Wednesday's Reflections

I would like to share a few thoughts from last Sunday's message. I truly believe that it is time for the people of God to WAKE UP!!!

I Peter 5:6-8, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ⁸ Be sober (be discreet, watch), be vigilant (keep awake, watch); because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (NKJV) (Emphasis Added)

Let me remind you that we are not the first generation and we may not be the last generation that have faced or will face a set of unique challenges. I was taking my concerns as well as the concerns of others to God in prayer a few weeks ago. Let me take a moment and make an honest confession this morning. For a moment or two in my time of prayer I was overwhelmed by the heaviness of the burden that I felt for myself as well as the burden that I felt for others. I could sense the “prowling of the roaring lions” that the Apostle Peter referenced in his writings. We must remember that the devil is our adversary!! He is your enemy and he is opposed to you. Satan opposes man in his best interests. He resists our efforts to do good; He resists our efforts to spend eternity with God; He resists our attempts to develop our relationship with God. We must also remember that he resists all our efforts to obey God and to secure the salvation of our own souls.

But at that particular moment the Spirit raised up a Word from God in my heart. He deposited these words in my Spirit; “I will provide a unique anointing for a group of unique people who are living in a unique time in the history of mine.” It was at that moment that I unloaded my burdens and realized that God has not only cared about people in the days of yesterday but He cares about the people of today and He will care about me in all of the tomorrows that I have left on earth.  Do you remember the words of the worship song, One Thing Remains, “Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me. On and on and on and on it goes. It overwhelms and satisfies my soul And I never ever have to be afraid, One thing remains.”  The enemy may be making a lot of noise in your life today but rest assured that the Love of God remains a constant companion and His Love is very active in your life.   

Tuesday's Thoughts

2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (NKJV)

I read this passage of scripture prior to my prayer time this morning. But it took on a new perspective as the Spirit brought it to my attention during certain sections of my time of prayer. I have heard these words shared in many sermons and I have even spoken these words and this principle in many sermons that I have shared. 

Many times I have focused on the words "any should perish" but today the word "longsuffering" kept rising in my spirit. The idea that God does not want anyone to perish is supported and kept at the forefront of His plan for humanity because of His longsuffering. He "suffers long" for His creation. He refuses to stop reaching out to them in love, care, compassion, kindness, etc. He continues to drop "signs" in their path so that they will know that He has not walked away from them or that He has not forgotten them.

As a parent I can remember those moments in the lives of our children which required some longsuffering on our part. I can remember the times when they were learning to feed themselves (Oh the mess to be reckoned with and cleaned up). NOTE: It did get better over time under the direction and care of a compassionate Mother who was "longsuffering" and willing to work through the process of growth. Can you remember the first steps of your children or grandchildren? More than likely the steps were wobbly to begin with but got stronger and steadier with the assistance of the steadying hand of a parent. Can you remember assisting with homework? Longsuffering was a very much welcomed attribute during those moments for both parent and child. What about the first driving lesson? I will stop with that example because that can bring into play a complete different set of circumstances. 

Hopefully these brief examples of life can remind us of the AWESOME LOVE, CARE, COMPASSION, KINDNESS AND LONGSUFFERING that our Heavenly Father possesses for each of His children and each of His future children. We should remember that God is calling this wayward generation to repentance and their response will require "longsuffering" from each of us!!!

Monday's Musings

This is another day in which God has provided us with a choice to make. I can choose to draw closer to Him or I can choose to grow distant from Him. I don't believe that the day in which we are living will allow us to remain "spiritually neutral." We are either for Christ or we are against Christ. Jesus reminded us of this truth when He walked the face of this Earth. These words are not written from a harsh, critical attitude rather they are written from an attitude that sincerely believes that God is sending the "Church" a wake-up call. Don't you hear the alarm going off? Are we going to arise from our "sleepy spiritual" state or will we be content to hit the snooze button and roll back over and go back to sleep? I believe that it is spiritually dangerous to remain asleep. Let us arise and cast off the garments of darkness and put on the garments of Light. 

