Revival Of The Minister
I can't remember a time when more ministers seemed to be under the gun. Many are very discouraged and some are reconsidering the ministry all together. Of course finances is always a major player in the scenario. Some are missing paychecks and churches and ministries are struggling to make ends meet. I have heard it preached that the world's economy and God's economy are two different things. That "preaches good" but they are connected and there is evidence in the Scripture as well. Of course God is a miracle working God and gives financial miracles beyond the world's economy. We have experienced that. However, in the day to day operation of things when the economy of a town is hit, the finances of the church is hit as well. There are churches of which I am aware that report their income is down by half of what it was just one year ago. People are scared. Even as I write this, the stock market closed today really, really low. No one has the answers to these problems, though some claim they do.
Where does all that leave us who are called to minister to society? What about ministers who are wanting to quit? What about those who are out of gas? What about ministers who have lost their vision or are simply confused? First, let me say this is a wonderful opportunity, maybe the best opportunity in a generation, to be "on the bridge, at the helm". It's a time to be giving clear leadership. It's a time to be preaching the Truth of the Gospel like never before. People need to be hearing a clear clarion call. They need to see and hear from leaders who are filled with passion and faith. What must we do to get there?
There are several things we must be doing in order to get off the "fantail" considering making a jump and get ourselves back on the bridge with our hand on the wheel. Let me list a few:
1. Consider the Call - Were you ever called by God to full time ministry? Crisis always shakes up the milk and the cream always rises back to the top. You can't defeat or stop the call. You can beat the call, you can persecute the call, you can discourage the call, but in the end, the Call of God is an overwhelming, unsinkable force within the man or woman of God. If you are called, take a moment and revisit your Call from God. Make a fresh commitment to that Call.
2. Die to your rights - We must move beyond feeling that we deserve better than we are getting. Nothing arouses the discipline of the Father quicker than a child complaining about the provision of the father. It is in the "taking up the cross daily and following Him" that the devil is denied his weapon of discouragement.
3. Choose Lordship over doctrine - Jesus is our Lord, doctrine is not our Lord. Jesus is clear and certain, doctrine can change, develop or even be flat wrong! God is not a compliant God. By that I mean, God will not be who we want him to be nor will he perform according to what our doctrine says he will do. His is in fact...God. If you find yourself discouraged because God hasn't performed according to your perception of Him you have two choices. You can either walk away or you can make a fresh commitment to His Lordship and ask Him to change you and your doctrine. The end result must be that whether we understand or not, we will be faithful and loyal to His Lordship. By the way, our "understanding" is just like doctrine. It may or may not be right.
4. Repent of complaining - The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 77:3 "I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah" Complaining only robs us of the energy of God and actually works against our situation and our healing. It's a time to watch our hearts and our lips. Let's be found encouraging those around us. We are leaders among God's people.
5. Guard the Sacred Trust - The Lord spoke to me recently and said to me, "be careful how you handle my Bride!" It put a new fear of God in me. His church is "His Church, His Bride" and not my Church. Some have acted as if the church was their own private business and have run it much the same way. This kind of presumption leads to all kinds of abuses. As Papa Ken Sumrall has taught us for many years, "beware of the gold, the girls (boys) and the glory." Presumption leads to abuse in all three deadly areas. If you get a leader that is hurting, disillusioned, mad at God and feeling he's not getting what he deserves, you have a recipe for disaster. He will fail in one of the big three. Let's remember, we are called to follow Him. We begin by following Him and when he returns, and He will return, we must be found still following him. No matter how anointed we may be nor how large a ministry we raise up, He will never follow us. As a matter of fact, "these signs will follow those who believe or who keep following Him".
