Pre-Christmas Thoughts

It has been several weeks since I have posted on the blog. It has been one of those months in which one situation after another seemed to take over my schedule and my time. It seemed that "tomorrow" never arrived although I was faithfully waiting day after day for tomorrow. Have you ever endured days like that? I am sure that each of us have encountered those moments in which we kept waiting for tomorrow to arrive. Tomorrow seems to hide in our yesterdays and we become so busy that today vanishes before we know what has happened. I would like to share a portion of a recent letter that I shared with our church family.

The Spirit has been challenging my heart as we move toward the celebration of Christmas. These following thoughts are not meant to dampen our excitement, enthusiasm or joy concerning Christmas. BUT I do believe that each of us face the daily challenge to keep the “main thing” the “main thing.” What is the main statement that the celebration of Christmas makes to us? It is the birth of Christ, the Savior of the world. The crush of the present culture causes us to fight for the moments in which we rest in the hope of the events that took place in and around Bethlehem.

This following scripture is taken from the message of Jesus concerning the parable of the farmer sowing seeds. He uses this parable to remind believers of their various responses. You can find the full story in Luke 8. This passage today is taken from the NLT. Luke 8:14, “The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.”

Each of us understands the fact that we face a battle with the cares, riches and pleasures of life. Most of us remove the challenge of riches from our conversation because we think that we are not rich when compared to some of the “wealthy” people of our nation and world. YET, we are considered rich when compared to the majority of people who live in our world in poverty. We have to be careful that the cares of life do not overwhelm us in such a manner that we lose sight of the message that God is sharing with us through the revelation of Christmas.

I just want to remind us to not let the busyness of life and the weight of this world to move us away from the life changing message of Christmas. The source of our hope, joy, peace, Salvation as well all of the other needs that we will encounter was born in the manger in Bethlehem. It is no wonder that the Heavens were full of angels offering praise to God. Luke 2:13-14, “Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

WOW!!! We cannot afford to forget the awesome as well as life-changing message of Christmas. We must remember that the birth of Christ was the beginning of the “open door” of fellowship with our Heavenly Father. The birth of Christ provided the entry point of the Savior who would ultimately offer His life on Calvary as a SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS! We cannot afford to forget that message or allow that message to grow stale or grow unproductive in our lives. The Truth of Christmas would bring change to the world of that day and it is still bringing change to our present day world. The message of Christmas will still bring change to us today IF WE WILL TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN!!

The IMPORTANCE of LISTENING

I believe that God is always speaking to us in some form or shape. It may not always be a “special” word but in some way God is seeking to connect with our hearts. We just have to be willing to respond to Him and allow Him entrance into our lives. A lady in our congregation shared some personal thoughts on her FB post and I asked her permission to share it with you today. I am convinced that God is calling EACH OF US to listen for His Voice. He has promised to speak life over us as well as in us! WILL WE TAKE TIME TO LISTEN TODAY?

“I have been thinking about my journey of life. I strive to be all God wants me to be. I fall short so many times and I feel like I let the Lord down. The Holy Spirit guides me on this journey and if I don’t listen closely enough and I let the noise of my life drown out his voice, I miss his direction and guidance in my life.

We allow our busy lives to take us away from time we need to spend with the Lord. We put God second and that is why we struggle so many times in our lives. We try to fill that void in our life with the pleasures of this world and that is why we lose our peace and joy. Nothing can replace what God can do for you in your life.

I have tried to fill voids in my life with other things in my life and it never replaced the emptiness, the loneliness, and the hurt that I was running from. The harder I tried to run away from the feelings, the more I struggled. Nothing could replace the struggle I was facing, but God. When I cried out to the Lord, he heard my cry and he restored my soul. He replaced the emptiness and the hurt and the pain with his overwhelming love and healing for my soul.

When I surrendered all to him, my captive spirit was set free. Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty I am free at last. No more shackles and no more chains. I encourage you to surrender all to Jesus. Don’t make the mistake of turning a deaf ear to the Holy Spirit. If you let him lead you, you will find that your life will be one of victory and peace.

God is so GOOD!!”

Times of Refreshing

Psalm 85:6, “Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?” (NKJV) (Emphasis Added) I would like to take a moment and focus on the word “revive.”

This word in the Hebrew language opens up an insight into the Word of God. I would like to mention a few of them in this message. The word revive reveals this truth to us. The primary root word means “to live.” Jesus said that He came for us to enjoy the “abundant life (fullness of life). Each of us needs to understand that there are times in which God desires to breathe a “breath of fresh air” into our lives on this journey of life. This word also reveals this meaning; “preserve, quicken, repair, restore (to life), be whole.” I truly believe that each of us could find ourselves needing these additional meanings of the word “revive” to come alive to us.

I am truly convinced that God desires to awaken the church in this day and time. We are in need of the “quickening” power of the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. This is a day of spiritual warfare in which the enemy seeks to overwhelm us with the “cares of life.” Many of us are facing unique circumstances in our lives in which we may need some “spiritual, physical, emotional and even financial restoration.” I also believe that God desires for the church be “made whole” as we continue to minister in the 21^st century. This is not the time for believers to be “sick or injured.” This is not the time for believers to be “weary or worn down.” This is day of the REVIVING POWER OF GOD to be poured out on the family of God. The time for REFRESHING, RENEWAL, and REVIVING is KNOCKING AT THE DOOR!!

