Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day

Today is a day in which we recognize and remember those brave American men and women who gave the ultimate price for our freedom.  They gave their lives so that we could have the opportunity and blessing to live in freedom.  We must never take for granted the blessings that we have come to enjoy in this great nation; God has shed His mercy and grace upon our nation and we need to recognize the sacrifice that our military has given so that my family and your family still live in the "land of the brave and the home of the free." Many of these brave Americans stand watch today and they are prepared to give the ultimate sacrifice if necessary. 

We need to take time to thank a Veteran today for his or her service to our nation.  My father is a WWII veteran.  He is 84 years old and still serves his nation through his work in the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) association.  Until recently he served as the Chaplain of his local chapter; some health issues caused him to take a different approach to his service in the local DAV but he still has a desire to assist people who are in need.  It is the approach of that generation of Americans that has helped make our nation the greatest nation on earth.  Oh, I understand that our nation is facing a set of unique challenges at this moment in our history.  But I am believing that another "greatest generation" will arise with spiritual and moral fortitude and face the challenges of our day.  You and I can not afford to wait on someone else to accept the challenge of these moments.  We could be compared Queen Esther in the Bible, we are in the "kingdom for such a time as this."  Who will accept the spiritual challenge that lies before us?  Will we respond as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6, "Here I am send me."

Historical information:   Memorial Day is unique to our nation.  The Memorial Day observance was begun during the Civil War.  Some concerned ladies decided to decorate the graves of those who had bravely given their lives in the destructive civil conflict between states.  They not only decorated the graves of the Confederate soldiers they also noticed that the graves of the Union soldiers were also bare of flowers.  These ladies understood that these soldiers had freely given their lives in this divisive conflict yet they deserved the honor and respect of having their grave decorated with beautiful flowers.  This day in America needs to be more than just a Holiday for cookouts and the beginning of summer vacations.  It is is because of these brave men and women of our military force that we are able to gather in churches all across America and lift our voices in praise to God, our Heavenly Father.  Let us offer sincere praise and honor to God with thankful hearts for all of His many blessings on our nation.

Here is a verse from a Toby Keith song entitled American Soldier.
  "And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
   I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
   Oh, and I don't want to die for you, but if dying is asked of me
   I'll bear the cross with honor, cause freedom isn't free." 

Let us remember that "freedom isn't free."



 

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Need vs. Supply

Many of you who read this blog are facing specific needs in your lives or someone that you know is facing their own unique set of circumstances.  Some of these other people are our family or close friends that are walking a difficult road at this time in their life.  How do we stay encouraged and how do we encourage others who are facing the challenges of life?  I have always desired to be an "encourager"; as a matter of fact I list that "calling" on the business card that I use to introduce myself.  I have come this morning to encourage myself as well as encourage you.  There are several members of my immediate family who are facing some difficulties this morning but we have to remember that God is in charge of our lives and that He is working to bring us through these moments of test and trial that we are facing.

A familiar passage in the Bible has been on my heart the past few days.  I was awakened this morning with this verse being rehearsed in my mind.  It is found in Philippians 4:19, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (NKJV).  We base our faith on the knowledge that God declares that He has the reservoir of riches to meet the demand of the needs of humanity.  We base our faith on "His riches" and not on the ability of the flesh or the strength of man.  The guarantee on our automobile, our appliances, etc. are based on the ability of the company to stand behind the guarantee that the company has made.  We can place our confidence in God; He has the resources to stand behind the promises that He has made.  My challenge is to continue to believe; I see my need, but I must not forget His resources!  We must remember that His resources are greater than my need or the need of others that I know.  I must continue to trust in the promises of God and remind myself that He has already provided for me on previous occasions.  Let us remember to offer praise and thanksgiving to God as we ask the Father to meet our needs in these present moments of challenge.  He was with us in our yesterdays, He is with us today and He will be with us in our tomorrows.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Greatness of God

This morning finds me reflecting on the greatness of God.  God has spoken this reminder to me on many occasions since the beginning of 2010.  I have felt that the people of God must commit themselves to purposefully declaring the "greatness of God."  A.W. Tozer made this observation about what we are able to see and what we need to see; "We must shift our interest from the seen to the unseen.  For the great unseen Reality is God."  If we only look at life through the eyes of the flesh we will soon find ourselves overwhelmed; but if we look at life through the promises of God that we find declared in the Word of God we are then able to see victory in the midst of our adversity.  We must find ourselves truly trusting in the resources of God. The resources of God are even greater than we can imagine; we just need to apply ourselves to hearing and responding to those promises of God when they are declared in our hearts.

