TGIF

TGIF has become a common acronym of our vernacular in modern society. "Thank God It's Friday" has been often quoted and used in our comments as we move toward the end of our work week. In most cases when we use TGIF we emphasis "IF" which refers to our excitement over the fact that we have survived another week of life. This morning I want to take a moment of your time and emphasize "TG." I truly believe that the Spirit reminded me this morning that we need to offer sincere praise and thankfulness to God. We can easily identify our set of difficulties but how quickly do we identify the blessings from God? It doesn't take long for my troubles to be included in my conversation but how often do I make room for praises to God in my conversation? How long has it been since my family or friends have heard me declare my thankfulness to God for His blessings being released in my life? I believe that God desires to raise up in our hearts a renewed desire to offer praise and adoration to God. Thankfulness to God must become more than a Sunday morning "routine or ritual.". Being thankful to God must become an attitude of our heart as well as a characteristic of our lifestyle. The Psalmist David declared that the Lord provides each of us daily benefits. TGIF but I can also TG (Thank God) on a daily basis and not wait for a particular day of the week. The Lord is worthy of our praise and honor. Take a moment on the last Friday of September and rededicate yourself to becoming a person of thankfulness at all times and in all circumstances. Ephesians 5:20, "And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (NLT)

Prayer

I know that I write often about the need for prayer.  Each of us as individuals face situations in which we are in need of divine intervention.  We know that only God can make the difference in the particular need that we are facing.  We are also challenged to release our faith because we do not know what method or means that God may choose to answer our prayer.  Our faith also has to be strong enough that if God chooses to say no to our requests we do not allow our faith in God to be destroyed or dismantled.  I must consistently choose to surrender my desires, needs, and aspirations to the greater plan that God has for my life and in all honesty that is not always easy.  We are always challenged when God call us out of our "comfort zone" of spiritual ease and contentment.  But there is a great reward to faith; just ask the woman with the issue of blood who had exhausted all of her avenues of help yet chose to make the effort to make contact with Christ.  Her faith was rewarded and her body was healed.

I had other ideas on my mind this morning but I felt led to encourage someones faith today.  We have several families at New River Worship Center who are facing some challenging circumstances today.  I prayed with several of them on Sunday and I continue to pray for them today.  I just encourage them as well as encourage the readers of this blog not to give up nor give in to the tactics of the enemy.  God still reigns and rules and God has the final answer in the affairs of our lives.  Even in the midst of your darkest and most difficult times do not forfeit your faith or hope through despair or discouragement.  The song, How Great is Our God, is playing in the background as I write these words.  I can sense the presence of the Spirit sending forth faith and encouragement to you today.  Feel free to email any prayer requests to me and I will be more than glad to place them on my prayer request list.  This is a time for spiritual agreement among the family of God, we must unite our faith and call on the name of the Lord.  "All things are possible to them that believe."

Service to God

There is a football analyst by the name of Lee Corso who does commentary for ESPN.  He uses the following statement when he is discussing a difference of opinion regarding the results of one of the upcoming football games.  Mr. Corso says, "Not so fast my friend."  Those words came to my mind this morning as I was preparing to share this thought on the blog.  I combined those words of the football analyst with a conversation that I had with my father last night.  It is very important for each of us to be willing to offer our "service" to God.  It may be possible to offer our heart to God and not be willing to offer our service to God.  Serving others is a natural out-flow of serving God.  But each of us deal with the issue of whether our service is useful and whether or not our acts of service are making a difference.  There are times that we lose that debate with ourselves and we back away or back down from serving God.  We have a tendency to compare our service to the service of others.  We have a tendency to define our service as unimportant or unnecessary.  We have a tendency to "think" that God does not see or remember our service because it is done out of the limelight of the knowledge of people.  It is also true that in some cases we may never receive any appreciation for the particular act of service.  But as Mr. Corso would say, "NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND."

