Reminder from God!

The meetings at Harvest church continue to go well. The Word of the Lord continues to challenge all of us. The Word of the Lord is examining and exploring our passion and desire for a growing, maturing relationship with Jesus Christ. How will I respond to the "investigation and examination" of the Spirit? My response will determine whether I (you) walk in victory or defeat. These are the days in which we need to seriously pay attention to the conviction of the Spirit in our lives; we can not afford to pass the "spiritual buck" to someone else in the body of Christ. I came across this information concerning G.K. Chesterton. Years ago, when reading an editor's request for readers to respond to the question, "What's wrong with the world?" G.K. Chesterton wrote this reply, "Dear Sir, I am. Yours Sincerely, G.K. Chesterton. Today we need to take responsibility, be courageous, stand strong, and move forward! We must stop waiting on others to move forward in their relationship with God; this is our day and our time to obey the call from God. During prayer the Lord reminded me that I can only bring myself to the altar of sacrifice and surrender. I can pray for others but they must make the right choice to surrender to the leading of the Spirit. I must continue to pray but I also must continue to make myself available to God at the altar of surrender.

Scripture Reading

During the first few days of 2009 the Lord is challenging me regarding the intensity of my passion for Him and my relationship with Him. Many of us know the right words to say, the right songs to sing and even the right prayers to pray but do we truly possess a great desire to do the will of God? Do we possess determination to pursue the Kingdom of God regardless of the decisions that we have to make? Are we truly determined to follow the Lord with strong desire and passion or have we grown content to go through the motions of religious actions and religious activity? At the end of the service last night one of the men of the Harvest Church came forward and shared with me those things that God had placed in his heart as he entered 2009. One of those things was "spiritual intensity." Do I (we) possess spiritual intensity for the true purposes of God? During my devotional time this morning the Lord placed this passage in my path of reading; Isaiah 50:7, "Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be dismayed. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do His will. And I know that I will triumph" (NLT). The prophet not only expresses praise and thankfulness to God he also expresses desire, determination, and commitment to follow the plan of God. As we begin 2009, let us place determination and commitment at the top of our list and ask God to help us "set our face like a stone" as we seek to walk in the will of God. Do not allow the distractions of the world to hinder your desire to please God.

Weekend Review

Isaiah 41:10, "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand" (NLT). After prayer time this morning the Lord led me to this passage; during prayer I was reminded that there are many voices vying for my attention. But I must remain committed to follow the leading of the Spirit. He will provide strength, help, and victory if I will trust in Him and in the promises of His Word. Do not allow the "things" of the world to overwhelm you and discourage you; look to the Lord and trust in His provision. He will provide His presence if we will release our faith. Faith will welcome His presence and His presence will provide the courage that we need. The weekend services at Harvest were awesome. The anointing of the Spirit was strong as the Word of God was revealed, declared and received by those in attendance. Pastor Wheat is leading the people into a deeper desire of His presence and encouraging them to seek after more of the Lord. Would you say a prayer for Pastor Wheat's wife, Lila; she continues to deal with some health issues. I anticipate an overflowing of the Spirit tonight as we press into a closer journey with God. He is ready to respond if I offer myself to Him as a diligent seeker of His life and guidance. 2009 must be a year that all believers lay aside pretense and hypocrisy and seek God with all of their heart. I am committed to seeking God and I ask you to make that same commitment with us. Continue to pray and fast during this first week of 2009. God will reward those who diligently seek after Him.

Continue to Pray

I want to encourage you to be faithful in prayer as we press into this new year of seeking after God. These are not the days to grow faint or discouraged but we must continue to persevere in prayer as we see the fields of harvest all around us. People are depending on our prayers and God is prepared to hear the cry of our hearts. We are looking forward to being with Pastor Wheat and the Harvest church this week in revival. I truly sense a stirring in my spirit as I prepare my heart for the services. I am trusting that God is prepared to meet the needs of those who will respond to the call of the Spirit in the altar meetings. Will you join with me in prayer for the upcoming revival meetings? God has great plans for those who are prepared to love Him and serve Him with all of their heart.

Romans 13

My heart continues to reflect on the passage in Romans 13. Do I truly sense the urgency of the time in which we are living? Am I fully convinced that I can no longer afford to live the Christian life without more passion and love for God? Do I truly sense that God is speaking light and life in the midst of the spiritual darkness that is seeking to not only engulf the world but even engulf my walk with God? Will I truly allow God to awaken my heart out of a "normal blase" approach to my relationship with Him in such a manner that it will place a great desire in my life to truly see the Kingdom of God come and the will of God be done in this earth? Romans 13 calls for me to "wake up." Romans 13 reminds me not "to live in darkness." Romans 13 challenges me to "get rid of evil deeds." Romans 13 directs me to "clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light." (NLT) Will I listen to His voice and follow Him in 2009? During the next 21 days of Prayer and Fasting allow the Holy Spirit to sow these principles deep into our hearts and allow His Spirit to encourage us to put on the whole armor of God.

Happy New Year

The beginning of 2009 will be filled with opportunities to follow God in obedience and surrender. As we approach this new year let us approach it with a desire to please the Lord in all that we do. Let us ask God to direct our hearts so that we will make the correct decisions that will confront us. Let us walk by faith and not by sight. Let us trust in the promises of God and rely upon His might and power to guide us down the path of our lives. Let us also live in the recognition of the coming of the Lord and encourage others to make their commitment to Christ. Pay close attention to this passage of scripture found in Romans 13:11-12, 14. In a New Year's Eve service last night Pastor Smith made reference to a portion of this and this morning the Lord awakened me with this passage on my heart. "Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires. (NLT) This scripture passage offers a great challenge to all of us. Let us seek to serve God with all of our heart and desires. Don't forget to participate in some manner in Prayer and Fasting during January 1-21, 2009. Let these days be set aside to seek after God and His direction for our lives. I am convinced that God will bless the efforts that you make as you desire to connect with the heart of God. We will be agreeing with you in prayer for the needs that are in your life. Feel free to email those requests to us; we will add them to our prayer list. There is power in agreement. Just place Prayer Request in the subject box so that we will identify the email.

Eve of New Opportunities

We are certainly in countdown mode for 2008. In a few hours we will enter 2009 with many emotions; these emotions can be both positive and negative. As I reflect on 2008 I want to thank God for the ways that He has touched our hearts and lives throughout the year. I can remember the times that the Spirit spoke words of direction, guidance, correction, and encouragement to us. I can remember seasons in which the Spirit strengthened us during times of praise, worship, and intercession. As we prepare to see 2008 come to an end we need to thank God for His presence and for His desire to strengthen our relationship with Him. As we look forward to 2009 I anticipate God working in our lives in ways that I can not fully imagine. I desire for my dreams to exceed my memories. Certainly I am grateful but I am also hopeful as I reflect on the greatness of God and all that He has planned for our lives. I am asking God to use us in the work of His Kingdom in a greater manner in 2009. God still uses people to change the world; you can and you will make a difference in the lives of those people that you encounter in 2009. Be prepared to be bold; be prepared to be courageous; be prepared to be challenged; but also be prepared to celebrate victories in the coming year. 2009 will require that many of us step out of our comfort zone and follow Christ with fresh zeal and passion; but as we obey, God will provide what we need to answer the call. Ann and I pray Blessings on you, your family, and your journey with God in 2009!