modern day church overlooks the passages of scriptures that place requirements on us?  Is it possible that people who have desired to escape the challenges of legalism find it easy to justify themselves as they ignore Biblical passages that require a response to God?  Is it possible that those people who desire to live under the influence of grace also seek to ignore any passage that may place requirements on them?  Each of us understand that we need to live under the influence and direction of the blessings of God but many of these so called blessings are contingent on our obedience to the commands of God.  I do not intend for this post to be a harsh chastisement of the church body rather I desire it to be a reminder of our need to look at our individual as well as collective responsibility to the directives that come from God.  God's plan will work in our lives if we will allow it have the full effect on us.  My problem centers around this fleshly battle; there are times in which I consider my plan superior to the one that God has offered.  My unwillingness to submit to the directives of God causes me to walk in rebellion and disobedience.  Rebellion and disobedience hinder the flow of the Spirit in my heart and my life.  Rebellion and disobedience hinder my relationship with God who does have a plan and purpose for my life.  Many of us desire His plan and purpose but that plan and purpose comes with the need to submit to the conditional promises of God.  The conditional promises of God require the participation of each of us with God in the spirit of surrender and obedience.

I believe that 2 Chronicles is one of those conditional promises.  I look forward to the "God part" of the passage such as forgiving our sin and healing our land; but do I seriously consider my responsibility which is also stated in that same passage?  The passage also uses the words "humble themselves, pray, and seek my face, and turn from their (our) wicked ways."  Don't these words reflect our need to accept and live out our responsibility to God and to our fellow man?  The way that we respond to God is a personal matter between each of us and God.  I can not tell you what to do or how to apply these directives from God to your life but I do feel that it is my responsibility to bring these directives to your attention.  The church is in need of a great infusion of the presence and power of God.  The church is in need for the spirit of awakening and renewal to grip our hearts.  We are always looking for answers yet we find ourselves overlooking or in some cases simply ignoring the answers that we find in the Word of God.  I believe that I am writing to people who have come to this spiritual intersection and they are prepared to take the correct steps on their spiritual journey.  I can state emphatically that I am at that place on my journey and I am preparing my heart to follow the directives of the Word of God.  I encourage you today to be open to the leading of the Spirit and allow Him full freedom to direct your heart!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Prayer

I have encouraged the opportunity of prayer on many occasions as I have shared my thoughts and inspirations with the readers of this blog.  A few days ago I began to write about the "Spiritual Stimulus Package" that is defined in 2 Chronicles 7.  If the church in America is going to expect different results from our spiritual activities then we must be willing to take the different steps that the writer describes in this passage of scripture.  An old statement comes to mind at this point in our war against the forces of evil and wickedness, "Desperate times call for desperate measures."  We must ask ourselves this question; "Am I (we) prepared to do whatever is necessary to see the Divine intervention that we so desperately need?"  We must further ask ourselves; "Am I (we) willing to put into practice those spiritual principles that will bring the favor of God on our individual life as well as corporate lives?"  I am not talking about some temporary state of "doing better with the prayer thing"; no, I am talking about a full commitment to the development of my prayer life.  The modern day church must redevelop the spiritual discipline and practice of PRAYER.  We must be willing to answer the call from God and respond to Him in faithful surrender and obedience.

Prayer is more than just a list of my wants and needs.  God is not our Spiritual Santa Claus to which we take our "wish list" and ask Him to bring what we want to make us happy.  Prayer is a time of open and honest conversation in which we talk to God but one in which we allow God to talk back to us.  Many of us have developed the thought process that prayer is just my opportunity to share my thoughts with God all the while ignoring His input into my life.  We must do some serious study and reflection on our prayer life.  Prayer affords me (us) the opportunity to develop my (our) relationship with the Heavenly Father.  Prayer affords me (us) the opportunity to learn more about the heart of God as well as learn more about the focus of my heart and my desires.  Prayer affords me (us) the opportunity to receive direction from God for my individual life as well as my participation in the corporate life of the Body of Christ.  Prayer opens to the door for me to walk in deeper fellowship and communion with God.  We must stop avoiding prayer and embrace the opportunity to pray.  Take some time today and get alone with God and just express your love and worship, you may be surprised at the response that you will receive from God.  I believe that God will welcome you with open arms as you develop your deeper relationship with the Lord God Almighty.  He stands ready to listen to the cry of your heart and He stands ready to respond to your worship and adoration.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Weekend Review

