Weekend Review

Saturday was a time of celebration in our family. Ann and I celebrated our 39th Wedding Anniversary as well as our daughter-in-law's birthday. Those milestones called for a time of celebration at a very nice restaurant. It goes without saying that we had an enjoyable time with each other. I am always reminded to never take for granted those people who are very near and dear to us. Make sure that you always let those people know that you love and appreciate them. Sunday found me participating in an awesome Worship service at New River Worship Center in Radcliff, KY. The anointing of the Spirit was evident in every aspect of the meeting. The Call to Worship portion of the meeting spoke powerfully to those who were in attendance. We were reminded of the need not to judge one another but to accept each other as a gift from God. The people of God need to release the Love of God toward each other. We must walk in unity rather than division. The unity of the Spirit will provide God the opportunity to work among His people. Thank you Sis. Charlotte and Sis. Jewel for allowing the Spirit to use you and speak through you. People need to sense and feel the genuine love of God as they encounter the people of God. Let us love one another and so bear witness to the marvelous Grace of God!

Personal Tribute

Tomorrow is a special day in my life. Ann and I will celebrate our 39th Wedding Anniversary. It is difficult to imagine that I married the love of my life that many years ago. We are like most couples in that we have faced our share of challenges and difficulties. Yet in the midst of them we have learned to draw closer to God as well as closer to one another. I truly believe that the secret of our success has been the continuing development of our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is truly amazing to recognize the effect that Christ can have and will have over your life if you are willing to submit to His Lordship. We are not perfect by any means but we have learned to trust in God through all of the situations that life may present. My wife has been and still is my number one encourager. My wife has been and still is my number one prayer partner. My wife had been and still is my best friend. My wife has been and still is the love of my life. I want to thank her for the love and support that she has offered to me as we have traveled the road of life together these past 39 years. I love her deeply and I pray that we are able to have many more years together as husband and wife. My wife is a wonderful Christian woman who loves her family. We are blessed with two wonderful sons, two wonderful daughter-in-laws, and four awesome grandchildren. We thank God for His many wonderful blessings! Happy Anniversary Ann, you are a wonderful wife and I dearly love you.

Prayer Need

For many days I have been praying for the persecuted church around the world. We who live in America fail to remember that many brothers and sisters in Christ are living a life full of threats, suffering, and in some cases death in various nations of the world. We have seen the unrest that is taking place in Egypt, Libya, and other nations on the African continent. Christians are being persecuted for their belief in the message of the Gospel. Christians are being persecuted for their belief that Jesus Christ is the True Savior of the world. I am calling the readers of this blog to recognize the need of our "family." We must intercede for this challenge that many are facing. Please do not take this call lightly. America may find ourselves living under the threat of persecution and we will need the prayer support of the family of God around the world. I ask you to add this need to your prayer list and make this concern a priority.

Spiritual Foundation

Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (NIV).  A house is only as good as the foundation upon which it is built.  Many houses have fallen because of the poor foundation that was laid prior to the structure being built.  Jesus warned us in Matthew 7 about the foundation of our "spiritual house."  He revealed to us the difference between the foolish man and the wise man.  Both of these individuals heard the Word of God but only the wise man put the words into practice in his individual life.  Jesus alluded to the wise man as one "who built his house on the rock" (Matthew 7:24).  

What foundation are you building your spiritual house on today?  Do you put more credence in the words of man than you do the Word of God?  Are you using any type of "spiritual material" for the ingredients of your foundation?  Each of us need to make the commitment that we will build our spiritual house on a strong relationship with Jesus Christ which is called the Rock in several Biblical passages.  We can depend on the strength of the Eternal God and we can find the refuge that we need when the storms of life come against us.  A line from an old hymn of the church declares "On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand..."  Jesus Christ is the firm foundation on which we build our hope and He is the reason that we can celebrate His presence.  Christ has been our refuge in times of storms.  Our spiritual house can withstand all of the storms of life that may arise against us during our journey on this earth.  He is the strong and mighty tower and we can place our confidence in Him and in the promises of His Word.  Take some time to examine your spiritual foundation today and make sure that you are building your life on the correct spiritual principles.

