Friday, January 29, 2010

Exalting Christ

Each of us realize that problems fill our nation at this very moment. We see these problems in all the sectors of life; people are confused, hurting, discouraged and in some cases frustrated as they seek to deal with the issues that they are facing. People are looking for hope, guidance, and direction. But in many cases they are looking in the wrong places for the answers that they need. I believe these confusing and troubling times are a great opportunity for the people of God to step forward and begin to declare the greatness of God and the desire of God to meet us at the point of our need. A passage of scripture found in Psalm 107 was included in my daily Bible reading today. The Bible that I read from today lists this as the title of Psalm 107: "Thanksgiving to the Lord for His Great Works of Deliverance" (Broadman & Holman Publishers, NKJV). Pay close attention to verses 27-32, "They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits' end. Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, So that they waves are still. They they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders." (NKJV). Take a few moments and allow these words to challenge your heart as they challenged my heart earlier today. The church must lead the way in exalting Christ and offering Him true praise and adoration. "OH, THAT MEN WOULD GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD..."

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Thankful for Friends and Family

The meeting in Hazel Green, AL was very rewarding and it was such a blessing to me. I was able to witness several people come forward for prayer and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to the needs of their lives. We need to be able to create a "spirit of encouragement" for those among us who are bearing heavy burdens as they travel the road of life. We would be surprised if we fully knew the extent of the challenges that some people are facing. But it is refreshing to realize God does know and He does not back away from the opportunity to make a difference in our lives. Be sensitive to the Spirit as He brings opportunities to you to help some one today. We need to remember that it may be us tomorrow who is standing in need of prayer for a difficult challenge that we are facing. The past week afforded me the opportunity to interact with some family members who live in or near the Hazel Green church. My parents, sister, sister-in-law, "adopted brother" and "adopted son" were able to attend some of the services. I was able to re-connect with people who have played a major role in our spiritual development through the years of our ministerial journey. I was able to re-connect with people who have known me all of my life and we were able to seek the face of God together in the altar. I trust that you will forgive me for these moments of reminiscing but we need to remember those special people that God has placed in our lives. We will encounter a large number of people as we travel the road of life but God will place those people of significance that will assist in the shaping and molding of our character. I am truly grateful for all of those individuals who have been used of God to speak strength, encouragement, discipline, and truth into our lives on this journey. You may need to call or write someone today and let them know that they have been a blessing to you and that you are thankful that God placed them in your life. I sincerely appreciate the invitation that Pastor and Sis. St. Clair extended to me and I am glad that God allowed me the opportunity to worship with some special people that God placed in our lives. All of us know people that have made the trip of life a little more enjoyable because of their love and friendship!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Alignment with God

The past two services in Hazel Green have been anointed and powerful. People have been open to the presence of the Spirit and they have openly responded to the call of God. In each of the services visitors from other churches have felt the freedom and unction from the Spirit to come forward and allow the Lord to minister to the needs in their lives. Don't you think that it is time for all of us to lay aside all of the hindrances of the enemy and freely pursue our destiny in Christ? I for one am ready to lay aside all pretense and pursue the presence of God with renewed hope, courage, faith, and desire. The enemy of our soul is increasing his attacks against us so I believe it is our time to increase our pursuit of God. Is it possible that the modern day church has fallen prey to seeking for "stuff and things" that comes from God rather than just seeking the presence of God? I am desiring the presence of God in my life and in the ministry call that I sense and feel. During prayer the Lord placed this illustration in my heart. We are in need of divine alignment with the plans and purposes of God. The enemy seeks to hinder and stop that process of alignment. Our automobiles drive so much better when they are in alignment. Pot holes and breaks in the pavement are a hazard that can affect the alignment of our vehicles. The challenges and trials of life are like those potholes; they come at us suddenly and without warning. The enemy seeks to use those moments in our lives to his advantage; he seeks to throw our lives out of alignment with God. We take our vehicle to the repair shop for the necessary adjustments and we resume our journey. The Spirit is prepared to make the necessary adjustments when we hit those "spiritual potholes" in life. My responsibility is to place myself in the proper position to receive those spiritual adjustments. I could sense the Lord making some adjustments in my heart during prayer time this morning and for that I am very grateful. Do not resist those moments of divine adjustment. God is aware of what we need and He does have a plan for your life!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Weekend Review

