Prayer (5)

 

     

'...For we do not know what we should pray for' Romans 8:26 NKJV

In life prayer works like the emergency system 911. At some point in life all of us may have to use this system. When you dial those numbers you're instantly connected to an operator who is trained to keep calm in emergency situations and is able to connect you with the emergency service required to send help right away. You might not be able to say what the problem is. Perhaps a loved one has just suffered a heart attack and you are so out of control that all you can do is scream into the telephone. No problem. The operator doesn't need all the details. He knows where the call is coming from, and help is on the way. There are times in our desperation and pain when we pray prayers just like our conversation with a 911 operator. We're overwhelmed. Sometimes we don't know the words to speak. But God hears. He knows our name and our situation. Help is on the way; He's already begun to bring the remedy. 'Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.' (Romans 8:26-28 NKJV) I put up this picture today because God put on my heart to pray for that little girl in the pink dress. I took her picture in Haiti  as I was walking through an orphange. I don't know what I'm praying for as the scripture says, but I know I must pray for her. This is a 911 call to God, will you pray with me for her well being. You are loved!

Prayer (4)

'He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him.' Psalm 91:15
If you can believe it, it was only 30 some years ago when the Internet was being formed by guys like Bill Gates who were making it easy for people like you and me to subscribe and send electronic mail (e-mail) to other users of the Internet. We can laugh and say was it only that long ago, but technology has moved so fast in our lifetime. Originally, Gates had an Internet address just like everyone. But he got into trouble when The New Yorker magazine published his Internet address. Now anyone could send the computer genius a letter. In no time he was swamped with five thousand messages-he simply couldn't handle it. So he armed his computer with software that filtered his e-mail, allowing important messages through and sending all the others to electronic oblivion. We call that junk mail today. As humans we are limited; we can handle only so much and do only so much. God, on the other hand, never tires of s-mail (spirit mail). His ear is always open to our prayers. And He has an unlimited capacity to help. You'll never hear Him say, 'Due to an unusually high call volume I am unable to take your message at this time. Please call back or leave a message.' No, the Bible says, 'He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him.' '...the desire of the righteous will be granted' (Proverbs 10:24 NKJV). '...the prayer of the upright is His delight' (Proverbs 15:8 NKJV). 'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know' (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV). 'If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you' (John 15:7 NKJV). When we take scripture by faith and apply it to our lives; John says, "and it shall be done for you!" You are loved...

Prayer (3)

 

   

'Pray continually.' 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV

The Bible says, 'Pray continually.' If you can worry continually, you can pray continually; you just have to change your focus! Try to picture this: an enemy army has arrived intent on wiping Israel out. So Moses says to Joshua, 'Take your best soldiers and go fight them. I'm taking two men, climbing the hill that overlooks the plains, raising my hands toward Heaven and praying for victory.' (Exodus 17:8-9 paraphrase) As Moses' hands stretched heavenward, Joshua's troops prevailed. But when Moses' arms grew weary and he dropped them to his side, the tide of battle shifted. Joshua's troops were being struck down. Again Moses stretched his arms toward Heaven, bringing the matter before the Lord. Immediately the battle's momentum shifted back to Joshua. Then it struck Moses-he must keep his arms outstretched toward Heaven if he wanted to open the door to God's supernatural intervention here on earth. There's a lesson here: if you are willing to invite God to involve Himself in your daily living, you'll experience His power in your home, your relationships, your career and wherever else it's needed. But the other side of the equation is sobering: it's hard for God to release His power in your life when you just put your hands in your pockets and say, 'I can handle this on my own.' Everytime someone comes to me and asks why isn't this or that happening; my first question is, have you really prayed. When you don't pray don't be surprised if you get the nagging feeling that the tide of battle has shifted against you and that you're powerless to do anything about it. To experience God's power in your life you must pray continually, pray Scripturally, and pray in faith. You are loved...

Prayer (2)

 

         

'...Your Father in Heaven [will] give good gifts to those who ask' Matthew 7:11 NIV

I heard it said once, 'Pray the largest prayers. You cannot think of a prayer so large that God, in answering it, will not wish you had made it larger. Pray not for crutches but for wings.' When we love our children we want to be generous with them. And that's how God feels about us: 'If you, then, though you are evil...give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him.' Some of us have difficulty accepting the gifts God gives us, particularly material things. One lady said, 'I distinctly remember feeling God must have had His wires crossed. Why would He do that for me? In fact I felt guilty, as if I'd somehow acquired something God didn't really want me to have.' Think how cruel the following words would sound if they represented your attitude as a parent: 'I'm too busy. I don't want to hear about your lost bike or your school problem. Don't bother me with your personal requests. I'll take care of everybody else but you. If you love me you'll survive on bread and water. Sure, I'm rich, but why would I give you anything-back off!' Good parents don't talk like that! They want only the best for their children. So, take a good parent's feeling for their child, multiply it exponentially, and you'll only begin to understand how God feels about you. Nobody's voice sounds sweeter to Him than yours. Nothing in the world keeps Him from directing His full attention to your requests. So come to Him in prayer. It's life changing...you're loved!

