Bible Study

The Bible Study at New River Worship Center last night was challenging as well as enlightening.  It is a blessing to be able to have discussion and interaction during the discussion of the Word of God.  All of us need to be disciples that understand the need to keep learning about the principles of Christ.  But to be effective witnesses in our world we also need to learn how to make application of these principles to our daily lives.  I believe the true witness of Christianity is our ability to make application of these principles in our lives in the midst of the evil and darkness that is affecting the moral fiber and character of our nation today.  

Last night we discussed the uniqueness of each individual.  Each of us were created in the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.  We are given the great opportunity to reflect the glory of God in our daily lives through our individuality.  Many of us waste much of our lives because we are always trying to be someone else rather than allowing God to develop us into the person that He has designed.  Each of us have unique gifts, talents, and abilities that can be used to share the Gospel with non-believers as well as share encouragement with the members of the Body of Christ.  The question is not whether we have any gifts, talents, or abilities; the true question is whether or not we will use these for the glory of God.  Why do we seek to become anything less than the person God has created?  I am not encouraging people to be content with their present status or present relationship with Christ.  Rather I am simply encouraging us to become comfortable in our own skin and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us in a meaningful way.  All of will have an effect on people; it is our choice to whether this effect will be positive or negative.  I have been blessed by many people through the years that have been able to have a very positive effect on my life.  They were willing to invest in my life through prayers, words of encouragement, the development of our friendship, and through the spiritual fellowship that only God can provide.  I am a better person because these people have crossed my path.  Hopefully there are people who can make that same statement about my life.  There are people who can make that same statement about you and the effect that you have made in their lives.  God will provide each of us different ways to minister to people if we will seek to excel to the edifying of the Body of Christ.  Look for these opportunities as you move through your life today!

Weekend Services

It is always a privilege to be able to share the Word of God with a group of people who are receptive to hear what God desires to say to His people.  It is also a blessing to be able to worship with a group of people who do not possess a hidden agenda of any sort.  It is always a blessing to attend church and recognize that people are not jockeying for positional authority in the local body of believers.  Each of us need to live with these ideals in mind as we gather to worship.  Time is too short and the need is too great for the Body of Christ to be captured by any other desire other than the desire for a divine encounter with the presence of God.  

The time of worship and sharing the Word of God was wonderful at New River Worship Center on Sunday.  We gathered to exalt and magnify the name of the Lord.  The Call to Worship song challenged us to focus on the knowledge that "Christ is all that we need" even when we are facing the challenges of daily life.  I truly believe that many of us who think that we are "spiritual" need to be reminded of the simplicity of trusting Christ with everything that we face in life.  We all know that the larger things of life are placed in the hands of God but we also need to remember that we are able to place the daily things of life in the hands of God.  The corporate worship also reminded us of the need to "pour our worship and pour our love out on God."  I have said it many times before but I will say it once more; "Worship has to stop being about us and our abilities and Worship must be about exalting, extolling, and magnifying Jesus Christ."  After all, Christ is still the answer for the hurting in our world.  The anointing of the Spirit filled the house and at the conclusion of the message the altar was full of people who were bringing their lives into the presence of God.  God calls us to bring our needs to Him but He also calls us to come and surrender our complete life to Him.  I desire to offer myself to Him as a living sacrifice; I want Him performing His will in my life on a daily basis.

The Sunday evening service was led by our Youth Pastor and the youth of the church.  Several of them shared their talents and abilities as well as sharing their testimonies of the challenges that they face at school among their friends.  We must reach this generation with the truth of God's Word as well as the authentic love and grace of God.  I truly believe this generation is looking for people who will live out their relationship with God on a daily basis.  We must model the message of Christ as well as speak the message of Christ.  Pastor Brandon challenged us to examine our individual lives and make sure that we are committed to the truths of Christianity.  Pastor Brandon has been teaching about the various world religions in the youth meeting on Wednesday nights.  In the midst of the false teachings concerning God we need to strengthen our own relationship with Jesus Christ which is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Not only do the youth need to see their faith strengthened but each and every believer need to strengthen their faith.  I want to stand firm in my belief concerning Jesus Christ and not allow the winds of culture to direct my decisions.