This week finds me in Hazel Green, AL (north of Huntsville). The services on Sunday went very well considering the weather conditions (heavy rain). My wife and I had the privilege to serve this congregation as Pastor in the early days of our ministry. It is always a privilege to re-visit those places that made a spiritual impact in your life. The presence of the Lord could be felt by one and all as we gathered to lift up the name of the Lord and to encourage one another. I truly have a strong desire to encourage the people of God; as a matter of fact I sense an urgent need for this action to become even a greater reality. Each of us need to sense this need in the Body of Christ; many of your friends and family members are walking through some challenges at this very moment and they need the strength of God to be present in their lives. There was a great response to the altar invitation in each of the services and I believe that many needs were met. I want to share two things that God placed in my heart as I was praying before the Sunday evening service. We gather in church for several reasons but God reminded me of two of them during prayer. 1) We gather to lift up and exalt the name of Christ. We are all called to be worshippers. 2) We gather to hear the Word of God declared to us. The Word of God declares the revelation of the Love and Grace of God to fallen mankind. The New Testament reveals the blessings of the "will or testament" of God that Christ purchased through His death. When will we start paying attention to the provisions of the "will or testament?" When will we allow the Word of God to penetrate our heart and not just our mind? We must hear clearly what the Lord is saying and then respond in obedience to His invitation. Dear Father, help each one of us learn to walk in Your Provision. Our needs are met through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. AMEN!

Friday, January 22, 2010

NC Trip

I am thankful for the opportunity that God gave to me the past two weeks. I was able to minister in two churches in NC on this trip to the state. The presence of the Lord was very near in each of the services and I was encouraged through the response of many people as they listened to the Voice of the Lord. I am very thankful that God provided me a safe trip home and I am equally thankful that God continues to provide opportunities to minister the Word of God and to pray with those who come forward. As I drove yesterday I was reminded of the great privilege and honor to be able to preach the "good news" of the Gospel and to see people open their hearts to the concern that God has for each of them. But that thought also led me to think about another concern that I sense in my spirit. As I have traveled across this land in the past four years I have seen many people miss the visitation of God. I do not write this is the spirit of criticism but out of the desire to see people receive their personal visitation of God. I asked myself these questions yesterday, "Why do we sense the presence of God and not take the opportunity to respond to His call? Why do we find it so easy to reject, resist or ignore the call from God?" We must break free from the hindering obstacles and lies of the enemy to our soul. We have the Word of God to encourage us to trust God; we have the testimony of others to encourage us to trust God; and we even have our own personal life experiences that encourage us to trust God. We will quickly follow the advice of people when they encourage us to visit a doctor that has proven beneficial to their physical problem. We will quickly take the advice of our friends concerning a new restaurant in town or a new place to shop for cars, furniture, clothes, etc. But we resist the opportunity to listen to the voice of others as well as the Voice of the Spirit as He seeks to draw us closer to Him. Take a moment today and review your decisions concerning your response to God. We will be blessed as we seek to walk in obedience to the Work of the Spirit in our lives.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Choices

I feel that I need to share this thought with you today. As I was preparing to pray this morning I became involved in a phone conversation that began to distract me from my intended purpose. As a matter of fact, the conversation continued to distract me as I proceeded to pray and seek the Heart of God. During the prayer time I came to this realization; the enemy will use anything, large or small, to distract me from hearing the Voice of the Lord. It is when we allow the Lord to speak into our lives as well as to our lives that we receive the direction and strength to continue our walk with God. I soon came to the understanding that I had to choose which path I would follow; would I remain distracted which would lead to disconnection with the Father or would I rebuke the enemy and refocus my attention on the pursuit of God? I am glad to report that I chose the second option and resumed my communication with the Father. Many of you face the same decision that I faced today and I encourage you to make the right choice and listen to the Voice of God!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

