Heart for America

Influence

2012-01-31T08:44:00.000-05:00

The Lord reminded me of a devotional that Ann (my wife) had written for a group of her co-workers as I finished my prayer time earlier this morning. Many of us get into such a hurry that we fail to follow the process that God is allowing to work in our lives at any given moment. We live in a hurry up world that encourages us to ignore anything that might require us to take time to savor the moment and also learn from those moments. I believe that you will be blessed and challenged through the thoughts that God placed on Ann's heart.

INFLUENCE

Every day we influence someone in our lives either for good or bad. Influence isn’t about power and getting what we want. It’s about servanthood and giving our best to others, whatever our position in life.

Whatever our station in life, we can pray powerfully as we pray persistently for others. We need to keep at it, as we would our work. A lack of endurance is one of the greatest causes of our defeat, especially in prayer. I don’t know about you but I don’t wait well. You see I am into microwaving; but God on the other hand, is usually into marinating.

If we allow Prayer to be a priority in our lives it will help us juggle the multiple often conflicting duties of work, home, husband, children, friends, ministry, and even ourselves. Can I share something about ME? I can write on my calendar 6:30 – 7:00 a.m. PRAYER. But many times I passed that up. It was one more thing to pass by that day. Now I try to think 6:30 – 7:00 a.m. – GOD. Somehow that’s a little harder to neglect.

When we pray, asking God to center us on Him and His purpose, we will find the balance we need in our work place and in our life. He will give us guidance and energy in determining priorities. He will change our attitudes at work and pray daily for our coworkers as they battle the conflicts of life.

Weekend Reflection

2012-01-30T06:26:00.001-05:00

It is always a wonderful privilege to share the Word of God with a congregation of people. I am blessed as I witness the energy of the Spirit begin to move among and move in the hearts of the believers that are present in the service. It is such a blessing to realize that God is calling/wooing us into His presence so that He can complete in us what He started at our initial conversion. We all know that God is Awesome and Mighty but He uses many different actions and processes to bring His presence alive to our hearts. Yesterday I asked the children in the church to stand with me and sing "Jesus Loves Me." This song brought memories to many in the congregation who were taught this song in their childhood. You could sense the re-connection not only with the song but with the love of God that had inspired the writer of this song. You could see the faces of the children light up as they offered their song of worship to God. I share this simple illustration to remind you that God has a desire to reach out to every individual of our world. No one is exempt from the love of God. Let us remind ourselves of the declaration of John 3:16a, "For God so loved the world..." Our responsibility as Christians is to share that love with fallen humanity. Our opportunity as believers is to live under the awesome influence of that love and allow His love to make a difference in our lives. Take some time this week and look for those moments in which God reveals His love to you. Take opportunity this week to share the love of God with someone through acts of kindness, concern, prayer, and encouragement. Your life will be blessed and strengthened as you walk in the promises of both of these spiritual activities.

Family of God

2012-01-27T06:19:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed an inspiring as well as challenging conversation in Discipleship Class on Wednesday night. We were discussing the concept that everyone was important in the eyes of God and that each one had the ability or abilities to impact and influence the lives of our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. I truly believe that each and every member of the Body of Christ has an unique and very important role to fulfill. I believe that the Apostle Paul's words in I Corinthians 12 teach that valuable lesson. But each of us have the tendency to downplay or in some cases deny the ability or abilities that God has deposited in our lives. We diminish our contribution to the work of the Kingdom because we allow the enemy to lead us into the process of comparing ourselves to the other members of the family of God. The Bible calls this action on our part "unwise." We need to become comfortable with our identity and our abilities. This does not mean that we do not seek to improve those gifts, talents, or abilities. For example a musician may identify at an early age that they have an ability to play an instrument or in some cases multiple instruments. These individuals do not stop at learning the basics rather they began to delve into the deeper knowledge of music so that they can excel in the release of their gift or ability. I truly believe that God expects us to exhibit excellence in all things but this excellence is not based on human judgment but based on the true and perfect judgment that God displays toward each of us. We must remember that we are meant to please God and not perform for the praise of mankind. The praise of humanity is fickle and our emotions regarding our self-worth can change quickly based on the reactions of others toward us. We will never be able to please or impress others all of the time but if we can become comfortable in offering to God our best service we will see a difference in our relationship with God and even with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe that the Body of Christ was never meant to compete with each other but we were meant to compliment one another. We are not involved in a talent contest with each other but we should seek to edify (build up, encourage) our fellow travelers on the road of life.

Weekend Reflection

2012-01-24T06:01:00.000-05:00

New River Worship Center celebrated "Christmas in January" this past weekend. We were unable to present our Christmas musical and worship time before Christmas because our building at the new location was not completely ready for occupancy. But something very nice developed from the delay; we were able to focus on Christ and His birth without all of the distraction of commercialism that normally occupies the celebration in December. Christmas in January may be the answer to this challenge that increasingly is developing for the family of God. The celebration of Christ is being lost in the television commercials, the newspaper ads, and the decorations of stores that are vying for our attention. But I realize that we must not allow our hearts to drift from the true purpose of the birth of Christ. Christ was born knowing full well that He would eventually die for the sins of humanity. Christ knew all of this information yet He willingly chose to give His life for the redemption of humanity. It is no wonder that the choirs and musicians on Friday and Sunday were able to offer praise and worship to God with fervency, passion, articulation, and thankfulness. Will you take the time today to offer God thanksgiving for the wonderful and precious gift of eternal life? Do we truly appreciate the marvelous gift of hope that Christ has offered to us? I encourage you to offer your celebration to our Savior today. God is waiting to hear this expression of praise from your heart and not just the heart of someone else in your family or in your local church.

Weekend Reflection

2012-01-16T12:20:00.000-05:00

We are now entering our third week of a dedicated time of Prayer and Fasting. I am hearing testimonies of answered prayer and a renewed desire to serve God in a manner that pleases Him. Prayer and Fasting should not just be about asking; Prayer and Fasting is also about receiving. We should seek to receive those revelations and understandings that will propel us into a deeper relationship with our Savior. God needs to be more than just our Provider, He needs to be our Lord as well. Many of us freely receive His saving Grace into our lives but we struggle when it comes to Him being Lord of our lives. I truly seek for Him to be the Lord of my life. I truly desire for Him to order my steps and direct the path of my journey.

I reminded the congregation yesterday that God does not want a facsimile of my life but He desires for me to surrender my life to Him as a sign that I desire to serve Him with all of my heart. I don't believe that God will settle for a copy of my life; He calls me to offer my life to Him as a living sacrifice. This sacrifice must be freely offered in which I allow Him to do His complete and perfect work in my heart and soul. Romans 12:1 has been in my spirit for several weeks now and I know that God is speaking to me from that passage of scripture. Let me remind you of the words that are written in that passage; "I beseech (urge) you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (NKJV). I truly believe that God's Word does express the expectations that He has for each of us. This is the time in my life in which I need to live up to those expectations. I also do not believe that God will force me into that type of relationship; although in my judgment I believe that He could. God is lovingly calling me into that type of willing surrender to His will and way. I want to be prepared to offer my life to Him for Him to use as He sees fit. I can accomplish that goal if I will remain committed to seek after the Heart of God.

Experiences vs Experiencing

2012-01-12T08:01:00.003-05:00

The Discipleship class last evening brought a great reminder to my heart as I participated in the discussion. Christians have a tendency to describe their relationship with God based on an experience or a series of experiences that they have received from God. We use such words or phrases as my Salvation experience; my Spirit filled experience; my water baptism experience, or the experience of sanctification just to name a few. I believe in each of these experiences but we must be careful and not limit our relationship with God to those moments of an encounter with God and allow ourselves to become content with just those wonderful moments. God is so much greater than just any initial encounter with Him. God has so much more to offer to each of us than just those initial encounters. Just for a moment think about your friendships that you have developed with various individuals over the course of your life. Aren't you glad that you went beyond the initial introduction to that person? Many of us have even developed life long friendships with people that started with a casual introduction at church or at work. I do not mean to imply that our initial introduction to God was a "casual" one but I do want you to see the need for the continual development of that relationship with God. Aren't you glad that you chose to go beyond a surface relationship with that individual who would become a life long friend? That transition happened because you chose to develop that relationship with your new friend not fully realizing the end result of that relationship. I believe that we must chose to take that same posture with God and realize that He desires to see our relationship develop with Him. After all did not God call Abraham His friend? I am glad to declare that I have chosen and continue to choose to make a conscious decision that I will seek to develop my personal relationship with God!

Digression

2012-01-10T06:11:00.001-05:00

First of all, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Alabama Crimson Tide on winning the BCS National Championship game on Monday night. I was raised in the state of Alabama during the time that Paul "Bear" Bryant served as the head coach. Those of you who are acquainted with me realize that I am a fan of the Crimson Tide. I offer my congratulations to Coach Saban, the coaching staff and the team for winning the championship. Whether you count the Tide winning 9 or 14 championships it really does not matter; what matters is the fact that Bama is the BCS Champion for 2011.

This morning I was reminded of something that I heard and witnessed last night. Coach Saban kept saying that the team "bought into" the coaching staff's plan for the season as well as their plan for the game. The winning quarterback, A J McCarron, spoke about all of the extra time that he spent in the "film room" studying the opponent. The game revealed the evidence that a group of individuals came together as a team to accomplish their goals. Once again let me refer to one of the comments of Coach Saban. He referenced the fact that the win was a "team effort." He recognized all players, all coaches, as well as the administration of the University. He actually believes that the championship was a "team effort."

Let me share three points with you that came into my mind this morning. 1) What if every Christian "bought into" the leadership of Christ and the leadership of the spiritual leaders that God places in their lives? What if we were sold out to the "spiritual game plan" that is revealed in the Bible? 2) What if we spent extra time in the "spiritual film room?" What if we realized that we have an enemy but that enemy can be defeated through the power of prayer, surrender, and application of the Word of God to our individual lives? 3) What if we realized that each individual believer needs to stop operating as an individual and become a part of a spiritual team that desires to share the power of the Gospel with a hurting world? What if we were glad to be a member of that team regardless of our position or recognition?

There are spiritual victories to be won and spiritual enemies to be defeated. I truly desire to follow after Christ and His direction for my life. Will you join me on that journey?

2012

2012-01-09T05:57:00.000-05:00

I am very much a creature of habit (my wife would completely agree with that statement). My early morning schedule has been very hectic the past several weeks and I am a person who likes to write on this blog early in the morning. It may be apparent that I need to pray about being a little more flexible; those of you who know me personally might offer a hearty Amen to that statement. But I do know that the Lord continues to deal with my heart as we enter the second week of the call to 21 days of Prayer and Fasting. I do not want to ignore the call from God to draw near to His heart so that I might more completely understand His purpose and call for my life as well as the ministerial call that I sense at work in me.

Yesterday the spirit dealt with my heart concerning making resolutions in comparison to making commitments. Many believers settle for making resolutions to improve, change, pray more, read the Bible more, etc. rather than taking the Biblical challenge to step into the lifestyle of commitment. Commitment requires participation with God. Commitment requires surrender to God. Commitment requires seeking His will and way rather than my will and way. Commitment requires me to look to God for direction and guidance as I follow after Him. I am determined to make that transition in my life. I refuse to be content with just following a list of resolutions for a few days or possibly a few months and then drift back into the some mundane lifestyle of Christianity. I want to upgrade my spiritual journey into a deeper lifestyle of commitment. I want to receive all that God has planned for my life and I truly believe that revelation begins with seeking after God with all of my heart. I desire to stop holding anything in reserve for some other desire that may arise in my heart. I strongly sense the need for God to be the lead desire of my heart as I continue to walk this blessed road of Christianity.

Prepare your heart to move from just making resolutions and walk in the strength of full commitment to our wonderful Savior!

Prayer

2012-01-04T04:30:00.001-05:00

Last night (Tuesday) I was involved in a time of prayer with a group of leaders that serve New River Worship Center. It was a wonderful time of prayer and encouragement as we gathered to seek after the heart of God. I truly sense that God is at work in the hearts of many believers and that is the reason we are sensing the enemy working against us in various ways. Many of you are facing your own set of unique circumstances but I want to encourage you to continue seeking God regardless of the circumstances around you. I also want to encourage you to seek out a prayer partner or prayer partners who will stand in agreement with you. There is power in agreement and we could sense that power in the prayer service last night.

I do not have the time or space to share all that took place last night in our lives. But I do feel impressed to share a few of the highlights that the Spirit has placed in my heart this morning. The Lord encouraged one of the leaders to direct a corporate time of prayer after we had spent time in prayer concerning our individual walk with Christ. In this time of prayer we had focused on seeking after the heart of God; surrendering our lives to Christ; and offering ourselves as servants in the family of God. The second round of prayer offered each of us the opportunity to not only intercede for our fellow laborer but the Spirit through prayer afforded each of us the opportunity to affirm our brother and sister in Christ. There are people in your sphere of influence who simply need someone to affirm them and recognize the various gifts and abilities that they bring to the family of God. I was touched deeply as I listened to the various leaders pray over one another and declare the worth of that individual. Each of you today are important to God and you are an important part of the Body of Christ. Do not downplay your importance because you view yourself as insignificant; NO ONE is insignificant in the eyes of God! Each and every believer has an important role to play in the work of the Kingdom of God. Just take the time to allow the Spirit to reveal to you the gifts and abilities that have been placed in your life and then be willing to use those gifts and abilities for the glory of God.

Recognizing the NEED to Pray

2012-01-03T07:16:00.001-05:00

In addition to asking others to pray and fast during the first 21 days of 2012 I have chosen to respond to this call from God in a personal manner. I am truly convicted that God desires to remove the lack of prayer from His family. We are called to a developing relationship with God and prayer is one of the spiritual growth factors that is available to each of us. There are times that we bemoan the fact that we consider the church weak and powerless yet at the same time we choose to ignore those growth factors that God has placed before us. We live in a world of vitamins, power drinks, exercise machines, and personal health trainers. Our bodies may be growing stronger yet our spirits may be growing weaker. I am certainly not against the improvement of our physical health but I am concerned about the deterioration of our spiritual health. Will we make the effort to spend time with our Heavenly Father through a time of prayer and meditation? Strength, hope, courage, and the renewal of our faith can be found in the presence of God. Have you ever wondered why the enemy works so diligently to keep each of us out of the presence of God?

2012

2012-01-02T09:24:00.000-05:00

I have not written a post since last year. I thought that my schedule would improve somewhat but the need to assist in finishing Phase 1 of our remodeling project at New River Worship Center took me away from my desk last week. I certainly do not mean that previous statement in a negative way because it is always a pleasure to be able to serve in whatever manner in the Kingdom of God. There are times that serving God in His Kingdom requires some "manual labor" (just ask Paul about his tent making ability). It is a great blessing to witness the direction of the Spirit in the ordering of our steps so that we can accomplish HIS plan for our lives.

20011 has come and gone but I can truthfully say that I have witnessed the presence of Christ in every step of my journey. Now we begin to look forward to 2012 and all that God has in store for our lives. I can truthfully say that I look forward to the presence of Christ being evident in every step of my journey. New River Worship Center is joining with other believers around the world in beginning the first 21 days of 2012 in an extra effort of Prayer and Fasting. Hopefully each of these Biblical principles are evident in our daily walk with Christ but there are those times that we need to make an extra effort to connect with God through a time of sacrifice and seeking His face.

I spoke to New River yesterday about 3 Goals/Purposes/Desires for 2012. First, let us commit to Seeking God. We must reconnect with our need to be people of Prayer. The House of the Lord must return to being a House of Prayer. Second, let us commit to Surrendering to God. Each of us need to be prepared to offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Third, let us commit ourselves to Serving God. Each of us need to be willing to serve the family of God through our time, gifts, talents, and abilities. I truly believe that each of us are called to serve and we need to be "about the Father's business."

My prayer is that the church in America will walk in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit and that we will spread the Good News of the Kingdom throughout the communities that we serve. Have a blessed and prosperous 2012!

Week Review

2011-12-27T12:40:00.000-05:00

It is hard to imagine that it has been a week since I made my last entry in the blog. I am sure that many of you have endured or should I say enjoyed a week of many activities. The celebration of Christmas contains many opportunities of fellowship with family, friends, and with your church family. Much of my week was spent at the remodeling project for the relocation of New River Worship Center. We were blessed to be able to celebrate our first service in the new location on Christmas morning. Oh, what a wonderful day to celebrate Christ and all that He has provided for us. We honored Him through Interpretative Worship, songs, prayers, offertory, and the sharing of the Word of God. The presence of the anointing of the Spirit was powerful and believe it or not the people were not in a great hurry to go home. Many of us are realizing that we not only need CHRIST back in Christmas but that we need CHRIST in our daily lives. I desire to recognize Him and recognize my need for Him on a daily basis.

We enjoyed a great Christmas celebration with our family. God has blessed our family this past year and we took some time to reflect on His blessings. Each of us need to remember the true meaning of Christmas and make sure that our children and grandchildren are taught the true understanding of the Christmas celebration I was also able to travel to Alabama on Monday and visit with my parents and one of my sisters and her family. It was a day trip but one that was worth the time and effort. My family has offered me great love, support, and encouragement throughout my life and I am truly thankful for each of them.

I will give further updates on the relocation process of New River Worship Center in the near future. We are close to the completion of Phase 1 and we are excited about the opportunities that God will provide in 2012.