Weekend Review

Friday and Saturday found me investing my time with special friends and family. I almost wrote the word "spending" rather than investing. My time with my family and friends was truly an investment in the purest sense of that word. The time invested those two days was a credit to my life and not a debit. A deep sense of joy was added to my life and not subtracted. Look at time with your family and friends as a benefit to you and not a detriment. I am a better person today because of the investment that I made in the lives of people who mean so very much to me. I am determined to take advantage of any moments in the future in which I am given the opportunity to interact with those people that are an important part of my life. Life is too short to miss those moments or to completely ignore those moments. Sunday found me sharing the Word of God in New River Worship Center in Radcliff, KY (church plant). Truly the presence of the Lord was very evident in every aspect of the meeting. God is releasing a great work in the heart of believers in Radcliff as well as other cities around the world. We must become more sensitive to those things that God is releasing in His Kingdom. One line of a worship chorus declares "Open the eyes of my heart...". We truly need our spiritual eyes need to be opened to those things that come from God. We are living in perilous (dangerous) times and we do not need to be unaware and unresponsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must remember that our Hope is in the Lord and not the systems of the world. The systems of the world will only add to our level of frustration but the leading of the Spirit will bring rest and peace in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

Presence of God, Part 2

We are on our way to visit a dear friend who may be living her last days on this earth. I am sure that her family and friends are having conflicting thoughts at this time. On one hand they can rejoice because of the Christian life that she has lived but their hearts are laden with sadness because of her imminent departure from their presence. This morning my wife read these statements to me from a devotional written by Sarah Young entitled "Jesus Calling." I feel these statements once again remind us of the Promises of Christ. Take a moment and carefully read these words; "I AM WITH YOU. These four words are like a safety net, protecting you from falling into despair. Because you are human, you will always have ups and downs in your life experience. But the promise of My Presence limits how far you can go down." These words remind us that we have a secure anchor to hold during those moments of trial and anxiety that we will face. An old hymn makes this declaration, "Hold to God's unchanging Hand..." By faith we are able to hold to God even when the winds of life are blowing against us. Trust in His presence today!

Presence of God

Much has been written and said about the presence of God.  But I am truly convinced that we need to understand and recognize that the presence of God is not just some mystical manifestation of our imagination.  The presence of God is not just an appearance of a cloud or smoke but the presence of God is a true revelation of the nearness of God to our everyday lives. 

Jesus taught us concerning the presence of God in John 14:16-17, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world can not receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you" (NASB).  Doesn't that promise from Christ raise a strong hope and assurance in your heart today?  We can depend on the presence of God being with us and in us as true believers in Christ and His Word.  That assurance allows us to understand that no matter what circumstances of life that we face we are never alone.  The presence of God is with us and He watches over us wherever we go on a daily basis.  We are able to accept the reality of the presence of God through faith in the truth that God speaks to us through His Word.  We are able to build our life on this absolute truth.  The enemy seeks to make us feel all alone and away from the presence of God.  There have been times during my travels that I felt so far from home and I would find myself feeling all alone as I set out to perform my daily duties.  But I would quickly remember that my wife loved me and that she was praying for me and that she knew my location at that very moment.  I would find comfort in those natural thoughts about home and my family.  How much more can I take comfort in the fact that with Christ at my side and that I am never alone?  He ALWAYS knows my location and He knows the challenges that I may be facing at any particular moment.  O child of God, you can lift your head and heart today if you are feeling alone or forsaken.  Your faith and hope can be strengthened through the knowledge that you are never out of the sight of the Chief Shepherd.  He knows your location and His presence is with you at this very moment.