The Will of God

Many of us are familiar with the words, "I want to live in the will of God." The Apostle John gave some interesting insight to the will of God in I John 2:17b, "...but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (KJV). For many years I have possessed a burning desire to walk after the heart of God so that I would be in the spiritual position of living in the will of God. There are some days that I feel that I am closer to my goal and there are other days in which I feel that I am falling short of that goal. But I have come to realize this lesson in my personal life; I can reach the "will of God" by being willing to daily surrender my life to Him and to have the desire to daily seek Him and allow Him to be the Lord of my life. It sounds simple yet the influence of the enemy can create a chasm between what I want to do and what I need to need to do. Why do we neglect or ignore God when He calls us closer to Him? Why do we think that everyone else needs Him more that we do? Why do we sit in a Spirit filled service and not allow the Word of God and the Spirit of God to work in our life? I see this action or non-action repeated many times over in the services in which I participate across this nation. Yet we testify, "pray for me that I will do the will of God." I am not writing this to be critical but I do want to challenge our thought process. The will of God will be found when we begin to respond to the call of God and will continue as we commit to the lifestyle of listening to the Voice of God and respond to the call of the Spirit. The altar services in Ghio, NC were very powerful last night as people brought their needs to the Lord in prayer. Several testified to the Lord's touch and to the realization that God knew their situation and He was involved in what was taking place in their lives. OH THAT MEN WOULD PRAISE THE LORD!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Weekend Review

It is a pleasure to be with Pastor and Sis. Tyler at the Ghio church in Hamlet, NC. I have known the Tyler's for many years and it is a privilege and blessing to renew their friendship. They and the church have opened their hearts to me and to the Word that God has put into my spirit to share with them. The services yesterday went well with a fresh anointing of the Spirit, I fully realize that there are many people with needs but we must be willing to release our faith. I desire to lead people into the presence of God in such a manner that they feel comfortable in releasing their faith. After all, what do we have other than our faith? Where can we turn other than to God? God has the answer for the ills of our lives as we continue to call on His name and walk in fellowship with Him. We need to continue to pray for the needs in Haiti. Once again the American people are responding to this crisis through their prayers and through their giving. One article that I read this morning said that the giving of Americans may set a record total. It may exceed the giving of any of the recent tragedies around the world. Isn't it amazing how the spirit of compassion can come to the fore-front when tragedy takes place? It would be such a blessing if compassion played a leading role in our daily lifestyle. What would happen in America if we resisted the temptation to hate; if we refused to live in the grip of jealousy or greed; or if we lived in the spirit of prayer and intercession for one another. I pray that God will not only stir our hearts but that God will transform our hearts. I truly desire to live under the power of God's transformation in my life.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Prayer for Haiti

Many of us have heard about the tragedy that has taken place in Haiti in the past few days. Certainly we need to remember this nation in our prayers as well as contribute financial support through our local church, Red Cross or other humanitarian aid organizations. These tragedies become an opportunity to share the Gospel message through love and concern for those who have been at the epicenter of the tragedy. Let us open our hearts to prayer as well as giving of our finances to help meet the needs of the people. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (NKJV) This passage serves as a powerful reminder that God brings comfort to us and that He will use us to help bring comfort to others!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Praise God!

This morning my heart is full of praise for our wonderful Savior. I am listening to the song "How Great is our God" as I am writing this post. Thank you God for all that you have done in my life, thank you God for all that you are doing at this moment, and thank you God for all the plans that you have for me in the future. The service last night at Ward Avenue served as a reminder that God does have plans for us to successfully navigate the course of life that has been assigned to us. I just sense in my spirit that 2010 needs to be a year that we continually declare the greatness of our God. I know that many of us are facing a gauntlet of challenging circumstances and situations but God is leading me to remind you that God is greater than all of them. We are learning to trust Him more (I make that declaration from experience) and in that process God is revealing Himself to us in new and vibrant ways. Do not lose your hope or your confidence in God. Psalm 71:22-23, "Also with the lute I will praise You--And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O my Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed." (NKJV) The presence of the Lord was very evident in each of the services in the Ward Avenue church in High Point, NC. Last evening people testified of the ministering power of God in their lives as they responded to the call of the Spirit. We must not resist the call from God but we must respond to His grace and love and allow Him to take us in His arms and minister to the needs that we are facing. As we sense the presence of God we respond to Him with heartfelt acceptance; do not push Him away and do not ignore the working of the Spirit in your heart. God is near and we need to sense His Spirit and allow Him to speak life into our challenging moments. These services have left me with a stronger desire and passion to anticipate my future walk with Christ. Thank God for the opportunity to respond to His presence and to allow His presence to strengthen all of us for the continuance of our journey through life!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Continue to Pray

