New Years Eve

I would like to share these thoughts with you on the morning of this last day of 2015!! Where has the year gone? We have seen the presence of God in our lives on a daily basis. We have recognized the goodness of God in so many ways. We have offered our praises to Him and now we look forward to those opportunities that are awaiting us in the future. Let us prepare our hearts to follow God into 2016 full of hope, faith and expectation. 

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “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 wilderness and streams in the wasteland." (NIV)

Later this evening there will be people all around the world who will begin a "countdown" which will take them from 2015 into 2016. This has become a common practice among people for many years. This countdown will be broadcast through various media sources all across the world as people prepare to celebrate the arrival of a New Year.

This passage of scripture in Isaiah reminds me of a "spiritual countdown" of sorts. God is moving His people from the past into the present and on into the future. He does not want them dwelling on the past but He wants them to realize that God is doing something fresh and new. And then God asks a startling question; "Do you not perceive it?" 

I must be willing to ask myself that same question; "Do I truly perceive what God is wanting to do in my life this coming year?" But once I perceive that God is preparing something fresh and new I have to be willing and ready to receive those blessings that God has prepared for me. We can and we should celebrate the victories of the past but we should never live in the past. We can not afford to be captured by our failures and neither can we afford to rest on our spiritual laurels. 

2016 will offer us a fresh start, full of new opportunities, a new day, new spiritual adventures and a fresh desire to please God. Will we be willing to join with God in that process?

Christmas Musings, Part 4

Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (NKJV)

There will be many Christmas gifts shared between families and friends over the next few days. Many of us will gather for celebrations at various locations. Some of us will even visit multiple locations as we enjoy the cultural events associated with the birth of Jesus, our Savior. These events are not necessarily sinful or evil but we do need to make sure that we don't lose the significance of the "baby in the manger" in the midst of these events.

Can you and I even imagine the total amount of money that will be spent on food, gifts, and travel? But we also have to remember that all of the gifts that we receive are temporary. These gifts will wear out; go out of style, or break very easily. Some of them will wear out quickly and even some of them will be placed in a closet or in a storage bin never to be looked at again. We may even receive a gift that is the wrong size and it will have to be returned or exchanged. There is the possibility that we will even "outgrow" those gifts that fit us at this very moment. I am sharing these tidbits of information to serve as a reminder that any gift other than the gift of salvation is temporary. 

But there is one gift that will never wear out or stop working. There is gift that will not have to be returned for something that works correctly or fits correctly. There is a gift that will provide an eternal value and not just a brief earthly value. There is one gift that will never be forgotten or hidden away for future use. There is a gift that fulfills the promise of "one size fits all."  

Do you realize that Isaiah spoke prophetically about that gift in our scripture passage today. Notice these words from the first line of verse 9. He spoke these words, "Unto us a Son is given..." The Prophet then goes on to describe a few of the benefits that this gift would bring us if we would receive the gift that God has provided for us. Isaiah spoke that the gift would serve as a "Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." 

Now, doesn't that gift sound like one that we could call a "keeper?" I don't see any need to exchange that gift. I don't see any need to place that gift in a closet or in a storage bin for future use. I also see that this gift would be beneficial to any age group, any race, any nationality or any ethnicity, etc. Our Savior fits all people regardless of their needs or stations in life. 

But here is the major question? WILL YOU ACCEPT THE GIFT THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO YOU?

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas Musings, Part 3

Christmas is a special time of the year to say the least. There is one part of Christmas that always grabs my attention. This is a time of the year in which we turn our focus off of ourselves and turn the focus to others. We see this in the preparation of the meals for our guests. We see this in the purchase of the gifts for those on our shopping list. This especially applies to those who have children or grandchildren. They will even provide you a list of their "most desired" gifts or their most favorite item on the menu. People will scourer the countryside to make sure that they have the proper ingredients for the meals and that they purchase the most appropriate gift.

