Over Adjustment


From time to time I hear of some terrible automobile accident resulting in horrible damage or even loss of life.  After an investigation the findings come back that the driver ran off the road and overreacted leading to what the accident report says is "over adjustment".   More often than not the driver is either young with little experience or elderly with diminishing abilities.  The reaction of both groups in the pressure of the moment results in disaster.  There is a great life lesson here.  Don't let the circumstances dictate your course of action in a time of crisis.  The only way you can make sure you handle a crisis properly is through training.  Then when the emergency does arise, trust your training.  This is true in scuba driving, combat, driving and life in general.  I have learned that becoming good at something does not mean you will maintain that level of proficiency in an ongoing way.  We need refresher training as well, especially as we grow older.   


The Scripture tell us in Hebrews 12:11 that "no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been TRAINED by it". Notice here the Word says, "to those who have been trained by it".  Not everyone allows training to take place from discipline.  That will result in making the same mistakes over and over again.  It will also lead to a life of "over adjusting" to circumstances resulting in costly mistakes.  We should train ourselves to always respond and never react to situations.  Reactionary behavior creates a knee jerk reaction that too often leads to even greater problems than the original one.  Responding lends itself to action taken after thought and patience leading to decisions coming forth from training.  What about the instant crisis where there is not time for contemplation?  Even more reason for training and retraining in order to respond in the moment according to our training. It has to become second nature.  


In dealing with people and relationship crises, never allow yourself to be rushed or pressured into a decision.  It is fine to say, "let me get back to you on that".  Give this some thought and the next time a crisis arises, trust your training!

Are You Expecting?


I just returned from Richland, Mississippi where I had the privilege of ministering all weekend at Restoration Church.  Pastor Freddie Brown had led his church in 30 days of fasting and prayer asking the Lord for "Breakthrough".  I had never been there before so I didn't really know what I would find there.  To my great joy, the congregation was seriously engaged as a Body in this faith venture.  There is a big difference between a pastor who announces a season of fasting and prayer and the people tolerate his plan, and a congregation taking ownership of the venture and actually expecting great things.  The latter was the case at Restoration Church.  The flip side to this scenario would be when a pastor announces fasting and prayer because it seems like a good idea, but his heart isn't in it.  Often about the only thing that happens if there is not a joint ownership by the pastor and congregation is hunger.  However, when both are moving in faith, as was the case in Richland, breakthrough happens.  I was blessed to stand in the pulpit and see a congregation hanging on ever word and expecting from God.  Pastor Freddie had expectancy in his eyes and heart.  Observing and experiencing this was not only encouraging but it was also challenging.  


The Lord has promised that if we "draw near to Him, He will draw near to us".  I believe there is a corporate application here.  May we embrace the Lord Jesus for breakthrough as a people and we WILL see breakthrough!

Changing Your Mind


It seems that every new direction requires changing your mind.  It has been overstated that "insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." Yet a truer statement has not been made.  It sounds easy enough but changing your mind  is one of the most difficult things.  it requires humility that says, "either I was wrong in the past or what I thought in the past is no longer adequate."  Changing your mind takes great courage because if you declare that you are changing your mind you must now take the risk that this new direction might fail.  At least I'm surviving in my present state and no one sees me failing.  Changing my mind might bring disaster.  Of course it might also bring a new success!  It also requires faith.  You must believe in the new direction and pursue it with passion and conviction.


Our becoming Christians, followers of Jesus began with a decision to change our minds. We make a lot out of the way we see people converted but the most accurate definition is a changed mind. That is what repentance means, changing one's mind.  I can't truthfully find a "sinner's prayer" in the Bible.  I have seen many, far too many who prayed that cure all prayer and never fulfilled their commitment to Jesus. I have seen others who focused on the act of changing their mind and they have never looked back.  The mind change is a powerful force! My point here is that I have talked a lot of people into saying and praying things that was beyond their mental assent.  They didn't stick!  Recently someone who loves me was telling me that if I would go to a truly vegetarian diet my health issues would be over and fixed.  I thought of all the reasons they were wrong but could find none.  I said, "I believe you are right but I'm nor willing to pay that price yet"!  I still believe they are right but that kind of believing doesn't bring miracles or new fruit. I have to believe and then come to a place of changing my mind about what I am doing.


What areas of your life do you need a change of mind?  You understand, you even have faith but you are not ready to change your mind and commit to the new direction or decision.  Consider this verse:  Phil. 2:19 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.  God is able to give you the very desire that will lead you to obedience through a changed mind.  Pray and ask Him to help you today.

What Will Heaven Be Like?

It's really kind of amazing if you think about it that so little detail is given about heaven in the Bible!  The Scripture is clear that heaven is the abiding place of God where our victorious Lord Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.  We have hints regarding the beauty of heaven with it's magnificent gates and streets of pure gold. Yet, a lot is left to educated guesses at best.  I think the Lord wants it that way to be a reward on the grandest scale. One rabbi has suggested that this life is like a lobby where we wait until that day when we can enter the grand banquet hall!  I like that!  Regardless, heaven is and will be a wonderful place. Then, as believers we have the promise that when we leave this body we immediately enter heaven.
Heaven is to be with Jesus.  I have no angst about any of that.  I do however, have a little concern about one part of life after death.  It has to do with the judgment seat of Christ.  I have always had this deep desire to hear from Jesus those words, "Well done thou good and faithful servant..."

Some have taught that the judgment seat of Christ had to do with rewards for good deeds and punishment for the bad.  That isn't possible!  Why?  Because sin has already been taken care of by the Blood of Jesus.  The judgment seat of Christ is a place of reward but not punishment.  Yet, I want the highest reward from Jesus because I want to please him as I am sure you do as well.  Now here's my point.  I believe to get the highest reward, like Paul, we all need to be faithful to the end and make sure we have "run the race" as best we can.  I remember as a new believer I sought to learn and grow every day.  If I saw it in the Word, I did it or tried as best I could. No one probably grows as quickly as in that first year of discipleship.  Just this morning as I read my devotional I was reading in Hebrews and saw the verse that said that we need to be careful how we treat strangers because we could be entertaining angels.  That started the process of thought that asks the question, "do I still strive to practice the Word as I once did?"  Do I forgive others as I once did?  Do I feed the hungry and visit those in prison like I once did?  Of course these are personal questions.  I in no way want to bring condemnation upon you or me.  I do however, ask that you join me in asking Jesus to help us be more aware of opportunities to live as He would live.

