Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Opportunity

I was blessed with an awesome privilege this past Sunday night. Previously I have written about how much I enjoy sharing the Word of God in the form of a message that I believe God has placed on my heart. Sunday night found me in the pulpit of the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Magnolia, Kentucky. The presence of God was very evident as believers from several denominations gathered to seek the face of God. It is an encouragement to witness spiritual hunger among the family of God. I strongly believe that the modern day church must once again become hungry for more of God in our lives. We will not be able to finish our race in the power of the flesh but it will take the power and unction of the Spirit to lead us through the challenges of life. Pastor Shannon McCubbins is doing an awesome job in pointing the local congregation to the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. I told the congregation that Satan was confused on Sunday night. He was confused by the fact that believers from various churches had gathered in unity to worship and magnify the King of Kings. The old song still rings true, "I'm so glad to be a part of the family of God..." People were blessed as we prayed with each other for needs to be met. God is at work in the heart of honest hearted believers who are seeking after the correct path to follow.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Preaching the Word

Those of you who personally know me understand that I enjoy sharing the Word of God (preaching).  It is always a pleasure as well as privilege to stand before a group of people and share the message of the Gospel.  I do not claim to the greatest Gospel communicator that has ever shared a message but I do believe that there is a message to share and that I truly enjoy those opportunities to share the Word.  I do not want to sound arrogant in making that previous statement but I do believe that people need to recognize the fact that it is possible to truly enjoy following after the heart of God in obedience to the "call" that is upon our lives.  Does that mean that every time of preaching is always easy and fulfilling?  No, not by the means of human measurements but by the measure of the Spirit it is fulfilling and rewarding to see the Word of God have an effect upon the listening audience. 
 
I sense that some preacher, teacher, or other Christian leader needs encouragement today.  I sense the urgency of this encouragement as the Spirit forms my thoughts and as I write these words for the people who needs to read them.  "Do not become weary in well doing, you shall reap if you do not faint (give up)."  Don't allow the enemy to discourage you in your walk with God.  Do not allow the enemy to confuse you with the measurements of humanity versus the measurements of the Spirit.  Jesus made an effort to go through Samaria to share the Gospel with one woman.  Jesus made an effort to share the Gospel with the lepers (outcasts) in the community in which He ministered.  Jesus shared the plan of God with His disciples yet they did not fully capture the fullness of the message until His Resurrection from the grave.  You and I may never receive the recognition of humanity but we can walk pleasing to God and hear Him share these words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant..."  After all, isn't He the One that we seek to please and honor in all that we say and do?  O man and woman of God, lift your head today and be encouraged.  O man and woman of God, lift your heart to God today and be strengthened in your soul.  In my opinion Christian leaders are being called to finish well and I desire to be able to accomplish that goal in my life and I am sure that you feel the same way.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Surrender

I do my best to share what I sense the Spirit has placed in my heart.  I share these thoughts to not only allow you to see the activity of God in my personal life but also I want them to serve as a challenge or confirmation to you in your personal walk with Christ.  Periodically the Spirit will remind me of the need to continue to surrender my life to Christ.  I remember the initial time of surrender at my conversion and I can remember those "God moments" in which God has taken me into a deeper sense of surrender and service to Him.  I sensed one of those moments yesterday afternoon during a time of prayer.  I never want to lose the desire to recognize the leadership of Christ in my life; I sincerely desire Him to be Lord as well as Savior.  Is it possible that we can receive Him as Savior yet not fully surrender to Him and recognize Him as Lord over our life?  I do not want to make that mistake.  Recently I read this article from a Pastor in SC that spoke to my heart and I want to share it with you today.  Please remember that it spoke to me before I desired for it to speak to you!
 
A friend said, "My problem is that I have surrendered my time to work, to other people, and to bad habits." We should first surrender our time to God. God owns it anyway. Our task is to manage properly what has been entrusted to us until he returns or wants it back, including our time.
 
Think about a compass and a clock Two very important tools, but two very different instruments. One would be wise not to confuse the two. To surrender our time to God is to be governed by a compass rather than to be controlled by a clock. A compass provides a sense of direction, purpose, vision, perspective, and balance. A clock measures duration, the expenditure of time. A compass determines effectiveness-doing the right tasks. A clock determines efficiency-how long it takes to accomplish a task. Both have their place. But, the compass must come before the clock, therefore, effectiveness before efficiency. The "mega priorities" of the compass subordinate the "mini priorities" of the clock.
 
