The Builders

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it."  Psalm 127:1
What a delicate balance between God doing a thing and our working along by his side in an effort.  From witnessing to an acquaintance about Jesus to building the local church, working with the Lord is a learned skill.  It is so easy to start off watching His hand like a trained hunting dog not moving until his master gives the command. Then as we mature in our gifts we begin to do more and more by our experience. That's not necessarily a bad thing "IF" we are still watching and listening to Jesus for his direction and approval of our efforts and the timing of our efforts.  It is just as wrong to do the right thing at the wrong time as doing the wrong thing.  Yet, the Lord doesn't want us to remain novices.  He is looking for mature and skilled workers in the work of the Kingdom.


When Jesus said, "I will build my church", He didn't mean he would do it all by himself.  Just as if a homeowner decides to build his own house he doesn't mean to imply that he will do all the work.  He means he will direct the work of the workers. The same is true of Jesus in the "building" of his church. He is looking for workers or "builders" that he can trust with following his blueprint.  As builders in the work of the house of the Lord we must regularly review our labor and redouble our efforts at building according to his plan and not our opinion or taste.  Once I hired a man and gave him specific instructions as to what I wanted done.  I left and was gone for a trip across the country.  When I returned the man I had hired said, "I think you will like what I did for you".  My thoughts were, "I'll be pleased if you did what I asked you to do before I left!"  He had not and I wasn't pleased.  He did what he thought was best rather than what I had asked him to do.  We must build with a heart to please our MASTER.  When we build with our hands active on the earth but our hearts firmly anchored in heaven, we can be assured we are building according to the pleasure of the Builder.

Revisiting an older blog:

Saving Private Ryan


I just finished watching "Saving Private Ryan" again for the "umteenth" time. My wife was out of town so I watched it alone. She was never really very fond of it. Yes, I think I cried more than ever while watching the now old man fall at the grave of the Captain who died saving the Private. Sixty years earlier, while watching this Captain die on the field of battle, Ryan had to endure hearing the last words of the dying officer say, "earn this". Today, few know the real cost of freedom or the blood that was shed securing it. It's a difficult thing to have to endure listening to someone, without a clue, speaking against the process of democracy. It's a delicate thing this democracy and not without it's problems. Yet, generation after generation, we have those arise who are the cynics of that day. Cynics are "fault finders". They don't have answers nor the courage to pay a price for change but they continue to spew forth the cheap words of protest. There are times when it would appear that each generation is going the way of the cynic. However, by the grace of God, when each generation faces it's hour of crisis and is confronted by it's own challenge of tyranny, the heros arise. From the cities to the farmlands they begin to march toward their own potential demise for the sake of the common good. Again and again they make decisions that often go against reason in order to seek to ensure that the next generation has the right to protest or to serve based upon their own internal motivation.


We have the same problem in the church world. So many see only the problems of the church and yes here too, we have those with all the answers but no stomach to work for the cure. Will we continue to see those arise, generation after generation who will hear the Call and sacrifice for the Mission? I know we will. I choose to believe that and not hear the cynics. When all is said and done and the voices of the nay sayers are silenced, I only want to know that my Lord will say to me, "well done thou good and faithful servant".

Older Blog revisited:

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".

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?”

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.

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!"

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

Suffering for the Gospel


Psalm 69:7 Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Shame has covered my face.8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, And an alien to my mothers children;9 Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.


While the price for our redemption has been paid in full by Jesus, there is still an undeniable price we must pay as his followers. The price we pay must not be confused with redemption, for believing that would discount the ultimate price that only Jesus could and did pay.  Paul clearly stated in 2 Timothy 3 "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."  Some would point out that Paul said in this discourse, "out of them all the Lord delivered me".  Thankfully, that is true, yet we must understand that it was "out of them" and not "from them" that the deliverance came.  To teach followers of Jesus that if their faith is strong enough they will avoid suffering is heresy.  The worst of it is that teaching such does not train the troops for war of which we are all a part.  The picture of the church is not a picture of a party but of a joy filled victorious army.  Persecution, suffering and rejection are all Biblical realities.  We don't seek them for that would be ghoulish. Yet, we prepare for their potential and brace ourselves for their possibility.  In David's words there is great insight into the direction from which these attacks might come. He said, "the reproaches or those who reproach you have fallen on me".  Early in the ministry as a pastor I found myself under ongoing attack by some of those that I was trying to serve.  I cried out to God, "why are they attacking me?  I'm the guy trying to love and help them?"  The answer came back loud and clear from the Lord.  "They can't attack me so they attack the one who represents me and the one who brings my truth to them." That day I learned an important lesson, DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY! Easier said than done, right?  Yes, but it is true.  Hurting people hurt the closest one to them and that is usually the one trying to bring Truth to darkness, deception and/or rebellion.