The Old Wine Is Better


Just yesterday I was visiting a home for the elderly.  I met a man unexpectedly that I had known many years ago.  He was a very successful businessman.  I had forgotten that he was living there.  I found him sitting on a bench.  I walked over and knelt down beside him and we started chatting.  I reminded him that I had been out walking one morning nearly thirty years ago and saw him fully dressed headed to work at 5:00 a.m.  I told him how I had been impressed with his discipline and how it impacted my life.  Suddenly this wisdom started pouring out of him.  Just a moment earlier he was an old man whose life was behind him and now he was an old sage with life lessons coming forth like out of a fountain.  Today I am wondering how many like him there are out there.  How many solutions to our present day problems are hidden away in the treasure chests of our elderly?  Most of the time when we are working on our careers we try to find the young men and women who are walking in present success. That is a good thing.  They are doing something right or they wouldn't stand out.  Yet, if we would seek out the heroes of the past that are still living among us we might be able to add experience and wisdom to present methodology.  Just because a person is old doesn't mean they have wisdom.  Some are just old!  Yet, many more than we might think are cornucopias of answers to many of the questions you may have right now.  However, unlike the young who are more than willing to spout it out, these older ones are not always so willing.  They have been made to feel they have nothing to offer.  That means you will have to have patience as mining for gold nuggets.  Yet, I suspect you will find your labor was well worth the effort.  Give it a try!  If you think afterward that there was no reward, give it some time and you may find you were wrong.  

Judging Another Man's Journey Can Limit Yours


I was talking to a very old lady one day and I asked, "what have you learned?"  She paused and said, "too soon old, too late smart."  What an amazing thought and these days I find myself thinking more and more about it.  One of the areas I am trying to improve(or get smarter) is in understanding that another person's life journey is not like mine.  We all have a tendency to view another's journey through the lenses of our own.  In reality, while there is "nothing new under the sun", every journey is different and distinct.  This assuming we understand another person's walk is a kind of myopia that makes us misunderstand and make wrong judgments.  I have known a few agonies in life.  While going through such a time people try to comfort you. There are times when no man's comfort can help.  During these times it is best to simply love and pray for them.  Words can add to the pain.  Even well meaning words.  If you aren't careful you might be tempted to think you know what they are feeling and  you might even think about what you would do if you were them.  This is a slippery slope.  It is actually a kind of judgment.  Truth be told, you don't have a clue what you would do if it were you or your child or your fortune lost.


Jesus said,  "The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged." (Matt. 7:2 NLT) This means that you can bring upon yourself what you are sending out to others. We all need people who are pulling for us and especially when we are trying to "find our way back to the trail."  If we sow mercy and understanding to those who are struggling then we will find that much needed mercy and understanding when we ourselves are off track and confused.  We all have those seasons in life.  Look around you today and take a moment to smile at someone and offer a kind word.  (Not a sermon, just a word.)   If the words don't come, that's o.k.  At least don't allow your mind to rush to judgment!  That may be blessing enough.  

Go Ahead!


In the last edition of this weekly blog I talked about expanding our effectiveness by actually taking God at His Word and acting like what he said about us is true! If you didn't catch that blog it might be well to read it first.  Then come back to this one.  


Years ago a prominent international evangelist, (my good friend, Dan Duke) and I were talking.  I had only been in my new ministry assignment about a year.  I was pioneering a new church.  Evidently he saw some cautiousness in me and my ministry approach.  This guy was wild and courageous in ministry.  I don't mean he was weird, he was just much more aggressive than me.  When I found myself ministering at the same conference I felt intimidated and a little inadequate.  His boldness made me uncomfortable, yet I liked it somehow.  "Oh well, I thought, we are just different".  But what if that wasn't it.  What if he had something that was beyond personality? What if what I saw in him was really more of what the Lord wanted to see in me?  We talked a bit and when he departed he spoke to me.  Those words stirred me then and they still stir me today.  He said, "why don't you just go ahead and take that city for God!"  His comments challenged me, moved me, embarrassed me and even angered me a little! Yet they were anointed words that pierced my spirit.  They were like the surgeons knife that cut into a weakness with the potential to bring a new strength and out of that strength a new effectiveness.  


Last week I challenged you by saying that, often, we are not waiting on heaven but heaven is waiting on us!  Now I want to speak a prophetic word to you:
"Why don't you just go ahead and take your city for God?!"  Why don't you go ahead and make that business a success?  Why don't you take the first step toward the dream of your heart and quit just talking about it!! Go ahead!


Joshua 1:7 NLT - "Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them."

The Limits Are Gone!


I am convinced that we live below and accomplish less than the Lord has empowered us to accomplish. Too often we live as if we are waiting on something else to happen before we truly engage our destiny.  That is often why we continue to search for the missing link or the hidden key to unlock our potential. What if the hidden resources we seek are not in heaven but within us?  I am not talking about some humanistic idea that believes we are our answer.  I am talking about believing that when Jesus came into our lives He came in with His Fullness!  He didn't come in a little at a time but arrived on the scene to possess us with "the fullness of the Godhead bodily"!(Col. 2:9)  Too often we seem to believe in the power of demon possession more than the power of Jesus possession.  I have watched a number of ministries struggle and one day there is this lift, this catapulting into what seems like a different dimension of power and effectiveness.  To those on the outside looking in it would appear that heaven has released this new dynamic that launched the person into a new sphere.  I have asked them later, "what happened"?  The answer may surprise you.  The change was not a new revelation from heaven, the change was a new revelation in their own thinking.  Often they will say, "I just started believing what the Scripture says about me and I started acting like it was true"!


Now let's pause and be courageous enough to take a self evaluation.  Maybe we are still waiting upon the Lord to do something He has in fact already done!  The secret has already been revealed and the key is in our hand.  We are not waiting on heaven, heaven is waiting on us.  The reason it takes courage is because if we believe we are waiting upon some new key from the Lord, we are very contented to wait...and wait...and wait...  Yet, that waiting is often a camouflaged fear to act.  Only you and I can tell where we are in this but at the very least today please pause, pray and listen to the words from heaven.  You may be surprised at what you hear!:)

Life Lessons Over Pizza

Occasionnally Teresa and I will indulge in a pizza!  Actually, I would more often but Teresa is my dietician! Recently we entered a Pizza restaurant in Florida and I was struck by the demeanor of the primary server.  Actually this man was the manager, server and cashier!  He never stopped spinning around the room making sure everyone had all they needed. As he was delivering orders to the various tables I noticed he was constantly looking to make sure no one needed anything.  If he noticed someone was getting low on drink he was quick to respond.  It was quite amazing and the kind of service you don't see too often.  I'm a student of people so I studied him and had this thought: "he's a military man!"  When he came to our table to refill our glasses I said, "you were in the military weren't you?"  He replied, "Yes Sir, 20 years in the Marine Corp Sir!"  I commended him on his splendid example of service to others.


As we walked out I thought about the experience and it saddened me a bit.  Here's why.  I wish I could have said, "I know he's a Christian!"  Unfortunately, it didn't cross my mind.  You see there is a phrase that says, "once a Marine, always a Marine!"  A Marine is taken into the Corp, broken down to shed his own identity or lack thereof, and then he must adopt as his identity the identity of a U. S. Marine.  He looks differently, acts differently and yes he even thinks differently. So it should be with those of us who are a part of the Church of the Lord Jesus. May the Lord be allowed such access to our lives that when people observe us they will say, "he's a Christian!"


Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors.  Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor  to God when he judges the world.  I Pet. 2:12 NLT

It's Not Enough To Believe in God


It's an easy thing to think that because you believe in God, that is enough to cause you to be successful and have your prayers answered.  It's not!  Many people who believe in God never see miracles or experience His involvement in their lives.  They are very serious about their efforts but it seems they are not a lot different than non believers that they know.  Faith is a very specific life.  Faith is not an exercise of belief in a system of rules or even a belief in God.  For the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith is a believing in the God that is in you!  Let me say it a different way: It's not enough to believe in God, you must believe in the God in you!


The revelation of God in you earth shaking!  It's like one of the old cowboy and indian movies where the cowboys are surrounded and they are waiting on the Cavalry to arrive and save them.   True believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit aren't waiting on the Calvary to arrive.  Yes, they get into situations that are bigger than they and yes, at times they feel overwhelmed.  However, at that moment this Truth makes all the difference in the world (and heaven).  It is that faith in the God who lives in you that causes the believer to rise to the occasion and that faith in what is within releases supernatural power to bring the remedy!  It requires a daily exercise of faith in practicing the presence of God.  This is when you learn what it means to "pray without ceasing".  Begin today!  Believe in the Jesus who resides inside you and is actively engaged in your daily life.  However, you must believe in Him and that he is not a visitor but one who makes his habitation within you.  

Local Church: God’s Idea


 It seems more and more people are questioning the validity of the local church. Investigation and questioning is a healthy part of research. Mo The st of those who have questions are new believers or seekers who are looking to fill the God-shaped void in their lives. However, all too many who are questioning the identity of the local church are those who have been a part of a church and left wounded. As I travel, I am seeing it across America. They are easy to spot and they are usually saying the same things. You will hear them say things like, “I will never again be a part of an organized church. My relationship with the church was hindering my relationship with Jesus. I am getting back to the basics and don’t feel a need to have the church as a part of that scenario.” There are a number of problems with this kind of thinking. First, almost all of those saying such things are still carrying hurt and disappointment from their last involvement with the church. They are trying to cover it, but just beneath the surface of their efforts to walk with Jesus apart from the church is this souring, overly sweet religious bitterness to which they are blind. Another very popular phrase being used to hide an unwillingness to walk with a local church is, “I am pursuing the Kingdom of God and don’t have time for such trivial things as the local church.” Let us look at the Bible and not opinions to see what God thinks of all this. First of all, Jesus is the one who birthed the church on the Day of Pentecost. Prior to that event, Jesus had said to Peter, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The church was not Peter’s idea and it is not the idea of any man, it was the plan of God from the foundation of the earth. As a matter of fact, a part of the reason for the death of Jesus on the cross was to redeem and sanctify the church unto Himself. (Eph. 5:25) What then constitutes the church of the Lord Jesus? What is the Church? The Greek word for Church is Ekklesia which is defined as “an assembly or called out ones”. The church is a group called out from the world in order to assemble not separate. The root meaning of the church is not that of a building, but a people. Many people, if asked what church they attend, will give you the address of their building. In the New Testament, the church was referred to as the church that “meets at someone’s house”. The local church is a body of believers. Who is the Church? The Church is the Body of Christ. In Eph 1:22 the Scripture tell us, “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all”. The Body of Christ then is made up of all believers from the Day of Pentecost until today. Jesus is the Head of his church. The Composition of the Church Now, it gets very interesting. When we look at the composition or makeup of the church, we must realize that there is a general composition of the church, and there is specific functional composition. In the general sense, as I have already said, all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are a part of the Church universal whether they are members of a local church or not. However, while the church is universal in composition, it is local in function. A person who is a believer but not a part of a local church is like a baby who is born in an orphanage. He is certainly real, a part of the human race, but it was never intended by God that a child should live outside of family. As you read Romans chapter 12, you find a clear description of this. The first few verses deal with salvation and the renewed mind. Then Paul begins to teach the new Christian how to live within the local church. This is where God intends all Christians to live, grow, serve and expand in their function as a believer. To try to live outside the local church is to be separated from the “iron sharpening iron” process which is vital to maturing. I don’t have to talk to a person very long to discern whether or not they are a part of a local church. While we all know the Church is not perfect, yet, it is within this family of God that we as followers of Jesus are perfected. An important aspect of the composition of the local church is governmental structure. Just as a family must have Biblical order, so must the church. Hebrews 13:17 tells us to “obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls…” This leadership team is a critical part of the church. In history, when any society is formed, government or a form of leadership must quickly follow or anarchy develops. Another healthy aspect of the local church is diversity. The church should be very diverse in its chemistry. People from all walks of life are supposed to be learning to live around one another. The church can never be an elite group of people who have decided with whom they will walk. That would be the sin of racism or showing partiality which is forbidden in Scripture. The Purpose of the Church Since the church is the church of Jesus, our purpose must be His purpose. What then should a true church of Jesus be doing? Here are a few things clearly defined in Scripture: Loving God and Man – Matthew 22:37-40 Preaching the Gospel of salvation Preparing the members for ministry Activating and overseeing the ministry of the members Extending the Kingdom of God in their community Preparing the church to be the Bride of Christ at the Second Coming of Jesus. In Summary, a person becomes a part of the Universal Church the moment they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and are saved. They then begin their journey as a disciple by becoming an active part of a local church that has a structure made up of Biblically qualified leaders who provide an arena for assembling themselves together. In this spiritual family environment, these believers are given protective and nurturing oversight with a goal of bringing that believer to a place of health and maturity manifesting itself in outward ministry to the lost. We don’t have the option of trying to live without the church nor do we have the right to try to function in a group made up of those like us who have redefined what we want the church to be. Remember, the Church was Jesus’ idea and He has already clearly defined it in Scripture. It is for this church that He will return.

Church Leadership Thoughts for 2012


As we begin a new year it would be good to remember some past lessons before launching into the future.
I thought I might blog this week with some church leadership bullet reminders.  We'll call it a pre-flight check list:

• Give clear, strong, loving leadership.  Make the vision plain.  Talk about it often.

• Provide care for the entire flock.  (All ages)

• Provide care for the community.  (Outreach)  

• Provide for a leadership training track.

• Regain and maintain momentum.

• Make sure each leadership title has leadership responsibility.  (No one on the sidelines)

Let's have a great year in 2012!

2012: It doesn't have to be the same!


2012 doesn't have to be the same unless you decide to accept the past as your future.  That's not hype but a fact.  The truth is, things will remain the same unless we decide to act.  I can't tell you how many times I didn't have a clue as to my next sermon and days and days would pass without a thought arriving from heaven!  Then as I would sit and start writing, the pump was primed and the thoughts would begin to flow.  The same is true in every area of life.  Newton said, "an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion will stay in motion..."Unfortunately, there are some who spend their entire lives hoping their lives of inactivity will somehow generate some positive change.  It's an impossibility!  


