Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Connection with God, Part 2

Each of us need to understand that the enemy will use his strategies against the people of God in any way possible.  The enemy seeks to hinder our relationship and connection with God.  He desires to keep us distant from God through events, circumstances, situations or difficulties.  It is during those moments of spiritual interference that we must make the choice to listen to the Voice of God.  As we learn to listen to the Voice of God we will realize that God has a plan for us to be victorious over whatever we are facing.  Each of us need to develop the spiritual discipline of listening for the Voice and direction from God.  God will speak if we will take the time to listen for His Voice.  I want to daily prepare my heart to hear what God is saying to me.  God has plans to lead me in the path that I need to follow if I will commit to trusting His leadership in my life.  Trusting God is developed through the building of a relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Let us recognize the joy and privilege of building a relationship with God.  The rewards of relationship are worth the effort that we are privileged to make!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Connection with God

Each of us need to ask ourselves some tough questions from time to time.  Yesterday I asked myself this question, "Do I truly seek an encounter with God or am I content  to go to church and just go through the mechanics of the service?"  This first question has set in motion a thought process that I desire to share with you today.  Let us look at some other questions that have arisen in my heart since that original question was deposited in my spirit.   Do I truly seek a connection with the heart and purpose of the Heavenly Father or will I remain content to deal with the struggles of life through the efforts of my strength and ability?  Do I truly desire to "interact" with God or participate with Him in the process of my spiritual maturity or will I continue to try to live my life in the strength of the flesh? 

As I travel and minister I see people who are struggling with these same issues that I am raising today.  When will the people of the church truly turn toward the heart of God with a sincere desire to pursue God?  This pursuit will encourage us to release our faith and the release of our faith will provide the Spirit with the opportunity to minister strength to our lives.  We must recognize OUR need and not just the needs of others concerning the release of our faith.  Some of the "weariness" that we feel may be attributed to the fact that we are trying to carry the "load of life" in our own strength rather than depending on the strength of the Spirit.  We will constantly feel overwhelmed if we walk in the strength of the flesh but we can identify with the attitude of an overcomer if we will walk in the strength of the Spirit.   We must allow the Spirit to complete what He has started in us.  I recognize that I am in the process and development of spiritual maturity.  I desire to mature in Christ so that I can reach my full potential.  This process will only be completed as I continue to pursue God with correct motives and surrender to God as a sincere servant.  Will you take the time today for the Spirit to ask you some tough questions?  These tough questions may hold the key to your successful journey with God.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Weekend Review

This week finds me in Sylvania, OH (suburb of Toledo) in revival with Pastor Curt and Dawn Wagoner.  This is the Wagoner's first church to serve as Pastor and the Lord is rewarding them with the spirit of revival and renewal.  The services on Sunday were anointed with the presence of God and the altars were full of people who were seeking an encounter with God.  That could be a question that all of us need to ask ourselves, "Am I seeking an encounter with God?"  Do I truly desire to interact with God through the revelation of His Word and the presence of the Holy Ghost?  I desire to prepare my heart in such a manner so that I will not miss the visitation of the Spirit. 

We were blessed to have some of the brothers and sisters of God from the Toledo Spanish church; they have afternoon services in the Sylvania church building.  We were also privileged to have some brothers and sisters from churches in Michigan.  I said this to remind you of this important fact; the Kingdom of God and the family of God are larger than just the local church that you attend.  God is teaching us to respect and appreciate the various members of the family of God. We need each other and we need to sincerely intercede one for another.  I desire to be a stronger intercessor for the people of God.  What would happen in the family of God if each of us accepted responsibility to pray for one another?  I do not want to shirk or ignore my responsibility but rather I choose to embrace the opportunity to pray for others!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Winners & Losers

The revival this week at Anchor of Hope Church in Willisburg, KY has been highly charged with the presence of God.  Each evening has found people seeking to draw closer to God and desiring to walk in fellowship with the Holy Spirit.  Can you imagine what would take place in America if that was the driving force behind our attitudes and actions toward God?  Each of us understand that we are facing situations or circumstances that is beyond our ability to meet; we do not have the resources but we can rest assured that Christ is able to "meet our need according to His riches in glory."

