Don't Lose Focus

Prayer time this morning was interesting as God begin to remind me of something that I often share with others.  It is easy to lose the bigger picture of what God is doing in your life because we are captured by the events that are taking place at that moment.  We have to maintain our focus on God and continue to allow Him to direct our steps.  Coaches "preach" focus to their players all of the time.  Coaches realize that their team can become distracted by all of the things that take place away from the game in which they are participating.  Is this not also true for believers?  We can become distracted from our consistent walk with Christ and in doing so we lose focus on our journey and on our purpose.  The enemy's strategy is designed to lead me away from Christ and to be discouraged and overwhelmed by the spiritual battle that is taking place in my life.  The strategy of the enemy wants me to lose focus on the details of my daily walk with Christ so that I find myself just going through the motions and routines of my relationship with Him.  Coaches have made this statement after their team has been defeated on the playing field; "The team's mind was not in the game today and they did not take their opponent seriously." We can not afford to make this same mistake in our walk with Christ.

Stay focused.  Take the enemy of your soul seriously.  Walk by faith and not by sight.  Allow the Holy Spirit to direct your path and order your steps.  Don't let the daily details of life overwhelm your desire to serve Christ faithfully.  Stay committed to the cause of Christ and the work of His Kingdom in your heart.

Weekend Thoughts

My years of serving God has not diminished my excitement as I stand amazed at the work of the Holy Spirit among the family of God.  There was a character in a television show of many years ago who had a statement that he made often throughout the programs.  He would make the following remarks after he identified a successful mission; "I love it when a plan comes together."  I love it when a plan from God comes together.  As human beings we spend much time in planning sessions, strategy sessions, programming sessions, and organizational sessions.  I certainly don't think that we do not need any of the above mentioned strategies at work in our personal lives as well as our spiritual lives.  What if we applied as much time to spiritual preparation as we did in our natural preparation?  What if we prayed as much as we discussed?  What if we sought after God as much as we sought after the opinions of our fellow man?  Again I am not against any type of discussion and interaction with fellow believers but there does come the time in which we need to believe in and trust in the wisdom and knowledge of God.  We must learn to lean on God and not just lean on our own understanding.  Isaiah reminds us that God has ways and thoughts that are higher than our ways and thoughts.  The Apostle Paul gave us a great promise in Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen. (NKJV)

I was able to witness the ways and plans of God become a reality on Sunday morning at New River Worship Center.  The leadership of this local body does its best to plan the service after the heart of God but there are times that God has plans far beyond our ability to plan and strategize.  We also have leaders who have a desire to listen to the Voice of God and His plan for the service.  I was amazed as the Call to Worship, Interpretative Dance, and Corporate Worship flowed in the same anointing.  To my knowledge these individuals had not spoken to one another yet they flowed in the same unction from the Spirit.  The Spirit reminded the congregation of the faithfulness and fidelity of God.  The Spirit reminded the congregation that we can trust in the promises of God.  I felt that the Word that God placed on my heart to share added confirmation to the direction of the Spirit.  I am still rejoicing this morning as I reflect on the direction and presence of the Spirit.  Many of you have seen this happen in your lives and in your local church settings but we DO NOT NEED TO FORGET THAT THE CHURCH BELONGS TO GOD AND NOT TO US.  The Spirit is aware of the needs that we face and He is able to reveal the truth that we need to hear at any given moment. Let us trust in Him to bring the direction that we need both personal as well as corporate.

Pursuing Thankfulness

Although the "holiday" called Thanksgiving has come and gone it does not have to interfere with our need and our desire to be described as a thankful person. During our Thanksgiving dinner last night I looked around the room and realized once more that I am truly a blessed man. I listened to the chatter and laughter from a family that brings so much joy and pleasure to me. God has rewarded my life with more blessings than I can count. The text messages and emails that we received throughout the day also reinforced the understanding that God has blessed us with some awesome friends and spiritual family members. How can I be anything less than a thankful person? I am sure that I will face my moments of discouragement and despair (I am human) but I can face those moments with a renewed desire to offer my appreciation to God for all that He has done in my life. Let us display an active attitude and spiritual discipline of praise and thanksgiving as we move toward the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. The greatest gift that we have ever received or will ever receive is our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Thankfulness

Ann and I wanted to wish each of you a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. This unique day of celebration allows each of us to reflect on the wonderful blessings of God. Let us seek to set aside all of the challenges that we face and forget about all of the cares and concerns that we are burdened with today. Let us make it a day of praise and gratitude for all of the many blessings that God has provided. Many of us will spend time with family and friends today. Take a moment and look around the room and thank God for the people that He has placed in your life. Have a wonderful day of celebration but let us remember those military families who have family members deployed around various parts of the world. They need and deserve our prayers today.

