Future

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

Prayer & Fasting

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

Christmas Greetings!

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

Christmas Eve Thoughts

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

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

Presence or Presents

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

Weekend Review

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

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

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

Room in the Inn

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

Weekend Review

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

How Do I Lead?

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

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

Am I a Leader?

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

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

To be continued!

Weekend Review

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

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

Praise Report

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

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

Excitement!

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

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