Thursday, September 27, 2012

Follow-up to SYATP

I am truly thankful for the reports that I have received concerning the number of local students who showed their support of Christ and the need for prayer on the Global Day of Student Prayer.  I want to share an article that I read this morning.  I trust that you will be blessed with the information and continue to be an Intercessor for the children and youth of this generation.
 
Students Around the World Gather for 'See You at the Pole 2012'
More than three million students from at least 20 countries gathered on school grounds yesterday morning for "See You at the Pole 2012," the annual global day of student prayer, OneNewsNow.com reports. It was the 22nd anniversary of See You at the Pole, which is held on the fourth Wednesday of every September and is student-initiated, student-organized and student-led. Students from elementary school to college meet at their campus flagpoles before school to pray for their friends, families, teachers, school and nation. The theme for this year's event was "Awaken," taken from the prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21. According to Caleb Stanley, a high school senior and president of the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter in Oxford, Miss., "They try so hard to take prayer and take God out of school, and it's just awesome to see all these students come together and ... say, 'No -- we're going to be close to God, and there's nothing you can do about it to stop us.'"
 
This is a wonderful testimony and reminder that God does have disciples in all generations.  There will be people who will choose NOT to march to the drum beat of the culture but they will choose to follow Christ.  I want to invest my time and energy in supporting believers of all ages.


Wednesday, September 26, 2012

SYATP

I am thankful this morning for the opportunity to join with our oldest grandson at his Middle School (public) in Louisville, Kentucky for a time of prayer. See You At The Pole is a time of prayer prior to the beginning of school (7:00 AM for these students) which is led by the students and in many cases supported by the local sponsor of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. It was such a blessing and encouragement to see this group of young men and women demonstrate their faith and trust in Jesus Christ through this testimony of prayer. Hopefully this event took place on school properties across our nation. I was struck by the seriousness and humility of the individual students who prayed. You could sense their sincerity and compassion as they prayed for themselves, their friends, their families, their teachers, and their school. It was one more reminder that there are young people who will not cower to the pressure of this world but they will choose to be followers of Jesus Christ. I was honored to stand with that group of students and see them interact with God. Many of us adults find it difficult to pray in public and even pray in front of our friends but these students demonstrated their desire to exalt and magnify Jesus Christ. This generation deserves and needs our sincere support, love, and encouragement. I was privileged to interact with two of the teachers of the local school. Their passion to support and encourage these students was very refreshing. Our world is dominated by all of the negative and harmful events that are taking place. It is a breath of fresh air to see people who truly have a desire to be a good example of the love and grace of Jesus Christ. The educators and administrators of our schools need and deserve the prayer covering of each local church. Will you become an Intercessor for the children and youth of our nation? Will you become an Intercessor for the Educators within the schools of our nation? Will you become an Intercessor for our nation and our need to turn back to God for His guidance and direction? People are depending on those of us who will choose to stop complaining about the state of affairs of our nation and use that energy to PRAY!!! What would happen in our nation if we became as passionate about seeking God as we are the other interests of our lives? I can tell you what would happen; we would witness a mighty move of spiritual renewal that would impact each of our lives and impact the spiritual decisions of our nation. I am committed to continue seeking after a time of refreshing that can only come from the presence of God. Will you join with me in making that commitment to seek after the heart of God?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Strong Faith

Faith is certainly an important part of our relationship with Christ.  As a matter of fact we are saved by faith and not works.  Christianity is based on a relationship of faith in Christ.  Our faith is challenged from time to time as we face the trials of daily living.  Each of us must learn to allow the Word of God and the Spirit of God to develop, to mature, and to strengthen our faith.  We need our faith to grow stronger as we continue our walk with Christ.  This is not the time in our spiritual history to allow our faith to be weakened or undermined by the pressure of this "spiritual culture."  We also face the challenges from the powers of the "demonic culture" that is very evident in this society.  How will we choose to respond to those challenges and those pressures?  We will respond as our previous generations have responded.  We will lift our hearts toward God and allow His Word and Spirit to speak strength, courage, hope, and a deeper trust in God in the midst of these challenges.
 
Let us remind ourselves of the powerful promises found in Proverbs 3:1-7, "1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil." (KJV)

Monday, September 24, 2012

Weekend Reflections

After all of these years I am still amazed as I witness the Spirit of God direct a service.  Yesterday morning I witnessed the Spirit of God take a group of individuals and mold them into an effective team that followed the leading of the Spirit. This began with the Call to Worship, flowed through the songs that the Worship Team led, was evident in the message that God placed on my heart, and was finalized when people responded to the altar invitation.  The obedience to the Spirit led to the release of the ministering presence of the Spirit to those who were present in the service at New River Worship Center.  It is such a blessing to be able to witness people respond to the direction of the Spirit and we saw that in the service yesterday.  I felt that I must begin this week's post by offering praise and recognition to God for His awesome and wonderful love that He willing shares with each of us.  Do we truly take the time to thank God for His love and realize that His love is the foundation of our hope as we face the challenges of daily living?  We can move forward because we are convinced that God loves us and that He cares about each of us.  That is a powerful principle of the Bible that must not be overlooked.  We can only move through the challenges of life because we are strengthened by the daily presence of the love of God.  Each of us can take heart in the fact that Christ has not abandoned us during our difficult moments. 
 