Now let me prophesy!  Some who are reading this right now don't necessarily need a "New Word" to arrive from heaven.  You need to rediscover an old direction or word from the past that you never acted upon by faith.  Find that word, dust it off, pray over it and see what resurrects.  Some of those things were of no fault of yours, some were old seeds that needed to die and are ready to bring forth fruit in 2012.  It's a new season!


2012 will not be determined by Wall Street or the White House for you and me!  Our new year will be determined by our acting in faith according to a new or rediscovered Word from the Lord.  


Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


I am stopping the Blog until after the New Year!  Have a blessed Holiday with your family and friends and we'll get back together then.


L. A. Joiner

Becoming a Parent to Adults

One of the most difficult times in parenting is that delicate time when children become adults and leave home.  Since you brought them home from the hospital you directed every aspect of their lives down to the smallest detail.  As Christian parents you sought to instill in them a love for God and His Word.  You trained them to make decisions that took into account, above all else, God's will.  While at home if you saw them taking actions outside your training, you could discipline them in an appropriate way so they didn't make the same mistake again.  That was then...this is now!  Now they are gone.  They are adults.  You have seen this coming for a long time.  You have made every effort to do the "slow release" thing and you thought you did a pretty good job.  However, "slow release" brings us all to that day when we must press the jettison button.  It's a terribly painful day for both the parent and the adult child.  There is a process of adjustment. 


My parents were very hands-on.  My Dad was a "John Wayne" type character.  He had no problem saying, "you don't do as I do, you do as I say"!  As wrong as it was his powerful, and at times overpowering, personality made me accept it without dispute.   It also weakened my ability to make a decision or confront.    I was married at 19.  Yes, that wasn't unusual way back then!  The lack of preparing me to being released as an adult had a negative impact on my marriage as well.  I could see my wife was frustrated because she had just left her parents and needed an "adult" to help her navigate the waters to adulthood too.  I retreated to becoming passive and forcing her to lead.  It took a few years to get this worked out.  It was only when I became a Christian and began to seek the will of God that this was settled. Looking back on it though there seems to be something worse than being kicked out of the nest unprepared.  What could that be?  Never being truly released is much worse, in my opinion.  This is especially prevalent in Christian families.  Parents tend to want to make sure the adult children stay the course and actually can interfere with the purposes of God. 


As my three children reached adulthood I faced the learning curve.  Like many, I didn't do a very good job with the first one and hopefully improved down the chain.  One of the most powerful lessons I learned was the shift away from being the disciplinarian.  I'm not sure that my Dad every accepted that he wasn't my primary disciplinarian even after I was married and had children of my own.  He still wanted to control.  That control is very damaging to an adult child.  It forces conflict and often separation.  When an adult child leaves home a parent is no longer the one in charge of discipline.  Now that role is moved away from the father to the Heavenly Father.  Now the method of discipline leading to wisdom is sowing and reaping.  The results of decisions made becomes either the reward or the penalty. 

May the Lord give us all wisdom and great grace is these matters!

Remembering the Greatest Generation

I grew up in Waycross, Georgia.  Having been born in 1949, I was surrounded by war heroes but didn’t know it at the time.  I would go with my Dad to visit with his friends and hear the stories.  Some had fought in the infantry, some in tanks as my Uncle Alvin, and some on ships like my Dad, who entered  the Navy right at the end of the war.  They didn’t talk much about the war until they got together with other veterans. That’s when I loved to be around.  It seemed so exciting to a young boy, but you could also hear the horror in their memories as well.  I was near adulthood when it occurred to me that I grew up among heroes, truly the Greatest Generation.  They had sacrificed so much and all too many gave the ultimate sacrifice.

The most exciting stories of all came from one of the most reluctant heroes.  My father in law was George Franklin Brown.  He didn’t like to discuss the war.  However, I learned to start slowly and keep at him asking leading questions.  Then like mining for gold, every now and then he would open up with a nugget.  When he did, I knew I was sitting in the best seat in the house.  I would sit for an hour or more with chill bumps giving way to feelings of sorrow and pain.  He grew up in the little town of Seffner, Florida, just outside Tampa.  He was a smart boy excelling in school with a love for the outdoors.  One of his favorite reading subjects was World War I aviation.  Little did he imagine that they day would come when he would himself be flying the unfriendly skies.  He read illustrated books about the Red Baron and other flying aces of the day.  One story in particular had prophetic implications.  The author warned prospective airmen that while in combat they should “Beware of the Hun in the sun.”   The German fighter pilots of the Great War would attack as a column from the direction of the sun so you couldn’t see them until they were on top of you.  That little ominous phrase would one day save his life. 

“Papa”, as I came to call him after the grandkids started coming, joined with Army Air Corps as so many enlisted when our country entered the war.  He trained with a good friend from home.  He started as a gunner on dive bombers, but that was short lived because he found he would sometimes pass out in the radical dives and that proved not too helpful as a gunner.  He was moved to bombers and ended up as a tail gunner on the B-25.  Papa, a Christian with a Christian wife at home praying, saw Divine intervention on a regular basis.  Once he was taken from his squadron without any reason and reassigned. His old squadron was attacked right after his departure and they suffered great loss of life.  He found his way to a squadron stationed in North Africa.  The average life expectancy for an airman in that theater of war was 8 missions. Frank flew 63. He received numerous commendations and more than one Purple Heart. 

Frank was known for his character and integrity.  He was quick to volunteer for extra flights if there was a need.  Yet, he always came back in one piece.  A fellow airman wrote home and told his wife “there is an unseen presence around Frank Brown.”  On one mission, they dropped their bombs and were returning home.  They were a bit relieved because they had been told to expect heavy resistance. They had received none.  Then, off in a distance several German fighters appeared doing aerial acrobatics just out of gun range.  Everyone in the squadron had their guns trained on the fighters.  Suddenly Frank hears this voice in his head, “Beware of the Hun in the sun”!  He realized the sun was on the other side of the plane, and quickly turned in his turret in that direction.  At that very second, Frank could see glistening on a sunbeam a group of enemy fighters heading directly toward them-the aerial show was a distraction. He immediately opened fire on the formation with his .50 caliber machine gun and screamed a warning over the radio.  The attack of the enemy was thwarted.  There are many stories like this one.  Before it was over we were usually crying, especially Papa.  I didn’t ask about the war too often because while it did seem to have a cathartic effect, it also stirred up deep wounds.  Nightmares and often violent ones continued for years after the war.  The day he watched a good friend blown from the sky haunted him to the day he died.  He grieved on the anniversary of the crash every year and some think may have even led to a stroke when he was 80.  But despite these deep wounds, Papa, like many of his fellow brethren that served in that War, somehow managed to protect his family from these psychological burdens while keeping his character and integrity intact.