Emmanuel

2011-12-19T06:16:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I was privileged to gather with other believers and celebrate the presence of Jesus Christ in our daily lives. I am truly blessed and excited about the presence of Christ is my life on a daily basis. There are many reasons to rejoice during this season of Christmas but one of the most important ones revolves around the promise stated in the Matthew passage concerning Emmanuel. Here is an excerpt of a portion of the sermon that I delivered at New River Worship Center in Radcliff, Kentucky.

Matthew 1:23, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

The Christmas story contains many stories within the scope of the Christmas story. We can read the story of the shepherds keeping watch over their sheep at night. We can read the story of the wise men making the long trip to worship the Christ child. We also can read the portion of the story that makes the declaration that "Jesus would be the Savior of the world." Certainly the story of Christmas produced many great and wonderful benefits to the family of God but one of the most important announcements is found in our text in verse 23. The baby that would be born to Mary and Joseph would be called "Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Hidden in all of the miracles of the Christmas story may be the greatest miracle of all of them. God, through Jesus Christ would make Himself available to mankind. He would take this opportunity to open the door of relationship with every human being who would choose to receive and embrace Him as Savior. This simple statement found in this story may not excite us but the implication of this statement is the basis of our hope and faith. God offered a plan in which He would draw near to humanity and we would have the wonderful opportunity to serve Him. I truly believe that God is calling us to celebrate the wonderful promise spoken in Matthew.

Emmanuel

2011-12-16T10:06:00.001-05:00

Over the past few days the Lord has dealt with my heart concerning families who are celebrating their first Christmas since the death of their loved one. Christmas can present some challenging experiences and memories to say the least but these memories can be enhanced with the extra burden of grief and sorrow. The season of Christmas is one that is meant to be celebrated but family events can create extra anxiety as people gather and realize that their loved one will be missing as they gather together. Nothing that I say can take away the pain and sorrow of grief but I do feel led to remind each individual that they are not alone as they travel this difficult road. I am not referring just to the presence of their family members or friends but I am referring to the presence of Jesus Christ.

One of the names of Jesus mentioned in the New Testament is the name "Emmanuel", God with us." (Emphasis added). The story of Christ not only brings us the story of the birth of our Savior it also brings us the story that God through His Son, Jesus Christ, would be present with us as we navigate the struggles and challenges of life. This wonderful revelation and promise allows us to understand and receive the awesome presence of Christ in our lives regardless of the circumstances that we may be facing. We can rejoice in the knowledge that God does not expect us to face the difficult moments of life alone. We can find rest and peace in the midst of our turmoil as we turn our attention to the presence of God.

An unknown author wrote these powerful words, "God did not promise days without pain, laughter without pain, sun without rain. But He did promise strength for the day, comfort for tears, and light for the way." As we celebrate Christmas, let us remember, "Emmanuel, God with us." (Matthew 1:23).

Update

2011-12-14T11:31:00.002-05:00

It is hard to imagine that it has been a week since I made my last post. The past week has been hectic to say the least. I do appreciate the prayers regarding the surgical procedure on my arm which took place this past Thursday. The recovery seems to be going well; I do have a significant amount of pain due to all that the Doctor did during the procedure. I began therapy yesterday and I am looking for positive results from the therapy as well as the surgery. I desire your continued prayer covering. The surgery did not keep me out of the pulpit on Sunday and we were blessed with another awesome and anointed service.

New River Worship Center was saddened by the sudden passing of one of the gentlemen who attended church with us. Bro. Jim was a wonderful man and God was doing a great work in his life. We celebrated the home going of Bro. Jim on Monday morning. Bro. Jim was a Viet Nam veteran who retired after 27 years of military service for our country. We honor and respect the service that he offered to our nation and it is men and women such as him who have served and fought in various wars and conflicts that provide me the freedom to write these words today. We will miss him but his testimony and life will live on in our memories. Please keep his wife, children, and grandchildren in your prayers.

I am truly thankful for what I sense that God is doing in my life. My wife and I were involved in an anointed and Spirit directed time of prayer on Monday evening. The Spirit began to open my heart to some of the enemies that have risen against the people of God over the years of the existence of the family of God. The Holy Spirit began to pray through us and illuminate these enemies to my heart and I began to speak them out as the Spirit gave the utterance. NOTE: This is not being said as a means to draw attention to myself or my wife as some special spiritual people. But it is being said to remind us that our spiritual enemy is real and that he does have a plan and strategy to destroy the Kingdom of God that is being released among the true children of God. I believe that the days of hypocrisy and performance based Christianity are about to be revealed and that God will receive greater glory than ever before. I am preparing my heart to openly identify these enemies as the Spirit directs my heart over the next weeks, months, and even years. Each of us must take a serious inventory of our lives and make sure that we are walking in a proper relationship with Jesus Christ. After all, this is the season that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Prayer

2011-12-07T06:22:00.000-05:00

Many of you read this blog on a consistent basis. Each of you realize the emphasis that I have placed on prayer during the past few years. I am convinced that the church in this modern era of various religions need to be awakened to our need to develop a pattern of consistent communication with our Heavenly Father. It is imperative that we begin to "put into practice" the call to prayer that the Spirit is issuing to the church through the various leadership voices of the church of today. I know that I am doing my best to spread this "call" to the people that I serve when I am given the opportunity to share the Word of God.

Last night I felt that the Lord shared a dream or vision with me. My wife and I were walking through various cemeteries and reading the information on the headstones. This morning I can not remember the names that we were reading last night but during the dream we did recognize the names and we did know the people whose name were on the headstones. The Lord revealed that these various individuals had entered into "spiritual death" because of their lack of prayer. They had lost their relationship with Christ because of their failure to spend time in the presence of God. Prayer is not just coming before the Lord with our "spiritual wish list." Prayer is lingering in the presence of the Lord and allowing Him to teach us about the development of our relationship with Him. You are probably thinking, "What does this have to do with Christmas?" We must remember that the birth of Jesus Christ opened the door of a personal relationship with God through the Son of God. Can you connect the dots in this spiritual scenario? Christ was born! Christ lived on this earth! Christ died for our sins at Calvary! The birth and death of Christ opened the door for relationship! Prayer develops our relationship! Thank God for the wonderful and awesome gift of prayer as we celebrate Christmas!

Prayer Request: I will be having a second surgery on my arm tomorrow. This is due to the fall that I received in October of 2010. I have not enjoyed a full recovery as of yet and the Doctor feels that he can improve my mobility through this second procedure. I would appreciate your prayer covering. I may be away from the computer for a couple of days but I will be praying for each of you. Feel free to share your prayer requests with me; I would be honored to join with you in prayer.

Looking toward Christmas

2011-12-06T06:39:00.001-05:00

People face this time of the year with various emotions. There are people that will celebrate this season without a loved one for the first time. They face the various celebrations with trepidation and sadness because they will miss the presence and participation of their family member or friend. Children look toward the season with excitement and anticipation. Our youngest grandson arrived at our house a few days ago with his "Christmas catalogue" held tightly in his hand. He was prepared to show us some of the gifts that he had been looking at over the past few weeks. The other grandchildren have made sure that my wife and I are aware of some of the things on their wish list. There are families that will face this season with some fear and concern because of the financial challenges that they are facing at this present moment. These families are working to make sure that they can stretch their budget as far as possible. But you also have those people that Christmas is just another day on the calendar and they will choose to ignore all of the celebrations as well as all of the concerns of this season of the year. Each of us may be able to look back across our lives and remember when we were living in one of the above mentioned circumstances and those were the emotions that dominated our lives.

But as believers in Christ we are filled with an unique and powerful hope. We are able to look past the parties, tinsel, gifts, food, trees, and family celebrations and realize that Christmas allows us to focus on the introduction of our Savior to this world. We have hope in our life due to the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our greatest celebration is not the gift or gifts under the tree but our greatest source of celebration is the One who died on the tree over 2,000 years ago. We look toward our future knowing and understanding that Christ is with us every day of the year and not just a certain designated time of the year. Christ is not confined to the month of December but He is a daily participant in our walk through life. Do not let your life be defined by the emotions that you may be feeling at this present time rather allow your life to be defined in the fulfillment of the promises of God. Luke 2:11, "For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (NKJV)

Thankful

2011-12-05T11:07:00.000-05:00

Some of you may grow tired of hearing about the weekend services in which I am privileged to participate. I often write about the richness of the presence of God and you may even think that it is impossible for that to be true Sunday after Sunday. But I can declare that it is TRUE and that the presence and direction of God is real. I go to church in the spirit of anticipation and expectation. I assume based on the promises of God that He is going to be on the premises when His family gathers to offer sincere praise and worship. It is possible that some people miss the presence of God during worship because they go looking for other things. It is hard to notice the presence of God if your heart is set toward grumbling, complaining, and fault finding. I doubt that you will notice much of the presence of God if your mind, heart, and soul are focused on all the above mentioned distractions and discouragements. I am deciding to make the choice to ignore the tricks and tactics of the enemy and look for the presence of God. I invite you to join me on that journey today!

Relationship with God

2011-12-01T08:45:00.000-05:00

Last night's discipleship class at New River Worship Center was both enlightening as well as challenging. Each of us are aware of the need to continue developing our relationship with Christ yet there are times that this is not the true priority of our lives. We can find ourselves spiritually "coasting" and become comfortable with going through the motions of a religious routine or ritual. This "coasting" can lead to the situation in which our hearts can become hardened to the Word of God. Coasting can lead to our eyes becoming blinded to the enlightenment of the Spirit. Coasting can lead to our ears becoming deaf to the direction and guidance of the Spirit. How can we counteract those tactics of the enemy of our soul? We reached the conclusion last night that the application of truth to our individual lives is the only true solution to that particular challenge of satan. We must hear the Word and allow the Spirit to apply the Word to our lives. The process of application will strengthen our relationship with Christ and the strengthened relationship with Christ will place us in the right position as well as disposition to follow Christ into a lifestyle and attitude of obedience. The Word of God is alive and powerful and it will make the proper adjustments to our lives as we continue the development of our relationship with Christ. Place your relationship with Christ at the top of your priority list and recognize the difference that it will make in your journey through life.

In My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers wrote, "There is only one relationship that matters, and that is your personal relationship to a personal Redeemer and Lord. Let everything else go, but maintain that at all costs, and God will fulfill His purpose through your life. . . . Always remain alert to the fact that where one man has gone back is exactly where anyone may go back . . . Kept by the power of God - this is the only safety."

Don't Lose Focus

2011-11-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

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

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

Weekend Thoughts

2011-11-28T10:08:00.000-05:00

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

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

Pursuing Thankfulness

2011-11-25T09:26:00.001-05:00

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

Thankfulness

2011-11-24T08:51:00.001-05:00

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

Gratitude Meter, Part 2

2011-11-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

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

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

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

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

Gratitude Meter

2011-11-22T08:07:00.003-05:00

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

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

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

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

Weekend Reflection

2011-11-21T09:40:00.002-05:00

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

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

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

Personal Refreshing

2011-11-17T20:54:00.001-05:00

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

Weekend Review

2011-11-15T09:56:00.001-05:00

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

Veterans Day

2011-11-11T07:42:00.001-05:00

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

Personal Reflection

2011-11-09T06:16:00.001-05:00

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

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

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

Purpose of Christ

2011-11-08T06:21:00.000-05:00

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

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

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

Friendship

2011-11-04T10:07:00.000-04:00

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

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

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

Good Works

2011-11-03T06:16:00.000-04:00

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

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

Grace or Works

2011-11-01T06:29:00.000-04:00

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

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

Weekend Reflection

2011-10-31T06:08:00.001-04:00

This past week has been full of opportunities to see the ministering presence of the Spirit released into the lives of different individuals. Much of my time this past week was spent with people in hospitals, nursing homes, and sadly even a funeral home. Those moments of interaction served to remind me that life does present to us some very challenging situations in which we are in need of a power that is far greater than our own power or ability. I personally witnessed the strength of God bring people through major surgical procedures with very positive results. I also witnessed the Spirit bring comfort and hope to a room full of individuals who were in deep grief over the the tragic death of their loved one and friend. I am still blessed and encouraged as I am able to point people to the ever-present Savior who is willing to meet people at their point of need. It is no wonder that I share the message of the Gospel with fervency and enthusiasm. I believe that the message of the Kingdom of God is worthy of declaration and worthy of our participation. I do not have to hang my head in despair or embarrassment as I stand week after week and point people to Jesus Christ. I am convinced that Christ is still the Hope for each and every individual that lives on this earth. I am even more committed to the declaration of the life-changing message of the Gospel as I continue to see the effect that Christ has in the lives of individuals. Each of us carry our own unique set of burdens and concerns yet Christ invites all of us to bring them to the Lord. And in doing we are given the opportunity to exchange our burdens for the rest that we can find in and through Jesus Christ. You do not have to travel the road of life alone; there is someone who cares about you and all of the situations that you are facing. Take some time today and share your burdens with the Lord; you will not be disappointed with the response of Jesus Christ our Savior.

Greater Vision Worship Center

2011-10-26T15:08:00.000-04:00

I would like to send my apology to Pastor Roseboro and the Greater Vision Worship Center congregation. Due to some Ministerial duties I was unable to fulfill my commitment to be one of the speakers for the Pastoral Anniversary Celebration. I am sure that the meeting continues to be a wonderful success and we sincerely regret our inability to participate. We pray blessings on Pastor Roseboro, the local church leadership and the entire church body. We pray that your future will be greater and more highly anointed than your past.

We are also in prayer for Stayce Hazell as she deals with the death of her son, Gage. Gage was a senior at North Hardin High School in Radcliff, Kentucky. We are also praying for the friends of Gage as they deal with the issues of his tragic and untimely death. It is during times such as this that we need the Savior who is able to sense and feel the grief that each of feel as we face the death of a loved one or the death of a friend.

Weekend Reflection

2011-10-24T07:03:00.001-04:00

I do not want to sound redundant or repetitive when I write about the presence of God when I discuss the weekend services at New River Worship Center. Is it not true that God desires to fellowship with His family as they gather to offer praise, adoration, worship and heartfelt thanksgiving? Should we expect anything less from God as we open the eyes of our heart toward Heaven and receive His direction for our lives? The lack of the presence of God in our midst may be directly related to our lack of hunger/passion for more of God (at least in my sincere opinion). The songs on Sunday, the testimonies, and the declaration of the Word of God kept pointing us to the promises of God. The promises of God reveal to us the continued presence of God in our daily lives. The presence of God continues to remind us that we are not alone on our journey through life. We must continue to desire more of the presence of God in our lives and we must remain committed to offer our lives a living sacrifice in the Kingdom of God. Take a moment and recognize His presence today and you will find yourselves encouraged as you remember that God has not forgotten about you or the situations that you are facing!

More of God

2011-10-20T11:52:00.001-04:00

Blaine Morris is only 2 years old, and his vocabulary is limited. But when his family passes the church, he knows what it is and shouts, "More God! More God!" That should be the cry of the whole world—"More God!" That is what we need—not more money, not more weapons and not more industry. We need more God. This illustration speaks to what I sense in my heart on a day basis as well as the message that I am constantly sharing in the ministry venues that God provides. We are in great need of "more of God." I truly believe that God is calling each of us to draw near to His presence and in doing so we open the door for the Spirit to perform His work in our lives. The work of the Spirit should be the daily longing/hunger of our soul. Let each of us cry out for more of God as we gather in our local churches this coming Sunday. Let us open our hearts to God on a daily basis and allow Him to transform our lives as He so desires. Our individual transformation will position us to see the release of the Kingdom of God in this world. The world needs to recognize the Kingdom of God at work in our heart and life!

Facing our Trials

2011-10-18T06:16:00.001-04:00

James 1:2-3, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of you faith develops perseverance." (NIV)

As I read this passage this morning, two phrases grabbed my attention very quickly. The phrase, "consider it pure joy, and the testing of your faith" challenged me to reconsider my approach to the daily challenges of life. I remembered that there have been many times in which the trials I was facing did everything but bring joy into my life. It was during those trials that I was looking for anything but the principle of perseverance rather I was looking for immediate deliverance and victory. I was more interested in receiving the blessing that I needed rather than the training and development that God had in mind. I am constantly amazed at my inability to fully comprehend the lessons that the challenges of life seek to teach me. I am writing these thoughts from the point of view of what some people may deem as a "seasoned believer." Yet, I still struggle at times when my faith is truly being tested. I am more interested in facing those challenges and moving through them as quickly as possible. I desire an immediate victory so that I can bounce back into church the next Sunday and have a stirring testimony of victory. But I must remember that Christ is interested in me completing the journey with Him and there are times that I am more interested in living for the moment. This does not mean that Christ is not interested in the daily moments in our lives but He has a long term plan for our life which will ultimately place us in His presence for eternity. I have the tendency to look at the temporal and the plan of God focuses on the eternal. Some of you are facing the "fiery" trials that the Apostle Peter referenced in his writings but rest assured that Christ has not lost you nor forgotten you in the midst of your trial. Christ is working His eternal plan in each of our lives and we must be prepared to persevere regardless of the circumstances that may seek to hinder our walk with Him. I realize that the previous statement can be challenging to receive but I do believe that it is the right statement to receive. God does have an eternal plan for each of our lives!

