Friday, August 30, 2013

Needed: Consistent Praying

Colossians 4:12, "Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured."

Our Wednesday night Discipleship class challenged us to recognize and understand some of the tactics/strategies/devices of our spiritual enemy, satan. I certainly do not have time in this post to list all of the strategies of the enemy and as a matter of fact they may even vary from one person to another. But there are some strategies that are the same for each believer. I feel that I need to make reference to one of those "common" devices that satan works against people who identify themselves as a follower/disciple of Jesus Christ. The enemy of our soul does not want any one of us to develop a consistent prayer life. The enemy wants our prayer life to be one that is sporadic, erratic, and lethargic. We are people who find it easy to commit to many things in life but a consistent devotional/meditation (Bible reading, prayer, personal reflection) time is always challenged by the enemy of our soul.

We may take the same route to work, school, or church on a consistent basis. We may eat the same meal every morning at breakfast. We may even be required to wear a certain uniform to work and even many school children are required to wear a certain school uniform day after day. We eat on a consistent basis. We sleep on a consistent basis. Yet, the enemy seems to find a way to hinder our time of prayer, Bible reading and personal reflection. The enemy of our soul seeks to interfere with the development of our relationship with Christ. Can you remember how frustrated or disappointed you would feel when you were unable to schedule a date with your girlfriend or boyfriend? Do you remember the feelings that would envelop your heart as the time approached for you to see your fiancee during the process of courting (old school word) them? What would happen if those same type of attitudes and desires would grip the church when we think about our time spent with Christ in personal prayer and meditation? Can you even the imagine the depth and strength of our relationship with our Savior that would spring forth in our individual lives as we see our passion for prayer and interaction with God re-ignited? 

I want to conclude this post by sharing some words that I recently read. These words served as an impetus to re-charge my spiritual batteries regarding consistent prayer. Take a moment and read them and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your life.

"Prayer is not a passive undertaking, but an aggressive engagement with God. It is a labor of love. It is a toil of trust. It is a work of the Holy Spirit through holy intercessors. Indeed, prayer without spiritual perspiration lacks the intensity the Spirit requires. Pray in the face of fatigue and you will find God. Pray proactively as a servant of Jesus for those who are servant’s of Jesus. Pray earnestly for a friend who faces disease to be healed. Pray hardest when it’s hardest to pray.

We can pray effectively for one another, because we are like one another. Since Epaphras was one of them, his prayers oozed with empathy and emotion. Prayer is much more than a mental interaction with the Truth, it is an intense intimacy with our Heavenly Father motivated by our compassion and fueled by faith. The gift of earnest prayer may be the most valuable asset we have to give to those we love. Who needs to know that you are really lifting them up to the Lord?"

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

WANTED: Prayer Warriors/Intercessors

Ephesians 6:12, "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." (NLT)

I truly believe that God is issuing to the church a "call to action" command. We can often find ourselves in a state of grumbling and complaining about the actions or lack of action of people (both believers as well as non-believers) as we survey the condition of our society. I know that the enemy seeks to get me into that frame of mind from time to time and I am learning that there is a plan behind this strategy. The enemy seeks to hinder the process of prayer from becoming our response to the sinful activities and practices of our society. But I have decided to make a counter-attack to this strategy; I am going to be even more committed to prayer both for my spiritual growth as well as for the growth and spiritual maturing of others. We can no longer choose to be non-committal to the call from God concerning prayer. 

The Spirit writing through the Apostle Paul reminded us of the enemy or should I say enemies that we are facing. We are facing "evil rulers, authorities of the unseen world, mighty powers in this dark world and evil spirits in the heavenly places." I urge you not to be discouraged by the enemy that we are facing. Living in discouragement opens the door for our adversary to play his tricks on us. Living in discouragement causes us to ignore and reject the mandate and call from God. Living in discouragement allows us to identify reasons to quit following after God. But there is hope and our hope is found in the weapons that God has provided for us. When I think of giving into the pressure of satan  when it comes to my prayer time I take a moment and look around my house at the pictures hanging on the wall and my desire to pray is revived. I look around the church on Sunday morning and my desire to pray is revived. Quickly I remember that there are people standing in the valley of decision and I am going to intercede for them even when the enemy says there is no hope. The Word of God declares that we can live in the hope and power of our Resurrected Savior.