I am told we are losing 1200 of these old warriors every day.  The Bible tells us, “Greater love has no one than to lay down his life for his friends”.  Papa and his generation paid a price in pain and suffering that hopefully we will never have to experience.  All we can do is honor their sacrifice and say a heartfelt “thank you”.

Remembering George Franklin Brown: 1921-2006

Moms turn off your cell phones please!

I thought that might get your attention!  That kind of comment generally is directed at dads.  However, more and more I see moms who never stop talking and texting and their kids are paying the price.  Recently I bought a new bike. Actually, I bought a new bike because my not so old bike was stolen while chained to a steel post.  After buying my new bike, like most new things, I can’t stay off of it.  I like to ride rails to trails.  There are usually a lot of people on these trails which allows me to do another thing I really enjoy, watching people!  It used to be that fathers, and you could spot them a mile away, who were supposed to be spending  quality time with their kids, weren’t!  While Mom was home clearing the kitchen table Dad takes junior for a stroller ride.  Mom is humming at home and smiling because she visualizes bonding taking place with Dad.  It ain’t happening!  Dad’s distracted.    Along comes smart phones and the iPad.  Now, it’s Mom who’s joined Dad in the neglect.  You can see them most everywhere you look.  At the grocery store, in the mall or the park, you don’t have to wait but a second or two and there she comes with as many as 2-3 little babes being entertained in some way to keep Mom free to talk and text!  Even in the car Mom chats away while the little ones watch Sponge Bob on the screen in the back seat.  The outcome is that children are not being trained as is supposed to be the case.  There’s a big difference between “training and entertaining”!  The children are far beyond being bored, they are missing those moments of development that comes from only loving and attentive Moms and Dads.

The Pastor's Wife

Last week Wanda Sumrall went to heaven. Wanda was the wife of Ken Sumrall. They were married for 64 yeears.  As is always the case, when someone dies it causes you to reflect on their life.  Obviously, we shouldn't wait until then but too often we do.  Wanda was a wonderful Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother, but right or wrong she was known primarily as "Ken Sumrall's wife".  That fact means that for most of her life she lived out of the spotlight and in his shadow.  For many this would have been a problem but for Wanda it was welcomed. 

It makes us pause and ask, "what is a pastor's wife"?  I can remember when Teresa and I first entered the ministry, Teresa found herself in that very demanding role, "Pastor's Wife"!  There was a struggle in the first couple of years.  The reason was that tradition had written an unwritten job description for the role.  For the most part during that era a pastor's wife had to be able to sing, play the piano, hopefully lead worship, lead the women's ministry of the church, preach and counsel women at the drop of a hat.  She had to do all that while training her children and keeping house!  What a job!  I remember the day when the two of us were sitting in front of an experienced older pastor and he sensed our struggle.  He asked us to tell him what we thought a pastor's wife should be.  We started rattling off much of the job description I just mentioned.  He stopped us and simply said, "a pastor's wife is the pastor's wife!"  REALLY?!?!!  I could see and feel the relief in Teresa.  You see, she doesn't sing, lead worship or preach.  She doesn't enjoy leading meetings of any kind.  She is an excellent counselor when speaking the Truth of the Scripture is concerned. This function takes a person who knows their identity.  Wanda Sumrall was just such a lady. 

Certainly there are pastor's wives who feel called to and are gifted in many of the areas I mentioned.  They may be gifted in any or all of those more visible roles and I applaud them.  However, for those like Wanda and my own Teresa their real strength lies behind the scenes.  Teresa has always created a sanctuary in our home that I could run to at the end of the day or when returning from a road trip.  She is a confidant like no other, a prophetic voice often adjusting attitudes in me that could cause problems in public. She helps me develop sermons and teaching materials.  Yet, possibly her greatest strength is her ability to put wind in my sails when the circumstances of life cause me to go dead in the water. 

Today, I honor Wanda Sumrall and I celebrate all those women who have stood in the shadows and from that out of the way position, the position of the pastor's wife, impacted generations. 

What you believe about you determines your destiny

Last week I dealt with the critical issue of identity determining personal peace.  As a believer it is our appropriating by faith our full redemption that brings right identity.  When the Scripture tells us that through the work of Jesus on the cross we become a “new creation”, it continues to tell us that “old things pass away and all things become new”.  Those old things that pass away include the old image of who we were and an acceptance of a new image.  That new image is something that has to be built in our own mind.  It involves a mental warfare that takes a wrestling with our thought life and a conscious effort at choosing what the Scripture says about us above thoughts of our past identity.   Sometimes this warfare is made more difficult because others may not be willing to accept you and your new identity.  Here is a major part of the battle.  You have to love the person but not embrace in your heart their rejection of your new identity as Truth.  It is in fact a lie and a lie that has the ability to immobilize you in Kingdom matters.  This is precisely the object of this attack.  The enemy wants to stop you from obtaining your purpose and in so doing stop your success and destiny in life. 

Remember:  Identity determines purpose and purpose determines success.

Comfortable in your own skin

It seems not many people are comfortable in their own skin.  Too many people are always trying to find their identity.  There are a number of problems with this identity crisis as a life style.  You have seen these folks spending great amounts of time, energy and money always trying to get the "thing" that will make them feel good about themselves.  This search causes them to never be satisfied "in the now".  They are unhappy with their phone, computer, car, body, personality or maybe even their mate!  What misery!  Coming to a place of peace and rest within yourself is a freedom much like living debt-free.  When you are debt-free you aren't nearly as concerned about the economy as a person who is captured by the system.  When you are at peace within your own skin you are not too concerned with status because you are not finding your self acceptance based on external things.  Very few people get there!  These blessed few care about others but they are not consummed with what others think.  Self image is determined by self worth and not the worth others may or may not place on you.  Actually it is difficult to give yourself to helping others until you have settled this identity issue.

Where in the world do we obtain self worth?  You don't!  You can't get it "in the world".  You see, it's the unregenerate world that is most involved in the pursuit of identity and the most uncomfortable in their own skin.  Christians should be the most at ease and at peace with themselves.  When you see a Christian still struggling with the identity issue you can be certain they have not allowed the full process of redemption to occur.  Only in appropriating the full redemption of Jesus and His full forgiveness and reconciliation can you possess a redeemed identity.  Once a believer has done that they are at peace with God and man.  The first man we must be "at peace" with is ourselves. 