Gratitude Meter, Part 2

This statement from George Herbert spoke to my heart a few days ago;  "Thou who hast given so much  to me, give me one more thing--a grateful heart!"

Is it possible that each of us need to take a moment and examine our attitude toward gratitude?  Do I truly exude and declare thankfulness to God for all of the daily benefits that He provides for me?  Would my family/friends describe me as a thankful person? Does God recognize me as a person that offers sincere appreciation to Him and even to others for the kindness that is extended to me? Yesterday I wrote about some of those blessings and today I desire to remind you of some of the other blessings that God has distributed to our lives through the years of our existence on this earth. 

I am thankful for the family of God.  This morning I was reflecting on all of the mentors, teachers, intercessors, encouragers, supporters, and co-workers that God has placed in my life on this journey.  I can think of people who have made an eternal impact in life.  I can think of congregations that we have served through the years of our ministerial journey and I remember the love and concern that was extended to me and my family.  It is so easy to allow a few negative situations that we have encountered to override the good things that have taken place in our lives.  I can think of people who have spoken a word of encouragement at the right moment.  I can think of people who have taken the time to make you feel important and make you feel that your life as a Christian is making a difference in this world.  I think of the people who have said "Thank you" for those actions that you have taken to assist them in their life.  I can think of the smile of a young child when I took the time to talk with them.  I can think of the warm embrace of a teenager as I was able to interact with them during times of fellowship as well as times of prayer.  I can think of the many couples of which I have stood as the officiant of their marriage ceremony and a few years later I find myself officiating at the dedication ceremony of their child to the Lord.  Oh, the joy of serving the family of God as a Minister.  I can still sing the old song, "I wouldn't take nothing for my journey now."  This morning my mind is flooded with warm and gracious thoughts toward the family of God.  I am thankful that God has allowed me to be a part of His family and I am thankful for all of the friendships that we have developed through the years of our walk through life.  I offer sincere appreciation to each of you who have made a difference in the lives of Michael & Ann Willingham.  Each of you still bring a smile to our faces when your name comes up in our conversation.

Happy Thanksgiving from a person who desires to recognize and remember the goodness of God!

Gratitude Meter

I have been blessed in so many ways that it is truly difficult to express to God a complete and full testimony of thanksgiving but I do want to raise my gratitude meter another notch today. 

I am thankful for my relationship with Jesus Christ.  I was raised in a Christian home.  Attending church and being taught about God was always a part of my life.  The question was never asked, "Are we attending church today?"  The question raised in our home was, "Are you ready for church yet?'  I am thankful for my Christian roots; I do not make that statement in arrogance or religious superiority but I praise God that He placed me in a home that taught me about a relationship with Jesus Christ.  I gave my life to Jesus as a child and I faced my own set of trials through the ups and downs of adolescence.  Our Christians surroundings can not completely insulate any individual from the challenges of the enemy.  I can remember the night as a young man that I fully committed my life to Christ and began a journey that has been wonderful and rewarding.  I have not lived a perfect life by any means but I have lived a life that has allowed me to recognize the benefits of a relationship with Christ.  Life has not always been easy but I have "found a friend in Jesus" that has walked with me through the valleys and through my mountain top experiences.  I am GRATEFUL for the love that God has given to me and still shares with me on a daily basis.

I am GRATEFUL for a wonderful family.  My parents not only taught the principles of Christianity they also lived them out in their family.  I am GRATEFUL for my each of my five siblings; each of them have been a blessing to me through the years and they have been supportive of my walk with Christ.  I am certainly GRATEFUL for my wife of almost 40 years; she has stood with me and besides me as we have walked the road of life together.  My wife has taught me much about the grace and mercy of God as I have observed her share her love with many individuals through our years of Christian service.  I am GRATEFUL for our two sons, their wives, and our four grandchildren.  Each of them have brought much joy, laughter, and encouragement to me through my years as a Dad and now a "Poppy."  I am GRATEFUL for our two "adopted" children.  Ann's brother and sister came to live with us after the death of her mother.  Although that has been over 37 years ago; Danny and Marcella continue to feel like our children. I have even taught Marcella's children and grandchildren to call me Papa Mike.  I am GRATEFUL for my in laws.  Ann's parents are both deceased but they treated me as family and for that I will always be thankful.  Each of my in laws have been a blessing to me in some way or another.  They have become dear friends who have served as Prayer Partners and encouragers in my walk with Christ.  Personal Note: I could write a complete post about each of the above mentioned individuals because each of them continue to impact my life today.  To each of you I say that I love you and that I am thankful and proud to be a part of your family!