But I also see this type of attitude expressed in other ways than just meals or gifts. I see people donating money to various non-profit organizations that seek to assist people who are in need. A few weeks ago our local congregation brought various gifts that would be given to children in the Pediatric Oncology unit of a local hospital. There will always be people who are facing their own set of ""unusual" circumstances but I also believe that God will always have people who have a heart of care and compassion for their fellow man.

The Lord reminded me of something this morning during prayer time. Or maybe I need to say that the Lord encouraged me to pray for some specific groups of people as we approach Christmas. I felt that the Lord wanted me to share this reminder with you. I am confident that many of you have already prayed for some of the people that I will list. But there is no such thing as "too much prayer." This time of the year is very stressful for each of these groups that I will list.

1) Let us remember to pray for our Military personnel as well as their families. 

2) Let us remember all of the First Responders (Police, Fire, Emergency, Hospital staff, etc.) We know that these are challenging days in our world and this group of servants need our prayer covering.

3) Let us remember those families who will celebrating their first Christmas after the passing of a loved one or special friend. Our God is able to provide the comfort that each one of them need at this difficult time.

4) The Spiritual Leadership of our nation.

5) Those who are disillusioned with life and are looking for peace, hope and joy. We know that God can fill all of the voids in their lives.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas Musings, Part 2

These past few weeks have found me in a dedicated pursuit of reconnecting with the true meaning of Christmas. I do not seek to cast any aspersions on our celebration of Christmas and neither do I desire to place guilt or condemnation on anyone today. BUT I DO THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR EACH OF US TO REIDENTIFY AND RECONNECT WITH THE TRUE REASON BEHIND THE CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS.  

I believe that this prophecy of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist paints a vivid picture of the true purpose behind the entrance of Christ into this world. Zechariah is like many of us, he faced his season of doubt as he began the prophetic journey of the birth of Christ. Let us remember the response of the father to be of John the Baptist when he was told that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son. Luke 1:18-20, “Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” ¹⁹ Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! ²⁰ But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” Haven’t each of us had those moments in which we asked God those same words, “How can I be sure this will happen?” Aren’t you thankful that God chose to send us some gentle reminders of His ability to fulfill His promise rather than remove our ability to speak?  But even the doubts, fears, and concerns of Zechariah did not hinder the purpose of the entrance of Christ into this world!!!

Let me remind you of the words of the Prophet Isaiah in chapter 9, verse 6.

  For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

The promises of God are true and we can believe them!!

Christmas Musings

The last few days prior to Christmas are upon us. I realize that all of us have much to do as we plan and prepare for the Christmas celebration with our friends and families. The social calendar can be full with many wonderful and pleasurable activities. But what about our "spiritual calendar?" Is it as full as our social calendar or do each of us even have a "spiritual calendar?" I personally don't think listening to Christmas carols driving down the road or at work should really count unless we are specifically taking time to listen to the words or even taking time to read the words of the songs. I do believe that these songs have a powerful message to share if we will truly take time to meditate on the message. The word "message" is the key word and I am not referencing the sermon that I share on Sunday mornings although I do believe the message of the Pastor is meant to play an important role in our lives. 

Each of us need to ask ourselves this question; "Is the true message of Christ getting lost in all of the different messages that have become connected with Christmas?" I am not promoting the idea that we need to cancel the secular celebration of Christmas but I am promoting the concept that each of us need to make sure that we are keeping the spiritual revelation of Christmas alive in our hearts. I have made an effort this year to re-read the different stories that are found in the Bible concerning the birth of Christ. We have been looking at a few of them in the Wednesday evening adult time of discussion. I have been somewhat amazed at some of the story lines that I have missed through the years simply because I thought that I knew the story of the birth of Christ. But in reality I only knew the major events or learned about the major characters of the story rather than delving into the event as well as the lives of the characters. These readings have been a personal blessing to me to say the least.