5. Get Healed - It is time to get healed! We need you healed! The Kingdom needs you healed! Whatever it takes, get healed. If I can help, let me help. If you are close to another "healed brother", ask for help. Confess your condition. James tells us, "is any sick among you, let him call for the elders". You must confess your sickness in order to get healed. You cannot operate in the Gospel ministry which is a ministry of healing, without being healed. Of course, we are all in process but there has to be a basic level of health or else we will simply reproduce in our people our level of health or the lack thereof. Get real and get healed. Pharisees hide their sickness and pretend they are healed. Genuine, transparent disciples "confess their faults one to another, and pray for one another, and are healed." Pursue healing and health!
6. Reinvest your life in ministry - Don't invest your life in trivial pursuits. You and I have been called to a higher place. Remember how you felt when you first comprehended the call of God upon your life. Nothing else mattered to you. Money didn't matter, reputation didn't matter and success didn't matter. You simply wanted to please Jesus. Has that changed? Has the call changed? Has Jesus changed? After over 33 years of full time ministry I can tell you that we have been placed in the most important role in history. We are called to do what at times is a thankless task. At times we are punished for doing good and Godly things. We are not rewarded for our labors as the world often rewards. We can't look at what we do every afternoon with appreciation and pride because most of what we do is unseen and may remain that way eternally. Yet, no one holds the promise that we hold. For those who remain faithful until the end, we look forward to hearing those special words of the Creator of the Universe as he says to us, yes to you and me, "well done thou good and faithful servant".
Monday, July 30, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
For the next few weeks I am going to "Re-run" some older blogs that seemed to draw good comments from readers. Here's one:
The Great American Church Myth
In almost any retail business today you can find those little questionnaire cards asking, “How are we doing?” Everyone in retail business understands like never before the importance of “giving people what they want.” If you don’t, they are gone! Any restaurant that has been in business for twenty-four months will probably make it because they have been able to navigate those dangerous waters of appealing to the fickle tastes of the American public. We are all a spoiled lot. Recently, I was with a friend ordering breakfast. I said, “I’d like two eggs over easy, ham, no grits, dry, whole wheat toast, sugar free strawberry jelly and tomato slices.” The waitress looked at me and said, “My, someone has really spoiled you, haven’t they.” I said, “Rotten to the core!” We all want what we want when we want it. It’s the American way of life.
Unfortunately, this consumerism has found its way into the American church. American Christians shop for churches like they shop for groceries. People actually call churches with a survey sheet of sorts, asking “What can this church do for me? If I attend this church, will I be fulfilled?” I was serving as pastor of a church in the Houston, Texas area back in the early 90’s when a lady met me at the back door of the church after service. My sermon that day was not a particularly “make you smile” kind of message. It was more of a “you need to change” kind of sermon. I’ll never forget her words that day. She said, “Preacher, if you don’t give these people what they want, they will leave you and go somewhere else.” I wonder how many pastors find themselves imprisoned by such attitudes? How many gifted and called spiritual leaders are held hostage by self centered people who believe the myth that the job of the church is to make sure that they are fulfilled!
The myth of the American church today is clearly an infection that has attacked the church from the prevailing attitude of the current culture. This attitude screams, “It’s all about me.” Churches are driven to try to compete with music, drama, sermons, and all kinds of specialized ministries that a very savvy Christian public demands. This attitude is a far cry from Biblical definitions of what the church, the Body of Christ, is supposed to be. The church is not a centralized place organized to serve Christians. It is a staging ground for Christian service. The church is a place where Christians are equipped for service. It is a place where spiritual gifts are discovered, strengthened and activated into function. In truth, the address for fulfillment for the Christian is not the church…it is the world. The church equips the Christian to serve outside the walls of the church and that service in the name of Christ brings fulfillment.
It is time for the American church to return to it’s roots. It’s time for Pastors and leaders to cease bowing to consumerism. It’s time to stop the insanity of competition and return to the primitive principles of Christian service rising out of a personal relationship with our Lord and King, Jesus. The real question should be, “What does He want?”