I realize that I have taken some of your time with my own personal words of gratitude.  But I hope that my expressions of gratitude will spur your heart to "count your many blessings" and begin to verbally articulate them and realize and remember that God has been good to you and that He has blessed your life with some wonderful people.  

Weekend Reflection

The weekend services afforded us the opportunity to remember and reflect on the daily provisions that God has provided for each of us.  I believe that there are moments in which we spend our time waiting on some great or spectacular blessing from God and we fail to appreciate the load of daily benefits that we receive from God.  One of the young men from the local church shared a poem during the Call to Worship portion of the service.  In that poem he reminded us of the need to not take for granted the blessings that God has placed in our lives.  It does become so easy just to walk through life and fail to fully appreciate those blessings that God has given to us.  We can even take for granted our family and friends that play such a major role in our daily existence.  I believe that it is time for each of us to take an inventory of our gratitude meter and make sure that we are offering proper thanksgiving and appreciation to God for all that He is doing and providing in our life.  During the next few days make a consistent effort to raise your gratitude meter to a higher level.

The Praise Gathering on Sunday night at New River Worship Center was a great blessing and source of inspiration.  Various individuals shared stories from their time of conversion as well as testimonies of special needs that God had met for them.  My heart was enriched and my faith was strengthened as I listened to the road that some people had traveled.  The times of testimony and praise reminded the congregation of the unconditional love that God has for each of us.  People are never too far away from God that He can not reach them.  The testimonies also reminded me that we can never give up praying for our family and friends who are in need of a Savior.  The lives of our loved ones may be in complete disarray but God's Grace and Mercy is able to reach to the depths of despair and misery and rescue that individual.  Maintain your constant desire to pray and intercede for those who need a Savior.  The eternal souls of mankind hang in the balance and we must be willing to share the love and concern of God with them.

Let this be a week of true praise, adoration, and worship as we reflect on the precious gift of Jesus Christ to a lost and hurting world.

Personal Refreshing

I have been serving as the Evangelist in a revival meeting at Christ Tabernace church in Sheridan, Indiana this week. The Spirit of the Lord was evident each evening as we chose to respond to the leadership of Jesus Christ. I was able to witness the ministering presence of God in the life of several individuals. I was truly blessed by that portion of the service but I was also encouraged by another aspect of the meeting that goes unnoticed at times. I sensed the Lord doing a personal "revival" in my life. The Spirit brought refreshment, inspiration, enlightenment and a deeper sense of commitment as a result of the imparting of the Word of God in my personal times of prayer, study, and reflection. I just felt that I needed to express my praise and appreciation to God for His great care and concern for my soul and for my walk with Him. God is very near to anyone who will take the time and make the effort to seek the face of God. I am thankful for the blessings and goodness of God! Thank you Pastor Rich and Sis. Kathy for the invitation to share the Word of God these past few days. I return home a man that is more determined to follow after the heart of God!

Weekend Review

My travel schedule on Monday hindered an opportunity to bring a weekend update to you via this blog. Once again I am truly thankful for the presence of God that was evident in the services. Each of us need to remember that the Father desires to release His love and grace in our lives if only we will make the commitment to open our hearts to His presence. Why do we allow the enemy to bring the "spirit of hesitation" into our lives when the opportunity to respond to God is presented to us when we gather to offer worship to our Loving Savior? The Holy Spirit is dealing with my heart concerning that particular attitude that seems to be gaining a foothold in the hearts of people. We find it simple to respond to the pleasurable things of the flesh but so difficult to respond to the call of the Spirit. I seek to reverse that trend in my personal life. I seek to respond quickly and obediently to the call of the Spirit and learn how to say no to the pleasures of the flesh that will hinder the development of my relationship with Jesus Christ. God is at work in the lives of His family and I desire to respond in faith and obedience to His call to draw near to Him. Let each of us ask God to develop our spiritual sensitivity to the presence of His Spirit in our daily lives!

