Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Message of the Gospel

In recent months I have been challenged by the Spirit of God concerning the need to declare the message of the Gospel to the world in which we live.  There is such a flood of strange doctrines, the plurality of gods (little g), and the philosophies of man.  I sense that the world is ready to hear the truth concerning Jesus Christ and the provision that He has made for humanity.  I was awakened this morning with this thought in my soul; "The Gospel is a simple message but yet a very profound message."  The profoundness of the truth can get lost in the simplicity of its concept.  I believe that the message was created to be simple so that we would be able to accept its principles and respond in faith to the awesome release of God's love toward our lives.  I am glad that I received the truth of the Gospel into my heart and I am thankful that I have a desire to share that truth with others.  We can not afford to keep the message of the Gospel confined within the walls of the church building.  We must restore and resurrect the courage and the boldness to declare the love of God for a world that is walking in darkness and needing to hear the liberating truth of God.

I would like for you to take a moment and read this profound truth that is found in Romans 5:6-8, "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (ESV).  Don't you believe that message should be declared in the power of God's love and grace?  Oh God, continue to give me the strength to share the "good news" of the Gospel!  Let us agree in prayer that the message of the Gospel will be declared through the lives of believers all across this nation.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Weekend Review

This week finds me in Brecksville, OH (suburb of Cleveland) with Pastor Donnal & Jennifer Markham.  I have been invited to this church and community on previous occasions and it is always a privilege to minister in this local congregation.  The presence of celebration and anticipation filled the atmosphere of the services on Sunday.  The local church has been involved in 21 days of prayer and fasting preceding the revival and your could sense the results of this time of sacrifice and commitment.  I am a firm believer that God rewards any effort of sacrifice and self-denial that we offer to Him in the spirit of praise and worship.  I encourage each of you to be willing to deny yourself on occasion as we seek to see God to intervene in our lives as well as the lives of our family and friends.

Many individuals responded to the altar invitation in each of the services.  Several churches from the surrounding communities joined with us in the evening service.  The presence of God reminded each of us of the great and marvelous love that God has for each of us.  Do not forget that God loves you and that He is interested in your life even when you are facing your own set of challenges and trials.  We must re-connect our hearts with the heart of God and realize the the love of God is not some spiritual myth that we have created and taught to others.  We must remember that the love of God is REAL and we must remember that God stands ready to reveal His love to each and everyone of us.  When we receive His love into our hearts we are then able to release His love to a hurting, lonely, depressed and dejected world which is looking for hope in their individual lives.  We have a great story to tell and we need to be willing to share that story without hesitation!

We were able to witness a miracle in the service last night.  A young man in the congregation suffered some type of seizure.  A EMT that was present in the service recognized the fact that this young man's heart stopped and his life was literally leaving his body.  The believers began to pray and the Spirit of God revived this young man.  He was taken to the hospital for evaluations and the last report from the hospital stated that they could not find anything wrong with this young man.  We witnessed a miracle; but it also serves as a reminder that we need to be prepared to for death.  We need to know for sure that our sins are forgiven and that we are living in right relationship with Jesus Christ.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Opportunity

My wife and I have the wonderful opportunity today to participate in a Conference of "Seasoned Senior Saints" from various churches in the state of Kentucky.  This time of celebration will afford me the opportunity to share an encouraging Word from God with them as well as receive encouragement from them.  It is always a privilege to be able to reconnect with people who have faithfully ran the race of life.  We have been able to serve in local congregations where many of these have attended church.  Not only will we be able to reconnect on a spiritual basis but we will be able to reconnect on a friendship/fellowship basis.


I am always thankful for the spiritual foundation that has played a major role in my spiritual development.  It is without question that the development of my personal relationship with Jesus Christ has been the most prominent factor in my developing maturity.  But God has also used these Seasoned Senior Saints to serve as role models, mentors, intercessors, and people of encouragement through my years of Christian service.  They deserve the honor, respect, admiration, and appreciation of this generation that is following in their footsteps.  They have built their lives on the foundational principles of Jesus Christ and the provisions of His Word and now it is time for this generation to pick up the mantle and continue building on the proper foundation.  You can read Matthew 7:24-29 and discover the importance of a proper foundation on which your life needs to be built.

