Humility

I was going to share another thought this morning but two separate devotional readings reminded me of the need to live in a spirit of humility if I am going to progress in the Kingdom of God. Matthew 18:4, "Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (NKJV). It is easy to presume that we are humble yet our lives can become full of pride, arrogance, independence and self-sufficiency. I must constantly resist that temptation and ask God to help me maintain an attitude of child-like humility. We must remember that there is a great difference between childlessness and child-like humility. I remember that difference as we raised our two sons and watched them reach deeper levels of maturity. But I also enjoyed those times that their child-like humility sought to bring joy and pleasure to our lives. I remember them bouncing into the room with a broad smile on their face because they had accomplished a task that they felt would bring smiles to our faces. How long has it been since we brought a "smile" to God's face because of some random act of kindness? How long has it been since we brought a "smile" to God's face because we "bounced" into church with joy, praise, adoration, and thanksgiving flowing from our hearts? No one had to force us to praise as a matter of fact we were disappointed when the music and songs came to an end. I feel that God desires to remind us of the need to examine our state of humility and realize that God takes pleasure over us and He is blessed by our recognition of the fact that our strength and hope comes from Him. Take opportunity today to bring a smile to God's face. The first night of the District Meeting in Greenville went very well. The second invitation of the Spirit proved to be one in which the ministering power of the Holy Spirit was released in a special way. Many of us are facing strong winds of adversity at this present time but in the midst of them all God is at work in your life. Be encouraged in Christ today!

Preparing My Heart

It is a beautiful day in Greenville, SC. I can see the bright sun shining and I can hear the birds chirping outside my window. As Mr. Roberts of Sesame Street would say, "it is a beautiful day in the neighborhood." I truly desire for my life to fully reflect the glory and beauty of God. God has provided so many blessings in my life and in the lives of my family. I am truly thankful for all that God has provided. Take a moment today and thank God for His awesome kindness that has been extended to you and to your family. The Lord was dealing with my heart this morning during prayer time. During prayer time I began praying concerning the revival service tonight. I truly sense that God is placing a challenging Word in my soul. But as I began to pray and concentrate on what God was speaking; He reminded me of this principle. He was more concerned about what He wanted and needed to do in me than what He wanted to do through me. This became a very sobering thought to me; it is easier to become more excited about what God will do through us than what He will do in us. Others see and take notice of what God does through us but in reality the greatest need that we all have is the inner working of the Spirit in our hearts and in our lives. Also remember that what takes place in you will be released out of you so that you can be used of God to bless and encourage others. Do not be discouraged when you sense God at work in your heart; it is the most fulfilling part of the spiritual process of God.

Travel Day

I have spent the day on the road to Greenville, SC where I will begin a series of meetings on Tuesday night (see schedule). I am writing from the comfort of my brother's home; he has welcomed me to stay with him for the next few days. I am blessed by all of those who have provided lodging for us on this Missionary/Evangelism journey. God is so good! We are also very thankful for all of the prayer covering that we receive as we continue to pursue the call of God that is on our lives. These are the days that we must become even more intense in our prayers of intercession. God rewards those that diligently seek Him; do not lose sight of that promise. The Lord taught me something as I was driving today. I am one who surfs the radio dial trying to find something that interests me. I started early this morning listening to the news but it did not take long before it became repetitive and somewhat discouraging. It seems that everything now is laced with the spirit of negativity; and if we are not careful that "spirit of the world" will influence our lives in such a way that we begin to lose our faith. By this time I am beginning my search for Gospel radio stations with a little ESPN news mixed in occasionally along the journey. I found all types of music; Contemporary, Southern Gospel, Bluegrass, and even some Black Gospel. But something dawned on me as I drove down the road; all of these types of music were seeking to accomplish the same goal. They were striving to point me to Christ as the answer for the ills of life that we all face on a daily basis. Whether it was the four/four timing of Southern Gospel, the beautiful of words of the Contemporary worship songs, the mandolins and the banjos of the Bluegrass or the soul sounds of the Black Gospel; all of them had a purpose. They shared the story of a man called Jesus Christ who came to die on a cross for me that I could live a life in which He was the center of my desires. I begin to thank and praise God for reaching my heart one more time with His awesome presence. Take a moment, stop what you are doing and allow someone, some sound, or the printed Word to point you back to Christ as your answer today.

