Born Again - Third Day

There are some songs that you don't mind getting stuck in your head. Here's what is currently playing in my head.

Song: Born Again
Artist: Third Day
Album: Revelation

"Well, today I found myself
After searching all these years
And the man that I saw
He wasn't at all who I thought he'd be

"I was lost when You found me here
And I was broken beyond repair
Then You came along
And You sang Your song over me

Chorus:
"It fells like I'm born again
It feels like I'm living
For the very first time
For the very first time in my life

"Make a promise to me now
Reassure my heart somehow
That the love that I feel
Is so much more real than anything

"I've a feeling in my soul
And I pray that I'm not wrong
That the life I have now
Is only the beginning

Chorus

"It feel like I'm breathing
(Feels like I'm born again)
It feels like I'm moving
(Feels like I'm living)
For the very first time
(For the very first time)
For the very first time
(For the very first time)

"I wasn't looking for something that was more
Than what I had yesterday
Then You came to me and You gave to me
Life and Love that I've never known before, that I never felt before

"It feels like I'm born again
(Feels like I'm born again)
It feels like I'm living
(Feels like I'm living)
For the very first time
(For the very first time)
For the very first time
(For the very first time)

"It feels like I'm breathing
(Feels like I'm born again)
It feels like I'm moving
(Feels like I'm living)
For the very first time
(For the very first time)
I'm living for the first time
(For the very first time)"

What are You Counting On Today?

Philippians 3:7, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ."

Why?

Philippians 3:10, "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, bieng conformed to His death."

What are you counting on today? Are you looking back at all the things that you have gained in life OR are you trusting in the strength to KNOW HIM?

Take some time today to Know Him and to Make Him Known.

Have a great weekend.

Keeping It Simple

This picture is from the very 1st service that we had in our new building. Time flies when you are having fun!

If there is one thing that drives me in ministry right now is one simple concept: Keep It Simple. Thankfully, I'm the pastor of a church that makes that an easy concept to attain.

What I'm noticing about most churches is that we start out from humble beginnings. We begin to see growth in the body and therefore think we have to "do" certain things to maintain that growth. Before you know it we become churches that are so encumbered with stuff that we can no longer move freely in the Kingdom of God. I like the idea of "Simple Church."

I'm sure that some could argue that it is because of my lack of education. Maybe if I would have pursued a bachelors degree, masters, or maybe even a doctorate I would understand the importance of maintenance. Oh, of I would have only attained the knowledge needed to understand that we can't keep it simple there is just too much at stake. For those who may think that way let me ask a simple question: Did you "do" anything to bring about the growth? Don't tell me about your visitation plan or your strategized evangelistic outreaches. The real answer is NO. You may have planned outreach events, evangelized strategically, formatted your services to reach a potential target group - but the truth of the matter is that if your church grew it's because God gave the increase. And if God can give the increase without our plans can He not also maintain the increase?

A few years ago Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger came out with a book called "Simple Church." The process in the book is nothing new it's just something that has been forgotten. What has been forgotten in the church is that keeping it simple actually enables the church to grow, helps members plug in, and continually advances the church ministries. The simple process is this: "Love God, Love Others, & Serve Both."

Please pay careful attention to the following excerpt: "The significance is that, in general, simple churches are growing and vibrant. Churches with a simple process for reaching and maturing people are expanding the kingdom. Church leaders who have designed a simple biblical process to make disciples are effectively advancing the movement of the gospel. Simple churches are making a big impact." p. 14

I was sitting in a meeting the other day with some pastor's and for the 1st time felt a little out of place with some of them. As I walked away from the meeting I came to understand that each of us were going after the same thing (I think), and that thing is reaching people for Christ and allowing the church to be all that it can be. However, what made it different for me is that I am seeking the simplest process out there. I'm not looking to entrench our church in denominational life. I'm not trying to burden our people with as many services as possible. We aren't creating more opportunities for our folks to serve but rather trying to help them see open doors where they can serve as God leads. Am I really that different or have I come to understand something a little more profound???

