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?