There was an awesome move of the Spirit in yesterday's service at New River. I prayed with many people who could hear the alarm bells sounding and they chose to listen to the voice of the Spirit and respond in obedience. God is calling for obedience to His directives. We have tried to replace old fashioned obedience with works, actions, offerings, service, etc. Each of these "actions" are good in and of themselves but they can never take the place of surrender and obedience to God. We must STOP AVOIDING the directives/mandates of God. We must do as Jesus reminded us, "...deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him." The part of denying ourselves can be very problematic in a world that is encouraging us to be independent, self sustaining, and exhibiting our freedom to make our own choices regarding our journey through life. That sounds very good to the fleshly side of us BUT we must also remember that there is an eternal side of us. We are a "living soul" that will spend eternity in the presence of God or we will spend eternity out of the presence of God. The choices we make on this earth will determine our eternal destiny.

I received a message yesterday afternoon from a young lady that was present in our Sunday service. As a matter of fact I was able to pray with this young lady during the altar prayer time of the service. The Lord is at work in her heart to say the least. She sent me a passage of scripture from the Message which is a transliteration of the Bible. I want to share the NKJV with you today as well as the Message. I encourage you to take a moment and allow the power of the Word to sink deep into your heart.

Hebrews 10:22-25, "let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

Hebrews 10:22-25, "So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching."

Friday's Challenge

James 4:8a, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you..." (KJV)

This passage of scripture has been on my mind this morning. These words continued to resonate in my heart during prayer time. I have heard this passage preached and I have preached this passage on many occasions in my ministerial life. But these words may be more important now than ever before. Many Christians supposedly believe that we are living in the days which could very well usher in the return of Jesus Christ. Christians have been looking for Him to return since He ascended back to Heaven at the conclusion of His earthly mission to planet Earth. I still believe that His promises are true but I do not know the exact time that these promises will be fulfilled. My responsibility is to live each day in such a manner that I am prepared to leave this world regardless of the time.

This passage reinforces that need to me as I read and re-read the powerful words. These words contain both a "call" from God as well as a promise from God. I am called to release my faith and take the first step, "Draw nigh to God", and then God will follow through on His promises to those who obey Him, "and he will draw nigh to you." I truly believe that God is calling the modern day church to take the first step, "Draw nigh to God." But we need more people to heed the call than just a small group of believers. We need a stirring or awakening that will cause each of us to open our hearts to this challenge in the Word of God. But then we must allow this stirring or awakening to thrust us into an all out pursuit of God and the promises that He has prepared to release in our individual as well as corporate lives. 

I want to leave you with some questions to ponder as you reflect on this passage of scripture.

1) Am I truly serious about drawing closer to God?

2) Am I truly committed to the process of the ongoing development of my relationship with God?

3) Am I truly passionate about my walk with Christ? Does it actually take first place in my priorities or is it "something" that I will get around too when I have time?

4) Do I truly sense that I am drawing closer to God or does it really matter to me?

5) Do I get tired of hearing the Preacher or Teacher tell me that each of us needs more of God in our lives?

Have a wonderful weekend!! 

Power Outage?

Luke 24:44-49, “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. ⁴⁵ Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶ And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: ⁴⁷ And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ And ye are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (KJV)

I have been reminding the New River congregation of our need to recognize the importance of the presence and power of God in our lives. The Spirit began to sow these thoughts in my heart as we moved from the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus toward Pentecost Sunday. I wanted the people to realize that we needed more than just an emotional encounter with God. In my opinion the modern day church needs a true "spiritual encounter" with God. That type of encounter will bring true repentance and true transformation through the work of God in our hearts and not just in our emotions. 

Have you ever encountered a power outage in your home due to a storm or possibly your power was disconnected due to the fact that you were unable to pay your bill? Either one of those scenarios caused us to realize that there were many things that we would be unable to accomplish due to the loss of power. But there is an answer in that case as well as the case of the loss of power in our spiritual lives. We call the local utility company when the natural power source is loss and we call on heaven when the loss of spiritual power becomes evident. This message is about calling on Heaven and remembering that God does have the resources to place His power in our lives. I believe that He is just waiting on people who will tarry in His presence believing that there is a surge of power being placed in their lives. 

The literal translation of these words of Jesus found in verse 49 could be stated in this manner, ‘Sit ye still in the city . . . till ye be clothed.’ The original word used in the Bible gives us “the sense of sinking into a garment.”  I think of a fireman putting on his suit of clothes as he/she is preparing to leave the firehouse to go fight a fire.  We are in the spiritual firehouse today and we are preparing our hearts to face those “fiery trials” of life. But I am sharing these words to encourage you “sink” down into the spiritual garment that God has provided for His family to have on as we face our individual set of challenges in life.