This weekend was a very busy one to say the least.  We were involved in two weddings as well as two wonderful church services.  We are thankful for the traveling mercies of the Lord as the wedding were in two different states on separate days.  God is so kind and gracious as we make our journey through life and I am determined not to forget His many blessings that are revealed and released on a daily basis.

The two church services were wonderful; the presence of God was awesome and challenging in each one and I am always prepared to recognize the unction and anointing of the Holy Spirit.  Oh how my hearts hungers and craves for the presence of Spirit that will transform all of us into the people that God desires us to become.  In each of the services we were able to see people respond to the love of Christ and allow Him to speak His Life changing strength and courage to their soul.  Christ will bring the Word of Life that each of us need if we will be willing to surrender our cares and difficulties to Him.  We must lay aside all of the hindrances that come against us and commit our life to following after Christ regardless of the interruptions of satan.  We must never forget that the enemy will do all in his power to interrupt our walk with Christ.  He will seek to interfere with the development of our relationship with Christ if we afford him the opportunity and that is one of the reasons that the Apostle Paul reminds us "not to give place to the devil."  We must not make room for him in our lives but we must stay focused on our walk with Jesus Christ.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Friendships

I desire to share an important principle with you today.  I will share some other thoughts concerning the Spiritual Stimulus Package in the near future.

I am participating in two weddings this weekend.  Each of these weddings represent unique relationships that my wife and I have developed with these individuals throughout the past years of our life.  These weddings have reminded me of the blessing of the development of what I will call "long term friendships."  Each of us have had those friends who were only a part of our lives for a very brief time; life either took them in another direction or life took us in another direction.  But we also have encountered those friends that regardless of the direction of their life or your life you were able to maintain a strong steady relationship regardless of the changes that you encountered.  My wife has been friends with Linda since the 5th grade of elementary school; their friendship has spanned 47 years.  Life has not allowed them to leave near each other for over 37 years yet I am amazed to hear them talk on the phone; they just share with each other as though they lived next door to one another.  It is always amazing to see the love and kindness that exists between them when they are able to physically visit with each other on those rare occasions.  Friendship is such a rare and wonderful gift that we need to treasure and appreciate. 

I have sensed the Lord reminding me of this blessing as we have been able to renew friendships that were established several years ago.  It will be an honor to stand and officiate these wedding ceremonies this weekend for people who have played a major role in our family through the years.  Let us recommit to cherishing our friends and family and realize that each of them are one of the gifts that God has given to us to assist us on our journey through life.  Have a great weekend!  Take time to speak with one your dear friends and let them know how much you appreciate their friendship!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Stimulus Package for the Church, Part 2

I sincerely believe that God desires to perform a great spiritual work among His people as well as through His people.  Is it possible that we (the people of God) have become more concerned with what God wants to do through us more than what God desires to do in us?  The people of God must consistently seek to allow God to direct our steps into a deeper time of relationship with Him.  We can become so captured by the "public display" of our relationship with God that we fail to allow God to work in our hearts during our private time of interaction with Him.  We must be committed to those principles of God that will bring life and strength to our walk with Him.