During last night's service the Holy Spirit led me to lead the church in declaring that we are winners and not losers.  The enemy seeks to bombard our thinking with condemnation and the fear of failure.  But I refuse to accept his tactics and live under the influence of his spirit.  Christians have a higher calling and we are able to receive the strength, love, and encouragement that we need to be successful in our journey with God.  I truly believe that this is a day of victory for the people of God.  I recognize the fact that we are living in the days of trials and challenges but it is during these times in our lives that we are able to recognize and receive the overwhelming presence of the Spirit.  We are not limited to the strength of the flesh; we walk in the strength of the Spirit.  The Word of God and the Spirit of God has provided us the necessary resources  to be successful on this journey.  I choose to walk in the strength of the revelation of Christ and to realize that He has called me to triumphant living.  We all know that we will face the barrage of the tactics of the enemy but we also know that God is fighting for us and not against us.  The weapons of our warfare are not carnal weapons of the flesh but they are mighty through God.  Remember that you are a winner and not a loser!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

"Going Through the Motions"

One of the contemporary Christians songs has a line that contains the title of this post.  I have listened to that song on several occasions and I have always been challenged through that song to examine my response to God in my daily living.  Am I "going through the motions" or is my response to God one that speaks of a sincere desire to have a developing relationship with Jesus Christ?  Once again this post is not meant to criticize or judge anyone of you who take the time to read this blog but it is meant to challenge our hearts to truly examine our pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.  Have I learned a spiritual routine that has replaced a heartfelt desire to worship and serve God?  Have I allowed religious activities to replace my passionate longing and hunger for the presence of Jesus Christ?

As I was preaching last night I realized that the enemy truly desires for our faith to become weak and sickly which will lead to "dead faith."  The enemy does not want our faith to be alive and active. That is one of the reasons that the enemy seeks to put the "church" into a state of spiritual sleep or in come cases a deep spiritual coma.  Either one of these causes us to lose touch with reality and we fail to grasp the wonderful presence of the Spirit in our midst.  Once again I make this statement; "We can not afford to accept ruts, rituals, and routines as the true representation of the presence of Jesus Christ."  In the Book of Revelation, Jesus Christ declares "I am alive."  The presence of God is alive!  The anointing of the Holy Ghost brings life!  The unction of the Spirit provides transformation!  The power of the Word of God brings the illumination of truth to our lives!  How can we accept the status quo when Christ has so much more to offer?  As I drove home last night after service I could sense the Spirit speaking these words into my heart.  Many people are seeing the resurrection of their faith.  We are tired of striving and working in the ability of the flesh; we are realizing that only through the strength and power of the Spirit can we triumph over the power of satan.  I truly believe that faith is coming alive among the people of God.  The release of our faith opens the door for the Spirit to speak LIFE into our individual lives.  Resist the temptation to go through the motions; let faith arise in your heart and see what opportunities of victory that God will provide.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Tuesday's Service

The service on Tuesday night at Anchor of Hope Church in Willisburg, KY was awesome.  The anointing of the Spirit was very evident in every segment of the meeting.  You could sense the spirit of anticipation as people gathered (some of them were very early) to seek after the presence of God.  I truly believe that God is awakening the "spirit of anticipation" among us; we must come into the presence of God believing and knowing that God is prepared to hear and meet the cry of our hearts.

I was awakened this morning with this inspiration.  The Lord confirmed to me that He is at work in the hearts of people.  In some cases and in some locations the people of God have grown content with the status quo and they have lost their passion for Christ and for the ministry that Christ released in this world.  But during the service last night I recognized something that needs to be declared publicly.  There is a "remnant" of the family of God who does hear the Voice of God and they are prepared to follow after Him regardless of the attitudes of other members of the Body of Christ.  Many of us are recognizing the desperate times in which we are living and we will no longer stand idly by and allow the enemy to take more spiritual territory.  I recognized this last night as people from various age groups, male and female, and members of various local churches in the community  began to turn their hearts toward God in an unified response to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.  The altar was full of people seeking for a deeper relationship with God.  People were seeking to be free from all that was hindering their walk with Christ.  I want to speak to all people who are sensing the urgency of the moment deep in your heart; do not be discouraged, do not allow hindrances to slow down your pursuit of God, do not allow the opinion of others dissuade you from obedience, do not allow the whispers of the enemy to intimidate you, and do not allow the "religious" crowd's response to the move of God stop you from your pursuit of God.  This is the day to arise from spiritual slumber and shake off the heavy chains of despair and defeat and follow after God with passion and fervency.  This risk of our faith will produce a great spiritual reward.  Ephesians 6:12, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." (KJV)