Veterans Day

As a American citizen I want to recognize all of the brave men and women who have served our country in the various military branches. I also want to recognize those brave men and women who are presently serving our nation in the military. I desire to personally thank you for your willingness to put yourself in harms way that we might enjoy our freedoms today. As a Gospel Minister I am thankful for the freedom to share the message of the Gospel without the fear of imprisonment. This freedom only happens because of the service of the Veterans and the men and women who are presently serving our nation in the military. May God richly bless you and your family and may God to continue bless America. On a personal note I recognize the service of my father. He presently resides in Alabama and he served our nation as an infantry soldier in World War II. He served in the Third Army under the command of General George Patton. His infantry unit was involved in some of the major battles toward the end of the war (Battle of the Bulge, crossing the Rhine River, the Siegfried lines, to name a few). He was called to preach the Gospel after he returned from the war. For over 60 years him and my Mother have offered their lives in service to the great cause of Christ and His Kingdom. Dad, you are loved, appreciated, and respected by your family and all of the people who have known you through the years of your life on earth. I am proud to be one the children of Mr. & Mrs. Wallace E. Willingham. Happy Veterans Day!

Personal Reflection

Many of you are aware of my participation/leadership in a church plant in Radcliff/Fort Knox, Kentucky.  We have been able to witness the marvelous blessings of God as He has touched the lives of many people over the past several months.  These people have included those individuals who have come from "church" backgrounds as well as those who have come from a non-church background.  We must always remember that the Grace of God will reach across the vast spectrum of humanity and touch whosoever chooses to believe and receive that Grace into their lives.  I know that we are living in some very challenging times and I see those circumstances being played out on a weekly basis.  BUT I am convinced that the power and presence of the Spirit is greater than all of the forces of the enemy regardless of the tactics that the enemy may use against the people of God. 

Because of the growth of this ministry outreach effort we have purchased a building so that we can have room to expand.  I have shared a little of the story in previous posts regarding the purchase and remodeling of the building.  Feel free to email me if you would like more information concerning this effort or if you would be interested in investing in this outreach effort.  Feel free to contact me if you have friends/family who live in Hardin County, Kentucky or any surrounding counties or friends/family who may be stationed at Fort Knox.  I would be glad to make a personal contact with them regarding New River Worship Center.

I must share the blessing that I received last night as we were working in the building.  The remodeling of the building has included the combination of volunteer labor as well as the hiring of some contractors.  Last night was a night for volunteers to show up and invest their time and energy in the project.  The building was a beehive of activity last night as we gathered to clean the facility as well as place some insulation in the structure.  Neither one of those tasks are very attractive yet last night we drew a group of individuals who were interested in offering their service to this project.  I was blessed as I looked from the platform across the area that we will use for the area of corporate worship.  I saw children, youth, parents and even a 93 year old man present for the work event.  Children and youth were pushing brooms, moving trash, sweeping floors and even placing insulation in the walls.  Their parents were working side by side with them as we are approaching the end of the initial stages of this project.  My heart was warmed and encouraged as I realized that the Spirit will draw the heart of people into an offering of sacrifice.  Each of these individuals were sacrificing their time, energy, and abilities for a cause greater than any of us.  The cause is not the building but the cause is the people who will sit in the building in Children's Church, Youth service, and times of corporate worship.  The "church" must remember that we are here to reach people with the life changing message of the Gospel.  Take heart today and realize that many of us still believe in the power of the message of the Gospel.  The lives of people are still being changed and rearranged through the power and presence of Jesus Christ.

Purpose of Christ

Each of us as individual Christians need to remember the true purpose of the entrance of Christ into our world.  A devotion that I read last week challenged me to revisit my thinking concerning the ministry of Christ in our world.  It is so easy to fall into a pattern of "religious" activity and not become fully engaged in the activity of the Spirit in our world.  Jesus declared in Luke 19:10 that "The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them." (ERV)  We must desire to put the Words of Christ into action in our daily lives and realize that the family of God must emulate the purpose of Christ.  All though we can not "save" anyone through our own ability we can make certain that we point them to Christ, the Savior of mankind.  As you read the purpose statement of Jesus Christ it becomes very clear that we as the family of God bear a great responsibility as we look on the condition of our world.  People all around us need a Savior and they need to see the family of God engaged in the "Father's business." We have a great message to share and that message has the ability to bring salvation and deliverance to anyone who will choose to believe.

I am unsure of the name of the person who wrote the devotion that inspired and quickened my heart but he or she shared these thoughts.  "Jesus did not come to please the religious crowd.  Jesus did not come to pander to the social crowd. Jesus did not come to hang out with the wild bunch. Instead, Jesus entered the world to save sinners.  When we look back over the Gospel of Luke, we see Jesus reached out to men and women, young and old, powerful and forgotten, demon possessed, and the politically connected. He came to save sinners of all shapes, sizes, and stripes.  He came to save you and me."

I encourage you to re-read the purpose statement of Christ and commit yourself to following after that purpose in your daily life.  There are people all around us who need a Savior and we need to let our light shine in the midst of this sin darkened world.

