Emerging Leaders

I just returned for our Church Foundational Network Family Conference in Peachtree City, Georgia. It was a powerful time of hearing from the "fathers" of our spiritual family and seeking the Lord together to impact us, move us beyond mediocrity and into our full potential for effectiveness. The high point for me was a special session that I felt to schedule with younger, emerging leaders. My concern for sometime was that I sensed a lack of connection with some in the younger generation to CFN and our future. I encouraged the group to share from their hearts and share they did! We talked for 1 1/2 hours about the challenge of generational transfer. This has been a particular burden on my heart for serveral years now. Let me share some of the things that came out of that meeting.

First there was a sincere appreciation of the past and the price the older leaders had paid to get us all to this point. There was not a critical spirit present. However, there was an obvious disconnect in some from the past leadership and a frustration of sorts about their role as we move forward as a spiritual family. There were other young leaders who approached me later to say that they did not feel a generation gap at all and were somewhat surprised in the meeting when this was brought up. One of the concerns voiced in the group was not only a generation separation but a cultural difference. There has always been a cultural difference from generation to generation.

What can we learn and do as we seek to marry the zeal of the younger with the wisdom of the older? Serveral positive suggestions came out of the meeting. There first must be this understanding that CFN is a "family". As with any family there must a gradual release as sons come to maturity. There will always be this strain on both sides as this occurs. It was interesting to me to notice that the ones who felt the tension were the ones who have been a part of this family for most or all their lives. The ones who didn't feel a strain were young leaders who have been adopted into the family and probably never had to work out the release within this particular family. We will find a rememdy to this as we allow the younger leaders to take a greater part in the family and release more responsibility to them.

This time of sharing helped me immensely and gives me an avenue for future planning and implementation. One of the questions that I was asked was, "how did you transition from the generation before you into your role as a leader?" I had never thought of it. While I do remember a generational gap of sorts, spending time on a daily basis in ministry together seemed to take care of the differences. I never remember it being a limiting thing. This would make me think that if there is a day to day functioning together of spiritual fathers and sons in practical outworking of ministry, any generation gap would be a minor factor.

May the Lord give us wisdom so that we don't continue to start over with each generation and never making real progress. I am committed to working to see the natural flow of transition occur.

The Dumbing Down Of America

We hear quite often this term, "the dumbing down of America" in the arena of education. Teachers are greatly frustrated by having to spend so much time, energy and money getting students preped to take acheivement tests rather than educating them. The bottom line is that the level of education falls to new lows year after year. One only needs to read the writings of 15-25 year old students from 100 years ago to see how far we have fallen. Yet, education is not the only place America is being "dumbed down". I see it in our daily language, in our manners and in our dress. The average 25 year old doesn't know which fork to use in a nice restaurant. He doesn't know which verbs to use where and he probably doesn't know how to tie a tie or to avoid wearing a brown belt with black shoes. He may not open the door for a lady or give an older person his seat if one is not available for them.


Then, we come to the church. The average Christian couldn't find the book Song of Solomon if his life depended on it. Doctrine has become an ugly word and protocol is seen as bondage. Why? What's causing the deterioration in our Nation? It's all about the God of comfort. We have made comfort the bench mark to which we aspire. In the 1960's the anthem that rang out was, "that ain't my bag". That being translated for you today means, "do what you want to do but don't put any parameters on me". When we remove the parameters, the measuring stick, we fall into a downward spiral. Well, we can't change the world today and make everything march to our drummer, but we can start with ourselves, our families and our churches! Let's boldly lead once again and set higher standards for ourselves and those we lead.

Look His Way!

By now you know that I have a wonderful little grandaughter by the name of Lucia! If not you can see her at her very own website: http://www.babycrabb.com/. Now that I'm through with the commercial, I'll move on to the thought of this blog posting. We have webcams so we can visit with HER and the couple that feeds her and cares for her. (Yes, my daughter Tarah and son in law Scott.)