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Daily Maintenance

This morning finds me sitting in the lounge of a local automobile dealership. I am here to have my wife's car serviced. Our automobiles, lawn mowing equipment, heating and cooling units, and various other pieces of equipment require regular maintenance to maintain their peak performance. Even our bodies require our attention to insure that we remain healthly and well. That is the reason that we exercise, take vitamins, and pay close attention to our consumption of the right types of foods. If these statements are true for our natural body as well as the pieces of equipment that we own: how much more should this principle apply to our relationship with Christ? We need daily spiritual maintenance to maintain and enhance our walk with Christ. Our spiritual maintenance comes through prayer, the study of the Word, fellowship with other believers, and following the direction of the spiritual leadership that God has placed in our lives. You could add your own personal thoughts to this brief list. I felt that the Lord reminded me to encourage each of us concerning our need to pay attention to our walk with God. We do not need to wait until some major tragedy comes to our lives: let us pay close attention to those daily principles that we can apply to our lives.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Weekend Review

First of all, I trust that each Father was able to enjoy a wonderful day of celebration with your family on Sunday.  I was surprised when our children and grandchildren arrived at the service in Radcliff, KY on Sunday.  Due to my schedule it is difficult for our family to be in church together and it was such a joy to have them in service with us.  I am blessed that my Father is still living and that he is still involved in ministry through serving others in his local community.  I also thank the Lord for those "spiritual fathers" who have invested in my life; God has placed great men of God in my path and each of them have participated in my spiritual development.

The services on Sunday were very anointed and encouraging.  Sunday morning found me in Radcliff, KY at New River Ministries.  We were able to take some time and honor four (4) High School Graduates; I also issued a challenge to them as they began the next step of their life.  One of the major reminders centered around the admonition not to forget God.  We must teach the succeeding generations the need to remember God in all areas of their lives.  As a matter of fact each of us must remember to keep God as the central focus of our journey through life.  I also challenged the men as well as each one that was present in the service that we needed to accept our responsibility and stop passing "spiritual responsibility" to someone else.  We need to take a look in the mirror and fulfill our individual responsibility and stop expecting more out of others than we are willing to give.  We must overcome the spirit of selfishness that has gripped the hearts of so many people; we must pick up the "towel of service" and serve our family, serve in our church, and serve in our community.  We must rediscover the joy and blessing of serving others.

Sunday night found me in Willisburg, KY at Anchor of Hope Church with Pastor Ricky Cheatham.  I have known many of the people who attend that church since 1978 when we first served a congregation in that area of KY.  The worship of the Lord and the fellowship with the people was encouraging and inspiring.  There was great freedom and liberty as I began to share the Word of God.  I reminded the group of believers that each of us face the need to make the right choices/decisions on a daily basis.  Will I choose to trust God when circumstances seem to be so overwhelming?  Will I choose to trust God when life is taking me down the road of challenge?  Will I trust God when I am facing issues with my health, with my finances, with my family life, and various other challenges?  These moments will allow us the opportunity to release our faith and see God work in our lives.  We do have the ability to release our faith and I truly believe that many people will choose to trust God when everything around them says do not trust God.  Are you one of those who is making the decision to trust God in spite of your circumstances?

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Spiritual Examination

Yesterday a portion of my day was spent in an out-patient facility undergoing a test which screens for early signs of colon cancer.  Thankfully, I received a good report from the doctor who performed the test; but the test did bring some spiritual comparisons to my heart.  The passage of scripture in 2 Corinthians 13:5 was placed in my heart, "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine.  Test yourselves.  Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you (or in you); if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith." (NLT)

In all honesty each of us know that it is easier to "examine" others than to take the time to examine ourselves.  We can easily identify the faults, failures, shortcomings, and sins of others very quickly.  We can remember the spiritual history of others yet quickly find many reasons to justify our actions or reactions to certain situations.  This post is not meant to condemn us or even justify the sins of others but it is meant to challenge each of us to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into a heartfelt examination of our relationship with Jesus Christ.  A Minister by the name of Elwood Matthews who recently passed away used to talk about a "know so salvation."  In my opinion this comment referred to the benefit of knowing that we were able to participate in a relationship with Christ that is identifiable.  The death of Christ made it possible for us to have a relationship that can be developed and maintained through the presence of the Spirit which is at work in our hearts on an on-going basis.  The preparation for my physical examination was somewhat uncomfortable and the medicine which I had to take was at times a little unbearable but the end results of the process was rewarding.  I believe that it is the same with our spiritual journey with God.  The Holy Spirit in combination with the Word of God will identify some needed spiritual adjustments in our lives and we may find those findings uncomfortable but the end result of the correction of those findings will be a richer and deeper relationship with our Savior.  I desire to be open to those needed times of examination so that my relationship with Christ can be a healthy one.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Family of God