I realize that we bear great responsibility as believers as I review the spiritual principles found in the Stimulus Package Passage found in 2 Chronicles 7:14.  We must recognize our spiritual identity (people of God) and this recognition brings responsibility.  We understand that we have a mandate from God when we are given the identification as people who are "called by my (His) name."  Our scriptural passage reveals to us those actions that we, the people of God, need to take if we are going to look for divine intervention.  We don't mind identifying the responsibilities of God but oftentimes we ignore our spiritual responsibilities in response to the direction of God.  If we are going to receive the full benefits from God we must be willing to accept our spiritual responsibilities.  God reveals a portion of these responsibilities in the passage in 2 Chronicles.  Is it possible that we need to change the word "responsibilities" to the word "opportunities"?  God in His gracious love and mercy gives us the wonderful and marvelous opportunity to respond to Him in obedience.  If I am planning on receiving the blessings of God then I need to be willing to accept my responsibilities in anticipation of those blessings being released in my life.  Take some time today and ask God to help you accept your responsibilities to respond appropriately to the directions of God found in His Word.  We must resist the temptation to walk in disobedience or rebellion; we are being called to walk in obedience and surrender to the Spirit of God that is at work in our lives and in our world.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Stimulus Package for the Church

Over the past few days we have heard our President discuss the possible need for another stimulus package to help bring the nation out of the economic decline that we have confronted in the recent months and days.  There are many financial prognosticators who seem to agree with the assumptions of the President.  They also believe if we can take the appropriate financial steps our nation will finally recover from the economic tragedies of the past.  I for one certainly support the need for a full economic recovery for our nation but the previous stimulus packages have not brought the full recovery as of yet.  But we continue to seek for the appropriate answers to the economic questions that have become a part of our national landscape.  I will choose to allow the political pundits of our nation to argue and discuss the economic issues and decisions that we are facing.  There is already disagreement among the political parties of whether or not this additional stimulus package will bring added benefit to our economy.  I will continue to pray for our government leaders and ask God to give them wisdom, knowledge, and direction to do make the right decisions concerning the future of our nation.  We can no longer just talk about the Biblical mandate to pray for our leaders; WE MUST PRAY FOR THE LEADERS OF OUR NATION!

A few days while I was praying I felt the Holy Spirit remind me that the church (body of believers across this nation) is in need of a spiritual stimulus package.  This package will not come from the abilities and strategies of man rather this package will come from the direction of the Holy Spirit as the Word of God is applied appropriately to our lives.  Each of us have many ideas concerning the need of the local churches that we attend but each of these ideas are only speculative at the very best.  Now that does not mean that we do not mean well as we articulate those ideas but we must remember that we do not have the ability to know all things.  But we do have a resource available to us and that resource is the inspired, infallible Word of God.  The Spirit led me to a familiar passage to many of us when we reflect on the need for spiritual awakening in our nation.  The stimulus package passage is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (NKJV).  I sincerely believe that this passage contains the spiritual stimulus that we need to face and defeat the enemy of our souls which has come to overthrow our faith and in turn lead us away from our relationship with Jesus Christ.  We can truly trust this directive that is given to us from the Lord God Almighty.  Over the next few days I will take a look at this passage as the Lord directs my heart but let each one of us turn our hearts to God in sincere supplication and allow His presence to direct our steps.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Weekend Service

I trust that each one of you are enjoying a restful and relaxing Labor Day weekend.  It is always a blessing to see our schedules slow down somewhat and to be able to enjoy some time of relaxation with family and friends.  We have been able to spend some time with our children and grandchildren this weekend and we were also blessed to have a portion of our family in service with us yesterday at New River Worship Center in Radcliff, KY.  It is always a blessing to be able to worship together with our extended family.  Due to my schedule the past several years those moments of "family worship" have been few and far between and I truly cherish those moments in which our children and grandchildren are able to be in church service with us.  I will take a moment and encourage all parents to teach your children the importance of attending church.  I am thankful that I was raised in a home that emphasized the importance of church attendance and the importance of worshiping God.