Take a moment today and reflect on your need to have the proper foundation in your life.  Take a moment today and reflect on the opportunity to thank a Senior Saint for the contributions they have made to your spiritual development.  Each of us have been blessed because God put the proper people in our lives at the right moment.  Thank Him for the provision that He has made.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Life Altering Experiences

We have been involved in a great week of services at the New River Worship Center church plant in Radcliff, KY.  It is truly hard to fully describe the presence of the Holy Spirit.  The limit of my language ability hinders me from fully expressing my sincere recognition and appreciation of the presence of the Holy Spirit.  But I join with Mary the mother of Jesus declaring "my soul doth magnify the Lord."  I can truly sing the praises of the great and mighty God and thank Him for working in the hearts and lives of those who gathered each evening to seek after the presence of God.  The presence of the Lord in the meetings only encouraged me to maintain my passionate pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.  I firmly believe that we are living in the day and time which will demand that each of us seek for a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ and the authority that He has over the power of the enemy of our soul.

During the sermon last night the Lord reminded me of His "life altering" power and presence.  That revelation of truth is still fresh in my heart this morning; the Spirit of God desires to alter or change our lives.  Many of us desire for God to alter our circumstances or situations but we are not as concerned about Him altering our lives.  We want the situations around us to change but God is interested in changing each of us so that we will more fully reflect His glory in our lives.  The Pentecostal tradition of worship affords us the opportunity to have an open altar in which people are invited to come and pray.  We pray about all of the different needs that we may have such as salvation, healing, deliverance, Spirit baptism; and these are just a few things that we may pray about.  But the question arises, "Are coming to the altar and not leaving "altered?"  The altar is a place in which we interact with the life altering presence of the Holy Spirit.  The altar is not just at church; the altar can be anywhere that we bow our hearts before the Lord and allow Him to take control of our lives.  Each one of us need to recognize and respond to those "life altering experiences".  We need to remember that God is at work in each of us ready to fulfill and complete His purpose for our lives.  Let us be willing to surrender to the process of spiritual alteration and catch a glimpse of the finished product which is a strong, committed, and dedicated life to Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Where Are You Looking?

I sense the need to turn my attention to God as I read the Word of God and spend time in prayer.  Many things are taking place in our society which creates much concern and anxiety in our individual lives as well as the corporate church.  How will we respond to those situations?  I sincerely feel that our response must be one of a positive release of our faith.  We must choose to look to God and recognize that He is present in the midst of our difficulties.

A.W. Tozer makes this observation: "We must shift our interest from the seen to the unseen.  For the greatest unseen reality is God."  Each of us know that it is so easy to become captured by what we see and by what we feel.  Our emotional senses can be greatly influenced by those events and circumstances that are taking place to us as well as in us.  It is during those moments that we must make the conscious decision to turn our eyes to Jesus and understand the promise and power of His presence.  The challenge we face is finding the strength, energy, desire and faith to make that shift from the seen to the unseen.  It is easier to "see" what is taking place than to see the ability and power of Christ to move us through that challenging moment in our lives.  We must remember that we are the only ones that can make the choice to turn our attention to the "unseen reality of God."

After service last night one of the ladies of the church shared this testimony with me.  "It was 24 years ago today that I buried my 19 year old son who had tragically been killed in a car accident.  My grief and sorrow was overwhelming.  It seemed that I would never be able to come out of the darkness of the moment and the feeling that I had in my heart would never end.  I was in great despair and did not know if I could make it through those trying days.  I would find myself weeping in agony and sorrow; I was looking for help and strength that I did not have.  I went to the cemetery one day feeling overwhelmed with grief, sorrow, despair and discouragement.  I looked to the sky as I stood weeping by the grave site of my son.  It was at that moment that I heard the Voice of the Lord; He made this brief but powerful declaration over my life.  The voice said, "This is not the end but the beginning."  It was as if the presence of peace and relief began to flood my soul as I realized that God's view of the situation was very different from my view of the situation.  I began to sense the "peace that passes all understanding."  From that moment on I began to feel the Spirit performing the process of healing in my heart, mind, and spirit.  And today I still walk in the strength of those words; "This is not the end but the beginning."