Today if persecution or rejection comes your way and if it is really because of the Gospel, dismiss the notion that it's about you and rejoice!
Acts 5:41 (NKJV)

So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

Contemplation + consultation+ organization + application = realization.


In my last blog I concluded with the formula above.  I was asked by one reader to elaborate.  The following are my thoughts: 
1. Contemplation-I believe one of the most neglected parts of success is contemplation.  Contemplation involves having time or making time to think and dream.  You can spend a lifetime only dealing with the task at hand and never become a builder of vision.  Vision comes out of prayer and contemplation. Believe it or not you actually need to put contemplation time on your calendar each week.  Don't feel guilty about it.


2. Consultation- It is a powerful thing to spend time with someone you respect who has more experience than you in your field.  It is during these times that you should find a time to "think out loud" regarding your dreams and visions that contemplation has produced.  Consultation should feed your vision and expand it.  Often the legs will come to your contemplation during consultation.  Consultation may also adjust your vision. Remember, Proverbs 20:18 tells us "plans are established by counsel..."


3.  Organization-Once the vision is clarified it can now be organized.  Think about it, we contemplate or think it through, we get counsel from a trusted mentor and we get it on the calendar.  We will never accomplish what we do not plan.  


4. Application- It's time to get to work!  Too often we start trying to make things happen without  the three steps above.  Once you have done the ground work application is much easier.  


5. Realization- This is a wonderful thing.  I'm convinced that God wants us to build far more than we do.  Too much wasted effort is spent in the Kingdom of God.  God was and is very deliberate.  Think it through, get input, put it in order and act.  


I hope this helps.  

Suddenly!


It seems that God is the only one who can do things quickly and do them well.  Actually, He doesn't do things quickly either. Even the famous "suddenly" of Acts 2 was only suddenly to those watching.  God had been working and preparing for that day for generations.  God moves slowly and meticulously.  Every aspect is considered and every detail taken into account.  He's not on the clock!  Our rush to "get 'r done" is probably because we have an expiration date. (Earthly that is!) We would do much better if we learned from the Lord and got into His rhythm of doing things.  The old proverb, "haste makes waste" is one that continues to move around in my head.  Probably because it's neglect has cost me so much through the years.  I was thinking recently, "not many wrecks happen when you are driving slowly"!


Let me give you a formula that has come from many years of mistakes made by rushing.  Contemplation + consultation+ organization + application = realization.
It works!  Give it a try today and in the days ahead!  

Smiling Through The Pain!


Phil 4:4
 "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"  We all know this verse by heart and may even have it on the fridge.  It has been a word of great encouragement to me through the years as well as painful at times.  The reason for the pain is my understanding that Paul wrote this from a jail cell.  He wrote this smiling through pain.  He wasn't into "mind over matter", it was just that he possessed something on the inside that was more powerful that what was going on outside. That's where I want to live!  Too often we take a "flesh wound" in Kingdom combat and treat it like it is our ticket home!  We have to get over this kind of thinking and living.  Once I spent a couple of hours counseling and praying with a person that attacked me personally in the middle of the session.  It would be like a patient waking up in the middle of surgery, grabbing a scalpel and stabbing the surgeon in the leg.  I felt hurt, rejected and betrayed! I wanted to say, "get out of my office!" Yet, they were hurting and hurting people may hurt others.  I closed out the session as best I could and limped out of my office glad it was over.  As I headed to the rest room I looked down the hall and there was another hurting person waiting to see me.  I heard the Lord say, "splash some cool water on your face and get ready to help them.  They need your best!"  Wow!  Every person we meet needs our best and not the residue of a wounded healer.  If we aren't aggressive about staying clean and pure in heart, we will gradually begin to minister out of that hurt.  Paul had learned something important.  As ministers we will be bitter or better.  Paul chose better!  We must choose better.  Don't let the enemy cause a flesh wound to disable you.  In the words of a great coach, "Shake it off!"