The Apostle Paul gave to us some wonderful insight to the greatness of God in Ephesians 3:8; "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." (NKJV)  God truly has an inexhaustible supply of riches which are able to meet the needs that we face on our journey through life.  We must remain focused and connected to those "riches" as we face those moments in which our faith is being tried and tested.  If those moments have not come to you they will eventually make their way into your life.  It is during those moments that we are given the wonderful opportunity to draw from the awesome resource of the riches of God.  Many of you may be facing some of those "moments" today.  Take a moment and allow the Spirit to remind you of the resources that are at the disposal of God and realize that He stands ready to release these resources into your life.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Weekend Services

This week finds me in Clemson, SC at East Clemson Christian Fellowship.  Fred and Betty Fisher serve as Pastor of this local congregation.  I have been privileged to have served this congregation as Evangelist on previous occasions.  It is always a privilege to be invited to return to a local church and share the Word of God.  The services on Sunday went very well as we gathered to worship and honor the Lord.  Pastor Fisher reminded us of the privilege to "enter the courts of the Lord."  David gave us some instructions concerning our entrance into the presence of the Lord.  Psalm 100 encourages us "...Come before His presence with singing; Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise; Be thankful to Him, and bless His name..." (NKJV).  What if we took the approach of Psalm 100 as we gather in corporate celebration of our Savior?  What if we put into practice the instructions of Psalm 100 as we began to turn our hearts toward God in praise and worship?  I challenge each of us to remind ourselves of the challenge of Psalm 100 as we enter into the presence of God.

I truly believe that these are days in which we need to hear direction and encouragement from God.  We can not afford to go to church and operate our services in the power and strength of the flesh.  We must have the fresh anointing of the Spirit and we must recognize that God has the Word to speak to each of us.  I am convinced that God will speak to us if we will take the time to listen to His instruction.  I truly believe that God has much to offer His people in this time of great challenge and spiritual attacks.  I sense this encouragement from God as I continue to pray and seek after God for personal direction as well as ministerial direction.  As believers we must turn to God with all of our hearts; we must refuse to become content with the "routine of church."  God has so much more to offer to those who are willing to pursue Him with genuine faith and spiritual hunger.  Will you join the throng of believers who are willing to lay aside all hindrances that the enemy will place in our path?  The reward is worth the risk of our faith and obedience to God.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Plans of God

I traveled home Wednesday evening after the service in Decatur, AL.  I firmly believe that God spoke hope, strength, and encouragement into the lives of those who attended the meeting.  There were several churches from the surrounding communities who participated in the meeting; their support and participation was deeply appreciated.  The Biblical principle of unity and agreement was demonstrated as people from various local churches gathered to lift up the name of the Lord.  The presence of the Lord could be sensed among us as we laid aside our "identities" and pursued the Kingdom of God.  It is such a blessing to be a part of a service in which we chose to lay aside our individual plans or agendas and seek for the plan of God.  There is a great reward of spiritual transformation when we are able to focus our attention on those things that God has planned for our lives.

Last night found me in Radcliff, KY at New River Ministries.  Once again the Lord reminded those in attendance of the plans that He has for us individually as well as collectively.  God has made preparations for our future.  He has planned for our spiritual maturity and our spiritual development.  I must constantly seek to surrender my will to God's will.  I must constantly seek to surrender my plans to His plans.  I must constantly seek to surrender my ways to His ways.  I firmly believe that I will notice a difference in my walk with God as I understand the true spiritual freedom that I can enjoy as I walk in the power of surrender to the Lord God Almighty.  Isaiah reminds us that the ways and thoughts of God are so much higher than the ones that I possess for myself.  I certainly desire to maintain the principle of surrender in my life.  Each of us need to live in the knowledge that God has plans for our lives and those plans can be fulfilled as we walk in surrender and agreement with our Savior and Friend.  Take the step of faith today; renew your commitment to the plan of God for your life.  Let God know that you are prepared to follow Him into your present and into your future.  