When they get her all ready for our video visit, they call and say, "get ready, we are about to turn on the camera". Teresa and I are crowded around the computer. We are breathing heavy and our hearts are filled with anticipation. Then, "click", there she is in all her glory. We stare at her from head to toe. We look at every little finger. We check out her little perfectly formed head and see if more hair has appeared on it. We say over the microphone, "hold her closer so we can see better"! "I believe she's looking at us. Is she Scott, is she looking at us"? At that moment there is nothing on this planet that is more important than experiencing Lucia. Right about now it hits me. That is exactly how the Father in heaven feels about you and me. Every day, he feels that same kind of excitement. He looks at every part of our life, not with judgment but with the joy of a Father. The thing that stirs his heart more than anything is when he sees you and me looking back at him with love and adoration. Look His Way today!

Anointed to Serve

This past Mother's Day I was sitting in the pew listening to Pastor Randy Stephen deliver a wonderful word of encouragement to Mothers. I glanced on the Order of Service and noticed that I was to pray the closing prayer over the Mothers. I had been traveling a great deal and word hadn't reached me about the prayer. I prayed a brief prayer, as is my custom, asking the Lord what he wanted me to pray. Instantaneously I heard, "pray for the anointing to be a Mother"! Wow, an anoiting to be a Mother! I had never thought of it. As I sat there, (yes, I was listening to the sermon)it all became very clear. If Motherhood is the most important job in the world, and if "the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world", there needs to be the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Mothers.

I remembered the command of Jesus that basically told his disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they were clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit before embarking on a journey of ministry in his name. Jesus was telling his disciples not to go out preaching and saying they were representing his ministry unless they were empowered with the same anointing with which he was anointed.

If there was ever an hour we needed the power of the Holy Spirit in our ministries, it is today. Let's press in again in a fresh way for a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit anointing!

Can you take the truth?

Making a decision to believe a lie leads to a dark and unprotected place. Yet, we seem proned to turn away from reality and prefer our own perception of truth. We like our view and so we convince ourselves that our take on things is right even if the majority of those around us seem to have a different view. What pride and arrogance! Yet, it is our first inclination when we encounter truth that is in contradiction to our chosen path. This blind obedience to the altar of self love leads us to shipwreck time and time again.

Only the Cross of Jesus and the embracing of that cross can deliver us from this habit of self delusion. There has to be a healing deep within that stems from an open and honest look into the recesses of our heart. Only a converted heart can look at itself in the light of Holy Spirit Truth. Once we see and embrace the painful process of honesty leading to healing, then, and only then are we ready to move to the next level. As long as we have a convoluded perspective of our own condition, we have a skewed view of the identity of God. We then try to make God become who we want Him to be. God is free of all our uncertainties. God is not a God who conforms to our view of Him. He is quite comfortable in his own skin. He is who he is!

Let us face ourselves with Truth and allow the HolySpirit to shine deep within us, to bring healing once and for all. It takes courage, but once completed, we will see and experience God as he is and in his fullness. From this platform of wholeness and honesty we are now more able to be a transporter of Truth.

It's Time To Advance!
One of the most poignant messages that came out of 9/11, were the words regarding firemen. People running from the burning towers were impacted by the firemen running in. Everything in the hearts and minds of the people fleeing was screaming, "run for your life". Everything in the hearts and minds of those brave firefighters was screaming, "save a life". It all has to do with values, perspective and training. The value you place on life, the perspective from which you view the current situation and the preparation of the past that has brought you to this point. I have been traveling a lot of late and that travel has given me the opportunity to see several ministries up close and personal during our current turbulent times.

Rodney Thrift of Crossway Church in the Blackshear/Waycross, Georgia is leading a relatively new church. As with any new work there is a building process. With all the anxiety of our present day and with all of the financial challenges, Crossway Church continues to train people for the future. In the rear of their small and often cramped auditorium is a large and spacious room that will be their new worship center. Here we see an example of expanding in faith while the world is trembling in fear.

John Carney is the Senior Pastor of The Church in the Meadow in Salem, Oregon. I have ministered there several times before. This time as we arrived I noticed the new parking lot all striped brightly inviting cars to enter. I saw the new signage in place. Transition is taking place on their ministry team and new members are being added. Once again, expanding during a downturn.