Friendships

It appears that God is using life moments to teach me certain principles as well as remind me of principles that I do not need to forget.  Last evening we were asked to share a meal and a time of fellowship with five other couples with which we have become acquainted within the past few years.  These couples have become friends as well as prayer partners concerning the call of God that is on our lives at this present time.  We enjoyed a wonderful meal, great conversation, a trip down memory lane as well as testimonies of what God is doing at this present moment in all of our lives.  Two of the ladies in the group are cancer survivors and some of the other people in the group have faced their own set of unique circumstances which are very private and personal.  Yet God has chosen to bring us together and allow us to form a friendship that is growing stronger although we do not see this group on a consistent basis.  I was reminded of the strong bond of friendship as we were driving home last night.  

Jesus spoke a word of truth into our hearts when He reminded us that a man's life does not consist of the things that He possesses.  Our culture puts such strong emphasis on what we possess or should I say on those things that we are working to possess.  Culture defines you by what type of automobile or truck that you drive.  Culture defines you by the square footage of your house.  Culture defines you by the educational degrees that you have attained.  Culture defines you by the weekly or monthly pay check that you bring home.   It is without question that all of these accolades or accomplishments play a role in our lives and there is certainly nothing sinful or wrong about being successful in any of these cultural measurements.  But I want to ask you a question, "Don't you desire for your life to measured by more that just what you possess or what you have accomplished?"  

I would not be placed in the upper echelon of the above mentioned categories that are so important to some people in our society.  But I do consider myself a "rich" man.  First of all, I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ which is not based on my possessions.  Second, I have a family that I love with a deep and sincere love and that family offers to me their love and support.  Culture may not have a tool or instrument that can measure the depth of the love that we share in our family and neither can it measure the love that is shared in your family.  Third, I am blessed with a long list of friends (and they are not all on Facebook) that I have seen develop through the years of living on this earth.  Each and everyone of them have impacted my life in a very special way.  I am not able to see some of them very often but I am able to relive our times of fellowship and inspiration as we begin to talk and catch up on the lives of each other.  I know that I have written about family and friends before but I just felt the the Spirit wanted us not to overlook some of the riches that we possess.  Do not take for granted your family and friends.  Make special efforts to remind them of your love and concern for them.  Let them know that they are important to you and that you are glad that God has placed them in your life.

You are richer than you think!  Take a moment to perform an inventory of your riches.

Love

I have two thoughts that I would like to share today. First of all, I desire to wish my wonderful wife, Ann, a Happy Valentine's Day. Ann has been the love of my life for almost 39 years. She has been and continues to be my number one cheerleader and encourager. She has been and continues to be my number one prayer partner. She has been and continues to be my number one confidant and my best friend. I am truly grateful that God brought us together and that He has blessed our marriage with many wonderful blessings. I desire to continue showing my wife how much I love her through the daily commitment of my life to her and to our marriage. I take seriously the wedding vows that I made in 1972 and I am committed to fulfill those vows to the best of my ability. I also wanted to remind you that the Love of God is the true example of sacrificial love. Jesus gave His life as a willing sacrifice for the sins of mankind. It is no wonder that the Bible reminds men to love their wives as Christ loved the church. He demonstrated His love for His people. Your spouse needs more than greeting cards, flowers, jewelry, or a nice meal. Your spouse needs your commitment to them and the daily demonstration of your love for them.

Good Name

I was asked to share the eulogy/sermon at the homegoing celebration of a friend's Mother on Thursday.  The passage in Proverbs 22:1 immediately came to mind during my prayer and preparation time.  The first part of that verse makes this declaration; "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches..." (NKJV).  The words "good name" began to sink into my thought process.  We hear those words spoken often about people who are living as well as those people who have passed from this life.  In the beginning of my thinking I put together this idea; we don't have much sway over what people may say or think about us and in some ways that is true because we can not control the thought processes of another human being.  But as I begin to study this thought even deeper; I realized that we do have some control or at least some input to the other person's decision making process. 

