Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Personal Thankfulness

Yesterday I took the opportunity to visit with my parents. I am blessed in the fact that my parents are still alive and that they are willing to serve as intercessors for this ministry journey. Not only do they pray for me and this ministry effort but they also serve as intercessors for each of their children and their families. I am thankful that I was brought up in a home that demonstrated the power of prayer and demonstrated the importance of prayer. This thought resonated in my heart as I drove away from their home and headed back to the location of the revival meeting. I am truly a blessed man regarding my family and the support that each of them have offered to me through the years. It is so easy to become complacent and not truly appreciate and recognize the contribution that each of them have made to our successful journey through life. Each of us should take the time and make the opportunity to share our love and appreciation with our family. I was also privileged to see my sister, her daughter and her grandchildren. It was truly a blessing to spend time with some of my family and realize that truly the blessings of God have been with me. Moments such as these remind me of the love that I have for my wife, my children and their families. It is a blessing to hear the voices of our family members speak encouragement and strength to us as we move through the challenges of daily life. The meetings in the Browntown church have reminded us of the need to trust in God and realize that we can bring our lives to Him regardless of what we are facing. He is the One we run to during the time of storms and adversity. I am glad that I know Him today. I am glad that He recognizes us as His children and we can walk in the strength of that identity.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Weekend Review

This week finds me in Henagar, AL (near Ft. Payne) in revival at the Browntown church. The past few days have been very busy and I have not taken the time to make a post concerning the services that took place in the past few days. First of all, I give God praise for His protection and for His anointing. The presence of God is real; God is not a figment of your imagination nor the creation of man. God is the Creator of all things and we have the awesome privilege to build an on-going relationship with Him. It is no wonder that our hearts cry out praise and adoration to the Lord God Almighty. Let us take a quick review of the weekend services. Friday night found me in Elizabethtown, KY ministering in a Ladies Conference. Yes, you read correctly, I was ministering in the KY State Ladies Conference. The presence of the Lord was awesome as the Lord led me to remind the ladies that each one of them are full of potential and that God is at work in each of their lives and He will complete what He has started in them. The altar was full of those seeking to walk in the strength of the Word of God. I have received reports from those who attended the Conference and each of them have testified to the blessings that the Spirit of God released in the services. Saturday night found me in Collinsville, AL speaking to people from a group of churches in the Collinsville area. Although we encountered and endured some stormy weather the presence of the Lord challenged our hearts. The Lord led me to speak on the need of PRAYER. Most of us are not impressed by those type of sermons because they require a response and commitment on our part. Many in the modern day church are more excited about those things that we receive from God than we are those things that we need to offer to God. The Spirit certainly raised up a strong unction in my heart and I spoke from the depths of my heart. Each of you who read this blog are aware that I have often written about the need for this generation of believers to become people of PRAYER. We must respond to God and become people of supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks (read I Timothy 2:1-4). Sunday found me in the Browntown church with Pastor Tanner and his wife Chris. I have been privileged to be in this church on previous occasions and I always enjoy my trip back to Sand Mountain. Once again the presence of the Lord was evident in the service through the music and songs of worship. Do you realize that sincere praise and worship opens the door for the presence of God? The Spirit reminded us that we do have some where to go when the challenges of life crowd in around us. We do have someone to trust in and His name is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. People responded to each of the altar invitations and I was blessed as they began to release their needs into the hands of the Lord. God desires to reach out to us at our point of need. We must learn to trust Him more every day and watch His presence manifest in our daily lives.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Walking in our Freedom

