What am I Doing in Church?

The inspiration for today's blog was birthed in my heart during the revival service last night. The Lord began to deal with me regarding my "activities" in the time that we spend in church service supposedly worshipping God. Is it possible that we have made church more about us than we have about God? Is it possible that I am interested in my comfort, my wants, my likes, and my dislikes in such a manner that I forget about the true reason that I am attending that particular service? The true purpose of the Body of Christ assembling together is to exalt Christ and edify (build up) my brothers and sisters in Christ. It is going to be very difficult to accomplish these two goals if I am always interested in my needs and my desires. I am not saying that your needs that only God can supply are unimportant; but I am talking about those "comfort needs" that I possess that causes me to focus more on me than I am focusing on Christ. After all, He is worthy of my praise and adoration regardless of who is singing, regardless of what song they chose to sing, regardless of who is setting near me, and a long list of other distractions that can move my focus away from God. I do not want this post to sound harsh; that is certainly not the purpose of this thought. I just feel that God is worthy of our best praise and He is worhty of our undivided attention. But I truly believe that God is calling us back to Him and back to our true focus being on Him when we gather to worship. Is it possible that we miss His presence in the service because we are focused on all of these other "things" going on around us? I am not saying that order and preparation are not needed in the house of God; I am not saying that we do not need the right song for the right moment; I am not saying that we do not need the minister to have an anointing as He prepares to share the Word. Yes, we need order, we need correct musical selection, and yes, we need anointed preaching. But we also need to "turn our eyes to Jesus" and realize that He is near to us and that He is prepared to respond to our Worship and Adoration. As you prepare for your next Worship service remember that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is going to be present and you want to make sure that you are looking for Him as He enters His House (remember the church is not ours, the church belongs to Him through His purchase price on the cross).

Weekend Review

I am in Autryville, NC (near Fayetteville) at the Mt. Carmel Church with Pastor Warren and Pat Barfield. The Barfield's son, Warren JR., wrote some of the music and songs for the movie, Fireproof. He is a very accomplished Contemporary Christian singer and song writer and travels extensively throughout the U.S. Pastor Barfield and the local church welcomed me to the revival and many of them were and are anticipating a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit. If yesterday's services was any indication of how the week will progress then we are being prepared for a move of the Spirit. My heart hungers to see God overwhelm us with His presence and with His holiness in such a manner that everyone present leaves the place transformed by the greatness of God. I fully believe that God is interested in the power of transformation taking place in our lives. Too many times we settle for entertainment but God's priority is complete transformation. The old song said it this way; "I want leave here the same way I came in Jesus' name." I am claiming that promise for myself as well as for the revival meeting. As I began to minister yesterday the Lord placed this thought in my heart. God desires for His people to be attached to Him and the enemy seeks to do all in his power to bring detachment in our lives. The enemy seeks to use the trials of life to bring a sense of defeat which will in turn try to detach me from the presence of God. But Jesus plainly taught us the principle of attachment in John 15. Listen to the words of Jesus in John 15:4, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." (NKJV). Later on Jesus reminds us "...for without Me you can do nothing." Reflect on this truth the next time the enemy comes against you to pull and push you away from God. The enemy seeks to break your "connection" with God and he will do all in his power to accomplish his goal. I want to remain connected to God and to His purpose and plan for my life. I realize that without Him I can do nothing and that I have nothing to offer to this troubled world. Let us lift our eyes to Christ and desire to remain committed and connected to the Living Bread and to the Living Water that will direct our steps if we will surrender to Him. Be blessed this week as you continue your journey with God.

Affirmation, Conclusion

As I have been writing this week I have felt the need as well as the inspiration to encourage each of you regarding God's view of you versus your self view. The "accuser of the brethren" is always looking for the opportunity to tear down our self confidence as well as our self worth. I am not writing these words to boost your ego or cause you to walk in arrogance or pride but I am sharing these words to encourage your view of who you are in Christ and who you can become as you continue your walk with God. As you read the Word of God throughout the Bible, you can think about all that God has said and done to show you how much you matter to Him. The Bible is full of stories in which we see God taking time for the individual (Samaritan woman, blind Bartimaeus, the lost sheep of Luke 15, etc.). Although Christ spoke to crowds of people He always took time to minister to the individuals that were present. I don't think that Christ was interested in statistics as much as He was interested in the needs of those who were sitting or standing in the crowd. The cry of Bartimaeus caused Christ to stop and call Bartimaeus to His presence. Your cry, your need, the person that you are will cause Christ to stop and minister to your need today. Calling the blind beggar, Bartimaeus, to His side provided validity to the value that Christ placed on people. You are valuable to God today; look around and see how God has validated your worth by ministering to you on many occasions. When no one else was present the strength and mercy of God was near to us and we were able to recognize our "importance" in the eyes of God. Allow God's love to breakthrough the deceit of your enemy and realize that you are important and valuable to God and that Christ came for your personal redemption. Hallelujah, we are valuable and important to God!