When Jesus cleansed the temple in Mark 11 we find that He was bothered by the meaningless and distracting clutter of everything. There were people buying and selling in the temple. Money changers were exchanging currency for the Gentiles. And the temple had become a shortcut for people to pass through the city. Many of the distractions probably started out as a "good thing." They thought they were providing a "necessary" service. But as with most things - what was necessary for the time became a standard. How many of our churches have become cluttered? "So cluttered that people have a difficult time encountering the simple and powerful message of Christ. So cluttered that many people are busy doing church instead of being the church." P. 19

I wonder how many pastors were committed to ministry to make disciples but became program managers instead? Do you want to know why so many pastors burn out these days? They can't keep up with the demands of the organization. Between the preaching, teaching, counseling, visiting, and squeezing in the family time there is this overwhelming burden to keep everything afloat. We are constantly greasing the wheels of the ministry to make sure it runs properly. What if those pastors were released to a simpler ministry? I'm finding more and more of these pastors who leave a larger church and get into church planting. Why? Because the process is much simpler. Sure they are starting from the ground up, but it's refreshing. They would much rather help a church body get on it's feet rather than simply turning people over so they don't get bed sores! {Did I say that out loud?}

The real question for the church of today is whether or not we can abandon everything that falls outside of the simple ministry process. Can we pursue the simple and still feel successful? I think so.

I shared the picture from PBC's 1st service in the new building because our church is an a time of great growth. We are considering ways to handle a full building. However we deal with this I want to ensure the readers one thing: It will be simple. We will continue to love God, love others, and serve both. PBC will continue to be a place "Where Relationships Matter."

Have a blessed day.

Back 2 School

Well...we did it! Got both kids off to school this morning without any major meltdowns. Oh, I wasn't worried about the kids. I was more concerned about their mother!

Seriously - today was our oldest child's first day of middle school. She was excited...we were nervous. I remember the 1st day of school for both of our kids when they entered kindergarten. I remember being emotional. However, I handled things pretty good today. You see, I actually view this as a natural progression. I realize that my children will not be in elementary school forever. They should move on. If they don't there is something terribly wrong.

I tend to be more of an analytical person when it comes to these things. I rationalize the facts and figures and come to the proper conclusion. As I get older, so do my children. As my children get older they move up in the school system. The only problem with this scenario is that I have a hard time factoring in the government run school that they attend. Thus far we have been in agreement with their teachers handling of creation, etc. However, I understand that the older they get - the worse it gets. "God, is there any way that my child can have a Christian teacher every year?"

I can't factor in the government school system because...um, well...the government runs it. And from what I have seen over the years (with all of the standards of "learning") there has been a constant dumbing down of our children. I don't blame this on the teachers necessarily. Many of them are forced to teach certain things so that these children can pass a test. But the older I get and the more I learn about history, science, etc; I'm finding that there was much that I wasn't taught.

How many of our kids will understand that the Mayflower Compact states that the early settlers attempted to evangelize VA? How many of our kids will understand that the "Separation of Church and State" was established to keep government out of religion not religion out of government? How many of our kids will be encouraged to celebrate the good of America rather than being critical of our mistakes? How many of them will come to understand that the main issue of the civil war was not slavery (in the beginning) but state rights? The point I'm making is that our kids will either get a true education through government schools or they will get our current government's agenda. Does that scare you? I wonder how "Change we can believe in" is going to affect my child's classroom. If what is happening in Congress right now is any indication it's going to be a long 4 years!

The good news for my children is that I'm pro-active in their learning process. I'm sure there will come a time when one of them will say, "Geesh dad, I get it already!" But I'm going to keep on telling them the truth. Whenever my child walks in and spews out some liberal mantra you can be sure that I will let them know the difference.

Although I have chosen the route of government (public) schools instead of home-schooling, there isn't any reason that my children cannot have a Christian education. How is that? Simply put, it's because me and my wife are the main educators in their life. I will ensure that they have a God centered world view. They will understand that it is God who made us and not we ourselves. It wasn't some accident - we were created by God. Our kids will also understand the importance of God and the formation of this great country. They will hear of the speeches, the rhetoric, and the public exaltation of Providence that came from our founding fathers. They will hear it!

The Word of God teaches me (and all of us) that we are to raise up our children in the way that they should go. It's not the job of a government educator to teach my child. It's my job.