A compass, therefore, becomes a symbol of an internal guidance system that provides us with our values and convictions based on God's Word. This non-negotiable governs our lives. In the same manner that the gravitational force pulls the compass needle; it is God that governs the drive of our lives. We surrender to his force.
 
Our time should be surrendered to God daily. I asked a friend who is engaged in many pursuits successfully, how he managed it all. He said, "I give my first minutes to God, then I commit the remainder of the day to his Lordship. And amazingly I work more effectively and efficiently."
 
Have you surrendered your time to God?  Is your time in his hands?
 


Thursday, August 23, 2012

Challenged to Think

I read these quotes that a Pastor friend of mine had posted on his FB page and they immediately grabbed my attention.  How often do I identify what I perceive to be the need for change in the life of another person  yet fail to take the time to identify the need for change in my life?  Is it possible that we can become so consumed with our examination of others that we fail to examine our own walk with Christ?  2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine (scrutinize, discipline) yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified." (NKJV)  I fully understand that there is the possibility that we can become overly critical of ourselves but we can also develop an attitude that allows ourselves to skirt around the issues that are having a detrimental effect on our walk with Christ.  We need to develop the proper balance as we take a step toward personal examination and I believe the combination of the Word and the Spirit will provide the proper balance each of us need.  Let these following words challenge each of us to think about "us" and the progress of our spiritual growth and maturity.
 
Thought for the week: “You make the world a better place by making yourself a better person.” – Unknown

 “Success is always temporary. When all is said and done, the only thing you’ll have left is your character.” – Vince Gill

 “The first great gift we can bestow on others is a good example.” – Thomas Morell
 
 
 

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Loving God, Part 2

"But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand." Matthew 7:26

 
It is easier to tell God that I love Him than it is to show Him that I love Him.  The proverbial statement, "Words are cheap", may be very appropriate for the thought today.  I believe that obedience to God can be one of the spiritual measuring sticks that we can use to either prove or disprove our love for God.  I do not want this post to sound harsh but I do think that each of us need to answer the challenge that Christ extends in this portion of scripture in Matthew 6.  My obedience or lack thereof will reveal either that I am a foolish man or it will reveal that I am a wise man.  The choice is mine and the final decision rests with me.  God provides the options and even reveals the benefits of making the right choice.  It does sound simple but life has a way of presenting to us those complicated matters which require a true searching of our hearts to ensure that each of us are prepared to walk in full obedience.  In all honesty each of us can attest to the fact that some areas of obedience are easier to navigate than others. 
 
There are those times in life in which we are eager to jump in and take matters into our own hands.  There are also times in which we don't take time to think and talk with God about the circumstances that we are facing.  Each of us know that we should consult with God regarding our life but we get into a hurry and do what we think is correct and pleasing to God.  There are times that we may stumble into disobedience because we failed to seek after God's direction for our lives.  We must learn to seek God in every area of our life and let Him know that we want to please Him and glorify Him in all that we do and say.  A heart that is filled with a desire to live in obedience to God will bring the blessings of God upon us even as we walk down the difficult road of daily struggles and challenges.  The old hymn declares; "Trust and obey for there is no other way..."  God is looking for people who will trust and obey His commands and directions.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Loving God

The weekend services at New River Worship Center were refreshing, encouraging, and challenging.  I truly believe that the Spirit is issuing a wake-up call and challenge to this generation of believers.  I also believe that each previous generation has received this call and God has found men and women who will answer that call.  I also believe that it will be said that there are believers in the 21st Century who will choose to respond to the call from the Spirit in spite of the fact that the enemy is doing all in his power to hinder the correct response.  I for one desire to be one of those individuals who will not only hear the call but I am preparing my heart to respond to the call from the heart of God.

