A President Speaks

I was challenged this morning as I read some words taken from the writings of President Lincoln. There has been debate about President Lincoln's relationship with Jesus Christ. But the following words reveal a portion of this man's heart as he noticed America drifting away from their recognition of God and even their dependence on God. I truly believe that these words are applicable to our nation in 2015. Take a moment and read this statement and listen for the Voice of God to speak to you.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation designating April 30 as "a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer."  Why?

According to the president, "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven.  We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity.  We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown.  But we have forgotten God.  We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.  Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!"

WOW!! Can you sense the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit as we reflect on the condition of the heart of America in our present day and time? Is it possible that we are living with that attitude of arrogance and selfishness that has causes us to push God and His principles out of our lives. Oh God, forgive us today and restore to us the joy of our salvation.

Do not wait until next Thursday (National Day of Prayer) to pray. TODAY IS THE DAY TO PRAY!! TODAY IS THE DAY TO CRY OUT TO GOD FOR HIS MERCY AND GRACE TO BE RELEASED UPON AMERICA!! 

WILL YOU TAKE THE TIME AND MAKE THE EFFORT TO PRAY FOR A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING TO SWEEP OVER OUR LAND ONE MORE TIME?

Spiritual Emergency

Matthew 11:15, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" (NKJV)

Jesus spoke these words on several occasions and in different settings of teaching His disciples. But I personally believe that these words and this command is very pertinent to the times in which we are living. We hear a "lot of noise" coming from this culture and much of the jargon and language of this time is seeking to move us away from Christ rather than closer to Christ. BUT I must make the personal choice of choosing to listen to the correct voice and I believe that the voice of Christ is saying; "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

The Spirit dealt with my heart this morning as I was praying. He placed the word "emergency" in my spirit as the Spirit of God was ministering to my life. The Spirit reminded me that we are very familiar with certain sounds in our world that let us know that there is an emergency taking place. We hear and identify the sounds of sirens on police cars, ambulances, fire equipment and in some areas of the country we even hear the sounds of sirens that let us know that tornadic weather is near to us. In most cases we hear these sounds and respond appropriately. 

I must interject another "BUT" into this post. But what are doing with the warning sounds that are coming from the Holy Spirit? Creation is groaning for deliverance and salvation. Daily we are hearing reports of various tragedies, atrocities, wickedness, evil, and corruption in our society. In my opinion a spirit of division, destruction, hatred and distrust is being released in our world. We can choose to ignore these sounds and signs and hope that they quickly disappear or we can choose to be proactive and respond to the Voice of God. 

Which will decision will I (you) make regarding the cries from creation. Humanity does not have the answer for the ills and challenges of life. Humanity will only create deeper problems with no satisfying life-changing answers. Our answer can be found in the word of Jesus; "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Will I (you) take time to listen today?

Am I a Follower of Jesus Christ?

Luke 9:23, " Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. (NLT)

The concept of being a "follower" of Jesus Christ continues to resonate in my heart as I read the Word of God and listen to the voice of God. The word "follower" sounds very enticing and it certainly is a descriptive term that I desire to be associated with my life in Christ. But there is an "elephant" in the room that I must deal with before that term can be applied to my life. I must decide, "Am I willing to pay the price to become a disciple (follower) of Christ?"

I am aware that some may react very strongly to the term "pay the price." I am not making reference to my salvation. The price for my salvation was paid in full on the cross through the sacrificial death of Christ. But it does appear that the words that Christ shares in the writings of Luke remind us that there is an "investment" required on our part. 

Let's review them for a moment; 1) Turn from my selfish ways (ouch!!), 2) Take up my cross daily (really?) and 3) Follow Christ (does that mean real close or can I do that a distance?). Don't you think those steps of discipleship would require some form of investment on our part as "followers." Let's be honest, following Christ can be challenging at times to say the least. Ask some of our brothers and sisters in various parts of the world who are enduring severe trials, severe persecution and in some cases death because they are "followers" of Jesus. Doesn't that speak of an "investment" on their part.

Is it possible that we have become spoiled in America when it comes to our following of Christ? We have made our journey with Christ important only if it is convenient. We have made our journey with Christ important only if it includes a blessing for me. We have made our journey with Christ important only if it does not require too much interference with what I want to do and how I want to live. 

I wonder if any of these questions went through the minds of the early Apostles when Jesus said to them; "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

Walking with Jesus

Luke 9:23, "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (KJV)

I was given an unique opportunity to serve this past weekend. Our local church participated in an Youth Outreach effort sponsored through the efforts of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at the local high school in Radcliff. New River initially began this outreach effort in a local park a few years ago as an effort to remind people of the need to reach this younger generation with the message of the Gospel. Our Youth Minister at that time had a vision to make sure that this effort was a "Kingdom effort" and not just a New River effort. Her desire has become a reality as we have witnessed several different churches of various denominations as well as teachers, coaches and even students of the High School take hold of the vision and of the call to reach our community with the Gospel. 