Through the power of the Spirit we can turn our attention from the seen to the unseen reality of Christ at work in our circumstances!  Make the decision to look for the presence of Christ even during your most difficult and challenging moments of life.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Kingdom Celebration

Last night's service in Radcliff at New River Worship Center was AWESOME!  The presence of God was very evident from the opening declaration by the Pastor that we have come to "celebrate the promises and provisions found in the Kingdom of God."  The service was blessed by an Expressive Worship Team who led us into the presence of Christ through their worship and adoration of God.  The Praise and Worship Team were anointed as they also pointed us to Christ and reminded us of His greatness.  I am convinced that the church (people of God) must recapture the spirit of celebration.  The enemy of our soul plans to create an atmosphere that seeks to deflate our faith, our hope, and our strength.  But as we celebrate the greatness of our God our faith is renewed and refreshed.  We are then able to shift the concerns of our life away from the difficulties of the day and turns our hearts toward the King of Kings!  This "shifting" of our spirits allows us to follow the directions of the Apostle Peter found in 1 Peter 5:7, "Casting (throw) all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (KJV).  It is such a blessing to remember that the Lord truly cares about us and that He is interested in our journey through life on this earth.  I believe these promises and many more are discovered, revealed, and practiced as we celebrate the Kingdom of God.  Isn't it time that the people of God "got our praise on" and began to celebrate the greatness of our God and the promises found in His Kingdom?  Make the decision that you no longer will be a casual observer during the worship service but you will participate with sincere appreciation for God and celebrate His Kingdom.  I believe that you will notice a great difference in your walk with Christ.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Weekend Services

This week finds me in Radcliff, KY.  I am serving as Evangelist for a Kingdom Celebration at New River Worship Center.  New River is the church plant in which I am assisting.  The services on Sunday were wonderful as people gathered to celebrate the greatness of our God and to celebrate the provisions that have been declared for us in the Kingdom of God.  We are able to recognize and notice the effect of darkness but through our faith and response to God we are able to identify the promises and blessings of the Kingdom of God.  I choose to focus on the effect of the Kingdom of God; I understand that the power of darkness is at work in our culture but I also recognize the effect of the Spirit of God on the lives of individuals.

I am still encouraged to see people respond to the call of the Spirit during the altar invitation.  I still believe in the importance of the altar invitation; people need to have the opportunity to respond to the provision that is declared in the Word of God.  I am able to see people of all ages, all races, all socio-economic backgrounds, all educational levels, etc. respond to the call of the Holy Spirit.  Yesterday I was able to see this happen once more in the service at New River Worship Center.  After all of these years of being a Gospel Minister, I am still amazed at the release of the Love of God in a Worship service.  After all of these years I am still amazed at the willing and obedient response of people to the presence of the Love of God.  After all of these years I am still amazed when people say no to the lies of satan and say YES to the promises of God.  Yesterday we were able to see people receive in their lives the deposit of Life that God had prepared for them as individuals. Just as a Mother enjoys preparing the favorite meal for her children so does our Heavenly Father prepare blessings with each individual in mind.  Oh, how we can rejoice in the power and presence of the Love of God that surrounds us on a daily basis!

Take a moment today and reflect on the understanding that you are important to God as an individual. God prepares a service with you in mind.  God prepares the declaration of the Word of God with you in mind.  God prepares the Worship songs with you in mind.  It is no wonder that we go to church and shout out praise to our Most High God.  Rejoice, you are important to God!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Reflection

I returned yesterday from a wonderful revival meeting in Cottondale, AL.  The presence and unction of the Lord was evident in every aspect of the services.  The time of worship was impacted through the anointing of the Spirit and God used the local Youth Drama Team to minister in the power of the Spirit each evening.  The altar services were full of people who were searching for the answers that God would provide for their lives. There was great freedom and inspiration to share the Word of God; I truly believe that the Spirit of God impacted many lives in the meeting and only God fully knows all that was accomplished.  I just give God Glory and Praise for all that He is doing among His people in the Kingdom of God.