Romans 8:38-39: "38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (KJV)

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Love of God

We have begun a study of the Fruit of the Spirit that is described in Galatians 5. We began the study last night with a testimony from one of the men that focused on the love of God for mankind. The presentation of his essay was a blessing. This brother in Christ was very authentic, transparent and real as he spoke from his heart. His openness reminded us that God loves us even when we are facing our challenges and difficulties. God's love is real even when we are unlovable and sometimes unapproachable. God's love is real even when do not understand our circumstances and the reasons that we are facing those circumstances. The Love of God is more than some "spiritual theory" and it is revealed in our daily lives in many ways. God's love can be practically applied to the situations that we are facing and the testimony last night brought that fact to reality. I am glad to know that God understands that we are "real" human beings and that we are affected by the events of life that take place around us as well as in us. I choose to thank God for His awesome and wonderful love today. The song declares, "Oh how He loves you and me..."

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

God Watches Over You

I Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil." (Emphasis added, KJV)

Each of us can take hope in the fact that the eyes of God are watching over us on a daily basis.  We can rejoice in the fact that we are NEVER out of the sight of our Heavenly Father.  I can remember my wife telling me to "keep my eyes" on my sons when we would be away from the safety of our home.  We live in the midst of an unsafe world yet we know that the presence and concern of God is with us every moment of every day.  We can rest in the fact that God is aware of our daily activity and knows where we are located at all times.  God has a "Divine GPS" system that watches over His children and fully understands the daily challenges that they are facing.
 
Have you ever faced a battle with discouragement and you had kept that struggle to yourself?  But you received a card in the mail, or a phone call, or an email, or a text message, or even a personal visit that brought encouragement to your life.  That is the evidence of the eyes of the Lord.  Have you ever went to a church service with questions and those questions were answered in the discourse of the Minister's message?  That is the evidence of the eyes of the Lord.  Have you ever felt as though God had forgotten you but in some form or manner God revealed His love to you in a special way?  That is the evidence of the eyes of the Lord.  Always remember that He is watching over you and that He is truly concerned about your well being.  I can personally testify to each of the above mentioned scenarios that I have described.  As a matter of fact each of these were taken from my journey through life and I could mention many more encounters with a special visitation of the Spirit.  Be encouraged today and reminded that God is no respecter of persons.  His love is revealed to all of us and we can walk in the strength of that love.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Thinking out Loud

Monday is typically a day in which I take some time a perform a mental review of the service on Sunday. I try not to be overly critical of myself yet at the same time I look for ways to do a better job in sharing the heart of God with the congregation. As I was preparing for an early morning appointment I was focusing on the preparation for the service. My thoughts went to my personal preparation as well as the preparation of the other leaders in the service such as the Worship Team, Children's Ministry, Call to Worship, etc. In the midst of my thought process it was as though the Spirit spoke these words to my heart, "What about my presence? What would have been accomplished in the service without my presence?" Then the light turned on in my head; it is true that we can place more emphasis on our preparation and fail to appreciate the presence of God. Could religious performance be defined as "human preparation and presentation of the Gospel message without the presence and participation of the Spirit?" I quickly asked God to forgive me for any portion of my thought process that was offensive to Him. Let me add that the leaders in the Worship service as well as Children's Ministries were very well prepared but I could sense that they had spent time during the week seeking the presence of God. In a broader view, remember that God never intended for you and I to deal with the issues of life only in our abilities. God desires for us to trust in Him. God desires for us to walk in the strength of His presence. Take a moment today and reflect on the presence of God that is very evident in your daily life.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Do Not Give Up

Churches across America are participating in a "Back to Church" emphasis this weekend. Believers are being encouraged to invite people to church who have either dropped out of church or who have chosen not to attend a local church. I am praying that believers have taken this opportunity seriously and have reached out to their families and friends. We recognize that we are in need of the help of God as we view the scenery of our world. We are surrounded by challenging events and circumstances yet we have a wonderful and powerful message of hope to declare. This weekend of emphasis has led me to remind you not to give up on anyone that is on your prayer list. Take a second look at them and realize that Christ desires to redeem and rescue them from sin. We can not afford to turn our back on people regardless of what we see with our natural eyes. We must look at people through the eyes of faith and realize that God does not overlook anyone in our world. I truly believe that Christ modeled that style of ministry and concern and we need to emulate Him in all that we say and do. I am asking God to keep that attitude alive and churning in our souls today. There are people who are full of endless possibilities within the framework of the family of God. We must be willing to look beyond the faults of people and realize that they are only a prayer away from redemption.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