This event was moved inside to the school gymnasium and had to be re-scheduled due to a late winter snow storm that hit our area. This rescheduling caused us to face some challenges and conflicts of schedules that would not have existed if we had been able to maintain our previous date. BUT IT WAS STILL AMAZING TO WATCH THIS GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE WORSHIP GOD WITH PASSION, PURPOSE AND COMMITMENT. I talked with some who had just left their track meet at the school and came to the time of worship. Now, I call that a desire to be a part of something spiritual. I had the awesome privilege to be able to serve as part of the support staff. I served pizza and soft drinks to those who were in attendance. I was able to have some brief conversations with some of the youth before the event began. I was both impressed by the manners, thoughtfulness and thankfulness that was exhibited by those who were receiving the food from our congregation. Yes, I know that our world is facing its challenges but I also know that God has FOLLOWERS ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS AND ALL PARTS OF SOCIETY who have a desire to please and serve Him. 

I am glad that I chose to pick up my cross and follow Christ to the school gymnasium on Saturday!!

Personal Testimony

Revelation 12:11, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." (KJV)

I would like to post a personal testimony today. I have always been a person that encourages people to share the stories of the blessings of God. I believe that our faith is strengthened when we rehearse the blessings of God either through a verbal testimony or through the written word. All of us have had what many have called "God moments" in which we saw the hand of God revealed in our lives. Yesterday was one of those moments for me, my wife and two of our grandsons.

We were traveling to church on I-65 last night. I could feel that something was going wrong with my left front tire. I began to move from the middle lane of the interstate toward the right lane and shoulder. I heard and felt the tire blowout as I neared the right lane and shoulder. Those few seconds made the difference between an accident and a safe exit off the highway (first intervention of God). I exited the car and saw that my tire was flat. I immediately thanked God that we were safe and that we were not involved in an accident.

I called for assistance and the recorded message spoke these words; "Due to storms in your area the wait time for your assistance will be between 90 minutes and four hours." That really was not the news that I (we) were hoping to hear. But at that moment the second intervention of God was revealed. I looked up and saw a car backing up toward our location. A young man exits the vehicle and promptly declares, "The Holy Spirit told me to stop and assist you." He then proceeds to change the tire. It was during this time frame that the third intervention of God was revealed. The storm clouds began to roll in around us; the lightening began to flash and the large rain drops began to fall. I did not realize it but at that moment my wife and grandsons were praying in the car and asking God to stop the storm. Needless to say but the storm STOPPED and the young man was able to finish placing the spare tire on our vehicle.

This is just a brief summary of the encounter with this stranger. I never got his name. He refused any payment. He left as quick as he arrived. I may never know his identity but thankfully God knew his identity and God knew our location on I-65. One of the revelations of Calvary centers around the fact that God identifies with each one of us and the needs that we face. Earlier in the day I had shared that thought with several individuals who were enduring some severe trials and challenges in their lives. Little did I realize that God would reveal that truth to me on our journey to church.

The TRUTH OF CALVARY was real yesterday, The TRUTH OF CALVARY is real today and the TRUTH OF CALVARY will be real tomorrow!!

Post-Resurrection Musings

I have jumped right into another week of "normal" (I write that with a quirky smile on my face) Pastoral activity. Our part of the country has endured a rather large amount of rain in the past week and the weather forecast says that more rain and possible storms are on the way. The school system is on Spring break so the traffic in the city is a little lighter and a little less noisy. The special "Easter clothes" have either been placed back in the closet or dirty clothes hamper depending on the age of the celebrant. But I keep hearing a question rolling over in my mind; "What is next...? FYI: Those individuals who read this blog and attend New River will probably hear some of the answer on Sunday if not before. 

Pilate faced that question although I agree that the context was completely different than the personal one that I will reference. Nevertheless, in my opinion the question will have to be answered by each believer and non-believer. Pilate posed the question in his discussions concerning the future life or death of Christ. Matthew records the conversation in this manner; "Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified." (Matthew 27:22, KJV)

Here are some post-Resurrection questions that I felt led to share with you as we move forward in our relationship with Christ.

1) What am I doing with Jesus which is called Christ?

2) What approach do I take when I read and study the Word? Am I just reading to learn more facts or am I searching for life-changing principles that will direct my steps?

3) Do I faithfully share Jesus with others (both verbal as well as non-verbal)?

4) Would I define my relationship with Jesus as a "committed" relationship?

5) How do I approach my time of worship (both private as well as corporate)?

6) Am I willing to write down my own list of personal questions that could turn into goals and desires that I plan to put into action in my walk with Christ?

Where do we go from here?

I was both encouraged and blessed through the Resurrection Celebration at New River on Sunday. The presence of the Spirit was very evident among us as we reflected on the death of Christ and the Resurrection of our Savior. We worshiped with various individuals and groups of individuals who represented the different age groups that make up our local congregation. A diverse congregation of people have a way of energizing my spirit because I believe it speaks to people these powerful thoughts; "There is room here for me." I am thankful for the diversity that we have in our congregation and I am asking God to lead us into the harvest fields so that our diversity can even become greater and more distinct among us.

