Pentecost Sunday

This past weekend was unique in two different ways.  Not only did we celebrate Memorial Day but it was also the celebration and remembrance of Pentecost.  We are able to rejoice in the fact that the power of the Holy Ghost is still being released and revealed in this generation of believers.  I for one am glad to declare that I am Spirit filled and I still declare that other believers are and still can be Spirit filled.  The family of God has many rich blessings to receive from God and one of these is the baptism of the Spirit.  We face an onslaught of people who try to deny the influence and activity of the Spirit in our modern day but many of you are like myself you are eyewitnesses of the activity of the Spirit in the lives of others as well as your personal life.  The revival meeting in which I participated last night was led, directed, guided, and influenced through the power and presence of the Holy Ghost.  I believe in the power of God and the release of the gifts of the Spirit in our daily walk with Christ.  I sense in my spirit that there is a fresh hunger and thirst for all that God has promised to release to His people.  I am preparing my heart to seek the face of God and allow Him to complete what He has started in my life.

I also believe that the Spirit encouraged me to remind you that the power that was released at Pentecost was not just a “reactionary” weapon.   The power of God was not given to us just so that we could react to what the devil was doing to us as well as against us.   No, the power of God was given to the church that we might be pro-active, on the advance against the enemy rather than just taking our lumps and limping through life.   We must learn to recognize and identify our standing in Christ and realize that we are called to live victoriously.  The enemy seeks to intimidate and discourage us.  The enemy wants us living in the gloom and doom of defeat and despair.  But God has called us to a higher calling and the Baptism of the Spirit will assist us in reaching that destination.  Seek for a deeper walk with Christ if you are a believer.  Ask Christ to forgive you of your sins if you have never accepted Christ as your Savior.  The modern day church must become "pro-active" in our desire to follow after God.  We can no longer afford to go through the motions of religion; no, and a thousand times no, we must hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God. 

Be blessed as you continue your exciting journey with Christ.

Memorial Day

There will be many Memorial day "celebrations" today.  Some of these will focus on food, family events, parties, and social events.  But is that the true purpose behind this day of remembrance and recognition?  WE MUST NEVER FORGET THE FALLEN HEROES THAT GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF OUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS IN AMERICA!  After all we are only able to celebrate this day because they were willing to serve.  We also need to take time and offer respect to those veterans who returned home with serious injuries both physically as well as emotionally.  Many of them will bear the marks of their injuries until they pass into eternity.  They deserve honor and praise for the sacrifice they made and in some cases are still making due to the severity of their injuries.  We also need to offer sincere respect and appreciation for those soldiers who are serving at this present time.  Our nation is represented by brave and valiant soldiers who stand in the face of harms way day after day.  To each of these groups of veterans we offer our salute of thanks and gratitude.

My Dad is not part of this computer generation and he may not have an opportunity to read these words but I want him to know that his family appreciates his service to our nation during WWII.  He served as an infantry soldier in the European theatre and was involved in some of the major battles toward the end of the war.  Dad, your life has been and continues to be a blessing not only to your family but also to many others.  You and Mom have served your family as well as the family of God with a servants heart for many years and we want you to know that you are loved and appreciated.  We will never forget your kindness toward others and your example will live on in our lives for as long as we live on this earth..  

Hope, Part 4

I truly believe that we are living in a time of hopelessness.  People are looking for someone or something in which they can place their trust.  Our last Presidential election revolved around the word "change."  Change was promoted as the method in which America could be brought out of the economic swoon in which our nation was caught.  According to the views of many people this "change" has not brought the intended results that our nation desired or even needed.  Where do we look when our human abilities does not have the answer to which we are searching?  Where do we look when we find the "rug" of life pulled out from under us?  Will we possess the faith to make "lemonade out of the lemons" that the trials and challenges of life have brought into our personal lives?  I could continue these scenarios but I think that you can comprehend the point that I am trying to make.  Our hope in times like these must be found in the power and promises of Jesus Christ.  I recently read these words from Chuck Swindoll.  He puts into perspective our need to lay hold to the promises of God that are revealed through the person of Jesus Christ.

The anchor of stability holds firm when your navigation system fails. It's easy to lose your bearings in the storm. You can't find your way through the circumstances you face. Life rolls along fairly smoothly until suddenly the seas grow rough. Unseen problems occur. They were not in the forecast. In Luke's words (Acts 27), "All hope of our being saved" is abandoned.  Those are treacherous moments when we reach the point of abandoning hope. At that difficult, gut-wrenching moment, God says, "Don't be afraid, I have a plan."

People facing intense adversity find it difficult to focus on anything other than the towering waves and stinging winds. In Acts 27, Paul firmly announces, "Be of good cheer . . . we've heard from the Lord that none will be lost."  We find stability in storms through what God has said. Your tendency will be to turn to another source for strength rather than the Word of God.  Don't go there! The only anchor of stability that will hold you firm, no matter how intense the gale-force winds, is God's written Word.

All this reminds me of a statement made by one of the ancient Jewish prophets, which supports the reliability of God and His Word. The following words flow from the seasoned hand of Isaiah: "But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you'" (Isaiah 43:1–2). What encouraging words! "Do not fear, I have called you by name." What a great thought!  Isaiah was not writing of literal waters or actual rivers. His figure of speech emphasized encroaching circumstances that threatened the stability of one's faith. When the waters rise to dangerous depths, when difficulties reach maximum proportion, when your ship seems to be disintegrating board by board and starting to sink by life's inevitable storms, God is faithful. He promises, "I will be with you." He is your anchor.