Weekend Review

2011-10-17T06:26:00.002-04:00

It is always a great privilege and honor to share the Word of God with a group of people who are desiring to grow in their relationship with Christ. I was able to sense that this weekend as I shared what I felt the Lord had placed on my heart. The previous statement in and of itself is such a daily challenge to me. Do I truly place the "heart of God" above my own agenda and plans? It is easy to develop an attitude of "I know what the people need to hear" but as a spiritual leader I must have an attitude of hearing from God. That same attitude/desire needs to permeate the heart of each and every sincere believer. It is easy to go to church and just "listen" but do I go to church and "pay attention?" I used to hear my parents say, "Michael, are you paying attention?" Is it possible that our Heavenly Father often says, "Are you paying attention to what I am saying?" It is possible to go to church and give a nod of our head or a hearty "Amen" to what is being said and never fully comprehend the heart of the message that is being released in the service? I desire to move beyond the proverbial nod of the head to Christ. It is easier to bow our head than bow our heart to God and His Word for our lives. I desire to have a heart that sincerely longs to listen closely to the directions, encouragement, discipline, caution, etc. that the Spirit is sharing. The previously mentioned attitude will certainly propel us out of the status quo into a more passionate desire to follow after God in obedience and surrender. The moderator in yesterday's service reminded us that we are called to be a follower of Christ and not just a fan of Christ. Followers develop listening ears and obedient hearts as they respond to the heart of God that is full of compassion and love. Lamentations 3: 22-23, "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness." (NKJV)

Stability vs. Instability

2011-10-13T06:25:00.000-04:00

We are living in a world that is facing our own set of unique challenges. The words "things are changing around here" have become very commonplace is all spectrum's of life. I know and believe that all change is not bad but in a world of instability and confusion we need to have a strong and steady spiritual foundation. The Psalmist David reminded us that he went "to the Rock" when his heart was overwhelmed by the circumstances that was surrounding him. It is a source of strength and encouragement to know that we can have spiritual stability through the revelation of God that we find contained in the Holy Scriptures. We may feel and sense a feeling of unsteadiness as we look at all of the challenges that we are facing in our nation and world yet we can remain confident in God who has promised never to change. God is unaffected by all of the changing circumstances of our society.

I felt led to share some passages of scripture that I believe can give you a strong sense of stability in the midst of our changing and challenging world.

Revelation 21:6, "He said to me, It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give him to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life."

Psalm 40:2, "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."

Psalm 18:2, "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

I Timothy 1:17, "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen"

In the midst of an unstable world we can have peace, hope, comfort, and salvation through the promises of God!

Peace of God, Part 2

2011-10-12T06:24:00.000-04:00

John 10:19, "On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you!" (NIV)

There are some situations of my life that I more easily release into the Hands of God. But there are also those challenging moments in which I know that I need to place that situation in the Hands of God but I struggle with a control issue. I feel better if I can just keep the situation close to me so that I can help God handle whatever needs to be handled. I don't mean to take this action but I want to be prepared to assist God if necessary. Now I already know that God does not need my assistance but I want to be prepared to provide any help that He might need. Have you ever prayed for a certain request and made sure that you included your desired answer for that request in your prayer? I know that I have been guilty of offering that type of assistance to God. But the true peace of God affords us the opportunity to place our full assurance and confidence in the fact that God is working His will and way for my life. I may not always feel and see His hands in action but I can trust His heart that reveals His love for me.

I must not allow my desire to be in control of my life hinder the work and process of God. The peace of God allows me to release those stressful moments into the Hands of God and realize that He has the power and ability to meet the need that I am facing. I must stop grasping for control of my life. My desire to be in control of my life can be very counterproductive to the plan that God has outlined for me. The more I manipulate and grasp for control, the more anxious I become. The more anxious that I become, the more I look for man-made solutions to the circumstances. The more I look for man-made solutions, the more my decisions are driven by the flesh and not led by the Spirit. I must resist the temptation to walk in the strength of the flesh and allow the Holy Spirit to release direction into my daily life. Trusting in the flesh may provide some temporary solutions to our difficulties but we must continue to seek for God's directives to be accomplished in our life. Instead of grasping for control of our lives we must be willing to open our hands to God and release the matters of our life into His Hands. God also asks us to open our mind and heart to Him so that He can speak the peace that we need. The opening of our heart and mind to God allows us to become aware of the presence of God. The recognition of the presence of God allows us to receive the peace of God that will bring the rest and assurance that we need. We need to take the approach to God much the same way that a young child takes the approach to grasping the hand of their parents. The young child places his/her small hand into the larger hand of their parents and in doing so they express confidence in their parents. Rest assured you can place your confidence in God!

Peace of God

2011-10-11T06:34:00.001-04:00

"Peace, Peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above..." are words from a song that may be very familiar to us. I can remember singing that song on many occasions throughout my Christian life. I am glad to report that the song is more than just words that flow from my mouth but I have seen the peace of God truly manifested at various moments and in various situations in my walk with Christ. The peace of God is more than a myth; the peace of God is a definite revelation of the manifest presence of Christ! Listen to the words of Jesus to the disciples who had scattered after the death of their Leader and supposed Savior. They were afraid, discouraged, overwhelmed, and disappointed just to name a few of the emotions that they were feeling. John 10:19, "On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you!" (NIV)

First, notice that the doors were locked. Remember that no situation can stop Christ from drawing near to His children. Haven't we all faced those situations when the enemy sought to convince us that Christ was unaware of the needs that we were facing? Fear did not stop Christ from making His appearance to His disciples. The fears that each of us face will not hinder the appearance of Christ to us as we face those moments that "peace" seems such a distant friend. Second, notice that Christ stood among them. He could have spoken peace to them from a distance; after all He had performed other miracles from a distance for His followers. Yet we find Christ in the midst of the disciples whose lives had been captured and somewhat controlled by fear. Remember the words of Paul in Romans 8 as he reminded us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. I truly believe that Christ will walk into the midst of our situation and pronounce the peace that we need at that moment. The disciples did not need a "long distance" miracle they needed the intimate presence of their friend, mentor, and Savior. Jesus enters through closed doors, stands in the midst of their fears, and makes this announcement; "Peace be with you!"

Today Christ stands in the midst of your difficult moments whatever they may be and declares once more "Peace be with you!" Make sure you take the time to hear His loving voice and remember that you are not alone.

Weekend Review

2011-10-10T06:39:00.001-04:00

The weekend services at New River Worship Center were very inspirational and encouraging. I still stand amazed at the loving presence of God after all of my years as a Gospel Minister. I still rejoice when I see individuals respond to the call and leading of the Holy Spirit. I am thankful that God stands ready to minister to our needs regardless what these needs may entail. God does not take a step back from us when we face our set of challenging circumstances but he still chooses to draw near to us and minister to our lives. Yesterday we were able to witness one of the children of our Children's Ministry make a public profession of her faith in Christ through the sacrament of Water Baptism. This baptism was special because her father was in attendance. Her father's attendance was special because he is preparing to be deployed to Afghanistan in a few days and she desired for her father to witness her baptism before his deployment began. We were also able to witness her father come forward for prayer during the time of invitation. God still arranges the lives of His people in such a manner that we are in the right place at the right time. I thank God that I was able to participate in that awesome service which gave us a fresh revelation of the love of God.

Sunday night was a time of Worship and Intercessory Prayer at New River. Once again the scripture became real to our lives; James 4:8a, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..." (NKJV) God still rewards those who diligently seek Him and we were able to witness the fulfillment of that blessing last night. We saw the presence of God revealed through the songs that were shared during the worship time. We used Proverbs 3:5-8 as our prayer map. It is time for the modern day church to recognize and acknowledge the leadership of Christ and allow Him to direct our paths. I could say much about the time of prayer as I heard different individuals lifting their hearts in prayer, praise, and intercession. But toward the end of the prayer time the Spirit raised up a moment of divine encouragement. I felt led to ask people to read the passage in the Bible that God had used or was using at that particular moment to encourage them. My heart was melted as I listened to various individuals read with such passion, tenderness, tears, compassion, encouragement, hope, faith, etc. I can not attest to what others felt in that portion of the meeting but I KNOW that God spoke strength and courage into my spirit. I still believe that God responds to the cry of our heart. I still believe that God is interested in the needs of His children. I still believe that God cares about fallen mankind. I still believe the the Word of God offers hope and solutions to the needs of our daily lives. I can testify that I was both blessed and encouraged by the presence of the Lord that was evident in the services this weekend at New River Worship Center. I start this new week with a renewed desire to walk after the heart of God in obedience and surrender.

Remember to pray for the Internet Revival. Read Friday's post for more information regarding your participation in this revival meeting.

Internet Revival

2011-10-07T12:49:00.003-04:00

I have been asked to participate in a new and interesting Gospel outreach. Evangelist Leroy and Betty Curry of Greenpond, Alabama have felt led of the Spirit to try something that is definitely out of the religious box. They are leading an Internet Revival during the week of October 9-16, 2011. I have been given the opportunity to serve as the Evangelist for this meeting. I will be preparing the sermon (written) for each of the daily services. Bro. & Sis. Curry already have a large group of believers that are connected through the Daily Chapel Ministry. This Ministry already provides a daily devotional as well as an Intercessory Prayer Ministry for requests that are sent to them from around the United States as well as some countries of the world. You can contact the Curry's at curry938@bellsouth.net if you are interested in being a part of these revival services. I also ask that you pray that this effort of the Daily Chapel Ministry will be an effective tool to share the message of the Gospel. The Curry's have a great desire to see this effort become a great blessing to those who receive the messages and music.

Let us join together in prayer for every church as they gather to lift up the name of Christ this weekend through their individual worship services. America is in need of a Spiritual Awakening and I believe that God is hearing the prayers of His people. In the past few days I have received reports of answered prayers from several different individuals regarding needs that they are facing. Feel free to email me any prayer request that you may have. We are having a special Prayer Gathering on Sunday night, October 9th. We would be honored to be able to pray for your request at New River Worship Center.

Personal Reflection, Part 2

2011-10-06T06:35:00.000-04:00

I wrote on Tuesday about the opportunity to share the eulogy/message of the gentleman who passed away after his battle with cancer. I shared that eulogy last night at his home-going celebration. The post that I wrote on Tuesday became the basis of the thoughts that I shared with those in attendance. I sincerely feel that God is dealing with my heart concerning the need to recognize and appreciate the life that God provides for us on a daily basis. Could it be possible that we are so consumed with looking for a "better life" that we fail to identify those important and rich blessings that God has placed in our lives? I believe in looking forward and planning for the future and I also believe in looking back and remembering the blessings of yesterday. But we must also develop the attitude of appreciation for those blessings that God has placed in our lives at this present moment. I sense an urgency to remind you of the need to take a moment and look around at all of the good things that God has placed in your life. I know that I am being challenged to do that very thing in my life. It is so easy to become discouraged by the challenges that we face that we fail to appreciate all of the blessings that God has provided for us.

I must learn to accept the day that God has given to me and in doing so I learn to look for God in every situation that I face. I have been guilty of wasting my time and energy desiring a different set of circumstances or opportunities. I will miss what God is wanting to do in my life if I am always looking for something different rather than choosing to learn the lesson that God is teaching me on that particular day. Once again I remind you that I am not advocating a "lazy" approach to life that does not set goals or make plans to improve our lives. Rather I am saying that we need to cherish each day regardless of whether we call it a "bad day" or a "good day." Many of my "bad days" became the initial stages of growth and opportunity as the plan of God unfolded in front of me. We may need to take the mentality of Joseph who faced his own set of unique circumstances but refused to believe that he was trapped and defined by those circumstances. Joseph faced the wrath of his jealous brothers who sold him into slavery. Joseph faced the lies of Potiphar's wife that landed him in prison under a false charge. Joseph faced the problem of being "forgotten" and allowed to remain in prison even after God has used him to be a blessing to others in his life. Listen to a portion of the words that Joseph shared with those same brothers as God brought full restoration to their relationship and a revelation of the plan of God that had begun in a pit that led to slavery and a false imprisonment. Genesis 50:20, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." (NKJV) The key words in this passage may be "in order". We must remember that God can bring order out of chaos and disorder (read the story of creation). The plan of God always triumphs over the plans of satan and the plans of man. You may be living in one of those "in order" days in which you are waiting on the full revelation of God's plan. I truly believe that I am personally living in one of those days at this moment; I am earnestly waiting on the fulfillment of the promises of God. But as I "wait" (with action, hope, and service to Christ) I will appreciate the daily blessings that God is placing in my life. I encourage you to take the same approach to your situation today. Do not give up on the promises and provisions of God!

Personal Reflection

2011-10-04T06:24:00.000-04:00

Psalm 118:24, "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (NIV)

I have been asked to share the sermon/eulogy this week of a man who passed away in his early fifties. He has been facing a battle with cancer and has fought that battle very bravely from my point of view. The death of an individual always causes us to reflect on our life. We all recognize the brevity of life. The Bible teaches that our life is as a vapor that is here for a while and then it vanishes away. We often think of this passage when someone passes away and we reflect on how young they were when they passed. The death of a family member or friend brings to each of us a reality check concerning our own humanity. We actually can be here today and gone tomorrow. I do not mean for this comment to sound cold or morbid; I just believe that we need to examine our lives and appreciate the time that God has given to us. After all, God knows the end of our life from the very beginning. He told Jeremiah that He knew him even when he was in his mother's womb. We do not know how many days God may give to us but we need to cherish each and everyone of them.

I felt the Spirit encourage me to take a moment for some personal inventory concerning the "day" in which I am living. What will I do with this day that God has given to me? Will I live in anticipation of another "day" and because of that I will not squeeze life out of this day? Is it possible that we can become trapped in waiting on a "better day" that we fail to rejoice in the one that God has given to us? I am not desiring for these comments to sound harsh or judgmental. I just sense the unction of the Spirit causing me to look deep into my heart concerning my approach to life. Is it possible that we can become so captured through the mental activity of waiting on tomorrow that we never take the time to enjoy today? I truly believe in living with hope and expectation for the opportunities of my tomorrow but not at the expense of missing the blessings and opportunities of today. I live with dreams, visions, hopes, plans, and expectations but I also live with the reality that I do not know the number of tomorrows that I am promised. My tomorrows are in the Hands of God but He has given me another day and I want to live life to the fullest measure that I can. I do not want to miss what God has planned for me to experience today. Today is full of endless possibilities; take a moment and fully receive into your life those things that God has planned to reveal. Tell your family that you love them. Tell your friends that their friendship is a source of strength and encouragement to you. Yes, dream and plan about tomorrow but enjoy the day that God has given to you. I plan on applying that principle to my life throughout this day.

I Stand Amazed

2011-10-03T07:26:00.001-04:00

Although I am a man that uses many words on a daily basis I still stand amazed at the revelation of the presence of God. I have tried to describe the manifest presence of God on many occasions yet I still find myself speechless when it comes to the description of the presence of the Love of God. The Sunday morning service at New River Worship Center was one of those occasions. We could sense the presence of God from the very beginning of the service. A young college student who attends our local fellowship shared her song and her heart in the Call to Worship. We then entered the blessing of Holy Communion with the family of God and the fresh revelation of the love and grace of God captured our hearts. It is amazing how God will reveal Himself when people gather in His Name and stay focused on the purpose of exalting Christ. The corporate time of Worship was highly anointed as we declared our confidence and hope is in God. Once again the family of God must regain our boldness and declare that our trust is in the Lord and in Him ALONE! Needless to say the Spirit continued to minister to us as the Truth of God was declared. There is freedom and deliverance in the Truth of God; we must constantly seek to hear the Voice of our Heavenly Father. The ultimate celebration came as people responded to the call of the Spirit to come forward for prayer. Needs were met and lives were touched as we opened our hearts to God. I have gone into this much detail because I am convinced that God is revealing Himself to people who are willing to surrender their lives in complete obedience. I truly desire to be one of those people. I want to place my life in the hands of God and offer my service to Him. I encourage you to keep your heart open to God and allow Him to direct your path.

TGIF

2011-09-30T10:28:00.001-04:00

TGIF has become a common acronym of our vernacular in modern society. "Thank God It's Friday" has been often quoted and used in our comments as we move toward the end of our work week. In most cases when we use TGIF we emphasis "IF" which refers to our excitement over the fact that we have survived another week of life. This morning I want to take a moment of your time and emphasize "TG." I truly believe that the Spirit reminded me this morning that we need to offer sincere praise and thankfulness to God. We can easily identify our set of difficulties but how quickly do we identify the blessings from God? It doesn't take long for my troubles to be included in my conversation but how often do I make room for praises to God in my conversation? How long has it been since my family or friends have heard me declare my thankfulness to God for His blessings being released in my life? I believe that God desires to raise up in our hearts a renewed desire to offer praise and adoration to God. Thankfulness to God must become more than a Sunday morning "routine or ritual.". Being thankful to God must become an attitude of our heart as well as a characteristic of our lifestyle. The Psalmist David declared that the Lord provides each of us daily benefits. TGIF but I can also TG (Thank God) on a daily basis and not wait for a particular day of the week. The Lord is worthy of our praise and honor. Take a moment on the last Friday of September and rededicate yourself to becoming a person of thankfulness at all times and in all circumstances. Ephesians 5:20, "And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (NLT)

Prayer

2011-09-28T06:20:00.001-04:00

I know that I write often about the need for prayer. Each of us as individuals face situations in which we are in need of divine intervention. We know that only God can make the difference in the particular need that we are facing. We are also challenged to release our faith because we do not know what method or means that God may choose to answer our prayer. Our faith also has to be strong enough that if God chooses to say no to our requests we do not allow our faith in God to be destroyed or dismantled. I must consistently choose to surrender my desires, needs, and aspirations to the greater plan that God has for my life and in all honesty that is not always easy. We are always challenged when God call us out of our "comfort zone" of spiritual ease and contentment. But there is a great reward to faith; just ask the woman with the issue of blood who had exhausted all of her avenues of help yet chose to make the effort to make contact with Christ. Her faith was rewarded and her body was healed.