So parents, at the start of this new school year I want you to remember that YOU are the teacher that your child truly needs. They may not have gotten the teacher they wanted at school but when they get home they are in your classroom. So we must ensure that they get a proper education at home. It's time for us to stop thinking that it's the job of Sunday School to teach our children the Bible, government schools to teach our children the necessary things for life, and the church to raise our children in the fear and admonition of God. God gave us these children - they are our responsibility!

So may we let our light so shine before our children that they will always be able to see through the darkness. May they always be able to look to us for the answers. May we be the bearers of truth in their lives regardless of who their teacher is. And my they find in us the God of mercy and love.

Time for Prayer

A Prayer For Our Student and Teachers

Almighty God,

We thank you for those within our church body who have chosen the vocation of teaching our children. I realize that many of these people believe that they are called to this type of work. As they prepare for children to return to the classroom tomorrow I lift them up to You.

Lord we ask that you give each of them the ability to see these young people as You see them. May they have a heart to teach and reach them. May they be an expression of Your love, Your goodness, & Your mercy. I pray that this will be a year that they can see You actively working in the school system.

Lord, I also pray for these students. Some are returning to the same school while others are moving into new arena's. We ask that you give them the grace they need to adjust to their new schedule. I pray that they will be a witness to their friends, classmates, and teachers. I pray that you will keep them safe throughout the year.

Father, I also pray for those who home school as their job never ends. They are always with their students. I pray that these parents will have the wisdom needed to give the education that their child needs. I also pray that you will continue to enrich the homes of these who have taken on the responsibility of educating their children. I pray that each of us as parents will understand that wherever our kids go to school that it is our job to teach them - to be active in their lives - and to be responsible for what our children learn.

I thank you Father that we can entrust these adults and children into Your care. You truly are a great God.

In Jesus' Name - Amen.

***Hope you all have a great school year.

Who's at Work?

I don't know if the book is any good but I love this title: "I Can't See God because I'm in the Way."

There is so much truth in that statement that I want you to read it again.

...Got it? Let's proceed.

The 2nd commandment says that we should not make for ourselves any graven image. If you look at the make-up of that verse it basically tells us to not make God in our image. Most idols in the Bible took on the form of the person creating them. If they believed God to be a certain way they would fashion an idol that expressed their own idea of God. Far too often we do the same thing (we just don't use clay, wood, or stone). God becomes nothing more than what we perceive Him to be.

I love the picture that I used above because many people today only see God as a necessity when they are in need. When things go bad - they call on God. Don't believe me? Think about 9/11. When our nation was attacked many Americans began calling on God. After a few weeks we saw many of those people trickle out of the church. Right now our country is in a financial mess (one that will not be fixed by stimulus programs or health care reform) and you find a large number of people in need looking to God to fix the problem. But I serve a God that works in everyday life. It's a living reality.

"I can't see God because I am in the Way." It's not that God cannot work, but rather that we limit His activity in our life. Either we limit Him or we fail to see where He is at work.

I just got a phone call from one of our church members. He was able to lead someone to Christ at his workplace. This has been an on-going conversation throughout the week. However, today he was able to help this young man understand the need for salvation. One of the things that God did was to continually shut down a piece of equipment. God kept shutting it down so this man could hear truth. In some people's lives God isn't at work in this (or at least they don't recognize it). Today someone was born into the kingdom of God because a distraction was removed. As long as the machine operated he had to continue working. God had other plans.

Instead of limiting God to our finite minds why don't we simply believe that He is still the same God as we read about in His word? Why not believe that He is the God of miracles, of providence, of healing, of salvation to all who call on Him, etc. Maybe we just need to get out of the way!

Here's to hoping that you will remove yourself from the equation and let God be God.

Service Evangelism

Don't have a lot of time for typing today. Ernie & I have been taking some fruit boxes around to the schools in our ministry area.

Interesting to me is what a small gesture can do to open someone's eyes to the church and the Gospel. Think about it: A warm meal, a helping hand in the yard, babysitting the kids, buying a load of groceries, even handing out light bulbs. The list goes on and on. The question is not what we do but why we do it.

Our church body is made up of a lot of people who work in the public school system. For those of us in the Christian community, we understand how difficult it is to get into the schools from time to time. However, I have found that you can reach out to the administrators, teachers, and staff. That's why we took fruit boxes to the area schools.