James Wiley is Senior Pastor of Oak Grove Assembly of God in Port St. Joe, Florida. Oak Grove is an old church in a small fishing town in the panhandle of Florida, in an area called "the forgotten coast". As I arrived the land next to the existing sanctuary was buzzing with activity. The ground was being prepared for a new sanctuary. A much loved hugh oak tree had to be removed in order to make room for the new building. The hugh stump with much of it's root system still in tact lay on it's side in the rear of the property. I thought, "what a shame". Then I realized that it had to go to make way for the future. As I contemplated the work underway I noticed the sign saying "future home of Oak Grove". I had just left the Interstate where gas prices were breaking new record highs every few days. Housing values are slipping and homeowners across America are experiencing more and more repossessions. There seems to be a raging fear and a feeling of hopelessness. Yet, the church is preparing for the future. Expansion can be seen on many fronts. I am greatly encouraged by the faith and courage of the people of God. There is a stirring, this knowing that it is our time! For the fearless and the faithful, it is time to advance!

"Ain't no future in the past"

Forgive me but I was listening to a little Vince Gill over the weekend as I was driving, and this one line stood out like a light, "ain't no future in the past". Man, what a message and yet so many people live a meager existence stuck in the past. So many struggle to relive some glory days or long for a lost relationship or are all bound up in bitterness over the "what ifs" of life. The Apostle Paul said it this way, "forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. You can't get the prize reaching back, only by reaching into the future. You may need to simply let some things go today. One thing is for sure, you can't lay hold of that thing you are praying for in the future if you are tied up in the past. Take an inventory and see what's sinking your ship today. When a ship is about to sink an assesment is made and only the most critical things are kept on board. What is it in your past that needs to be thrown overboard? Remember, life is short and there "ain't no future in the past"!

Making it fit!

Teresa and I were given a puzzle for Christmas. It is a cool one that has our house as the exact center and it goes out a couple of miles square. Sounds like an easy one, doesn't it? Well, it's not! You see, we live in the sticks, and acres and acres of pine trees don't make very good reference points. We would work on it a couple of hours each night. I came to the point that I was cramming pieces in slots where they "almost fit"! You know the outcome, we had to let the puzzle dictate to us where the pieces fit. We had two sides reversed actually, and once that adjustment was made, "bam", it came together quickly. This past weekend I was ministering in North Carolina to a group I had never visited before. Minutes before the first meeting I saw this mental picture of a model airplane being built and one piece being glued where it "almost fit". I knew it was a word from the Lord for them but I didn't know what it meant. I decided instead of preaching what I had planned that I would "pull this little prophetic thread" and see where it led. It unfolded, and direction came that said there were people there who had made decisions that almost fit into God's plan but it was off. The group knew exactly what it meant and it was an adjustment for them that hopefully, will keep them from trouble down the road. We have all done it. We get a glimpse of God's plan and we like what we see. Then, we rush to make it happen. As we have all heard, "haste makes waste"! Maybe you are struggling with just such a dilemma at this very moment. With God, good's not good enough! Actually, good is the enemy of God's best. Let me encourage you to back away from the puzzle in your life that you may be dealing with right now and give the Lord some time to lead you to the next step. He will without fail!



Psa. 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.

The Crucible
Eddie Taylor and I had a marathon breakfast meeting this morning that was a wonderful time of cross pollinating. You know the kind of discussions where one person plays off the last words of the other. It was wonderful! As we talked, I began sharing about my new granddaughter (what else?) and how I have marveled at the transformation of my daughter from single college girl, to wife and now mother. Those kinds of transformations where we move from getting little sleep because of college exams, to getting little sleep because of business deadlines, to getting little sleep nursing a growing, demanding little dependent! The dependent might save you a little at income tax time, but you certainly pay for it the rest of the year. When you back away from it, you have to wonder, how do people change in such a radical way so quickly? I think it's a study in grace. It has to be the grace of God. Family, while a God idea, is a crucible. A crucible is defined as, "a severe, searching test or trial". Obviously, in metallurgy it speaks of the melting of metal into a different shape for a different use. Now that's family! While that may seem negative, it is the place champions are made. It is the address of losing one's life in order to find it. If you are struggling with your marriage or family right now...how do I say this delicately....suck it up! The heat you are feeling today has the potential of either destroying you or fashioning you into greatness. The greatness will only come by allowing and even welcoming the fire. Then comes the discovery life as we never knew it could exist. Ask Him for great grace and proceed.