I was led to speak from this passage in Matthew 24:12 on Sunday night.  Christ offered this insight to His people as He spoke about some of the challenges of the final (last) days that would precede His return.  Take a moment and reflect on these words, "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold" (NKJV).  Jesus reminds us that the presence of evil, sin, iniquity, and rebellion against God would seek to interfere in our love relationship with Him.  The pressure from the culture would seek to drive us away from God all the while the Spirit is calling us to draw closer to God.  Don't you believe that are facing that paradox today?  On one hand, we feel the forces of evil and sin attacking our minds; yet, the Spirit of God continues to reveal the love of God to us and His love will provide the strength to resist these attacks of satan.  I must not allow the enemy to "cool off" my love for Christ. 

A few years ago Pastor Tim McCaleb shared this illustration in a devotional in which he was leading on a particular night of a Revival meeting.  Pastor Tim told us that we will pour hot coffee, hot soup, or hot chocolate in a bowl or cup.  We will hold that bowl up to our mouths and blow on the contents so as to "cool off" those contents in the bowl.  He shared that satan uses the challenges, trials, difficulties, setbacks, etc. to "blow over" our lives in such a manner to cool off our passionate love for Christ.  I echo those same words today.  Each of us face our own set of these circumstances that blow across our life on a daily basis and satan will use them to hinder and in some cases even stop our love relationship with Christ.  This prophetic time is demanding that we refuse and refute this tactic of the enemy and allow our love with God to remain passionate regardless of and in spite of the circumstances that each of us are facing.  Will you take a moment and ask yourself this question?  "Is my love for God hot, cold, or lukewarm?"  

Friday, August 17, 2012

Looking to God

The Hebrews 12 passage has been in my heart over the past several weeks.  It is in verse in 2 of that passage that the Spirit reminds us to "look unto Jesus"; one translation uses the words "keeping our eyes on Jesus."  Each one of us have gone through those moments in which "life" challenges us to focus our attention on Christ and not the events or circumstances that were taking place in our lives.  That is not always easy for us to do but it is always profitable to make the decision to do this and to take this action in our lives.  Christ is the strength that we need as we face the different trials, struggles, difficulties, or challenges that we confront.  The following passage from the book of Psalms can confirm our need to trust in God at all times.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps." Psalm 40:1-2

"King David knew something about suffering, particularly suffering caused by his own actions. But he also knew to whom he could turn during those times of trouble.  What great comfort and joy come to us when we understand that God is rich in grace and mercy, that He not only forgives, but restores and redeems!  The Lord lifts us up from our personal pits of despair and puts us in right standing with Him.  When times of trouble arrive - even trouble we bring on ourselves - we must turn to God and wait patiently for His help. He'll never fail us. Remember these truths about God and then proclaim them to everyone who will hear." (John Maxwell)

There are times that our "spiritual concentration" will be tested and the Spirit will call on us to refocus our attention on Christ and wait on Him to direct our steps.  A testimony of provision was shared with me on Wednesday night at the conclusion of service.  There was a need in this family's life but it had been met through faithful perseverance in prayer and a focusing on the promises of God.  God's resources are not limited by your circumstances or by my circumstances.  We can LOOK in confidence toward God and know that His wonderful love, mercy, and grace is being released in our lives.  

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Expectations

I am a person that lives with high expectations on a daily basis.  I truly believe that we need to live "big" and think "big" when it comes to the things concerning God.  I do not use the word "big" to refer so much as to the accomplishments of daily living as much as I use that word to refer to the greatness of God.  We need to live under the influence and guidance of the great God who desires to work in our lives for the sake of His Kingdom.  The big expectations with which I live is not about what I can accomplish to draw the attention of man.  Rather the expectations with which I desire to live is about the revelation and the release of the Kingdom of God in and through my life.  I live with the expectation that Christ will work in me "...both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13b, NKJV).  I truly desire for my life to be lived to bring honor glory to God who rescued me from the clutches of sin and set my feet on and in a new path of life.

But is it possible that we expect more from others than we are willing to offer ourselves?  I often hear people speak about what it lacking in the church (family of God).  But I would like to ask that person this question, "What are you personally doing to make a difference in the lives of those people around you?"  It is so easy to identify what we think everybody else needs to do but exclude ourselves from that portion of the conversation.  We can easily raise our level of expectation for others and be very content to live at our same level of commitment and participation with those things that God desires to do in our lives.  Each of us should live with a high level of expectation but do not expect or in some cases demand more out of others than what you are willing to give of yourself.  There is plenty of room for spiritual improvement in all of us and I certainly recognize that need in my life.  Do not give up on yourself and do not give up on others; just continue to intercede for yourself as well as for the other members of the family of God.  After all they are our family; they deserve our love, support, and encouragement.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

How Do I Respond to the Voice of God?