The Wonderful Exchange

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your  old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made  new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created  to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."  Ephesians 4:22-24
 
I have been studying the fruit of the Spirit that Paul wrote about in Galatians 5.  It is amazing to see what the life of Christ will produce in our lives as we surrender our life to Him.  It is difficult to fully understand the transition that takes place in our hearts as we open our hearts to the strength of the Word as well as the influence of the Spirit.  We can look back at amazement in our life as well as the lives of our family and friends as we identify the change that has taken place in each of us.  I am thankful that God has not given up on me but He continues to provide the transformation that I so desperately need.  We are a work in progress and we can see the effects of the fruit that is being produced in our individual lives.  We can also rejoice in the fact that others recognize the fruit that our life is producing.  I saved the following words from a devotion that I once read.  The words spoke to my heart and I trust that they will speak to your heart.
 
"There is a great exchange that takes place when a person places their faith in Jesus Christ. Their old way of living is replaced with living for the Lord. Their old way of thinking is replaced with thinking on the truth of Jesus. Their old way of speaking is replaced with speech that is sprinkled with the grace of God. The old has passed, the new has come.
 
The life of Christ becomes the life of the follower of Christ. No longer are we led down the dead-end road of unrighteousness, but we are set free to journey down the less traveled road of righteousness. We give up what we could not keep—our life on earth, in exchange for what we can keep—eternal life in heaven. To a watching world it seems foolish to give up for God, but what we get from God—forgiveness, peace and love—is true life."

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Never Forget

There are three things that I want to remind you about today. 1) We must never forget those innocent individuals who lost their lives at the hand of terrorists on 9-11-01. The events of that day has forever changed our nation. 2) We must never forget those brave military men and women who place themselves in harm's way on a daily basis. Their willingness to serve gives us confidence that we can celebrate our freedom on a daily basis. We must also never forget those "first responders" who serve in our communities on a daily basis. Their service is recognized and appreciated. 3) We must never forget to pray daily for our nation. America is in need of a true Spiritual Awakening. This Awakening can happen if we take a serous approach to 2 Chronicles 7:14 (take a moment and read this verse out loud in your home).

Monday, September 10, 2012

Cry Out For America

1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.  2 He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men.  3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'   4 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men,  5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "  6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?  8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"  Luke 18:1-8 (New International Version)
 
Tomorrow has been designated as a day of prayer for America.  It is certainly apparent that we are living in very critical times.  Decisions have been made and continue to be made that will affect our nation for many years to come.  There is a great need for persistent and consistent prayer.  Will you join with us in this time of prayer for our nation?  Each of us need to find time to pray whether we participate in a time of corporate prayer in our communities or in our local churches.  You may live in a community that is not conducting a time of prayer or your local church may have chosen not to participate in a time of corporate prayer but that does not have to be a hindrance to you spending time in prayer.  You can find a place of solitary prayer, call out to God, and let Him know that you are placing your trust in Him.  Is God finding faith in the modern day church or have we become a church that is more motivated by works than we are trusting God?  We are being called to trust God in the midst of our adversaries as well as in the midst of our difficulties.  Take a moment and leave a comment if you plan on praying for America on 9-11-12.  Let us come together in agreement and cry out for the soul of our natiion.  God will hear the cry of His people!
 
9-11-12 also affords us the opportunity to remember the innocent victims that lost their lives at the hands of the terrorists.  9-11-12 also allows us to remember those men and women of our Military Force that place themselves in harms way on a daily basis.  We possess the right and the freedom to pray because of these brave individuals.  We can celebrate the goodness of God as we reflect on His blessings to each of us.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Wisdom

The Christian Education Director of New River Worship Center shares a devotional with the musicians as they prepare their hearts for the Sunday worship service.  I sensed that the Spirit desired for me to share that devotional with you.  I trust that this devotional will speak to your heart as it did to mine.
 
Musicians’ Devotion: Solomon, probably the wisest man who ever lived, wrote, “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it costs you all you have, get understanding.” In my daily devotions over the past few days, I have had such a hunger for God and have been asking Him for a depth of wisdom that I have never before experienced. I have learned that the first step is “The fear
of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Prov. 1:7). The fear of God involves a recognition that you are accountable to a just and holy God for your every thought, word, and action. So, what is wisdom? Worldly wisdom is the use of knowledge and information. It is based on human understanding and reasoning, but it is foolishness to the Lord. (I Cor.3:19). Godly wisdom is the capacity to see things from the Father’s viewpoint and respond according to Scriptural principles. Ask the Lord today to impart His wisdom to you, and continue to fill yourself up with the truth of His Word so that you can channel it into the lives of others. Head knowledge about God’s truth does not become wisdom until it is applied to everyday life, so make it your ambition to be both a hearer and a doer of His Word. Then rest assured that as you walk with the Lord, you will discover the destiny He has planned for you because the way of the wise will always lead you into the perfect will of God!
-Ms. Barbara
 
Amen!!!