I desire to encourage you to make time for Christ in your calendar. One of the stories of the birth of Christ reveals to us that Mary and Joseph found the inn full of guests. They were sent to the stable where Christ was born. What is our lives full of today? Where do we send Christ when our lives are so full of activities that we have no room for Him in our lives?  Do we take the time to worship Him on a daily basis? The story of Christmas calls us to action. Take the appropriate action and make room for Christ this Christmas season.

"Bored" Meeting

Last night was our monthly Board Meeting at New River. Board Meetings are notoriously known through such comments as "long, tiresome, boring, not profitable, petty requests, uninteresting conversations, or hidden agendas." You could probably add some other descriptive words if you have ever participated in a Board Meeting. Let me hasten to add that I do believe that these meetings are important and they do serve as a great means of accountability for the Pastor as well as means of tracking the progress or lack of progress of the local community of believers. I am blessed to be able to serve with a great Board who continues to have a heart that desires to please God and see the expansion of His Kingdom work in the lives of those individuals who attend New River.

I want to remind every individual believer that our desire should be to "participate in the expansion of the Kingdom of God in our individual lives as well as our corporate lives." We have too many "observers" and not enough "participants" in local churches scattered throughout America. But I am one of those who believe that God still has a plan to awaken the church in America so that we will arise and take our rightful place in the expansion of the Kingdom of God. 

The Spirit reminded me of something this morning during prayer time. We are nearing the close of 2015 and we are on the cusp of entering 2016. Some Christians can be compared to a little boy who can be seen kicking a can or ball down the road with no real destination or purpose in mind. Many Christians have become "Champion Procrastinators." We are always putting off the decision by "pushing" it or "kicking" it into our tomorrow and ignoring the call from the present. We must look honestly at our lives and ask this question; "How am I TRULY responding to God and His call to draw closer to Him? Our spiritual destiny hangs in the balances and is very much dependent on the correct response to God. Where is my journey taking me? Is it drawing me closer to God or is it leading me farther away from God? 

Back to the Board Meeting for a moment. I will not attempt to describe the "divine interruption" of the Spirit last night. Words of inspiration/knowledge/understanding were shared through various individuals as the Spirit worked among us. During this time the Spirit of God brought a passage of scripture to our attention. I felt led to share that with you today. There will be people who will read this post today; this passage is for you as well as for those who sat in that room last night. Read the following words with an open heart and with a hunger to please God.

Proverbs 3:5-12 (NLT)

  Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

    do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.

7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
    Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 Then you will have healing for your body
    and strength for your bones.

9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the best part of everything you produce.
10 Then he will fill your barns with grain,
    and your vats will overflow with good wine.

11 My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t be upset when he corrects you.
12 For the Lord corrects those he loves,
    just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

The Journey of Life

John 15:5,  “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (NKJV)

I would like to share some thoughts that I wrote earlier this morning. Each of us are on our own unique journey of life. Each of us have some things in common and each of us have many dynamics in life that are very different from our fellow travelers. But we do have the commonality of the promises of God and the reality that Christ desires to be a part of our lives.

I trust that you are doing well today and focusing on the goodness of God in your life. We all face the challenge of focusing on the goodness of God from time to time. Those times happen when we encounter those moments of illness, those moments of trials, those moments of spiritual battles, etc. But we must always remember that God is working for us and not against us. Daily living brings us to those moments in which we face the opportunity to give up if we choose to do so. But it is at those moments in which we choose to dig deeper and realize that we have a spiritual connection with our Savior that will provide the Hope, Strength, Comfort, Grace, etc. that we need.

I have a strong desire and an urgent call from God to faithfully remind you of the presence and power of God week after week. I seek to do that on a personal basis as well as a public basis through this blog as well as the presentation of the Gospel message.  We are people on our own journey of life encouraging our fellow "pilgrims" on their journey of life. The connection to Christ makes it possible for each of us to encourage each other.