Prayer (1)

Prayer (1)  

'O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come.' Psalm 65:2 NKJV

Thanks everyone for your prayers this past week while I was in Haiti. It was a short but powerful trip as I had to wrap my mind around everything I saw. My words wouldn't can't even begin to describe the everyday life of a Haitian. The devastation and living conditions I saw forced me to pray in a new way for these people. But how do you and I pray daily to make a change in this world? Mark records, 'Very early in the morning...Jesus got up...and...prayed.' (Mark 1:35 NIV) Jesus made deposits each morning so that He could make withdrawals throughout the day. Many of us don't, and it shows! RA Torrey said, 'We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little.' The pastor of a mega-church acknowledged that for many years he knew more about prayer than he ever practiced. One day God interrupted his schedule and told him to explore, study, and practice prayer until he fully understood it. The results were life-changing. He writes: 'It has been twenty years since I began taking time to pray. My life has been transformed. The greatest fulfilment hasn't been the list of miraculous answers to prayer I've received, although that has been wonderful; the greatest thrill has been the quality of difference in my relationship with God. When I started to pray I didn't know what was going to happen. God and I used to be rather casually related to one another. We didn't get together and talk very much. Now, however, we get together a lot, not talking on the run, but carrying on substantial, soul-searching conversations every morning for a good chunk of time. I feel as if I've gotten to know God a lot better since I started praying.' Martin Luther said, 'I have often learned more in one prayer than I have been able to glean from much reading and reflection.' Do you want to know God better? Start praying! You are loved!

The Joy is in the Journey

     

'...I have come that they may have life...to the full.' John 10:10 NIV

Sometimes when we achieve the things we strive for, we find they're not very fulfilling. As we look back we realize that our greatest joy was not in the goal we reached, but in the growth we experienced on the way to it. Scientist Koichi Tanaka describes this phenomenon and how it can come about during the enjoyable pursuit of a dream. As he worked on trying to create an ion with lasers, he says: 'I failed for weeks and months before I succeeded in making an ion. Why did I continue the experiment? Because I enjoyed it. It was fun for me to come to know something that I had never known before, and that fun enabled me to persist.' That persistence helped him to win a Nobel Prize in chemistry. You have the potential to make many wonderful discoveries in life, and none greater than what you discover about God, and yourself.

Leadership expert John Maxwell writes: 'The pursuit of my dream has taken me out of my comfort zone, elevated my thinking, given me confidence, and confirmed my sense of purpose. My pursuit of the dream and my personal growth have become so intertwined that I now ask myself, "Did I make the dream, or did the dream make me?"' When your mind accepts a new idea or learns a new truth, it's forever changed. And once stretched, it takes on a new shape and never goes back to its original form. When that happens, you experience true fulfilment. When we walk with Christ and have that heart to serve; that's true fulfilment. You are Loved....

Take Control of Your Time (3)

     
'I must work...while it is day...' John 9:4 NKJV

Time is like money; and if you are like me; you just don't quite have enough and it must be budgeted. That means determining the difference between the fixed what you must do-and the discretionary what you would like to do. Here's an example: 'Yesterday we had our first meeting for our Trunk N Treat outreach at halloween. This is something I'm so excited about because we go beyond our church walls into the community. I would love to head this up but I can't with all the other duties I have at the church. Someone else who could fit the job into their time budget is now leading.' As I look at the life of Jesus what caused Jesus to be such an organised person? (1) He understood His mission. During His final walk toward Jerusalem where He would be crucified, His ears picked up the voice of a blind man and He stopped, much to the consternation of His friends. They were irritated that Jesus did not appreciate that Jerusalem was still six or seven hours away and that they would like to get there to achieve their purpose, the celebration of the Passover (Luke 18:35-42). From where they were standing, it appeared that Jesus was misusing His time. But from where Jesus was standing, the time was well spent for it fitted the criteria of His mission. (2) He understood His limits. He knew what we so often forget: that time must be properly budgeted for gathering inner strength and resolve in order to compensate for one's weaknesses when spiritual warfare begins. Knowing His limits, such private moments were a fixed item on Jesus' time budget. And it was hard for even those closest to Him to fully appreciate this. (3) He had His eye on the future. Jesus spent the majority of His time training twelve men. He said, '...I will build My church...' (Matthew 16:18 NKJV) How did He plan to build it? Through others. So, the way to maximise your time-is to keep your life's purpose before you at all times and evaluate each decision in the light of it. You are loved...