This morning finds me reflecting on the different gifts, talents, and abilities that God has placed within the family of God.  We see the demonstration of these gifts on a daily or weekly basis but do we take the time to truly recognize and appreciate them?  I am glad that not everyone is identical to me and I am glad that God has placed different gifts and abilities in my life.  I don't say this in a form of self exaltation or self abasement; no, I say this in the form of gratitude that we are able to identify the true diversity of the family of God.  Just as the different parts of the physical body were made to compliment one another so also is the spiritual body of Christ made to compliment one another.  We must move beyond the tendency to compare our gifts with each other and we must move beyond the tendency to live in the state of competition among ourselves.  We are called to support, encourage, and release the gifts and talents of our fellow family members.  The Bible is full of characters that the Word identifies and that we know as soon as their name is mentioned.  But the Bible is also full of characters that we read their names but we are unsure of their identity because their role may not have been as prominent as the other characters of the Bible.  But we must remember that prominence is not the same as importance!  My arm is more prominent and noticeable than my heart or liver but that does not mean that my arm is more important than my heart or liver.  We need to realize that the progress and success of the family of God is not just identified through the efforts of the "up-front" people of the church but much of our success is due to the "unseen and unknown" work that is completed out of the sight of the congregation.

Today I want to take a moment and recognize and remember all of the "unknown" servants within the family of God who has offered their gifts, talents, and abilities out of the lime-light of the public.  The Sunday School teachers, the Children's Church workers, the intercessors, the custodians, the chaperons who accompany leaders on trips to assist with the children, the Youth leaders,  the cooks at Youth Camp, the encourager's, the treasurers, and countless other servants who provide such important service to the family of God.  Each of these may not be as prominent in the eyes of the people who sit in the church week after week but their importance must not be overlooked.  Thank you servants of God for willingly offering yourself to the work in the Kingdom of God!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Weekend Review

This past weekend found us involved in both family as well as spiritual opportunities.  Ann and I were able to share the weekend with our grandchildren as they spent the evening in our home.  I have been teaching the grandchildren a song that I sang as a child.  The song is "Working on the Building."; that song was one of the first ones that I learned to play on the guitar as a child.  The grandchildren enjoyed walking around the room and singing that song with enthusiasm and excitement.  That song led them to sing other songs that they had learned at church both in children's church as well as adult church.  Those moments reminded me of the spiritual capability of children and their ability to learn and remember spiritual truth when they are presented the opportunity.  We must make sure that they we are depositing truth in the lives of this younger generation; this truth must be taught but it also must be practiced if we are to win and keep this young generation involved in spiritual matters.  I pray that each of us will consider the seriousness of these opportunities and that we will allow the Lord to place a burden of intercession for this generation.

Sunday found us in Radcliff, KY at New River Ministries.  New River is a church plant in which we are participating as Lead Pastor.  I am working in this effort as well as continuing an outreach efforts to churches in our nation.  God is rewarding this effort as we are being able to see the lives of individuals being impacted through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  The leadership team that is involved in this church plant has a desire to model "authentic Christianity" in the community of Radcliff/Fort Knox.  In my opinion the church in America must return to the basics of Christianity.  These basics can be defined through Jesus' words concerning loving God with all of our heart and loving others as we love ourselves.  It is so easy to learn the words of Christ but am I truly demonstrating those words through my actions and reactions?  I truly believe that this challenge is being issued to the church today; we must respond to God and allow Him to encourage our steps into a deeper relationship with God.  I was able to witness the "conviction" of the Spirit upon several individuals who attended the service on Sunday.  I ask for your prayers as we continue to reach out to this community and see God perform His work in the lives of people that He truly cares about.  God is calling each of us to make a difference in our section of the world.  Am I responding in the correct manner as I hear this call?  Each of us must give an account to God regarding our response.  I desire to be obedient to the call from God.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Becoming a Difference Maker, Part 5

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and see his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"  (I John 3:16-17, NIV).