You may ask, "How can I have this control or input into the other person's thoughts?"  We have the ability to influence and impact other people through our actions, our reactions, our words, our lifestyle, our commitment to friendships, and a host of other activities that can have either have a negative or positive impact on other people.  The majority of people that I know would never purposefully conduct themselves in such a manner that would leave a negative impression of themselves.  But we are human beings and we do have the ability to fail and there are times that we will fail at presenting to other people the right impression of our character or integrity. That is the reason that we make sure that we are doing our best to take care of our "name" in such a way that when people hear our name called they are not disturbed or angry.  I know that we do not have 100% control over the thoughts of other people but I want to remind each of us of the need to conduct ourselves in such a manner that people can speak well of us.  We need to make sure that we are allowing the work of Christ to be revealed through our lives and through our actions.  We need to represent Him (Paul called us "ambassadors" of Christ) in such a manner that Christ is glorified in us and through us.  The preparation of this eulogy called me to examine myself even more closely and to make sure that I still have a strong desire to live in a manner in which Christ is being revealed and declared.  I want to live with a "good name" and I want to leave a "good name" behind when it comes my time to pass from this life.

Sharing Your Story

My schedule appears to be very busy as I look at the responsibilities of the next few days.  I am sure that many of you feel the same way as you look ahead and realize all that you need to accomplish in the next several days.  It is so easy to become captured by the events and circumstances of life that we fail to take the opportunity to share the good things that God is doing in our lives.  God began to stir this thought in my mind as I was reading during my devotional time this morning.  It became even clearer to me as I entered my time of prayer, praise, and fellowship with God.  As many of you know I have been dealing with an injury since October of 2010.  I have made significant progress through prayer and therapy yet there remains other measures that I need to take in order to receive my complete healing.  During prayer God reminded me of the need to thank Him and praise Him concerning the fact that my injuries were not more severe or difficult than they could have been.  I then began to repent and to ask God not to allow my frustration with my progress to be misconstrued as a lack of thankfulness or gratitude. 

I have been trying to let people know that my injuries could have been more severe if it had not been for the Mercy and Grace of God.  I don't want this post to turn into a personal confession time although there are times that we do need to make a full confession to God concerning our thoughts and our emotions.  But I wanted this personal time of encounter with God to serve as a teaching moment for all of us.  We need to share the story of God's goodness in our lives.  We need to share the positive influence that Christ is making in our lives with those people with which we interact on a daily basis.  It seems (at least in my opinion) that the news media focuses on the negative side of the actions of society and very seldom ever brings to our attention the positive things that are taking place around us.  We need to challenge that trend and make sure that people know that God is at work in our hearts and that His Spirit is leading us to understand all of the benefits that He provides for us on a daily basis.  It is impossible to think of all the things that God does for us within one 24 hour span much less a life time of blessings that God has bestowed on us.  I want to be faithful in exalting and honoring His name in the midst of the darkness of sin in this world.  Each of you have a story to share; each of you can testify to others of the marvelous work of God that is taking place in you at this very moment.  Don't let your story fade away or die out because of the frustrations of life.  Let us recommit ourselves to talking of the goodness of God even in the midst of our adversities and difficulties.

Monday's Challenge

Earlier this morning I was involved in a conversation with my father who lives in Alabama.  My dad is a retired Minister (over 60 years of service in the Kingdom of God).  In the past few days he was given the opportunity to share the Word of God (preaching) in the local church that he attends.  He shared with me, with much passion and zeal I might add, the Word that God had placed on his heart.  I was going to share another thought today but as I prayed the Lord began to sow  this word into my heart and spirit.  

