Monday, January 31, 2011

Response to God

The past few days have been challenging as I desire to share my heart with the readers of this blog. I feel as though that I have become a full time therapy patient when I include the time I spend with the therapist as well as the exercises that I need to use at home. I also was busy this past week with ministerial duties which occupied much of my time. It is a blessing to be able to assist people when they are facing trying circumstances in their lives. It is so wonderful to see the Holy Spirit meet people at their point of need. We may not know how to respond to certain events that take place in our lives but the Spirit always knows how to minister to people as they walk through those valleys of difficulty. I am glad that I serve a Living and Loving God who cares deeply about humanity. The sermon yesterday revolved around the understanding that the Kingdom of God is at work in the here and now. We do not have to wait for the Kingdom of God to arrive; Jesus declared in Mark that the "kingdom of God is at hand." We wait in earnest expectation for the release of the Kingdom of God in our individual lives. We need to release our faith and respond to the invitation of the Holy Spirit to walk in agreement with the will and plan of God.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Encouragement

There are many readers of this blog who know me personally while others of you read this blog based on the recommendation of your friends.  For those of you who do not personally know me I have a strong desire to be an encourager.  I take that approach to my daily walk with Christ and I purposefully look for opportunities to share that action with people.  But even those of us who possess that desire to be an encourager have the need to be encouraged.  Over the past two days my life has been blessed by receiving encouragement from people that God has strategically placed in my life.  This encouragement has taken the form of words and actions.  Yesterday (Sunday) several people spoke a word of encouragement to me and this was not just limited to people who attended church with me although there was one specific encounter in which a person opened their heart and spoke a heartfelt word that spoke "life" to my life.  I was also blessed at lunch yesterday when an individual approached our table and begin to encourage our pursuit of the will of God.  I will admit that I know the individual nevertheless that knowledge did not diminish the effect of the conversation.  This morning I opened my email and a wonderful brother in Christ had taken the time to write a letter of encouragement to me.  A few days ago my wife received a thoughtful card in the mail which included a wonderful word of encouragement.  Why am I writing these thoughts on Monday afternoon?  I write because the Spirit reminded me of the powerful "ministry of encouragement" for the lack of a better term.  Each of us will meet or already have met an individual today who just needs to hear a word of blessing or encouragement.  They may be standing at a crossroads in their life and they are choosing to take the road marked despair or the road marked hope and you can be the instrument that points them toward the highway called HOPE and COURAGE.  Take time to be an instrument of encouragement.  You will be blessed in your role of servanthood and the recipient will be blessed as they draw strength from the Holy Spirit!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Sunday Review

It has been a practice of mine for many years to replay the service and the presentation of the message in my mind. I like to take those moments and review the service and sense what God was speaking and what He is still speaking to me even after the service is completed. I base my thesis on the understanding that the "Word of God is living and powerful." The anointing of the Holy Spirit was very evident today and I sensed that the Spirit was speaking hope and strength to the present day church. I understand that many people speak words of death and defeat over the present day church. There are many so called "experts" (and I use that term loosely) who say that the church is irrelevant and unable to make a difference in this culture. I beg to differ with that thought process; I sense right the opposite. During service today God reminded me that the days of true Revival have not ended. During my time of review this afternoon God reaffirmed that declaration in my spirit. God will bring Revival to the church in 2011 if we will trust Him, obey Him, and offer our lives in service to the cause of His Kingdom. I am determined to spread that message in word and in action. God is at work in 2011 and we need to prepare our hearts to walk into our individual as well as corporate destiny. Take a few moments and recommit your journey to the Lord and let Him know that you are determined to be a faithful servant today.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

What did I Learn?, Part 3

Each of the lessons that I am learning through the process of recovery from the injuries that I received have becomes lessons that God is planting deep in my heart during this particular time in my life.  It is as though God wants me to learn these lessons well so that I will not become trapped by any of the tricks of the enemy.  I have been taught certain principles or actions of the enemy that he my take against my life throughout my Christian journey.  We come to understand that the enemy has a strategy or plan for our demise and he will wait for the appropriate time (at least in his eyes) to spring that attack on us.  I have become more aware of the need to be alert and aware at all times of the approach of the enemy.  I truly believe that these are critical times for me personally but I also firmly believe that these are critical times for the family of God.  Each of us are sensing the presence and activity of the enemy as he seeks to dismantle and destroy our faith but I am determined to lean on and trust in the promises of God and allow Him to be exalted and glorified in my life.