In almost any retail business today you can find those little questionnaire cards asking, “How are we doing?” Everyone in retail business understands like never before the importance of “giving people what they want.” If you don’t, they are gone! Any restaurant that has been in business for twenty-four months will probably make it because they have been able to navigate those dangerous waters of appealing to the fickle tastes of the American public. We are all a spoiled lot. Recently, I was with a friend ordering breakfast. I said, “I’d like two eggs over easy, ham, no grits, dry, whole wheat toast, sugar free strawberry jelly and tomato slices.” The waitress looked at me and said, “My, someone has really spoiled you, haven’t they.” I said, “Rotten to the core!” We all want what we want when we want it. It’s the American way of life.
Unfortunately, this consumerism has found its way into the American church. American Christians shop for churches like they shop for groceries. People actually call churches with a survey sheet of sorts, asking “What can this church do for me? If I attend this church, will I be fulfilled?” I was serving as pastor of a church in the Houston, Texas area back in the early 90’s when a lady met me at the back door of the church after service. My sermon that day was not a particularly “make you smile” kind of message. It was more of a “you need to change” kind of sermon. I’ll never forget her words that day. She said, “Preacher, if you don’t give these people what they want, they will leave you and go somewhere else.” I wonder how many pastors find themselves imprisoned by such attitudes? How many gifted and called spiritual leaders are held hostage by self centered people who believe the myth that the job of the church is to make sure that they are fulfilled!
The myth of the American church today is clearly an infection that has attacked the church from the prevailing attitude of the current culture. This attitude screams, “It’s all about me.” Churches are driven to try to compete with music, drama, sermons, and all kinds of specialized ministries that a very savvy Christian public demands. This attitude is a far cry from Biblical definitions of what the church, the Body of Christ, is supposed to be. The church is not a centralized place organized to serve Christians. It is a staging ground for Christian service. The church is a place where Christians are equipped for service. It is a place where spiritual gifts are discovered, strengthened and activated into function. In truth, the address for fulfillment for the Christian is not the church…it is the world. The church equips the Christian to serve outside the walls of the church and that service in the name of Christ brings fulfillment.
It is time for the American church to return to it’s roots. It’s time for Pastors and leaders to cease bowing to consumerism. It’s time to stop the insanity of competition and return to the primitive principles of Christian service rising out of a personal relationship with our Lord and King, Jesus. The real question should be, “What does He want?”
Monday, July 16, 2012
Spiritual Profiling
We now know that profiling among police is not a good thing. Yet, if you talk to one who is "on the job" you will find that it is a normal practice. It comes from experience in knowing what to look for resulting in getting criminals off the street. Of course the down side is that the police can be wrong. As good as our criminal justice system is these days a small percentage of people are convicted who are innocent. We don't like it but yet it is a part of package.
Now to the Church. Profiling is pretty standard among us as well. Oh, we like to say that we don't judge and we treat everyone the same. Really!? Probably not. We all have those dark areas within us caused usually be upbringing or an incident of some sort from the past. A few weeks back I was in a questionable area and got on an elevator and just before the door closed an arm was thrust between the doors. A young, large black man came in. He had a ball cap side ways, his pants were hanging exposing his underwear. You know the scene. We only rode one floor together but it was a long enough ride to reveal my heart. Something within me was uneasy. When I left I was disappointed with my feelings and spent some time evaluating my reaction. Was I sensing some spiritual discernment? Maybe. Was I profiling the young man based on stereotype ? Probably!
A few weeks later I was in a large box store and as I was waiting in the checkout line I saw a young family. The father looked like he could be a gang member. He had tats and piercing. The mother was similar and I couldn't see the little boy at first. Then he appeared from behind his mother. He was beautiful and well dressed. As children can do he walked over and put his hand in my cart. His dad took him gently by the arm, pulled him aside and I heard him say, "be more respectful". A few days later I was walking on a pier on the bay. Again, I see this rather questionable (to me) looking man fishing. Next to him was a little boy fishing. He was teaching his little boy to fish. Both of these fathers showed respect, love, patience and admiration for their sons. They both seemed to be interested in teaching and training their sons. My overwhelming thoughts ran from, "boy was I wrong" to "these guys could teach a class on fathering in most churches!"