This isn't just something we do through the church. We can also take on projects in our communities. Do you have a neighbor whose yard could be mowed? What about some trees that could use pruning? The task isn't as important to us but rather why we would take the time to do it.

When Jennifer and I lived in town our next door neighbor was a widow. She moved to the area without any family. Of course, when her yard started to come in there was no one to mow it. So I would just mow hers with mine. She always protested that she would just pay someone. I simply said, "That's fine if you want to hire someone. I will just mow it until you do." I would also go out and remove snow from her driveway in the winter. She was already a believer but she still needed the help.

Who knows what God will use to reach someone. Just keep your eyes open.

Experiencing God - Blackaby

One of the most beneficial studies in my walk with Christ has been "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby.

This fall I will be leading a small group study in my home through this material. If you have ever wondered whether or not you can discern God's will, hear God's voice, or if God still speaks to His people today - this study will benefit you greatly.

Let's look at the 7 realities of Experiencing God as stated by Blackaby.

1) God is always at work around you.
I'm glad that this is number one because we need to open our eyes to the reality that God still works in the world. The problem is that too often we miss His activity.

2) God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.
Can I really add anything to that statement?

3) God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
Too often we think that God wants us to find something to do for Him. On the contrary, God wants us to get involved with what He is already doing.

4) God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
That's right folks - God still speaks to us today by His Holy Spirit. We must learn that we can hear His voice and how He speaks to His followers.

5) God's invitation for you to work with Him always leads to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
Oh the dreaded crisis of belief. Did God really say that? Does God really want me to go...? Does God really want me to say...? We will look at biblical accounts of those who faced this crisis, as well as some contemporary stories.

6) You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
Another statement that speaks for itself!

7) You come to know God by experience as you obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you.
Do not be content to learn about God through study alone. This reality will lead us into the realm of experience. When experience and knowledge come together, your view of God is greatly enhanced.

This study truly moves believers from hearers to doers. Once we begin to recognize God's voice there is no way that we can sit idly by without joining Him in His work. I believe that one of the greatest reasons churches find little things to squabble over is because the majority of people that sit in our sanctuaries are not experiencing God on a daily basis. Our ears have been turned off to His voice and our hearts have been hardened to His will.

I hope that your eyes will be open today to His activity. I pray that your ears will be receptive to His voice. Once that happens I believe that you will follow hard after Him. I promise you that the chase is worth it!

Faith's Product

I have an important confession to make. I really don't know any other way to say this but I feel as though I must let this out. Some of you may be surprised by this statement, however, as a loyal blog reader you need to know the truth. There has been something going on in my life over the past few months that has to be shared.

I became a believer in Christ when I was a senior in high school. My walk with Christ has went through a lot of changes over the last 18 years. I answered the call the preach the week of my 19th birthday. So I have been trying to live out my faith for some time now. Here's my confession: Never have I felt as free in my faith as I do today! I mean that. God has been doing a work in my heart and life over the past few months that has been nothing short of liberating. I thought I was free before but today I know that I am free.

What I am discovering in this walk of mine is the power of faith. Rarely do we talk about faith in the way that I'm going to share it with you today. We often look at faith in the simple terms of what we believe God for. We are praying for an expected end - we must pray in faith. We are believing God to perform something - we must believe in faith. But what I want to share with you today is a little different. I don't want you to view faith as the end of things but the beginning.

Let me explain.

Whether we realize it or not, we place a lot of emphasis upon obedience. We must obey God in this matter or that. If I want to grow in my faith I must obey God's teachings, I must be obedient in the area of prayer, Bible reading, & sharing the Gospel. But what if we changed our outlook just a little bit. What if (instead of looking at obedience as the key) we looked at faith as they key to achieving all these things?

I'm finding out more and more that faith is the key to being who God wants me to be. To be quite honest I don't think we can go any further in our walk with God that what we are able to do by faith. Faith saves us, sustains us, and strengthens us to be the man/woman of God that He purposes. It is our faith in what God has done that brings eternal life. It is our faith in what God can do that sustains us when the journey gets difficult. And it is our faith in what God says about us that strengthens us. Ask yourself this question: Do I believe that I am who God says that I am?