Faith and Manipulation


George Muller was a Christian evangelist and Director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England, cared for 10,024^[1] orphans in his life.^[2] He was well-known for providing an education to the children under his care, to the point where he was accused of raising the poor above their natural station in life. He also established 117 schools which offered Christian education to over 120,000 children, many of them being orphans.  Now that I have established the fruit of his labor, the astounding thing is that he never asked any man for anything.  He only made his needs known to God.  What an amazing story!  What an amazing faith!  It is so refreshing to hear of such faith in a day when manipulation has become common.  Muller believed in the active presence of the Holy Spirit and that He responded to prayer.  He expected every prayer to be answered.  


May we once again be challenged to pray to God and present our needs before Him and believe and expect God alone to bring the answers to our prayers.  Of course the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of men to bring the answer but not with our help.  The moment we make the slightest hint to a man of our need we have polluted the faith process, or so Muller believed.  Who knows how many times we have sabotaged the process and received much less that the Father intended to give us.  


Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Soaking Or Serving?


I asked someone who was moving to a town where "ongoing revival" was reported, "why?"  They looked at me like I was crazy. It was same look I received back in the 1970's when someone asked me why I wasn't getting in a prayer line at a service to "get slain in the Spirit", and I asked, "Why?"  The person chasing the revival said, "just to soak in the Presence"! You are moving to a town just to "soak"!?  As I walked away I thought, "what a selfish thing to do".  Now, understand my thinking here.  It is selfish if the end result is soaking.  Jesus was baptized in the Holy Spirit but afterward He served.  At Pentecost the church was empowered and blessed with such wonderful experiences that the people who saw them thought they were drunk yet the result was that they served.  Paul experienced the presence of Jesus and actually talked to him.  Later he received the Holy Spirit and his life there after was not a life of soaking but serving.  Mary Magdalene enjoyed the extravagant love and forgiveness of the Lord and the result was, she served.  As the people of God may we daily be seeking His Presence in order to Serve at His pleasure.

When Revival Is A Hindrance


Contrary to what you may have heard, Pentecost was not a revival.  It was a time on God's clock when the church was birthed and activated.  Even then there was such a draw to remain around the comfortable fire of Jerusalem that no one wanted to leave.  Then the Lord allowed (or caused, depending on your doctrine) persecution to drive the church away from stagnation to activation.  It's also very interesting what the KJV says in Acts 8:1 "And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria, except the apostles." The Scripture goes on to say that those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word.  The outpouring of the Holy Spirit that Jesus has promised empowered and equipped  but it also activated.  To be empowered and equipped without being activated leads to a drying up on the vine.  


During the last decade there were hundreds of thousands of people who traveled great distances to experience some kind of refreshing "in the Presence".  That is a wonderful thing but if it doesn't lead to activation the end result will always be negative.  It would actually be better to have never been empowered and equipped if activation doesn't follow.  Of course the activation of which I speak is doing the work of Jesus among the world. 

Why Do You Do What You Do?

Bobby Jones is still considered by many to be the greatest golfer of all time.  He was the only golfer in history to win the British Amateur, the U.S. Amateur, the British Open and the U.S. Open all in the same year.  Yet, at 27 he retired from competitive golf and never turned pro.  When asked why he wouldn't become a professional and turn his skills into cash he said, "it's a game.  You aren't supposed to make a living from a game."  Bobby Jones played golf because he liked the competition but mostly "for the love of the game".   Although he was practically born with a club in his hand he never lost his fascination with golf and became one of the games greatest students and teachers.


Make sure today that you are following a path toward a pursuit that doesn't involve only monetary reward but something deep within knows you are in it for "the love of the game". 


Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

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!