Your service to God is important and your service to God is necessary.  Each individual member of the Body of Christ has a distinct purpose for existence.  Paul reminds us that the eye should not degrade or despise the usefulness of the ear.  Each of us are necessary to the overall work of the Kingdom of God.  No one can fulfill your purpose and no one can bring your distinct qualities into the work of the Kingdom of God.  Look at the limitations that your physical body would face if one of your limbs were not working correctly.  You could survive but some other part of your physical body would have to make up for the loss of the usefulness of that member of your body.  Do not allow the enemy to put you on the sideline of spiritual inactivity; these are the days to be connected and involved in the work of the Kingdom of God.  Recommit yourself to service in the Kingdom of God.  Recommit yourself to serving others with a heart of sincere love and appreciation for your fellow man. Recommit yourself to releasing the gifts and talents that God has placed in your life.  Do you remember when God asked Moses to "use what was in his hand" as they faced a great obstacle in their life (Exodus 14)?  Use what God has given to you and stop making excuses for what you do not have!  One man said that "God is not looking for your ability but your availability."  Are you making yourself available to God?

Now to the conversation with my Dad.  My Dad is a 85 year old "retired" Minister.  This past Sunday my Dad and Mom drove 2 1/2 hours to a former church where they had served as Pastors several years ago.  My Dad was asked to bring the sermon that morning and of course he was more than ready to share the Word of God.  He was prepared to serve.  You may say, "Isn't he too old or isn't that dangerous for his health?"  I answer that with Mr. Corso's comments, "NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND."  My Dad spoke with me yesterday as though he was a young preacher who had just delivered his first sermon.  The passion and desire to serve was still alive and vibrant in his heart even after all of his years of service in the Kingdom.  It is amazing how you feel as you offer your service to Christ.  Open your eyes and heart to the opportunities to serve Christ and His mission to this world.  Your life will be impacted as well as the lives of those people you serve!

Weekend Reflection

The past few posts have centered around the Love of God.  I will make this statement one more time; "It is very difficult to fully comprehend the awesome and wonderful revelation of the Love of God to mankind."  It is truly difficult for an imperfect individual to understand that the Lord God Almighty could actually take an interest in our lives and the set of circumstances that we are facing.  I truly believe that each of us are the individuals who build the wall of resistance around our lives and not God.  Our Worship Leader led us in a song yesterday that made this declaration; "Draw me Lord, Draw me Lord, and I will come running after You..."  She also reminded us the promise that we find in the Word of God, "...draw near to God and He will draw near to you..."  God is prepared to release His love toward us regardless of the circumstances that we are facing.  We are given the opportunity to respond in the appropriate manner to His love and this response opens our soul to the ministering presence of the Spirit. 

Once more I was able to witness this type of response in the service yesterday at New River Worship Center.  Throughout the service the Holy Spirit was wooing or calling each of us to draw near to His presence.  The worship and the declaration of the Word reminded me of the words found in Psalm 63:8, "My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me" (NIV).  We understand that the adventures of life bring us into close contact with our share of struggles and challenges but it is during those moments that the Heavenly Father calls us to cling to Him.  We can see our relationship with God as we remember those times that our children tightly gripped our hands when they were afraid.  The strength of our hands brought them comfort and peace when they realized that someone larger than them was walking by their side.  The revelation of the Love of God brings that same type of reminder to each of us on a daily basis.  Someone larger and greater than us is at our side and our Father is declaring His love over us in different ways and at different times.  We can cling to the hand of our Father as we walk down the road of life.  I witnessed men and women of various ages and various needs place their hand in the Hands of a Loving God who did respond to the cry of their hearts.  We are able to experience more of the Love of God as we place our confidence and trust in the promises and provisions of God.

One of the men who attends New River Worship Center shared this scripture with me on Saturday.  He felt that the Lord had placed this in his spirit regarding the work of God in our individual lives as well as our corporate lives.  Hebrews 10:35-36, "Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.  For you have need of endurance (cheerful or hopeful endurance, patient continuance, constancy), so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:" (NKJV).  We must never let go of our confidence in the Love of God regardless of the circumstances that we may be called on to endure.  There is a reward for patient faith and obedience.