Many of us are participating in the 21 days of Prayer and Fasting that is taking place throughout the church in America. As you continue to pray I believe that each of us will sense the need to continue our prayer effort. Each of us must realize that we have an adversary (satan) who seeks to discourage our prayer efforts. The enemy seeks to make us feel inadequate, unprepared, and a failure as we seek to communicate with God. I will say it in this simple way, "If you can talk you can pray." We need to make sure that we do not make prayer so complicated. Prayer is simply speaking our thoughts out loud to God. He is willing to listen and His Word declares that He is ready to listen and provide the answers that we need. Isaiah 65:24 "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear." (NKJV) During prayer this morning I felt the need to remind you that your prayers are important and that God is listening to you as you pray. We must become committed to a consistent lifestyle of prayer. We are not given the option to pray or not to pray; prayer was set in motion as our opportunity to communicate with our Heavenly Father. Your prayers matter, and yes my friend God hears your prayers just as He hears the prayers of others. He heard the prayers of the Prophets, He heard the prayers of the early Disciples, He heard the prayers of our early church fathers and He hears your prayers today. Do not give up on the great blessing of being able to communicate with God; He is ready to listen if we will become ready to speak. Do not be embarrassed nor intimidated to lift your voice in prayer today. Join your brother and sisters in prayer around the world and let us see the presence of God flow over our lives.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

God Knows Us

Psalm 103:14 "For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust." (NKJV). It is a wonderful revelation of truth to understand that God truly knows us yet He still loves us. He understands what "makes us tick." He understands the frustrations that we feel about ourselves as well as about other people. He understands our fears; yet He still releases His grace and mercy toward us as we combat those fears through His overcoming power. He understands our weaknesses yet He still provides the strength that we need to defeat those areas of weaknesses. I am glad that God has the ability to know us yet He also possesses the resources to offer direction and guidance as we make our way down the road of life. He remembers our human frailties yet makes the choice to adopt us into His family with full rights and benefits. No wonder the song declares, "Oh what a Savior." The service last evening in High Point was wonderful. The presence of the Lord could be sensed by one and all as we lifted our hearts to Him in heartfelt praise. Many people responded to the call of the Spirit and they begin to fill the altar with sincere prayer and praise. God met needs as we cried out to God for divine intervention. I challenged the church to present to God a "seed offering of Praise." There are times in which we are challenged to praise God for our needs being met although we have not as of yet received what we needed. God desires to be praised; oh the joy of lifting not just my hands but my heart to Him in true adoration. As you read this post you may feel the need to offer God praise for not only what He has done but for what He is doing at this very moment in your life. Take time to notice all that God IS DOING in you and for you; there are times that we miss these blessings because we are so focused on the future. God is at work NOW and we need to praise Him NOW!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Weekend Review

This week finds me in High Point, NC at the Ward Avenue church with Pastor Benjamin and Tammy Duncan. They along with the local church offered me a warm welcome as we began Revival services on Sunday Morning. The presence of the Lord was in the meeting from the beginning as Pastor Duncan led the church in the Call to Worship. Isn't it always a privilege to assemble in the House of God with fellow believers and offer praise and worship to the Lord God Almighty? I never want to lose the feeling of appreciation that I sense when the opportunity to worship arises. During my service as a Pastor I remember people who were ill or home bound expressing their desire to be in the House of God to worship their Savior. Oh, let us savor the moments of our time in the presence of the Savior! The altars were full in each of the services. I truly believe that these are the days in which the church must call on the name of the Lord. We need to pray for ourselves as well as offer our prayer support to others. I spoke last night about those moments in which our "faith reaches those crisis moments." It is during those moments that we make the choice to trust God regardless of the situations that we maybe facing. I will make a confession here, it is not always easy to express faith when it seems that the challenges that you are facing leave you feeling overwhelmed and unprepared to face them. But it is at those moments that we are able to recognize the strength and presence of God. It is during those times that we are able to release our faith regardless of the obstacles and trials that are confronting us. This passage came to my attention during my devotional time this morning. I think it speaks strength to the thoughts that I am sharing today. Hebrews 7:25, "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." (NKJV) We can rejoice in the fact that Christ is alive and that He is interceding for us!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Christ is the Treasure