Can you imagine a church body that lives in the grace of God, is empowered by the Spirit of God, and is built upon the promises of God? That my friends would be an awesome fellowship. I wonder how many fellow believers live this way. We might understand God's grace, and we may be empowered by the Spirit of God for all service, but do we really believe that we are who God says we are? If we truly believed that then we would stop trying living up to something and simply learn to live in it!

Romans 3:31, "Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law." NLT

The hard thing for us to grasp is that it is through our faith that the law of God is fulfilled. Faith in what God has said, done, and can do actually produces obedience in our life. It's not what we DO but what we BELIEVE! Are we righteous because we live out the commands of God? Or are we righteous because we believe what God has already accomplished? I think the latter is more appropriate. You have been made righteous because of your faith in Jesus Christ. And as you continue to live in that faith - continue to believe what God has already pronounced you to be - then you will be all that God wants.

Romans 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free form the law of sin & death."

There is a new law at work in us. It still fulfills God's law but it works totally different from the old one. The old law said you must (or must not) do... The new law says that you are... One law emphasizes my actions while the other law emphasizes my faith. One requires me to do something while the other law requires me to believe something.

What you and I must realize is that God has already pronounced us righteous. It's not something to be achieved but received. And when we understand that His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness (according to 2 Peter 1:3) a lot of striving will cease. What we must learn is to live out what God has place in us!

I hope that you can find freedom in your relationship with Christ. I hope that you can learn to live in what He has already done and what He has already said. Allow the chains of religious bondage to fall from your life. Then you can begin to enjoy your faith.

Breakthrough

1 Cor. 12:7, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all..."

1 Cor. 12:11, "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills."

I love to blog. It gives me an opportunity to verbalize the things that I'm thinking about. I just finished up a conversation with some missionaries from our church. This couple is experiencing the work of the Holy Spirit in ways that they did not think possible. What they are experiencing is nothing less than the verses I just listed. The manifestation of the Spirit along with the distribution of the gifts that He gives.

I am beginning to realize that God doesn't simply give us 1 gift. Sure, each of us have been given a primary gift that we are able to operate in on a daily basis. However, since the Gift Giver dwells inside of us, He is able to bring to life any of the gifts "as He wills."

Jack Hayford says, "Discovering the giftedness the Father has begotten in us should not substitute for our earnest availability to operate in any of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit listed here, as He - of His will - distributes them through the church." Kingdom Dynamics listed in the Spirit Filled Life Bible.

What other reason could there be for me as a pastor to be able to operate in more than one gift? Why am I able to operate in the gift of prophecy from time to time? Why is there a discerning to the spirits, words of knowledge, wisdom, faith, or healings that have manifested themselves in my life if we only have 1 gift? I'm a firm believer that the kingdom principle of being faithful in the small things will bring a greater responsibility with the bigger things applies even in the area of spiritual gifts.

This couple that I'm speaking of (which many of you know) come from a highly conservative background. Though they have been open to the work of God in their lives and ministry, there were certain things that they had yet to experience. Yet here they are serving overseas and God is opening them up to what He is doing. Not only are they seeing God work in them individually but they are witnessing the manifestation of the Spirit in the lives around them. How exciting!

I was given permission to share their story with our church. They know what I'm preaching/teaching about in our church and it's their desire to see PBC open to the work of the Holy Spirit. They are encouraged by the fact that we are on this journey together. They may be walking in another part of the world BUT we are walking together.

The great thing about this teaching in the local church is that there is no room for pride and no need to feel inferior in the body of Christ. Some people may be experiencing the manifestation of the Spirit of God in different areas but we are all able to move in these areas. As long as we allow what God does in us to be for the profit of all we will see great things happen. We must also keep 1 Cor. 13 in mind. Paul lists the gifts in 12 to give the body an understanding of how God gives to the church. In 14 Paul gives the order of how they should operate in these gifts. 13 is in the middle to remind the church that love is of utmost importance as we move and operate in the gifts. When we operate in love we are not jealous, boastful, prideful, or envious. We can all work together as one body with different functions. Sounds like a great concept!

I hope that you all have a great weekend. Pray for us as we learn how to teach on the truths of God's Word. May He move us beyond knowledge to experience. To Him be the glory.