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Recognition of Others

The past few days have reminded me of the opportunity to be sensitive to the needs of others. I have encountered several opportunities to minister to others which required some sacrifice on my part. There are times that we have to forget about our situations for a period of time and focus on the challenges that someone else may be facing. During our Men's Ministry (Men of Courage) meeting last night we took the time to pray for the needs of some of the men who were present in the meeting. It is a blessing to shift the focus from "us" and place our focus as well as our faith on the needs of others. God still responds to a compassionate heart for others. Christ gave us the example of compassion as He reached out to those in need. Dear God, help me become more sensitive to others and the needs they are facing.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Thinking Out Loud

I face the challenge of not preaching a sermon when I set down to write down my thoughts via this blog.  In some ways this has become my personal journal as I take time to review and contemplate my journey with God.  But I will choose to draw the line when it comes to "personal" issues/concerns that the Holy Spirit deals with me about during my prayer and devotional time.  Social media has created opportunities for people to release snippets from their lives and what they may be facing our contemplating.  I am a man who believes that each person must make the decision of where to draw the line when it comes to personal information or personal trials.  We have to be careful that we do not injure other believers or hinder the faith of younger believers.  God is at work in all of our lives and I must make the choice to allow Him to fulfill His plan of action for my life.  I must co-operate with God and allow Him to be the Leader and for me to take the role of disciple (learner).  I must resist the temptation to lead God and and I must make the deliberate decision to surrender the leadership of my life to Him who is called the "Chief Shepherd" of our souls.
 
Let me leave you with this tidbit of truth.  God is truly interested in each and everyone of us.  Every time that I see a bird in my yard looking for food I am reminded of the great and awesome love, concern and care of God.  But His love, care, concern is not just for ME AND MY FAMILY.  His love, care, and concern is revealed and declared for each and every family that inhabits planet Earth.  His love is present in the gutters of the side streets of America.  His love is present in the crack and meth houses scattered throughout the neighborhoods of America.  The love of God is present in the hallways and classrooms of the schools across America although our culture has sought to push God out of our schools.  The love of God is present in the homes of single parents and blended families all across America.  I could continue to add to this list but I trust that you will catch what the Spirit is saying to all of us today.  THE LOVE OF GOD IS FOR EVERYONE! 
 
TAKE TIME TO SHARE HIS LOVE TODAY AS WELL AS THE REMAINDER OF YOUR DAYS ON THIS EARTH!

Monday, September 3, 2012

Weekend Review

The last few days of the previous week found me with internet connection difficulty (that hindered my posts on this blog).  Hopefully the problem has been resolved.  I was somewhat amazed when I realized how much I depend on the internet to do research as well as connectivity to friends, business associates, fellow Pastors,  as well as the brothers and sisters who attend New River Worship Center.  I also realized the frustration that I developed when that process was hindered.  I could sense my level of frustration rise each and every time that I called my internet carrier for assistance.  The problem was finally resolved after several phone calls and a visit from a technician.  The tech traced the problem to a defective phone line that was hindering my connection with the provider of the internet service.  I must add that the phone line had been in operation in my home for several years prior to the development of this problem.  My problem had nothing to do with the internet.  The flow of the information from the internet was still being sent to my home but my connectivity with that information was being hindered through faulty wiring.
 
Does that not describe many of us as believers?  God is still providing the information and inspiration that we need yet we have developed some faulty wiring in which we are failing to receive the proper transmission from God.  What if we became as concerned about our connection with God as we are about our connection with the internet?  I kept calling the help line.  I kept being put on hold as I "waited my place in line."  I kept listening to announcements and "elevator music."  Why did I endure that type of response?  I wanted my internet back up and running and I had things to do and I felt that proper internet service would assist me in accomplishing those goals.  What if we became as concerned with our broken or hindered connection with God?  What if we became as concerned with the lack of the transmission of God's direction for our lives?  What if we stayed on the "prayer line" until we received the help and answer that we needed?  Recently I have been preaching about the hindrances of satan.  He will do all in his power to interfere with our relationship with God but we do possess the power to rebuke, refuse, and defeat the power of those interferences.  We must be strong and courageous and not allow the enemy to gain the upper hand in our lives and we must learn to develop an attitude of resistance when he brings those interferences against us.