This past year I have also observed other fathers who looked the part to what I think a dad should look like and some were Christians. Yet, their interaction with their children was not the same. What I saw revealed lives dominated by cell phones and laptops. Their conversations with their children was not focused and mostly revealed aggravation they had been interrupted.
Profiling is a dangerous thing. Proverbs tells us that man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.
We now know that profiling among police is not a good thing. Yet, if you talk to one who is "on the job" you will find that it is a normal practice. It comes from experience in knowing what to look for resulting in getting criminals off the street. Of course the down side is that the police can be wrong. As good as our criminal justice system is these days a small percentage of people are convicted who are innocent. We don't like it but yet it is a part of package.
Now to the Church. Profiling is pretty standard among us as well. Oh, we like to say that we don't judge and we treat everyone the same. Really!? Probably not. We all have those dark areas within us caused usually be upbringing or an incident of some sort from the past. A few weeks back I was in a questionable area and got on an elevator and just before the door closed an arm was thrust between the doors. A young, large black man came in. He had a ball cap side ways, his pants were hanging exposing his underwear. You know the scene. We only rode one floor together but it was a long enough ride to reveal my heart. Something within me was uneasy. When I left I was disappointed with my feelings and spent some time evaluating my reaction. Was I sensing some spiritual discernment? Maybe. Was I profiling the young man based on stereotype ? Probably!
A few weeks later I was in a large box store and as I was waiting in the checkout line I saw a young family. The father looked like he could be a gang member. He had tats and piercing. The mother was similar and I couldn't see the little boy at first. Then he appeared from behind his mother. He was beautiful and well dressed. As children can do he walked over and put his hand in my cart. His dad took him gently by the arm, pulled him aside and I heard him say, "be more respectful". A few days later I was walking on a pier on the bay. Again, I see this rather questionable (to me) looking man fishing. Next to him was a little boy fishing. He was teaching his little boy to fish. Both of these fathers showed respect, love, patience and admiration for their sons. They both seemed to be interested in teaching and training their sons. My overwhelming thoughts ran from, "boy was I wrong" to "these guys could teach a class on fathering in most churches!"
This past year I have also observed other fathers who looked the part to what I think a dad should look like and some were Christians. Yet, their interaction with their children was not the same. What I saw revealed lives dominated by cell phones and laptops. Their conversations with their children was not focused and mostly revealed aggravation they had been interrupted.
Profiling is a dangerous thing. Proverbs tells us that man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Being Nice To You!
I recently had the blessing of hearing Gino Mayo speak at the CFN conference. As a Hospice Chaplain for the last five years he has dealt with death and with suffering families many, many times. From his experiences he has learned much about dealing with grief and negative emotions. It was a wonderful workshop. At the end, after he had been very transparent about his own life he said, "It took me over 50 years to learn to be nice to me!" It was a powerful statement. I had just heard a man say, "I have practiced the golden rule to people around me but if I had treated others the way I have treated myself, I wouldn't have many friends."
This is true of most of us. We all gravitate toward the negative, and especially regarding ourselves. Far too many people are their own worst enemies and in being so they sabotage their productivity and joy in life. In Christianity and especially in preaching we have seemed to put more emphasis on the cross than the resurrection. Now, don't misunderstand me, the Cross isn't being preached enough in this hour in my opinion. Without the Cross there is no resurrection. However, individuals tend toward self degradation even after true repentance and salvation occurs. Once we are born again we need to live and think of ourselves as truly new creations. Romans 6:11 tells us to "reckon" or think of ourselves as "alive" in Christ. Most of us deal with our thought life and seek to discipline our minds to not be negative or judgmental toward others. This week give some thought to controlling your thought life toward yourself. In the words of Gino Mayo, "be nice to you!"