Good Friday?

As a kid I used to struggle every Good Friday. Everyone seemed to be so happy about it. In the South it was always the most beautiful time of year. Actually, for about two weeks, we live in the most beautiful place in the world. The azaleas and dogwoods are in full bloom and new neon green leaves are popping out of every tree and plant. If it weren't for all the runny noses and bloodshot eyes from all the pollen, it would be just about perfect. Good Friday was also the day that my Mother insisted that her garden be planted! I couldn't figure that out. What in the world did Good Friday have to do with planting a garden? However, my Mama put us all to work. Days prior she usually hired someone to plow the one acre field directly behind our house with a tractor. They would set the rows just right, ready for the seeds and plants. This was a big garden with corn, tomatoes, potatoes beans and peas of all varieties and all kinds of other veggies. She would take us all out there for planting day. It was such a chore for me but Mama was probably never happier than on this day. She loved dirt! She did until the day she died. Even when she moved to more of a "city" location, she still would dig up a little bit of her lawn and plant stuff.

Why did I struggle with Good Friday? Because when I became old enough to understand the story of Easter, it struck me. Good Friday? This is the day they nailed Jesus to the cross and he died there! What's so good about Good Friday, I thought? That's the day the world killed Jesus when only a few days before they hailed him as King and shouted, Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed he is who comes in the name of the Lord"! What's so good about it? Let me tell you what's so good about Good Friday. This is a celebration of the day when all of Heaven's visions would be set into motion. This is the day that all the types and shadows would end. This is the day when all the arguments would cease and Jesus, the Lamb of God would step from the background to become the center of history of all mankind. Let me tell you why Good Friday is Good Friday. It's because Sunday is Coming!

Worshipping Worship

About ten years ago, my wife, Teresa, said to me, “I have a concern for the church world. I am concerned that we will see a day when we will worship worship instead of the Lord”. Since that day, I have watched as that very scenario has apparently unfolded.

Recently, a friend called from another State who is a part of a large church of several thousand. He said, “ I was at church today and the worship team was so wonderful that I was so caught up in the power of the music, the blend of the voices, and the powerful experience of the acoustics in the room that I suddenly realized, if we’re not careful, we’ll start worshipping worship.” I believe the Lord is trying to get us to see and avoid a snare that is very subtle. Most of us have been afraid to approach the subject in fear of being misunderstood or labeled as not “understanding spiritual worship at the deeper level”. With that in mind, please allow me to venture in where angels fear to tread.

Most pastors have had the frustrating experience of listening as a sweet couple or individual sat in their office explaining that they were leaving the church in search for a church where the level of worship met their needs. The obvious is often overlooked. As the beautiful worship chorus declares, “I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about you…I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it…it’s all about you, Jesus.” Worship, while bringing personal edification to the worshiper, is not primarily for the worshiper but for the ONE being worshipped.

Personal worship is a time of intimacy with the Lord where we abandon ourselves in His presence, the bridal chamber, and we express ourselves in ways that only the Bridegroom can appreciate. In these special intimate times of worship, adoration, meditation and revelation, there is no awareness of anyone else because this is the time of intercourse where we are impacted by the presence of Jesus for spiritual reproduction.

Corporate worship, the worship of the Body of Christ, is not the same as that intimate time of personal worship. Here, in the presence of other believers, we must be aware of their presence. This thought is confirmed by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Church at Corinth. Paul says in First Corinthians 14:18, “ I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also.
Notice Paul’s words, “yet in the church”. There is a clear distinction between what we do in private in our personal worship than what we do in the corporate gathering of the local church. For example, we may pray in tongues in our private time but in the church, tongues must be accompanied by the interpretation so that the entire Body might be edified.

This distinction between activity of the individual and the corporate gathering should be examined and our practices in church critiqued in the light of Biblical standard. When we are in church services among Spirit-filled people where we all walk in the same experience and belief about worship of the Spirit, there must still be this preferring our brother as well as a conscious effort to make sure that all we do in the corporate service contributes to corporate edification more than personal edification. Again, Paul writes in First Corinthians 14: 26 “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” LET ALL THINGS BE DONE FOR EDIFICATION. I can hear the screams of some even as I write this, but I believe the screams come primarily from those who see the corporate church service as the place where they have their “tanks filled” by the experience of Sunday worship and have a weak or shallow personal devotional life.