Love of God, Part 3

I John 4: 19, "We love Him, because He first loved us." (NKJV)

The past few blog posts have concentrated on a needed reminder concerning the Love of God.  It is possible (at least in my opinion) that we may become so comfortable with this principle that we take for granted the presence of God's Love in our daily lives.  I do not want to fall prey to that trap of satan.  I desire to recognize and appreciate the concept of God's Love being revealed and released in the daily affairs of my life.  Does not the scripture declare that "God is love"?  God is the One who has planned for His love to be spread among His children as they face the daunting task of daily living.  The old song declares "...I can not even walk without holding His hand..."  I truly believe that the modern day church needs to be reintroduced to the concept of God's love so that we can remember that we are to share that Love with a hurting world.  We are to share with others those blessings that God has shared with us; "...freely we have received, freely we give..."

A major portion of our relationship with Christ revolves around knowing Him in a deeper and greater manner.  This developing relationship with Christ allows us to discover how wide and long and high and deep is the Love of God for each of us.  Read Paul's reminder to the church in Rome; "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39, NKJV).  The recognition and reception of the Love of God can be overwhelming at times.  The enemy of our soul seeks to make us feel unworthy and undeserving of God's marvelous and wonderful love.  But we must place our hope and confidence in the promises of the Word of God.  Each of us do not know what challenges that we may face before this day comes to an end.  But we can know that the Love of God will travel with us through the adventures of life; whether these are easy or difficult adventures.  We can rest in the promises of Romans 8 and realize that there is nothing that can keep God from loving us.  Christ is committed to loving us, are we committed to loving Christ in return?  We need to reciprocate that love on a daily basis and allow our relationship to develop into a deeper love relationship with our Savior and Redeemer. 

Take a moment today and reflect on the powerful reminder and promise found in Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (NKJV)  Praise God for His awesome LOVE!

Love of God, Part 2

Ephesians 3:17-18, "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." (NIV)

Is it possible that some of us "seasoned believers" are no longer stirred and encouraged by the awesome love that God has shared with us?  Is it possible that we have moved beyond this important foundational principle that is such a major part of our spiritual process of maturity?  After all, God loved us before we ever had the desire to love Him.  He initiated the release of His love toward us even when we refused to accept it or respond to it.  The passage for today reminds us that we are to be "rooted and established in love."  The portion of that passage says to me that I need to have the love of God as one of the foundational principles in my ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ.  The Apostle Paul reminds us that the "saints" of God are ever exploring the width, length, height, and depth of the love of God.  The love of God is one of the reasons that we can declare the message of the Gospel to a world that is trapped in the bondage of darkness.  We can still declare the hope of fallen man based on the promise of John 3:16, "For God so loved the world..."  I feel that I must encourage each of us to recognize and appreciate the manifest presence of the love of God.  God demonstrates His love to us on a daily basis.  I am encouraged and challenged to share that love with people who need to know that God is interested in their lives regardless of their lifestyle or regardless of their circumstances.  Oh, the joy of declaring the greatness of His love to world that is looking for answers.  Once more, I encourage you to take time to share the love of God with someone today.  People are living in the depth of despair but they can make the transition into the depth of the love of God. 

The family of God must rededicate ourselves to the proclamation of the message of the love of God!  The family of God does not have the authority to withhold the love of God from anyone.  Christ died for the "world" and not just those that we choose to experience the love of God.  We must desire to spread the love of God through our daily life and allow that love to impact those with which we interact.

Love of God

There have been many words used to describe the incredible love that God has for humanity.  I am still challenged to describe the love of  God after all of these many years of preaching the Word of God.  How do you adequately describe the sacrificial love of God that was revealed in the birth and death of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world?  If I could restart my "preaching career" I would spend more time preaching on the awesome and magnificent love of God.  I would remind people that the love of God is unconditional and the love of God will meet you at your point of need. 