I recently had the blessing of hearing Gino Mayo speak at the CFN conference. As a Hospice Chaplain for the last five years he has dealt with death and with suffering families many, many times. From his experiences he has learned much about dealing with grief and negative emotions. It was a wonderful workshop. At the end, after he had been very transparent about his own life he said, "It took me over 50 years to learn to be nice to me!" It was a powerful statement. I had just heard a man say, "I have practiced the golden rule to people around me but if I had treated others the way I have treated myself, I wouldn't have many friends."
This is true of most of us. We all gravitate toward the negative, and especially regarding ourselves. Far too many people are their own worst enemies and in being so they sabotage their productivity and joy in life. In Christianity and especially in preaching we have seemed to put more emphasis on the cross than the resurrection. Now, don't misunderstand me, the Cross isn't being preached enough in this hour in my opinion. Without the Cross there is no resurrection. However, individuals tend toward self degradation even after true repentance and salvation occurs. Once we are born again we need to live and think of ourselves as truly new creations. Romans 6:11 tells us to "reckon" or think of ourselves as "alive" in Christ. Most of us deal with our thought life and seek to discipline our minds to not be negative or judgmental toward others. This week give some thought to controlling your thought life toward yourself. In the words of Gino Mayo, "be nice to you!"
Monday, July 2, 2012
Don't Crack the Egg!
There is some debate about helping a chick crack the egg at hatching time. However, many say that a part of the process of the chick's health is getting out on it's own. I don't know a lot about chickens but I do know that you can do too much for people in their walk with God. There are so many processes and so many transitions to be maneuvered that struggling is a part of spiritual health. As care givers we want desperately to help people (especially those closest to us) avoid discomfort and pain. Yet the present struggle may be the preparation for future victory. Our help today could be a preparation for failure in the future. That is why it is so important for us to pray and hear from God and not just do what "we think is a good thing to do."
This same thought carries to trying to help people "into ministry". If there is a true Call of God upon a person's life, that call is an internal fire and motivation that for the most part needs to be a solitary struggle between the one being called and the One doing the calling. As we look at Scripture, from Moses to the Apostle Paul, man did little in the process. Once the call was embraced then help came to assist them on their ministry journey. We can help in training and oversight by way of support, prayer and encouragement but we must remember that solitude is a major part of preparation for ministry. The Lord in his love allows the dark night of the soul to occur in order to make sure he has prepared a "son of God" and not a "son of man." Remember, if we do too much to help the chick out during the turmoil of birth he will continue to look for us during the turmoil of life. This same Apostle Paul who made it through embracing the call later wrote, "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Phil. 1:6
There is some debate about helping a chick crack the egg at hatching time. However, many say that a part of the process of the chick's health is getting out on it's own. I don't know a lot about chickens but I do know that you can do too much for people in their walk with God. There are so many processes and so many transitions to be maneuvered that struggling is a part of spiritual health. As care givers we want desperately to help people (especially those closest to us) avoid discomfort and pain. Yet the present struggle may be the preparation for future victory. Our help today could be a preparation for failure in the future. That is why it is so important for us to pray and hear from God and not just do what "we think is a good thing to do."
This same thought carries to trying to help people "into ministry". If there is a true Call of God upon a person's life, that call is an internal fire and motivation that for the most part needs to be a solitary struggle between the one being called and the One doing the calling. As we look at Scripture, from Moses to the Apostle Paul, man did little in the process. Once the call was embraced then help came to assist them on their ministry journey. We can help in training and oversight by way of support, prayer and encouragement but we must remember that solitude is a major part of preparation for ministry. The Lord in his love allows the dark night of the soul to occur in order to make sure he has prepared a "son of God" and not a "son of man." Remember, if we do too much to help the chick out during the turmoil of birth he will continue to look for us during the turmoil of life. This same Apostle Paul who made it through embracing the call later wrote, "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Phil. 1:6
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