These meetings reminded me of the giftedness of the Body of Christ.  Just as each part of our physical body has a purpose God has a particular purpose for each believer who align themselves with Christ.  Isn't it a blessing to see your physical body work as God designed it?  No one us enjoys a time of sickness or injury that interferes with the actions of our physical body.  Sickness can place us in the bed for several days or injuries can limit our abilities to walk or talk and we all realize the disadvantage this brings to our lives.  The Body of Christ is also affected by "spiritual injuries" or "spiritual diseases"; these injuries or diseases cause a lack of progress and growth in a local church as well as hinders our witness to the community in which we live.  But, oh the joy of seeing the people of God operate as an unit as each of us live up to our potential and offer our gifts and talents to Christ.  I am able to identify this characteristic in churches that I attend as well as the church plant it which I am participating.  The church plant (New River Worship Center) in Radcliff, KY operates in my absence because of talented and gifted leaders who allow the Holy Spirit to use them for the edifying (building up) of the Body of Christ.  I am honored to serve along side these inspired leaders as well as serve along side inspired leaders as I travel around this nation.  Take a moment this weekend and thank the leadership of your local church for their willingness to share their gifts and abilities.  You as well as the leadership will be blessed by this act of kindness and thoughtfulness.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Anticipation

The word "anticipation" has been placed in my heart.  This word came to my attention after the service last evening in Cottondale, AL and I was awakened early this morning with that same word being spoken in my mind.  Over the past few services I have noticed what I call the "spirit of anticipation" building in the lives of people.  I have noticed different individuals walking down the isle during the altar invitation with a confident faith that God was going to meet them as they began to seek His presence.  I truly believe that confident faith is developed through the attitude of anticipation.  We develop our anticipation through the study of the Word; we develop our anticipation through the declaration of the Word through preaching and teaching; we develop our anticipation through the offering of our praise and worship to the Lord God Almighty; we develop our anticipation through the testimony of others; and finally we develop our anticipation as we watch God work in the lives of our family and friends.  Each of these actions that we take and that we notice allows us to turn our attention away from our circumstances.  Each of these actions that we take and that we notice allows us to turn our attention toward God and realize that He is greater than the events that are taking place in our lives.   I desire to live in the "spirit of anticipation."  I desire to go to my next church service anticipating a divine encounter with the Holy Spirit.  Would you take a moment and examine your level of anticipation?  Allow the Lord to increase your anticipation so that we can collectively see the Glory of God fill His House.  The presence of God will meet the needs of His people as we respond in obedience and trust.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Obedience, Part 2

The service last night was charged with the presence of the Holy Spirit.  The Youth Drama Team done an excellent job pointing us to the cross and to the provision that was made for us as Jesus suffered and died for all of mankind.  Once more I was reminded of my inability to fully explain and understand the depth of the love of God for myself as well as for others.  The cross serves as a reminder of the love of God for fallen humanity.  We must never forget that a great price was paid for our spiritual freedom and we need to recognize the love from God that is being extended and released to us even in this day and time.  The cross still speaks in power and authority to this generation; we can put our confidence and trust in God as we look to Him for guidance and direction. 

This question often arises in the hearts and minds of individuals; "What does God require in exchange for His love and grace?"  I will offer a simple answer to that question.  I believe that God simply asks for trust, faith, surrender, and obedience.  I know that many of you could add more of a detailed list for this question that I posed but I want to focus on our need to trust and obey.  Trust and obedience still opens the door of our life to the awesome presence of God that is able to make a difference in our circumstances.  In my opinion there is no way to skip over these two critical principles of the Word of God.  My response to God is an act of faith; I hear the promises of God and in faith I respond to those promises.  The release of our faith is an act of obedience that says to God that we fully believe what He has declared to us and that we are responding to those declarations.  In our world of modern conveniences and modern technology we are still being called to look to God with eyes and hearts of expectation that He has the power to meet the needs that we have in our lives.  I encourage you today to continue releasing your faith and watch God work in your life.  It is such a reward and encouragement to see people respond in faith and in doing so they are saying that God is greater than the circumstances that they are facing at the present time.  Each individuals obedience serves to encourage others to believe that with God all things are possible!  Be prepared to release your faith today.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Obedience