The Apostle Paul gave us some insight to the great doctrine of the love of God in the letter to the church in Ephesus.  Ephesians 3:17-18, "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together will all saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." (NIV).  The Spirit wanted us to do our best to "grasp" the width, length, height, and depth of the love of God.  It is truly difficult to get our arms around (grasp) the power and majesty of the love of God.  I can declare today that I am still amazed as I sit in this room and write about the love of God that has been released in my life.  The love of God is not an one time benefit or an one night feeling, no, the love of God is revealed daily in our lives as we walk in the benefits of a relationship with our Savior.  Even non-believers have testified that even when they were walking out of fellowship with Christ they could sense the presence of God's love around them and and toward them.  The family of God must be committed to share that love with a lonely generation that has been engulfed in the spirit of rejection.  The enemy desires for people to perceive their "lack of worth" but the love of God establishes the fact that everyone is very important to God and that God has great love for everyone.  We need to declare that message to the best of our abilities.  We can declare that message because we are the recipients of the inexhaustible supply of the love of God.  Take a moment and lift your voice and thank God that He loves you today.  But also take the next step, share His love with someone toady.  You may never know what an individual is facing today but they need to know the depth with which God loves them at this present moment.

Weekend Review

"God is good" is often spoken or written by individuals who reflect on the goodness and greatness of God.  I was reminded by the Spirit that God is truly "good" to His people as He releases the ministering presence of His Spirit into our lives.  The Spirit began to deal with my heart concerning the need for the church to be "refreshed" during a recent meeting in Greenville, SC.  The family of God is facing times of extreme anxiety; emotional pressure from various sources; economic pressure to reach the budgetary needs of their family; and an increased onslaught of the attacks of satan.  How will we respond to these challenges and many more that time and space will not allow me to identify is one of the questions that each of us must answer?  We must realize that we need to respond to these situations in the correct way for the sake of our own soul as well as the souls of those family and friends that are so dear to us.  The people around us need to see the appropriate response so that our witness for Christ can be strengthened and not diminished.  The enemy of our soul seeks to "eat away" at our peace and rest in Christ much the same way a child nibbles at a cracker or cookie.  Slowly but surely the enemy seeks to undermine our walk with Christ through hurts, disappointments, discouragements, temptations, and countless other struggles.  But we do have an anti-dote to these attacks from the enemy.

Our hope is found in the refreshing promise and presence of the Spirit in our lives.  Much of my hope is based on the promise found in Acts 3:19b, "...so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (NKJV).  The struggles and challenges of life have a way of discouraging our hope, faith, and dreams that have come from the Lord.  Each of us must learn to put our trust in the Lord during the times of struggle as well as the times of blessings.  It is easier to walk with God when all is well and our life is being lived in ease and comfort.  But those difficult moments challenge us to look to Christ for a "fresh" revelation of His presence and power.  It is during those moments that we learn to live in the promise of Acts 3:19.  We began to realize that God can restore the breath that may have been knocked out of us due to the challenges of the moment.  We must remember that God has not forgotten or forsaken us even when we walk through the seasons of dryness in our lives.  God is ever present to minister to us as we turn our attention to Him and the promises in His Word.  Each of us need to walk in the strength of the refreshing presence of Christ.  We were able to witness people receive the strength of refreshing on Sunday as they responded to the call from God.  We must never be afraid or intimidated to respond to the call from God.  God always has a plan to minister to your life when He calls you to draw closer to Him.  I am still learning that I need to trust in God and follow the leading of His Spirit at all times.  God has a plan for each of our lives and that plan contains "times of refreshing."

Appreciation

This week has been a busy time but it has also been a productive one at least from my perspective.  It is a blessing to see God direct your steps in such a manner that He places you where He wants you to be.  There are times that we may not appreciate that placement because our surroundings maybe challenging or the situation maybe difficult.  But at those moments we must remember that God has not forgotten our location and that He is aware of the moment by moment events of our lives.