Read these familiar and famous Words of Jesus and allow them to speak hope to your heart today. John 15:5, "“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (NKJV)  We understand that we can do nothing without Him but the Bible also reminds us in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." NKJV)  The connection with Jesus Christ makes the difference!!!

Thankful

I Chronicles 16:8, Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!" (NKJV)

I understand that we have have "transitioned" from Thanksgiving to Christmas but I also believe that it is time for the people of God to express our appreciation to God for all of the blessings that He provides for us on a daily basis. The opinion of people toward the True and Living God has been skewered and undermined through so much negative propaganda in our society. I believe that it is a good time for the people of God to "Make known His deeds among the peoples." I am going to attempt to fulfill that Biblical mandate this morning. 

First, Ann and I enjoyed the privilege of spending some time with my parents and a portion of our family this past Saturday. We gathered to celebrate "Christmas" with each other. We certainly missed those family members who were unable to attend. We had an awesome time of food, fun and fellowship and I am certainly thankful for those moments. But my praise goes deeper than food and fellowship. The children of my parents gathered around them and prayed for them. Then my parents prayed for each of their children and their spouses. It was an unique time of intercession for one another. I am thankful that my parents were able to pray a prayer of blessing over me and my family. The enemy is fighting against the family today but God still has the family as a central part of His plan for our society. Just remember to pray for your family on a daily basis.

Second, I give God thanks for an AWESOME SERVICE ON SUNDAY MORNING at New River. I must use the following words to describe what took place in the service. We encountered a "Divine Interruption" into our plans for the service. I understand that some people may not believe in those type of services and may think that they are not Biblically correct. This post is not about debating that belief or disbelief. This post is about reminding us that He truly knows what we need. This post is about reminding us that He still can provide what we need to navigate through the traps, temptations, trials and tricks of this world. The Spirit used the songs, prayers, Pastoral exhortations and the concluding challenge (which was not spoken by the Pastor but had the Pastor's approval) to remind us that He knows that the "family", both natural as well as spiritual is under satanic attack. God is fighting for us and not against us. Will we join Him on the battlefield?  That is the question that each of must answer in my opinion. 

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!"

Bread

I would like to share a portion of some thoughts that I sent in an email this morning to some various individuals. I would like for you to think about these ideas and realize that we are blessed to know the "Bread of Life."

John 6:35, "And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."(NKJV)

I thought today's scripture would be an appropriate one since we just concluded the Thanksgiving holiday. I am sure that many of us possibly could have over eat at least one or twice in the past few days. But it is amazing to realize that I will eat until I am full or even over filled yet still eat again the next day. We are amazingly created through the handiwork of God.

Our soul is somewhat similar to our body in that it craves something that only God can provide. The enemy of our soul offers us many substitutes for the "Bread of Life." There are many people in our world who are falling prey to the cunning tactics of the enemy and they eat at the table he has prepared week after week. But the true followers of Christ refuse to fellowship at that table of deceit and they earnestly look toward Heaven and partake of the "Bread of Life."

It is Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

John 1:14, "So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son." (NLT)

I can remember when this past weekend (Thanksgiving) would have been the "kickoff" of the Christmas season. But the major corporations of our world have made sure that our "celebration" of Christmas began several months ago when the first displays of trees, ornaments, decorations, etc. began to appear in various shopping outlets. I do not want to appear to be a "Scrooge" as I share my thoughts but it is somewhat discouraging to realize the type of celebration that the remembrance of the birth of Christ, our Savior has become. 

I fully realize that I can not change the plans of corporate America and I may not even be able to influence the attitude of my fellow human beings. BUT I do have the opportunity and ability to make sure that Christ does not get lost in all of the clutter, noise, distractions, events, meals, gifts, etc. that have become associated with Christmas. 