Personal Congratulations

On Friday of this past week my Dad celebrated his 85th birthday.  I felt that I wanted to recognize this major accomplishment in the life of my Dad as well as the lives of his family.  There are many characteristics that I can identify as I look back at the life of influence that he has lived.  Him and my Mother have certainly influenced our family and influenced people whom they have served through the many years of Ministry in which they have been engaged.  We hear about and read about so much negativity in our society that I felt that we needed to "hear a little good news today."  This world has many wonderful people whose lives receive very little recognition or promotion and they go unnoticed by this world yet in the eyes of God they are very important and necessary to counteract the power of evil and wickedness that certainly exists in our society.

My Dad was called on to serve in the military during the second World War.  He served as an infantry soldier in the section of the army which was led by General George Patton.  His until was involved in some of the major battles in the European theater such as the crossing of the Rhine River, the Battle of the Bulge and the crossing of the Siegfried lines just to name a few.  My dad has been a faithful husband for almost 60 years.  Him and my Mother have served as loving parents to six children and now are able to see great-grandchildren being born into their family.  My Dad has served as a Gospel Minister for over 60 years and many of these years he served as a bi-vocational Pastor in churches throughout the state of Alabama.  Him and my mother continue these ministry efforts even in their golden years as they continue to visit people in the hospital and those shut-ins who need a voice of encouragement as they face their challenges and struggles on a daily basis.  My Dad has served as a Volunteer Chaplain at the local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in Alabama.  I am writing this because I believe that some of the "unsung" heroes of this nation need to be recognized.

We live in a time in which millionaire sports figures are held in high esteem as "heroes" and role models although they are good at simply playing a game.  We live in a time in which entertainers are lifted to a very high place of influence in many cases although their moral and spiritual values are at an all time low.  We live in time in which success is defined in the possession of material goods rather than the influence that a person is depositing in the lives of others.  My parents are far from rich yet their children, their grandchildren, and now their grandchildren are very rich because God has placed them in our lives. Certainly my parents are not perfect yet their good qualities far our number their negative qualities.  Each of us need to take time and recognize those individuals whose lives reflect their commitment to a relationship with God as well as their commitment to making a difference in the lives of people that God has placed around them.  Each of us need to do two things; 1) Take a moment and thank God for these individuals and 2) Take a moment and personally take the time to thank these individuals for the positive influence that they have had in your life.  This second action will bring a smile to the person who is being thanked and it will also bring a sense of sincere gratitude, appreciation, and recognition to your life.  Be blessed as you identify these individuals and the deep impact they have made in your walk through life.

Revival Review

Due to my schedule I was unable to make any posts the past few days concerning the Revival meeting at the Lakeside church in Westmoreland, Tennessee. The privilege to return to the Lakeside church is such a wonderful blessing as well as a great opportunity.  God uses the Worship Team and special music to set the stage for the presentation of the Word of God.  The Prayer Intercessors have laid the spiritual platform so that the freedom and unction of the Spirit can be felt by the congregation as well as the Minister.  The encouragement and leadership style of the Pastor allows the Evangelist to not only seek after the heart of God; he also allows him the freedom to openly declare what the Spirit has placed in his heart.  I mention these attributes to let you understand that there are many elements that contribute to a visitation of the Spirit.  Each person who participates in the meeting has a responsibility to make themselves available to the Spirit in Worship as well as Prayer.  We must stop waiting on everyone else to pay the price for the move of God; each of us must be prepared to surrender our lives to God so that He can work in us as well as through us.

It would be an understatement to say that the services were highly anointed and powerful.  I made the previous observations and statements so that you will know that I do not believe that the Evangelist can bring the move of God.  I believe that the Spirit will use the Evangelist as a catalyst to stir the fires of hope and courage among the believers.  I believe that the Spirit will use the Evangelist to fan the fires of passionate zeal and the heart for soul winning.  But true Revival comes from God and God alone.  He uses people like you and me to point people to Jesus Christ.

