Happy Anniversary

Forty-one (41) years ago today I was privileged and blessed to be able to marry the love of my life. I want to take this public opportunity to wish my wife, Ann, a very HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! Ann has fulfilled so many important roles in my life through our years together. She is my best friend, she is my confidant, she is my supporter, she is my encourager, and I could keep adding to this list. Ann is my prayer partner as well as life partner. We have been blessed to travel this road of life together. Our successful journey though life has been a combination of many personal and spiritual characteristics. But I do have one observation that I believe is worth mentioning. At a very early point in our marriage we chose to look inside our marriage to have our needs met rather than looking for people outside our marriage to fulfill any need that we may have. This does not mean that we lived an introverted life and keep other people at a distance from us rather it simply meant that we felt that no one could meet the needs we faced like our companion could meet them. This attitude included our physical and emotional needs that we faced. I believe that many couples fall prey to the tactic of the enemy and look outside the parameters of their marriage to have needs met that God intended marriage to meet for them. We also placed our confidence and trust in God and asked Him to be the guide of our steps and decisions. We committed our lives to Christ and decided to do our best to live by the principles that He taught us. As with all couples we did face our set of challenges in every area of our life but through our faith in God and our commitment to Christ we were able to work our way through those obstacles. For your information I was a Minister when we married and our life has been spent in Ministry. We have seen God work in our lives and in the lives of many people for which we are grateful and very thankful. Ann, I LOVE YOU and I am thankful that you are my wife.

God is Active Today

  The activity of the Spirit was very present and evident in the service yesterday at New River Worship Center. I was reminded of the word "active" this morning as I was reflecting on yesterday's service. Why should I be surprised or amazed? The activity of the Spirit in the affairs of mankind is revealed throughout the pages of the Bible. We notice that the Spirit was active in both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. The Spirit does not lie dormant in our modern society and He is not passive in the affairs of mankind today. We witnessed the activity of the Spirit as we offered our worship to God. I sensed the activity of the Spirit as I preached the Word of God to the congregation. I recognized the active ministry of the Spirit during our time of prayer in the altar service. Do you see the theme in my post today? I desire to testify that the Spirit is active TODAY in your life and each of us need to identify and respond to the presence of God. We can rejoice in the fact that God is very aware of the individual circumstances that we are facing and He is ready to actively participate in our walk through life. 

Surprised????

Each of us face those life challenging moments as we travel down our personal road of life. We understand that no one can walk that road for us but that God gives us people to walk the road with us. It is through the presence of God and the presence of family and friends that we sense and see the ministering kindness, love, and power of God. I was reminded this morning that we should never be surprised when God reveals His presence in the midst of our difficulty. He is simply fulfilling the promises that He through His Word has made to His children. We can rejoice in His promises and in His presence. Thank you God for reminding me of this awesome principle today.

 

I found a version of the song, His Eye is on the Sparrow. These words were sung by Michael Peterson.

 

Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely,
And long for heav'n and home,
When Jesus is my portion,
My constant friend is He;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me.

Chorus:
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free;
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me.

"Let not your heart be troubled,"
His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness,
I lose my doubts and fears,
Tho' by the path He leadeth,
But one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me.


Whenever I am tempted,
Whenever clouds arise,
When song gives place to sighing,
When hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him;
From care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me.


Prepared for the Journey

  This weekend has been packed with mixed emotions. The Sunday morning service at New River was energized through the presence of the Spirit as we reflected on the power and authority of the Word of God. The Word of God has the ability to raise the level of expectation in our individual lives as we open our hearts to hear what God is saying. The Word of God will produce "good fruit" in our lives when it finds the good soil of faith and obedience. The Word of God will do more than provide information; it will provide direction and guidance concerning the way that we ought to live our life. We must allow the Spirit to take the Word and reveal to each of us how the Word needs to be applied to our lives. 