During these past few months the Lord has reminded me of my weaknesses.  This has not been in the manner of reminding me of my failures, or even causing me to feel some feeling of unworthiness of His blessings.  The Spirit has revealed my weaknesses so that I might refocus on the strengths of God and His Word.  This revelation has not left me feeling as though the Spirit has beaten me up or beaten me down rather this revelation has brought fresh freedom and inspiration to my life.  I have been reminded that God never expected me to successfully navigate the race of life based on my strength alone.  The Spirit and the Word have always been God's way to reveal His strength and power in my life so that I could overcome rather than being overcome.  Isn't that fact liberating and exhilarating rather than discouraging and leaving you feeling defeated?  The identification of my weaknesses opened the door of my heart so that I could pursue more of His strength in my life.  I was reminded that the call of ministry that I feel at this moment can not be completed in the weaknesses or strengths of my ability but it can only be accomplished through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.  I feel the liberty and unction of the Spirit as I write these words.  Each of us will live in the valley that I call "Overwhelmed" when we think that our spiritual journey depends on our abilities but when we catch the vision that God has called us to "cast all our care on Him" we can move forward and realize that God is ready to provide what we need to run this race of life successfully.  Take courage child of God and look to your Heavenly Father today and trust in His strength with renewed faith, vigor, and persistence!  You are called to live the Christian life through the strength of God!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

What Did I Learn, Part 2

Many of you who take the time to read this blog know that I am recovering from injuries that I sustained in a fall in October of 2010. I have made much progress in my recovery but I still have some goals to reach in my complete recovery. I do appreciate your prayers up to this point and I take this opportunity to ask for your continued prayer covering I wanted to share some more of the lessons that I have been taught during this process of healing. In some ways this lesson is connected with the lesson concerning independence. I was reminded of the need to walk in the attitude of humility. My lack of independence brought to me the sense of humility. Independence can lead to an attitude of arrogance, pride, haughtiness, and a spirit of high-mindedness. If I remember correctly the Bible warns us concerning these attitudes gaining the upper hand in our lives. No one of us likes to admit that pride or our ego has gained a foothold in our lives. We desire to emphasize our "humility" rather than facing the challenge of pride that can attach itself to our lives. Undoubtedly the Spirit saw the need to remind me of the need to walk with humility in the sight of God as well as the sight of man. As I have taken a fresh look at humility I have been able to see my heart become more sensitive and broken concerning the work of God as well as the needs of people. In my opinion it is difficult for brokenness and humility to properly function in the soil of pride. I have decided to set aside any action and attitude of pride and seek a deeper revelation of the heart of God. The heart of God will reveal the true spirit of humility which will generate in each of us the heart of service and servanthood. I am re-committing myself to a life of service and servanthood. I sincerely desire to walk in the Spirit of humility and resist the temptation to walk in the strength of the flesh.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Weekend Review

This past week was very busy between therapy sessions and ministerial opportunities.  I am certainly thankful for all of the opportunities that God provides for me to share the Good News of the Gospel and to be able to see the impact that the Gospel has on the lives of individuals.  God will present many of those opportunities to each of us but we must be willing and prepared to walk through the open door that God presents.  I truly believe that people are looking for someone who will share the truth and demonstrate the love and concern of God as they are sharing that truth.