We enjoyed a wonderful service yesterday as I ministered at the new church plant in Radcliff, KY.  The favor of the Lord was very present in the service from the beginning as we celebrated Communion as the family of God.  It is a great blessing and honor to be able to obey God and put into practice those Biblical principles that bring the presence of Life and Strength among the people of God.  The time of worship and praise was encouraging and enlightening.  The Spirit used our Worship Leader to remind us that we need to believe Christ and not just believe in Him.  I truly desire to believe what Christ is saying to the church in this present hour.  The ministry time of the Word and the prayer time after the message was very powerful.  I am fully convinced that God will meet with us as we respond to His invitation.  The Word of God still declares that as we "draw near to God, He will draw near to us" (James 4:8).  We were able to witness that promise fulfilled in the service on Sunday at New River Worship Center.

I encourage you to come and visit with us if you live in the Radcliff/Fort Knox, KY community.  Feel free to contact me if you have any family or friends who live in the area or if you have family or friends who are presently stationed at Fort Knox in Kentucky.  We also ask for your prayer covering as we seek to follow the leading of the Spirit as we reach out to people with the message of the Gospel.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Greatness of God

The book of Ephesians has spoken to my heart over the past few months.  I have found myself seeking to understand the revelation that Paul received concerning the greatness of God and the rich reserves of His grace and mercy.  This morning my eyes fell on this passage found in Ephesians 1:19-20, "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him.  This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms" (NLT).  My, what a powerful prayer for understanding that Paul is declaring over the believers.

Today I am asking God to release that understanding in each of our lives.  We must recognize the greatness of God's power and understand that He is able to perform the impossible and the improbable.  We were able to recognize a small portion of the greatness of God's power in the revival meeting this past week in Brecksville, OH.  On Wednesday night we witnessed a precious Hindu woman accept Jesus Christ as her Savior as she sensed the true love of God being released in her heart.  We were able to see people receive healing of all sorts of challenges that they were facing.  I was blessed as people asked for prayer for specific situations that they were facing at that particular moment in their life.  Don't you think that it is time for the "church" to lift our eyes to God and realize that His power and authority is great and awesome?  Many of us have come to the end of our abilities but we are understanding that there is someone greater than us and that He has the power to meet the challenges of life that we are confronting.  Take a moment out of your busy day and truly reflect on the "incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe Him."

Have a great weekend; turn your heart toward Christ during worship service and allow Him to speak LIFE into your very soul!

Greatness of God

The book of Ephesians has spoken to my heart over the past few months.  I have found myself seeking to understand the revelation that Paul received concerning the greatness of God and the rich reserves of His grace and mercy.  This morning my eyes fell on this passage found in Ephesians 1:19-20, "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him.  This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms" (NLT).  My, what a powerful prayer for understanding that Paul is declaring over the believers.  

Today I am asking God to release that understanding in each of our lives.  We must recognize the greatness of God's power and understand that He is able to perform the impossible and the improbable.  We were able to recognize a small portion of the greatness of God's power in the revival meeting this past week in Brecksville, OH.  On Wednesday night we witnessed a precious Hindu woman accept Jesus Christ as her Savior as she sensed the true love of God being released in her heart.  We were able to see people receive healing of all sorts of challenges that they were facing.  I was blessed as people asked for prayer for specific situations that they were facing at that particular moment in their life.  Don't you think that it is time for the "church" to lift our eyes to God and realize that His power and authority is great and awesome?  Many of us have come to the end of our abilities but we are understanding that there is someone greater than us and that He has the power to meet the challenges of life that we are confronting.  Take a moment out of your busy day and truly reflect on the "incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe Him."

Have a great weekend; turn your heart toward Christ during worship service and allow Him to speak LIFE into your very soul!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Message of the Gospel

In recent months I have been challenged by the Spirit of God concerning the need to declare the message of the Gospel to the world in which we live.  There is such a flood of strange doctrines, the plurality of gods (little g), and the philosophies of man.  I sense that the world is ready to hear the truth concerning Jesus Christ and the provision that He has made for humanity.  I was awakened this morning with this thought in my soul; "The Gospel is a simple message but yet a very profound message."  The profoundness of the truth can get lost in the simplicity of its concept.  I believe that the message was created to be simple so that we would be able to accept its principles and respond in faith to the awesome release of God's love toward our lives.  I am glad that I received the truth of the Gospel into my heart and I am thankful that I have a desire to share that truth with others.  We can not afford to keep the message of the Gospel confined within the walls of the church building.  We must restore and resurrect the courage and the boldness to declare the love of God for a world that is walking in darkness and needing to hear the liberating truth of God.