This week finds me in Cottondale, AL (suburb of Tuscaloosa) at the Cottondale Community Church with Pastor Ron & Pam Martin.  The Martin's as well as the local church body offered me a warm welcome into the fellowship of the church body in the services on Sunday.  The presence and anointing of the Spirit was very powerful as we lifted our voices in Praise and Prayer.  I am truly convinced that God desires to hear the voices of His children lifted up to Him in the spirit of Praise and Worship.  We must not allow the "cares of life" to rob us of our desire to lift up the name of Jesus.  He is still worthy of our Praise regardless of the circumstances of life that we are facing at any particular moment. I encourage you to find an opportunity every day to offer your personal thanksgiving to God for all of the blessings that He has bestowed on you. 

I walked in the freedom of the Spirit as I shared the Word of God.  God spoke to the hearts of many people as they responded to the call of the Spirit.  A heart of obedience led them to bring their needs to the altar; the Spirit ministered to these individuals as God began to meet the needs of His children.  We must always remember that God is truly interested in the circumstances that we are facing.  God desires to draw near to us even at the most difficult times of our lives.  We must continue to walk in trust, surrender, and obedience to God.  I am looking forward to the remaining services of this week at the Cottondale church.  The atmosphere is charged with the presence of the Holy Spirit; I desire to walk in the favor of God.  Will you join with me in declaring the favor of God over your life?  God is at work and we must respond in obedience to His Voice.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Knowledge

There is a great emphasis on gaining the proper amount of knowledge in our world today.  We identify the need of education and in many cases our different vocations require a certain amount of continuing education.  But do we take the same approach to our relationship with Christ?  Do we continue to seek to improve the level of knowledge that we have concerning the things of God?  Are we involved in the process of continuing education or have we grown content with our level of spiritual growth and maturity?  I believe that the the power of the Word of God will make a lasting impact on our life as we apply its principles on a daily basis. 

The following passage was read to us in the Men's Prayer Meeting that I attended a few days ago.  Psalm 119:11, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You" (NKJV).  This passage challenges each of us regarding our need to allow the Word of God to make a difference in our lives.  I sincerely feel that the Word of God must become more important to us as we move toward the return of Jesus Christ.  We must have a desire to know the Word of God.  I am not talking about being satisfied with an intellectual knowledge of the Word; I am talking about a deep hunger for the Word of God that will make a difference in the way we conduct our lives.  Doesn't the connotation of "hiding something" denote the idea that what is hidden is valuable to that individual?  Do we consider the Word of God valuable or do we just consider the Word of God valuable to the Minister who stands to declare the Truths of God?  Our generation must rediscover and in some cases discover for the first time the VALUE of the Word of God!  Our lives will be changed when we apply the principles found in the Word of God to our daily lives.  We will become better people when we allow the Word of God to make an impact on our decisions, our attitudes, our actions, our reactions, and our lifestyle.  Can you identify the responsibility that each of us have regarding our need to gain a deeper understanding of the Word of God?  Read the Word of God and listen to the Word of God being declared with an open heart so that we can understand those directives that God is speaking to us.  The Word of God will make a positive contribution in our lives as we receive its strength and power into our daily walk with Christ.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Do You Remember?

Last night's Bible Study/Prayer Meeting at New River Worship Center in Radcliff, KY was challenging as well as enlightening.  Luke Reed taught a lesson reminding us of our need to remember our past victories and deliverance as we prepare to face our future struggles and tests of our faith.  She taught us that we are prone to forget those "God moments" in our lives in which God revealed Himself in a marvelous and miraculous manner.  Each of us have experienced and continue to experience those moments in which God intervenes in our life and provides the strength that we need to continue our journey through life. 