I also understand that people grow tired of cliche's that contain tons of rhetoric and very little substance. I can be moved to take action if I make the effort to fully understand the true substance of the baby in the manger. I can be moved to action if I take the time to re-acquaint myself with the central character of the "Christmas story." I can take action if I take time to read the Word of God and realize it reveals the plan of our Heavenly Father to provide eternal reconciliation to humanity.

That resurgence of knowledge might lead me to say "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah" instead of "Ho-Ho-Ho."  

Post-Thanksgiving Reflections

Good morning from Louisville, Kentucky!! I trust that yesterday proved to be a blessing to your life. Today will be a day where some people return to work as a part of their "normal" schedule. Some are visiting with friends or relatives in a different area of the country. Possibly others have chosen or will choose to chase the dreams of that "super deal" on that special gift for someone or maybe purchase that item for their personal use. And others may choose simply to relax and recuperate from from the festivities and work of yesterday. The purpose of this post is just to remind you to take a few moments and reflect on the blessings of yesterday. I also encourage you to choose to remember those special moments in which your heartstrings were pulled by an action or the words spoken from someone who crossed your path yesterday. You may be surprised what you will remember until you take the time to initiate the process of remembering. 

We enjoyed a wonderful day of celebration. My day began by reading a message of encouragement and thanks from a gentleman from Tennessee. I received a call from SC early in the morning and it also contained encouraging conversation. We were blessed to receive several emails, calls, and texts  from family members and friends which brought smiles, laughter and memories from either the past or the present. I truly believe that God sends these "messages" to each of us to remind us that our lives do make a difference and that we are an important part of the lives of others. We may not even realize the influence that we have been to people as we have traveled the road of life. During prayer we took a moment and remembered those families who faced their first Thanksgiving without their loved ones. We also remembered those families who were celebrating miracles this year and finally we remembered those who are facing their set of challenges at this present time. I mention all of this to remind us that God sees ALL OF THE NEEDS THAT EACH OF US HAVE AND WE ARE NEVER OUT OF HIS LINE OF SIGHT!!!

I want to share a couple tidbits from our Thanksgiving meal and celebration. First, let me say that my wife and our two daughter-in-laws did an awesome job preparing the food that God had provided for us. Second, let me say that our family did an awesome job eating the food that the ladies had prepared. Needless to say, but we enjoyed the meal and the fellowship.

We have a Thanksgiving tradition that we began as our first grandchild learned to talk. After the meal we sit around and share some of the blessings that each of us have identified in our lives this past year. We begin with the youngest child and move to the adults. It is always interesting to hear the words, thoughts, concepts and blessings that both the children and adults share. This year was no different and on several occasions my eyes were moved to tears as I heard our family express themselves to God as well as to their fellow family members. 

This year something different was added to this time of conversation.  I called my parents  in Alabama and put them on speaker phone. We wished them a Happy Thanksgiving and then I asked my parents to pray a prayer of blessing on our children and grandchildren. It was a very emotional time for all of us considering the fact that Dad is facing some health issues but the prayer that came from his and Mom's heart will stay with us for the remainder of our days. I could share many other words but I will close with this thought. I AM THANKFUL THAT I WAS TAUGHT THE POWER OF PRAYER AND THAT MY PARENTS MODEL THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER BEFORE THEIR FAMILY!!!

WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING AND MODELING TODAY?

Happy Thanksgiving

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." (NLT)

It has been over a month since I have shared anything on this blog. I can attribute my lack of posts due to several factors. 1) It seems that my personal and Pastoral challenges/opportunities have been very time consuming over the past few weeks. 2) I will also confess that I have faced the challenge of "writers block" in which I questioned my ability to be inspirational, thought provoking or at least informational. 3) I think that I almost grew complacent or even content with not sharing any of my thoughts or ideas on this blog. BUT early this "Thanksgiving" morning the Spirit began to stir in my heart some ideas that I felt led to share with you.