But I am addressing this question today; "Where do we go from here?" The celebration service is now a part of our memory bank. The special music has faded into the background. The Easter clothes have been placed back in the closet and the children as well as the adults have had their fill of chocolate and peanut butter eggs. The bunny rabbit has been removed from the mall and the "Easter items" are now on the discount shelves in the local stores.

Each of these above mentioned ideas may have had a place in your life over the past few days. BUT THERE HAS TO BE MORE TO EASTER THAN JUST THINGS!! The celebration of what we call Easter is about a person. It is more than songs. It is more than plastic eggs filled with candy. It is more than special music and special services at a local church. We can use songs, special services and special props to teach about the power of the Resurrection but Easter is about a person, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. 

Our commitment to walk with Jesus and follow His guidance needs to be stronger after Easter than it was before Easter. The proof as well as the power of the Resurrection reminds us of the opportunity that each of us have regarding our relationship with Christ. Christ is alive and He desires to be relevant in our lives today. The old song says, "...And He walks with me, and He talks with me and He tells me that I am His own..." The celebration of Easter causes us to refocus on the price that Jesus paid for our redemption and rescue as He died on the cross. The celebration of Easter causes us to refocus on the authority and power that resides in our Lord and Savior and was demonstrated through the resurrection. Each of us would do well to refocus on these points and allow the presence of our Savior to reconnect with our hearts.

The words of Hebrews 12:1-2 defines my response to the question that I posed in this post.

Hebrews 12:2, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (NJKV)

Engaged with God

James 1:21-25, "21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror  24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." (NIV)

The celebration of Holy Week will provide us with a refreshing of our knowledge concerning the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We must remember that the Word of God is always powerful, active and alive and that it is always being revealed to us in some form, shape or manner. BUT, we may need to consider the bigger question; "What am I doing with the Word of God that I am hearing and what am I doing with the Biblical principles that I am being taught?" 

The Apostle James shares with us a very startling challenge. He reminds us of the difference between just hearing and the decision to put into practice those principles that we just heard. I would dare say that each of us have heard the Word of God speak to us and then chose to walk away and ignore the call to add action to our hearing. I am not writing this blog to criticize anyone as much as I feel led to "stir up" your thinking concerning the Word of God and the process of application to which James is making reference.

During prayer this morning the Spirit reminded me that I needed to "engage God" concerning His Word. I needed to be connected to God and engaging Him on a daily basis or I could fall prey to the power of deception that James references in this epistle. The spirit of deception is running rampant in our culture today. What is my defense against deception? The "belt of truth" will provide me with the ample weaponry that I need to resist and defeat the tactics of the enemy.

Take a moment and revisit this passage of scripture and allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate your heart. Each of us need to draw closer in our fellowship with our Heavenly Father but we also need to strengthen our desire to obey the principles that He reveals to us. There is a small chasm that separates truth from deception and I do not want to make a mis-step and fall into that chasm.

April 1

Psalm 14:1, "The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works,There is none who does good." (NKJV)

This is not BREAKING NEWS but I thought that I would share it with you today. April 1st is April Fools Day. It is a day that is associated with pranks, deceit, and even some have been known to pull cruel and unusual tricks on the unsuspecting. I am not going to write a diatribe or essay about NOT having any fun. Believe it or not I do enjoy having fun and I have even been known to pull a few tricks on people to help brighten their day. Note: That is a fancy way of trying to excuse my acts of mischief.

BUT when it comes to God there is no foolishness connected to believing in Him. Foolish people try and look the other way and find reasons not to believe in God. But I am thankful that I am looking to God and His Word and finding many reasons to believe in God. God has revealed many things in my personal life that has strengthened and encouraged my belief in Him. I have also seen God reveal His presence in the lives of my family as well as the family of God and each of these events have strengthened my faith in God. The world may say that we are foolish and even weak minded to be identified as "believers in God." But I choose to refute those statements and cling to the promises of God.

One of the men of the church shared a brief testimony with me last Sunday morning. He said that He could sense and feel God "drawing him closer." Have you sensed that same call this week as you have reflected on the death, burial and resurrection of Christ? I truly believe that Jesus is calling but are we listening? Have we allowed the "foolishness" of this world interfere with our ability to hear the Call of the Good Shepherd? Stop what you are doing and see if you hear God speaking to your heart. 

I want to share some words that were written by Leonard Ravenhill, a noted author but also a great Minister in his own right. He shared many thoughts about the need of Revival in the church. I would like to share a few of his thoughts with you today as we reflect on our faith, trust and walk with Christ during this Holy Week.

"No man is greater than his prayer life.  The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying.  We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, but few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters.  Failing here, we fail everywhere."  He adds: "If we displease God, does it matter whom we please?  If we please Him does it matter whom we displease?"