Tomorrow we will celebrate the life of one of the members of our local congregation. Bro. Kenneth Gillenwater has been a part of the congregation since the very beginning of this ministry 3 1/2 years ago. He will be missed but we rejoice in the fact that his race is finished. Bro. Kenneth's passing reminded us of the principle that we need to be ready at all times. He died suddenly on Friday in his home sitting at his kitchen table. His departure from this life into his new life came in a very brief moment which required him to have made prior arrangements with his Savior. He did not have time to make arrangements with God regarding the condition of his soul. Have you made those arrangements with God? Have you committed your life to Christ and confessed Him as your Savior? Do you live with eternity in view and not just live for earthly moments of fulfillment and satisfaction? This is the day to make sure that all is well between yourself and God. This could be the day that he calls you into eternity. Are you prepared to make the trip? 

Title 3

Valentine's Day

  Happy Valentine's Day from Louisville, Kentucky! This is a day to remember those that we love and to cherish the love that they share with us on a daily basis. I am thankful for my wife who has shared her love for me for almost 41 years. Our marriage has faced its own unique set of challenges yet we have been able to work through those challenges with a commitment of love for each other. We have also learned to allow the Love of God to direct and strengthen our love for one another. The Love of God reveals to us the ability to love one another. The release of God's love in my life has taught me the importance of loving my wife and cherishing her a gift from God. I am thankful for the gift that God has placed in my life and I desire to guard that gift to the best of my ability. 

Do You Remember When?

Have you ever been involved in a conversation when someone asked you the question, "Do you remember when?" They had been describing an event or even maybe a set of circumstances and they wanted to see if you could remember that same event or that same set of circumstances. Those words came into my prayer time this morning as I reflected on the meaning of Ash Wednesday. I realize that Ash Wednesday has different connotations depending on your church background. Through the years of ministry I have learned to understand the concept of "Lent" as I became better acquainted with the need to "reacquaint" myself with the Suffering Savior as well as the Resurrected Savior. It may be possible that some of us moved so quickly into the time of the celebration of the Resurrection that we failed to reflect on the journey that took Christ to the cross. A few years ago, The Passion of Christ, reminded us of the reality of the true sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf. There is an element of Christianity that has tried to remove the brutality and gruesomeness of the road to Golgotha. But we must remember that the purchase of our Salvation included the road of suffering and shame that Christ traveled in advance of His death, burial, and resurrection. The next 40 days should serve as a "Do You Remember When" in our spiritual life! We should pause and remind ourselves that the purchase of our salvation was not cheap nor was it an easy transaction. Christ suffered and died that we might enjoy the fruit of a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

 

Let me remind you of the first verse of the hymn, The Old Rugged Cross.

 

"On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross

The emblem of suffering and shame

And I love that old cross where the dearest and best

For a world of lost sinners was slain."

Spiritual Construction Project

Psalm 127:1a, "Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who builds it..." (NKJV)

 

1 1/2 years ago New River Worship Center purchased an building for the purpose of relocation and expansion. This particular building had served many purposes through the years and none of those purposes included being used as a house of worship. Immediately the leadership team as well as the congregation saw that much work would be needed to accomplish our intended goal BUT we also recognized the potential of the finished project. Our Associate Pastor assumed the role of Project Manager and begin organizing the tasks that needed to be accomplished. Needless to say there was much debris to remove, floor covering to be replaced, dry wall to be repaired and re-painted, and heating and cooling units to be repaired as well as many other projects. Note: (You have to keep the saints warm in the Winter and cool in the Summer.) But there was also a another major project to undertake. The building had been closed for 7-8 years and was in need of a major clean-up. There were odors to overcome, there was dirt and decay to overcome and there were cracks and corners that were full of dirt and grime. But we chose to look past the negative aspects of the building and through patient eyes of hope we could see a clean, beautiful building that would be transformed into a House of Worship.