I had other ideas on my mind this morning but I felt led to encourage someones faith today. We have several families at New River Worship Center who are facing some challenging circumstances today. I prayed with several of them on Sunday and I continue to pray for them today. I just encourage them as well as encourage the readers of this blog not to give up nor give in to the tactics of the enemy. God still reigns and rules and God has the final answer in the affairs of our lives. Even in the midst of your darkest and most difficult times do not forfeit your faith or hope through despair or discouragement. The song, How Great is Our God, is playing in the background as I write these words. I can sense the presence of the Spirit sending forth faith and encouragement to you today. Feel free to email any prayer requests to me and I will be more than glad to place them on my prayer request list. This is a time for spiritual agreement among the family of God, we must unite our faith and call on the name of the Lord. "All things are possible to them that believe."

Service to God

2011-09-27T06:33:00.001-04:00

There is a football analyst by the name of Lee Corso who does commentary for ESPN. He uses the following statement when he is discussing a difference of opinion regarding the results of one of the upcoming football games. Mr. Corso says, "Not so fast my friend." Those words came to my mind this morning as I was preparing to share this thought on the blog. I combined those words of the football analyst with a conversation that I had with my father last night. It is very important for each of us to be willing to offer our "service" to God. It may be possible to offer our heart to God and not be willing to offer our service to God. Serving others is a natural out-flow of serving God. But each of us deal with the issue of whether our service is useful and whether or not our acts of service are making a difference. There are times that we lose that debate with ourselves and we back away or back down from serving God. We have a tendency to compare our service to the service of others. We have a tendency to define our service as unimportant or unnecessary. We have a tendency to "think" that God does not see or remember our service because it is done out of the limelight of the knowledge of people. It is also true that in some cases we may never receive any appreciation for the particular act of service. But as Mr. Corso would say, "NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND."

Your service to God is important and your service to God is necessary. Each individual member of the Body of Christ has a distinct purpose for existence. Paul reminds us that the eye should not degrade or despise the usefulness of the ear. Each of us are necessary to the overall work of the Kingdom of God. No one can fulfill your purpose and no one can bring your distinct qualities into the work of the Kingdom of God. Look at the limitations that your physical body would face if one of your limbs were not working correctly. You could survive but some other part of your physical body would have to make up for the loss of the usefulness of that member of your body. Do not allow the enemy to put you on the sideline of spiritual inactivity; these are the days to be connected and involved in the work of the Kingdom of God. Recommit yourself to service in the Kingdom of God. Recommit yourself to serving others with a heart of sincere love and appreciation for your fellow man. Recommit yourself to releasing the gifts and talents that God has placed in your life. Do you remember when God asked Moses to "use what was in his hand" as they faced a great obstacle in their life (Exodus 14)? Use what God has given to you and stop making excuses for what you do not have! One man said that "God is not looking for your ability but your availability." Are you making yourself available to God?

Now to the conversation with my Dad. My Dad is a 85 year old "retired" Minister. This past Sunday my Dad and Mom drove 2 1/2 hours to a former church where they had served as Pastors several years ago. My Dad was asked to bring the sermon that morning and of course he was more than ready to share the Word of God. He was prepared to serve. You may say, "Isn't he too old or isn't that dangerous for his health?" I answer that with Mr. Corso's comments, "NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND." My Dad spoke with me yesterday as though he was a young preacher who had just delivered his first sermon. The passion and desire to serve was still alive and vibrant in his heart even after all of his years of service in the Kingdom. It is amazing how you feel as you offer your service to Christ. Open your eyes and heart to the opportunities to serve Christ and His mission to this world. Your life will be impacted as well as the lives of those people you serve!

Weekend Reflection

2011-09-26T06:40:00.000-04:00

The past few posts have centered around the Love of God. I will make this statement one more time; "It is very difficult to fully comprehend the awesome and wonderful revelation of the Love of God to mankind." It is truly difficult for an imperfect individual to understand that the Lord God Almighty could actually take an interest in our lives and the set of circumstances that we are facing. I truly believe that each of us are the individuals who build the wall of resistance around our lives and not God. Our Worship Leader led us in a song yesterday that made this declaration; "Draw me Lord, Draw me Lord, and I will come running after You..." She also reminded us the promise that we find in the Word of God, "...draw near to God and He will draw near to you..." God is prepared to release His love toward us regardless of the circumstances that we are facing. We are given the opportunity to respond in the appropriate manner to His love and this response opens our soul to the ministering presence of the Spirit.

Once more I was able to witness this type of response in the service yesterday at New River Worship Center. Throughout the service the Holy Spirit was wooing or calling each of us to draw near to His presence. The worship and the declaration of the Word reminded me of the words found in Psalm 63:8, "My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me" (NIV). We understand that the adventures of life bring us into close contact with our share of struggles and challenges but it is during those moments that the Heavenly Father calls us to cling to Him. We can see our relationship with God as we remember those times that our children tightly gripped our hands when they were afraid. The strength of our hands brought them comfort and peace when they realized that someone larger than them was walking by their side. The revelation of the Love of God brings that same type of reminder to each of us on a daily basis. Someone larger and greater than us is at our side and our Father is declaring His love over us in different ways and at different times. We can cling to the hand of our Father as we walk down the road of life. I witnessed men and women of various ages and various needs place their hand in the Hands of a Loving God who did respond to the cry of their hearts. We are able to experience more of the Love of God as we place our confidence and trust in the promises and provisions of God.

One of the men who attends New River Worship Center shared this scripture with me on Saturday. He felt that the Lord had placed this in his spirit regarding the work of God in our individual lives as well as our corporate lives. Hebrews 10:35-36, "Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance (cheerful or hopeful endurance, patient continuance, constancy), so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:" (NKJV). We must never let go of our confidence in the Love of God regardless of the circumstances that we may be called on to endure. There is a reward for patient faith and obedience.

Love of God, Part 3

2011-09-23T07:17:00.001-04:00

I John 4: 19, "We love Him, because He first loved us." (NKJV)

The past few blog posts have concentrated on a needed reminder concerning the Love of God. It is possible (at least in my opinion) that we may become so comfortable with this principle that we take for granted the presence of God's Love in our daily lives. I do not want to fall prey to that trap of satan. I desire to recognize and appreciate the concept of God's Love being revealed and released in the daily affairs of my life. Does not the scripture declare that "God is love"? God is the One who has planned for His love to be spread among His children as they face the daunting task of daily living. The old song declares "...I can not even walk without holding His hand..." I truly believe that the modern day church needs to be reintroduced to the concept of God's love so that we can remember that we are to share that Love with a hurting world. We are to share with others those blessings that God has shared with us; "...freely we have received, freely we give..."

A major portion of our relationship with Christ revolves around knowing Him in a deeper and greater manner. This developing relationship with Christ allows us to discover how wide and long and high and deep is the Love of God for each of us. Read Paul's reminder to the church in Rome; "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39, NKJV). The recognition and reception of the Love of God can be overwhelming at times. The enemy of our soul seeks to make us feel unworthy and undeserving of God's marvelous and wonderful love. But we must place our hope and confidence in the promises of the Word of God. Each of us do not know what challenges that we may face before this day comes to an end. But we can know that the Love of God will travel with us through the adventures of life; whether these are easy or difficult adventures. We can rest in the promises of Romans 8 and realize that there is nothing that can keep God from loving us. Christ is committed to loving us, are we committed to loving Christ in return? We need to reciprocate that love on a daily basis and allow our relationship to develop into a deeper love relationship with our Savior and Redeemer.

Take a moment today and reflect on the powerful reminder and promise found in Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (NKJV) Praise God for His awesome LOVE!

Love of God, Part 2

2011-09-21T06:19:00.002-04:00

Ephesians 3:17-18, "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." (NIV)

Is it possible that some of us "seasoned believers" are no longer stirred and encouraged by the awesome love that God has shared with us? Is it possible that we have moved beyond this important foundational principle that is such a major part of our spiritual process of maturity? After all, God loved us before we ever had the desire to love Him. He initiated the release of His love toward us even when we refused to accept it or respond to it. The passage for today reminds us that we are to be "rooted and established in love." The portion of that passage says to me that I need to have the love of God as one of the foundational principles in my ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul reminds us that the "saints" of God are ever exploring the width, length, height, and depth of the love of God. The love of God is one of the reasons that we can declare the message of the Gospel to a world that is trapped in the bondage of darkness. We can still declare the hope of fallen man based on the promise of John 3:16, "For God so loved the world..." I feel that I must encourage each of us to recognize and appreciate the manifest presence of the love of God. God demonstrates His love to us on a daily basis. I am encouraged and challenged to share that love with people who need to know that God is interested in their lives regardless of their lifestyle or regardless of their circumstances. Oh, the joy of declaring the greatness of His love to world that is looking for answers. Once more, I encourage you to take time to share the love of God with someone today. People are living in the depth of despair but they can make the transition into the depth of the love of God.

The family of God must rededicate ourselves to the proclamation of the message of the love of God! The family of God does not have the authority to withhold the love of God from anyone. Christ died for the "world" and not just those that we choose to experience the love of God. We must desire to spread the love of God through our daily life and allow that love to impact those with which we interact.

Love of God

2011-09-20T06:38:00.001-04:00

There have been many words used to describe the incredible love that God has for humanity. I am still challenged to describe the love of God after all of these many years of preaching the Word of God. How do you adequately describe the sacrificial love of God that was revealed in the birth and death of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world? If I could restart my "preaching career" I would spend more time preaching on the awesome and magnificent love of God. I would remind people that the love of God is unconditional and the love of God will meet you at your point of need.

The Apostle Paul gave us some insight to the great doctrine of the love of God in the letter to the church in Ephesus. Ephesians 3:17-18, "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together will all saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." (NIV). The Spirit wanted us to do our best to "grasp" the width, length, height, and depth of the love of God. It is truly difficult to get our arms around (grasp) the power and majesty of the love of God. I can declare today that I am still amazed as I sit in this room and write about the love of God that has been released in my life. The love of God is not an one time benefit or an one night feeling, no, the love of God is revealed daily in our lives as we walk in the benefits of a relationship with our Savior. Even non-believers have testified that even when they were walking out of fellowship with Christ they could sense the presence of God's love around them and and toward them. The family of God must be committed to share that love with a lonely generation that has been engulfed in the spirit of rejection. The enemy desires for people to perceive their "lack of worth" but the love of God establishes the fact that everyone is very important to God and that God has great love for everyone. We need to declare that message to the best of our abilities. We can declare that message because we are the recipients of the inexhaustible supply of the love of God. Take a moment and lift your voice and thank God that He loves you today. But also take the next step, share His love with someone toady. You may never know what an individual is facing today but they need to know the depth with which God loves them at this present moment.

Weekend Review

2011-09-19T06:28:00.002-04:00

"God is good" is often spoken or written by individuals who reflect on the goodness and greatness of God. I was reminded by the Spirit that God is truly "good" to His people as He releases the ministering presence of His Spirit into our lives. The Spirit began to deal with my heart concerning the need for the church to be "refreshed" during a recent meeting in Greenville, SC. The family of God is facing times of extreme anxiety; emotional pressure from various sources; economic pressure to reach the budgetary needs of their family; and an increased onslaught of the attacks of satan. How will we respond to these challenges and many more that time and space will not allow me to identify is one of the questions that each of us must answer? We must realize that we need to respond to these situations in the correct way for the sake of our own soul as well as the souls of those family and friends that are so dear to us. The people around us need to see the appropriate response so that our witness for Christ can be strengthened and not diminished. The enemy of our soul seeks to "eat away" at our peace and rest in Christ much the same way a child nibbles at a cracker or cookie. Slowly but surely the enemy seeks to undermine our walk with Christ through hurts, disappointments, discouragements, temptations, and countless other struggles. But we do have an anti-dote to these attacks from the enemy.

Our hope is found in the refreshing promise and presence of the Spirit in our lives. Much of my hope is based on the promise found in Acts 3:19b, "...so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (NKJV). The struggles and challenges of life have a way of discouraging our hope, faith, and dreams that have come from the Lord. Each of us must learn to put our trust in the Lord during the times of struggle as well as the times of blessings. It is easier to walk with God when all is well and our life is being lived in ease and comfort. But those difficult moments challenge us to look to Christ for a "fresh" revelation of His presence and power. It is during those moments that we learn to live in the promise of Acts 3:19. We began to realize that God can restore the breath that may have been knocked out of us due to the challenges of the moment. We must remember that God has not forgotten or forsaken us even when we walk through the seasons of dryness in our lives. God is ever present to minister to us as we turn our attention to Him and the promises in His Word. Each of us need to walk in the strength of the refreshing presence of Christ. We were able to witness people receive the strength of refreshing on Sunday as they responded to the call from God. We must never be afraid or intimidated to respond to the call from God. God always has a plan to minister to your life when He calls you to draw closer to Him. I am still learning that I need to trust in God and follow the leading of His Spirit at all times. God has a plan for each of our lives and that plan contains "times of refreshing."

Appreciation

2011-09-16T06:37:00.001-04:00

This week has been a busy time but it has also been a productive one at least from my perspective. It is a blessing to see God direct your steps in such a manner that He places you where He wants you to be. There are times that we may not appreciate that placement because our surroundings maybe challenging or the situation maybe difficult. But at those moments we must remember that God has not forgotten our location and that He is aware of the moment by moment events of our lives.

This week has afforded Ann and I the privilege to have a dear friend in our home for a few days. This friend recently lost his wife to a battle with an illness that she had fought for several years. We had the privilege to serve this couple as their Pastor over ten years ago but we have been able to maintain that friendship even at a distance. God used Bro. Bill to remind me of the principle of "appreciation." Each of us need to be reminded of the need to recognize and appreciate those family and friends that He has placed in our lives. Many of these family members and friends impact and influence our lives in a very positive manner. These people invest in our lives through their acts of love, kindness, acceptance, generosity, prayer support, encouragement, etc. The conversation that I shared with Bro. Bill raised this question in my heart; "Do I take the time to express my appreciation to those family and friends that God has placed in my life?" This conversation reminded me that I do not want to see my friends and family pass away and realize that I did not take the time to share my appreciation and love with those important people in my life. Bro. Bill is a person who was a great example of someone who took the time to let his wife know how much he loved her. But he feels that God wants him to remind married couples that they need to truly appreciate their spouse but he also feels that these spouses need to go a step further. He feels that these spouses need to visibly and publicly express that love and appreciation. We must not wait until someone "moves" out of our lives through relocation or even death before we reflect on the important role that they play in our lives. It is easy to focus on all of the bad or difficult people that we encounter in this life but we also need to focus on the good and thoughtful people that God sends to us. God uses many of these people to demonstrate and release the love of God to us on a daily basis. Take some time today and call a friend and express appreciation for their friendship. Take some time today and speak words of love and appreciation to your spouse or children. Not only will these individuals feel the impact of your actions but you will also feel the positive effect that true appreciation and kindness can have on you.

I am truly a blessed man. I have a wonderful wife, two great sons, two great daughter-in-laws, and four awesome grandchildren. But my blessings do not stop at that point; we have two "adopted" children (Ann's brother and sister). We are also blessed with two "adopted" grandchildren and two "adopted" great grandchildren. We have been blessed with so many wonderful friends that there is no way to place a number on them. Many of you can say the same things about your family and friends. Do not take your family and friends for granted! Tell them of your sincere love and appreciation; let them know that they have made a difference in your life. We are better people because of those special people that God has placed in our lives.

Friends

2011-09-13T06:13:00.001-04:00

Last night Ann and I enjoyed an evening of worship and music at the National Quartet Convention with some wonderful friends from Tennessee. These two brothers in Christ served on staff at a church we served over ten years ago. We not only served as their Pastor but we were blessed to develop a friendship with them that has transcended the years. God reminded me of this as we listened to some of the songs from the yesterdays of our lives. Music and songs may change but true friendships do not have to be forgotten or forsaken. Each of us face change even as the type and style of music change but we do not have to lose appreciation for those people that God has placed in our lives at certain moments on our journey. Friendships continue to develop and we learn to appreciate those moments in which God allowed our lives to be strengthened and enriched through that individual friendship. We can establish new friendships which prove to be emotionally and spiritually beneficial but that in and of itself doesn't mean that we have to forget those friends from our past. Take a moment today and make contact with some of your friends and let them know your sincere appreciation for them. Each of us are blessed to have quality people that God has divinely placed in our lives. Let us thank God for the wonderful blessing of friendship!

Weekend Reflection

2011-09-12T06:33:00.001-04:00

I trust that each of you spent some time in prayer and intercession for our nation this past weekend as we reflected on the tragedy of 9-11-01. We experienced a wide variety of emotions at New River Worship Center. We expressed a somber remembrance of those who lost their lives during the terrorists attacks on that tragic day in American history. We also took a moment to express appreciation to those first responders and military personnel who daily place their lives in harms way so that we can be protected and enjoy our freedom. We also rejoiced as we celebrated the dedication of Chloe, one of the new additions to our church family at New River. All of these emotions were experienced through the Call to Worship phase of our service. We wanted to make sure that we looked back with respect and remembrance but we wanted to also look forward with renewed hope and faith. Our faith is in God and His ability to reveal Himself in the affairs of mankind.