I would like for you to take a moment and read this profound truth that is found in Romans 5:6-8, "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (ESV).  Don't you believe that message should be declared in the power of God's love and grace?  Oh God, continue to give me the strength to share the "good news" of the Gospel!  Let us agree in prayer that the message of the Gospel will be declared through the lives of believers all across this nation.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Weekend Review

This week finds me in Brecksville, OH (suburb of Cleveland) with Pastor Donnal & Jennifer Markham.  I have been invited to this church and community on previous occasions and it is always a privilege to minister in this local congregation.  The presence of celebration and anticipation filled the atmosphere of the services on Sunday.  The local church has been involved in 21 days of prayer and fasting preceding the revival and your could sense the results of this time of sacrifice and commitment.  I am a firm believer that God rewards any effort of sacrifice and self-denial that we offer to Him in the spirit of praise and worship.  I encourage each of you to be willing to deny yourself on occasion as we seek to see God to intervene in our lives as well as the lives of our family and friends.

Many individuals responded to the altar invitation in each of the services.  Several churches from the surrounding communities joined with us in the evening service.  The presence of God reminded each of us of the great and marvelous love that God has for each of us.  Do not forget that God loves you and that He is interested in your life even when you are facing your own set of challenges and trials.  We must re-connect our hearts with the heart of God and realize the the love of God is not some spiritual myth that we have created and taught to others.  We must remember that the love of God is REAL and we must remember that God stands ready to reveal His love to each and everyone of us.  When we receive His love into our hearts we are then able to release His love to a hurting, lonely, depressed and dejected world which is looking for hope in their individual lives.  We have a great story to tell and we need to be willing to share that story without hesitation!

We were able to witness a miracle in the service last night.  A young man in the congregation suffered some type of seizure.  A EMT that was present in the service recognized the fact that this young man's heart stopped and his life was literally leaving his body.  The believers began to pray and the Spirit of God revived this young man.  He was taken to the hospital for evaluations and the last report from the hospital stated that they could not find anything wrong with this young man.  We witnessed a miracle; but it also serves as a reminder that we need to be prepared to for death.  We need to know for sure that our sins are forgiven and that we are living in right relationship with Jesus Christ.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Opportunity

My wife and I have the wonderful opportunity today to participate in a Conference of "Seasoned Senior Saints" from various churches in the state of Kentucky.  This time of celebration will afford me the opportunity to share an encouraging Word from God with them as well as receive encouragement from them.  It is always a privilege to be able to reconnect with people who have faithfully ran the race of life.  We have been able to serve in local congregations where many of these have attended church.  Not only will we be able to reconnect on a spiritual basis but we will be able to reconnect on a friendship/fellowship basis.


I am always thankful for the spiritual foundation that has played a major role in my spiritual development.  It is without question that the development of my personal relationship with Jesus Christ has been the most prominent factor in my developing maturity.  But God has also used these Seasoned Senior Saints to serve as role models, mentors, intercessors, and people of encouragement through my years of Christian service.  They deserve the honor, respect, admiration, and appreciation of this generation that is following in their footsteps.  They have built their lives on the foundational principles of Jesus Christ and the provisions of His Word and now it is time for this generation to pick up the mantle and continue building on the proper foundation.  You can read Matthew 7:24-29 and discover the importance of a proper foundation on which your life needs to be built.

