One of the contemporary Christians songs has a line that contains the title of this post. I have listened to that song on several occasions and I have always been challenged through that song to examine my response to God in my daily living. Am I "going through the motions" or is my response to God one that speaks of a sincere desire to have a developing relationship with Jesus Christ? Once again this post is not meant to criticize or judge anyone of you who take the time to read this blog but it is meant to challenge our hearts to truly examine our pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Have I learned a spiritual routine that has replaced a heartfelt desire to worship and serve God? Have I allowed religious activities to replace my passionate longing and hunger for the presence of Jesus Christ?
As I was preaching last night I realized that the enemy truly desires for our faith to become weak and sickly which will lead to "dead faith." The enemy does not want our faith to be alive and active. That is one of the reasons that the enemy seeks to put the "church" into a state of spiritual sleep or in come cases a deep spiritual coma. Either one of these causes us to lose touch with reality and we fail to grasp the wonderful presence of the Spirit in our midst. Once again I make this statement; "We can not afford to accept ruts, rituals, and routines as the true representation of the presence of Jesus Christ." In the Book of Revelation, Jesus Christ declares "I am alive." The presence of God is alive! The anointing of the Holy Ghost brings life! The unction of the Spirit provides transformation! The power of the Word of God brings the illumination of truth to our lives! How can we accept the status quo when Christ has so much more to offer? As I drove home last night after service I could sense the Spirit speaking these words into my heart. Many people are seeing the resurrection of their faith. We are tired of striving and working in the ability of the flesh; we are realizing that only through the strength and power of the Spirit can we triumph over the power of satan. I truly believe that faith is coming alive among the people of God. The release of our faith opens the door for the Spirit to speak LIFE into our individual lives. Resist the temptation to go through the motions; let faith arise in your heart and see what opportunities of victory that God will provide.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Tuesday's Service
The service on Tuesday night at Anchor of Hope Church in Willisburg, KY was awesome. The anointing of the Spirit was very evident in every segment of the meeting. You could sense the spirit of anticipation as people gathered (some of them were very early) to seek after the presence of God. I truly believe that God is awakening the "spirit of anticipation" among us; we must come into the presence of God believing and knowing that God is prepared to hear and meet the cry of our hearts.
I was awakened this morning with this inspiration. The Lord confirmed to me that He is at work in the hearts of people. In some cases and in some locations the people of God have grown content with the status quo and they have lost their passion for Christ and for the ministry that Christ released in this world. But during the service last night I recognized something that needs to be declared publicly. There is a "remnant" of the family of God who does hear the Voice of God and they are prepared to follow after Him regardless of the attitudes of other members of the Body of Christ. Many of us are recognizing the desperate times in which we are living and we will no longer stand idly by and allow the enemy to take more spiritual territory. I recognized this last night as people from various age groups, male and female, and members of various local churches in the community began to turn their hearts toward God in an unified response to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. The altar was full of people seeking for a deeper relationship with God. People were seeking to be free from all that was hindering their walk with Christ. I want to speak to all people who are sensing the urgency of the moment deep in your heart; do not be discouraged, do not allow hindrances to slow down your pursuit of God, do not allow the opinion of others dissuade you from obedience, do not allow the whispers of the enemy to intimidate you, and do not allow the "religious" crowd's response to the move of God stop you from your pursuit of God. This is the day to arise from spiritual slumber and shake off the heavy chains of despair and defeat and follow after God with passion and fervency. This risk of our faith will produce a great spiritual reward. Ephesians 6:12, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." (KJV)
I was awakened this morning with this inspiration. The Lord confirmed to me that He is at work in the hearts of people. In some cases and in some locations the people of God have grown content with the status quo and they have lost their passion for Christ and for the ministry that Christ released in this world. But during the service last night I recognized something that needs to be declared publicly. There is a "remnant" of the family of God who does hear the Voice of God and they are prepared to follow after Him regardless of the attitudes of other members of the Body of Christ. Many of us are recognizing the desperate times in which we are living and we will no longer stand idly by and allow the enemy to take more spiritual territory. I recognized this last night as people from various age groups, male and female, and members of various local churches in the community began to turn their hearts toward God in an unified response to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. The altar was full of people seeking for a deeper relationship with God. People were seeking to be free from all that was hindering their walk with Christ. I want to speak to all people who are sensing the urgency of the moment deep in your heart; do not be discouraged, do not allow hindrances to slow down your pursuit of God, do not allow the opinion of others dissuade you from obedience, do not allow the whispers of the enemy to intimidate you, and do not allow the "religious" crowd's response to the move of God stop you from your pursuit of God. This is the day to arise from spiritual slumber and shake off the heavy chains of despair and defeat and follow after God with passion and fervency. This risk of our faith will produce a great spiritual reward. Ephesians 6:12, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." (KJV)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Daily Maintenance
This morning finds me sitting in the lounge of a local automobile dealership. I am here to have my wife's car serviced. Our automobiles, lawn mowing equipment, heating and cooling units, and various other pieces of equipment require regular maintenance to maintain their peak performance. Even our bodies require our attention to insure that we remain healthly and well. That is the reason that we exercise, take vitamins, and pay close attention to our consumption of the right types of foods.