The Worship service was anointed with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. We purposefully declared the greatness of God and made sure that we recognized that nothing is impossible with God. It is never too late for God to make a difference in the lives of people. We can not afford to lose our confidence in God even during the most trying of events or circumstances that we are facing. We also celebrated the testimony of a young lady from TN (her parents attend our local fellowship) who has been battling cancer for the past several months. In June of this year she was given 6 months to live but last week her PET scan revealed that she is cancer free. I can almost hear some of you shouting "Praise God from whom all blessings flow." We spent Sunday evening in a time of worship and intercession. I truly believe that God is calling the church to intercession. I have written those words on numerous occasions but I am still deeply committed to that call from God. We must stop waiting for everyone else to do the praying; it is time that EACH OF US commit to being a prayer warrior/intercessor. 2 Chronicles 7:14 does not call for a select group of people to pray; it simply says "If my people, which are called by my name..." Each of us bear a personal responsibility to pray and seek the face of God on behalf of ourselves, our family, our communities, our nation, and our world. Let us step forward and answer the call that God is issuing.

I need to offer praise to God for one more specific blessing. The prayer times in both services were highly anointed and I truly believe that they made a difference in the lives of those who participated. We anointed several prayer cloths (Acts 19) last night to be shared with our family and friends and in doing so we are believing that God is going to work the miracle that they need. God is AWESOME and I still sense His closeness this morning as I share these words.

9-11 Prayer Remembrance, Part 3

2011-09-09T07:02:00.004-04:00

Many of us can remember what we were doing ten years ago when our nation was attacked. I remember setting in a church office oblivious to what was taking place in Washington, DC, New York City, or Shanksville, Pennsylvania. I received a call from my wife that caused me to rearrange my schedule for the remainder of the day and I began the process of trying to understand what was happening right before my eyes. I don't know if we will ever fully understand or comprehend the deaths of over 3,000 individuals that was shown on televisions throughout this nation. The witnessing of the death of one person is overwhelming much less the death of such a large number of innocent people at the very same time. Our nation has not been the same since that tragic date in our history. Today we are seeing the ongoing effect of that tragedy as a new "terror threat" has been identified in New York City as well as our nation's capital.

We must ask ourselves this question; "What have we learned since that tragedy?" The more correct question that we should ask could be, "What have we forgotten since that tragedy?" There was a fresh sense of civility and respect immediately following that terrible day. Politicians set aside some of the rancor and dislike for one another for the common good of our nation. Families became more thankful for each other as they realized how easily death could separate them. Unashamed prayer was offered by people of all spiritual backgrounds and even the politicians were not embarrassed as they called on God for His help. Churches saw an increase in attendance and a desire for "spiritual" understanding in the days and weeks immediately following the tragedy. There was even a brief moment of unity that took hold of our nation as we resolved to overcome this event and continue to pursue the blessing of freedom. Our memories can become very short once we move through the initial shock of that moment and our lives resume somewhat a sense of normalcy. Let me be clear, I don't think America will ever be "normal" again and that we will continue to see the ripple effect of that event on our lives throughout our future. We were taught terms such as "jihad, Islamic radicals, Osama Bin Laden, Taliban, etc." I am sure that we had heard or read those terms before but they never took deep root in our lives because we had not come face to face with the reality of those terms and what impact they would have on our future. But all of that changed on 9-11-01.

I believe that we have come to a cross roads in the history of our nation. We are at the point of decision; will we choose to call on God for help and direction or will we choose to continue the road of self dependence? We must take an honest evaluation and assessment of our situation. Have you located anyone that has the answers for the ills and difficulties that we are facing? The government has initiated several new "programs" to solve the financial ills of our nation and in many ways these have not accomplished the intended goal. The moral compass of our nation is disappearing and we are living under the influences of untempered and uncontrolled fleshly desires. The church world has been rocked by one scandal after another and yet we choose to travel the same road of destruction. An old song in racing through my mind this morning; "He was there all the time, waiting patiently in line..." This weekend can be a time of transformation for each of us if we are willing to turn from trying to save ourselves and turn to the only source of our salvation, Jesus Christ. Yes, I will say it, Jesus Christ is still the one and only Answer that our nation needs. We need a Savior and a Healer. Christ will guide our steps if we will take the time to follow Him.

Will you join with other believers on 9-11-11 as we cry out to God for a "Christ Awakening" across America? Find time throughout that day to intercede for your life, the life of your family, and the life of this nation. I am convinced that God will hear the cry from our hearts and that He will send personal as well as corporate spiritual awakening to our nation.

9-11 Prayer Remembrance, Part 2

2011-09-08T06:35:00.000-04:00

2 Chronicles 7:14 is a passage that has become very familiar to many of us when we begin to think in terms of praying for our nation. Let us remind ourselves once more concerning the powerful challenge that the Word issues to us in this passage: "If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

There are several key words in this passage that needs to grab our attention. The words are "humble, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways." This passage reminds us that we do bear some responsibility as we prepare ourselves to look to God on the behalf of our nation. It appears that God requires a spirit of humility and repentance to be active in our hearts if we are to experience the spiritual awakening that our nation desperately needs. Jesus challenged us in Matthew 22 to "...Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

Here is an excerpt from Praying for a Christ Awakening written by Billy Wilson. "The changeless Christ would no doubt answer in our day just as He did in the first century; the greatest of all commandments is first and foremost to love Him! Such is the need of our day, that we might pursue Him in practical, sacrificial, and self-denying ways. In a day when we are seemingly surrounded by enemies on all sides, might our only escape be to look up as our hearts are drawn by the Holy Spirit to fresh encounters with Christ, bringing forth transformative works of repentance, obedience, and holiness. Let us believe God for a Christ Awakening with: Amplified participation in corporate as well as individual prayer, fasting, and other spiritual disciplines, leading to more effective discipleship..."

In my opinion we must rediscover and reconnect with the discipline of prayer in the modern day church in America. We have tried enough "spiritual gimmicks"; now is the time to turn our hearts to Christ in humility and believe that He is going to send the strength and power we need to overthrow and defeat the enemies of our soul. Will you be willing to join with me and seek the face of God in sincere and humble prayer? I truly believe that a "Christ Awakening" awaits those of us who are willing to submit ourselves to the leadership of Christ.

9-11 Prayer Remembrance

2011-09-07T06:49:00.001-04:00

It is my privilege and honor to join with other spiritual leaders across this nation who are calling for a time of prayer for America on 9-11-11. We are asking individuals as well as local congregations to join in prayer for our nation on the 10 year anniversary of of the horrific attacks on our nation. Ten years ago we experienced what many of the nations of the world experience on a daily basis. Many nations of the world deal with internal struggles and terrorism as a part of their daily lifestyle. As a nation we have been aware of terrorism through the attacks on our military forces over the past years but never since the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 have we witnessed such a public attack on the American people as we witnessed on that dark and terrible day. Sunday will be a time to reflect on those who died in the tragedies that day. Sunday will be a time to remember those "first responders" who gave their life trying to rescue many fellow citizens after the attacks. Sunday will also be a time to appreciate all of the "first responders" who daily place their lives in harms way for the citizens of our land. We also can not afford to forget those American soldiers who place their lives in harms way on a daily basis that we can enjoy our freedom.

Each of the remembrances and reflections that I have written about are very appropriate but there is also another call that we must answer. We must answer the call to PRAY for our NATION. Prayer was very much an integral part of the response to the 9-11-01 tragedy that struck America. Prayer was being offered in every aspect of our nation. Ministers called for prayer. Governmental leaders called for prayer. Individual families came together for a time of prayer. Why did we allow that spirit of humility, repentance, and compassion to evaporate so quickly? Why did we allow ourselves to drift back into attitudes of unconcern and spiritual apathy? Many churches saw an increase in attendance for a few weeks after the attacks because we were unsure of the future actions of our enemies. But it did not take us long to return back to the same old pattern of forgetting God as long as things are going well. Many of us are realizing that we made a huge mistake when we stopped calling on God for help. Spiritual leaders are calling for a return to the necessity of interceding for our nation. I trust that each of you will purpose in your heart to spend time in prayer on Sunday for our nation. WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED FOR GOD TO HEAL OUR LAND AND TO BRING SPIRITUAL RESTORATION INTO OUR LIVES!

Will you join with us on Sunday and lift your voice in agreement with fellow believers as we ask God to direct the path and steps of our nation? God will hear us as we pray and I believe that Spiritual Awakening can take place in our hearts and lives.

Week Review

2011-09-06T06:28:00.001-04:00

I will take a moment and apologize to those of you who read this blog on a daily basis. I normally update the blog early in the morning and this past week found my early morning schedule somewhat hectic because of ministerial responsibilities. My wife often reminds me that my life is too structured and that I need to learn to make adjustments when they are needed. I think that I can hear her saying that to me as I prepare this entry in the blog. Nevertheless I am thankful to share with you a short update of this past week in work of the Kingdom of God.

I was blessed with the awesome opportunity to minister in the Abundant Life Church in Greenville, SC with Pastor Johnny Baker. This was my first time to participate in a series of services with Pastor Baker and the local fellowship. The presence of the Holy Spirit was powerful. It is has been a while since I have witnessed a group of people who were willing to linger in the altar as they patiently waited for someone to pray with them. Their faith was certainly rewarded as the Spirit ministered to the various needs of the individuals and we were able to identify the presence of "revival" among this body of believers. The Pastor had been leading the congregation is a series of prayer times that focused on the need of revival in this local body of fellowship. I have said it often but I will declare this word one more time; "Prayer still touches the heart of God." Our sincere desire to draw closer to God will not go unnoticed by our Heavenly Father and He still responds to the cries of our hearts. Needless to say I was blessed by this ministry opportunity and I look forward to the development of the relationship with Pastor Baker and the local ministry. Only Heaven will fully record all of the transformation and awakenings that was released in those services. Although much of my time is being dedicated to the ministry effort of the church plant in Radcliff, KY; I am thankful that the local Church Board supports my effort to reach out to other congregations as an extension of the ministry of New River Worship Center

I would like to share a brief update on the remodeling of the building that we have purchased in Radcliff, KY. We are seeing much progress being made through the efforts of volunteers as well as contractors that have been hired to assist us in the process of relocation. Our space to worship will be more than doubled when this project in completed. We are excited about the people that God is bringing into our outreach effort as well as the progress of the remodeling of the building. We are committed to remaining true to the call that God has placed on our hearts. The "call from God" led us to become a place of refuge for the hurting, discouraged, overwhelmed, disappointed, detached, etc. If we are to be pleasing to the Lord and continue to receive His blessings we must remain focused on the initial direction and call from the Holy Spirit. True success must be defined as a desire to walk in obedience to the leading of the Spirit. That statement needs to be true about each of us individually as well as collectively as local congregations.

The past few weekend services at New River Worship Center have been highly charged with the unction and anointing of the Spirit. We are thankful for the freedom that we are experiencing in the times of worship, the freedom to preach the truth of God in love, and the freedom to minister to those who step forward for prayer. Do not listen to the lies of satan; God still ministers to the needs of His people. Do not listen to the lies of the enemy; God still cares about His children. Do not listen to the lies of the enemy; the Spirit will lead each of us into a deeper and more mature walk with Christ. We must lift up our hearts and realize that "nothing is impossible with God." I have decided to turn my heart to God and realize that God is in charge of our lives and that He will work in us if we will surrender our lives to Him. Will you join with me in that commitment?

Prayer, Part 2

2011-08-26T06:30:00.000-04:00

Prayer is a integral part of the life of every believer. Prayer is our open line of communication with our Heavenly Father. Prayer is the means by which we speak with God and prayer can be the means by which God speaks to us. Prayer should not be rejected but prayer should be embraced by each one of us as a means by which we communicate our sincere praise, adoration, worship and exaltation to God. Prayer is not just used as a means to express to God our "spiritual wish list" although God does encourage us to share our needs with Him even though He is already aware of each one of them. Prayer is an avenue of expression and communication in which we are able to draw closer to God and enter into a deeper sense of fellowship and relationship.

I can remember the sense of intimidation that I felt concerning prayer as a young believer and these feelings of intimidation even carried over into the development of my ministerial life. I would listen to others as they described their approach to the development of their prayer life and I felt that I could never match their efforts or intensity. My natural reaction to these emotions convinced me that since I could not compete with these "spiritual super-stars" that I would shun the development of my prayer life. Little did I realize that the quality of my prayer life and not the quantity of my prayer life would be a deciding factor in my relationship with Christ. I was captured by the spirit of comparison and that concept was hindering my relationship with Christ. But it was during these moments of internal struggles that I realized that God was not comparing me to other believers. It was me that was more interested in comparisons and I had allowed that attitude to become the focus of my prayers rather than fellowship with Christ being my focus. As I allowed the Spirit to illuminate my spirit with this understanding I began to see a change in my approach to prayer time. I have seen my desire to spend time with God become even more important as I followed God into the development of our relationship with each other. Please remember that God is interested in developing relationship with you even more than we are interested in developing relationship with Him. After all, it was Him who set in motion the plan for the redemption of humanity and all that we are doing is responding to that invitation. Stop comparing yourself to others and listen for the Voice of God calling you to a time of fellowship and communication with Him. You will be blessed, encouraged, and strengthened as you listen for His Voice and that Voice will call you into His presence for a time of intimate communion.

Prayer

2011-08-25T06:49:00.000-04:00

I am a person who truly believes in the power of prayer. I have sensed the importance of prayer for many years but recently I have felt the need to focus more on the call from God to pray and seek after His heart for my life. There are people who may consider prayer one of the least attractive characteristics of the Christian way of life but in reality it is simply the opportunity to have a line of communication with our Heavenly Father. I have been sharing about the need for prayer during our adult discipleship classes on Wednesday night at New River Worship Center. I know that God is calling me as a Minister of the Gospel to lead by example when it comes to prayer. There are times that we spend more time in conversation about prayer than we actually spend time in prayer. I desire to reverse that trend among the family of God that I can influence.

I asked this question last night; "What makes many people afraid to pray or at least what makes them afraid to develop a consistent prayer life?" I want to share a few of the answers because I found myself not only learning about the concerns of others but I also learned that I feel some of the same concerns that they expressed. 1) We feel that our prayers are boring to God because we say the same things over and over. 2) We have trouble accepting the fact that God is truly our Father; we fail to realize that He has given us the authority to cry out "Abba, Father" (Daddy, God). 3) We fail to remember that we are praying for God to hear us and not for man to hear us. 4) We fail to remember that our Father will respond to the simplicity of our prayers as we release our faith through our prayer efforts. 5) We must remember that he allows each of us to honestly express our concerns, fears, disappointments, etc. with him as we pray. We must remember that He is already aware of them even if we try to hide them from Him. 6) We need to remember to be our self when we pray. God is not looking for us to imitate someone else as we spend time in conversation with Him. 7) We need to remember that prayer is a time to have a conversation with God.

Hopefully the above mentioned thoughts will help each of us move past the concerns that we have regarding our own prayer life. I truly believe that God is calling each of us into a deeper season of praise, prayer, and intercession. Let us respond to that call in obedience and reverence and once more become a people of prayer.

Inspired

2011-08-24T14:16:00.001-04:00

I spent the past two days in Alabama visiting with some of our family. It is a blessing to be able to touch base with my roots. My wife accompanied me on this trip; both she and I enjoyed the visit with our family. The Lord used this time in Alabama to speak inspiration and encouragement into my heart. First, my 85 year old father was in a "preaching mood" when I arrived. He was interested in what was taking place in the ministry in which I am involved but he also wanted to share some thoughts that God was placing in his heart. He inspired me as he quoted the first scripture that he learned after his conversion in 1948. The Word of God was still alive and vibrant in his heart. His focus was still on pleasing Christ and following His direction for his life. I was reminded that our heart for God does not have to grow cold but we can maintain a hunger for God regardless of the length of our journey with God. I was reminded that the "fire of God" still burns in the heart of a 85 year old preacher who possesses a hunger for more of God. Second, we visited with Ann's brother and his wife. Rick has faced some serious health issues in the past few years yet his and his wife's faith remains strong and vibrant. They are human and that means they have their moments of concern and even fear yet they choose to trust in God. There are many times that I call Rick to check on his status and he becomes the teacher/encourager. He has chosen to allow the Word that he has stored in his heart to be released into the lives of others. He chooses to live with hope but his hope is not based on the philosophy of man but his hope is in the resurrected Christ who is the "hope of glory."

Teamwork

2011-08-19T06:45:00.001-04:00

Last night I was involved with a group of individuals who chose to offer their time and talent toward the remodeling project of turning a building into a ministry center that New River Worship Center will use as a base of outreach to the community. Each of these individuals possess unique talents and abilities but they chose to cooperate with one another for a common goal and purpose. Notice the key word that I used in the previous sentence; they "chose" to mesh their talents and energies to see the common goal accomplished. I thought of Paul's words to the Corinthians when he talked about the "body of Christ" with its various members who had their specific duties to fulfill. He made comparisons to the human body that was able to function in the way that God had planned because each individual member of the human body fulfilled its purpose.

Should not the present day body of Christ take the same approach to our service in the Kingdom of God? How much more could we accomplish if we laid aside our personal egos and agendas and sought to work for the common good of the sharing of the Gospel message? Each of us have a specific role to fulfill in the work of the Kingdom of God. Our talents, abilities, and even energy level may vary from one to another but we must keep the common goal in mind. Present in the group of individuals last night were people who had expertise in construction work. But these individuals did not work in the spirit of authority but they chose to operate in the spirit of service and servanthood. The other laborers did not operate in the spirit of jealousy or envy but they chose to operate in the spirit of cooperation and follow the directions of the more experienced leaders. The end result was that the work was accomplished and each of us felt fulfilled regardless of the role that we played in the project. Can you imagine what would take place in the Kingdom of God if each of us took that approach to the work of the Gospel? I truly believe that as each of us seek to draw closer to Christ we will be able to recognize a spirit of cooperation arising in our hearts as the family of God. I am honored to serve among a group of people that I believe is seeking the common goal of genuine Christianity. I was honored to be able to participate in the work that took place last night in that building in Radcliff, Kentucky. Make an effort to be an effective team member today and allow your light to shine for Jesus Christ.