We love to quote the writings of Paul in which he talked about "...resist the devil, and he will flee from you..."  (James 4:7).  There are many occasions in which we love to quote the last section of this verse while we completely overlook or disregard the opening words of the passage; "Therefore submit to God" (NJKV).  As I listened to my dad expound upon the Word that God placed on his heart I began to hear the Holy Spirit remind me of the opening challenge in this writing of the Spirit through Paul.  The victories that I need to win can only be won as I prepare my heart in surrender and submission to the Heavenly Father.  The NLT says these words in this manner, "So humble yourselves before God..."  Either of these translations remind us of the need to walk in humility and submission to our "Abba Father."  Surrender or submission to the Father provides the strength and unction that we need to overcome the temptations and tactics of the enemy.  I may have the desire to overcome the enemy but do I possess that same desire for God to take full control of my life as I willingly offer my life to Him in the order of a living sacrifice?  I am a living sacrifice but I willingly die out (crucify the flesh) to those things which hinder my spiritual progress and my relationship with the Heavenly Father. This spiritual maturity comes as I allow the true Holiness of God to manifest in my daily lifestyle and I become willing to lay aside any and every thing that does not fully reflect His glory.  I fully believe that type of heart of surrender and submission opens the door for us to triumph over all the strategies of the enemy.  I firmly believe that type of heart allows us to declare "...that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world."  Each of us need to answer the call from God to fully surrender our lives to Him so that the power and authority of Christ can flow through us as we face those moments in which we need to resist the tempter who has come to dissuade us from the faith.  I have said this before but it is worth repeating; "The Lord has prepared for our victory and not our defeat."  I truly desire to walk in humility and surrender to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so that I can over come all that the enemy puts in my path.

People of Influence, Part 2

I hope and pray that these posts are encouraging you to reflect on those people and those situations that have made a positive influence in your life.  It is so easy to forget those moments in which God worked through someone to plant a spiritual principle in your life.  Each one of us need those reminders and those teaching points in which God provides direction, encouragement, and even correction so that out lives can more fully reflect His glory and His true purpose for our existence.  I desire to recognize and receive those moments so that my life can more fully reflect the life of Jesus Christ at work in me.

This past Sunday evening was another one of those moments in which God reminded me of courage and faith and He used a lady named Edna to bring those principles to my attention.  We were participating in a service in which the Worship time centered around different individuals sharing their gifts and talents.  These talents and gifts included special musical arrangements, expressive worship, duets, as well as soloists.  Edna was one of the soloists during this special evening of worship.  Edna faces health issues each and every day of her life.  She is on dialysis three times a week as well as facing the challenge of being a diabetic.  Her brother had passed away the week before we were to have the worship service but she chose to sing and participate with the rest of the worshipers.  I could sense in my spirit that she was going to sing something that would speak to my heart.  My anticipation began to grow as I watched her slowly make her way down the isle of the church toward the platform.  She then began to sing the song, Through it All.  I could feel my spirit being energized by the Holy Spirit as the song began to minister to my heart.  Andrae Crouch wrote this song and I want to share a portion of the chorus, "Through it all, through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God; Through it all, through it all, I've learned to depend upon Your Word..."  Edna was not only singing a song she was singing her testimony.  The words of that song has resonated in my heart throughout this week.  We must remember that the promises of the presence of God and the strength of the Word of God are always with us regardless of the circumstances that we face on a daily basis.  God used Edna that night to sow the strength of that promise into my heart.  All of us have faced those moments in which we looked for the presence of God in the midst of our difficulties.  But we will find God if we look for Him through the eyes of faith and hope.  

Today, I can declare along with Edna, that God is with me "through it all." I want to thank Edna for being obedient to the Spirit; she sang the song that God intended for her to sing so that He could minister to His children.  God will use each of us to be a blessing to others if we will take the time to seek after His heart.

People of Influence

The post yesterday reminded us to remember those individuals who have made a positive impact on our lives either through their actions or their words.  A number of individuals have come to my mind as I have pondered this thought over the past several days.  My perspective on life has been molded and shaped by these encounters and these episodes of influence throughout my childhood and even into my adulthood.  I want to share about one of these encounters that affected my life last week.