The altars were full each evening.  We witnessed people of various ages crying out to God for needs in their lives as well as needs in the lives of others.  We witnessed tears of compassion, love, and mercy fall down the faces of broken people who realized that God truly loved them and that He identified with the circumstances that they were facing.  We witnessed people receiving Christ as their Savior.  We witnessed people dancing and leaping because of the freedom that they experienced as they laid their burdens before the Lord.  We witnessed people being introduced to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.  We witnessed people receiving the refreshing presence of God as they accepted the fact that God was bringing them out of the season of spiritual dryness.  Praise God for all of His many blessings; those that we know happened as well as those things that took place in the privacy of the hearts of various individuals.

Weekend Review

This week finds me in Westmoreland, Tennessee at the Lakeside church. Leon & Faye Graves serve as Pastor of this local church.  I have been privileged to have served this church as Evangelist on previous occasions and it is truly an honor to be invited back to this local congregation.  This is my first revival in five months due to my injury and my commitment to the church plant in Radcliff  Kentucky.  I still sense the "fire of revival and renewing" stirring in my heart as I ministered to the congregation on Sunday. 

I am convinced that God is awakening those people who are looking to Him with hearts of sincere and genuine faith.  I truly do not want to miss the plans that God has for this generation of believers.  I know that we are living in very unique and challenging times and we are living in what some are calling "troubled times."  Yet I remain spiritually optimistic and hopeful; I sense the presence of the Spirit at work every time that I am able to share the Word of God.  The Word of God and the Spirit of God are not intimidated by the times in which we are living and the Word and the Spirit are not intimidated by the presence of evil.  I am determined to share the Word of God and follow the leading of the Spirit regardless of the presence of evil and wickedness.  Once again I was able to witness the power and evidence of the Spirit in yesterday's service as people responded to the presence of God. God is at work if we will take the time to respond to Him.

Personal update: I had a CT scan on my arm this past Friday. I will revisit the specialist next week.  I would appreciate your continued prayers for my complete healing.

Worship, Part 2

A few days ago I shared some thoughts concerning our need to approach the opportunity of worship in the correct manner.  I am afraid that so many times we approach God in such a flippant manner that we fail to comprehend the serious nature of being in the presence of the True and Living God.  You can tell this through some of our actions and even reactions as we gather to worship in the house of God.  I am not desiring to be difficult through expressing my views or concerns through this blog but I am concerned about each of us understanding the awesome opportunity that we enjoy as we prepare our hearts to worship God.

I believe that true and sincere worship cause us to humble our hearts in the presence of God.  We live in a world of pride and self-inflated egos.  These type of attitudes are presented in the media through entertainers, sports stars, politicians, as well as other aspects of society.  I am not wanting to list these people as the only source of haughtiness or high-mindedness.  We have seen the same "worldly" attitude makes it way into the church through musicians, singers, and even the ministers of the Gospel.  Yes, even the church has to battle the disease of arrogance and pride.  But true worship allows us to recognize our weaknesses and also recognize the strengths of God.  We are able to understand our humanity and stand in awe of the Deity of God.  Humility allows us to focus on our desperate need for a Savior, Healer, Provider, Protector, Shepherd, etc. that has great concern for our spiritual, physical, emotional, and financial well being.  Humility allows us to understand that God has love for us that is able to see beyond our faults and recognize our needs.  Humility allows us to recognize, understand, and accept the fact that Christ willingly offered His life on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins.  Humility allows us to understand that Christ is prepared to forgive us of the sins that we have committed if we are willing to come before Him in faithful repentance.  Let us approach God in humility and thankfulness the next time we participate in worship whether it is a time of private worship or an opportunity of public worship.