Today is what we refer to in America as "Thanksgiving Day." The words "Happy Thanksgiving" have become somewhat a part of our American culture. We see it written on greeting cards as well as in our daily conversation with our friends, family, fellow employees and even complete strangers during various interactions leading up to Thanksgiving. These words have almost become as iconic as "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays."

But what are you thinking or feeling when you say the words have a "Happy Thanksgiving?" I was awakened early this morning with a new concept that I feel God placed in my heart. I will use the following words to describe some of the thoughts that began to flood my mind this morning. "Am I truly happy in being thankful? Has my thankfulness become something that I am expected to demonstrate to others? Is my thankfulness genuine and sincere? Do I appreciate the small things as much as the big things in my life? Do I measure my thankfulness on what I possess or what possesses me? Am I thankful because I feel guilty if I am not thankful? Am I thankful because I think God expects me to be thankful or am I thankful because I sense such a great desire to express my thankfulness to God?

I encourage you to take a fresh look or approach to today's celebration. Today is much more than food, fellowship, football games, pre-Christmas sales or a day off from work. Today is a day in which we can take a look at our lives and see the blessings of God. Today is a day to celebrate smiles. Today is a day to celebrate memories. Today is today to celebrate friendships. Today is a day to celebrate with our family and recognize the benefits/blessings of being a member of the family of God. 

Today is a day to honor our Heavenly Father and appreciate His Providence, His Protection, His Presence, His Grace, His Mercy and His Love to name just a few of His attributes. Today is a day to be "Happy" and appreciative of the goodness of God and remember that His hand has been on your life. Today is a day to look around the room and appreciate those special people that God has placed in your life.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Do You Believe It?

"WHAT God did makes sense. It makes sense that Jesus would be our sacrifice because a sacrifice was needed to justify man's presence before God. ... However, WHY God did it is absolutely absurd. When one leaves the method and examines the motive, the carefully stacked blocks of logic begin to tumble. That type of love isn't logical; it can't be neatly outlined in a sermon or explained in a term paper. ... It IS inexplicable. It doesn't have a drop of logic nor a thread of rationality. And yet, it is that very irrationality that gives the gospel its greatest defense. For only God could love like that." (Max Lucado)

The message of the Gospel provides us the opportunity to believe that God loves us so much that He willfully chooses to forgive us of our sins. Or we can choose to reject this message due to the fact that we can not discern a logical answer to the question of "WHY would He do that for me?" The words of Max Lucado stirred my heart this morning. I have been preaching the message of the Gospel since 1971 and I still struggle with the "WHY." I know the story of Christ that we find in the pages of the Bible but I soon remember the distance that I once had between myself and God and I wonder "Why would He love me?" But then I soon realize that the same Bible declares that "God is love" and I soon begin to realize that it is His love for me that opens the door of salvation for me as well as for my fellow human beings. 

Have you ever struggled with the question; "Why would God love me?" Do you know of someone today who is struggling with that same question? That question is only answered as we move from a logical approach to the situation and move into a faith approach. Faith causes us to accept the fact that Christ died on the cross for every human being that has lived, will live or is presently living in this world. Logic will never be able to put its hands around this display of love. But faith operating in the strength of humility will bring us to Christ with a heart of genuine repentance. It is at this moment that we are able to receive the fullness of the love of God into our lives and it is at this moment that we are adopted in the family of God with the spiritual designation of either son or daughter. 

Oh, what a glorious revelation that the love of God brings into our lives. Take a moment and rejoice in the fact that God loves you!! Take a moment and reflect on the moment that you asked Christ to forgive you!! Take a moment and recommit your life to Christ and offer yourself to Him as a willing servant that will live out your life through the power of Grace!!

