April
2004
Hebrews
11:1
4/2/2004 6:38:14
AM
If you haven't memorized
this scripture yet, it's time to. I have bad news and good news. First the bad
news: We are in the midst of an all out war. The enemy has declared a Jihad
against us. He is hurling sickness, depression, oppression, fear, and many other
fiery darts at the Children of God. He wants to steal from us, kill us, and
destroy us. If someone thinks they are going to be able to just sit back and
ride out this storm they are sorely mistaken. The devil is not about to have
mercy on anyone, especially those who are deceived into thinking they are exempt
from the battle. We are in the middle of World War III. The good news? Jesus has
already won the victory!!! He is our champion. He is our King who has met this
villain in the valley on every level of life and absolutely annihilated him.
Jesus even defeated the last remaining enemy: death! In the words of a wise
president: We have nothing to fear, literally, but fear itself. That is why
Jesus told us to “fear not.” He has already overcome the world. Do you remember
what He said it was that was proof of our victory? He said, “Even our faith.” So
keep the faith, folks. Recognize we are in a battle. Put on your armor. Wield
your sword. And lets take the enemy’s camp!
None
Righteous...No Not One
4/5/2004 9:55:47 AM
This is the week leading up to the death of Jesus
for the sins of the world. It was the reason He came. To die for us because
dying for ourselves was meaningless since we all were spotted with sin.
Christianity is the only religion that states as its premise that nobody can
ever truly walk by its precepts. Thus, the need for a savior who could make up
the difference. He was the only one in heaven or earth who could be called the
Lamb of God. Who could take away the sins of the world.
Scarecrow
4/10/2004 8:36:41 PM
I re-discovered myself this past week. In the new
church I pastor, I am needed as a youth pastor as well. Some very helpful adults
joined with me in taking a wonderful group of kids to a Youth Convention. Five
thousand youth, praising God, having fun, and generally basking in the glow of
youthdom. Counting me, five thousand and one. I remember now why I danced down
that road in my life for so many years. I was like the scarecrow: I needed more
brains, but I certainly had fun along that yellow brick road. I still have that
thing that makes a connection with youth inside of me. I was worried that
anointing would be gone. I am older, but I still like looking into the eyes of
innocence, sparking faith, hope, and love in the hearts of young
people.
Spring
And Hope
4/16/2004 10:13:41
AM
Just when it appeared that
spring had sprung, that winter had evaporated in the warmth of the emerging
season of sun, along comes a cold snap. It is amazing how easily we forget the
cold, hard facts of winter in exchange for the dreamy hopes of spring. The human
heart cannot exist without hope swimming around within to bridge the gaps of
faith.
5 Ways To
Serve God
4/18/2004 7:06:14
PM
Loving God and serving God
is the same thing. The words are interchangeable. The Bible says the
commandments point to pure love from a good conscience. All of the law and
prophets can be boiled down to love. The Ten Commandments were all about
relationships. We serve God in one of five different ways. 1. BY CULTURE These
are those who were born in a "Christian" country so imagine they are Christians.
They are not. 2. BY CONVENIENCE If you only serve God when it is convenient, you
will find yourself not serving Him at all. These fence riders/fair weather
Christians are no Christians at all either. 3. BY COMMANDMENT These serve God on
the basic level. They do what God says to do because He has said it. It isn't
the highest level, but it is Christian living, though the hardest. 4. BY
COMMITMENT It is important to commit to what we are doing. Those who have
understand that we must do what God would have us do, even if we don't see it
strictly written in stone somewhere. It's not ok to hurt someone, even if the
Bible doesn't specifically say not to do what you are doing. To understand love
is to understand God. Serving God and loving God is the same thing. And the only
way you can demonstrate your love for God is to love men. The only way to serve
God is to serve people. How can you love God who you can't see/understand if you
can't love men who you can see/understand? 5. BY CHOICE If serving by commitment
is like holding a job because it's the right thing to do for your family,
serving by choice is like falling in love. You do it because it is the thing you
most want to do no matter what else you may be doing at that time. Even at work,
you can only think of her. You want to make her happy. You want to be with her
always. Serving by choice is like that. You want to serve God because it's
burning in your bones. Let you light shine today. Love
somebody!
For Whom
The Bells Toll
4/22/2004 8:55:58
AM
The calls in the middle of
the night are always scary. I've been saturated with the troubles and sorrows of
so many people that I sometimes have trouble discovering the line between theirs
and mine. Perhaps there is no line. We are told to weep with those who weep: to
rejoice with those who rejoice. There was a time in my life if the phone rang in
the middle of the night my mind would wander momentarily through the names of my
loved ones. Who could it be? Has something happened to one of my family? Is
something wrong with one of my friends? Since I became a pastor, most of the
calls are about people connected to my congregation. Now, when the ringing
interrupts my sleep, I slip immediately into a mode of prayer as I answer it:
Perhaps to get a jump on praying for the situation, perhaps to soften the blow
to my own heart in the rendering of the information. In either case, I’ve come
to learn that sorrows and troubles come to every family; and perhaps the poet
got it right: when the midnight phone call comes, the bells toll for us
all.
A Hard
Couple Days
4/26/2004 10:07:35
AM
My goodness! That was just
one of the hardest 96 hours of my life. Hardly any sleep. In the course of those
days, I have faced the specter of the following with members of my small church:
consoled the family of a man, who'd been attending my church, who drowned in a
pond following gun-play in a high speed police chase; waited prayerfully with a
family who was dealing with the prospect of a daughter who broke her neck during
a trampoline accident; spent much time on the road carrying people to and from
the hospital due to the incident; deal with the aftermath of a horrible accident
that occurred during service Sunday morning when a woman collapsed and banged
her head against a pew, sending her into seizures as she bled from the back of
her head; conduct the funeral of the aforementioned man whose death was front
page news throughout Central Louisiana; and preach to my congregation in the
midst of this storm. All I have to say is this: God is merciful, gracious, and
still on the throne!
Elijah's
Cave
4/28/2004 12:41:31
PM
I just returned from my
denomination’s Ministers Meeting. There is always so much spiritual testosterone
in the air at such meetings. I love to spar, examine, and debate with my brother
in ministry. More than that, I love to laugh with them about the events of our
days. I always gain perspective at these meetings. I learn that there are
hundreds of men, just like me, who are facing the enemy every day for people who
sometimes appreciate it and sometimes don’t. So often, we face obstacles that
cause us to imagine we are alone in this battle. Conventions like this one open
my eyes to the fact that we all can make it through Christ, our Lord. Just like
Elijah discovered, our caves of self-pity are only temporary glitches along our
march to victory.