Tuesday's Praises

I was awakened this morning with a song on my mind. We sing this song on various occasions at church and it always ministers to my heart. It seems at least to me that I am either writing about the need to pray or the need to offer praise to God. I understand that there are other very important principles found in the Bible but these two principles are very prominent in both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. Let me hasten to add these words to this post; "I want to be found in such a condition with God that I am faithful in following both of these commands from God.

There are many occasions in which my "prayer time" turns into a "praise time." When I begin to think about the things that God has done in my life it spurs me onward and upward into a deeper pursuit of the presence of God. I don't have to think very long before my mind begins to fill with those "God moments" in which the power of God turned a spiritual minefield into a green pasture of miracles. Oh, I just think that I need to stop writing and shout HALLELUJAH at this moment!!!

I certainly understand that life is full of challenges and that our road of life can be very tumultuous at certain moments. But I also realize that NOTHING is ever out of the sight of God. He is aware of the small things that seek to spoil our lives as well as the large things that look too difficult to overcome. It is during those times that we recognize and remember the greatness of God and understand that He is still in charge of our destiny. 

Oh, family of God we cannot afford to lose our hope and confidence in God. Take a moment and look back over your life and reflect on some moments in which God divinely intervened in your life and brought the provision that you needed.

Have the words of this song from Hillsong United ever become a reality in your life?

When I Think about the Lord, 

How He saved me, how He raised me, 

How He filled me, with the Holy Ghost.

How He healed me, to the uttermost. 

When I Think about the Lord, 

How He picked me up and turned me around, 

How He placed my feet on solid ground

Chorus

It makes me wanna shout, Hallelujah, Thank you JESUS, 

LORD, your worthy, of all the glory, and all the honor,  And all the praise...

Weekend Reflections

I wanted to take a few moments and reflect on the events of this past weekend. First, I trust that all of the Fathers enjoyed your special day on Sunday. It is encouraging to see our families, our local churches as well as our nation honor the men who seek to live a life that is worthy of emulation. I have been blessed to have crossed paths with many wonderful, godly men who have made a difference in my life. I was able to take a few minutes and reflect on them at some point over this past weekend. I still have a few phone calls that I will make over the next few days in which I will share my words of appreciation with some individuals. I trust that someone reached out to you with some kind and encouraging words that made you realize that their life has truly made a difference in your life. The good men of our nation certainly need the affirmation of their family, friends, and local church family!!

I was able to serve as a support staff at a Ladies Ministry event at our local church on Saturday. This time of ministry was led and directed by my wife, Ann. This event was designed to be a time to celebrate the fact that each person has a "story to tell" concerning their life and their walk with Christ. This goal was more than accomplished through music, dramatic monologues, testimonies, and personal fellowship during meal time. You could truly sense the presence of God as each individual lady realized that her life was important and that she was a "story that was worth telling" to the people that God places in her life. It was an amazing time in the presence of the Lord and I truly believe that each of the ladies that were present were impacted through this time of ministry. Let me remind you today that "you have a story to tell" and that God is definitely interested in YOU as He is in anybody else. 

Sunday developed into a very unique service in which we honored the men that was present in the service with somewhat a focus on the Fathers that were present. I may use these words at various times but I truly felt that "the Holy Spirit" had instructed me about the conclusion of the service. I truly believe that the manhood of America is under attack. I say that from a spiritual perspective as I identify the moral and spiritual climate of our nation. Our families, our churches, and our nation is in need of MEN who will step forward in boldness, dedication, sincerity and courage and offer themselves to God as a living sacrifice. I asked the men to accept the challenge to become a Joshua 24 man, "...as for me and my house we will serve the Lord." The men of our nation can no longer afford to sit idly on the sideline. Each of us must rise to the occasion and accept our Biblical responsibility to make a difference in this world in a positive manner. I concluded this service by anointing and praying over each man. This time of prayer included the adult men, the young adult men, the teenage men, the male children in Children's Church as well as the male babies. It was an amazing sight to behold as men brought their young children either by their side or in their arms to be anointed. I will never forget Father's Day 2016 at New River Worship Center!!

FYI: I spent a nice portion of the afternoon with my wife, children and grandchildren. I am not all business, I do have some time in which I relax and enjoy myself.