Corporate worship should be a time where the Body of Christ ministers to the Head, Christ Jesus. Yes, worship should be powerful and Spirit led. It should be spontaneous and with participation of individuals who are led of the Lord in bringing forth Scripture, songs, hymns, prayers and the release of spiritual gifts for the glorification of God and the edification of the corporate body. The picture is one of an orchestra making beautiful music as a large number of people are so in tune that no one stands out and all are blended with a common purpose. Individuals will rise to the surface on occasion to deliver a “solo” of the Lord’s direction but quickly blend back into the group for the edification of all.

Worship leaders and worship teams must be especially careful not to interfere in this delicate act we call worship. Worship leaders should assist the group in worship, but not seek to “take the group” to worship. The worship team must be just ahead in order to lead but not too far ahead as to become professional worshippers that the church learns to watch and enjoy. This takes the focus off of the Lord God and places it on one or a few gifted people. A number of years ago, I noticed that the worship team, gifted musical artists , were enjoying their worship so much that they were far ahead of the Church at the same point in the service. The worship team had their eyes closed and they were moving in a level of spontaneous musical flow that was bringing obvious fulfillment to them. I turned and looked at the congregation and they had, for the most part, stopped worshipping and were watching and apparently enjoying the moment. The problem was that the worship team was certainly worshipping God but their level of worship had hindered the journey of the church.

An obvious question is asked at this point. “Shouldn’t a worship team always be challenging the church to rise to a new level of worship?” Good question! Here is the great challenge. Yes, the worship leader/team should be moving ahead in the never ending experience of discovery in worship of the Father. However, there is a razor fine line of leadership that when crossed leaves one out front but no longer leading. A good leader must know when and how far he can lead the group under his or her care.

I am not writing this as a definitive word on worship. Worship is a powerful dynamic that is a very important part of my life. I love the powerful worship times in the church where the Presence of the Lord flows through the congregation like a river. It is here where the gifts of the Spirit reveal the heart and directive words of the Father. It is here where spiritual warfare is waged. It is here where the soil is prepared for the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. In fact, this is precisely my point. For these things to occur, there must be an arrival into spiritual worship by the majority of the church and not a select few gifted artisans. May the Lord continue to teach us how we can become more complete worshippers in Spirit and in Truth.

Deceiving Yourself

I have often said that "man is the only living being that has the ability to deceive himself". We all go to such lengths to convince ourselves that we are right. In doing so we hedge ourselves off from the very circumstances and people who hold the key to our progress. If we don't deal with our weaknesses as well as continuing to strengthen our strong points, we will become imbalanced and eventually have some kind of fall. A major part of dealing with areas of weakness is understanding that we very well may be blind to those areas. Since we are masters at self deception that means that we learned early how to avoid or look the other way from our weaknesses and emphasize our stronger characteristics. It's a basic human instinct to "isolate and insulate". We remove ourselves from tough situations and honest people. We surround ourselves with that which is pleasant and people who always agree with us. History screams the reality of this kind of erroneous life building, from Hitler to the very one you are thinking of as you read this.

How then do we avoid the pitfalls that our own weakness can build? First, it takes brutal honesty with yourself. Winkey Pratney once wrote that we at least need to listen to our enemies, because they may be the only ones who tell us the truth. Granted, our enemies may be wrong and out for our harm. However, a good prayer to pray is, Lord, let me hear whatever shred of truth lies within the words of my enemy. If there is truth there, let me hear it. We need never fear truth. Once we mine the truth from the criticism, like the Father does with our sin, cast the criticism far from you while retaining the truth. There is only death in morbid self examination. There is no relief from being overly critical, only condemnation and immobilization. Then, take the truth from the criticism and bring it into the light of Scripture and with the help of the Holy Spirit, and allow them to change you accordingly. This kind of courageous self accountability will lead you to higer ground. After each such encounter, you will find yourself a new person. You will be "arriving" in an ongoing way and building on victory after victory. It is also important to build around you people of a love relationship who "truly love you". They love you enough to pat you on the back and say "well done". Boy, we all need that! They also love you enough to get you alone and say, "you need to take that to Jesus, I think you missed it there". As much as I hate to even write this, my greatest measures of growth have come from the "wounds of a friend".