Weekend Review, Part 2

The weekend service was unique in many ways.  Each of us who were present realizes that God is calling us out of the natural routine of church into a supernatural revelation of the grace and mercy of God.  I truly believe that people are not just looking for a "well-oiled spiritual machine" at church but they are looking for an authentic encounter with God who can and will make a difference in their lives.  I am not saying that we do not need to have excellence in our presentation of Christ through song, drama, worship and the Gospel message.  No, a thousand times no to a lazy unprepared worship service.  As a matter of fact we need to offer to God our very best; read the first part of the book of Malachi and see the response of God to an attitude of inferior worship.  We need to focus on God and let Him know that He will receive our best offering of praise and worship and that He deserves our undivided attention and respect.  I simply believe that many of us will no longer be satisfied with the "status-quo" of religious repetition and activity and think that will replace a personal relationship and interaction with Jesus Christ.  We are moving beyond that comfort zone and we are desiring a time of divine interaction with God in which He is able to do His complete work in our lives.  I desire more that some "spiritual party" full of action and entertainment.  I desire a time of interaction in which the Spirit performs His inner working in my heart in such a manner that I leave the service transformed and energized to serve Christ faithfully.  I believe that I am seeing the beginning stages of that desire come to fruition and I am determined to press closer to the Cross so that I can fully obtain all of Christ that I need.  I want to complete this journey so that I can hear the Master say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant..."

Weekend Review

The past Sunday service was filled with the presence of God. The Call to Worship portion of the service was led by one of our youth. Justin, age 12, sang the song, "Tomorrow." He challenged each of us to evaluate our lives and see what decisions we are putting off until tomorrow. He reminded us that today is the day that we need to get our hearts right with God. You could sense the Spirit speaking to the congregation in a spirit of introspection. Many of us have no problem examining the lives of others but we spend little time and little effort in taking a deep look at our walk with Christ. My heart is being challenged even as I write these words. I desire to give God my best TODAY. Why do we waste our time waiting for another day of opportunity? This is the day that the Lord has made and we need to give our lives in service to Him at this very moment. Do not wait any longer; serve Him today!

Worship, Part 2

I would like to continue sharing some thoughts that I have gathered in my mind over the past few days concerning personal worship.  Worship has always been an important part of my life.  I can even go back to the days when I served as one of the musicians in our local church prior to my call into the ministry.  I can remember the important role that the selection of music played in the overall direction of the service.  Even as a young man I could sense that there was something unique and special about entering into the presence of God and our need to respond to that invitation from the Spirit.  I seek to maintain that same sense of recognition and response to the Holy Spirit even now these many years later in my life.

The Bible Study presentation on Wednesday night brought this question into my heart.  Do we truly treasure the presence of God in our worship services?  To properly answer that question I must pose another question.  What do we treasure in our worship service?  Do the singers treasure the sound and quality of their voices?  Do the musicians treasure the sound and quality of their musical ability?  Does the congregation treasure the style of music that "their" worship team has to offer?  Does the congregation treasure the idea that their worship team offers enough praise and worship to please God for those who are participating in that particular service?  Hopefully these questions serve to remind you of what we DON'T NEED TO TREASURE.  WE MUST TREASURE THE PRESENCE OF GOD WHEN WE OFFER OUR WORSHIP TO GOD!  I want to emphasize that point of revelation.  Have we truly worshiped if we have not identified and treasured the presence of God?  We all can become captured by the artists; the style of music; the presentation of the music; and our enjoyment of the music. These recognitions can cause us to fail to spend time in the presence of God.  We must move the identification of the presence of God to the top of our worship list of goals and desires.  I enjoy good music, I enjoy the talent of quality singers, and I enjoy the arrangements of various worship teams.  But  I truly long for the presence of God.  Let us remember that it is the presence of God that meets the needs of our individual as well as corporate lives.  Look to identify the presence of God as you gather for corporate worship this coming Sunday.  You will be blessed as you bask in the rich presence of the Lord God Almighty.