Throughout this week in Taylor, MI we have been declaring that Christ has provided the spiritual freedom that we need in our individual lives. This freedom has been declared through the worship songs, the special music as well as the declaration of the Word. Each night my heart has been stirred as the Spirit has taken us into a deeper revelation of His provision. The enemy does not want the church to be awakened to the understanding that spiritual freedom has been provided for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But many of us are discovering and in some cases re-discovering the great provision that has been made for us at Calvary. WE CAN BE FREE AND WE CAN WALK IN THAT FREEDOM according to the promises of God. We no longer have to be captured in slavery; we have received the declaration of freedom and now our responsibility is to actively and passionately walk in that freedom. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation concerning the abolishment of human slavery during the Civil War of the 1860's. This began the process of putting the ugly chapter of human slavery behind us and opening the door of freedom for everyone. Let me add that as a nation we are still walking in the process of freedom that was set in motion that day. We have taken many steps toward the equal rights for all human beings yet we are still in the process of making sure that all people are treated with equality and recognized as a divine creation of our Eternal God. There were stories recorded of slaves that were so unsure of their freedom and so unsure of their future that they chose to remain with their "slave masters." I am sure that in some of these cases the attitudes of the culture influenced this decision in a very powerful manner. Yet, the story line is still true, they had been granted freedom yet they were unsure of that "freedom walk" that lay in front of them. This posting is not about judging those fellow Americans harshly; each of us may have reacted in the same manner if we had been living in their particular set of circumstances. No, this post is about challenging each of us to walk in the spiritual freedom that has been provided for us. Christ has paid our ransom; we are free in Him, yet many people choose to remain connected with their previous master (sin & satan). They are unsure of the future and they are unsure of their ability to walk in the freedom that has been provided. Let me share two verses with you, John 8:32,36, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free." (NKJV) Our freedom is not based on our feelings about our freedom; our freedom is not based on our ability to survive; neither is our freedom based on our ability to ensure our freedom. No, our hope in freedom is based on the One who signed the proclamation. Jesus signed our release papers through the shedding of His blood on the cross at Calvary. Christ has the power and ability to empty the slave houses of sin and bring us into our spiritual freedom and deliverance. At the conclusion of one of the powerful altar services in Taylor, MI one of the Deacons shared this passage with the congregation; Galatians 5:1, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." (NKJV) Take a moment and allow these words to seek deep into your heart; Christ has declared freedom for you, stand firm in that freedom today.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

"Gracious Words"

Luke 4:22a, "So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth..." (NJKV) I was awakened with this passage on my heart. Do we truly understand what Christ is offering to us when He offers His provision to us? Do we truly comprehend the desire that Christ has to minister to the needs that each of us face? The life and ministry of Christ speaks hope and victory to our lives. We live in a world of cynics and skeptics. We live in a world in which people allow doubt, fear, and disbelief to affect their approach to God. We can see these attitudes and many more throughout all aspects of our society. This spirit of cynicism and skepticism has even made its ways into the hearts of the people of God. We must rebuke and resist this attitude of the culture and allow the Spirit to open our eyes to the "gracious words" of our God. We must learn to turn the attention of our hearts toward Christ and realize that we can trust in the promises of God. God has the ability to fulfill and complete what He has spoken to us regardless of the circumstances that we are presently facing. We must choose which "spirit" we will follow. Will we choose to follow the spirit of the culture or will we choose to follow the Spirit of God? The opportunity for spiritual success is directly related to our willingness to accept the Word of God as the basis of our faith and hope. We must commit ourselves to hearing the Word from God and allow that Word to speak strength and hope in the midst of our challenges. Take a some time every day to read from the "gracious words" of the Bible and allow them to revive your hope and courage!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Weekend Services

This week finds me in Taylor, MI (suburb) of Detroit with Pastor Chris and Sarah Weathers at Harvest Worship Center. The services on Sunday were outstanding as the people gathered to lift up the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Last night several Pastors and people from their congregations joined with Harvest Worship Center in a joint "Unity Service". It is always an encouragement to see us reach across the lines of separation and embrace our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must seek to see the unity of the Body of Christ displayed to a world that is tired of the spiritual charade that is being presented by many believers in our world. This is a time for the people of God to demonstrate true love for one another and true love for those non-believers who are in need of a Savior. I sincerely desire for the true love of God to flow from my life toward the people that I interact with on a daily basis. You and I will be presented with opportunities today to share the love of God with people who need to understand that God truly cares about them. Pastor Chris has declared this to be "Freedom Week" at Harvest Worship Center. The services are being centered around this theme and Sunday found us walking in that release of freedom. We must remember that Christ died that we might be released from the bondage of sin. Many believers as well as non-believers are failing to walk in the blessings of the freedom of God. We must learn to defeat the strategies of the enemy and understand that Christ has paid the ransom for our freedom. One of the lines from a worship song declares, "No more shackles, no more chains, no more bondage, I am free..." We must realize that satan seeks to weigh us down with "baggage" that will hinder our journey and hinder our spiritual effectiveness but God has provided relief through Jesus Christ. We must learn to accept the report of the Lord and refuse the lies of satan. The enemy will do all in his power to overthrow your faith but the Word of God and the Spirit of God will strengthen your faith as you place your trust in God. Let today be a day of "FREEDOM" for you and realize that "He that the Son hath set free is free indeed."