Thursday and Friday found me in conversation with some Christian leaders.  It was a wonderful time of  the exchanging of ideas, plans, desires, and goals.  One thing came to my attention this morning as I was in prayer.  There are times in which it is difficult to share the deep feelings of your heart.  There are times in which it is difficult to share those things that God has placed on your heart especially when they call you to step out of the box of normal procedure and action.  There are times that it is difficult to explain those things that God has placed in your heart as you have prayed and cried out to God.  I am not making these statements in a heart of negativity or rejection rather I am reminding you of the complexity of God and the simplicity of man.  We may even be able to reverse that statement; man has a way of making obeying God complex while all the time God in a plain and simple manner is revealing the path that we should follow.  I do not want to be guilty of making the work and plan of God so complex that people will fail to see the heart and mind of God which is revealed in the message of the Gospel.  God has a plan to save mankind and His plan includes using you and I to accomplish that goal.  Will each of us willingly offer ourselves to Christ as a servant that is available to perform the will of the Master?

Sunday found me in the pulpit of New River Worship Center in Radcliff, KY.  This church plant is a little over one year old and we are seeing the presence of God reveal Himself in a marvelous manner.  This past Sunday was no exception as we gathered to offer our praise and honor to God.  We are seeing the Spirit of God touch the lives of believers as well as non-believers.  God is moving in this outreach effort and I am thankful to be able to participate with God in His plan for the community of Radcliff.  This month of January has found me sharing from Isaiah 43 concerning the "New Things" that God is able to provide for His people.  God has provided us with a memory which allows us to look back and faith which allows us to look forward into our future.  But neither of these were meant to cause us to overlook our present walk with Christ.  God is at work NOW in our lives! RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT God is at work in your walk with Him.  Take some time and identify the transformation that is taking place in your life today.  Do not resist the work of the Spirit rather embrace the work of the Spirit so that the plan of God can be accomplished in you.  I am excited about 2011 and the ministerial opportunities that it holds for each of us.  The disciples were able to identify the harvest that would appear in four months but Jesus told them to look at the fields at the present time and realize that they were ripe for harvest.  The same faith that will encourage you to look to the future will also encourage you to look at the present.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

What did I learn?

I wrote a few days ago about sharing about some of the things that God has been teaching me during the process  of my recovery from the fall that I incurred in October of last year.  I will have to admit that some of the lessons have been difficult to receive and I would have preferred to have avoided them if at all possible.  But in retrospect I realize that some of these principles needed to be reestablished in my heart and life if I was going to successfully follow God into the fullness of my future.  Did you take time to notice the last four words of the previous sentence?  Each of us have no option about the future; we do not know what the future holds but we can know the One who holds the future.  I have decided that I just do not want to move into my future in some haphazard manner and attitude.  I want to walk into the fullness of God's plan and purpose but to be successful in that endeavour I must be willing to learn the principles that God will place in my life.

This is one of the first principles that I learned following the accident; I was not as independent as I thought and acted.  I learned quickly that I would need help from others if I was going to recover from this accident.  It did not take me long to appreciate those that God placed in my life for the specific purpose of assistance.  I started looking for the goodness in that person who was assisting me rather than the faults or weaknesses that I could identify if I looked at them through critical eyes.  I was amazed at the difference in my life as I looked through eyes of appreciation rather than eyes of criticism.  I needed help with my clothes, with my jacket, with my shower, someone needed to drive for me for a few days and even certain foods had to be cut by my wife so that I could eat that particular food.  Here is a funny incident, I even had to ask a lady in McDonald's to put a lid on my cup because I was unable to complete that maneuver.  Doesn't that paint a great picture of Mr. Independence?  

If we are not careful we take that attitude toward God and the fellow members of the Body of Christ.  We declare these words through our actions; "Leave me alone, I can do it by myself.  I could have done that without your help.  I don't need your help and I don't want your help.  I can take care of myself, I don't need your sympathy."  Each of you could add your own commentary to these statements but take a moment to catch the point that God placed in my heart.  God has not called us to be independent rather He has called us to be inter-dependent.  First of all we are to be dependent on God for all of our needs and second of all we are to look at those people God has placed in our lives with eyes of appreciation.  Look at your family with eyes of appreciation; look at your Pastor with eyes of appreciation; and look at your fellow Christian brothers and sisters with eyes of appreciation.  We need each other and many people have the ability to contribute to your journey through life.  Take a moment today and appreciate all of the wonderful people that God has placed in your path through your life.