If these statements are true for our natural body as well as the pieces of equipment that we own: how much more should this principle apply to our relationship with Christ? We need daily spiritual maintenance to maintain and enhance our walk with Christ. Our spiritual maintenance comes through prayer, the study of the Word, fellowship with other believers, and following the direction of the spiritual leadership that God has placed in our lives. You could add your own personal thoughts to this brief list. I felt that the Lord reminded me to encourage each of us concerning our need to pay attention to our walk with God. We do not need to wait until some major tragedy comes to our lives: let us pay close attention to those daily principles that we can apply to our lives.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Weekend Review
First of all, I trust that each Father was able to enjoy a wonderful day of celebration with your family on Sunday. I was surprised when our children and grandchildren arrived at the service in Radcliff, KY on Sunday. Due to my schedule it is difficult for our family to be in church together and it was such a joy to have them in service with us. I am blessed that my Father is still living and that he is still involved in ministry through serving others in his local community. I also thank the Lord for those "spiritual fathers" who have invested in my life; God has placed great men of God in my path and each of them have participated in my spiritual development.
The services on Sunday were very anointed and encouraging. Sunday morning found me in Radcliff, KY at New River Ministries. We were able to take some time and honor four (4) High School Graduates; I also issued a challenge to them as they began the next step of their life. One of the major reminders centered around the admonition not to forget God. We must teach the succeeding generations the need to remember God in all areas of their lives. As a matter of fact each of us must remember to keep God as the central focus of our journey through life. I also challenged the men as well as each one that was present in the service that we needed to accept our responsibility and stop passing "spiritual responsibility" to someone else. We need to take a look in the mirror and fulfill our individual responsibility and stop expecting more out of others than we are willing to give. We must overcome the spirit of selfishness that has gripped the hearts of so many people; we must pick up the "towel of service" and serve our family, serve in our church, and serve in our community. We must rediscover the joy and blessing of serving others.
Sunday night found me in Willisburg, KY at Anchor of Hope Church with Pastor Ricky Cheatham. I have known many of the people who attend that church since 1978 when we first served a congregation in that area of KY. The worship of the Lord and the fellowship with the people was encouraging and inspiring. There was great freedom and liberty as I began to share the Word of God. I reminded the group of believers that each of us face the need to make the right choices/decisions on a daily basis. Will I choose to trust God when circumstances seem to be so overwhelming? Will I choose to trust God when life is taking me down the road of challenge? Will I trust God when I am facing issues with my health, with my finances, with my family life, and various other challenges? These moments will allow us the opportunity to release our faith and see God work in our lives. We do have the ability to release our faith and I truly believe that many people will choose to trust God when everything around them says do not trust God. Are you one of those who is making the decision to trust God in spite of your circumstances?
The services on Sunday were very anointed and encouraging. Sunday morning found me in Radcliff, KY at New River Ministries. We were able to take some time and honor four (4) High School Graduates; I also issued a challenge to them as they began the next step of their life. One of the major reminders centered around the admonition not to forget God. We must teach the succeeding generations the need to remember God in all areas of their lives. As a matter of fact each of us must remember to keep God as the central focus of our journey through life. I also challenged the men as well as each one that was present in the service that we needed to accept our responsibility and stop passing "spiritual responsibility" to someone else. We need to take a look in the mirror and fulfill our individual responsibility and stop expecting more out of others than we are willing to give. We must overcome the spirit of selfishness that has gripped the hearts of so many people; we must pick up the "towel of service" and serve our family, serve in our church, and serve in our community. We must rediscover the joy and blessing of serving others.