Worship

I attended Bible study last night which was led by the Worship Leader of New River Worship Center in Radcliff, KY.  She shared an introductory lesson concerning worship which she defined as the "development of our relationship with God."  She went on to say that worship is "allowing God to take center stage of our lives."  How many times have you been to church and worship was more about us than it was about God?  How many times have we been content with entertainment or the mere display of our gifts, talents, and abilities and yet we had the audacity to call it "worship service?" You are correct if you are discerning that my heart was challenged and encouraged by this lesson presentation last night.  I am tired of just the same old song and dance routine of a religious sideshow; I am truly desperate for a time of interaction and participation with God.  I am also learning that I must stop waiting on others to offer my worship to God.  NO ONE as gifted and talented as they may be can offer my personal worship to God.  Worship Teams only lead me in the process of Worship.  God desires to hear the praises, adoration, and thanksgiving from my words that are being spoken from a heart that is recognizing the greatness of God.  I will be sharing some of the other nuggets of truth that was spoken last night.  I sense that we must focus on the development of our heart for worship which is directly related to our heart for God.  Ask God to search your heart concerning your personal worship interaction with Him.  I desire to be a sincere WORSHIPER! 

Return

It has been several days since I made a post on this blog. Both my wife and I have been sick since the end of last week. She has been dealing with bronchitis for over a week and I have been struggling with a tough respiratory infection. In the past day or two we have finally regained some strength and energy. I was unable to minister this past Sunday and I truly missed that privilege to share the Word of God. It is such an honor to interact with God and interact with the people of God in the setting of corporate worship. I am truly convinced that the Word of God will speak life and strength to those who take time to listen. The past few days have reminded me of one of the tactics of the enemy of our soul. I firmly believe that God is in complete charge of our lives. He is aware of all the events that happen to us on a daily basis. The enemy will seek to use those moments to release his strategies against our faith walk. The enemy's arsenal includes discouragement, despondency, frustration,feeling overwhelmed, etc. The enemy looks for opportunities to use these "tools" against us in a manner that seeks to wear down and ultimately defeat our faith walk. I have endured a few of those moments in recent days. I am still facing some decisions with the injury with my arm (visiting another specialist Friday) as well as the recent event of sickness. I have been reminded that there is no truce in this spiritual warfare. We are in a war with our enemy and we must remain focused on our faith walk in Christ. Each of us must continue to follow the Lord through an attitude of sincere faith and hope in the promises of Christ.

Service

The past several days have found my schedule full of opportunities to serve Christ and the family of God.  Several of these opportunities have involved visiting with people that are facing health issues as well as other challenges of life.  These moments of opportunity allow me to reflect on my individual purpose as a Minister of the Gospel but it also allows me to reflect and reconnect with the purpose of the Ministry of Christ.  Does my service to my fellow man emulate the heart of service that was in Christ?  Does my service point people to Christ or am I simply fulfilling some duty that will gain the appreciation and affirmation of man?  Does my service seek to win the praises of man or do I seek to please the Father in all that I am doing as a servant of God?  Each of us need to take inventory of our motives and actions and make sure that we are seeking to walk after those things that bring honor and glory to Christ.  I truly believe that each of us possess the desire to have the proper motivation but it is also easy for the carnal man to rise to the forefront and try to push the spiritual man to the background.  A heart that is properly surrendered to Christ can defeat those carnal, fleshly attitudes that try to take advantage of our weaknesses.

A statement in Discipleship class last night brought this thought into a more clear perspective. Think about this statement for a moment; "Do I live my life for the sake of others?"  I understand that all of us have individual responsibilities to our family as well as to our employers.  The Bible teaches us to take care of our families and it also teaches us to be faithful and productive employees.  But the Bible also teaches us the example of Christ.  He came to this world for others.  He died on the cross for others.  He called His church to share the Gospel with others.  He demonstrated His love for others.  We need to examine our lives and make sure that we are not living selfishly.  Are we looking for opportunities to assist and serve others?  Are we looking for opportunities to serve in the ministry efforts of the local church that we attend?  Are we looking for opportunities to contribute our gifts and talents to the Kingdom of God or do we use those same gifts and abilities for things that bring pleasure and comfort to us?  Let us open our eyes and realize that opportunities present themselves every day to us.  

Each of us need to be willing to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow after Christ with a sincere heart of service and love for humanity!  People are looking for a true manifestation of the love of God and God is ready to use each of us to reveal Himself to this hurting world.  Take the towel of service out of your closet and use it for the Glory of God!