Affirmation, Part 4

Many books and even some songs have been written about our pursuit of God and I have personally read several of these and I have been challenged by the inspiration of the author. But we should not forget that the Bible is a story of how God pursues us (at least in my opinion). We can glean this fact through the presentation of the law, God sent the Prophets to declare both His blessings as well as judgments, and finally Jesus Christ came to fully reveal the love of God to fallen mankind. Why does God "pursue" us through the revelation of Jesus Christ? Christ has come to redeem and rescue us from sin, and restore us to a right relationship with God. It is through that right relationship with God that we can become the person God created us to be. The true blessing of affirmation rests in the knowledge that God cares enough about me that He desires to redeem me. We allow the world to place artificial worth on us through our wealth, our appearance, our possessions and even through the friendships that we develop. Do not allow your self-worth to be determined by the these artificial measurements because they will change very quickly. In many cases these artificial measurements are based on the opinion of the one who sets the standard. I choose and I encourage you to choose the recognition of the value that God has placed on us; He values me so much that He has desired to adopt me into His family and call me his son. My, what a blessing to think that the Great Eternal God who needs no one to validate His worth or power chooses to fellowship with me on a daily person. This thought in and of itself can give your self-confidence a great boost of encouragement as you realize that God truly desires to be involved in your daily journey through life. Lift up your heart to God today and allow Him to encourage you in all the ways that you need. Personal Note: Ann's recovery continues to go well from the automobile accident. Her mobility is limited at this moment but we are thankful for the healing that is taking place. We continue to ask for your continued prayers in her recovery process.

Affirmation, Part 3

Genesis 1 teaches that we were created in the image and likeness of God. This statement in and of itself allows us to understand the importance that God places on each member of the human race. We need to remember that it has been and in many cases still is the plan of man to segregate and separate humanity into various classes. Humanity has divided us into different groups by race, creed, nationality, social economic standards, and ethnicity to name a few. As we view the plans of unredeemed mankind we need to remember the words that Jesus declares in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." Through the willingness of God the Father, and the willful sacrifice of Jesus the Son of God we are able to establish the foundation of our affirmation. Christ died for all of us and through His death on the cross He establishes our worth and our individual identity. What a wonderful thought to comprehend; when the enemy comes to destroy your view of your self-worth you can point back to the cross and remind the enemy that Christ willingly laid His life down for your redemption. Someone needs to stop reading and lift your hands in praise and thanksgiving to God for the marvelous blessing of God's love. Each human being in this world in important and necessary to God. Every person that you encounter in your daily journey is important to God. Every child that you see is important to God. Every senior citizen is important to God. We serve an amazing God that declares His love over us and in us. Let us rejoice in Him today!

Sunday's Challenge

First of all, I begin this post by offering praise and thanksgiving to God for Ann's recovery. She is doing well, just having to adjust to some limited mobility due to the automobile accident (see last week's posts). We do request your prayers as the next two weeks are very crucial to her recovery from the injury to her foot; if things continue to go well she can avoid having surgery which will only prolong her complete recovery. We ask that you join with us in prayer knowing that God is Jehovah, our Healer. He is in charge of our lives and He will work His will as we trust and obey Him. I trust that all the father's had a wonderful Father's Day. I was unable to post my wishes earlier but I trust that each of you were blessed as you reflected on the goodness of God through the smiles and embraces of your family. I was blessed to spend time with my wife, children, and grandchildren. Each of them brought a smile to my face as I could sense their love, care, and concern for me as their father and "Poppy." The blessings of God are truly wonderful! The service at church yesterday also spoke a challenge to my heart and to my walk with God. The Word that Pastor Smith spoke challenged me in this manner; "Am I hearing the call from God?" This call is not just the call to draw near to God but it is the call to "take up spiritual arms and prepare for warfare with satan." Am I fulfilling my responsibility or do I choose to remain silent, sit on the sidelines and allow others to engage the enemy? My family needs me to stand in the gap for them and wage war on the enemy. Many of us have allowed the enemy to be the aggressor and we have become very passive in our response to the tactics of the enemy. This is the day to be liberated from our passivity and become proactive in our dealings with the enemy. The enemy is seeking to "steal, kill, and destroy" (words of Jesus) but Christ has come to bring us abundant life. I am preparing my heart to answer the call to arms. If you listen closely I believe that you will hear the call to arms. Do not ignore the working of the Spirit in your life, allow Him to speak strength into your heart so that you can assume your rightful place on the battlefield. The war is raging whether you choose to become involved or not, you can ignore it but the war will not go away.