The Holy Spirit continues to convict my heart concerning the challenge that the modern day church is facing.  Do I truly have a strong desire to let my light shine so that people can recognize the love of God that should be at work in my life?  Each of us will be presented with daily opportunities to share those "blessings" that God has so freely deposited in our lives.  What am I (we) doing will all that God has released in our lives?  I am not just speaking concerning the blessings of possessions; no, I am referring to those spiritual blessings that God has so freely released in my life.  Christ loved me before I ever understood the need to love myself.  Christ loved me even when I was living in the spirit of rebellion and disobedience.  Christ loved me even when I would grow cold and indifferent toward His Word and toward the working of His Spirit in my life.  What am I (we) doing with the awesome love of God that has been shared with us?  We must become "active" witnesses of the mercy and love of God so that the world can recognize that Christianity is more than just a group of people who try to live under a code of spiritual conduct.  Christians are called to demonstrate and release the love of God to a world that needs to sense and feel the genuine love of God.  We must stop ignoring those opportunities to share the "true" love of God with people whose lives are in disarray and trouble.  We must lift our eyes and see the field of labor and harvest in which God has planted us.  (See John 4:34-35).

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Becoming a Difference Maker, Part 4

Many of us have heard this "sermon" since we were born and many times more since we were "born again."  We know that the Word of God calls for us to make a difference in the world in which we live and conduct our lives.  But why is that always so challenging to fulfill?  Why are we so intimidated by the opinion of others?  I live in Kentucky yet I am a die hard Alabama Crimson Tide fan; I do not find that difficult, as a matter of fact I enjoy the opportunity to be "different."  I make all types of choices to be "different" on a daily basis yet when it comes to demonstrating my love and devotion to Christ I can find myself being intimidated by the thoughts, opinions, and actions of others.  These thoughts are not meant to condemn us rather they are meant to remind us that we do have the courage and the fortitude to be a difference maker when the opportunity arises.  Many of us are sensing the Spirit of God challenging each of us to take our stand in this day and time and declare that we do love Jesus Christ and that we are not embarrassed to surrender our lives to His Lordship.  Look for opportunities to be a "difference maker" today.  You maybe surprised at the reaction of people when you choose to live out your love for Christ.  There are people who will receive your testimony; not everyone will reject your decision to follow the principles of Christ in your life.  We must learn to be consistent in our daily life regardless of the response or opinions of other people!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Becoming a Difference Maker, Part 3

I am certain that each of us recognize that the relentless enemy of our soul has a plan in place that seeks to hinder our effectiveness as "difference makers" in our society.  His plan is one of the reasons that we face the constant bombardment of the attacks of the enemy which comes in many shapes and forms.  The enemy implements his strategy day after day; but in the midst of these struggles we find the presence of the Lord working in our lives so that we can become successful witnesses regardless of the situations that we are facing.  This recognition of the presence of God does not mean that the strategies of the enemy can not be complicated or even in some cases hurtful and challenging but it does mean that the grace of God is sufficient for our circumstances.

The message that we preach/teach and practice must be different than the message that the "world" is promoting and presenting.  We must stand against the rising tide that is accepting secular humanism and situational ethics as the way that we need to live.  We must live in a manner that will demand that the world take another look at the message that we are declaring.  I truly believe that people are looking for authentic Christianity.  People are looking for believers who will demonstrate that the message of the Gospel has truly made a difference in their personal lives.  The "old story" of the Gospel message must become fresh in our lives so that this freshness will be released through us on a daily basis through interaction with people that God places in our path.  Is it possible that many people have heard the message and now they are looking for people who will choose to "live out" that message on a daily basis?  I truly desire to see my life produce what the Gospel desires to produce in me as well as through me.  Will each of us ask God to help us to become a "difference maker" in this challenging day and time?

Monday, June 7, 2010

Becoming a Difference Maker, Part 2

On Friday, I shared the scripture where Jesus taught that the people of God (church) are to become "salt and light" in the midst of our world.  I am still being challenged by the conviction of the Holy Spirit in my life as well as the lives of those to which I am given the opportunity to minister the Word of God.  Will we rise to the occasion or will be content to allow the culture of the world to set the pace for our lives?  We must remember that the enemy of our soul operates with a planned strategy for our demise.  We are able to identify the degeneration of our society.  We see this through the evidence of political corruption; the challenge of international peace that always seems to be at the brink of world war; we identify the continued challenge of the culture of addictions that has gripped our society and the problems that ensue from this evil plague; and we are able to recognize the breakdown of the family unit as we have known.  I have listed these challenges to let you know that the problems that we face are real but I also want to declare that the God that we serve is also ALIVE & VERY REAL!  I am called to position myself so that the Holy Spirit can work through me in these dangerous times.  I am truly convinced that God's plan reveals the continued service of the church in these difficult times.  Will I continue to place my life at the disposal of the Lord or will I choose to live a life simply dedicated to "me and my fleshly needs?"  We are at the intersection of decision concerning this question; will we become "salt & light" or will we be content to blend into the world and not make any difference for the cause of Christ?