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Belief

It has been said that the longest distance in the earth is the eighteen (18) inches between the head and the heart. That is the distance that truth must travel before it becomes a part of us. Have we settled for "knowing" the truth without actually believing the truth and allowing that truth to become a part of our lives? The true effectiveness of truth is when we allow it to take full sway over our lives and we learn to allow that truth to have an impact on our walk with God. I want the truth to move from my head and settle deep in my heart. The people of God can not just settle for intellectual knowledge alone; we must pursue relational knowledge which is built on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Each of us must pursue that continual development of our relationship with Christ. He is still the only Hope of this generation!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Reaching for a Miracle

Last night's service was an inspiration to me.  The presence of the Lord was very near to those who had gathered in the Decatur church to worship the Lord. It is amazing what can happen when people come determined to lift up the name of the Lord.  Once more I will take this opportunity to remind each of us of the need to offer our sincere, heartfelt worship to the Lord.  I truly believe that God is calling forth the "worshippers" in this hour who are determined to offer their best praise to the King of Kings.  It is in the presence of sincere worship and adoration that the ministering presence of the Spirit is released.  We must resist the temptation to go to church and just go through the motions.  God is looking for more than just religious routines and rituals; He is looking for our hearts to be turned toward Him in faith, response, and obedience.

Once again the Spirit reminded us about the faithfulness of God.  The Spirit encouraged us to prepare our hearts to respond in obedience to the call from the heart of God.  During the altar service people with various physical elements responded to the "encouragement" of the Spirit.  It is a blessing to all of us when the Spirit encourages us to obey God; the Spirit will allow us to understand that the provision of our needs has been met through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The Spirit touched my heart as we began to pray with these individuals; they were believing God for a miracle and they were looking for me to join my faith with them.  They were asking for the other believers to join them in their faith journey; would we be willing to answer that call?  The Lord reminded me of that question this morning during prayer.  Am I prepared and willing to release my faith alongside of those who need a "miracle" in their life?  It is so easy to become an observer in a service rather than a participant.  I desire to participate with God and with other believers as we release our faith believing that God can do the impossible.  Be prepared to release your faith as you enter your next worship service experience; you might be amazed at what will happen when we truly turn our hearts toward God!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Weekend Review

Today finds me in Decatur, AL.  I began a revival meeting last night in the local church in Decatur.  This is the area of my spiritual roots.  My parents served as a Pastor of a church in this area as I began my process of spiritual formation.  Many of my first sermons were preached in this area as I began my journey with God.  It is a privilege to be able to re-visit this area of my life and remember the call that I felt from God as a young man.  I still sense the urgency of that call this morning and I feel that I have a stronger desire to fulfill that call than even when I first felt the Spirit dealing with my life.  I am thankful for all that God has done in my life but I am anticipating even greater revelation as I continue this journey.

The weekend services at the Union Grove church were wonderful.  The anointing of the Lord was very strong in the Saturday night meeting.  The Spirit spoke directly to several people who were in attendance at the service.  It is amazing to know that even in a crowd of people God is aware of your needs and He will speak direction to your heart if you will give Him the opportunity.  We must never under estimate the power of God's love and concern for us as individuals.  The Homecoming celebration on Sunday morning was great.  The Lord used the service to remind us that everyone is important to God and that He is the God of all generations.  God reaches across the different generations to raise up a family that pursues God with all of their heart.  We must learn to appreciate and respect the various parts of the family of God and identify the importance of each of them. 