Affirmation, Part 2

Jeremiah 31:3, "Long ago the Lord said to Israel, I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself" (NLT). You can find affirmation in knowing that God chose to create you in his image and longs to have a relationship with you. It is such a blessing to understand that God desires to have a personal relationship with humanity. The God of all creation chooses to draw near to us and to release His love in our lives. The enemy seeks to remove that recognition from our lives yet God increasingly releases His love on us daily. We must decide to allow the Lord to release His love in our lives and we must choose to respond to the love that God places in us and over us. Just this week I have been able to recognize once more the greatness of God's love and the interest that He has in our daily walk. God draws us to Himself, even to the point of sacrificing His own Son to die for us so that our sins could be forgiven and we could be adopted into the family of God. Each of us need to daily walk in the strength of God's love and allow His affirmation to encourage us. The spirit of the world seeks to put us down and cause us to lose our self esteem but God wants us to recognize our importance to Him through the love that He shares with us. Make a choice today to walk in the affirmation of God's love and refuse the spirit of the enemy who seeks to make you doubt your self-worth.

Praise Report, Part 2

First of all, I want to thank you for the prayers, calls, emails, and words of thoughtfulness that have been shared with us over the past few days. It is a great blessing to be a part of the family of God, a family that shows true love and compassion as individuals walk through challenging times. These past few days have reminded me of the need to share our burdens with one another and realize that we are not alone on our journey. There are times in which it appears that we are alone, yet in the revelation of God's presence we understand that are not alone. God uses His people to share His love, concern, and care. We are thankful for people who take the time to express their love and concern. This event has reminded me of my need to be even more sensitive to the needs of those people that I interact with on a daily basis. Report: The Doctor's visit went well today. The Orthopedic Doctor agreed with the diagnosis of the Doctor in the Emergency Room. He placed a "boot cast" on Ann's foot and told her to not to apply weight to her foot for at least 3-6 weeks. We will visit him again in three weeks for a check-up and he will determine her future status at that point. We are grateful that no surgery is required at this time and we are believing that God will speed up the healing process in the area of the broken bone and ligament damage. We ask for you to join with us regarding the process of healing; there is power in agreement. As I inspected the car yesterday, I offered God praise for His protection. The accident could have been more serious "but God" intervened. We are all blessed by the times that God has intervened and kept us in His grace and mercy. Thank God for His presence and protection!

Praise Report

I begin this posting by offering praise and thanksgiving to God. Ann was involved in a serious car accident on her commute home from work on Monday afternoon. But the presence of God and the protection of God was with her. She received some minor injuries plus a broken bone in her foot but according to the EMS workers the severity of the accident could have been much worse. A line from an old song comes to my mind this morning, "Isn't God good to give us so many blessings." Both Ann and I rejoice over the faithfulness of God and the mercies of God. I returned home after the revival service last night so that I can assist her in following up with an Orthopedic Doctor today. I am writing this to thank all of you who pray for us on a daily basis; God heard your prayers yesterday and He provided the Divine intervention that Ann needed at this time in her life. I speak often about prayer but once again God reminded me that He does hear the prayers of His people. Each of us need to take the responsibility of prayer seriously because you never know the need that people are facing. I reminded the congregation last night that God is always aware of our location and that He responds to the needs of our lives. The service last night in Sturgis was awesome. People were drawn to the altar under the leading of the Spirit and they begin to open their hearts to the love of God. God desires to reveal His love and grace to all of us if only we would be willing to respond to His call. Several people received an impartation from Heaven as they allowed God to participate in their life. I would encourage each of you to allow the Lord to participate in your life; do not push Him away but allow Him to draw near to your life and to the situation that you are facing.