Sunday night found me in Willisburg, KY at Anchor of Hope Church with Pastor Ricky Cheatham. I have known many of the people who attend that church since 1978 when we first served a congregation in that area of KY. The worship of the Lord and the fellowship with the people was encouraging and inspiring. There was great freedom and liberty as I began to share the Word of God. I reminded the group of believers that each of us face the need to make the right choices/decisions on a daily basis. Will I choose to trust God when circumstances seem to be so overwhelming? Will I choose to trust God when life is taking me down the road of challenge? Will I trust God when I am facing issues with my health, with my finances, with my family life, and various other challenges? These moments will allow us the opportunity to release our faith and see God work in our lives. We do have the ability to release our faith and I truly believe that many people will choose to trust God when everything around them says do not trust God. Are you one of those who is making the decision to trust God in spite of your circumstances?
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Spiritual Examination
Yesterday a portion of my day was spent in an out-patient facility undergoing a test which screens for early signs of colon cancer. Thankfully, I received a good report from the doctor who performed the test; but the test did bring some spiritual comparisons to my heart. The passage of scripture in 2 Corinthians 13:5 was placed in my heart, "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you (or in you); if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith." (NLT)
In all honesty each of us know that it is easier to "examine" others than to take the time to examine ourselves. We can easily identify the faults, failures, shortcomings, and sins of others very quickly. We can remember the spiritual history of others yet quickly find many reasons to justify our actions or reactions to certain situations. This post is not meant to condemn us or even justify the sins of others but it is meant to challenge each of us to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into a heartfelt examination of our relationship with Jesus Christ. A Minister by the name of Elwood Matthews who recently passed away used to talk about a "know so salvation." In my opinion this comment referred to the benefit of knowing that we were able to participate in a relationship with Christ that is identifiable. The death of Christ made it possible for us to have a relationship that can be developed and maintained through the presence of the Spirit which is at work in our hearts on an on-going basis. The preparation for my physical examination was somewhat uncomfortable and the medicine which I had to take was at times a little unbearable but the end results of the process was rewarding. I believe that it is the same with our spiritual journey with God. The Holy Spirit in combination with the Word of God will identify some needed spiritual adjustments in our lives and we may find those findings uncomfortable but the end result of the correction of those findings will be a richer and deeper relationship with our Savior. I desire to be open to those needed times of examination so that my relationship with Christ can be a healthy one.
In all honesty each of us know that it is easier to "examine" others than to take the time to examine ourselves. We can easily identify the faults, failures, shortcomings, and sins of others very quickly. We can remember the spiritual history of others yet quickly find many reasons to justify our actions or reactions to certain situations. This post is not meant to condemn us or even justify the sins of others but it is meant to challenge each of us to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into a heartfelt examination of our relationship with Jesus Christ. A Minister by the name of Elwood Matthews who recently passed away used to talk about a "know so salvation." In my opinion this comment referred to the benefit of knowing that we were able to participate in a relationship with Christ that is identifiable. The death of Christ made it possible for us to have a relationship that can be developed and maintained through the presence of the Spirit which is at work in our hearts on an on-going basis. The preparation for my physical examination was somewhat uncomfortable and the medicine which I had to take was at times a little unbearable but the end results of the process was rewarding. I believe that it is the same with our spiritual journey with God. The Holy Spirit in combination with the Word of God will identify some needed spiritual adjustments in our lives and we may find those findings uncomfortable but the end result of the correction of those findings will be a richer and deeper relationship with our Savior. I desire to be open to those needed times of examination so that my relationship with Christ can be a healthy one.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Family of God
This morning finds me reflecting on the different gifts, talents, and abilities that God has placed within the family of God. We see the demonstration of these gifts on a daily or weekly basis but do we take the time to truly recognize and appreciate them? I am glad that not everyone is identical to me and I am glad that God has placed different gifts and abilities in my life. I don't say this in a form of self exaltation or self abasement; no, I say this in the form of gratitude that we are able to identify the true diversity of the family of God. Just as the different parts of the physical body were made to compliment one another so also is the spiritual body of Christ made to compliment one another. We must move beyond the tendency to compare our gifts with each other and we must move beyond the tendency to live in the state of competition among ourselves. We are called to support, encourage, and release the gifts and talents of our fellow family members. The Bible is full of characters that the Word identifies and that we know as soon as their name is mentioned. But the Bible is also full of characters that we read their names but we are unsure of their identity because their role may not have been as prominent as the other characters of the Bible. But we must remember that prominence is not the same as importance! My arm is more prominent and noticeable than my heart or liver but that does not mean that my arm is more important than my heart or liver. We need to realize that the progress and success of the family of God is not just identified through the efforts of the "up-front" people of the church but much of our success is due to the "unseen and unknown" work that is completed out of the sight of the congregation.