Monday, January 10, 2011

"New" things in 2011

Isaiah 43:18-19, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I  am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." (NIV)

I truly sense in my heart a strong urgency of the Spirit to remind you that we need to be alert and aware of all that God is doing at this present moment and we need to allow our faith to expand so that we can receive what God is going to reveal in our tomorrows.  I have shared from this passage of scripture the past two Sunday mornings in Radcliff, KY.  Many of us need to move beyond our past and walk into the liberating freedom of our future.  God has new and fresh life that He desires to place in your walk with Him.  Will we listen to the direction of the Spirit or will we chose to live in the defeat and discouragement of our past?  It is so easy to allow the failures of yesterday to set the pattern of our thinking today.  The enemy seeks to capture us in the bondage of yesterday; he does not want us to embrace the theology of Paul spoken in I Corinthians, "...old things are passed away and all things have become new."  I firmly believe that we must look ahead and realize that God has wonderful and dynamic plans for our lives.  Prepare your hearts to walk into your future fully believing that God is at work and that He will accomplish His purpose in your life.  Be blessed as you walk with hope and faith into 2011and prepare to receive a fresh anointing of the Spirit in your walk with Christ.


Friday, January 7, 2011

Thankful for Progress

I had other plans for my post today but the Spirit began to speak a reminder in my heart as I was making a post on Twitter. Had I taken the time to offer God praise for my progress that is taking place through the combination of prayer and therapy? We are not embarrassed to ask God to supply our needs but are we just as eager when it comes to offering God praise? My blessings have come in many forms and fashions. I am thankful for my wife who has assisted in "nursing" me back to recovery over the past two months. I am thankful for the New River Worship Center church body who have offered concern, compassion, prayer support, and encouragement through this process. I am thankful for the doctors and therapists who have guided me through the recovery and restoration of my mobility and strength in my left shoulder, elbow, arm, and hand. I have not reached my goal as of yet, but I have come a long way in the past month. A portion of an old song comes to mind as I type these words; "...Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings and see what God has done..." Each of you may need to take the time to enumerate some the blessings that God is sending your way today and over the past few days. Your heart will feel lighter and your spirit will feel lifted as you make a declaration of praise to God.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Spiritual Process

I just completed my ninth session of occupational therapy a few minutes ago. These sessions have reminded me about the importance of process. I have seen great progress in the movement of my shoulder over the past several weeks. The elbow is a different story; it is still somewhat rebellious and resists the treatment of the therapist. The elbow has the capability of doing what it did before the fall but it has become frozen or locked in it's present position. The present position of the elbow hinders me from doing those things that require the cooperation of the elbow. Isn't that the way we become with God? We become frozen or locked into a certain place in our relationship with God and if we are not careful stubbornness or disobedience begins to control us. My elbow has reached the place that it has become comfortable not moving and it resists my effort to move it in a normal fashion. We must be careful and not become content or comfortable in our spiritual condition. The Holy Spirit understands and knows the areas in which we need movement, flexibility, and strength. My elbow says, "Leave me alone, I am comfortable in this position" but my mind and body says I need your help. Don't we tell the Spirit to leave us alone when we resist His work in our lives? Don't we tell the Spirit that we are comfortable when we ignore the call from God to draw closer to His will and way? I am committed to the process of seeing my shoulder, elbow, arm, and hand restored completely. If I am going to see that process completed I must be willing to submit to the leadership of the therapist and be willing to follow her directions. We must be willing to follow the Spirit into the process of our spiritual future and submit to His direction in our individual lives. Let 2011 be a great year of spiritual transformation for each of us.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Personal Reflections