We enjoyed a great meeting in Decatur last night.  Pastor Reeves and I were childhood friends and we have continued to keep that relationship through the years.  People from some of the surrounding churches were in attendance last night; some of these have known me from the time of my childhood and early years of ministry.  I appreciate all of the people that God has used to encourage me through the years of my walk with God.  We must always recognize those key people that God places in our lives as we walk through life.  God never meant for us to travel alone; He will provide the support we need if we will take the time to receive the support that God offers to us.  Last night's service reminded us about the faithfulness of God.  God is with us regardless of the circumstances that we are facing.  The promises of God are true and sure!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Psalm 23

Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need."  (NLT)

In yesterday's post I made mention that I spoke at a funeral on Tuesday in Louisville, KY.  During the preparation of that sermon/eulogy for that funeral I read and re-read Psalm 23.  Many of us are very familiar with the words of that Psalm yet have we truly paid attention to what is being spoken to us through the words that came to us from the heart of the True Shepherd?  I began to reflect on that passage and realized that God was reminding us that He is present with us during what I call the "ups and downs" of life.  God is present in the good times but He is also present in the challenging times that we face.  Many of us recognize God during those moments of blessing and goodness yet we become concerned when we perceive that He is absent during the difficult circumstances that we will face as we travel the road that we call life.  The first verse in Psalm 23 reminds us that the Shepherd will provide what we need. I don't think that means that God will grant my "wish list" of things that I desire to make my life more comfortable or those things that will increase my inventory of possessions.  Rather, I believe that the Shepherd will provide what I need to make the right decisions in life; He will provide the strength and courage that I need to obey Him and love Him with all of my heart; He will provide power and understanding to resist the strategies of the enemy of my soul; He will provide the Holy Spirit which will teach and reveal truth to my life; He will provide Grace and Mercy to forgive others and to receive the assurance that Christ has forgiven our sins; and He will provide whatever I need to finish my race and complete the course of my life.  I could go on; but hopefully you are able to see the depth of the promise of verse 1 of Psalm 23.  Take a moment and review some of the times in your life in which the True Shepherd provided what you needed at certain times in your life.  I believe that you will find yourself lifting your voice and offering sincere praise and thankfulness to the Lord God Almighty and remember that He is the True Shepherd and that He does care about your journey through life.

The service last night was wonderful as the Spirit continues to challenge our hearts about our need to surrender our lives to the process of examination and transformation.  We must not allow ourselves to walk with a "self inflated ego" which rejects the idea that we actually need more of God in our lives.  The Bible reminds us that "pride goes before a fall."  Was pride not the issue that Christ found in the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3?  Christ saw the church one way and the people of the church viewed themselves in another manner.  Christ knew that they needed more of Him in their lives but they were content to "assume " that they had what they needed.  We must be careful and not rely on "fleshly assumptions"; they can be deceitful and take us away from God rather than taking us toward God.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Reflections

I am in Mooreville, MS this week at the Union Grove Family Worship Center for a Homecoming Celebration Revival.  The local church will be celebrating its 91st anniversary this coming Sunday.  I am truly blessed with the opportunity to share the Word of God with this local body of believers.  I pray each day that I will only share the "Heart of God" with the congregations that I serve as a visiting Minister.  It is so important and even necessary to hear from God and not just hear from man.  The greatest of men or women are unable to meet the needs that we have in our lives but we can serve as heralds that point people to the greatness of our God.  I sincerely ask God to help me accomplish that desire every time that I stand to minister the Word of God.  Our nation, our families, and each of us as individuals must hear and receive the Word of God.  The Word of God will bring the spiritual transformation that each of us so desperately need in our relationship with God.  Each of us are a work in progress and we must allow the Holy Spirit access to our hearts and lives.  Our destiny can only be reached through obedience and surrender to God; in my sincere opinion these are the only ways to reach our spiritual completion in Christ.  Last night the altar was full of people who brought their needs to the Heavenly Father.  Focus on this truth; when you respond to an altar invitation you are not responding to the Minister, you are responding to the Heavenly Father and the love that He possesses for you.  It is such a blessing to know that God is truly interested in my life!