Prayer

2011-08-18T06:35:00.000-04:00

Many books, articles, and sermons have been shared with Christians throughout all generations concerning the need for prayer. We have called for Prayer Meetings, Prayer Conferences, Days of Prayer, and even asked believers to commit a certain time of day for prayer. Each of these have been well intentioned and certainly inspired of the Lord but have they accomplished their purpose? Have we tried to shame people into prayer? Have we tried to implement prayer through programs or even through the action of intimidation through embarrassment? I am not stating these thoughts because I think that prayer has been over-emphasised; as a matter of fact we have preached prayer more and in some cases practiced prayer less. We may need to take another approach to prayer as we see the need to "rally" the people of God to seeking after the heart of God.

I believe that the Holy Spirit has spoken to my heart over the past few days concerning prayer. I need to change my view of prayer as well as my approach to prayer. I don't think that God intended for prayer to be a principle that I "had" to participate in rather prayer is a principle in which I "want" to participate. Can you imagine the freedom that would envelop believers if we transitioned from "having to pray" to the position of "wanting" to pray? What if prayer became a time that we entered into an action of fellowship with our Heavenly Father and that we actually looked forward to this time of fellowship and interaction? I do not desire to over-simplify the action of prayer but I do hope to encourage each of you to examine your view of prayer. Our Heavenly Father is not going to pull us into a time of prayer as we would take a child kicking and screaming into a room for a time of conversation. God who loves and cares for His children looks forward to those moments of interaction and conversation with us. We should be comfortable in responding in that same manner to God. Let us begin to look at prayer as a time that we can spend in true repose and reflection in the presence of our Father who loves us more than we can fathom. I believe that we could see a mighty awakening concerning prayer if we would only change our view of our time with God. Feel free to share your thoughts and comments with me concerning your time of prayer!

Trusting God

2011-08-17T06:30:00.000-04:00

For the past several weeks God has been reminding me of the need to encourage people to trust in God regardless of the circumstances that they may be facing. I completely understand the challenge of this principle. Many of the circumstances that we face are very difficult ones which not only affect us but in many cases they are affecting our family and friends. It is during those moments that we are called on to remain steadfast in our faith and remain committed to honoring God with our praise and with our service to Him. I will confess that this action is not always easy but it is very rewarding as we identify the presence of God which brings strength and courage in the midst of our trials and struggles.

Yesterday during prayer the Spirit reminded me that CHRIST IS PRESENT in each and every one of the situations that we may face. God was present in the fiery furnace with the three Hebrew children (story found in the book of Daniel). God was present in the wilderness with the children of Israel and He provided food and water for them. Do you remember that their drinking water was brought forth out of a rock in the wilderness? Jesus was in the ship with the disciples in the midst of their storm. The Spirit reminded me that God is always aware of every moment of our lives. There is nothing that is out of His control and there is nothing that is greater than His ability to respond. There is nothing too large or complicated for Him to handle. There is no disease that He can not heal. There is no sinner that He does not love. There is no temptation that He can not provide the strength for you or me to overcome. Their is no attack of the enemy that He can not defeat. Our challenge is to look to God in each and every situation whether the situation is large or small in our lives. David reminds us that "his helps comes from the Lord." I am thankful that I can place my confidence in God and the revelation of His presence in my daily life.

Weekend Review

2011-08-15T06:17:00.000-04:00

Wonderful, refreshing, encouraging, powerful were words that people used to describe the presence of the Lord this past Sunday at New River Worship Center. I read some of those same words on other social media sites as people spoke about their services in the local churches in which they attend. I truly believe that God will minister to His people even during times of difficulty and challenge. The God that we serve and trust is alive and He dwells among His people and sees all that each one of us are facing as we travel the road of life.

We realize that we are living in some "unique" times to say the least. We are seeing problems and challenges across the wide spectrum of life but we know where to place our confidence. The Apostle Paul wrote about some of these "unique" times in his day but he refused to lose his hope and faith. Let us remind ourselves of some of the challenges that he saw among the people of his day. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--" (NKJV) Paul understand that challenges were on every side but he also knew that God would never leave or forsake him regardless of what difficulties that he was facing. We must remain steadfast in our belief in the promises of God. There are times that we will be encouraged to praise and magnify God even in the midst of these "unique times." And as we put these principles into action in our lives we are able to see the presence of God revealed in some marvelous ways. Take some time to praise and honor God today regardless of what you are feeling or what you are seeing. God is in the midst of your challenges, just remember the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. The presence of God was in the midst of their fire. God is in the midst of your fiery trial today!

Transition

2011-08-12T06:43:00.000-04:00

Last evening began a process of transition for New River Worship Center in Radcliff, Kentucky. A few days ago I wrote about the purchase of a building which will become the home base for the ministry outreach to our community. We began that process of transition last night as a group of individuals gathered to work on the structure of the building. The building will require some adjustments as we change the purpose of the old building into a place of worship, discipleship, and fellowship. The demolition crew made a great impact last night but there are more changes which will require the removal of the old so that we can make room for the new. There was a portion of the material in the building which we can recycle into the newly remodeled building but other portions of the building have served their purpose and they had to be discarded to make room for the process of the new.

The Spirit used the work on the building last night to remind me about our journey with Christ. We are in the state of spiritual transition. The Spirit is moving us from our present spiritual location into the deeper things of God. That transition will also require the removal of the old and the addition of the new. We should learn to be comfortable with this process as we learn more about the plans that God has for our lives. He is not out to destroy us but His plan is to develop us into a people that can more fully represent Him in this world. The Word of God makes reference to some things that God desires to remove from our lives but it also makes reference to those things that God desires to add to our lives. Both of these principles serve the same purpose; they serve to complete the process of transition and spiritual development. We will enter a new "church building" in the near future if all goes as planned. Each day of our lives should be fresh and new in our relationship with Christ as He continues His work in our life. This process of spiritual transition will include the work of the Spirit which will reveal the changes that we need to make in our walk with Christ. But the work of the Spirit will also add those elements of strength, hope, desire, passion, holiness, righteousness, etc. until we reach the intended goal that Christ has established for us. We need to embrace the transition rather than resisting the transition. God has a plan for each of us and that plan will move us closer to our destination of spiritual maturity if we will submit to the direction of God.

Personal Reflection

2011-08-10T06:41:00.001-04:00

Over the past two weeks I have met with two separate leadership groups of New River Worship Center in Radcliff, Kentucky. These meetings have been ministry strategy sessions as well as an opportunity to remind ourselves of the call that God has placed on our lives. The Holy Spirit continues to encourage me to stay connected with those things that are important to the work that God has placed on our hearts. It is easy to drift away from the heart of God although we talk about the importance of following after the heart of God in our conversations as well as our worship songs. We must maintain the courage to stay focused on the purposes of Christ and not allow the strategy of the enemy to lead us off our course of action. The enemy seeks to pressure each of us in many different manners and this pressure can cause us to lose our spiritual connection with God and this sets in motion a "spirit of religious activity." Religious activity may impress men but it does very little to impress the heart of God.

John 12 reminds us of a group of people who "...loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (verse 43). The prophet Isaiah spoke about those people who would fail to "believe the report of the Lord." Isaiah also spoke about people not believing because their eyes were blinded and their hearts had been hardened. Verse 42 of John 12 reveals that there were people (these people were referred to as leaders) who believed but because of the pressure of the Pharisees they failed to make their belief public. They were intimidated and were afraid that they would lose their place of prominence in the synagogue. Verse 43 states the reason behind their failure to publicly confess Christ. As a matter of fact John states this reason in a very straightforward declaration; this group of people "...loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." This statement is a powerful indictment of people who found themselves catering more to man than they did to the revelation of God. Each of us as believers face those moments in which we must choose to make some difficult decisions. Will my life be lived to please God or will my life be lived to please men? Will my life be lived to follow after the "heart of God" or will my life be lived to win the applause and approval of men? These individuals in John 12 lost the opportunity to follow Christ into a deeper revelation of His glory and presence because of the pressure of men. If we are to avoid this trap of the "flesh" we must remain committed to pursue the heart of God and resist the temptation to follow the whims and plans of men. I truly believe that I have made connection with a group of leaders who possess the passion and desire to please Christ. Each of you know people who possess that same passion and desire. We must learn to fan that flame of passion and to serve as an encourager for each other as we travel this road of life. Take some time today to encourage someone to continue their passionate pursuit of Christ and the work of His Kingdom in their life. Each of you will be better people because of this action on your part.

Weekend Review

2011-08-08T06:32:00.000-04:00

I am very thankful for the wonderful outpouring of the Spirit at New River Worship Center on Sunday. I heard several people make this comment as they were leaving the building; "Surely the presence of the Lord was in this place." I truly believe that we need to recognize and respond to the presence of God in our daily lives. The Word of God promises that Christ will be in the midst of just two or three individuals when they gather in His name. The past few services have been what I call "faith building" services. The challenges of the day in which we are living will require strong faith and strong commitment to Christ regardless of all of the circumstances that we are facing. David said in Psalm 57 that his heart was "fixed" (KJV) on God. The word "fixed" reveals these thoughts about the heart of David. David's heart was "standing tall, steadfast, firm, and constant." This verse is a great reminder to all of us who will face our own unique set of circumstances. We can not afford to allow our faith to be swayed or moved by all that is going on around us or by all of the circumstances that are happening to us. We must be "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." I encourage you today to constantly turn the "gaze of your soul" (A.W. Tozer) toward God and realize that He is in the midst of your difficulty. In all probability David wrote Psalm 57 in the cave of Adullam where he was hiding from the threats of Saul. But in the midst of that cave he shifts the focus of his heart and realizes that God is worthy of praise and glory. Each of us do not have to be defined by the cave in which we are dwelling; we can rise above the situations and challenges as we place our constant and firm faith in God. Take a moment and offer God praise and glory for your deliverance and for the encouragement that He will provide through the power of His Spirit.

Information

2011-08-05T07:08:00.000-04:00

I was faced with one of those computer glitches this morning in which I lost the post that I was preparing. Undoubtedly those thoughts were not meant to be published on the world wide web but I will not give up in leaving you a thought as we conclude the first week of August, 2011. The economic news of the past few days has not been very encouraging not only in America but as well around the world. The past few services at New River Worship Center in Radcliff have been "faith building" services. We have focused our attention on the greatness of God and His commitment to stand with us regardless of the circumstances of our situation. We have to choose where we will look in these uncertain times. The Psalmist David said that "our help comes from the Lord." Our help comes from the one who has made the heaven and the earth. In these uncertain times we can trust in the certainty of God and stand in the realization that God is still able to meet our "need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." I will choose to look to Christ the "author and finisher" of my faith. He is the One who started me on this journey and He is the One that will lead me to the completion of my journey. All praise, honor, and glory belong to Him!

Approval

2011-08-02T06:39:00.000-04:00

Many of us are very diligent as we seek to win the approval of others. We work very hard trying to win the approval of others through our actions and interactions with people. In many cases people can become so consumed by this action that they spend most of their lives feeling miserable about themselves as well as developing a dislike for those from which they are seeking approval. This becomes a vicious cycle in which we face disappointment, disillusionment, and personal discouragement. We are overwhelmed by the thought that we are not "good enough" to measure up to those from which we seek approval. I am not trying to say that we should not be concerned about the feelings of respect and acceptance that others have for each of us but I do believe that it can be spiritually as well as emotionally crippling if we become enslaved to this desire for approval.

We can become a slave to this action when we try to see and judge ourselves through our own eyes or through the eyes of others. Evaluating your worth as a human being on the basis of how you look (physically, spiritually, emotinally, or even financially) to yourself or to others can become a trap from which it becomes increasingly more difficult to escape. I must confess that there have been times that I have sought the approval of others more than I sought the approval of God. I was more concerned about the view of others than I was the view of God concerning my life. I became trapped by the need to "work" to please others more than the need to "serve" God through my life. I am not advocating laziness in this process but I am advocating the need to seek to please God through our actions and interactions with others. I finally reached the point in my life that I was more concerned about God's view of me than I was the view of man. I was tired of seeking to please man and I was awakened to the need to please God. I know that God has called me to be a servant among humanity but my first call is to serve God through every action of my life. Your assurance and reassurance can come from the knowledge that your life is bringing honor and glory to Christ. Jesus told us that men would have the ability to see and recognize our good works but these good works would glorify the Father. Those are the days that you can look in the mirror and be thankful for the man or woman that you are becoming. You have crossed the divide of the flesh and Spirit and you are seeking to walk after the heart and direction of God. Great freedom will resonate in your life as you seek the approval of God and in doing so God will place wonderful friendships in your life. These friendships will affirm and support you as you seek to walk pleasing to God. I want my life to participate in that cycle of life rather than the cycle of only seeking the approval of man.

Identity in Christ

2011-08-01T06:35:00.000-04:00

Isaiah 61:10, "I delight greatly in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." (NIV)

Many of us would never think about being harsh with anyone else but there are times that we are very harsh or critical concerning ourselves. I truly believe that each of us need to seek to improve the person that we are but we also need to be careful and not allow our self criticism to deflate and defeat our identity in Christ. Each and everyone of us possess weaknesses that are evident to others as well as evident to each of us. But in many cases our family and friends do not allow those weaknesses to change their view of us but we allow those weaknesses to change our view of ourselves. We must not allow our view of ourself to create an attitude that is always under-achieving or failing to commit fully to our personal development. Each of us are full of God given ability and talent that He can use to assist others on their journey through life. We must learn to see ourselves through the eyes of Christ and realize that our hope is in our identity in Christ. We identify our limitations much quicker than we identify our strengths. We identify what we don't like about ourself much quicker than we identify those characteristics that others admire about us.

What is the solution to this dilemma that works in our mind? I believe that it can be found in the principle that we read in our scripture passage. The Lord has "clothed me with garments of salvation." We need to remember that the Lord has made an investment in our life; He has provided the means of our salvation and He loves us regardless of our own self-identity. Let us develop the discipline to look at ourselves as a child of God and to know that He sees great potential in each of us. He sees more potential in us than we see in ourselves but our responsibility is to submit our lives to Him so that He might lead us into the development of that potential. That development begins when we accept our identity as a child of God.

Step of Faith for New River Worship Center

2011-07-29T06:46:00.001-04:00

Many of you are aware of my leadership participation in a church plant in Radcliff/Fort Knox, Kentucky. New River Worship Center has experienced an outpouring of the Spirit over the past several months in which we have have seen people saved, healed, encouraged, and strengthened. These blessings from God have caused us to seek out the possibilities of relocation. We have outgrown our present facility and we are needing room to see the expansion of the ministry efforts.

Yesterday was the culmination of the initial stages of relocation. The trustees of New River signed the closing documents on a piece of property in Radcliff which will allow us the opportunity to expand. We give God all of the praise and honor for this blessing and opportunity. The provision of God has made all of these faith steps possible; it has not been the work of man but it has been the work of the Holy Spirit. We have sought and we continue to seek to follow the Spirit and refuse to become trapped in walking in the strength of the flesh. Now the process of preparing the building for worship services begins. The building that we purchased has never served as a church building so we will need to rearrange some of the rooms as well as develop a large unfinished room into our worship area. But we believe that God has brought us to this point and He will continue to complete what He has initiated.

First, we ask for your continued prayers. One of the major spiritual building blocks of this outreach effort has been an emphasis on prayer. We ask that you pray for God to give direction, wisdom, and the finances that we need to complete this project. Second, we ask that you pray about making an a financial investment in this project. This is a "missions project" in America. We are a fully sanctioned 501C3 corporation. Your contributions are tax deductible. These contributions will be placed in the building fund and designated for the use on this project. You can mail these contributions to New River Worship Center, P.O. Box 426, Elizabethtown, KY, 42701. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions concerning this outreach effort.

Feel free to contact me concerning family or friends that may live in the area of Elizabethtown or the Radcliff area. Radcliff is located next to the Fort Knox military facility. We would be glad to make contact with any family or friends that you may have that are stationed at Fort Knox.

Active Faith, Part 2

2011-07-28T06:30:00.000-04:00

I would like to continue the thought that is connected to yesterday's scripture. God desires to provide the supernatural work in our lives that we need as we face the challenge and opportunities of life. Let us remember that the challenges of life do provide those moments in which God releases His awesome power to meet those needs. We must recognize that those difficulties are designed to strengthen our faith and not to defeat our faith. We must recognize that those difficulties are to help us walk in active faith and their purpose is not to defeat our faith. The above statements are not meant to belittle the struggles that we face or even diminish the weight of those individual struggles. The above statements are meant to remind us that the struggles we face do not have to hinder or defeat our faith but through the presence of Christ we can release our faith and see God to do His work in our hearts.

The Word of God reminds us that He does want us to trust Him with all of our heart and mind. This means that we will need to trust Him in good times as well as in the bad times we encounter. I truly believe that the Holy Spirit will counteract doubt, fear, and lack of trust with trusting thoughts that will move us through the difficult moments of life. The Spirit will bring the Word to our remembrance and the Word will be the foundation on which we stand as we face the tide of trials and battles. I am learning to cooperate with God rather than resisting God as He is working to strengthen my faith. I must not rely on my own understanding and trust in the ability of human knowledge. I must resist the tendency to exert control over my life but I must willingly surrender my will to God and allow Him to direct my steps. That "spirit of surrender" can be challenging especially when I think that I possess the proper solution to the problem. The presence of the attitude of surrender allows me to wait in confidence as I sense the presence of God at work in my daily life. Psalm 37:5, "Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." (NJKV)

We can truly find rest in peace in the promises of God!