Weekend Review

Pastor David Johnson (new Pastor) and the Sturgis, KY congregation offered a warm welcome to me as we began revival services yesterday. Ann and I had the privilege to serve this local body as Pastors 25 years ago (It is amazing how swiftly time passes). We were given the opportunity to assist the church in the completion of their new building and we were able to assist the church in moving from the old building into the new building. God allows us to develop wonderful memories of special events in our lives which grow more wonderful as time progresses. But I also have been reminded of the brevity of life by returning to this local body; many of the people who assisted us have passed on to their eternal reward. That recognition reignited my passion to be faithful so that I can receive a welcome to heaven when my life is complete. God is calling for the modern day church to re-capture the characteristic of faithfulness. Many have allowed their service and relationship to God to become hit and miss, hot and cold, on today and off tomorrow. This is not the day to be lazy in our walk with God. God is looking for men and women who will rise to the occasion and stand strong in the faith as we are facing the challenges of this age. Blessings on those who seek to follow God with all of your heart and I pray strength on those who face the struggle of commitment and faithful service to God and His plan for their life. The services yesterday were wonderful as people responded to the move of the Spirit in the services. Several people received the re-igniting of the fire of the Holy Ghost as the Spirit moved in the service. Are you allowing God to re-ingite and in some cases ignite the fire of the Spirit in your life? This is not the day to be "spiritually dead and dry" but these are the days to allow the fire to burn in our hearts. The revival services in Raceland with Pastor Deborah Harper (new Pastor) were very anointed with the Spirit of God. There were people who encountered life changing experiences with Christ which will impact their future walk with God. Two other congregations offered support to the services and we are looking at the possibility of having a "traveling revival" among these churches in the Fall. God is up to some good things in the Body of Christ if we will just be open to the leading of His Spirit. Each of us need to commit to listening to the Voice of the Spirit as He will lead us into a deeper walk with God. Oh God, I desire to hear Your Voice speak to my life and to the lives of those that I am serving in this ministry call.

Affirmation from God

In last night's service a visiting Pastor made this statement in his remarks to the congregation: "I am blessed and humbled by the knowledge that I did not choose God but He chose me." This morning I was awakened to the knowledge and joy of knowing that it is God who has called me to assist Him in the work of His Kingdom. I did not make application for this responsibility and opportunity but God in His grace and mercy saw fit to ask me to participate with Him in reaching my part of the world with the message of the Gospel. To live with the affirmation of God is such a great blessing. People in our society long for the affirmation of their fellow human beings and in many cases they are disappointed when they do not receive the affirmation that they desire. I know that God uses people to bring worth to our lives but we also need to pause and realize that the the Lord God Almighty has spoken the greatest words of worth and importance over our lives. These words of affirmation are found in John 3:16-17, "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him" (NLT). Although many of us are familiar with that passage of the Bible we need to remember the importance that God has placed on each of us. Jesus loved us enough that He gave His life as a ransom for our redemption. Receive the affirmation of the Spirit in your life today. You are important to God and He has made a way for your salvation. It is no wonder that so many of us feel the need to offer Him praise and thanksgiving. We have been rescued by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Confidence in God

For the past few days this thought has been planted in my heart. We hear much about the lack of confidence that people have in the government, the lack of confidence in their fellow human beings, and even their lack of confidence in the church. The enemy seeks to even hinder our confidence in God through the events of life that all of us confront. We deal with illness, we deal with unemployment, we deal with family issues, and many other events of life. Through these events the enemy seeks to discourage our confidence in God. The enemy seeks to thwart the plan of God for our lives if he can discourage us enough to cause us to believe that God is not working in your life as you think that He should. All of these tactics in and of themselves seeks to push us away from God rather that draw us closer to Him. It is during those challenging moments that we allow the Word of God and the Spirit of God to speak renewed courage, strength, and confidence in God in our hearts. Psalm 116:5, 7-8, "Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. Return to your rest, O my soul. For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For Your have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling" (NKJV). This passage of scripture serves as a reminder that God is worthy of the confidence that we place in Him. Some of you may be walking through some dark and lonely valleys today but rest assured that God has caught your tears and that God will keep you from falling because of the weight of life that you are carrying at this moment. God is concerned, God does care, and you can trust in God not to abandon you at your time of need. Do not place your confidence in man and his abilities, as great as they may appear. Place your confidence in God, allow Him to provide the strength and direction that you need. The presence of God was awesome last night. The altar area of the church was full with people seeking for God. I am excited about people who are just choosing to seek God. As we seek God He releases the ministering power of the Spirit upon us and we begin to see our needs being met. A lady shared with the Pastor last night that she was healed as she began to ask God for more of His presence in her life. Oh, that men and women would seek the presence of God.