This week has afforded Ann and I the privilege to have a dear friend in our home for a few days.  This friend recently lost his wife to a battle with an illness that she had fought for several years.  We had the privilege to serve this couple as their Pastor over ten years ago but we have been able to maintain that friendship even at a distance.  God used Bro. Bill to remind me of the principle of "appreciation."  Each of us need to be reminded of the need to recognize and appreciate those family and friends that He has placed in our lives.  Many of these family members and friends impact and influence our lives in a very positive manner.  These people invest in our lives through their acts of love, kindness, acceptance, generosity, prayer support, encouragement, etc.  The conversation that I shared with Bro. Bill raised this question in my heart; "Do I take the time to express my appreciation to those family and friends that God has placed in my life?"  This conversation reminded me that I do not want to see my friends and family pass away and realize that I did not take the time to share my appreciation and love with those important people in my life.  Bro. Bill is a person who was a great example of someone who took the time to let his wife know how much he loved her.  But he feels that God wants him to remind married couples that they need to truly appreciate their spouse but he also feels that these spouses need to go a step further.  He feels that these spouses need to visibly and publicly express that love and appreciation.  We must not wait until someone "moves" out of our lives through relocation or even death before we reflect on the important role that they play in our lives.  It is easy to focus on all of the bad or difficult people that we encounter in this life but we also need to focus on the good and thoughtful people that God sends to us.  God uses many of these people to demonstrate and release the love of God to us on a daily basis.  Take some time today and call a friend and express appreciation for their friendship.  Take some time today and speak words of love and appreciation to your spouse or children.  Not only will these individuals feel the impact of your actions but you will also feel the positive effect that true appreciation and kindness can have on you.   

I am truly a blessed man.  I have a wonderful wife, two great sons, two great daughter-in-laws, and four awesome grandchildren.  But my blessings do not stop at that point; we have two "adopted" children (Ann's brother and sister).  We are also blessed with two "adopted" grandchildren and two "adopted" great grandchildren.  We have been blessed with so many wonderful friends that there is no way to place a number on them.  Many of you can say the same things about your family and friends.  Do not take your family and friends for granted!  Tell them of your sincere love and appreciation; let them know that they have made a difference in your life.  We are better people because of those special people that God has placed in our lives.

Friends

Last night Ann and I enjoyed an evening of worship and music at the National Quartet Convention with some wonderful friends from Tennessee. These two brothers in Christ served on staff at a church we served over ten years ago. We not only served as their Pastor but we were blessed to develop a friendship with them that has transcended the years. God reminded me of this as we listened to some of the songs from the yesterdays of our lives. Music and songs may change but true friendships do not have to be forgotten or forsaken. Each of us face change even as the type and style of music change but we do not have to lose appreciation for those people that God has placed in our lives at certain moments on our journey. Friendships continue to develop and we learn to appreciate those moments in which God allowed our lives to be strengthened and enriched through that individual friendship. We can establish new friendships which prove to be emotionally and spiritually beneficial but that in and of itself doesn't mean that we have to forget those friends from our past. Take a moment today and make contact with some of your friends and let them know your sincere appreciation for them. Each of us are blessed to have quality people that God has divinely placed in our lives. Let us thank God for the wonderful blessing of friendship!

Weekend Reflection

I trust that each of you spent some time in prayer and intercession for our nation this past weekend as we reflected on the tragedy of 9-11-01.  We experienced a wide variety of emotions at New River Worship Center.  We expressed a somber remembrance of those who lost their lives during the terrorists attacks on that tragic day in American history.  We also took a moment to express appreciation to those first responders and military personnel who daily place their lives in harms way so that we can be protected and enjoy our freedom.  We also rejoiced as we celebrated the dedication of  Chloe, one of the new additions to our church family at New River.  All of these emotions were experienced through the Call to Worship phase of our service.  We wanted to make sure that we looked back with  respect and remembrance but we wanted to also look forward with renewed hope and faith.  Our faith is in God and His ability to reveal Himself in the affairs of mankind.