I issue this personal challenge. Answer the call to pray! Make the decision to pray! Do not stop praying regardless of the obstacles! Pray in faith! Pray with faith! Pray boldly! Pray courageously! Pray without ceasing! 

Monday, August 26, 2013

Personal Reflections

As you have noticed I took a few days away from my "official" responsibilities and limited my time on any form of electronic communication. That says a lot for a man that spends much of his day in some form of communication. It seems that the modern day culture requires more and more of our time being spent in a method of communication and much of what we call "communication" is very impersonal. I often tell people that I am a "20th century man" being drug into the 21st century. I almost found myself relieved that I did not check my email account early in the morning. As a matter of fact on several days I actually waited until the afternoon before I even looked at my email account. I made that decision based on what I wanted to do rather than what I had to do. It was exhilarating to realize that I could actually function without texting, emailing, facebooking, tweeting or looking at websites so that I could gather more information and store it in my computer called a brain. I am writing this today so that you will know that I actually survived this tremendous ordeal and that I am back to my normal life of communication. I am almost sure that my readers held their breath until they could hear from the desk of Pastor Mike. Wait a minute, what am I writing? I received no communication from anyone saying that they missed me communicating with them. Go figure, I thought the world hung of every email, every tweet and every text that I sent. I guess my importance was somewhat overblown and exaggerated by my ego and views of my importance. I can't believe that no one missed my breakfast menu or my latest disagreement with my wife. I can't believe that no on missed me telling how someone at the grocery store aggravated me or the fact that I purchased a new suit that was NOT on sale. I am writing this somewhat "tongue and cheek" but I just realized that I have a lot of catching up to do so that you can fully understand what is taking place in my life. I think that I will sum it up this way; "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 

PS Old habits are hard to break so I will share it on FB and with those who follow me on Twitter.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Tricks of the Trade

Ephesians 6:11, "Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil."

When I was a child I was taught a song that included these words: "The devil is a sly old fox and if I could catch him I would put him in a box. Lock the box and throw away the key for all the tricks that the devil plays on me." Now I that I am older I sure wish that song was true. Would it not be wonderful to be able to capture the devil in some type of trap and stop the tricks that he uses against us? But we know that is impossible and we also understand that is not the plan of God for us. We do face the enemy but we do not have to fall prey to his tactics or devices. We have an Advocate and Paraclete who provides the weaponry that we need to defeat the devices of satan. We just need to take advantage of the weapons that God has provided for His children.

During prayer this morning the Lord once again encouraged me to remember that we cannot afford to ignore the warning signs that are all around us. We would never willfully drive through a roadblock sign that reads "Road closed due to construction." We would recognize the warning and find a different route to continue our journey. Do not become distracted by the devices of the enemy. Do not overlook the devices of the enemy. Do not neglect making the proper response to the devices of the enemy. I truly believe that the Spirit is calling for the Church to be alert and aware to the tactics of the enemy. We can prevail and triumph over the enemy if we will follow the directions found in the Word of God.  Let us "put on all of God's armor..."

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

JOY

John 15:10-12, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (NKJV)


I was listening to a song by Kirk Franklin a few minutes ago. His song was reminding me of the importance of the joy of the Lord being present in my life. In a recent prayer time the Spirit reminded me of one of the tactics of the enemy of our soul. Satan seeks to remove our joy. Satan does not want the people of God walking in the strength of the joy of the Lord. The world may be able to provide temporary happiness at the very best but Christ and His Word can provide eternal joy that will stand the test of time. The Spirit also revealed some of the tactics that the enemy has used against me and continues to use against me. Some of these may apply to you and some may not but I felt that I needed to bring them to your attention.