“Back-Seater”

For a number of years I had the joy and challenge of being pastor to a number of fighter pilots and their families who were serving with the U.S. Air Force. Some of that time I worked with F-16 pilots. They were a great bunch trying to balance their training that told them they were the “best of the best”, with the humility required in their Christian walk. It was difficult because the F-16 was every pilots dream. You were the only one in the jet and it was designed to “dogfight”. While the challenge was great, most learned the balance for the good of their families and sadly some did not. Prior to my experiences with F-16 pilots, our base was armed with the F-4. The F-4 Phantom II was a “two seater” fighter used a lot in Viet Nam. Obviously, the pilot sat in the front seat and the weapons systems operator or “wizzo” sat in the back seat. I was told by a few “wizzos” that they had a stick by them designed to land the plane in the event that something happened to the pilot. More than once I asked the question, “So are you confident you could land the plane if you had too”? Usually the answer they gave was in the form of a laugh! I’m sure many “wizzos” in combat had thoughts at times that they might could do a better job than the pilot. Many would have liked to have had a shot at it. Yet, they all knew that the space from the back seat to the front seat was far greater than the inches measured on a ruler.
I spent about four years training for the ministry under a Senior Pastor. Prior to that I had worked a secular job and worked in the church. I later became an elder. Next I had the privilege of serving as “Student Pastor” (Trainee position). Finally, I was sent out and started our first church at the ripe old age of 27. When I was serving in all the earlier roles I truly felt that I had the same burden as the Senior Pastor. At times I felt he was making mistakes and secretly I had to fight thoughts that I could do it better! I wondered why he didn’t move faster. Why didn’t deal with issues more forcibly? Yet, I was a “back seater”. When I was commissioned to go plant a new church I remember the weight of the moment. It was a shocking transition, yet exciting. I couldn’t wait to get started and really do it right! I had made the move from the back seat to the front! That first year was an amazing and painful year. It had been much easier to shout things from the back seat but now an entirely different deal to have your hand on the stick and missiles within reach. It was a solemn weight to know that you had it within you power to help or hurt people. I began to think of an old saying I had heard somewhere: “discretion is the better part of valor”. I never had those thoughts as a “back- seater”. I called my former pastor, the man who had trained me and asked his forgiveness. I was seeing things a little differently now. It is truly easier, much easier to be the “Monday morning quarterback” than doing the right thing in the heat of battle.

Boldness and Spiritual Warfare

Certainly the greatest weapon in battling the forces of hell is the name of Jesus! Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord! Amen. We all know and believe that God is greater than the devil and God's power is greater. Yet we see too many servants of the Lord being immobilized by the enemy and sidetracked to a place of powerless immobility.

What causes a Holy Spirit filled minister of the Lord to be ineffective? A number of things come to mind but a weak conscience is a primary problem. By weak conscience I mean a conscience that condemns a person from within. No one knows about the attack but this internal war is one of the most effective of all against a servant of God. It could be brought on by unconfessed sin. Certainly this person feels no right to victory or being used by God. As Kind David lamented, the sin is ever before me. Yet, just as powerful is a "consciousness of sin" within the conscience of the believer. While there may be no sin, yet deep within they feel undeserving of anything good happening to "or through" them. This is ministerial "poison"! It is the work of hell itself!

The man or woman of God that wants to be used by God must, as Hebrews 11:6 says
"believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." I believe God wants to use me. I believe the Lord wants to use you too. However, my believing that about you won't accomplish much. You must believe it. Listen carefully, it's not enough to believe in God. You must believe in the GOD WITHIN YOU! Then from that strong foundation of faith in the God within you, you are now ready to be used by God. This is the boldness needed to win against the enemy. Now listen to these verses in the light of this understanding:
Ephesians 6:10-16 (NKJV)
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Boldness

It is so interesting to me that when God was talking to Joshua after the death of Moses that He kept repeating to Joshua that he must be strong and courageous. The outcome, the Lord said, would be success. There is such tension between courage and arrogance. Yet, courage and boldness may appear to the onlooker as arrogance and pride. As a matter of fact, to the average person boldness in God may appear to be pride, and fear and cowardice may appear to be humility. God told Joshua that his success, and that means pleasing God, would require strength and courage.

When Daivd approached the Army of God as they were camped and quaking in fear at the confrontation with Goliath, his brothers rebuked David for what appeared to be pride. They were wrong. What they saw manifesting in their little brother was what we used to call, "Holy Ghost Boldness"! He was moving in strength and courage just as Joshua. The outcome was victory and success.

As I started the first grade my Dad instructed me this way: "If you start a fight I will spank you when you get home. If someone attacks you and you don't win, I'll spank you when you get home"! That sounds really strange these days but he was trying to make me understand that there are times when the enemy comes calling and you have to stand. Spiritually there are times when the enemy of our soul and the enemy of the extension of the Kingdom of God comes calling. Primarily he comes attacking with fear, lies and accusations. He's looking for a weak conscience. He wants to find a person who isn't sure who they are and where they stand with God. He wants to stop you cold. His method is almost always to attack your BOLDNESS. He wants you to be quiet and weak. He wants to knock you off balance so you stop any aggression against him.

Proverbs 28:1 (NKJV)
1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.

Social Networking

Relax, this isn't primarily about Face book or Twitter. It is about social connecting though. I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of electronic relationships (thougth I do it) because they can be shallow and even dishonest. In talking about reading books a friend recently said, "I know about iBooks but I still like to feel the pages in my hands and smell the aroma of a good book." I feel the same way about social connecting. In my opinion connecting through any form of writing is the least effective form, the phone is one notch above but nothing is like that eyeball to eyeball connecting. All can be good if the less effective ways aren't the primary. I have actually seen husbands, wives and children texting each other while in the same building!

Let me get to my point. We are moving toward a loss of the ability to read people and situations and arrive at true connection. We are now seeing a new generation that doesn't know how to look you in the eye, shake your hand and carry on a real conversation. While more and more are involved in minute by minute social networking less and less are involved in actually connecting. Recently I attended a church where I was a stranger. After several visits to the early contemporary service I decided to go to the traditional service just to learn. I love studying people and groups! It's kind of like going to the zoo!:) After about six visits to the early service filled with mostly younger people I went to the other service filled with the "blue hairs". I came away shocked! The younger crowd had made sure the coffee and cookies were in place, the service made me comfortable and that I was under no pressure whatsoever. I was left alone! No, really, I was left alone. No one spoke to me unless I spoke first. Six visits!!! When I went to the older service I was overwhelmed with the warm genuine expression of love and welcome. My conclusion? We are losing something. Young people need to watch older people interact and try to regain some social skills. And yes, it happens all the time in non denominational churches too.

May we all keep learning!

Ownership or Stewardship

In reseaching leadersip transition for over 5 years now I have looked at churches and business models alike. The basic problem is systemic. When a leader of a church comes to believe that because of longevity he or she owns the ministry we are in trouble. I have even known of this becoming so blatant that outgoing senior leaders have demanded that they be paid huge sums of money for them to turn over “ownership” of the church! Some have even done it. In truth, we as leaders are stewards of the ministry of God. We must never get to a place that our welfare takes precedence over the welfare of the church or ministry. This can also happen among a group of leaders and they might presume ownership as well. This can happen from the church to the Congress. When ownership is assumed by a person or group the end result will be death and not a healthy continuation of the ministry. The church is the Lord’s! As leaders whatever we have built we have built with the offerings of the people and while doing so we have been compensated for our labor. While I believe a church will greatly benefit from honoring an outgoing leader generously, it should never be demanded.
Let me encourage every leader to close your eyes, envision the end of your life and visualize how you want to finish. I think most would say, “I want to be cared for but mostly I want to feel that I have done a good job for the Lord and his Church and that I will finish with dignity, honor and leave a healthy legacy in ministry. Are you walking a road that will produce it?