Friday, April 16, 2010

Last Night's Service

Yesterday was a travel day as I made my way home from the revival meeting in Rockville, MD. I give God praise for His presence that was very evident in each of the services; God is truly revealing His Love and Grace if only we will take the time to identify His ministering presence. We must be willing to lay aside our agendas and we must be willing to lay aside our plans for the services and just allow God to have His way in our midst. I know that might sound simple or you may think that I am downplaying the importance of preparation. No, I truly believe in preparation and I am believe in being organized but I am truly afraid that we may have made our "church" services more about our wants being met than we have entering into the presence of God. Many of the worship songs that we offer to God speaks about His presence but many times we are more interested in displaying our talents and abilities than we are the presence of God. This attitude and practice will lead to religious routines that merely take our time and never touch our hearts. We must stop offering ourselves as the answer for the needs of mankind and remind people that Christ is the answer for all that they are facing. Last night I was privileged to serve as the Minister for the service in Radcliff, KY at New River Ministries. The service opened in the "normal" way with a time of greeting, prayer and a time of singing to the Lord. But something began to happen as we moved through the first two stages of the service and began to truly focus on the true purpose of the gathering of the people. We must recapture the true purpose of the gathering of the people of God. We come together to declare the name of Jesus and offer our heartfelt adoration and praise to the King. As we began to receive His presence and declare His presence the atmosphere of the service began to change. We lost the focus on us and began to shift the focus on Christ. Many of us have been in those types of services in which we forget about ourselves and our needs and we truly focus on loving God and allowing Him to love us. The presence of the Lord moved in the service and His ministering presence was released in our lives. The next time you enter a worship service I challenge you to forget about yourself and focus on the greatness of our God. I truly believe that the atmosphere of that service will change when we "turn our eyes toward Jesus". As A.W. Tozer wrote, "Let us turn the gaze of our soul" toward Jesus and watch Him release His presence in our midst.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Personal Reflection

The meetings in Rockville, MD have been wonderful. Each evening has found us in the presence of God as the people of God begin to respond to Him in praise and adoration. I continue to be blessed and encouraged as I am able to see people respond to God and offer Him their sincere praise and thanksgiving. We must never take for granted the wonderful privilege to offer our praise to God. I know that I mention that often in these postings but I am convinced that our attitude of worship for God opens the windows of Heaven to our lives. God desires to hear and receive our adoration and worship. I want to make sure that I offer to God my sincere praise. Over the past four years I have attended many church services but I am still blessed to sit together with the family of God and hear the voices of the saints of God offer worship to our Saviour and Friend. Pastor Balram shared with me last night that eight (8) nationalities were represented in the service. It was such a blessing to sense the spirit of unity among the people and I was also able to identify the desire of spiritual hunger among the people of God. There was also a spirit of anticipation as we turned our hearts toward God and made our needs known to Him. This week has served as a great reminder and teaching moment in my life. We must always remember that the work of God and the Kingdom of God is far greater than our limited knowledge and view. Many of us live with such a "small view" of the Kingdom of God and in many cases the smallness of that vision hinders the full release of the blessings of God. Thank you Pastor Balram and Rockville congregation for encouraging the expansion of my view concerning the work of God in the hearts of His creation. I truly desire to be open to those things that God will reveal to us as He guides our journey. Pay attention to those "teaching moments" that God sends our way. God may send these to you in the grocery store, the ball field with your children, the work place with your fellow employees, or even among your own family. God can use these situations to cause you to interact with other believers and understand that God has many people who have a relationship with Him. God has much to teach all of us and we can certainly learn from one another.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Weekend Review

This week finds me in Rockville, MD with Pastor Robin & Indra Balram. Rockville is a suburb of Washington, DC. Pastor Balram and the congregation welcomed me into their fellowship with warmness and a strong desire to hear from the Word of God. The local church is a multi-cultural fellowship of believers with several nations of the world represented at any given time of worship and fellowship. It is such a great privilege to be able to present the message of the Gospel to such a group of brothers and sisters in Christ. Only in the family of God will you find a preacher from Kentucky addressing saints of God from various nations around the world. This opportunity reminds me of the joy of being a part of something that is so much larger than the local church that I attend on a consistent basis. Go is so much bigger than our traditions, He is greater than our limited ideas, and His awesome love truly reaches to all of the people groups of the world. It is no wonder that the song writer penned the words of the song "Amazing Grace." The Grace of God is amazing in that He loves the whole world and not just the small portion of the world in which you and I live. Is not God calling us to expand our view of the harvest fields? Is not God reminding us that the message of the Gospel is for everyone? It was such a blessing to see and hear the voices of the congregation blended together as a symphony of praise and worship to the God of all creation. My heart and spirit was enriched as I reflected on the death of Jesus on the cross and I remembered that Christ died that all of humanity would have the opportunity to become a part of the family of God. The old song declares, "I am so glad that I am a part of the family of God." I can declare that song today from the depth of a thankful heart that has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ! Acts 17:26-28a, "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord in the hope that they might grope for Him, though He is not far from each of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being..." (NKJV)