Take Control of Your Time (2)

   

'Teach us to realise the brevity of life' Psalm 90:12 NLT

One of the things I had to learn as a young pastor was to be organized. Some of you may ask if I have conquered it yet after looking in my office. But yes for the most part I think I have. If you are thinking you need a change listen to what Gordon MacDonald says about a disorganised life. See if you recognise any: '(1) Appointments/messages/deadlines missed. I know I'm disorganised when there are a series of forgotten appointments, telephone messages to which I have failed to respond, and deadlines which I have begun to miss. The day becomes filled with broken commitments and lame excuses... (2) Unproductive tasks. If I am disorganised I tend to invest my energies in unproductive tasks; there is a tendency toward daydreaming and avoidance of decisions that have to be made, and procrastination... (3) Lack of intimacy with God. Disorganised Christians rarely enjoy intimacy with God. No one has to tell them that time must be set aside for the purpose of Bible study and reflection, for intercession, for worship. They know all of that. They simply are not doing it. They excuse themselves, saying there is no time. But they know it is more a matter of organisation and personal will than anything else... (4) Shallow personal relationships. Days pass without a significant conversation with my son or daughter. My wife and I will be in contact but our conversations may be shallow. I may become irritable, resenting any attempt on her part to call attention to things I have left undone or people I appear to have let down. (5) Lack of self-esteem. When we are disorganised in our control of time we just don't like ourselves, our jobs, or much else about our worlds. And it is difficult to break the destructive pattern that settles in. This terrible habit pattern of disorganisation must be broken, or our private worlds will quickly fall into total disorder.' Getting our lives right in every area just makes everything right. You are loved!

Take Control of Your Time (1)

   
'Walk in wisdom...redeeming the time.' Colossians 4:5 NKJV
 As a Pastor my time is valuable and there never seems to be enough of it. So I have plan my days and make every minute count. Nothing is more costly than wasted time. Every minute lost is gone forever. Today we have more time-saving devices than any other generation, yet we seem to have less time. Have you ever thought you're life was out of control because of time? To get control of your life you must first get control of your time. That means redirecting each lost minute toward a worthy purpose. We all have things we want to do, plan to do, and feel bad about not doing. Understand this: the difference in who you are right now and the person you'll be ten years from now, will largely be determined by your relationships and your reading habits. Relationships and Reading habits pastor? Is that all you got? Yes; The most important thing you can do in you're day is read your Bible, the world's greatest wisdom manual, and talk with you're God! Here's a suggestion that will help you: instead of having an 'all or nothing' attitude to Bible reading, seize your 'in between time'. You'll be amazed how the wasted minutes in each day and week add up to hours of productive time. J. Oswald Sanders gives us three great insights: (1) Stop leaks. Let us not consider our day only in terms of hours, but in smaller areas of time. If we look after the minutes, the hours will look after themselves. (2) Set priorities. Much time is spent on things of only secondary importance. We give such undue attention to petty details that matters of major importance are squeezed out. This is especially so where spiritual things are concerned. (3) Start planning. Without a plan we all tend to drift. So in the attitude of prayer, ask, 'How can I best plan today?' Buy up the spare minutes as eagerly as a miser hoards money and see what you and God can do in a day together. You are loved...

Be Holy

    

'...Be holy in all you do.' 1 Peter 1:15 NIV

I was praying this morning God led me to this scripture. "Be holy in all you do." Holiness isn't a subject we hear much about these days. Now your probably thinking, well pastor I hear it from you all the time. Good, but on a national level not so much. So, what does it mean to 'be holy'? First, let's understand what it doesn't mean: (1) It doesn't isolate you from the world, it insulates you against its negative influences. (2) It's not a scorecard for deciding who's close to God and who's not. It's having a heart that's aware of your shortcomings and praying, 'As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.' (Psalm 42:1 NIV) Holiness means to be set apart in a special and exclusive way, as in Holy Communion where the bread and wine are set apart from everyday use to honor Christ's death. Or holy matrimony, where a couple promises to be faithful to each other to the exclusion of all others. Chuck Swindoll wrote: 'When I was a...young husband serving in the Marines thirteen thousand miles away from my wife, I knew Cynthia existed. I could read her letters and occasionally hear her voice on the phone, but I couldn't see or touch her. I'd only the memory of our standing together three years earlier before God and a minister who'd pronounced us husband and wife, setting us apart exclusively to each other for the rest of our lives. We were wed in June 1955, but regardless of how long ago it was, we stood together and committed ourselves to a holy intermingling of our lives. To be intimate with another woman would break that holy relationship, that exclusive oneness. Remembering that helped keep me faithful while we were apart those many months, and it still helps forty-one years later!' Holiness is faithfulness to the one you love. I hope and pray you have that relationship with God that keeps you faithful to Holiness! You are loved...