Active Faith

2011-07-27T06:25:00.000-04:00

Proverbs 3:5-6, "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths." (Amplified Bible)

Many of us have read this passage throughout the years of our Christian journey but this morning I noticed that the words of this passage required action on my part. I received an email regarding the Word of God that I shared this weekend at the church plant in Radcliff, Kentucky. During the sermon I made reference to the words "look" and "wait" that the prophet Micah shared in chapter 7. The person who emailed me said that the Lord had reminded her that these two words were "action words" that required the release of her faith. I have made reference to these two separate events because I believe that there is a spiritual lesson that God desires to deposit in my heart. Our walk with Christ will require an active participation with our Heavenly Father. Our walk with Christ will require an active release of our faith as we navigate our personal path of life that God has laid out for us. Our walk with Christ will require a recognition that God is the ultimate source of all the resources that we need to successfully complete our journey and arrive at our desired destination.

I believe that God will reward our desire to trust Him wholeheartedly and that desire is a worthy goal that all of us need to place in our hearts. This action on our part is pleasing to God because this is the call that He issues to us. He calls us to lean on Him; He calls us to trust in Him; He calls us to place our confidence in Him; and he calls us to rely upon Him to meet the needs that we face. It is no wonder that the song declares "Oh, what a Savior." It is time for the family of God to take a fresh look of wonder and awe at our Heavenly Father and realize that He is calling us to place our trust in Him and be prepared to release our faith. The challenges of life provide what one writer calls "training opportunities" for our faith to grow strong and opportunities for our faith to be released. The moments in which we activate our faith allows God to perform His supernatural work in our heart. All of us have experienced those moments and the memory of those moments propels us forward even when life is overwhelming. We must not let our faith grow weary or tired during these moments but we are to feed our faith through the strength of the Word and the encouragement of the family of God. I firmly believe that God will provide the strength we need to face the issues of life as we continue to lean on and trust in Him.

Personal Blessing

2011-07-25T06:55:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a wonderful day at New River Worship Center in Radcliff, Kentucky. We celebrated the Water Baptism of six individuals who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ. It is always such a blessing to see people declare their faith in Christ through this public demonstration/testimony of their faith. I have been privileged to have baptized many individuals throughout my years of ministerial service but those types of services still hold a special place in my heart. It is a great encouragement to see people step forward and declare their faith in Christ in the midst of such evil, wickedness, and spiritual darkness. The lives of people are trapped by sin and in some cases a complete disregard for the things of God. It is always refreshing and encouraging to see individuals who will take such a bold step to declare their faith in Christ.

Yesterday was also unique in another manner. I was given the awesome privilege to baptize three of our four grandchildren. I have enjoyed going on vacation with them; I have enjoyed watching them celebrate Christmas; I have enjoyed watching them compete in sports activities; but nothing compares to watching them surrender their life to Christ and participate in the act of baptism. I was given the awesome privilege to have baptized our two sons as well as one of our daughter-in-laws and now the opportunity to celebrate the baptism of our grandchildren. This generation of children and youth need to see our faith on display. They need to see Christ at work in each of us. I know that we can not force them or coerce them into serving Christ but we can certainly be faithful in our witness and testimony of the life transforming power of Jesus Christ. The old song says, "Everybody ought to know who Jesus is..." I truly desire for my family to know who Jesus is and what He can do in their lives. I truly desire for your family to know who Jesus is and what He can do in their lives. Families are one of the reasons that I have a strong desire to stay committed and focused on the message of the Gospel. The message of the Gospel offers hope and salvation to each and every human being that has been born into this world. Never give up praying for your family or friends. Never give up praying for this nation in which we live. God still hears the prayers that are uttered from the depths of our hearts!

Real World, Part 4

2011-07-21T06:24:00.000-04:00

This week has been one in which God has reminded me of the need to look to Him regardless of the circumstances of the day. This means that I look to God on those days that are full of hope and wonderful dreams and I also look to God on those days that may be full of pain, disillusionment, and even pain. In Psalm 121 David answers a question that he poses to Himself. Each one of us will face those moments in which we will have that same question and answer session with ourselves. Let us take a moment and remind ourselves of that internal discussion that was happening in David's heart and life. Psalm 121:1-2, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills--From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." (NKJV)

There are times and there will be times in which we will look at our present circumstances as well as our possible future circumstances and wonder what danger may be lurking for us to encounter. Those are the moments that we must remember that the Lord is our helper. He is the only one who is able to protect us and fully walk with us through those moments of challenge. Friends, family, and even the family of God can offer limited assistance but God knows the details of every circumstance that we are facing and He is able to bring the assistance that we need. We must also remember that God has the power to rescue us even when we face those moments of spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial fatigue. Our hope lies in the fact of knowing where to look and making the conscious decision that we will look to the Lord as the supplier of our needs. I want to make that decision a part of my daily life and let that pattern become ingrained in my spiritual DNA. I refuse to be trapped by the "spirit of confusion" but I desire to walk in a confident understanding that the I will look to God on a daily basis and ask Him to direct my steps.

Real World, Part 3

2011-07-20T06:18:00.002-04:00

I have written about a few of the blessings of God that I have noticed and received over the past week. I want each of you to focus on the word "few." It is not humanly possible for me or anyone else to fully identify all of the rich blessings that God sends to us. Nevertheless we are to do our best in offering praise and honor to God for all of the daily provisions that God places in our lives.

This past week allowed me to see the blessing of encouragement released in my walk with God. Encouragement can be offered to us when we are facing negative situations but it is also needed when we doing our best to please God in positive acts of service to Him. I have noticed that each of these opportunities for encouragement can truly make a difference in my life. It is always good to know that someone is offering support and encouragement when we are walking through trials, anguish, sorrow, and difficulty. But is also reassuring when someone offers encouraging words as you are seeking to "live out" the will of God for your life. Support and encouragement are very important in the life of the spiritual leaders that God places in our lives. The enemy is always seeking opportunities to sow doubt, fear, anxiety, and thoughts of possible failure into the hearts of men and women who offer their heartfelt service to God. Each of you have faced those moments in which words of encouragement kept you focused on doing the right thing in response to the unction and direction that has come from God to your life. Listen to what the Bible says in Proverbs 25:11, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." (NKJV) Each of us need to remember that the words that we speak have the ability to release encouragement and blessing on the lives of those people with which we connect. Take the time to look for those moments in which you can offer words of praise and encouragement to those people that are around you. "Fitly spoken" words can offer kindness and encouragement to those who are doing their best to serve and please God.

Real World, Part 2

2011-07-19T09:14:00.000-04:00

The blessings of God are evident everyday in our lives. There are some days that these blessings may be more spectacular or special than other days nevertheless daily blessings are present. I am confident that I am privileged to walk in those blessings and I want to offer my praise to God who is watching over me on a daily basis.

The Lord reminded me of a understanding that He has given to me over the past years of my life and I want to take this opportunity to share it with you. Some of you may have heard me make reference to this in various sermons that I have shared around the country during my journey as a Minister of the Gospel but I feel that it needs to be said again today. For many years I struggled with the knowledge that my life was being shaped by the opinions, desires, plans, and decisions of other well meaning people that God had placed in my life. There were times that I was shaped and molded by their desires more than I was shaped and molded by the desires that God had placed in my life. I was concerned with the opinions of people more than I was concerned with developing the person that God had created. I do not want this to mean that I am not concerned about others and that I am determined to live my own life with no regard for others. I don't believe that any true servant/believer should allow that attitude to capture their thought process. But I am convinced that many of us have struggled to reach our full potential in our development because we have focused on the desires of others for our lives and not focused on the plan that God has set in motion for each of us.

I have reached the place that I like myself and that I am determined to allow the Holy Spirit to develop me into the best person that I can be. I enjoy being Michael Willingham and I enjoy living the life that God has given to me. I don't want my life to be defined by a spirit of competition with others; I don't want my life to be defined by a spirit of jealousy and covetousness of others; neither do I want my life to be defined by a spirit of comparison to others. I want to live my life to the fullest and to faithfully pursue the goals and dreams that God has placed in my heart. I will certainly not ignore others and choose to walk the lonely road of arrogance and pride but I will choose to walk the path that God placed me on when He brought me into this world. Take a moment today, look in the mirror at God's creation and recognize the gift of life that He has placed in YOU. Don't waste the precious gift called life. Don't waste the precious opportunity of personal development that awaits anyone who will apply themselves to that opportunity. Don't waste your time envying others but enjoy your identity and your blessings that have come from God.

Back to the "Real" World

2011-07-18T12:46:00.000-04:00

It has been one week since I made the last post on this blog. Many wonderful blessings of God have transpired over the past seven days and I am truly grateful for each and everyone of them. First of all, I am grateful that God has provided me the strength and desire to enjoy living my life. Many people have physical strength but they lack the spiritual and emotional strength to enjoy the life that God has given to them. I will admit that there are certain individuals who are facing an unusual share of difficulties at this present time and those difficulties do have the ability to drain the joy of life out of people. But on the other hand there are individuals who face insurmountable odds with a strength that comes from God which allows them to look at life and choose to make the best out of their situation. Schedule constraints today will not allow me to finish all of my thoughts but I encourage you to take the time to recognize the blessings that come from God. Hopefully I will be able to write more about this as this week progresses.

Relaxing

2011-07-11T11:11:00.000-04:00

I am taking a few days to relax and rest. I will do my best to stay away from the computer but it is a real challenge. Jesus reminded us of the need to get away from all of the hustle and bustle of our daily schedule and allow that time to be a time of reflection and introspection. I will admit that it is difficult for me accept that admonition and challenge. I am more comfortable being busy and at least thinking that I am accomplishing something of a positive nature. But I am accomplishing something positive if I am "recharging my battery" through some rest and relaxation. Spending time with family and friends can assist us in reaching this goal. I am thankful that God has allowed me the privilege to serve Him and I desire to offer my best service to Him. I am already looking forward to resuming my daily schedule in a few days but until that time arrives I will do my best to rest and relax.

Have a great week in your service for Christ!

Confidence in God

2011-07-07T06:19:00.000-04:00

Psalm 121:1-2, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills--From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." (NKJV)

The Psalmist David makes a powerful declaration/confession in this passage of scripture. David describes the safety that he finds in the Lord. I was involved in a Discipleship class last night that found us exploring the promises of God. The promises of God form the foundation of our individual as well as corporate confidence in God. David had developed a "history" with God and that history allowed him to overlook all other sources of help and focus on the help that could only come from God.

We discovered last night that each of us individuals face a daily barrage from the enemy of our soul. Those barrages focus on the dismantling and destruction of our faith in God. These barrages come dressed in many shapes and forms but their ultimate goal is to defeat and overthrow our faith. Declaring our faith and confidence in God is one of the ways that we respond to these attacks from our enemy. Here are a few of the strategies of the enemy that was expressed by the class participants last night: 1) "He makes us doubt our identity as a child of God; 2) He seeks to distract us from the larger picture and focus on certain scenarios that we rehearse over and over in our mind; 3) He seeks to make us doubt our ability to believe and trust in God; 4) He seeks to make us forget those moments of God's faithfulness; and 5) He seeks to trap us in a state of self pity concerning our circumstances." This is just a sampling of some of the life events that we face as we seek to continue our faithful walk with God. Each of us may have felt these negative emotions as well as other emotions as we have faced our moments of difficulty. But we can rest assured that for every strategy of the enemy our Heavenly Father has a counter strategy that has the ability to rebuke and defeat the enemy if we are willing to look to the Lord as our Help. We can trust in the faithfulness of God and we can take confidence in the fact that God is always aware of the circumstances that we are facing.

Character of God

2011-07-05T11:26:00.000-04:00

For the past few weeks I have been sharing about our opportunity to place our confidence and hope in the powerful God of all creation. We can have this confidence because of the wonderful promises that God has made to us. These powerful promises can be found within the pages of the Word of God. The Word of God reveals the true character of God. The character of God allows us to understand how He will react to those situations that will take place in our daily lives. One of the character traits of God is His unfailing love for humanity. Let us remember the powerful and wonderful declaration found in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (NKJV)

A few years ago I read a short sonnet that Sherry Whaley (Pastor's wife from Kentucky) has written concerning the love of God. She had fashioned this thought about the love of God from one of Shakespeare's sonnets.

"God's love is not love that changes when change comes around.

O No! It is an ever-fixed mark that looks on storms and is never shaken!

It is the star to every wandering traveler. It's worth is unknown.

His love is not times fool, though men may lose their rosy lips and cheeks, as time goes by as a sickle.

God's loves does not alter with the hours and weeks...it bears out even to the edge of doom!"

The character of God was fully demonstrated when the life of Christ was offered on the cross in the behalf of fallen and depraved humanity. Remember that you can trust in the promises of God as you face the winds of adversity on your journey through life. The Lord has promised to stand with you and strengthen you as you put your trust in Him. You can find rest and peace as you look to God as your source of help and deliverance.

Independence Day

2011-07-04T10:07:00.000-04:00

The fourth of July is designated as a time of celebration that reflects on and remembers the "birthday" of our nation. Many activities will take place today that will not have any real connection with the original purpose of the celebration. Many Americans may spend time today boating on the lake. Other Americans will find themselves at cookouts with family and friends while others may choose to enjoy a day of simple relaxation. Let us not forget those groups of our fellow Americans today who will be at work on July 4th. Let us remember the policeman, the fireman, medical personnel, emergency personnel, etc. who will spend their time at work so that we can enjoy our day away from work. The day will culminate with an array of fireworks celebrations which will range from the child in the backyard to the large demonstration at ballparks or even city parks. None of these celebrations are wrong by any means; after all part of the freedom of America is to be able to assemble freely with our family and friends and participate in any legal activity that we might choose.

During the night I was awakened to this reminder. We must remember to fully appreciate our freedom and all of the blessings that freedom has provided for us. It is so easy to become caught up in all of the "partying" that we fail to fully recognize and remember those brave men and women who have served to preserve and protect the freedom we enjoy. Some of these brave soldiers paid the ultimate price with their life while others have come home maimed and injured by the tragedies and atrocities of war. Some of them will not be able to enjoy the picnic or a boat ride on the lake today. Many of these brave soldiers may flinch or duck down when they hear the sounds of fireworks as they relive the "live fire" that they faced at one time. We must never, never, ever, forget these individuals who have put their lives in harms way that we may enjoy our trips to the ballpark, our trips to family reunions, our trips to the lake, and even more importantly our trips to church to worship God.

Let us remember that there was and still is a steep price being paid for these freedoms that we enjoy. Freedom was not cheap and freedom is not cheap today. The next time you see an American flag waving in the wind or you hear the National Anthem sung remember those men and women who have made all of our attempts at enjoyment and happiness become a reality. They deserve our respect and appreciation. Have a wonderful 4th of July!

Counting our Blessings!

2011-07-01T06:35:00.001-04:00

Last night an old song kept going through my mind. I can remember singing this hymn as a young child as well as through the earlier years of our ministry service. The song included these words: "Count your blessings and see what God has done, count your many blessings and name them one by one." As I grew older I realized that the challenge of this song would be impossible to complete. No one of us can adequately remember much less count all of the blessings that God has provided throughout our lives. This post is not being written to make any of us feel guilty or to make us feel that we are unthankful. But it is being written to remind us of the opportunity to express to God our true thankfulness for His presence in our lives.

I believe it is time for the children of God to express our appreciation to God for all that He has done in our lives. We live in a world of bad moods, bad attitudes, negative views of life as well as of God, and a society that has developed an attitude of entitlement for possessions and what society has defined as success. The Bible is full of scripture passages that encourage us to offer praise and adoration to God. The Apostle Paul warned us that a spirit of unthankfulness would grip the hearts of believers during the time prior to the coming of Jesus Christ. Many of us can see the evidence of this warning in our daily lives. The words "thank you" have almost disappeared from the language of many individuals. But I believe that many of us have a strong desire to recognize the favor of God that has been upon us. We understand that each of us face our own set of challenges but look around and realize that there are many people who are facing circumstances that are far more difficult than the ones that we are facing. Remember, I do not desire for you to feel guilty. I simply want to stir and awaken the attitude of praise and thankfulness that is in your heart. Let us look around us and realize that we are blessed. Let us look up and offer thanksgiving (not the holiday version) to the Mighty God who has been with us every moment of our lives.

Psalm 150:1-2,6: "Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for is mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! (NKJV)

Listening to God

2011-06-29T06:24:00.001-04:00

Psalm 27:7-8, "Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, "Seek my face," My heart said to You, "Your face, Lord, I will seek." (NKJV)

It is very easy to expect God to listen to us when we cry out in prayer to Him. As a matter of fact we have the potential to feel disappointed if we believe that God is not listening to our prayers. I am of the belief that God always listen to our prayers but there are times that His answers are different than the ones that we desire. It is during those times that we must accept the sovereignty of God and understand that God is in charge of all of the decisions regarding life. I have written earlier this week concerning the confidence that we can place in God as we present ourselves in worship and intercession to Him. I am thankful for all of those times that God has responded to the cries of my heart and ministered to me in my time of need.

But there is another principle found in this passage of scripture that is often overlooked or even ignored. It is the call from God to mankind. God calls us to "seek His face." The way we respond to that call from God can be the difference between success and failure. As I stated yesterday there are many ways that our culture defines success. But how God defines success is an important spiritual principle that we can no longer afford to ignore. We must learn to view success from the perspective of God. We must rededicate ourselves to pleasing God. We understand the principle of pleasing ourselves. Many of the decisions that we make in life revolve around our desire to please ourselves. We desire for life to satisfy our wishes and wants but the plan of God includes the need for our lives to please God. Pleasing God (the Heavenly Father) was one of the characteristics that we can identify in the life of Christ. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed for the will of God to be accomplished in His life.