Spurgeon on Power

Charles Spurgeon, Finding Peace in Life's Storms

While thumbing through Spurgeon's book I came across this wonderful passage:

"Do not say that Omnipotence is short of instruments to do His will. He could make the very sand of the seashore into preachers of the Gospel if He wanted to. And if He needed tongues to tell about His love, He could make each stone a preacher or each twinkling leaf on the trees a witness for Jesus. It is not instrumentality that is necessary and of first importance. What we need most is the power that moves the instrumentality, which makes the weakest strong and without which even the strongest are weak."

Love this phrase: "What we need most is the power that moves the instrumentality."

Allow me to say it this way:

What we need is God to strum His instruments.

We need to wind to blow upon His horns.

We need the Savior to extend His hands.

We are the instruments that God uses in the world. We are the Spirit's horns upon which He blows. He are the hands of the Savior to a world in need. The question is not our ability but His ability in our availability.

For those of you who are regular readers of this blog then you have read my words concerning the work and gifts of the Holy Spirit. We need God's gifts working in us that we may be those instruments of usefulness. We cannot expect to perform kingdom work in our own abilities. We must work in the power of His Spirit.

Our God is still able to create. He could create what He needs but He already has. Actually, He has recreated us for His usefulness. May we simply lay ourselves at His feet. Then all He has to do is pick us up when He is ready!

Do not question your usefulness. Do not question your inactivity. You may be waiting for God to move through you for some great purpose. Don't get frustrated and decide to make your own way. Allow God to strum you. Allow the Spirit to blow upon you. Allow the Savior to move you. Then, and only then, will you bring glory to God in what you do.

May you experience the power of the Omnipotent One today.

Light It Up!

Matthew 5:16, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Many of you remember the tragedy at Columbine High School a few years ago. If you know anything of the shooting then you have probably heard of Rachel Scott.

Rachel Scott was a student at Columbine the day that 2 students opened fire in the school. One gunman asked her if she still believed in God. She looked him in the eye and said yes, she till believed. He asked her why, but didn't let her answer before killing her.

This story alone brought inspiration to many people. To know that a high school teenager was willing to own her God even in the face of death is amazing. However, if you were to read her journal you would be even more amazed at what God was doing in the life of this young lady.

"I lost all my friends at school. Now that I've begun to 'walk my talk,' they make fun of me." Rachel's journal entries showed her disappointment that the friends she was trying to show Christ's love turned away from her. But she didn't give in.

"I am not going to apologize for speaking the name of Jesus. I will take it. If my friends have to become my enemies for me to be with my best friend, Jesus, then that's fine with me. I always knew being a Christian means having enemies, but I never thought that my 'friends' were going to be those enemies."

I want you to think about those words: "If my friends have to become my enemies..." Do you understand the conviction it takes for someone in High School to make that kind of statement? I'm already praying that type of conviction into my own child cause I want her to own Jesus above everything else. If it means losing friends, popularity, or the attention of others. Above all else I want her to understand that letting our light shine before men is so much better than being accepted by the world. Here's the crazy part: we are never accepted by the world. Jesus told his followers that they would be rejected by the world just as He was. He even went on to say that we should not be surprised when it happens.

This is why I will never understand those who shape their convictions around being accepted. It doesn't work. The world needs a light in the darkness. Are we going to be that light?

Exactly one year before her death, Rachel Scott penned these words: "I am not going to hide the light that God has put into me. If I have to sacrifice everything, I will."

What about you?

Perception - What Do You See?

I know it's Friday and many of you have had a long week. Even though you are feeling the joy of knowing that the weekend officially begins in T-minus (???), today may not be the best day for interruptions.

Maybe I can help.

That person who keeps sending you emails could be the person that God has placed in your path to reach.

The phone call that you keep ignoring might be opportunity calling.

That thing you dread may turn out to be the greatest blessing you have ever received.

The point that I'm trying to make is that we cannot live with our focus on the things we see. No - we must learn to see things through the eyes of faith.

I wonder how many opportunities I have missed in life because I chose to see them through my physical eyes rather than the eyes of faith. Who was the person I ignored, the conversation that I didn't have, or the person I didn't reach out to help? Could I have missed Jesus in the busyness of life? Did I miss an opportunity to host an angel? You know the Bible teaches us to entertain strangers because many have entertained angels unaware.