The Worship service was anointed with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.  We purposefully declared the greatness of God and made sure that we recognized that nothing is impossible with God.  It is never too late for God to make a difference in the lives of people.  We can not afford to lose our confidence in God even during the most trying of events or circumstances that we are facing.  We also celebrated the testimony of a young lady from TN (her parents attend our local fellowship) who has been battling cancer for the past several months.  In June of this year she was given 6 months to live but last week her PET scan revealed that she is cancer free.  I can almost hear some of you shouting "Praise God from whom all blessings flow."  We spent Sunday evening in a time of worship and intercession.  I truly believe that God is calling the church to intercession.  I have written those words on numerous occasions but I am still deeply committed to that call from God.  We must stop waiting for everyone else to do the praying; it is time that EACH OF US commit to being a prayer warrior/intercessor.  2 Chronicles 7:14 does not call for a select group of people to pray; it simply says "If my people, which are called by my name..."  Each of us bear a personal responsibility to pray and seek the face of God on behalf of ourselves, our family, our communities, our nation, and our world.  Let us step forward and answer the call that God is issuing. 

I need to offer praise to God for one more specific blessing.  The prayer times in both services were highly anointed and I truly believe that they made a difference in the lives of those who participated.  We anointed several prayer cloths (Acts 19) last night to be shared with our family and friends and in doing so we are believing that God is going to work the miracle that they need.  God is AWESOME and I still sense His closeness this morning as I share these words.

9-11 Prayer Remembrance, Part 3

Many of us can remember what we were doing ten years ago when our nation was attacked.  I remember setting in a church office oblivious to what was taking place in Washington, DC, New York City, or Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  I received a call from my wife that caused me to rearrange my schedule for the remainder of the day and I began the process of trying to understand what was happening right before my eyes.  I don't know if we will ever fully understand or comprehend the deaths of over 3,000 individuals that was shown on televisions throughout this nation.  The witnessing of the death of one person is overwhelming much less the death of such a large number of innocent people at the very same time.  Our nation has not been the same since that tragic date in our history.  Today we are seeing the ongoing effect of that tragedy as a new "terror threat" has been identified in New York City as well as our nation's capital.

We must ask ourselves this question; "What have we learned since that tragedy?"  The more correct question that we should ask could be, "What have we forgotten since that tragedy?"  There was a fresh sense of civility and respect immediately following that terrible day.  Politicians set aside some of the rancor and dislike for one another for the common good of our nation.  Families became more thankful for each other as they realized how easily death could separate them.  Unashamed prayer was offered by people of all spiritual backgrounds and even the politicians were not embarrassed as they called on God for His help.  Churches saw an increase in attendance and a desire for "spiritual" understanding in the days and weeks immediately following the tragedy.  There was even a brief moment of unity that took hold of our nation as we resolved to overcome this event and continue to pursue the blessing of freedom.  Our memories can become very short once we move through the initial shock of that moment and our lives resume somewhat a sense of normalcy.  Let me be clear, I don't think America will ever be "normal" again and that we will continue to see the ripple effect of that event on our lives throughout our future.  We were taught terms such as "jihad, Islamic radicals, Osama Bin Laden, Taliban, etc."  I am sure that we had heard or read those terms before but they never took deep root in our lives because we had not come face to face with the reality of those terms and what impact they would have on our future.  But all of that changed on 9-11-01.

I believe that we have come to a cross roads in the history of our nation.  We are at the point of decision; will we choose to call on God for help and direction or will we choose to continue the road of self dependence?  We must take an honest evaluation and assessment of our situation.  Have you located anyone that has the answers for the ills and difficulties that we are facing?  The government has initiated several new "programs" to solve the financial ills of our nation and in many ways these have not accomplished the intended goal.  The moral compass of our nation is disappearing and we are living under the influences of untempered and uncontrolled fleshly desires.  The church world has been rocked by one scandal after another and yet we choose to travel the same road of destruction.  An old song in racing through my mind this morning; "He was there all the time, waiting patiently in line..."  This weekend can be a time of transformation for each of us if we are willing to turn from trying to save ourselves and turn to the only source of our salvation, Jesus Christ.  Yes, I will say it, Jesus Christ is still the one and only Answer that our nation needs.  We need a Savior and a Healer.  Christ will guide our steps if we will take the time to follow Him. 