Today I want to take a moment and recognize and remember all of the "unknown" servants within the family of God who has offered their gifts, talents, and abilities out of the lime-light of the public. The Sunday School teachers, the Children's Church workers, the intercessors, the custodians, the chaperons who accompany leaders on trips to assist with the children, the Youth leaders, the cooks at Youth Camp, the encourager's, the treasurers, and countless other servants who provide such important service to the family of God. Each of these may not be as prominent in the eyes of the people who sit in the church week after week but their importance must not be overlooked. Thank you servants of God for willingly offering yourself to the work in the Kingdom of God!
Today I want to take a moment and recognize and remember all of the "unknown" servants within the family of God who has offered their gifts, talents, and abilities out of the lime-light of the public. The Sunday School teachers, the Children's Church workers, the intercessors, the custodians, the chaperons who accompany leaders on trips to assist with the children, the Youth leaders, the cooks at Youth Camp, the encourager's, the treasurers, and countless other servants who provide such important service to the family of God. Each of these may not be as prominent in the eyes of the people who sit in the church week after week but their importance must not be overlooked. Thank you servants of God for willingly offering yourself to the work in the Kingdom of God!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Weekend Review
This past weekend found us involved in both family as well as spiritual opportunities. Ann and I were able to share the weekend with our grandchildren as they spent the evening in our home. I have been teaching the grandchildren a song that I sang as a child. The song is "Working on the Building."; that song was one of the first ones that I learned to play on the guitar as a child. The grandchildren enjoyed walking around the room and singing that song with enthusiasm and excitement. That song led them to sing other songs that they had learned at church both in children's church as well as adult church. Those moments reminded me of the spiritual capability of children and their ability to learn and remember spiritual truth when they are presented the opportunity. We must make sure that they we are depositing truth in the lives of this younger generation; this truth must be taught but it also must be practiced if we are to win and keep this young generation involved in spiritual matters. I pray that each of us will consider the seriousness of these opportunities and that we will allow the Lord to place a burden of intercession for this generation.
Sunday found us in Radcliff, KY at New River Ministries. New River is a church plant in which we are participating as Lead Pastor. I am working in this effort as well as continuing an outreach efforts to churches in our nation. God is rewarding this effort as we are being able to see the lives of individuals being impacted through the presence of the Holy Spirit. The leadership team that is involved in this church plant has a desire to model "authentic Christianity" in the community of Radcliff/Fort Knox. In my opinion the church in America must return to the basics of Christianity. These basics can be defined through Jesus' words concerning loving God with all of our heart and loving others as we love ourselves. It is so easy to learn the words of Christ but am I truly demonstrating those words through my actions and reactions? I truly believe that this challenge is being issued to the church today; we must respond to God and allow Him to encourage our steps into a deeper relationship with God. I was able to witness the "conviction" of the Spirit upon several individuals who attended the service on Sunday. I ask for your prayers as we continue to reach out to this community and see God perform His work in the lives of people that He truly cares about. God is calling each of us to make a difference in our section of the world. Am I responding in the correct manner as I hear this call? Each of us must give an account to God regarding our response. I desire to be obedient to the call from God.
Sunday found us in Radcliff, KY at New River Ministries. New River is a church plant in which we are participating as Lead Pastor. I am working in this effort as well as continuing an outreach efforts to churches in our nation. God is rewarding this effort as we are being able to see the lives of individuals being impacted through the presence of the Holy Spirit. The leadership team that is involved in this church plant has a desire to model "authentic Christianity" in the community of Radcliff/Fort Knox. In my opinion the church in America must return to the basics of Christianity. These basics can be defined through Jesus' words concerning loving God with all of our heart and loving others as we love ourselves. It is so easy to learn the words of Christ but am I truly demonstrating those words through my actions and reactions? I truly believe that this challenge is being issued to the church today; we must respond to God and allow Him to encourage our steps into a deeper relationship with God. I was able to witness the "conviction" of the Spirit upon several individuals who attended the service on Sunday. I ask for your prayers as we continue to reach out to this community and see God perform His work in the lives of people that He truly cares about. God is calling each of us to make a difference in our section of the world. Am I responding in the correct manner as I hear this call? Each of us must give an account to God regarding our response. I desire to be obedient to the call from God.
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