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Church

I was traveling yesterday and did not have the opportunity to make a post but the Lord dealt with my heart as I traveled. I want to share some thoughts about "church." Church is more than a building that houses a group of people. Church is more than a local body of individuals or an organizational structure. Church is more than a place that we attend for repititious religious practices. Church IS a group of people who have been united in Christ for the common goal of sharing the message of the Gospel with a world who is in desperate need of Hope and Grace. Church IS a group of individuals who are committed to share the genuine love of God through Godly actions and efforts to meet the needs of others that we see everyday of our lives. Church IS a group of individuals who are committed to reflect the character of God in all that they say and do on a daily basis. Church IS a group of individuals who are committed to edifying (building up, encouraging) one another through the power of Grace and Mercy. These are only a few of the thoughts that God placed in my heart as I reflected of my participation in the work of the "church". I truly desire to be a part of a "church" that has these and many other characteristics as a part of the lifestyle that they live out on a daily basis.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

God is at Work in You!

Ephesians 3:19, "May you experience the love of Christ though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (NLT) Each of us are aware of the influences of this culture which seek to conform us to the attitudes of carnal and fleshly desires. We know that we face the daily challenge of making the correct decisions regarding the way that we live and conduct our lives. BUT we must remember that God has planned and He is prepared to release His love and power into our lives. I want to connect the need of obedience to this passage in Ephesians. As we open our hearts to God in sincere and authentic obedience we are prepared to experience His work in us. We must continue to seek for God to do "His work" in our lives. Have we tried to live off our attempts to do "our work" in our lives rather than depending on the "fullness of life and power that comes from God?" As the Spirit of God within you instructs and inspires your obedience to Him, we come to know God by knowing His ways. True obedience and surrender provides the opportunity for all of us to know God in a deeper, more intimate relationship. The development of that relationship reveals the deepness of God's love and power. Let us remain focused on obedience and surrender to God. Obedience and surrender will give us the strength and power we need to live a successful Christian life which pleases God and brings glory to His name. Obedience and surrender will provide the strength and power we need to overcome and defeat the strategies of the enemy of our soul.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Teamwork, Part 2

The Lord continues to stir my heart concerning the need for individual believers to strive to work together as a team in the great cause of Jesus Christ. Is not division and separation a negative witness to those non-believers that live among us? Is not division and separation a negative witness to those believers that live among us? Is not spiritual failure more likely to happen to us if we fail to properly interact with our fellow believers and allow them to provide prayer, encouragement, and spiritual support to us? I would like to share three passages of scripture that provides some insight to the need for spiritual teamwork. I ask that you take a few moments and read these passages and then spend time meditating on the truth that is being spoken to the people of God. But I also ask that each of us seriously consider making sure that these principles are being incorporated into our daily lives. This is certainly not an exhaustive list but rather some important truths that God placed in my heart this morning. God will reveal truth to all of us as we continue our journey with Him; remain open to the Spirit and allow Him to show you the ways that you can become a better "spiritual team player." PRAYER: James 5:16, "Confess your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." (NLT) ENCOURAGEMENT: Hebrews 10:23-25, "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us thinks of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the days of his return is drawing near." (NLT) UNITY: Romans 14:19, "So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up." (NLT) Dear Lord, give your people a heart that will consider our responsibilities to the other members of the Body of Christ. Forgive us of living such independent and impersonal lives that has caused us to forget about the needs of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Awaken our hearts to the needs of others and develop within us a desire to be a source of help and encouragement to those that we contact on a daily basis. AMEN!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Teamwork