The enemy will use disappointment; the disappointment that you have with yourself as well as the disappointment that others bring to your life. The enemy also uses the tactic of fear to rob you of your future hope, dreams, desires and plans that God has placed in your heart. Discouragement can play a major role in the evaporation of our joy. We can become so overwhelmed with the challenges and chores of life that our walk with Christ becomes a burden to us and not a blessing to us. We also can realize the effects of aggravation and frustration with our daily responsibilities. Again this frustration and aggravation can be with yourself as well as with others. I am sure that you are already formulating your own personal list in your mind. This blog post is not intended to give the devil any credit or any glory. Rather it is written so that we can resist these and any other tactics that satan will throw against us. After all, he is called the "accuser of the brethren." Even this morning I had to resist and rebuke some tactics of the enemy during my prayer time. The enemy seeks to hinder, defeat and overthrow the faith of the saints of God. BUT GOD has given us authority and power in Jesus' name so that we might defeat and overcome the powers of satan. You are a champion and a warrior who has cast your lot with Christ. Walk in His joy and realize that you are not alone in your daily challenges.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Weekend Reflections

It is a joy to celebrate the presence of God whether we are alone in our times of prayer and meditation or whether we are gathered in a corporate setting of a public worship service. Either way I enjoy singing praises to my Lord and Savior. I am convinced that a major portion of the family of God feel the same way because I have been in corporate venues with many of you who read this blog on a consistent basis. The Psalms are full of admonitions about the need of praise and thanksgiving flowing from the hearts of the family of God. "Oh, that men would praise God for His goodness..."

I would like to share a portion of a message that I shared a few weeks ago at New River Worship Center in Radcliff, Kentucky. I could sense the urgency of the day and time in which we are living as I prepared to share the Word that morning. We must not be conformed to the status quo but we must allow the Spirit to continue the work of transformation in our individual lives. Would you take a moment and read these thoughts that I shared as I preached from the Word of God that morning?

"I am constantly amazed at the amount of cultural pressure that the attitude and influence of our culture has upon the family of God.  The attitude of our culture desires for us to believe that we can have an attitude of celebration, freedom of expression, enthusiasm, excitement, whole-hearted participation, and do this without embarrassment at various sporting and entertainment venues (adult men & women have been known to put on costumes and even paint portions of their bodies to support their favorite team).  It is culturally acceptable to participate in the activity of demonstrative praise in many venues OTHER THAN IN THE HOUSE OF GOD!!!  We face the challenge of whether or not that we are going to accept or believe that theory when it interferes with our seeking of more of the presence of God in our lives.   Hopefully, I will not be accused of supporting emotion just for the sake of emotion.   That is very far from the true cry of my heart; I am simply presenting and promoting the fact that this generation of believers (you & I who are present today regardless of our age) need to be open to and hungry for all that God has planned for our lives. I am not calling for the expression of emotion just for the sake of expressing emotion BUT I am calling for each of us to be open to the presence of God and for us to hunger for more of God in our lives.    The Word of God still declares that “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”" Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)










Thursday, August 8, 2013

Word of God

I was taught during my early years of Christianity that the Word of God contained the answers that we needed as we faced the challenges of life. I bought into that principle and I am still buying into that principle today. You may ask, "Why do you still believe that today? After all, haven't you grown in the faith and your level of spiritual knowledge has expanded?" Yes, I do feel that I have grown in my relationship with Christ. My "spiritual growth" has led me to believe even more in the truthfulness and veracity of the Word of God. My journey with Christ has brought me face to face with those moments in which the Word of God was the anchor that held my faith steady and secure while I endured the storm. Many of you feel the same way today. We stand in bold confidence in the power of the Word of God to be fulfilled in our lives as well as the lives of those people that we interact with on a daily basis (family & friends). We pray and believe because the Word teaches us the principle of praying and believing. The passage in Isaiah 55 has been speaking to my heart and soul this week. I encourage you to take some time to meditate on the passage that I feel led to share with you today. Let your spirit marinate in the promise and power of the written Word of God.