We can be of "good cheer" today because we know that Jesus Christ is alive and that His Words of promise still ring true today!

Hope, Part 3

Each of us face situations or challenges in which our hope needs to be strengthened.  Life can present us with some daunting circumstances in which we have to take a deep breath and refocus our attention on God and His wonderful promises found in His Word.  This morning I felt that the Spirit led me to share His Word rather than my words.  The words that I may write or speak are limited and they do not possess the ability to provide the miracle that you need but the WORDS of our Heavenly Father are unlimited in their ability to provide what we need.  This morning I will share some passages of scripture that I sensed the Lord place in my heart.

Psalm 39:7, "But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in you." (NIV)

Psalm 71:5-6, "For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb.  I will ever praise you." (NIV)

Psalm 119:145-149, "I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord, and I will obey your decrees.  I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes.  I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.  My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.  Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, Lord, according to your laws." (NIV)

Romans 5:5, "And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (NIV)

Ephesians 1:17-18, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spiritt of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people," (NIV)

I Timothy 1:1, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope," (NIV)

Hebrews 6:18-19, "God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.  We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." (NIV)

Amen!

Hope, Part 2

Psalm 33:20-22, "Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.  For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.  Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee." (KJV)

Each of us need someone in which we can place our trust.  Trust is one of the benefits or characteristics of friendships that we develop throughout our life.  Our trust in God is developed as we continue looking to Him during our good times as well as bad times.  It is easy to look for hope in a difficult time but do we offer praise to our Hope as the source of our good times?  I desire for my relationship with God to be one that continues to develop during both the good as well as bad times.  I want God to be the first place that I look as I begin each and every day of my life.  I want God to know that I am making the decision as well as commitment to look to no one else or anywhere else to place my trust and confidence.  I am not implying that we do not need to develop relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  That idea would run contrary to one of the purposes of the body of Christ.  We are called to encourage and strengthen one another and God will use those personal relationships as a means to remind each other to remember that our TRUE HOPE is in God and not in man.

Do you know anyone who immediately heads for the coffee pot when they first get out of the bed in the morning?  Although these individuals may not be completely awake and thinking clearly they believe that the cup(s) of coffee will assist them in getting their day started.  NOTE: I am not using this example in any condemning manner; each of us may have other routines that assist us in getting our day started.  Isn't that what God does for us as we are awakened to some difficult news, difficult events, or difficult situations that we are encountering?  It is during those moments that we turn our eyes toward Heaven and remember that God is "our help and shield."  God will provide strength and covering during those times of struggle.  The effects of a cup of coffee are limited and will eventually pass through our body but the strength and help from God will lead us into eternity.  We can confidently place our trust in God.  His Word reveals a wonderful track record of His work in the lives of past generations.

Hope

Psalm 33:20-22
"We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." (NIV)

We are unsure of all that we will encounter as we enter this new week of our lives.  I do not mean to express any fear or doubt but I do confess and recognize my need to trust in God who is aware of all of the things that I will face both good and bad.  Each one of us will face things that are greater than our abilities to solve them.  Some of these could be significant or insignificant in the view of others but to us they can be very important.  It is during those moments that we may ask ourselves this question, "Where will I look?"  It is comforting to know that we can find hope in the Lord and recognize that He is our help and shield.  We can place our trust and confidence in God as we continue on our journey through life.

Our daily lives can face a multitude of unique situations.  Have you ever awakened from sleep and your process of thinking is somewhat muddled or confused?  There have been times when I awakened and I was confused about my location.  I took a quick look around the room and realized that I was at home and then the feeling of security and comfort began to come back to my thought process.  That feeling of security and comfort renewed my confidence that all was well and that I was in the safe place called home.  Each of us have faced those same feelings in our emotional, spiritual, physical, or financial areas of our lives.  We are startled when certain things take place in our lives and our confidence in shakened at that very moment and we have to regroup so that we can focus on what is taking place.   It is during those moments that David declares that we can "wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield..."  Your fear and doubt can be changed to courage and faith once you realize that you are not alone. 

Rejoice today in the knowledge that you are not alone but the Lord God Almighty is with you!

Service to God

Adrian Rogers shares this short story. A certain minister served a church for many years, then one day the church asked him to leave. He was talking to another preacher friend and said, “What they did to me was dirty. After all I did for them, and they treat me this way.” The preacher friend listening to him thought to himself, “It’s a shame he didn’t do it for God.” It is easy to get confused about whom we are serving. We will find ourselves disappointed if we only serve to impress people or if we serve only to gain the favor of man. Serving to impress others can only bring a limited amount of satisfaction but true service to God can bring a release of contentment and spiritual accomplishment. This can only happen as we offer our service to God as an act of Worship and not an act of works that draws more attention to the individual than it does to God. If you’re serving God in any way, don’t do it for people; do it for the Lord. I can attest to this fact in my life; some of the greatest blessings that I have received have come when I served people outside the limelight of public recognition. Serving others when people are unaware of your activity proves to be rewarding, renewing, and refreshing to our spirits. God will reward our obedience and our humility in serving. Look for ways to serve others and you will see your walk with Christ growing stronger and more fulfilling.