Season of Seeking

Psalm 63:1, "You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water." (NKJV)

The Psalmist David expressed many wonderful desires that his heart felt toward God. One of them referenced his thirst for more of God in His life. Each of us needs to have that same desire or passion for more of God in our lives. The enemy has many weapons in his arsenal that he uses against us. We even walk through "dry places" or even "dry seasons" in which God seems very distant. But the song says "He is as close as the mention of His name..." The Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians that the "Lord is at hand." God is near even when we walk through those dry seasons and He just waits for us to call on His presence to assist us at that time on our journey.

I believe that we are living in a "Season of Seeking." The presence of God is calling for us to draw nearer to Him. He understands the challenges and obstacles that each of us face BUT He is the Source for all of the resources that we need to overcome those obstacles and challenges. We just need to be bold, brave, courageous and call on Him. He will provide the strength that we need.

Are we willing to seek God with all of our heart? He is awaiting our response!!!

What will be Our RESPONSE

The past few weeks have been very challenging from a "pastoral" point of view. People that I know, love and care about are facing some difficult situations. But it is also true that during those moments God reveals His strength, might and power. He ministers to our weaknesses and provides His strength as a replacement. That is not a bad trade for any of us. I exchange my weaknesses for His strength. I believe that I will come out a winner every time when I participate in that trade. I would like to share a portion of our note that I sent to our congregation today.

Isaiah 26:4, "Trust in the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength." (NKJV)

I wanted to take this opportunity to encourage you today. I don't know all that you are facing but I do know about the True and Living God and I know that He is interested in your life today. Both of the services on Sunday reminded us about the strength of God. I would encourage you to read Isaiah 40:25-31 (I especially enjoyed the New Living Translation of this passage) at your convenience. I believe this passage of the Word of God will release encouragement into your heart today.

I truly sense that God is at work in our community of believers. Many of us are choosing to respond to the call from God. You may say, "Pastor what is that call from God?" I believe that much of the call it is defined in James 4:8a, " Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..." (NKJV) God is calling for a response but He has promised to respond to our response to Him. WOW!!! Isn't that an awesome promise from the Lord who is our "everlasting strength." Whatever you or you family needs is found in Him!!!

Will you take time to respond to God today?

Spiritual Direction

I would like to share a portion of the message that I shared this past Sunday at New River. I fully believe that each of us need to carefully examine the direction of our spiritual life. There are many distractions in our world which seek to move us off of the right course but we have the Word of God to which we can turn for truth and clarity for our lives. 

Psalm 119:129-136: “Your testimonies (statutes) are wonderful; Therefore my soul keeps them.  ¹³⁰ The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.  ¹³¹ I opened my mouth and panted, For I longed for Your commandments. ¹³² Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.  ¹³³ Direct (order, guide) my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me.  ¹³⁴ Redeem (ransom) me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts.  ¹³⁵ Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes.  ¹³⁶ Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law.” (NKJV)

J. Stowell In the book Fan the Flame shares the following inspiration about the word “heart” that we so often read in the Bible.    "Heart is used in Scripture as the most comprehensive term for the authentic person.   It is the part of our being where we desire, deliberate, and decide.   It has been described as ‘the place of conscious and decisive spiritual activity,’ ‘the comprehensive term for a person as a whole; his feelings, desires, passions, thought, understanding and will,’ and ‘the center of a person.   It is the place to which God turns to and begins His work in our lives.’" (Fan the Flame, J. Stowell, Moody, 1986, p.13   

It is no wonder that the enemy of our soul desires to control our heart, the seat of our emotions.   He can control my life if he can control my heart.   That is one of the reasons that we must discover the right or correct directions as we travel the road of life. 

Spiritual Guidance, Continued

Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. (NKJV)

Unfortunately there are many people in our world who are living shipwrecked lives because of a defective compass.   The Bible which is the Word of God is the only reliable spiritual compass that we can count on for accurate and precise directions that enable us to navigate the treacherous waters of everyday life with confidence.  Each of us needs to remember the words of Paul in Romans 10:17, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”

The enemy of your soul and my soul does not want me to trust the Word of God.   We can always count on what it says.   The enemy seeks to create an environment in which we are constantly doubting God.   When a storm of a life hits, why do we tend to turn to fear instead of faith?   It is during those moments that we take a fresh look at our “spiritual compass” and realize that the Word of God will lead us through the storm.