Isaiah 55:6-11
"Seek the Lord while you can find him.
    Call on him now while he is near.
Let the wicked change their ways
    and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
    Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens
    and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
    producing seed for the farmer
    and bread for the hungry.
11 It is the same with my word.
    I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
    and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
                                                         (NLT)

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Response to Yesterday's Post

It is always a blessing to realize that there are people who take time to read the thoughts that come from the depth of my heart. The Psalmist David spoke these words in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." I sincerely believe that is the cry of my heart when I stand to share the Word of God as well as sit at the computer and write down the thoughts that God has birthed in my spirit. I desire to speak an encouraging word as well as a challenging word to the family of God not only through my words but through my actions in this world. God has provided me an awesome opportunity to interact with some wonderful people throughout my journey on planet Earth. Many of these people have not only challenged me to think but they have challenged me to think outside the box of my personal knowledge and understanding. That type of thinking has taught me to embrace the greatness of God and to fully realize that His "ways and thoughts" are truly higher than mine (This is not only true in perception but also in reality). Isaiah 55 can refresh your memory concerning this revelation of truth.
 
I was both blessed, encouraged and strengthened through the responses that I received yesterday through emails as well as comments that I received through social media outlets. I sincerely believe that God has people who are looking for a greater manifestation of the true presence of Christ. I am an emotional preacher to say the least and I preach with passion and with the urgency of the moment. But I hunger for more than just mere emotionalism which has its place and time within the framework of God's Kingdom. The Bible is full of examples of "spiritual outbursts" in which individuals celebrated the victories that God had won for them. Not only does the church need the emotional outbursts but I believe that we are in dire need of spiritual transformation. Our world needs people whose lives have been completely re-arranged and re-born under the influence and tutelage of the Spirit and the Word. Our world needs people whose lives have changed directions and now they are headed toward God rather than away from God. I encourage you to join with me on that journey. God is as real now as He has ever been. Let us throw off the stupor of spiritual comfort and passionately pursue a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ! I look forward to meeting you at the cross!

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Endurance

Hebrews 10:36, "Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised." (NLT)

Today's blog will consist to two objectives; first, it will serve as an opportunity for me to declare my trust in God and the vision/mission that He has placed in my heart. Second, I trust that it will serve as an encouragement to you to keep believing that the promises of God are going to be fulfilled or completed in your life.

During prayer time this morning I felt compelled to share this praise and testimony with you. I will not take the time to fully explain all that is taking place in my heart. My journey with Christ as a Gospel Minister began around this time in August of 1971. I have been blessed to have served in some capacity of Ministry since those early days of my life. Once I began this journey there was no looking back or turning back. It became a journey of "full steam ahead" as I began a life that would provide me with many wonderful opportunities to share the message of the Gospel. I offer God praise and honor for those past opportunities. I offer God praise and honor for the present opportunities to share that same powerful and effective message of the Gospel. And through eyes of faith, hope, and a burning passion to obey the call of God on my life I look forward to future opportunities to share that same message of the Gospel in my future days. 

That "spirit of hope and anticipation" brings me to the essence of my post today. There have been many days in my life in which I knew that God had placed a vision or should I say mission in my heart. I could sense the urgency of the moment as well as the strength of the Spirit to fulfill that mission. I have shared portions of this testimony as I traveled the roads of this nation as an Evangelist/Missionary for nearly five (5) years. Over 13 years ago God placed a "fresh mission" in my heart and soul. I began to sense, know and realize that God was calling me to a place in Him in which I had never entered. I have prayed about that mission many days in the past 13 years. As a matter of fact I prayed about it yesterday and I prayed about it once again today. Today, God encouraged me to testify to you that I still believe the fullness of His mission will come to pass at some point in my life. I have seen several glimpses of the mission being fulfilled but have not quite reached the intended purpose as of August 6, 2013. But I have come to declare that I still BELIEVE that the promises of God are true and sure. I will not attempt to fully express all of my inspiration, understanding, or vision in this brief post. As a matter of fact in some ways it is impossible to fully put into words what I sense in my heart on a daily basis. Many of you have sensed those same feelings in your heart as you felt God encourage you concerning your walk with Him. On many occasions I speak these words during prayer time, "I refuse to give up, I refuse to give in, I refuse to back down, I refuse to back away from the promises of God, I refuse to be deceived and I refuse to deceive others with a false Gospel." I make that declaration once more today in the mighty name of Jesus. NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PROMISES OF GOD, BOTH THOSE WRITTEN AND THOSE SPOKEN INTO YOUR HEART THROUGH THE PRESENCE OF THE SPIRIT! God is alive; I encourage you to walk in faithful endurance today. I publicly declare that I am still on my journey toward that divine rendezvous that God spoke into my heart over 13 years ago. 

Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to share my personal praise and commitment to God and my commitment to the promises that He has spoken into my heart.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Weekend Reflection

I never take for granted the opportunity to gather with believers and offer worship to the True and Living God. I also never take for granted the awesome privilege and blessing to be able to share the Word of God in the midst of a corporate sitting with a portion of the family of God. It is such an honor to be able to minister to groups of people who have a desire to hear what God is saying to them. Each of us need to remember that there are plenty of people who would gladly trade places with us and assume our place in the House of God. They would enjoy one more opportunity to sing praises to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They would enjoy one more opportunity to hear the Word of God declared under the unction and anointing of the Holy Spirit. They would cherish the privilege to pray with someone who brought their heavy burdens to the Lord. Let us embrace the wonderful blessing of worshipping and serving our Heavenly Father and remember that He receives glory from the adoration and love of His children. 

As Pastor I was blessed to be able to pray with and pray for a group of men who responded to a challenge that God placed in my heart at the conclusion of our altar service. Yes, you read those words correctly, I still offer an invitation for people to come forward for prayer after the Word of God has been delivered. I believe that people deserve the right to see God do a work in their hearts as they obediently respond to the call from the Spirit. I felt led to ask the men to come forward and stand together as defenders of their personal relationship with Christ, of their homes, their marriages, their families as well as their church families. I was honored to pray with these "godly men" who have a desire for God to make a difference in them so that they can make a difference in their part of the world. The difference that our life can make will be directly related to the difference that Christ is making in our lives. I prayed for those men this morning during prayer time. It is time for the men of this generation to step forward and be counted in this great cause of Christ. The Bible teaches that there is an enemy who seeks to devour the inhabitants of this world and the world includes OUR family and OUR friends. We must not be caught with our spiritual guard down. We must not be caught in a spiritual stupor or asleep. We must not only be alert to the tactics of the enemy we must also be alert to the power and presence of God that is at work in our hearts. 

Arise, O men and women of God and reach your spiritual potential in Christ!!

Friday, August 2, 2013

Listen Closely

This week is one in which God continues to remind me about the importance of listening for and listening to His Voice which will provide direction and guidance. I continue to feel the urgency of this message as I read the Bible and listen to the unction of the Spirit. In a recent conversation with a young believer he asked the following question; "How can I hear the Voice of God?" I began to share my thoughts concerning some of the various ways in which God can reveal His message to each of us. Upon the conclusion of this portion of  our conversation the young man made the following observation; "I need to pay closer attention to the sound of His Voice and listen with a desire to respond to His direction." I was blessed with this thoughtful and deliberate insight. We must pay attention and live with a desire to apply the revealed principles of God to our individual lives. The Voice of God will not lead us astray rather it will lead us into eternal life and to an earthly life that can please our Heavenly Father. Will we accept the challenge of this youthful believer and pay close attention to what God is saying to us individually as well as collectively? I would like to share some insight that Charles Stanley shared in a recent devotional.

Listening to God is not a onetime event. We must continually keep His Word before us, or we'll begin to listen to the wrong voices.

In Genesis 2:16-17, the Lord gave a command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Eve began to listen to another voice and did not hold firmly to her Creator's words. All that Satan had to do was plant a single doubt about God's integrity and offer Eve one appealing advantage of doing things her own way—and she fell for it. He mentioned wisdom, but using her own reasoning, Eve added two more benefits to the temptation: the fruit is good for food and a delight to the eyes.

The schemes of the Enemy have not changed. He still whispers lies and twists truth to convince us that a) God cannot be trusted and b) His ways are not the best. In every temptation, there is a deception about the character and motive of God, plus an attractive promise of a better way.

The world is filled with voices that vie for our attention and influence our thoughts and actions. Throughout the day, consider the messages that are sent your way through the media and people. Consciously begin to compare them to what Scripture says about God and His ways.

Remembering what God says in the Bible is our safeguard against deception and temptation. Daily devotions won't protect us if they're quickly forgotten during the day. Follow Christ's example: be ready with truth in your mind and on your tongue whenever temptation strikes (Matt. 4:1-11).