I scheduled a meeting with our Youth Pastor at New River Worship Center.  We were meeting for lunch to review the youth work of 2010 and to plan for the youth work in 2011.  I became acquainted with Brandon at the end of 2009.  Our friendship and working relationship began to develop throughout 2010 as he became an integral part of the church plant in Radcliff, KY.  Pastor Brandon is a wonderful Christian man with a great heart for the things of God and he also possesses a wealth of knowledge not only about the Bible but also about many of the current as well as past events of our nation.  I am always learning something when I either listen to Brandon speak in public or when I just have a normal conversation with him.  I have learned to cherish the friendship and spiritual relationship that is developing between Brandon and myself.  

Brandon has health issues that he deals with every day but he has chosen not to let these health issues limit his work for Christ and limit his enjoyment of life.  Time and space will not allow me to go into detail regarding these health issues but I wanted you to know that Brandon chooses to push past each of these so that he can be an effective Christian, an effective son, an effective husband, and soon to be an effective father. Brandon suffered a severe brain injury through a fall several years ago in addition to the health issues that he has dealt with in his short life.  He shared some of the things that he had to overcome as he began his recovery process from the brain injury.  He had to re-learn some of the tasks that we take for granted on many days of our lives.  But once again he chose not to be defined by those moments of re-learning his skills but he applied himself until he was able to regain his abilities to function in society.  But he did not stop there; he wanted to do more than just live, he desired for his life to make a difference in this world through his witness for Christ as well as his service in the Kingdom of God.  Many of you may never personally know Pastor Brandon but I am one person who has been influenced through his desire to make a difference in this world.  My daily struggles do not compare to some of the struggles that I know Brandon faces and I am sure that there are many struggles that I will never know.  Brandon has taught me perseverance. Brandon has taught me compassion for others.  Brandon has taught me to continue looking ahead and not to be defined by the past.  Brandon has taught me the joy of serving others even when I am not feeling well.  Brandon has taught me that God has a plan for my life even when difficult circumstances arise.  I want to thank Pastor Brandon for being a positive influence and I pray that I can teach others some of the lessons that Brandon's life has shared with me.  Remember, we need to pass on to others the lessons that God teaches us through the lives of our family and friends.

Influence

Over the past few days I have been thinking about the different people that God has placed in my life who have provided me with a positive influence.  I think about school teachers who challenged me to excel in my studies and I think about Sunday School teachers and Youth Leaders who helped bring the Bible alive to me in a very personal way. I was raised in a Pastor's home and I think about all of the wonderful ministers who came to our home over the years and showed me a real hunger and passion for Jesus Christ.  I think of my parents who have served the Lord all of my life and even until this very day they keep showing me the importance of loving God and loving people regardless of their status in society.  I think of my wife who has been a very positive role model of care, concern, and compassion for our family as well as the people that we have served through the years. I think of the spiritual leaders and mentors that God has placed in my life over the years who have modeled to me the example of Christian service as well as the example of continuing to improve and upgrade my ministerial training.  I also think of various congregations in which we have served as Pastors over the years. Each of these congregations had people who were a very positive role model in which they served faithfully without much fan fare or attention.  This is just a short list of people who have played a major role of influence in my journey through life.  Each of you could develop a list like this one and you probably should develop a list like this so that you can reflect on your journey through life and appreciate those people who have influenced you in your life.  No one of us have reached our present status in life alone; God strategically placed people in our lives at the right moments in which we needed their influence to help us keep moving in the right direction.

It is easy to reflect and remember those people who were a bad example or bad role model.  All of us can remember friendships that proved to be more of  a detriment than a benefit to our progress through life.  But today I want us to focus on those people who have been a positive influence.  Some of these individuals may have already passed from this life to their eternal reward while others of them are still alive and still being a positive influence to society.  Don't wait until they have passed before you share your appreciation.  Take a moment today and share with them your sincere appreciation.  You will feel better after you take this action and the individual or individuals will be blessed and encouraged by your words of appreciation.

In the next blog I will write about two individuals who touched my life in the past few days.  Have a great day and remember; we have the opportunity to be a person of influence.  Make the decision to be a person of positive influence as you move throughout the remainder of your life on this earth.