The Blessing of Encouragement

Over the past few days I have made the following comments to people; "I am praying for you, I have had you in my thoughts and prayers, you are a blessing to me, and I appreciate all that you are doing for the cause of the Kingdom of God." I am sure that many of you could add your own list of encouraging words that you share with individuals on a daily basis. But do we truly recognize the power of these words to encourage those who are in need of that type of support at an important time in their lives? These do not have to be "religious phrases" that we speak but they have the potential to release a blessing to our brothers and sisters in the family of God. All of us face those times in which we need the strength of encouragement to be deposited in our life. We face the storms and challenges of daily living and we need someone to take the time to encourage us with kind and thoughtful actions. I have seen the time in my life in which I needed someone to take the steps of action and offer their support through prayer and encouragement. This thought has arisen in my heart over the past few days as I have reflected on statements that people have made to me. These statements have caused me to realize and remember the strength and power of encouragement. As I stand before different congregations each week I am depending on the prayers of the people of God. People who pray for me on a daily basis do not fully understand the impact that their prayers are making not only in my life but in the lives of the local churches in which I am ministering. What a blessing to be able to walk into the pulpit and share the Word of God knowing that someone has been praying for me and for the services. Do not overlook the importance of prayer and encouragement. You are more important that even you think when you offer yourself to God as a servant of prayer and encouragement. Do not think that your prayers and words of encouragement go unnoticed by those who are the recipient of your prayers. Many of us walk in the strength of the daily prayer covering of those who are truly interested in our spiritual well being. It is a blessing to remember the words of Jesus, "Men ought always to pray and not faint." Someone is depending on your prayers today. Someone is depending on the word of encouragement that you will speak. Be obedient to God and be a blessing to the family of God.

Discipline, Conclusion

The past few days have caused me to look at the principle of discipline in my own life. I have reflected back over the days of my childhood and youth in which I lived under and I lived with the correction that my earthly father provided. Last night I had the privilege to share a phone conversation with him (he is now 83 years old and still involved in ministry I might add). In my mind's eye I could see my dad begin to smile as I heard the laughter in his voice. After we finished the conversation I began to realize that the person who was the disciplinarian in our family truly loved me and only desired the best for me when he would be called on to dispense the appropriate discipline. It is needless to say but my heart was full of heartfelt appreciation for the person who loved me enough that He was willing to share "tough love" when necessary. He was able to see the potential that my life held if only I would submit to his authority and leadership in my life. Is that not a true picture of our Heavenly Father? He wants to prevent me from becoming an immature, selfish individual who only lives to please himself. If we are left to follow the plans of our own making (flesh driven) we will have the tendency to move away from God and toward the temptation and practice of sin. But God in His great love for humanity provided a remedy to this situation; it is the total surrender of our lives to Christ. The discipline of God reminds us why obedience to Him is the best way. My earthly father only possessed hopes and dreams as he observed my life but my Heavenly Father had Divine Knowledge regarding my potential. He would then allow me to choose whether to receive Him or reject Him. I am glad that I chose to receive Him into my life and to allow Him to correct me when needed. I am blessed that God loves me enough to continue moving me toward that potential that still resides in me today. You are also full of potential, allow Him to direct your steps even when they lead you down the road of correction.

Discipline, Part 3

Hebrews 12:7, "As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children" (NLT). We always must keep the purpose of divine discipline in view as we respond to God and His correction in our lives. The goal of discipline is to prevent us from harming ourselves and others, to build good character and habits, and to teach us from right and wrong. Undisciplined and reckless actions are selfish and can damage our relationship with God and with others. God's discipline is an act of love to keep us from damaging our most important relationships and to help each of us to become the person God created us to be. Certainly all of us have the desire to reach our potential in our relationship with God. I know that I can sense that desire playing a major role in my daily walk with God. I hunger to reach my potential in Christ and I know that if I am to accomplish that goal in my life I must be willing to receive the correction from God who loves me more than I can truly understand. Each of us can remember those "character" lessons and sessions with God in which He revealed those character flaws that needed divine adjustment. Those encounters did produce temporary moments of pain and even embarrassment but the end result of the process produced growth and maturity in our walk with God. It is so easy to become selfish; we desire our own way and we seek to walk in our will and way. But God who is "rich in mercy" intervenes and teaches us the principle of surrender and submission. I desire to be willing to receive the principles of discipline and correction that emanate from God; after all He does have my best interest in mind.