Is today not the best day to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and visit the afflicted? Can I (even on a Friday) choose to see things from a different perspective? The next conversation I have may just help someone come to know Jesus Christ. The next meal I give could be the one that brings God's light into the life of someone else. The next word of encouragement I share could be the words that keep someone from doing the unthinkable.

The truth of the matter is that none of us know where our path may lead us today. Sure, we got up, got ready, and went to work (or did our normal routine); however, God may interrupt our routine. Can we give Him that opportunity?

So much of the Christian life is an opportunity to respond to the circumstances we encounter. It's living a life so dependent upon the Spirit of God for direction that we trust in His leadership, His empowering, and His ability.

A couple of years ago I was heading to Wednesday night prayer meeting with our Worship Leader. We jumped on the interstate headed for "church" when suddenly traffic stopped in front of us. The first response for most of us is to be frustrated that we are stopped in our agenda. However, as we got closer to the car in front of us we noticed that there was a vehicle flipped over on the side of the interstate. I watched a man struggle to get out of his vehicle and decided that I needed to do whatever I could to help. The man came around to the passenger side to help his wife out of the vehicle while others of us who had stopped tried to help get a child and a baby out of the back.

I will never forget the horror of seeing an infant hanging upside down in a car seat unresponsive. Thankfully a first responder was among the crowd and he knew the best method of getting the baby out of the seat and into the arms of her father. She began to cry once they got her out (for which I was thankful!) but there was a nasty bump on her head. Once the paramedics arrived they decided to bring in a helicopter to fly the baby to Roanoke hospital. I remember standing there feeling so helpless watching this man hold his crying baby. I simply leaned over and told him that I was a pastor in the area and asked if I could pray with them. He said, "YES, PLEASE!"

I don't know what ultimately happened to the child or the family for that matter. What I do know is this: I thought I was to go to prayer meeting that night but God has me leading prayer in the middle of I-81.

What we see with our physical eyes may not be the reality. We must learn to perceive things through the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, and only then, are we able to respond with the grace of God.

Think: You may have a Divine appointment today. Don't miss it!

Moody on Liberty

D.L. Moody, The Secret of Success in the Christian Life, speaks of living in the Power of the Holy Spirit. He says that it's the Holy Spirit, "Who inspired prophets and...continues to animate, guide, and comfort all true believers."

In Chapter 1 of this book (page 27), Moody teaches us that the Spirit of God is what gives us liberty. Which is, as he puts it, "about the last thing we have in a good many of our churches at the present day."

"I am sorry to say that there must be a funeral in a good many churches before there is much work done. We shall have to bury the formalism so deep that it will never have a resurrection.

"The last thing to be found in many churches is liberty. If the Gospel happens to be preached, the people criticize, as they would a theatrical performance. It is exactly the same, and many a professed Christian never thinks of listening to what the man of God has to say. It's hard work to preach to carnally minded critics, but 'where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.' (2 Cor. 3:17)

"A mother may hear a hundred good things in a sermon, and there may be one thing that strikes her as a little out of place, and she will go home and sit down to the table and talk right out before her children and magnify that one wrong thing and not say a word about the hundred good things that were said. That is what men and women do who criticize...

"May God snap these fetters and set His children free, that they may have liberty. I believe He comes to set us free...How many people would like to get up in a social prayer meeting to say a few words for Christ, but there is such a cold spirit of criticism in the church that they dare not do it. They have not the liberty to do it...Now, that is all wrong. The Spirit of God comes just to give liberty, and wherever you see the Lord's work going on, you will see that Spirit of liberty. People won't be afraid of speaking to one another. And when the meeting is over they will not get their hats and see how quickly they can get out of the church, but will begin to shake hands with one another, and there will be liberty there."

As many of you know, I am preaching a series on spiritual gifts. Why? Part of the purpose behind spiritual gifts is to teach us to live in a dependency upon the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If not, wouldn't God have given each of us the same abilities and gifts so that we could all do it? Yes, I believe that God wants us to depend upon Him and since we are dependent upon every part of the body functioning as the church then we must also have liberty for His Spirit to move among us. When that liberty is present then great things can happen.