May the Lord grant us the strong courage to do that which is possibily the greatest act of heroism, face our own weaknesses.

I salute you fellow soldier as we challenge those enemies not only "out there", but also those "in here".

Productivity
Rest is a good thing, idleness is not. Ecclesiastes 10:18 says, "Because of laziness the building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks". Obviously, there are lazy people but most idle potential leaders are idle because of a lack of understanding. They have gotten the wrong perception about what it takes to be industrious or successful. In talking with one young first time pastor years ago I said, "you need to be at your office at work". He said, "I'm bored there. I just can't sit there all day". Being on the job, whether it's keeping office hours or on the move touching lives with encouragement and practical caring requires planning. You can't roam around aimlessly expecting success to occur.

As a young church pioneer I learned that if I would go to the office and get to work, ministry to people would begin to take place. Before long I would have more ministry than I could do. There is something about just "starting". Even when I work in my office at home, I like to get up, get my shower, shave and go to my desk ready to work. There's something about a posture of productivity. I'm ready to accomplish something. However, posture of productivity is only a part of the picture. You must have a plan. There's an old adage that says, "plan your work and work your plan". I'm amazed at how many people live like firemen with their pants and boots ready at the foot of the bed. They are ready for the next fire. If you have that attitude, you will be allowing circumstances to rule your life. There is no planning here. I'm convinced a person can live their entire lives simply "putting out fires" and going from one crisis to the next. It all sounds noble but in the end little will have been built for the Kingdom of God. When Jesus went back to his own home town the Bible says, "he could do no mighty works there except he healed a few sick people". On the other hand the Scripture tells us that Jesus did what he saw the Father doing. From his time with the Father there came a plan. Jesus didn't wander around without purpose. He didn't allow circumstances to set his agenda. He didn't even allow the needs of people to be his primary motivation. Othewise, he would have simply been a humanitarian. It had to be the will of His Father. Doing the will of the Father is the thing that connects our productivity with the eternal.

Once you have gotten the idea or the plan you must act on it. First, capture the idea! Ideas are easily lost. They must be saved. Write them down, make a recording or whatever works for you. When the idea first comes you think it is so clear that you will never lose it. That's not true. Many wonderful ideas that could have benefitted mankind have been lost forever because they weren't captured. Once you capture the idea, now you can ponder it, meditate over it and let it grow and develop. While all this is happening, keep recording all the ideas that are following the original idea. What are you doing? You are dreaming! Dreams get bigger and bigger. As good as this is, it's only a dream until you put the dream into motion. You see, at this point you are simply another dreamer. The world is filled with dreamers. Now is the time to do something with the dream. You will never do anything with a dream until you put it on your calendar or agenda. Working from your calendar is the action part of "plan your work and work your plan". An idea is not a plan until you have it written down. At times I will delegate a task to someone and I'm concerned because I don't see them write it down. If they don't write it down it won't get on their calendar and it won't be accomplished. Haven't you experienced the waiter in the restaurant wanting to impress everyone with his ability to remember the orders of all eight people in your party, without writing it down? You end up with someone's side dishes or a piece of pie with your dieters platter!

What a joy to see the fruit of your labor. It is one of the great inner rewards of life. You can do it!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, I received the greatest Valentine's gift possible today. My new granddaughter came home from the hospital! She was born at 5:02 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills, Ca. My daughter, Tarah, was in labor for 36 hours! Her husband Scott is a trooper and may be the best husband and father I have ever seen in operation. It was quite an ordeal but the end result was worth it. Easy for me to say, right? Her name is Lucia Terese Crabb. Lucia is the Latin version of my Mother's name, Lucille. Of course, Terese is a shortened version of my wife's name, Teresa. My heart is full as I have held Lucia several hours today and simply watched her sleep. As I feel the celebration of my heart over the birth of this little angel, I am reminded of Prov. 13:12 that says, "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life". I have been married almost 40 years and for several years I have wanted, no yearned for grandchildren. I can't explain what has gone on inside of me for several years but the desire was just there. As it lingered, it was disappointing as hope was deferred, but today I can honestly say, "it is a tree of life".