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.   Revelation 3:20 (New International Version NIV)

What is the difference between a “believer” and one who has surrendered to Christ? There is a difference between someone who truly listen and pays close attention to the information/direction that is being shared.  Do I take the time to hear what God does say or do I just allow His Words to "go in one ear and out the other?"  Did your parents ever use that example with you as they were trying to help you understand that you needed to improve your listening skills?  I believe the Spirit is telling the family of God that we need to improve our listening skills. 

Ron Allen shares this illustration that spoke to my heart and hopefully you will allow the Spirit to open your understanding to the principle that is being offered to us.  "If you were to come to my home, I would invite you in as an honored guest. As my guest, you would enjoy everything I had in my home. However, you would still be a guest. You would not have the keys to the home, and your authority in that home would be merely as a guest. However, if I said to you that I am turning over my home to you and you now have the keys to my home, I would be your servant. This is the difference. Many of us have merely invited Jesus into our home as a guest. I have given Jesus the keys to my home [heart] and I am his servant."

I desire for Christ to be more than a "guest" in my life.  I desire for Him to lead, guide, and direct my life and I must learn to listen attentively if that is going to be fulfilled in my life.  Will you join with me in that commitment today?


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

What Will I Do With What I Hear?

I feel the Spirit leading my prayer time in much of the same manner that I sensed last week.  I am still concerned about the lack of response to the Word of God and the presence of God as people gather to Worship God week after week.  Is it possible that we grow "comfortable" with these two spiritual powers and influences in such a way that we find it easy to push away the call that accompanies the presence of God?  Is it possible that we can learn to deny the fact the we "need" any more of God in our lives?  Is it possible that we can learn to ignore the fact that we "need" God each and every moment of our lives?  I am honestly trying to identify this spiritual enemy that is attacking the family of God.  The Apostle Paul reminds us that we need to be aware of the tactics of the enemy so that we might be able to respond in the appropriate manner to these tactics.  I will confess that the Spirit has identified some of these tactics during my prayer times over the past few days.  The Spirit also reminded me that these enemies are from the fallen spiritual realm rather than fleshly human beings.  The enemy may use carnal (fleshly) things to hinder us but the true culprit behind these attacks/hindrances is satan.  But we must always remember that Christ defeated satan and we can walk in the strength of that victory.

I read a prayer of Chuck Swindoll that I thought would be appropriate to share this morning.  I trust that each of us can pray this prayer over our lives and over our relationship with Christ.

"Our Father, we all struggle with weakness. We're reminded almost every day that we don't have it all together. We need You. We have heartaches and disappointments that haven't gone away . . . the grief of broken relationships, illnesses, and recent deaths. We invite You to enter in, Lord. Enter into all of that on our behalf. Through Your presence may we find relief and release from that which has bound us, tied us up within. We're able to take only so much, and sometimes we come to a virtual breaking point. In our times of physical and emotional weakness, we need Your comfort and Your strength.

We are also stalked by sin. We need Your grace. Sin has taken a terrible toll on the human condition. And though we are well-versed in every possible way of ignoring it or explaining it away, today we come to terms with it. Surely we have failed or fallen in some area just this week, and the ache of that nags us and troubles us—some needless words, some outburst of anger, some lingering resentment, or some caustic response. Lord, thank You for the blood of Christ that keeps on cleansing us from all sins, including these. Forgive us, our Father. Remove from us the enemy's desire to make us ashamed and to drag us under the load of that failure. May we remember that in Your grace You not only forgive, You wipe the slate clean. Thank You that You know our weakness and love us nevertheless.

In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen."