Psalm 46, Part 3

This passage in the Psalms continue to speak to my heart as I have purposed to seek the perspective of God in the matters of my life. Even as I am writing I am reminded that many times we seek the perspective of others and yet we fail to seek the perspective of God. I am not against asking for spiritual counsel from those who can assist us on our journey but I am against us failing to incorporate the direction of God in all that we are facing. As I stated yesterday all of us will face times of crisis and moments in which we feel hopeless, confused, overwhelmed, fearful, disappointed, etc. But in these moments we do not have to live in despair. We can call on Jesus and believe that all things are possible to them that believe. God has the ability to guide us toward peace and hope in the midst of our crisis. We must never loose focus that God has a plan for our lives and He desires to move us toward the completion of His plan. Crisis can appear to interrupt that plan but rest assured God is in charge of all of the matters of life that concerns you. He does not lose you nor forget about you in the times of crisis. We must realize that God's plan for us is an eternal one; His plan is not just a temporary day to day plan just to get us through life. His eternal plan includes a home in heaven--a place where all trouble will end forever. But before we arrive at that final destination we will have some moments in which we will be required to walk by faith and not by sight. It is during those moments that our faith will either fold up or hold up. We can be confident in the promises and presence of God; we must resist the temptation to only focus on what is taking place in our lives at the moment and loose sight of God's eternal plan for our lives. Be refreshed and encouraged today as you recognize the presence of God at work in your life today!

Psalm 46, Part 2

I would like to continue my thoughts that are taken from the first three verses of Psalm 46. I will remind you that God has already declared that He will be with us even during times of trouble. We must learn to recognize and respect His presence and have the humility and discernment to accept His help. I can remember our children going through the stage of life in which they felt they did not need any help with a particular challenge in their lives. They would say; I can pour my own milk, I can tie my own shoes, I can button my own shirt; I am sure you get the picture now. But I can also remember when at the point of trouble they realized that their parents were available to assist them. We must discern the fact that God is own our side and that He desires for us to succeed in the process of life. But God also knows that life will bring us moments of crisis and trouble in which we need to trust in someone that is greater than our own ability. Difficult moments come to good people; we face the death of a loved one, broken relationships with friends and family members, financial challenges, and even personal health issues that create great stress and anxiety in our lives to mention just a few examples. It is during those moments in which the Word of God offers strength and assistance. Allow the first few words of Psalm 46 to serve as a reminder to us of His presence in times of trouble; "God is our refuge and strength. Always ready to help in times of trouble..."

Psalm 46:1-3

In the past few months God keeps bringing me back to a principle which needs to be declared in our lives. It is the principle of the presence of God. I know that I have written about this in previous postings but I am convinced that this is the Word from God. We need to be reminded of the promises of God and of His plan to be with us regardless of the storms of life that we may be facing. This passage in Psalms was in my daily devotional guide and I felt that I needed to share the Word of God with you. Psalm 46:1-3, "God is our refuge and strength. Always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge." (NLT). In many ways this passage is addressing the times in which we are living. Our nation is in trouble; not only financially but more importantly morally. Is it not true that we have drifted away from God; even in the church we notice a tendency among some to grow cold or indifferent in their relationship with God. Things that once were secure and strong (investments, retirement, employment, etc) are now very weak and unstable. Companies that once boasted of strong portfolios and long term strategies are now struggling to meet the challenges of the present moments. Where are we to look during this time of "earthquakes"? We are to look to God who is in charge of our future as well as in charge of our present. I am relying on the fact that if I can trust God for my eternal future I can trust God for the present set of circumstances that I am facing. We do not need to ask God to be with us, He has already declared that He is with us. I need to accept His promise and walk in His strength. Be encouraged today; even if you are facing some of these "earthquakes" remember that God cares and that God is watching over you as you navigate through these troubled times in your life.

Updates

It has been a few days since I updated the blog. We are still dealing with some effects of the ice and snow storm that affected our area a few days ago. As a matter of fact there are still many families in our city and around the state that are without electricity. We are receiving some light snow as I am writing this update. At this moment the revival in Sturgis will have to be postponed due to the power outage; I am sincerely disappointed as I was looking forward to the fellowship with the people as well as experiencing an outpouring of the Spirit. But it appears that God has other plans in mind for them as well as for me. It is during these times that we learn to trust in the will and direction of God even when it goes contrary to what we have planned or what we desire. I desire to keep my faith and hope secure in my relationship with Jesus Christ and all that He has planned for my life. I spoke to a Focus Group Sunday morning and in that discussion several challenging thoughts were raised by the participants. We discussed the situation of living to please others more than we live to please God. There are times that we are more concerned about the opinion of others than we are the opinion of God. We realized that we must focus on pleasing God; that doesn't mean that we completely ignore the feelings and thoughts of others but it does remind us that we are called to please God in all that we do and say. We also discussed the need to have a strong determination to pursue the gifts and calling that God has placed on our lives. God has a plan for all of us and we need to be willing to search for that plan and allow God to work in our lives so that we can fulfill that plan. That statement certainly defines our journey; we just desire to be faithful to His call that has been placed in our hearts.