Who will join me in the answering the knock at the door? Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I (Jesus) stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (NKJV) (Emphasis Added)

Let me say it is this way. It will take more than just placing our hand on the knob on the door. We must be willing to turn the knob as well as touch the door knob. Our response to God will require more than just the use of “religious words and phrases.” Our response to God will require the “release of our faith, trust, and surrender.” I truly desire to make the correct decision in this critical time in the history of humanity. I would like to encourage you to make the correct decision regarding your relationship with God. This is not the time to grow cold, indifferent, lackadaisical, and unconcerned when it comes to our relationship with our Heavenly Father!!!

Friday's Inspiration

Good morning! This is another day that the Lord has made and it is another wonderful opportunity to offer our praise to God. I attended a Community Revival on Tuesday evening and the Minister reminded us of the need to be THANKFUL. I was reminded of the importance of celebrating God for who He is rather than just celebrating the blessings that He provides for each of us on a daily basis.

I have sensed the presence of God reminding me of the provisions that He has prepared for each of us. Someone in our church family felt led to share with me the song Nothing But The Blood. I listened to the song several times as well as other songs that talked about the blood of Jesus being shed for my sins as well as the sins of every human being. I was overwhelmed by the presence of God as He reminded me of the PRICE that was paid for my spiritual freedom. We need to remember that our salvation cost Jesus His life and now we are able to be included in the family of God because He was willing to pay the price for EACH OF US!! Isn’t that an AMAZING FACT?

We live in a culture that tries to lure us away from the presence of God. The enemy seeks to draw us away from God and in doing so we begin to look at other options to meet the needs of our life. The words of this song were dropped into my spirit this morning. Some of you may remember this song while others may not. Let these words sink deep into your heart today as you reflect on the mercy and love of God.

“The world will try to satisfy that longing in your soul, You may search the wide world over but you'll be just as before. You'll never find true satisfaction until you've found the Lord, For only Jesus can satisfy your soul. Only Jesus can satisfy your soul And only He can change your heart And make you whole; He'll give you peace you never knew Sweet love and joy and Heaven too, For only Jesus can satisfy your soul.” (Lanny Wolfe) 

JUST REMEMBER that ONLY JESUS CAN SATISFY YOUR SOUL!!

Thursday Thought's

Good morning! I trust that your journey with God is full of the richness of the presence of God. His Word reveals that He will never leave or forsake us! Isn’t that a powerful promise that goes with us through every moment of our lives? I am learning to depend on that promise even more as I continue my journey of life. I am learning to depend on this promise even more as I see the continuing changes in our culture. I shared this thought last Sunday and I still believe it today!! “God has a Word for this generation.” Each of us needs to take heed to the Word of God and allow it to do its work in our lives!!

I read Psalm 100 this morning. Take time to read it and recognize the commands of God as well as the promises of God. The Spirit through David reminds us to shout, sing, serve and be glad in the first few words. The Spirit reminds us that we are the “sheep of His pasture” and that “He has made us.” Verse 5 spoke to me this morning. This verse reveals the goodness of God, the faithfulness of God, the mercy of God as well as the truth of God. Psalm 100:5, “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

If you grew up in a Christian home, you may have been taught this childhood prayer: “God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for our food. Amen.” While simplistic, that prayer covers one key characteristic of God: His goodness. It can be hard to believe in God’s goodness for many reasons, including when we’re in pain. We forget it when we’re in conflict. We think it’s for everyone else except us when we’re depressed. And when we’re worried or stressed out, we can’t seem to find—much less think about—God’s goodness, even when it’s right in front of us.

Focusing on God’s goodness is so important to your life because it gives you perspective on your darkest days, when you need it the most. Each of us has encountered and more than likely we will encounter more dark days on our journey of life. But we cannot ever afford to forget God’s goodness. This decision can cause each of us all kinds of difficulties. Our enemy can use these difficulties as a weapon to work against our relationship with God.

Each of us can remember those moments in which the goodness of God was revealed to us when life was providing us with various challenges and difficulties. At those moments we must choose to look to God and His Word for strength, guidance and direction. The goodness of God will not fail us if we will place our complete trust and confidence in Him. I understand the challenge of making the decision to trust God but I have also personally seen the reward of trusting God and placing my confidence in Him.

I truly believe that God wants to give us a life of spiritual confidence, even on our most difficult days. He wants to give us the assurance we need that is found in the Word of God. He will provide the protection we need regardless of the situation that we may be facing. He wants to give each of us a life of spiritual influence and spiritual abundance. He will provide the guidance, direction and strength to meet the challenges of life head on and come out victorious in our walk with Christ!!