Friday, August 10, 2012

God is at Work

This week of prayer has been one in which God has reminded me of His desire and plan to work in my life.  It is so easy to become distracted or overwhelmed by the challenges of life that we fail to take the time to develop our relationship with Christ.  It is possible that even Ministers can become so captured by "doing the work of the Ministry" that we fail to allow the Spirit to develop the heart of the Minister.  I am convinced that the only way that I can be effective (that is certainly a relative term) as a Minister of the Gospel is to place a priority on my personal walk and relationship with Christ.  Ministers and other Christian leaders can become so concerned about pleasing people and meeting their individual needs that they fail to spend quality time with the Savior.  I know that in times past that I have been guilty of working to please people in so many way that I failed to recognize my need to walk in a deep fellowship, communion, and relationship with Jesus Christ.  This week has served to remind me of the need not to get those two opportunities in my spiritual life confused.  I do not mind serving people; that is not the point of this blog.  But I do not want the need to serve people overrun my need to have a developing relationship with Christ.  We are battling the lack of spiritual maturity in the Body of Christ and each of us need to take the time and examine the development of our relationship with Christ.  Do we expect other people to develop spiritually yet we are content to remain in the same spiritual condition that we have been for years (sounds a little like the Pharisees)?  Is it not time that each of us understand that this is the time, high time to awake out of sleep and allow the Holy Spirit to do His work "in" our lives? 

The modern day believer has become more interested and intrigued by what God will do "through us and with us"  so much that we have ignored what He desires to do "in" us.  I am convinced that He will work through us and with us if we will surrender ourselves to Him and allow Him to perform His work "in" us.  The work of the Spirit "in" us is where true transformation and regeneration takes place.  Could this be one of the reasons that we see a lack of transformation and regeneration in many of the conversions of the modern day?  God desires to move beyond the surface of our lives; His Word and Spirit desire to penetrate our heart which is the seat of our emotions.  God desires to change us from the inside out rather than the outside in.  I am listening to the song, "I Surrender All" as I am writing this blog.  Am I truly ready to "surrender" every area of my life to Him and allow His will and way to be accomplished "in" me?  I truly believe that the Spirit is asking each believer to answer that question today!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

God's Requirements

"And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul," Deuteronomy 10:12 (New International Version NIV)

We often ask ourselves this question, "What does God require of me or expect of me?"  I believe that there are some requirements that God expects from us.  It might sound more palatable if we used the words "character traits" instead of requirements.  But regardless of the word or words that you may choose to use I believe that there is a lifestyle that we need to model that allows people to see that Christ has made a difference in our lives.  The pressure from the attitudes of the world appears to want to blur that line even more.  The world will say that living for Christ should not be offensive or challenging; yet a true relationship with Christ will bring transformation and reformation.  The Apostle Paul was an example of the change of a person's life once they encounter the Risen Christ.  I am not advocating "haughty, high-minded or arrogant" Christianity but I am an advocate for authentic Christianity.  Authentic Christianity will allow the life and light of Christ to shine through us in a manner that will reflect the inner change that has taken place in our individual lives. 

Here are some principles that God shared with Moses that he shared with the people.  First let us always remember that the Mercy of God will provide the strength we need to live out the life of Christ.  It will never take place in the human efforts of our knowledge or abilities.  This should be the daily cry and prayer from our hearts.  I would like to share a prayer with you that I read a few days ago that continues to speak to my heart today.  "Dear God, Help me to have a reverent fear of you, to walk in all your ways, to love you, and to serve you with all my heart and with all my soul. You are the remedy for my soul; the cure for all my pain, hurt and wrong; the solution for every problem. You are Rapha, the Healer regardless of the type of healing that I need. You are great and greatly to be praised.  I lift your name on high.  Shine through my life.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Happy Anniversary

I will take a moment today and move away from my normal approach to posting my thoughts on the blog.  Yesterday (August 7th) was my parents 61st Wedding Anniversary.  That is a very significant accomplishment when you consider the modern day approach to marriage.  My parents viewed marriage as a commitment to one another and not just a contract between two consenting adults.  My parents certainly faced their own unique set of struggles and challenges in their lives but their love for God and their love for one another gave them the strength to face those challenges.  I am sure that my parents faced their own trials, their mistakes, poor decisions, financial challenges (they are the parents of six children), and health issues.  But they chose not to allow those moments to stop them from loving one another and the children that God placed in their home.  Each of my siblings can witness to the fact that we all knew that we were loved and that our parents were committed to our well being.  I can also add that for many of those 61 years my parents served local churches in a Pastoral ministry role and all of those 61 years they have served in a Ministerial role.  Mom and Dad, we love you and we are proud to call you our parents.  Thanks for investing your love, care, concern, compassion, and prayers in each of your children, your grandchildren, and now your great grandchildren.  We are a blessed family to say the least!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Passion for Christ