Discipline, Part 2

I am sure that I could write on a more "exciting" principle of the New Testament. I fully understand that the promises of God provides for our healing, our salvation, our deliverance as well as many other great and precious promises. But all of us need to remember that God always knows what we need at any particular point in our journey. We need discipline whether or not we want to admit it. Discipline affords us the opportunity to respond to God in maturity as He continues the process of our spiritual development. Moses shared these words with us in Deuteronomy 8:5, "Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good" (NLT). How many times did you hear your parents say, "This is for your own good." How many times did our flesh resist those words but deep in our hearts we knew that our parents were correct? Is that not the same way we feel toward God when He sends discipline our way? At first, we seek to resist the discipline but then we begin to realize that God knows best and that our lives needed the intervention of discipline. God's correction is always meant for our good; God is interested in our spiritual development and that development requires times and moments of discipline. Today, we need to take a moment and think about the reason behind the actions of God. God is committed to finishing what He has started in our lives and I want to be willing to submit to those times of discipline that He will send my way. He disciplines me because He loves me! The time of summer offers many opportunities to participate in various types of activities with our family and friends. It is always an enjoyment to spend time with family and friends in relaxation and entertainment. But all of us need to make sure that during those "fun times" that we remain committed to offering our lives to God in sacrifice and surrender. We also need to remember that God desires our worship and praise at all times and that we need to make the time for Him in all of our planning for the activities of summer. We must remember that it is God who has provided for us the resources that we need to "enjoy" our life on earth.

The Need for Discipline

It is nice to be able to communicate with my "internet family" through this blog. I missed being able to share my heart on a daily basis but I will admit the past few days served as a reminder to me of my life prior to all of the electronic communication that we presently enjoy. I can report that I did survive the lack of cell phone service (where were you AT&T, more bars in more places) and quick access to the Internet. It was a blessing to serve the Pine Camp Church in Coeburn, VA as Evangelist this past week. The Spirit of the Lord was present in each of the services with the intensity of our hunger and desire growing stronger during the process of the services. I was blessed by the warm reception of the people and the freedom of the Spirit to share what the Lord placed in my heart. I can truly say that my desire to draw closer to God and my desire to obey God was strengthened during this past meeting. I am more convinced that God is at work and all of us need to submit and surrender our lives to Him and His purpose for our lives. I give God praise and I thank each of you for your prayers for the meeting. Throughout the week God would deal with me concerning the need to allow His Spirit to bring correction and discipline to my life. I must not exclude myself from the discipline of the Lord. The Bible declares that God corrects us because He loves us. I must accept the principle of discipline and allow the Word of God to have free course in my life. Read the challenge of Hebrews 12:11, "No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way"(NLT). WOW, what a challenging promise and provision that the Spirit lays before us. We can all agree that discipline is not enjoyable. I can remember the times in my life that my earthly father administered discipline; you can rest assured that I did not "enjoy" what was being administered. But that discipline which was administered in love had a influence that helped mold and shape me as a child and still serves as a guide in my adult life. Although I did not enjoy the moments of discipline, they became the foundation of my adulthood. The principles of that foundation still serve as anchors of my life today and I am doing my best to share those anchors with my children and grandchildren. As we look at discipline over the next few days we need to remember the great love and care that God has for all of us. Let us remember that we are the children of God and we are in desperate need for Him to shape, mold and form our lives in such a way that all we do will bring glory and honor to God. Let us receive the discipline of God in the manner that it is being administered to our lives; discipline springs from the heart of God who loves us more than we can realize or even understand.

Weekend Review

I am writing from the library in Coeburn, Virginia. I have limited access to the Internet and no cell phone service. My posting will be very limited over the next few days and I wanted to make you aware of this. I even may be suffering some withdrawals from not being able to use my electronic gadgets or I can use the extra time to spend in meditation and prayer. The services at the Pine Camp church went very well yesterday with many people in the altar seeking after God. I am blessed as I see the hunger for more of God in many locations in which I am traveling. God is just looking for people who desire to draw close to Him and for people who are willing to submit to the leading of His Spirit. I desire to be one of those people who is seeking for a stronger relationship with God. God will respond if I will continue to seek after Him. I just encourage you to remain consistent in your desire for the work of God in your life.