I wonder what thing you are yearning for today? What is that desire that you have decided would never be fulfilled? I can tell you that if that thing in your heart is from the Lord, it is never too late. There is a day of fulfillment. There is a day when the answer comes. There is a precise moment for a miracle. Be encouraged this Valentine's Day! Reach down deep and stir and arouse that dream of your heart once again. Warm it through prayer and energize it by faith. Any day now could be your day when you will experience your "tree of life"!

Merging Generations

There has always been this tremendous gap between the zeal of youth and the wisdom of the mature. Every generation struggles to marry the two with mostly failed attempts at the union. From the side of the youth comes the argument that the old ways are not relevant to today. The older generation agonizes over the methods of the young and fear all will be lost under their leadership into the future. Yet, every generation seems to make the transition and in actuality progress continues to yield better results in many cases than the former generation could produce. Just look around today and see that on every front improvements have been made. We drive better cars than did our fathers. We live in better houses and use better products of all kinds. Yet…I must confess that I get nervous when it comes to releasing the next generation to lead. I still want to tell them how to do it. You see, I am a control freak!

There is the potential for failure in this scenario of transition. That potential lies in the inclination that is resident with both the young as well as the old. Within the old is a kind of arrogance that looks down upon the efforts of the young. Within the young is this stubbornness that resists the counsel of the more mature, wanting to prove that they can make it happen. In the Bible there is the story of a young, newly crowned king by the name of Rehoboam. He was the son of the great king Solomon. At Solomons death and after Rehoboam’s coronation the people requested a new kind of compassion and sensitivity toward their needs that Rehoboam’s father never permitted. Rehoboam went to the older men for counsel and then to the younger men whom he had known growing up. Rehoboam took the counsel of the younger men and rejected the counsel of the older. The result was a rebellion that cost Rehoboam a divided Kingdom and antagonism that would last his entire reign and into the reign of his sons to follow.

The obvious answer here is a merging of the zeal of youth with the wisdom of the aged. We must have both to move forward as a people. Every Nation, every community and every church must see the two working together in order to move forward in a safe and constructive way. How can it work? There must be a surrender by both the old and the young to the Lordship of Christ. The same is true in every team effort from the football field to marriage. There has to be an abandoning of selfish hidden agendas for the common good.

May the Lord grant us the grace to renounce the pride of our opinions and embrace in faith the counsel of others. Let’s begin by looking at others, both young and old with an understanding that God has made them and placed them in our lives with a purpose. Truth mandates that we have to receive from each other in order to arrive at our desired destination.

Anticipation

Recently, I was sitting in a small group discussion in our CAM (ministers group) meeting. We were sharing the "dreams of our hearts" and the others in the group were encouraging and praying for our dreams. One in the group asked me, "what is the greatest hindrance to your dream"? It took me by surprise but immediately I said, "finding faithful people". My dream is seeing the church mature to a place of fulfilling the dream of Jesus' heart. To do that, we must find faithful people who put the will of God above their personal will and desires. More and more we live in a consumer driven society and church. At the center of that motivation is a voice that screams, "it's all about me"! It's really a bondage of our society from which we desperately need deliverance in order to see the Kingdom of God come to the earth.

The group began to share insights with me and then one person said, "you have been faithful but you have lost your anticipation". Then they compared it to my excitement about the upcoming arrival of my first grandchild. I had shared all about her at lunch that day. They said, "you need to live in anticipation that your dream will come to pass just as much as this baby will be born". I got it! I had made an unconscious decision at some point, that even though it was increasingly difficult to find faithful leaders, I would just do the best I could and whatever happens, happens. I have changed my thinking and my faith for the future. I am believing for those potential leaders who are willing to pay any price to fulfill the dream in God's heart! They are out there and we will meet. A major part of faith is truly...ANTICIPATION! Maybe you have an area of your life where you are trudging along in faithfulness with little or no anticipation. Maybe you have released the dream of your heart and settled for mediocrity. Join me with a new outlook and a new faith! Now, let's approach tomorrow with "anticipation" regarding the dream of our hearts!

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?”

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".