You may have heard the familiar old Chinese saying, “There is a good dog and a bad dog fighting within each of us.   The one that is going to win is the one we feed the most.”   The same is true when it comes to faith and doubt. We have to ask ourselves this question today; "What am I feeding my soul?" We must be careful to feed our souls the Word of God and allow the Word of God to direct our path and direct the daily decisions that we make. 

Spiritual Guidance

Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (NLT)

I truly believe that it does matter about the source of your and my spiritual influence. We need to be careful and examine the source of "truth" on which we are relying to lead us in the right direction. There are many sources of what is referred to as "truth" in our modern world but we can confidently put our hope, faith and trust in the Word of God. I would like to share a story that I recently read. This story reminds us of the importance of making sure that we have the right source of spiritual direction in our lives.

In 1804, the British ship HMS Apollo was leading a convoy of 69 merchant vessels to the West Indies on a route that put them parallel to the coasts of Spain and Portugal, about a hundred miles from land.   A storm arose on Sunday, April 1.   Even though it was April Fools’ Day, the captain was unconcerned because his compass assured him he was well into open sea. But in the wee hours of the morning, the ship wrecked against the jagged rocks of the coastline.

Jolted from their hammocks, the crew ran to their posts and tried to save the ship from the cold sea.   The waves crashed over the hull, flooding the ship from above amid the screams of shipmen still below.

As night gave way to dawn, the surviving crew were amazed to find themselves not a hundred miles from land, but wrecked against the Portuguese coast, which was littered with the debris from many of the other ships in their convoy.   Of the sixty-nine vessels traveling with HMS Apollo, forty were wrecked, some with total loss of life.   It was one of the greatest disasters in the history of British maritime shipping.

The captain of HMS Apollo faced court-martial, but he was acquitted when it was learned that the fault lay not with him - but with the ship’s compass.

Because the Apollo had taken on a large iron tank, the magnetism of the compass was thrown off just a little - just four degrees - and the error accumulated day after day.   As leader of the convoy, the captain had unwittingly led the others to shipwreck because his compass was defective.

Here is a simple but challenging question that each of us need to ask ourselves. Is the Bible the "spiritual compass" of my life?

Belonging to Christ

Philippians 2:1-2, "Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose." (NLT)

The words "belonging to Christ" grabbed my attention this morning as I was reading from the Bible. Isn't it a blessing to be included in that category of people? We often talk about civic clubs with which we are connected. There are people who are very proud to be counted as members of "fan clubs" of certain actors or actresses. But "belonging to Christ" carries with it many perks that the other afore mentioned clubs can not bring.

Paul refers to the "comfort of His love." Paul talks about the fellowship that the Spirit provides for the family of God.  Paul also reminds us that "belonging to Christ" also brings a tenderness and deep sense of compassion into our hearts. I am truly thankful that I am not embarrassed to declare my allegiance to Christ. A line from a song says, "He ain't never done me nothing but good." Once more today I can declare that God is a good God and that I am very thankful to be identified as a child of God.

"Belonging to Christ" opens the door for spiritual unity, spiritual agreement and spiritual cooperation within the Body of Christ. We can come together for the common cause and goal of worshiping and exalting Jesus Christ. We can come together for the common cause and purpose of promoting and sharing the Good News of the Gospel. We can come together with a common desire and call to love one another and encourage one another as we travel the road called life. We can also unite our gifts, talents, abilities and knowledge so that many "good and wholesome" things are accomplished for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

Let me say it one more time, "I am thankful that I belong to God." I am honored to carry His name in my life and I am blessed to be associated with Him and His family business (reaching the lost and hurting in our world).