Will you join with other believers on 9-11-11 as we cry out to God for a "Christ Awakening" across America?  Find time throughout that day to intercede for your life, the life of your family, and the life of this nation.  I am convinced that God will hear the cry from our hearts and that He will send personal as well as corporate spiritual awakening to our nation.

9-11 Prayer Remembrance, Part 2

2 Chronicles 7:14 is a passage that has become very familiar to many of us when we begin to think in terms of praying for our nation.  Let us remind ourselves once more concerning the powerful challenge that the Word issues to us in this passage: "If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

There are several key words in this passage that needs to grab our attention.  The words are "humble, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways."  This passage reminds us that we do bear some responsibility as we prepare ourselves to look to God on the behalf of our nation.  It appears that God requires a spirit of humility and repentance to be active in our hearts if we are to experience the spiritual awakening that our nation desperately needs.  Jesus challenged us in Matthew 22 to "...Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

Here is an excerpt from Praying for a Christ Awakening written by Billy Wilson.  "The changeless Christ would no doubt answer in our day just as He did in the first century; the greatest of all commandments is first and foremost to love Him!  Such is the need of our day, that we might pursue Him in practical, sacrificial, and self-denying ways.  In a day when we are seemingly surrounded by enemies on all sides, might our only escape be to look up as our hearts are drawn by the Holy Spirit to fresh encounters with Christ, bringing forth transformative works of repentance, obedience, and holiness.  Let us believe God for a Christ Awakening with: Amplified participation in corporate as well as individual prayer, fasting, and other spiritual disciplines, leading to more effective discipleship..."

In my opinion we must rediscover and reconnect with the discipline of prayer in the modern day church in America.  We have tried enough "spiritual gimmicks"; now is the time to turn our hearts to Christ in humility and believe that He is going to send the strength and power we need to overthrow and defeat the enemies of our soul.  Will you be willing to join with me and seek the face of God in sincere and humble prayer?  I truly believe that a "Christ Awakening" awaits those of us who are willing to submit ourselves to the leadership of Christ.

9-11 Prayer Remembrance

It is my privilege and honor to join with other spiritual leaders across this nation who are calling for a time of prayer for America on 9-11-11.  We are asking individuals as well as local congregations to join in prayer for our nation on the 10 year anniversary of of the horrific attacks on our nation.  Ten years ago we experienced what many of the nations of the world experience on a daily basis.  Many nations of the world deal with internal struggles and terrorism as a part of their daily lifestyle.  As a nation we have been aware of terrorism through the attacks on our military forces over the past years but never since the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 have we witnessed such a public attack on the American people as we witnessed on that dark and terrible day.  Sunday will be a time to reflect on those who died in the tragedies that day.  Sunday will be a time to remember those "first responders" who gave their life trying to rescue many fellow citizens after the attacks.  Sunday will also be a time to appreciate all of the "first responders" who daily place their lives in harms way for the citizens of our land.  We also can not afford to forget those American soldiers who place their lives in harms way on a daily basis that we can enjoy our freedom. 