During my devotional time I came across this article by Adrian Rogers. I felt impressed to share it with you. It expresses the desires of my heart, I truly desire to draw near to Christ and discover the fullness of relationship with Him. "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3) "Many years ago, the Spanish Armada was sailing off the coast of Florida. A hurricane struck, and the ships laden with gold and silver ingots sunk to the bottom. People knew the treasure had been lost and believed one ship went down near Vero Beach in Fort Pierce, Florida. Fisherman fished over that spot, sometimes doubtless hanging a hook on a lump of gold. One day some explorers went diving, and there it was in the shallow water. In fact the water was so shallow that any of us could have swum to the bottom and brought up millions of dollars. In the same way, I believe there are many of us yet to discover the full treasure we have in Jesus Christ. Have you plunged your heart deep into the treasure of the Lord? Or are you living life in the shallow end, wondering if the treasure will ever come to you?" Will 2010 be the year that each of us decide to move beyond a shallow relationship into a life that is fully surrendered to Christ and one that truly desires the fullness of all that God has to offer? Each of us must examine our own lives and make the appropriate decision.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Source of my Faith

Why do I believe the promises of God? Why do I walk by faith and not allow the circumstances of life to determine my spiritual outlook? Why do I pray and seek for a deeper relationship with God? Why do I preach and encourage others to put their trust in Christ and in His power to be their Savior and Provider? These questions and many more can cross our minds as we look at the challenges of life. I write this not from a negative point of view but from the view of a positive confidence in God. As Paul wrote, "...for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day." (2 Timothy 1:12, NKJV). Another passage came to my attention during my time of Bible reading this morning. This passage is found in I Peter 1:25, "But the word (spoken word) endures forever. Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you" (NKJV). The Word of God is the reason that I pray, preach, serve, and live my life with passion and surrender. I base my hope on the enduring strength and power of the Word of God. I may fail and falter, others may fail and falter; but the Word of God remains constant throughout all of time. Trust in the Word and allow the power of the Word to encourage you today.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Scripture Passage

Isaiah 29:13-14, "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandments of men. Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden." (NKJV) Where is my heart as I enter 2010? God is looking for more than just my words; the actions of my life must match my speech. I desire for the Lord to teach me how to fear Him and how to walk with a heart of obedience. The move of God that we desire will not be found through the abilities of man neither in the knowledge of man but it will be found in the presence of the Lord God Almighty.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Weekend Review

God is truly worthy of all the Praise and Glory that we can give to Him. I have a strong desire to strengthen my offering of worship to God this year. I am not just referring to singing a little louder or more passionate this year but I am referring to "lifestyle worship." I want every part of my life as well as the ministry part of my life to offer worship to the great and mighty King of Kings. As I have said before, the Lord is truly worthy of all the worship that I can present to Him. I trust that each of you enjoyed a safe New Years celebration. We were able to make a trip to Alabama to spend some time with my parents. Several of my siblings as well as members of their families gathered for a post-Christmas celebration. We try every year to take some time to assemble in Alabama and celebrate Christmas with each other. We were blessed to be raised in a Christian home; my parents have served in the ministry approximately 60 years. We are blessed with a rich and deep spiritual foundation. Even now my parents are involved in ministry efforts in Nursing Homes. local Hospitals and visitation to Military Veterans ( my dad serves as Chaplain of a local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans) as well as the local church which they attend. Their efforts remind me that people have needs and we need to be willing to offer ourselves to assist them. Let us make 2010 a year in which we offer ourselves as servants to each other. Sunday afternoon found us ministering in an Outreach Ministry in Radcliff, KY. The presence of the Lord was awesome as we gathered to lift up the name of Jesus. We are involved with a group of people who have a strong desire to reach the community of Radcliff and Fort Knox with the message of Hope and Grace. Many of our military families are facing great challenges in their lives; some servicemen and servicewomen have already faced six, seven, and in some cases eight different deployments to the battle field. Surely these challenges call for us to go to prayer for these brave men and women who are engaged in the battle against terrorism. Let us lift up these military personnel and their families to the Lord and when given the opportunity let us express to them our sincere appreciation for their willingness to serve on our behalf.