On Tuesday I was asked to deliver the sermon/eulogy for a lady that I met in 1993 when we were asked to move to Shively, KY (suburb of Louisville) to serve as Pastor of the Larkwood congregation.  Betty did not attend the local church but her mother was a faithful attender of the local congregation.  The connection with Betty's mother began years of friendship with her and her extended family.  Since 1993 I  have been given the privilege to share the sermon/eulogy at the funerals of several family members.  The development of true friendships affords us the opportunity to be with people through the difficult times as well as the good times.  Do not allow yourself to become only a "fair weather" friend; they are only around when things are going great.  Make a decision to become a "serious friend"; a friend that is present at all times to offer whatever assistance that individual may need at that particular moment.  All of us need "serious friends" who are willing to assist us at any moment and who are willing to offer their love and support as we navigate the waters of life.  Call a friend today and let them know that you appreciate their friendship!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Weekend Review

The past few days have found me away from the computer and unable to post any updates concerning my travels and the services in which I was involved.  I trust that each one of you enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day as we celebrated those Mothers who live among us as well as remembering those Mothers who have already passed away and received their eternal reward for their faithful examples to their families.  I am truly blessed with a wonderful Mother and awesome wife.  I thank God for those "spiritual Mothers" that God has placed in my life through the years of my travel on this earth; God has allowed these women to serve as examples to me as well as teach me the heart of service to the people of God.  We must never forget those people who have made an investment in our lives.

The last two services at the Gold Valley church in Middlesex, NC were powerfully anointed.  You could certainly sense the presence of God speaking to our hearts and reminding us of His ability to work His will in our lives if we would make the commitment to surrender ourselves to God.  One lady made this comment to me following the Thursday night service; "It felt as though the Holy Spirit and the Word of God took me into the living room of God."  I think her comment spoke what many of us were feeling.  We must become "comfortable" in the presence of God and realize that He desires to finish the process of spiritual development that He has begun in us.  I encourage you to continue the development of your relationship of love and surrender to God.  God is at work in His Kingdom and we need to allow the "Kingdom of God to come and His will be done" in our individual lives.

Thursday was National Day of Prayer across our nation.  There has been much controversy surrounding the Day of Prayer this year but the Lord reminded me that we do not need to have a Presidential Declaration to see the need to pray for our nation.  There is no doubt that our nation is in spiritual trouble and that we have a great need for a spiritual awakening that can only come from the presence of God.  Will each of us answer the call and begin to seek the face of God and ask for Divine intervention in the affairs of our land? Each Day needs to be a NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER as we consistently seek the face of God for the needs that we are facing.

Sunday found me ministering in Radcliff, KY at New River Ministries.  We are working with a great group of people who have a desire to reach out to people in the Radcliif/Fort Knox area of KY.  Please contact me if you have family or friends who either live in this area of KY or maybe they are stationed at Fort Knox.  We would be glad to contact them and invite them to the services that we are conducting.  I feel that the Spirit led me to challenge the congregation that we are in need of people who are willing to be live a life that exemplifies a true commitment to Christ.  We must have Christian examples so that we can see faith lived out in our lives.  We must have more than just information about God; we are in need of people who will show us God through their daily lives.  God is "recruiting" people who will be willing to live in such a manner that their faith and spiritual lifestyle is noticed by those whom they interact with on a daily basis.  These times of interaction should be with our family as well as our friends.  I firmly believe that many of us have a desire to surrender to this "recruitment" process and that God will use us to be a blessing to those people that God has placed in our lives.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Can You Hear Me Now? (God)

Proverbs 12:1, "Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid." (NKJV)

This week God has dealt with my heart concerning perception.  There is a great need to recognize the presence of God which will bring the direction of God for my life.  But we must do more than just identify that God is present; we must decide to listen to His Voice and make preparation to follow the direction of God.  I will not be able to follow the direction of God if I am living in a state of rebellion or disobedience.  I (we) must learn to accept correction; in all honesty we know that accepting correction is not always easy to receive.  In some cases we think that we know more about the situation than the one who is offering the correction (human correction).  But we must realize that God is always correct and that His discipline or correction is meant for our well being and not our destruction.  Hebrews 12:5-7, "And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as sons: My son, do not despise the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?"  (NKJV)