Each of the remembrances and reflections that I have written about are very appropriate but there is also another call that we must answer.  We must answer the call to PRAY for our NATION.  Prayer was very much an integral part of the response to the 9-11-01 tragedy that struck America.  Prayer was being offered in every aspect of our nation.  Ministers called for prayer.  Governmental leaders called for prayer.  Individual families came together for a time of prayer.  Why did we allow that spirit of humility, repentance, and compassion to evaporate so quickly?  Why did we allow ourselves to drift back into attitudes of unconcern and spiritual apathy?  Many churches saw an increase in attendance for a few weeks after the attacks because we were unsure of the future actions of our enemies.  But it did not take us long to return back to the same old pattern of forgetting God as long as things are going well.  Many of us are realizing that we made a huge mistake when we stopped calling on God for help.  Spiritual leaders are calling for a return to the necessity of interceding for our nation.  I trust that each of you will purpose in your heart to spend time in prayer on Sunday for our nation.  WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED FOR GOD TO HEAL OUR LAND AND TO BRING SPIRITUAL RESTORATION INTO OUR LIVES! 

Will you join with us on Sunday and lift your voice in agreement with fellow believers as we ask God to direct the path and steps of our nation?  God will hear us as we pray and I believe that Spiritual Awakening can take place in our hearts and lives.

Week Review

I will take a moment and apologize to those of you who read this blog on a daily basis.  I normally update the blog early in the morning and this past week found my early morning schedule somewhat hectic because of ministerial responsibilities.  My wife often reminds me that my life is too structured and that I need to learn to make adjustments when they are needed.  I think that I can hear her saying that to me as I prepare this entry in the blog.  Nevertheless I am thankful to share with you a short update of this past week in work of the Kingdom of God.

I was blessed with the awesome opportunity to minister in the Abundant Life Church in Greenville, SC with Pastor Johnny Baker.  This was my first time to participate in a series of services with Pastor Baker and the local fellowship.  The presence of the Holy Spirit was powerful.  It is has been a while since I have witnessed a group of people who were willing to linger in the altar as they patiently waited for someone to pray with them.  Their faith was certainly rewarded as the Spirit ministered to the various needs of the individuals and we were able to identify the presence of "revival" among this body of believers.  The Pastor had been leading the congregation is a series of prayer times that focused on the need of revival in this local body of fellowship.  I have said it often but I will declare this word one more time; "Prayer still touches the heart of God."  Our sincere desire to draw closer to God will not go unnoticed by our Heavenly Father and He still responds to the cries of our hearts.  Needless to say I was blessed by this ministry opportunity and I look forward to the development of the relationship with Pastor Baker and the local ministry.  Only Heaven will fully record all of the transformation and awakenings that was released in those services.  Although much of my time is being dedicated to the ministry effort of the church plant in Radcliff, KY; I am thankful that the local Church Board supports my effort to reach out to other congregations as an extension of the ministry of New River Worship Center

I would like to share a brief update on the remodeling of the building that we have purchased in Radcliff, KY.  We are seeing much progress being made through the efforts of volunteers as well as contractors that have been hired to assist us in the process of relocation.  Our space to worship will be more than doubled when this project in completed.  We are excited about the people that God is bringing into our outreach effort as well as the progress of the remodeling of the building.  We are committed to remaining true to the call that God has placed on our hearts.  The "call from God" led us to become a place of refuge for the hurting, discouraged, overwhelmed, disappointed, detached, etc. If we are to be pleasing to the Lord and continue to receive His blessings we must remain focused on the initial direction and call from the Holy Spirit.  True success must be defined as a desire to walk in obedience to the leading of the Spirit.  That statement needs to be true about each of us individually as well as collectively as local congregations. 

The past few weekend services at New River Worship Center have been highly charged with the unction and anointing of the Spirit.  We are thankful for the freedom that we are experiencing in the times of worship, the freedom to preach the truth of God in love, and the freedom to minister to those who step forward for prayer.  Do not listen to the lies of satan; God still ministers to the needs of His people.  Do not listen to the lies of the enemy; God still cares about His children.  Do not listen to the lies of the enemy; the Spirit will lead each of us into a deeper and more mature walk with Christ.  We must lift up our hearts and realize that "nothing is impossible with God."  I have decided to turn my heart to God and realize that God is in charge of our lives and that He will work in us if we will surrender our lives to Him.  Will you join with me in that commitment?