Weekend Review:  I was given the privilege to minister at New River Ministries in Radcliff, KY on Sunday.  The presence of the Lord was awesome as people gathered to exalt and lift up the name of the Lord.  New River is a new church plant in which myself and my wife are participating.  The worship was encouraging and uplifting, the fellowship with fellow believers was enriching, and the Word that God placed in my heart challenged all of us to be "saints in circulation" so that we can be useful workers in the Kingdom of God.  The work is progressing very nicely but we need your prayers as we look to relocate to a larger building.  The Lord is certainly able to provide the facility that we need if we will remain focused on the call that God placed on our hearts when we began this outreach to the Radcliff/Fort Knox area of Kentucky.  Feel free to email me any name and addresses of friends or family who may live in the Radcliif area or who may be stationed at Fort Knox either now or in the future.  We would be honored to make contact with them and assist them in any possible way.  Please continue to cover this ministry in your prayers as we seek to please God in all that we do and say.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Becoming a Difference Maker

Matthew 5:13-14:, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden." (NJKV)

I truly believe that these words of Jesus challenge us with the opportunity to make a difference in the world.  I truly believe that Jesus expects the church (true believers in Jesus Christ) to make a difference in our part of the world.  Salt and light makes a difference.  Try eliminating these two valuable items from your daily life and see if you notice any difference.  The church is to make a difference just as salt and light makes a difference in our natural life.  I had to ask myself this question; "Is my life and service as a Christian truly making a difference in the lives of people that I interact with on a daily basis?"  I fully understand that the impact and influence of my life may vary in importance from day to day; nevertheless that fact should not hinder my desire to be a difference maker.  We must look for the opportunities to be "salt and light" in the midst of these difficult and challenging days.  Am I (we) truly prepared to fully accept my (our) responsibilities and stop making excuses for my (our) ineffectiveness as a believer?   I do not want to issue this challenge in a spirit of criticism; but I do sense the urgency of the moment.  The enemy is filling this world with so much false doctrine and even a false "gospel" message that someone needs to hear the warning bell of the Spirit and respond to our call to responsibility.  We need to respond to the warning call of the Spirit just as the fireman responds to the call that a house is engulfed in flames.  We would be alarmed if the firemen did not respond to the call for help; is not God looking for people who will truly represent Him in the midst of the darkness that is surrounding our world today?  I am convinced that someone is going to respond to the call from the Spirit and I desire to make myself available to God so that I can become salt and light and make a difference in my part of the world.  Will you be willing to answer that same call in your life?

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Walking in Love

Do I truly have a desire to demonstrate the genuine love of God or am I content to hide behind the religious rhetoric of the language of the church? Is it possible that the people around us are tired of just hearing us talk about loving them? Is it possible that they are tired of hearing about the love of God yet find small cliques of people when they attend our church services? Can we not hear the wake up call from the Holy Spirit? Someone needs to arise and allow the love of God to be lived out through them. Will we accept the challenge or will be content to travel the road marked "status quo?" I am refusing to travel that road; I hear the Lord calling us to a spiritual adventure that will lead us down the path of revival and renewal. Will you commit your life to God so that He can lead you into your spiritual destiny? Spiritual opportunity is knocking at the door of our lives; will we choose to answer the door?

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

"Love one Another"

In the follow up to Memorial Day it is very fitting that the Lord led me to a passage in John 13.  Let us remind ourselves of the words that Christ spoke as He is spending some final time with His disciples prior to His death.  Let us reflect on verses 34 & 35: "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (KJV).

Jesus is establishing a "spiritual trademark" that will be a distinguishing characteristic of His followers/disciples.  The characteristic of His disciples will be the mutual love that they possess for one another.  In the days of Jesus, the disciples of different teachers were known by their habits, or some particular creed or rite.  The disciples adopted their teachers creed or practices; but Jesus is raising the standard by which His disciples would be known.  Their identification would be more than some rite or religious statement; they would be identified by the love that they demonstrated to one another.  Is the love of Christ truly at work in my heart?  Do I live out that love in my actions and inter-actions with fellow believers as well as non-believers who need to see the principles of Christ at work in our lives?  We need more than rites or rituals in the modern day church; we need the true demonstration of God's love at work in our lives.  The church must be known for our "love one to another."

A writer of early church history made this statement; "See, they said, how they love one another, and are ready to lay down their lives for one another."  Can that statement be made about the modern day church or have we become known by what we say rather than what we do?