 

During meditation and prayer time this morning God used that building to remind me of His presence in our lives. Do you remember the condition of your life when the Holy Spirit began to bring conviction into your heart? We could be compared to that building; we were in need of a "spiritual cleaning" that only God could perform in our lives. Many people may have overlooked us because of the "condition" of our lives both our previous condition as well as our present condition. BUT God saw the potential of us becoming a house of worship and He set the spiritual construction project into action. The Word and the Spirit began to work in our heart and liberate our spirit so that we could serve God in a manner that would honor and bless Him. When you feel overwhelmed and defeated by the attacks of the enemy remember that Christ chose to purchase your salvation with His own life. Yes, He saw and knew your condition but He also knew what you would become as you continued to allow Him to work in your heart. Rejoice in your redemption today!

Guidance, Part 2

John 8:32, "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (NLT)

 

There is certainly many benefits to the Word of God playing a major role in our lives. We realize that the "truth" of God will bring spiritual freedom and deliverance. This freedom and deliverance will allow us to present ourselves to God as servants who desire to please Him in all areas of our life. Open your heart to the Word of God and allow it to speak Life into you today.

 

A life grounded in truth is powerful. Those who live by the Word develop spiritual discernment, which guides their choices and guards against deception. Because they demonstrate wisdom and godliness, the Lord enables them to impact others greatly. Since He knows they can be trusted, He also gives them greater responsibilities and opportunities for service in His kingdom.

With all this available to us, wouldn't it be wise to invest our time and energy in building the truth of God's Word into our lives? The other activities which clamor for our attention seem so important or pleasurable, but none of them can offer us the spiritual riches of a life grounded in truth.

Guidance

Psalm 25: 4-5, "Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. ⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day." (NKJV)

The Spirit continues to encourage my heart concerning the Word of God and its power being released into my life. Do I fully comprehend the influence and guidance that the Word will have in my life if I am willing to pay attention and apply the direction that God will provide? Listening and application must go hand in hand if I will reap the full benefit of the Word in my life. Those two actions on my part will allow God the opportunity to teach me the right way that I should go. God already has a plan in place if I will just be willing to work within the framework of that plan.

 

I read these words in one of my devotionals and I felt that they spoke to my heart and I believe that these words do address the issue that God has placed on my heart.

 

"If we'll let the truths of Scripture fill our minds, guard our emotions, and influence our conduct, God will richly reward us. I'm talking about spiritual blessings here (though He at times chooses to bless materially as well). By reading and meditating on His Word, you'll learn to understand His ways. This isn't something we can figure out on our own, because His ways are unlike ours—they are higher, bigger, and eternal.

 
Also, your relationship with the Lord will grow increasingly more intimate because He chooses to reveal Himself to those who seek Him and obey His instructions. When you see that God always keeps His promises, your confidence in His faithfulness will soar. No matter what the situation, you'll know you can trust Him. Then He'll transform your worries into joyful anticipation about what He's going to do next in your life. Even if hard times await, you'll be convinced that the Lord will work them out for good."









 

Choices

Matthew 7:24-27, "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  ²⁵ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  ²⁶ And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:  ²⁷ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."

 

Life is complicated in some cases because of all of the choices that we see around us. How long has it been since you looked at the choices in the cereal isle, coffee isle, the chip isle and even the bread isle at the grocery store? Look at all of the options that are offered to you when you purchase a new automobile or truck. There are even options available when you decide about the purchase of health insurance for your family. The list of options of various concerns have become a part of our society and it appears that they will remain a part of our decision making process as we proceed into the future.

 

But we must realize that there is no option when it comes to the plan of salvation and the Word of Truth that is written and revealed in the Word of God. Jesus refers to "wise and foolish" people in the choices that they make regarding the foundation upon which they build their lives. I will agree that Jesus presents options in His challenge to each of us but He also reveals the long term consequences that will arise from the options that are chosen. The spirit (attitude) of this world wants us to enjoy the freedom of our options but it also wants us to forget the results of the options that we are choosing on a daily basis. We must remember that God has provided each of us with the opportunity of "free will" but with this opportunity also comes responsibility. We must take this responsibility very seriously and make the right choices when it comes to the way that we live our lives on a daily basis. On what foundation are you building your life?