Many people around the nation stayed up late to watch the National Basketball Championship game between Butler and Duke (I am included in that number). It does not matter whether you are a fan of Butler or Duke you had to enjoy the teamwork that was demonstrated by both of the teams. Each of the team members were willing to fulfill their role and they were also willing to support the other team members as they fulfilled their roles. On several occasions the television cameras scanned the sidelines as the "reserves" would stand and clap in appreciation and encouragement for the players that were in the game at that moment. Those of us who watch sporting events have noticed that on many occasions it is someone who comes off the bench that will play a major role in the outcome of the game. We found this to be true last night as the support players made a definite impact on the outcome of the Championship game. Something interesting always happens at the end of the game, ALL players, both the starters and reserves celebrate the victory. At that moment all of the players are blended into one mass of humanity and celebration. They have forgotten their roles and they are happily celebrating the victory. You are probably thinking that you did not come to read this blog today to get a review of a sporting event. But as I awoke this morning these thoughts of teamwork began to flood my mind. The Body of Christ can be compared to a sporting team in some ways. All of us have our roles to play in the great work of sharing the Gospel message. Some members of the body will take the lead while others are involved in the support role in which they are prepared to handle their responsibilities through their gifts, talents, and abilities. Just as a team will not succeed if it depends solely on the starting players neither will a local church succeed if it only depends on the leaders of the local body. The spiritual success of the local church body depends on the members of the team working together for a common goal. We must always keep that common goal in our view; the common goal is to share the message of Jesus Christ with a world that is looking for hope and direction. We are to encourage one another as we see our fellow Christians fulfilling their purpose and sharing their gifts and talents within the work of the Gospel. I Corinthians 14:12, "Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel (to superabound in quality or quantity) to the edifying (building up) of the church" (KJV). Am I offering my best to the "team" or do I find myself just going through the motions of religious activity? I refuse to settle for religious activity; I seek to see the people of God declare the message of God and I want to fulfill my purpose within the framework of the Body of Christ. Take a moment today and open your heart to the Lord and allow Him to reaffirm your importance to the Body of Christ. Each of us have a "role" to play and a "position" to fill; let us fulfill our purpose of building up (strengthening) the family of God.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Weekend Services

I trust that each of you were able to spend some quality time offering your praise and worship to the Lord this past weekend. We need to remember that no one other than yourself can offer YOUR praise and worship to God. The praise team may contain great musicians and singers but God is looking for your voice and for your heart to express adoration to His name. It is very easy to become preoccupied with the "busyness" of life and we learn to shift the responsibility of worship to others and we become people who allow others to offer praise for us as well as for themselves. I trust that you will decide not just to be an observer during the worship services but you will make the commitment to become a participant and offer your heartfelt thanksgiving to God. I was able to participate in two awesome services this weekend. I was in Radcliff, KY on Good Friday to assist in leading a night of adoration to the great Savior of our lives. Sunday morning found me in Shepherdsville, KY as we gathered for the celebration of the resurrected Savior. These services were unique in which two congregations combined their efforts in a choral presentation to declare the name of the Lord over our respective cities. You could sense the presence of the Spirit as the people worshipped with shouts of praise, the clapping of their hands, as well as the tears that streamed down their faces. Each of the church buildings were filled as people gathered to make the declaration that Jesus Christ died for our sins; but we also declared that He arose on the third day and because of this resurrection we are able to live in the strength of daily victory. PRAISE GOD, JESUS IS ALIVE AND WE WALK IN THE STRENGTH OF HIS LIFE! I want to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Barbara Hatfield and Carol Baker for serving as the leaders of the choral presentation (NOTE: Sis. Carol serves as Worship Leader of New River Ministries in Radcliff, KY). I also thank the choir members who made the commitment to offer themselves as willing servants to the congregations. I also thank them for their willingness to be worshippers as well as presenters. Their heart for worship encouraged the rest of us to be willing to worship the King. I was also blessed by Pastor John and Tara Calhoun of the Shepherdsville, KY COGOP for their support and leadership in this outreach effort. I sincerely believe that the Lord was honored by the commitment of all of those who participated in this worship experience.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Scripture Passages for Reflection

I would like to challenge you to reflect on the price that was paid for our redemption as we enter this weekend of meditation. We can not afford to forget the love of God that was expressed to us through the death of Christ on the cross neither can we afford to forget the blessings of victory that was provided for us through the triumphant resurrection of Christ. We need to be thankful for the sacrifice and we need to celebrate the power of the resurrection. I Peter 1:18-23, "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom that he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God." (NLT) I am praying that each of us will have a special visitation of the Spirit as we continue our pursuit of God in the process of transformation and discipleship.