We need the word of the prophet


2 Chronicles 25 (NLT)

14 When King Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought with him idols taken from the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down in front of them, and offered sacrifices to them!15 This made the LORD very angry, and he sent a prophet to ask, "Why do you turn to gods who could not even save their own people from you?"
16 But the king interrupted him and said, "Since when have I made you the king's counselor? Be quiet now before I have you killed!"
So the prophet stopped with this warning: "I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have refused to accept my counsel."

The Lord is always faithful to give us guidance. He is always going to make sure that our steps are ordered according to his will. However, we must remain pliable and sensitive to his voice and adjustment. Gifted builders in the Kingdom of God need to be very careful that they, in an effort for building expediency, don't isolate themselves from the full word and counsel of God. If we are successful we attract a team of builders who are "just like us". There is much good in that but it can also be very narrow, limiting and may rob you of a more diversified perspective. Prophets are seers who see things builders may not want to see or hear. In the Kingdom scheme of things we need to ensure that we don't outgrow our need for the prophet. He's not always the most fun to be around and his words may not always stroke our ego but they are sent to us for a reason.

In this portion of Scripture the Word of the Lord through the prophet was rejected and he "stopped". I know there are a lot of "self proclaimed" prophets around these days. However, there are also among us true prophets of the Lord. They may not look or sound like prophets but their gift causes them to bring those protective and directional words from heaven. We must be careful that our success does not isolate and insulate us from the Word that we may so desperately need. What should be our response to the Word of the Lord? It should always be as the words of Mary proclaimed, "whatsoever He says unto you, do it!"

Missional or Attractional

There is a great debate going on in the church world today over the right pattern of ministry. The issue at hand is whether the motivation of ministry should be missional or attractional. If it is not a verbal debate it is certainly a functional one. One side has grown weary of the attractional approach seeing it as an outdated method which primarily focuses on signs and advertisements to get new people to church. A part of the attractional crowd uses revival and renewal to attract people and seem to echo the cry, "we set ourselves on fire and they come to watch us burn." It is often centered around experience.

The missional group sees the church as a group on a mission and seeks to activate it's workers around fulfilling the mission of reaching a community for Christ. It is often centered around methods. The attractional group says "come" while the missional group says, "go"! Which is right? Both in my opinion. When Jesus met the woman at the well he was definitely on a mission. Before going there the Scripture says Jesus said, " I need to go through Samaria." There was an internal motivation followed by a purposeful plan to reach someone. This is very missional. Then, after the lady is confronted by Jesus she goes back to her home town and tells the inhabitants of the city, "come and see a man who told me all that I ever did". This is attractional. The result, the town came out to see and hear the man Jesus. Many believed because of two kinds of ministry, the missional and the attractional. Jesus said, "go" and she said "come".

The bottom line is fruit. I see missional churches today doing great things for God and bringing many to the Lord. I also see attractional churches reaching many and making disciples. Let's not condemn methods, let's celebrate the fruit.

Feelings in the Church

In my last blog I talked about feelings and the error of allowing feelings to be our guide in life. Now let's take a look at feelings in the church. What we feel is something that causes us to help people through our empathy and sympathy. What we feel at times can be a warning to avoid danger. Feelings is a mental and emotional reaction to an experience. Yet, as we discussed last week feelings are much too subjective to serve us well as our primary guide through life. Feelings are limited to ability to sense and comprehend. In reality feelings are two dimensional, defined by what we feel(body) and think(mind). Faith on the other hand certainly includes those two dimensions but adds the third dimension of the supernatural, the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God makes his habitation or home in the "believer". From that moment on this new believer, this three dimensional being begins to experience something that was lost by Adam in the garden. Most feelings/emotions are basically a much weakened version of a God-connected spirit.

The new believer is in contact with God through His Spirit but this relationship is kept pure and true by the Scripture. There is an inseparable relationship between God's Word and His Spirit. As long as we continue in His Word and are filled with His Spirit we are functional as heaven intended. The moment we move away from either of the two we are on a path toward deception.

In the Church there has been this tendency to move away from operating in these two necessary relationships, the Word and Spirit. The result is that the Church, a supernatural entity begins to be run by "feelings". Someone said, "all Word with no Spirit you dry up, all Spirit with no Word you blow up but the Spirit and the Word causes us to grow up."

Let's examine our condition today and the condition of our church leadership. Think back leaders, did your last leadership meeting seem to be led more by the Holy Spirit or feelings and opinions? The good news is that getting back on track can be done quickly!

Feelings

Our "feelings" can be one of our greatest enemies. Our feelings are constantly changing and way too uncertain to allow them to set our guideline for living. Having been a pastoral counselor for almost 4 decades I must tell you that I have heard a lot about how people feel. People choose their profession, buy cars, live in certain places and even pick a life long mate by their feelings. The word "feelings" is defined as, "emotion or sympathetic perception". Be honest and ask yourself the question, "do I really want to go through life with emotion or perception as my guide?" I don't think so. Yet, many find it hard to simply accept God's ways, directives or commands as truth.

I was talking to a man recently who had little, if any Biblical foundation. Yet, he was a very caring and intelligent person. He confided that simply taking the leap of faith and accepting the Bible as The Truth was too difficult for him. After all, he was an educated man who needed to understand. Then he asked that question. You know the one, how can Christianity be the only way to heaven? To him, it just didn't make sense, it just didn't feel right! I said, "I know exactly how you feel. I have had the same feelings and thoughts." Yet, there has to be that which is right and true, not truth as a moving target. Life and certainly eternity is much too valuable to simply roll the dice, block out your mind and decide that you will live by what you feel. I'm reminded of the old country song that says, "how can it be wrong when it FEELS so right?"

I can tell that many not in the Church look at the Christian world and assume that Christians are naive people who find comfort by sticking together in what they believe. They see believers as weak people who sit around convincing each other about their faith. Certainly there is a truth that living your life around people of like faith is a reinforcing commodity. Yet, non believers do the same. They run from Christians, flocking together to reinforce their own belief systems.

People of feelings live lives that are uncertain, always shifting and usually dominated by fear. People of faith, real faith are stable, certain and fearless. Why? Because their stability is not founded on the shifting sands of emotion or in religion, creeds, rules or regulations. It is founded on a personal relationship with God Himself. They talk to Him and experience an internal communication that reinforces their faith. Then, from that foundation, when they read the Bible they find it a living book. Even non believing seekers has found the Scripture unlike any other book. Derek Prince was a King's Scholar, attending Eton College in England when he began to read the Bible as a Philosopher to disprove it. He said later that as he read it he became captivated by it and came to a living faith.