These are challenging days to say the least. The headlines on the various information sources reveal strife, stress, anxiety, difficulties, etc. in every continent in the world. We can run from these challenges and we can choose to ignore these challenges.  Or we can face these challenges and walk in the strength and faithfulness of God’s goodness.

Thursday Thoughts

Good morning on a day that appears it will be full of warmth and heat as the day moves forward. Life brings to us those moments in which we feel the “heat of reality.” But we have the privilege of taking those “moments” into the presence of God and we have been afforded the opportunity of asking Abba Father for His assistance!! I feel like declaring the words of the song that says “I will raise a Hallelujah!!” It is a blessing to know that God is not only interested in our daily journey but He is also interested in directing our steps of life.

Psalm 37:23, “The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord, And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].” (AMP)

The words “divine alignment” was shared in one of my recent devotionals. Those words have been “burning” in my spirit since the moment that I read them. We can certainly recognize and identify the fact that the powers of darkness are aligning themselves against the Good News of the Bible. We see the Truth of God being discarded and replaced with the opinions of men and women. The Truth of God is being placed on the “back burner” of life and our society is choosing to follow their own plan of life rather than seeking the plan of God for their life. We even see the pressure from society for the “church” to change her opinion of Truth to fit more easily into the world view of what is right and what is wrong.

But I also see another alignment that is taking place in our world. It is revealed in the passage found in Psalm 37. I truly believe that God will align our steps and order our path IF WE will follow His leadership. We can see examples throughout the Bible in which God ordered the path of various individuals as well as ordered the path of His people. The Spirit of God led Moses back to Egypt at just the right time to speak to Pharaoh. The Spirit of God led Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus to Egypt BUT He also brought them back to Nazareth at the right time. The man named Saul who would later be referenced as The Apostle Paul was born into the family of God at the timing of God. Each of us can remember times in our lives in which God placed us at the right place at the right time.

I think that I will raise ANOTHER HALLELUJAH when I reflect on the ability of God to order our steps on our journey of life. I also believe that God is at work among His people around the world. There is a “spirit of awakening” that is taking place in the lives of various individuals. I personally know some of these individuals as well as I read about this “awakening” happening in various locations both near as well as far away.

I feel the need to remind each of us that we are people of free will. God has given us the option of following His guidance or choosing to follow our own set of plans. This choice is a very serious one to make. Our eternal destination depends on us making the correct choice when it comes to the path of life that we choose. I am asking God to give me the courage and strength I need to follow His guidance and apply His Truth to my life. This may not be the most popular route to take BUT I do believe that it will be the most profitable route to choose.

Good morning on this bright and sunny day! The past few weeks have presented us with many cloudy, dreary, rainy and stormy days. But even on those days the Sun was still shining but we were unable to see it due to the clouds that surrounded us. It is the same way with the Son of God. He is with us even when we are surrounded by the clouds of fear, doubt, worry, frustration, hurt, disappointment, struggles, battles, etc. But we need to remember today that Jesus Christ is still present and He will shine on our lives as we continue to look for Him!!

Luke 5:3-7, “Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. ⁴ When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵ But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” ⁶ And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. ⁷ So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.” (NKJV)

For the past 13 plus years I have carried what I believe to be a word from God. And I do not use those words lightly. I truly believe that God deposited in me a call to look for, pray for and participate in a spiritual awakening in my life as well as the lives of others that I would encounter. I was captured by this during a prayer encounter with God and I am still captured by this encounter with God. I was so convinced of this call that I felt led to resign the Pastorate in Louisville and begin a journey of an Iterant Evangelist. Our obedience produced many wonderful encounters with the Holy Spirit in various congregations and Conventions around the nation. Our obedience to God played a major role in the church plant in Radcliff, KY.

I am sharing this with you today because I am still convinced that God desires to awaken His people. The AWAKENING of the PEOPLE OF GOD will propel us and lead us into the deeper things of God. I believe that the deeper things of God will propel us as well as lead us into the harvest field that is ripe. I was praying about the need for a deeper move of God this morning. I have prayed about the need for a deeper move of God for many mornings over the past 13 plus years.

We have participated in some “spiritual rain showers” but I have not seen the “flood” of the Spirit that is being released in various parts of the world. I can either chose to give up on what I believe is the inspiration of the Spirit or I can choose to press on and press in. There are moments in which I think about backing off and backing away from the “call” from God. But I can’t stop believing and stop encouraging people to draw closer to God when I look at the condition of the world and see the struggles in the church world that people are facing. The words of this old song ring in my ears today as I am typing these words; “Where could I go but to the Lord?” 

I do not have time to do an exegesis of the scripture passage that I have shared today. But I would like to ask us to ponder these questions. “Why are we hesitant to launch out into the deep? What are we afraid of when it comes to drawing closer to God? Why do we resist drawing closer to God? Why do we think that we do not need to have more of God in our lives? What will it take for me to receive the call and challenge from God and put it into full action in my life?” Feel free to ask your own questions to these that I shared.

Each of us needs to realize that our world is being flooded with evil, sin and wickedness. We are going to need the flood of the Holy Spirit in our lives to counteract these attempts of satan to destroy our walk with God!!