Take a moment today and reflect on your need to have the proper foundation in your life.  Take a moment today and reflect on the opportunity to thank a Senior Saint for the contributions they have made to your spiritual development.  Each of us have been blessed because God put the proper people in our lives at the right moment.  Thank Him for the provision that He has made.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Life Altering Experiences

We have been involved in a great week of services at the New River Worship Center church plant in Radcliff, KY.  It is truly hard to fully describe the presence of the Holy Spirit.  The limit of my language ability hinders me from fully expressing my sincere recognition and appreciation of the presence of the Holy Spirit.  But I join with Mary the mother of Jesus declaring "my soul doth magnify the Lord."  I can truly sing the praises of the great and mighty God and thank Him for working in the hearts and lives of those who gathered each evening to seek after the presence of God.  The presence of the Lord in the meetings only encouraged me to maintain my passionate pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.  I firmly believe that we are living in the day and time which will demand that each of us seek for a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ and the authority that He has over the power of the enemy of our soul.

During the sermon last night the Lord reminded me of His "life altering" power and presence.  That revelation of truth is still fresh in my heart this morning; the Spirit of God desires to alter or change our lives.  Many of us desire for God to alter our circumstances or situations but we are not as concerned about Him altering our lives.  We want the situations around us to change but God is interested in changing each of us so that we will more fully reflect His glory in our lives.  The Pentecostal tradition of worship affords us the opportunity to have an open altar in which people are invited to come and pray.  We pray about all of the different needs that we may have such as salvation, healing, deliverance, Spirit baptism; and these are just a few things that we may pray about.  But the question arises, "Are coming to the altar and not leaving "altered?"  The altar is a place in which we interact with the life altering presence of the Holy Spirit.  The altar is not just at church; the altar can be anywhere that we bow our hearts before the Lord and allow Him to take control of our lives.  Each one of us need to recognize and respond to those "life altering experiences".  We need to remember that God is at work in each of us ready to fulfill and complete His purpose for our lives.  Let us be willing to surrender to the process of spiritual alteration and catch a glimpse of the finished product which is a strong, committed, and dedicated life to Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Where Are You Looking?

I sense the need to turn my attention to God as I read the Word of God and spend time in prayer.  Many things are taking place in our society which creates much concern and anxiety in our individual lives as well as the corporate church.  How will we respond to those situations?  I sincerely feel that our response must be one of a positive release of our faith.  We must choose to look to God and recognize that He is present in the midst of our difficulties.

A.W. Tozer makes this observation: "We must shift our interest from the seen to the unseen.  For the greatest unseen reality is God."  Each of us know that it is so easy to become captured by what we see and by what we feel.  Our emotional senses can be greatly influenced by those events and circumstances that are taking place to us as well as in us.  It is during those moments that we must make the conscious decision to turn our eyes to Jesus and understand the promise and power of His presence.  The challenge we face is finding the strength, energy, desire and faith to make that shift from the seen to the unseen.  It is easier to "see" what is taking place than to see the ability and power of Christ to move us through that challenging moment in our lives.  We must remember that we are the only ones that can make the choice to turn our attention to the "unseen reality of God."

After service last night one of the ladies of the church shared this testimony with me.  "It was 24 years ago today that I buried my 19 year old son who had tragically been killed in a car accident.  My grief and sorrow was overwhelming.  It seemed that I would never be able to come out of the darkness of the moment and the feeling that I had in my heart would never end.  I was in great despair and did not know if I could make it through those trying days.  I would find myself weeping in agony and sorrow; I was looking for help and strength that I did not have.  I went to the cemetery one day feeling overwhelmed with grief, sorrow, despair and discouragement.  I looked to the sky as I stood weeping by the grave site of my son.  It was at that moment that I heard the Voice of the Lord; He made this brief but powerful declaration over my life.  The voice said, "This is not the end but the beginning."  It was as if the presence of peace and relief began to flood my soul as I realized that God's view of the situation was very different from my view of the situation.  I began to sense the "peace that passes all understanding."  From that moment on I began to feel the Spirit performing the process of healing in my heart, mind, and spirit.  And today I still walk in the strength of those words; "This is not the end but the beginning."

Through the power of the Spirit we can turn our attention from the seen to the unseen reality of Christ at work in our circumstances!  Make the decision to look for the presence of Christ even during your most difficult and challenging moments of life.