I was reminded of moments of divine intervention in my life and the lives of my family as I listened to Sis. Luke share some of her personal testimony concerning events that she and her family have faced.  Each of us have those "testimonies" in which God has revealed Himself as the Answer in the midst of our trials and struggles.  WE CAN NOT AFFORD TO FORGET THE WONDERFUL PRESENCE AND LOVE OF GOD THAT WE SENSE ON A DAILY BASIS!  We must learn to constantly develop our spiritual memory and resist the temptation to develop spiritual amnesia.  Sis. Luke reminded us that our present faith and future faith will be connected to our remembrance of those moments in which God revealed Himself in the midst of our darkest and most challenging moments.  I left that service encouraged to remember and reflect on the gracious promises of Jesus Christ and His ability to fulfill those promises in our lives.  This morning I sense in my heart that some of you who are reading this blog need to be reminded of your past victories in the battle of life.  YOU AND I need to reflect on the presence of God and remember that Christ has promised never to leave us nor forsake us.  This promise include those moments in which our life has been turned upside down yet we can sense the love of God and the strength of God at work even in our most difficult moments.  Take a moment today and remember the greatness of God and the presence of God in some of those trying moments in your life.  I truly believe that you will be encouraged to continue your journey with God realizing that you are not alone in your walk through life!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Men of Prayer

Yesterday I participated in an early morning Prayer Meeting with men from Hardin County in Kentucky.  A large group of men gathered to be challenged through the devotional words of a local Pastor and then we were asked to pray about specific spiritual goals in our lives.  These men were being challenged to "man up" and take their rightful place in society as spiritual leaders and spiritual examples to their friends and family.  Each of us can agree with the fact that we need godly examples from people who are willing to resist the spirit of the culture and make their testimony for Christ known through their actions as well as their words.  We can no longer afford just to "talk the talk" we must be willing to "walk the walk" of true Christian commitment and service. 

One of the challenges that the Pastor issued yesterday concerned our desire.  He based his challenge on the passage found in Psalm 119:10, "With my whole heart I have sought you; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!" (NKJV).  We must ask ourselves this question, "Am I truly seeking God with all of my heart or have I just learned to repeat the words of my prayers?"  Desire causes us to finish our education; desire causes us to leave very early in the morning for a hunting trip or fishing trip; desire causes us to arrive early at the ballgame so that we can enjoy the "atmosphere" of the stadium; desire causes a person to leave for work even though they had rather stay at home on that particular morning.  Each of you could add your own examples of desire to this list I created.  But these examples allow us to ask ourselves some serious questions concerning our desire for God.  God already knows whether or not I am truly seeking Him with all of my heart.  But we must look deep into our soul and examine our true desire for God.  We know whether or not our desire is sincere and true or whether our desire is merely a pretense to impress other believers with which we worship or have interaction.  A true desire for God will keep us wandering away from the principles and commandments of God. 

I do not desire to wander away from God; I desire to draw near to God!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Fellowship

Yesterday I was involved in a wonderful service at New River Worship Center in Radcliff, KY. New River is a church plant in which I am participating. Radcliff is a city adjacent to Fort Knox. Please feel free to contact me if you have friends or relatives that are stationed at Fort Knox. We would be honored to make contact with them. Yesterday I was reminded of the joy of Christian fellowship which takes place among the family of God. Before service ever began you could hear the chatter and banter of people as they immersed themselves in conversation with one another. Some of these conversations covered serious matters while others were just friends catching up on the normal things of life. Each of these situations provided the opportunity for these individuals to share conversation with each other. It is such a blessing to realize that God has given us the ability and desire to interact with one another through conversation and fellowship. We concluded the service with a fellowship dinner which provided even more opportunities for moments of serious and not so serious interaction with each other. You could hear sounds of laughter; sounds of concern as people shared needs with each other; sounds of future plans as dreams and hopes were discussed; and sounds of thankfulness as words of appreciation were spoken between various individuals. Never lose the joy of fellowship. Let us appreciate the moments that God gives us to share with one another. God has made us with the ability and desire to interact with one another; let us enjoy that gift from God.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Laying Down our Burdens

Last night my wife taught the adult Bible Study class at New River Worship Center.  The Spirit through her challenged us to be willing to lay aside any "baggage" that would hinder our journey with God.  She compared our lives to a traveler who is standing at the baggage claim area in the airport.  The conveyor is moving around all sizes of luggage, all types of luggage, and all weights of luggage.  The passengers are surveying the conveyor trying to identify what piece or pieces of luggage belongs to them.  Daily life presents to us many opportunities to pick up all sorts of baggage that will hinder our walk with God.  I have to be willing to make the proper choice and not allow my life to become over-burdened with the struggles and challenges of daily living.  I want to run this race of life in a manner that is pleasing to Christ; that means at certain intervals on the journey I have to take the time and examine the load that I am carrying.  Anything that hinders me or slows me down needs to be laid aside so that I can continue to make the appropriate progress in my walk with Christ.  Take the time today to inventory the load that you are carrying and see what God would have you to lay aside.  We must be free to run a successful race which will bring us into the presence of God both in the eternal realm as well as the present reality that God is with us at this very moment. 