I read a quote from Zig Ziglar that addresses the need for passion.  In my opinion we must possess passion in our lives if we are going to succeed in any endeavour that we attempt.  Michael Phelps must have possessed passion for swimming for him to have competed as such a peak level for the past several years of his life.  Those who participate in any field of sports must possess passion for that sport if they are to be successful.  Can you imagine how many hours sports participants spend in practice prior to the game (s) even being played?  Doctors study for many years and take many classes before they are ever deemed prepared to "practice" medicine.  This list is a brief one but hopefully it has served the purpose to kindle some thoughts about the role that passion plays in our lives.

Let us take a moment and read the quote from Mr. Ziglar.  "I don't care what the field of endeavor is—sports, business, science, medicine, education, ministry, public service—I don't believe that anyone will perform at his or her peak without passion.  Life's too tough to get to the top without passion.  You're going to fail, be taken advantage of, be disappointed by people you trust, disappoint yourself, run out of resources—almost every day you're going to encounter a good, solid, logical reason why you ought to give up.  And without passion, you just might.  That's why passion is the prerequisite for peak performance."

Don't you believe that is time for the church to exhibit and release our passion toward the development of our relationship with Jesus Christ?  I am not writing this statement in a judgmental or critical manner.  One of the ministry leaders at New River shared this thought with the Worship Team a few weeks ago in a devotional.  "It is time that we move out of the status quo in our relationship with Christ.  The enemy seeks for each of us to just go through the motions of church and not allow the Spirit to change our lives..."  I agree with that challenge.  We can be passionate about sports, politics, our governmental leaders, and many other cultural subjects.  But where is our passion for Jesus Christ?  We can become passionate about issues but where is our passion for a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?  The Apostle Paul cried out "that I may know him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death," Philippians 3:10 (NKJV)  We will need to exhibit passion if we see that prayer answered.  We are facing too many enemies who seek to hinder our relationship with Christ; let us seek to "know Christ."

Monday, August 6, 2012

Weekend Reflection

I rejoice in the goodness of God this morning.  I received an encouraging text message from a friend (who also happens to serve as a Pastor) from Alabama as I was preparing to leave for church.  That thoughtful note was such an uplifting act of kindness on his part.  I checked my phone for messages at the conclusion of yesterday's service and to my surprise there was a text message from another friend in Alabama who told my wife and I that we were on her mind and that she was praying for us.  That thoughtful message brought a smile to our faces as we remembered the wonderful relationship that we have developed with that family through the years.  I was truly sensing the blessing of encouragement in my life at that point in my day but the day was not complete as of yet.  Late on Sunday evening I received an email on Facebook from a young person who had been a part of our Youth Ministry several years ago at a local church we served as Pastor.  This young lady was thanking us for never giving up on her even when she dropped out of church. We left numerous messages on her phone relaying our prayer concerns as well as our belief that God was at work in her heart and that He had a plan for her life.  She stated to us how that concern had played a major role in her re-commitment to Jesus Christ.  She is now a committed believer to Christ, she has been married for four years and is working on her Master's Degree in Counseling at a well renowned Seminary in Kentucky. 

WOW!  It was truly a day in which God reminded me that He is aware of all that we do and say for the sake of His Kingdom.  It is easy to become "weary in well doing" at different times on our journey with Christ.  But God has a way of reinforcing the promise that He does not forget our acts of service in His name.  Who can you encourage today?  Who do you need to encourage today?  Will you take the time to encourage someone today?  There are people just like me who will be truly blessed because you took the time to share an encouraging and thoughtful word with them.  Don't put off that phone call, email, text message, greeting card or personal visit any more.  Move away from procrastination and put into action those heartfelt emotions of appreciation.