God has been teaching me many different things during the past weeks as I have been recovering from the injuries that I received from a fall in October, 2010.  I have been learning about myself as well as learning more about God as well as my faith in God.  It is during those trying, challenging circumstances that we learn about the moral fiber of our character as well as the depth of our faith and trust in God.  There are times that we learn things about ourselves that we did not know even existed or at least we thought that we had taken care of them in an earlier period of our lives.  We are also able to reconnect with God and in some cases even recommit our lives to Christ and service in His Kingdom.  I have always considered myself a student of spiritual learning yet the past months have taught me that my "education" is not completed and in some cases it is only beginning.  I realize even more now that I need to maintain an open heart and an open spirit to God and allow Him to do His continual work in my life.  I have written and preached about the "process of the Holy Spirit" and I have been reminded that those messages were not just for the congregation but they were also intended to encourage my spiritual development.  No one of us lives above the need of spiritual development; we are all in need of the Spirit to accomplish His work in our spiritual journey.  I can truly say that I am entering 2011 with a different attitude about myself and a deeper hunger for the presence of God to be manifested in my daily life.  Over the next few posts I desire to share some of the principles that God placed in my heart during the process of recovery and now the process of therapy.  Some of these principles may only apply to me while others can be applied to the lives of my fellow believers.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Weekend Review

Each of us have made the plunge into 2011 whether we are prepared or not.  We can take confidence in the fact that God is awaiting us as we move into our future.  I am thankful that God has chosen to reveal Himself to humanity and that He is willing to walk along side of us as we move through the journey called life  

This weekend found us celebrating Christmas with my wife's family.  Although her parents died several years ago her family has endeavoured to keep their family tradition alive and their family connected to each other.  I firmly believe that the celebration of Christmas is about the birth of our Savior.  But I also believe that Christmas is a time to reflect on the importance of family.  We must resist the tactics of the world in which we take for granted those that are the closest to us.  Possessions can be replaced but family members can never be fully replaced.  I made a special effort this year to look around the room and take some time just to love and appreciate my family.  I am truly thankful for my family and how God uses each of them to enrich my life.  It is not too late for you to take some time to thank God for your family and for you to appreciate all of the joy that they have brought to your life.  Life is too short not to appreciate those people who love you the most.  I don't think that any of us live in a "perfect" family but many of us are blessed to live in a family that is full of love for each other.  That is the greatest gift that you could receive this year.

Sunday found me in church at New River Worship Center ( new church plant) in Radcliff, Kentucky.  The presence of the Lord was very near and powerful as we gathered to usher in the New Year through praise and adoration to our King.  I challenged the people on Sunday to be ready to follow God into the New Year.  We do not know what the remaining days of 2011 will hold but we do believe that God will be with us regardless of the events or circumstances that will come our way.  2011 will afford each of us many opportunities to walk by faith and to see our faith in God strengthened.  God will walk with us and move us through whatever adversities that will come against us.  We must be prepared to surrender our lives to Christ and let Him know that we are ready to serve Him in whatever manner He desires.  I am committing myself to a closer walk with Christ and fully believe that He will meet the needs that challenge me on a daily basis.

Remember to join with other brothers and sisters in Christ in a time of Prayer & Fasting over the next three weeks.  God will respond to the sacrifice that we make as we seek His face for personal direction as well as corporate direction.  

Saturday, January 1, 2011

2011

Today we begin a 365 day journey with many questions, ideas, plans, and dreams.  Each of us are unaware of all of the situations and circumstances that we will face on a daily basis.  Some of us may be facing  economic uncertainty; some may be facing health issues; some may be facing family or martial issues and a litany of many other issues that may be personal and private.  But each of us have one thing in common; we all face the opportunity to trust God when these circumstances begin to arise in our lives.  We can place our hope and our faith in the promises of God knowing that He was faithful to us during the year of 2010.  We look back over the past year and offer God sincere thanksgiving for the victories that we have won and we look ahead and offer God praise for our future provisions that come through His awesome mercy and grace.  We use the phrase "Happy New Year" knowing that each day may NOT be full of joy and happiness as we walk down the road of life.  But we can use the phrase, "Have a Blessed New Year" knowing that we can rely on the presence of God to reveal the blessings that we need as we navigate our way through the daily pace of our life.  

Let me leave you with this passage that we studied in Bible Study this past Wednesday night.  Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not to your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths" (NKJV).  Each and every day of 2011 will be full of opportunities to place our trust in God.  Each and every day will be full of opportunities to acknowledge Him and allow Him to direct and order our paths.  Do not enter this new year with fear or doubt; enter this new year will bold confidence in God and the promises of His Word.