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

"Iron Sharpens Iron"

Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend" (NLT).

I was privileged to participate in a meeting with the foundational leaders of a church plant in Radcliff, KY last night.  As the meeting concluded this passage of scripture began to resonate in my heart.  When I awoke this morning this passage of scripture began to resonate in my heart.   I began to sense in my spirit that the Holy Spirit was reminding me of the need to speak encouraging words, challenging words based on the power and authority of the scriptures, life changing words, corrective words, visionary words, and hopeful words to each other.  We need to edify (build up) one another as we travel the road of life.

I listened to the leaders as they sat around the table and spoke to each other from the depths of their heart.  They spoke with passion, they spoke with tears, they spoke from the depths of a heart that has been touched by the presence and direction of the Spirit, they shared their dreams and hopes after a prayer session; and they even shared the comical side of life.  I mention these moments of interaction because I desire for you to sense the importance of this post today.  We live in a world of destruction, discouragement, despair, and even disdain for our fellow human beings.  These attitudes of the "world" must not become a part of the spiritual culture of the church.  No, we must take the path which leads away from destruction and despair.  We must choose the path of edification and encouragement.  We must remind each other that we are not alone in our journey and that we are committed to assisting each other down the path of success and not the path of failure.  Our words can be used to help mold, shape, and develop each other on this Christian journey.  Reflect on these passages of scripture as you prepare to interact with people throughout the upcoming days.  You and I never know the circumstances that our friends may be facing but God is able to provide each of us the encouraging words that individual may need to hear.

Proverbs 15:23b, "...a word spoken in due season, how good is it! (KJV).  Proverbs 25:11, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver" (KJV).  Be alert to the opportunity to speak a kind and thoughtful word to someone today.

Reminder:  The team of church planters with which I am associated would be honored to be able to contact your friends or family who are presently living in the Radcliff, KY area or your friends or family who are presently stationed at Fort Knox, KY.  This group of leaders have a heart to share the good news of the Gospel with the community of Radcliff and Fort Knox!  Feel free to send their names and contact information to my email address listed in the About Me portion of the blog.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Continue to Seek God

I have returned home from the International Assembly of the Church of God of Prophecy in Greensboro, NC.  Spiritual leaders from over 80 nations of the world gathered for this time of fellowship, devotion, inspiration and challenge.  The presence of God was very near in each of the services as hungry believers reached up for more of the direction of God in their hearts and lives.  Many wonderful testimonies were shared; wonderful times of worship and refreshing were evident in the services; and men and women ministered under the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

Bishop Timothy Harper brought the concluding challenge on Sunday morning.  He reminded us that we can not grow content with our spiritual position at any time of our lives.  We must understand that God is transitioning us to a deeper and clearer understanding of His presence and power.  We can not afford to "camp out" in our present relationship with Christ but we must be prepared to move forward and draw closer to God.  Each of us must be willing to answer the above stated challenges.  We can not afford to grow comfortable in our present spiritual condition; we can not afford to walk in pride or self-righteous in our present spiritual condition; and we can not afford to remain separated from the call of the Spirit that is being declared in our world.  We must respond in obedience to the work of the Spirit and allow Him to have full leadership in our journey with God. 

I am preparing my heart to continue seeking after God.  I know that God has more of His Spirit to deposit in my life and I am determined to receive all that God has planned for me.  Will you join me on that journey?  Will you continue to seek after God?  Will you allow Him to be Lord of your life?  Many more spiritual victories will be won as we continue to pursue the presence of the Spirit in our individual lives as well as our corporate lives!