Friendship

I have always been taught that a job worth doing deserves to be done well and done with quality in mind.  I take this point of view into the ministry role in which I am presently serving as well as the other responsibilities that I have as a husband, father, and grandfather.  But this morning I want to encourage you to do your best in your role as a friend, mentor, and Christian witness in the community in which you live and serve.  Is it not true that each of us are called to serve?  Each of us just serve in different areas and capacities of service to our fellow human beings.  Doing our best to serve with quality will be very rewarding not only to those that we are serving but it will also be very rewarding to those of us who are offering their service.  Many of us have walked away from an opportunity to serve and we felt such a sense of accomplishment realizing that God had used us to be a blessing to someone. 

Friendship and mentorship have been on my mind the past few days.  I desire to have good friends but do I desire to be a good friend.  Do I truly desire to offer "quality" friendship to individuals that God places in my life?  Do I truly do my best to invest my life in various individuals that God places in my life for a specific reason or purpose?  Do I seek to become a better person through the development of friendship and do I seek to assist that friend of mine to become a better person?  I recently read this quote of Mother Teresa; "Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier."  I was deeply challenged by those words.  How do people feel once they leave my presence?  Are they encouraged or discouraged?  Did they sense the presence of God at work in my life or did they identify the absence of God?  Would they feel comfortable introducing me to their friends and be willing to identify me as a friend of theirs?  Friends bear great responsibility for each other and I am learning that I desire for God to help me become a better friend/mentor to those who God places in my life.  I trust that this post will encourage you and me to inventory our lives and see what areas of friendship needs improving.

Ephesians 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (NIV) 

Good Works

Ephesians 2: 8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (NKJV)

Is it possible that we place too much pressure on ourselves to perform the works of Christianity rather than allowing our works to become a natural outflow of our relationship with Christ?  I continue to understand the fresh revelation of God's Grace and Mercy.  I understand that my salvation is not based on my ability to "perform" certain actions and attitudes that are associated with being a disciple of Jesus Christ.  I must continue to identify my weaknesses and depend on the strength that is provided through Jesus Christ.  Do you remember this declaration of Paul in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through  (emphasis added) Christ who strengthens me." (NKJV)  We must constantly remember that it is Christ working "through" us to reveal His presence in the midst of this world.  Christ said that people would see our good works and glorify the Father which is in heaven.  John the Baptist declared that he "would decrease and Christ would increase."  The more that I release my life into the working of God's Grace the more successful I will be in sharing my witness with this world.  We can witness verbally but there is also opportunities to witness in a non-verbal manner.  Non-verbal witnessing would include those opportunities to serve our fellow man through acts of kindness, thoughtfulness, concern, care, etc.  This type of service expects nothing in return other than the joy of serving and the blessing of pointing people to Christ through those acts of service.  These acts of service encourage us to walk humbly in our relationship with Christ realizing that we are dependent on the work of Christ being released in us and through us.  Take a moment today and thank God for His marvelous Grace and Mercy.  Also be prepared to share that Grace and Mercy through acts of selfless service to others.  You will be blessed by those actions and Christ will be honored by your acts of service.

Grace or Works

Ephesians 2: 8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (NKJV)

This particular topic has been debated by many people for many years.  I will not attempt to deal with this passage in its fullness but I do feel led to remind us of the principle that brings hope and peace to each of us.  I am truly thankful that my salvation does not depend on my ability to perform  good works.  There are days that the quality of my works are not as convincing or complete as they are on other days of my life.  The principle found in Ephesians 2 helps me understand that I could never work hard enough or good enough to deserve or receive the full blessings of the Kingdom of God.  This principle does not condone the lack of Christian works or actions in my life rather it allows me to understand that my relationship with Christ does not rest on the foundation of my works.  The opportunity to have a relationship with Christ is built completely on the grace (unmerited favor) of God that is provided through Jesus Christ our Savior.  But many of us struggle with the desire or feeling that we need to "earn" the favor of God by our actions rather than simply trusting the wonderful and marvelous grace of God.  It is true that each of us do not deserve the grace of God but it is also equally true that we can not earn the grace of God based on our own list of personal merits.  Salvation is a gift that God that bestowed upon us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and the completion of that process was His resurrection from the grave.  But the enemy of our soul wants us to stumble over the principle of believing and receiving and become trapped by thinking that we can earn our way into the Kingdom of God.  That trap of satan leads us into the temptation of seeking recognition for our works and efforts that should be willingly offered to God out of a heart that is simply and fully filled with gratitude and thanksgiving for the gift of salvation.  I encourage you to seek for more of God and not become captured by your own efforts and actions that lead to frustration rather than peace with God.