Friday, August 3, 2012

The Blessings of God, Part 2

I want to continue sharing some blessings that God that has brought to my attention over the past few days.  It is so easy to become trapped and captured by the events or circumstances of life that we face that we fail to recognize the blessings that God has given to us that day.  I noticed a small insect the other day that had been captured or snared by the web that a spider had recently weaved.  Although the insect was struggling to free itself from the web it was not making much progress.  We must be careful and not allow our to hearts to grow cold and indifferent toward the blessings of God.  It is very possible that we can take for granted those wonderful and powerful blessings that God has bestowed upon us.  I want to pause this morning and reflect on the blessings that God uses to remind me of His love, grace, and mercy.

I am sitting at my desk in my home office and I hear the sounds of some voices coming from the family room.  These voices are not normally heard on a week day in our home.  They are the voices of two of our four grandchildren (our youngest son's children).  I hear words such as, "Poppy are you finished yet?"  I hear, "Poppy, Sissy want let me play on her Ipod?"  I hear, "Poppy, when are we eating lunch?"  I hear, "Poppy, can I play on your Ipad?"  I am sure that you have heard those same words from your children or grandchildren.  I am trying to think about calls that I want to make; I am trying to write my thoughts on the blog, and I am trying to plan lunch for the grandchildren.  Lunch is probably the easiest decision to make, will we eat at McDonald's or Burger King (two of their favorites)?  It dawned on me as I was writing this blog that although those two voices are interrupting my concentration they are also a reminder of the blessings of God.  God reminded me that they had the ability to speak.  God reminded me that they possessed the cognitive skills necessary to put their thoughts together in the form of questions or statements.  God reminded me that they knew that I loved them enough to provide lunch for them when lunch time arrived.  God reminded me that they possessed the knowledge to know that I loved them and that I heard them even though I did not immediately respond to their needs. 

What am I trying to say you might ask?  I am encouraging you to take the time and observe those blessings that God will place in your life on a daily basis.  Those blessings can be lost in the daily hustle and bustle of life.  I was at that point this morning and God has allowed these "voices of interruption" (did I mention that they keep coming in and out of the room) to remind me that I am a blessed man.  I thank God that we never become too old to learn a valuable lesson!

   

Thursday, August 2, 2012

The Blessings of God

I have been dilitary in placing my posts over the past few days.  Normally I enjoy sharing my thoughts earlier in the day.  I feel that my thoughts are fresh and inspired after I have spent some time in prayer and mediation.  My morning schedule has been somewhat different this week and I have failed to make the proper adjustment in sharing my thoughts.  There are some true benefits to being a person who stays in the confines of their schedule but those of us who try to operate in that manner also have to learn to be creative in making adjustments.  This week I am learning the need to make the adjustments quickly rather than waiting to find the time to do what I like to do as well as want to do.  The post this morning will be a hodgepodge of various thoughts and praises that I feel the need to share.

1)  Ann and I were truly blessed and honored this past Sunday as New River Worship Center celebrated Pastor Appreciation Day with us.  We were blessed to receive many beautiful cards, wonderful and kind remarks, encouraging affirmation, and love gifts.  We were made to feel "special" as the local body of believers took the time to honor us as their spiritual leaders.  I share this because we need to always remember that those who serve us need to be remembered and offered affirmation for the service that they share with us.  The enemy seeks to make spiritual leaders "under appreciated."  I do not want to make it sound as though I think that our spiritual leaders are "fragile" emotional people  who need extra attention so that they can survive the challenges of their area of service.  It is quite the opposite; I feel that God has blessed the family of God with some wonderful, strong, courageous, committed, caring and spiritually mature leaders.  But it is those leaders who need to know that the local congregations recognize the gifts, talents, calling, and Christian character that these true Shepherds are seeking to exude and model.  Those true servants need to know that they are loved, appreciated, and respected.  Each of us need to take time and allow our spiritual leaders know that we are thankful that God has placed them in our lives.  You will be blessed through your release of love and recognition and the leader will be encouraged through the investment that you made in their life.  One final thought; I use the word "investment" to cover more than just gifts.  The word "investment" includes your love, support, encouragement, and prayer covering.  This type of investment will bring a blessing to the leader but it will also bring a blessing to those of us who make that investment.  The Biblical principle declares that "we will reap what we sow."

On second thought, I will not place any more of my thoughts on the blog today.  I want my words to have some time to have an effect on our lives and the way we seek to under gird our leaders.