May the Lord loose us from thinking we have to control everything. Trust in the power, work, and giftings of the Spirit of God. It moves us from formalities to genuine worship and work in the kingdom of God.

Tarry Until

Luke 24:49, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until your are endued with power from on high."
Acts 2:1-4, "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven...and there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit..."

Jesus had given a commission to His follower: "Go...make disciples of all nations..." However, before they fulfill this commission, he gave them some instruction - WAIT!

Before I go any further, I want to ensure (you) the reader about my beliefs on the Holy Spirit. It is my belief that once we are saved that the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our lives. We are baptized in the Spirit of God. That is a one time deal. However, we are to be continually filled with the Spirit. "And do not be drunk with wine...but be filled with the Spirit." Eph. 5:18.

I wonder how many believers run out to fulfill the commission without first waiting? Sure, God has saved us - equipped us - and in many ways prepared us. But do we pray for God to fill us?

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, God has our complete attention. We are able to walk in an awareness of what He is doing ready to be equipped in the moment. Last week I shared the scripture out of Hebrews concerning faith that said that people became valiant in battle. That is what the power of the Holy Spirit is all about. When we prepare by waiting, we are then able to be empowered during.

The point of Pentecost was to display the power of God in the life of the believer, announce the birth of the church, and to manifest the presence of God in the community. When we choose to operate in the power of this Spirit we will do know less.

If you are saved, the Bible teaches that you have the Spirit of God in you. The question now is: Are you operating in His power, His gifting, and through His guidance? If not - START RIGHT NOW! Ask God to fill you with His Spirit. Ask Him to equip you for the task ahead. Allow that well inside of you to fill up to overflowing.

You may have to wait before you can go - but the outcome will be much different.

Are You Looking at the Door?

Sunday marked the beginning of a series on Spiritual Gifts. I'm excited to see how God shapes the rest of these messages.

I thought that I would share a great illustration with you today that I used in the closing of my message. The illustration came from the book, "They Speak with Other Tongues", by John Sherrill. One day while speaking with Dr. Howard Ervin, a Baptist minister in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, Dr. Ervin shared these thoughts:

"I think the mistake is to divorce tongues from the essential whole of which they are a part...Let me tell you a little story. I happen to be fond of church architecture. One day when I was out driving I found an exquisite little Gothic chapel. I stopped my car and got out to admire it.
"But that little church happened to have at its entrance a bright, red door. My eyes would try to follow the soaring lines of the building upward as Gothic architecture make you do, but every time they were jerked back to that red door. It was so flamboyant it kept me from seeing the whole picture.
"Tongues, John, are like that door. As long as you stand outside, your attention is going to be riveted there and you're not going to be able to see anything else. Once you go through, however, you are surrounded by the thousand wonders of light and sound and form that the architect intended. You look around and that door isn't even red on the inside. It's there. It's to be used. But it has taken its proper place in the design of the whole church.
"That's what I'd hope for you, John. I think it's time for you to walk through that door. If you really want to discover what the Pentecostal experience is all about, don't concentrate on tongues, but step through the door and meet the Holy Spirit."

I must say that I have never found anyone to explain it any clearer. How true...powerful...precise. Oh, how I wish that so many others could hear this statement. Do you realize how freeing it would be?

I remember early on in my walk with Christ how easy it was to get distracted with tongues. It wasn't that I feared it, didn't like it, or didn't want it; I just got so focused on it. If I could have seen it as just one part to a whole it would have made my journey a little easier.

It is my prayer that after this series of messages that we can move past the red door. In fact, I wouldn't focus on tongues at all if I didn't have to clarify some of the misleading statements that people have heard. No - I simply want us to walk through the door and meet the Holy Spirit!

What do I hope to see happen in our church as a result? Do I expect to have services where people speak in tongues and someone interprets...healing services...prophetic lines? Do you really want my honest opinion? I want to see freedom. That's all - FREEDOM. Freedom to walk in the Spirit. Freedom to function in the body as God allows and equips. Freedom for believers to experience God in His fullness every day. Freedom to grow into the likeness of Christ. Freedom for every person to discover what God has placed in them so that they can in turn glorify God with that gift.

Please pray for us as we walk through that door. And for those of you walking through that door with me - GET READY!