What are we doing with the voice of God when He speaks to us? How do we respond to His call to "seek His face?" How often do we ignore the call to prayer because it is inconvenient at that moment or we are too embarrassed to make the appropriate response? How does God feel when we desire for Him to hear our voice but we develop selective hearing when we hear His voice? Communicating with God must once again become a high priority among believers. I believe that it is pleasing to God when we have a strong desire to communicate with God and respond in obedience to His call to each of us individually. Let us add hearing the voice to God to our measurements of success!

Successful Living

2011-06-28T06:25:00.001-04:00

Psalm 63:1, "O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water." (NKJV)

Many books are being written and have been written that assist each of us in setting our goals for success. We are a success driven generation of people that allow our success to be determined and measured by different standards. We define success with various status symbols that often change such as larger houses, more expensive vehicles, and advancement in our field of employment. None of these accomplishments in and of themselves are sinful but we can become so enamored by these attractions that we fail to take hold of important spiritual principles that will make an eternal difference in our lives.

Is it possible that we fail to remember the most important book that was ever written when we begin to set the goals of our lives? The Bible, the written record of the Word of God, was revealed that we might receive understanding and knowledge that would direct the path of our life. This Psalm is one of the passages that allow us to set a pattern of behavior that will return dividends across the full spectrum of life. The word "early" caught my attention this morning. We may think of "early" in terms of the time frame of our day. We seek God early in the morning rather than later in the day. I am not here to say that understanding would be wrong but let we challenge your thinking for a moment. What if we looked at this passage in Psalms through these lenses of understanding? What if "early" in my walk with Christ I set the pattern of seeking after Him with passion and fervency? What if we allowed the Spirit to develop our thirst and hunger for God from the very beginning of our walk with Christ? You may remember when you felt that way regarding your relationship with Christ but the daily routine of life has a way of cutting into the time that was dedicated to God. How do we overcome that reality of life? We overcome that reality through the development of the pattern of spiritual hunger and thirst. I have eaten many meals in my life on this earth but I still have trouble refusing a good meal when it is offered. What if we allowed that same pattern to be revealed in our walk with Christ? Do not refuse those opportunities to "come and dine" with Christ and in this process allow your soul to grow and mature. Christ is still the answer for your life!

Weekend Reflection

2011-06-27T06:36:00.002-04:00

It is always an encouragement to reflect on the blessings of God that He provides us on a daily basis. Some of these blessings come in the form of opportunities to offer our service to other people who are facing a time of need in their life. This past weekend I was able to witness four separate situations in which individuals from the church plant in Radcliff, Kentucky offered their service to people who were in need of assistance. One man offered his abilities to a local church in our community that needed some major repair to the front porch of their church building. Three young men offered their physical strength and stamina to a couple that needed assistance in moving their household items into a different residence. Another man from the local body offered monetary assistance in the purchase of gasoline for a family that has been facing economic challenges. This family used a portion of that fuel to drive to the building of New River Worship Center (the church plant of which I have made reference) and receive two large boxes of food that the Youth Group was able to share with them. The youth group had begun a food bank to assist those in our community which are in need through the leadership of the Youth Pastor.

You may ask, "Why are you writing about these events?" I believe that it is time that the family of God put our words into action. We have been known by our doctrine, we have been known by our organizational structure, we have been known by our style of worship, we have been known by the size of our congregations, and we have been known by the design of our buildings. But don't you think that it is time that we are known by our actions and not just all of the other things that are associated with "church?" The family of God or the Body of Christ is more than just "what we are" it is "who we are." We are the hands of God extended to a lost and hurting world. We are the hands of God extended to people who are in need. We are the hands of God extended to people who are facing some very unusual circumstances in their lives and we see opportunities to assist them during those times. We are the hands of God that offers assistance through prayer, encouragement, and support as they walk their lonely and desolate road of life. Are you looking for the blessings of God? Find a place to offer your service and you will find a place to receive blessings. Are you looking for the blessings of God? Stop being selfish and self-centered and become aware of the needs of others. Are you looking for the blessings of God? Find someone who needs a friend and offer your friendship to them. I was truly blessed as I witnessed each of these individuals offer their service this past weekend. My heart was refreshed and encouraged as I witnessed a portion of the family of God put true Christianity into action.

A Successful Life

2011-06-24T07:01:00.000-04:00

I recently read this statement from Sarah Young: "A successful day is one in which you have stayed in touch with Christ, even if many things remain undone at the end of the day." This seems to run contrary to the modern day believer who is always walking around with his/her "To Do List" either in their pocket or on their IPhone or Blackberry. If we are not careful we find very little time to spend with Christ which is opposite of what the Word of God teaches us. We need to recognize the importance of building a relationship with Jesus Christ. We need to recognize the importance of the development of that relationship. I don't believe that Christ is looking for spiritual "one night stands" in which is there is no commitment to a life long relationship. I do not mean to imply that Christ will not forgive our failures and offer repentance to us but I do feel that the Word of God teaches that Christ looks at our life as a journey and not just a brief walk through the park. Christ has promised to be with us even to the end of the world. I truly believe that the Spirit is awakening us to the need of the on-going development of our love relationship with Jesus Christ.

Let us take a moment and reflect on the Words of Christ found in Matthew 22:37-38, "Jesus replied, Love the Lord thy God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." (NIV). Can this truly happen without us making a deep commitment to the development of our relationship with Christ? Can this truly happen without us making time in our daily schedule for Christ? Some of us will have to rearrange our daily schedule so that He will be included. Do you find yourself trying to "squeeze" Christ into a few of your left over minutes or does He maintain the status of your top priority? Many of us are familiar with Facebook; one of the focuses of this social network is the opportunity to update your status. This status update allows you to inform your friends of your location as well as what is taking place at that location. You can also use the status update to inform your friends concerning thoughts or ideas that may be in your heart. What if we used the status update to let our friends know that we are in a relationship of commitment with Jesus Christ and the development of that relationship has top priority in our lives? I don't believe that the relationship with Jesus Christ is at odds with the other important relationships with family or friends. On the contrary, my strong relationship with Jesus Christ will be the foundation on which to build stronger relationships with my family or friends.

Let us hear the call from Christ to love Him with all of our heart, mind and soul. Our lives will take on a better quality and the quality of our human relationship with improve in many ways.

Power of Faith

2011-06-23T06:34:00.001-04:00

Last night's Discipleship class at New River Worship Center was a great blessing to me as well as a reminder that faith opens the door for God to work in our lives. Many of us allow the enemy to overthrow our faith and weaken our faith in such a manner that we are no longer effectively placing our trust in God. The enemy seeks to bring doubt and fear into our lives in such a manner that we no longer feel capable of trusting God through all of the situations that we are facing. One of the participants in the class last night reminded us that even Jesus asked those who doubted to excuse themselves from the room where a miracle was about to take place. There may be times in which we need to separate ourselves from those who doubt and surround ourselves with those that still believe "that with God all things are possible." I am not trying to deny the reality of life; no, I am simply seeking to proclaim that my (our) faith is in the Lord God Almighty who reigns over all of this earth. Jesus declared that "all power had been given to Him in heaven and in earth." We can believe that Christ reigns over our lives and the circumstances that we are facing.

The Lord reminded me that I do not have to be afraid or embarrassed as I call the church to prayer for the needs of people. I looked around the room last night and I realized that I was standing among people who has personally witnessed the miracle power of Christ in their lives as well as the lives of people with which they are acquainted. Theses individuals had witnessed the work of Christ in an up close and personal manner. Some of them even shared personal stories/testimonies of divine encounters in which God revealed Himself as the Master of the situation that they were facing at certain moments of life. You may be thinking, "What is this supposed to be saying to me?" This post says this to you, "God is in charge of your life and you can still approach Him in confidence with the needs that you are facing in your life." I was encouraged to keep leading the church in prayer. I was encouraged to keep asking for prayer requests. I was encouraged to continue extending altar invitations to believers to bring their needs to the Lord for prayer. I was encouraged to continue challenging the church to TRUST GOD WITH THE SITUATIONS THAT THEY ARE FACING. Don't give up, keep on praying.

Luke 18:1, "Then He spoke to a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart." (NKJV)

Divine Intervention

2011-06-22T06:31:00.001-04:00

The Spirit began to deal with my heart during our prayer time last night. I was thanking God for His many blessings of provision, protection, grace, mercy, etc. when the Spirit began to remind me of the passage in Ephesians 6;12, "For we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but (emphasis added) against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (NKJV).

The Spirit reminded me of two of the principles revealed in this passage of scripture. 1) We can identify what may appear to be visible enemies (flesh and blood) but there are times that we fail to recognize that our true battle is with the unseen or invisible enemies that plot our destruction. We must be careful and not allow ourselves to only identify those things that are visible; God has the power and authority over all of the enemies that arise against us. 2) The Spirit reminded me that God fights against those unseen (at least to the naked eye) enemies that strategically place themselves in opposition to our spiritual progress. God is at work in our favor even when we do not realize what is taking place. I sincerely believe that God reminded me that He defeats enemies and I may not even understand that there is a battle taking place. I am referring to those struggles that happens in the heavenly places that may not ever reach the surface of this earth. I truly believe that God is a God of protection who has our best interest in His thoughts as He prepares to lead us down the road of life. I immediately began to praise God for the victories that He has won in those "unseen" battles of which I could be unaware. Do not misunderstand me; God is at work at all times and in all situations but we just need to make sure that we give God the proper praise and honor for the victories that we receive through His power and authority.

Influential People

2011-06-20T06:14:00.000-04:00

Special days such as Father's Day allow us to the opportunity to move our attention away from the daily issues of life and reflect on those individuals, both men and women, who have been people of influence in our lives. Many of these individuals live in the recess of our memories while others are still making a difference at this present moment. Many of these individuals still make a daily difference in our lives as we reflect on the ability of their knowledge and wisdom to teach us valuable life lessons. Many of these individuals are a part of our immediate family while others are a part of our extended family that we have connected with during our journey through life. The category in which we place these individuals is not as important as the type of influence that they have brought to us. Their influence has assisted us in our development both natural as well as spiritual. Each of us have been blessed through the love, concern, care, wisdom, knowledge, and guidance that these individuals have brought into our lives. Much of this influence may have come through the efforts of our earthly father while others of us have been influenced through the efforts of spiritual fathers that God has placed in our lives at various times. Different seasons of our lives require different types of influence. Different seasons of our lives require different individuals with various gifts and abilities that will provide the direction and encouragement that we need at that specific moment. We need to learn to recognize and appreciate these individuals on a daily basis and not just wait on some "holiday" to spark our memories. Hopefully these special days allow us to recognize the blessings of God that have come our way through the efforts of these wonderful people. Take a moment and thank God for those influential people that God has placed in your path of life.

Father's Day

2011-06-17T08:32:00.001-04:00

I would like to take this time to recognize all of the wonderful fathers who have done an awesome job fulfilling their responsibilities. I am blessed because my father is alive and still plays a very important role in my life. My wife's dad passed away in 1995 but his memory is still very much alive in our conversations and in our thoughts. Each of these men made a great impact on their family through the life that they lived and the love that they possessed for their family. Their positive influence in still very evident today in the lives of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Each of us need to take the time and make the effort to express our love and thanks for those men who have played a major role in our development through the years of our lives. Each of these men deserve honor, admiration, respect, and remembrance this weekend.

In my opinion society has given fathers a "bad rap" for their inability to communicate their love through the process of verbal communication. Let's be honest, not all people are good communicators when it comes to their emotional feelings for their family and friends. This does not mean that they do not love or appreciate those special people in their lives it just means that they find it difficult to put those feelings into appropriate words. This lack of ability does not make them "bad" people it simply identifies the fact that they feel unable to fully express their feelings for their spouse or their children. Many of these men resort to non-verbal forms of communication. It is easier for them to demonstrate their love than it is to reveal their love through the words that they speak. Both of these methods are highly effective and in a perfect world it would be nice if both of these methods were practiced by all of us as individuals. I have known men as well as women who could "talk the talk" but they failed when it came time to "walk the walk." Another phrase comes to my mind at this time; "Words are cheap." Before anyone gets too upset with this post understand this point; I am NOT against men learning to articulate their love through the softness and kindness of their words. But I do advocate the following: Our society desperately men who not only need to know how to communicate with words they need to be committed to demonstrating their love for their spouse and children. Our society needs more than good communicators we need providers. Our society needs more than good communicators we need good examples of honesty and integrity. Our society needs more than good communicators we need men of fidelity and honor when it comes to their marriage commitment to their spouse and children. Our society needs REAL MEN who will face their duties and responsibilities with courage, passion, and determination to become the best person that they can possibly become. I truly believe that God has men who are prepared and ready to answer this challenge. Let us pray for the men of this nation and let them know that they are loved and appreciated.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Servants

2011-06-16T06:30:00.000-04:00

I sincerely believe that God is calling us to take a serious look at our attitudes toward serving one another in this great cause of Jesus Christ. The act of serving God and serving each other must be more than some point of doctrinal reference but it must be practically applied to our daily lives. We must participate with God in the acts of true servanthood which will bring glory and honor to the One who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. It is so easy to drift into the need of "being served" rather than the development of the attitude of serving others. Many opportunities to serve (both inside the walls of the church as well as outside) goes uncompleted because we fail to seize the moment and offer ourselves to God as servants.

Luke 22:24 offers some insight to the controversy concerning "greatness" and the attitude that the Apostles were taking toward greatness. They were concerned with their own greatness and who might receive the recognition of being the greatest among this particular group of followers of Jesus Christ. It reminds us that the attitude and actions of competition can rear its ugly head among the followers of Jesus Christ. How do we keep that attitude from gaining a foothold in our lives? How do we keep our lives from gaining such a dangerous level of a selfish egotistical attitude that focuses more on "me" than it does on serving others? I believe there are two simple answers to the questions that I previously addressed. First, we have to look to our example, Jesus Christ. How did Jesus live His life? What were the priorities of the life of Jesus? How did the life of Jesus exemplify the heart of service to humanity? Those questions lead me to the second answer to the questions that I am proposing. We must look to the Word of God and see the stories about the life of Christ and we must also allow that same Word of God reveal the principles of servanthood to us. I believe that the answers can be found in identifying with Christ and allowing His principles to be practiced in our daily living. Our actions set in motion a lifestyle that will promote Christ to a world that is full of selfish ambition, selfish plans, and selfish actions. The lesson in Luke reminds us that we are not to live under the attitude and influence of the system of this culture but God has called us to a higher Kingdom of living. I truly desire to live according to the principles of the Kingdom of God. Take a moment and ask God to help develop you into a person that has a heart for genuine service to others.

Favor of God

2011-06-14T07:49:00.001-04:00

This post is being written as I am waiting for physical therapy on my arm. The Spirit reminded me of an important principle that needs to lived out in our daily lives. The principle can be stated in these simple terms; "We can not accomplish the "true" work of God in the power of the flesh." We must remind ourselves that the people of God need to walk in the favor of God. The favor of God releases the Spirit of God to do His complete work in our lives. How often have we tried to do the work of God in the power of the flesh and not in the power of the Spirit? The power of the flesh can only take us so far and accomplish only so much. But the power of the Spirit can lead us into the fullness of God's purpose and provide the anointing we need to see God's work and will completed in our lives. Which will we choose to follow? Will we choose to follow the flesh and all of its limitations or will we choose to follow the Spirit into the sphere of unlimited possibilities? I encourage you to follow the Spirit and see Him work in your heart.

Greatness of God

2011-06-13T06:32:00.001-04:00

I was given the privilege to participate in a wonderful service on Sunday. It seemed that the service revolved around the "greatness of God" although I don't know if that was the leaders plan at the outset of the service. But the Word of God does remind us that the ways and thoughts of God are higher than the words and thoughts of man. The Word of God also reminds us that God knows what we need before we even have the opportunity to ask Him concerning those needs that we are facing. I was given the great privilege to share the Word of God and one of the themes that kept resonating in my heart concerned the ability of God to know each one of us as individual members of His family. We are not unknown to God and God does not have us confused with anyone else on this earth (Hasn't that problem happened to all of us?). The prophet Nahum declares "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knows them that trust in him." (KJV, Nahum 1:7). Jesus told us in John 10:14, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep..." We can rejoice in the wonderful promises that the Word of God speaks over our individual lives.

These and many other words of encouragement ushered us into the presence of God. It is during those times in His presence that we are given the opportunity to reflect on the true greatness of God. I believe that moment happened in the service yesterday; we were given the opportunity to look away from our "smallness" and recognize God's greatness. Each of must learn to focus on the revelation of God's greatness as we walk through those "storms" in our lives. Many of us yesterday were asked to release our praise to God in the midst of our difficulties. The only way that we can do this is through the declaration of our faith. Our faith is based on the promises and authority of God. Is it possible that these moments of faith are what the writer in Hebrews referred to as the "sacrifice of praise?" I believe that there are moments in our lives in which our faith must be willing to offer God praise even in the midst of our storms. We must be willing to declare the greatness of God even as the enemy is hurling defeat and discouragement against us. I am not asking us to deny the reality of the troubling events of life but I am asking us to rejoice in the greatness of God. It is during those moments that we offer God our sincere praise, adoration, and thanksgiving. Remember that His greatness is truly greater than our weakness.