Faith in the beginning is often a leap of faith that is in conflict with feelings. However, this leap of faith becomes a solid highway to a life of security, comfort, fearlessness about the future and the answer to loneliness. It is in fact a decision!
When I made the decision to accept God's way and Jesus in particular, I did so with a lot of feelings and questions. It was amazing how fast those things dissipated and how quickly the question marks turned into exclamation marks!

Leadership Training

Attention to Detail:

1. Train yourself to "see" details.

2. Train yourself to take ownership wherever you are assigned. Team mentality is responsibility that goes beyond your assigned role.

3. Train yourself to "think" beyond the norm. (outside the box) Ask: "Is there another way around this obstacle? Familiarity can be a blinder to new and fresh solutions and ideas".

4. Train yourself to "see" multiple options on every project in case things don't develop as you thought.

5. Train yourself to think through meetings and projects. Most people don't do it. This will give you a leg up when a decision must be made in mid-stream. Even if you are not the primary leader, think of alternate plans to a project in case the presented plan comes to a halt or leadership is removed.

6. Take group on facility inspection looking for details. What needs improvement? This trains your team to learn to see detail. People who have always worked in a subordinate role have been silently trained not to see things that need attention outside their scope.

THE MYSTERY OF THE AGES UNFOLDING HERE AT THE END

I have been teaching some in recent days on spiritual warfare. Below is an article my good friend Gary Johnson from Rapid City, South Dakota wrote on the subject.

THE MYSTERY OF THE AGES UNFOLDING HERE AT THE END

My goal is to whet your appetite and provoke you to dig much of this out on your own—I do believe I’m onto something which could revolutionize everything you’re about! How it thrilled Jesus when His seventy disciples discovered prematurely that demons were subject to them. At that very moment the enemy of our souls was engaged and Jesus revealed to us that we had the upper hand—everything He did we can do! Luke 10:17-19: “And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.’ ” NKJV

Ever since then Satan has done everything possible to obscure that fact. If he can’t keep the lid on, he’ll be exposed for the “paper tiger” he is. Make no mistake, he’s a formidable foe but he can only operate by “cunning craftiness,” deceit, trickery, lying, seduction, fear tactics, etc. It’s sort of like when I was a kid: I worked on a farm for a dollar a day (you heard me right—ha!) and saved up my money to buy this used bike that had “knee action”—sort of like modern shock absorbers. The only thing the owner withheld from me was that it didn’t work anymore. I was racing downhill on gravel at top speed; the front wheel hit a pot hole and didn’t come back up and I was hurled headlong downhill—without a helmet I might add.

However, while we shouldn’t be naïve and oblivious to Satan’s tactics we ought not to give him undue credit either. He was dethroned, and defanged, at the cross! Two observations I’ve made concerning him over the years: he hates exposure but loves attention. If you don’t give him a handle he’s powerless. Look at this declaration from Jesus in John 14:30: “I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me…” Jesus is the “Lion from the tribe of Judah”; Satan appears “like a lion”—but is a toothless one at that! I don’t see anywhere in Scripture where he has been given any control over the elements, your material goods, etc. Some people give him far too much credit and attention--“Satan is in my sound equipment, he ruined my engine, etc.”; no, the fact you didn’t change oil for 30,000 miles ruined your engine. He can however motivate, or influence, someone else to mess with your goods; that’s why we must use our spiritual weapons such as deliverance (the children’s bread), binding and loosing, and pulling down strongholds to deal with him.

Okay here’s the biggie; it’s so simple I fear many of us might miss it. If you’ll wrap your head around this you’ll never be the same! I might add this did get my pastor friend who shared this revelation with me “disenfranchised” (nice way to say fired) from his church. For the most part, he went to his grave with this powerful revelation but Satan can’t silence it forever. 1 John 4:1-6 states: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh [the tense is “continually coming in flesh”] is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” NASU

We’re coming in for a landing, so hang on! Historical Jesus alone won’t even cut it. If it could, then every church which celebrates Christmas and Easter would be red hot for God. Yet, why are so many of them apostate and succumbing to so many abominable practices? It hasn’t yet sunk in that Christ, who promised that we would do even greater things, is now presently in our flesh desiring to carry on the works that He did--John 14:12. Col. 1:26-27 states, “…that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you [continually coming in flesh], the hope of glory”. Look at Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

Let’s all “go for the gold”, we’ve got the oxygen bottle and we win; Christ desires for all of us to be two-time winners—to reign with Him while on planet earth and also throughout all eternity!

Gary Johnson

Running from Shadows

I am spending time in South Florida with my two granddaughters. Since Juliet is the new one most of my time is spent entertaining, and I do mean entertaining Lucia the 3 year old. Of course I am the one who does most of the "burping" duties for Juliet. I seem to have the touch in that department!

This morning Lucia got up at her normal 6:30 time! The first thing she wanted to do was go into the room with her baby sister. Teresa (AKA: "Gigia") and I went into full distraction mode trying to keep her from waking the baby. Lucia was showing me her new baby doll that does all the things a real baby does...really! When we opened the box to this new doll, out ran this little tiny mouse! Well, we thought it was a mouse or roach or something but then we realized it was a toy. We aren't sure how it got in the box but when this ugly little orange thing started running all over the floor it was pretty scary and especially for Lucia. (Me too!) I forgot about this little creepy thing this morning and then Lucia screams from the living room. I run in to find that Lucia had thrown her baby doll, her most prized possession, in the floor and taken refuge on the couch. I caught the little invader and examined him. I called Lucia over and explained it was really a machine that vibrated and was covered with plastic. One she saw and understood the reality of the situation she lost her fear of this unknown, uninvited guest and began playing with it.

I'm sure you know where I'm going with this and forgive the long story to get here! We have all had things we were afraid of and it often restricted our lives. You may be in just such a place now. Fear may have caused you to abandon the things that matter most to you and has left you hiding and running from shadows or something that cannot really hurt you. You see, the devil is a liar. Jesus called him the father of lies! He operates with lies, fear, oppression and always in darkness. It is time for you to face your fears. Jesus has promised to deliver you from all fear. As a matter of fact the Scripture says, "perfect love casts out all fear". Even at this moment see the reality that Jesus is with you in the middle of your fear. He is greater than any enemy! Get up off the couch now and face your fear. You will find not only will Jesus walk you through it but you will also find out that much of what you have feared is only a shadow.

Meet Juliet Crabb!

Juliet was born Monday, June 6. She is our second granddaughter. Her big sister is Lucia and she is one excited 3 year old. Teresa and I are in Hollywood, Florida helping with all the transitions in the Crabb family. They have been transferred to Washington, D.C.. That means that they had to sell their house, ship all their "stuff" and move into a temporary home until Juliet could arrive and get settled before they make the move north. As of yesterday afternoon, we are all at their house with the new baby.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Blessings!

L. A.