These verses have challenged me to re-examine my view of the discipline of God.  God's discipline is meant for my good; He seeks to use His discipline as a means to develop my spiritual character.  His discipline is issued from the heart of love and concern for my well being.  God's discipline provides the strength that I need to successfully continue my journey down the road of life.  I want to receive the discipline of God as a "son" and not resist the instruction that God provides.  Let us re-consider the reasoning behind the correction of God and receive His discipline so that we can reach our spiritual potential.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Presence of God

Psalm 68:1-4, "Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.  Let those who hate God run for their lives. Blow them away like smoke.  Melt them like wax in a fire.  Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.  But let the godly rejoice.  Let them be glad in God's presence.  Let them be filled with joy.  Sing praises to God and to his name!  Sing loud praises to him who rides on the clouds.  His name is the Lord - rejoice in His presence!"  (NLT)

The meeting this week at the Gold Valley church has served as a reminder of our need to focus our attention on the presence of God.  It is so easy to become "distracted" by all of the circumstances that we face on a daily basis; the enemy certainly seeks to move my attention away from God and onto those things that are going on in my life.  But God has a way and God has the power to reveal His strength in such a manner that I feel drawn to His presence.  I truly believe that the presence of God is "arising" in this day and time and we are understanding that God can still defeat our enemies.  I am being reminded this week that I need to consistently and constantly seek for the presence of God.  Is it possible that I want the "things from God" more than I want God?  Once again we must identify and testify to our desire to recognize and receive the presence of God in our lives.  How would you grade your spiritual focus today?  Are you struggling to see God in the midst of your circumstances or do you have the desire to look above your circumstances and see the AWESOME presence of God in the midst of your life?  It is a wonderful opportunity to join with David and praising God with joy as we recognize and entertain His presence.  We can sing "loud praises" to God and realize that we are not alone in our walk through this world; God is a present help in our times of distress and trouble.  We can rejoice in the greatness of our God today and realize that His presence is with us on a daily basis!

Monday, May 3, 2010

Weekend Services

This week finds me in Middlesex, NC at the Gold Valley church with Pastor Jim and Judy Dickerson. This is my first trip to this local church and I am honored that Pastor Dickerson has invited me to share the Word of God with this local body of believers. The services on Sunday went very well; the Praise and Worship Team done an awesome job leading us into the presence of the Lord. I am always blessed when the songs of praise support the theme of the message that God has laid on my heart. It is such a reminder from the Spirit that He will direct the hearts of those people who truly seek His face. We must remember that our dependence is on the Lord and not in the strength of our abilities. We are unable to meet the needs of people but Christ is able to draw near to us and He fully understands and comprehends the needs of our lives. It is no wonder that we are blessed through the privilege to Worship that affords us the opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to God for His loving care that is released into our lives on a daily basis. We must never forget the daily presence of God and the daily care that He releases toward us. I was blessed as I saw people in both of the Sunday services come forward and begin to express their needs to God. On the basis of the promises of God I can offer hope and opportunity to people who come forward and seek God for those situations that each of us face on a daily basis.

The end of last week was very busy; each of you can understand the life of being busy. I was able to minister Thursday night in a wonderful service at New River Ministries in Radcliff, KY. The mighty presence of God is very evident each time we gather together in Radcliff; I am truly excited about the future opportunities that God will bring to those who are attending New River. Friday was a time to catch up on grandfather time. I was able to spend some time with my children and grandchildren as well as my wife. One of our grandsons, Luke, will be celebrating his 6th birthday this week; he is very excited about his party on Thursday. I will miss his party but I will be thinking about him. I have said it often, but I will say it one more time; I am blessed with a wonderful family who offers their support to me and to the call of God that I sense in my life. My wife is such a blessing and God certainly uses her to encourage me as well as other people that she interacts with on a daily basis. She directed the Kentucky State Ladies Conference a few weekends ago and God used her and her staff to minister to the ladies that were present at the Conference. I am very proud and blessed by the gifts that God has placed in her life.