Say 'No!'

    
'...Just say a simple...no' James 5:12 NLT

When you don't learn to say no, you end up disliking yourself, as well as the people you are trying to please. In some cases we have difficulty saying it because we're afraid people won't like us. In other cases we believe that to be 'a good Christian' we must always say yes. Jesus said, '...Let...your no be [a simple] no, so that you may not sin...' (James 5:12 AMP) Only when you have the courage to say no will you mature, be able to address your own unmet needs, and start respecting yourself. And in time, others will too. So do these three things: (1) Think before you respond. If you need to, say, 'Can I get back to you?' Don't make commitments without consulting God, your calendar, and your family. 'If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you...' (James 1:5 NLT) ( 2) When your plate's full, say so. Responding to so-called emergencies caused by somebody else's poor planning and sloppy habits won't do either of you any good. Limit what you say yes to, then stick with it. Don't take on more because you feel pressured, guilty or indispensable. You'll discover that you're only indispensable until you say no-or die! (3) Go with your gifts. God has given each of us unique talents. If you've to choose between singing in the worship band or sitting on the finance committee, go where your talents will be best utilised. Is this always easy? No, but unless you learn to do it you'll end up investing too much time and energy in what seems urgent, and neglect what's important. You are loved!

Seek Reconciliation

'...Go and be reconciled' Matthew 5:24 NIV

Sometimes the only way to get over your hurt feelings is to seek reconciliation. I've had to learn this leasson several times in my life. It seems to be one of the hardest things to learn, and if you are willing, God will help you do it. Dinah Craik wrote: 'Oh...the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.' One of my college professor's who was teaching on the high cost of unforgiveness asked each of us students to bring a sack of potatoes to class. For each person they refused to forgive, they had to select a potato and write the date on it beside that person's name. Then for a month, without fail, they had to carry that sack of potatoes with them everywhere they went. After lugging those sacks around for a while each student began to recognise how much weight they were carrying; the amount of energy it took to focus on their bag; and that they had to be careful not to leave it in the wrong place. Eventually, as the potatoes began to rot and stink, they realised that getting rid of them was the only smart thing to do. Jesus said, '...If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not...' (John 20:23 NIV) What happens to them? Good question! How would you like God to forgive you in the same way you forgive others? If that thought makes you uncomfortable, do something about it! You are loved!

Be Willing to Face the Truth

 

'The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.' Proverbs 20:12 NKJV

Ever been in the position where you had to face up to something? I have, and its not always fun. As a pastor and leader I've had to face and do things that I really didn't want to, but did. I learned how to because it was the right thing to do. Dr. Howard Hendricks, a church growth expert, was once asked to diagnose the declining membership in a certain church. After attending service for several weeks he met with the board of elders and said, 'Put a fence around it and charge admission, so people can come and see how church was done in the 1950s.' In other words, you're hopelessly behind! When our ego is on the line, we have a tendency to put a positive spin on things while ignoring all evidence to the contrary. The danger is that over time we lose sight of what's actually happening around us. Good leaders refuse to do that; and I refuse to do that. I will root out misinformation and refuse to reward those who deliver it. My heart is to create a culture that's transparent concerning what is, and what isn't, taking place. To ensure that we live this way, we must live by these seven commandments: (1) Thou shalt not pretend. (2) Thou shalt not turn a blind eye. (3) Thou shalt not exaggerate. (4) Thou shalt not shoot the bearer of bad news. (5) Thou shalt not hide behind the numbers. (6) Thou shalt not ignore constructive criticism. (7) Thou shalt not isolate thyself. Attempting to make progress while turning a blind eye to reality is like treading water; it can only go on for so long. Eventually you drown. Whether it's in your church, your business or your personal life, be willing to face the truth regardless of how painful it is. And if you don't like what you see-start changing it! When you allow God to change you, amazing things happen. God is changing CFW person by person and I'm excited to see the future. You are loved! 

Developing Patience

                

'...Trouble produces patience' Romans 5:3 NCV

How do you develop patience? Through trouble! When your honesty seems to go unnoticed, when your hard work seems to go unrewarded, when your kindness is rendered without thanks, when your helping hand is offered and ignored, when even love is refused-that's when patience shines in all its beauty. Paul writes, 'Trouble produces patience.' You've seen this principle at work in the development of children. One child, overly shielded and protected, may grow up into a weakling without ambition and courage, destined to failure. Another, left to fight their own battles, to struggle, to learn through trial and error, may grow into near-perfect maturity. The same principle applies to the Christian life when you realize that each storm brings its blessings and each trial produces its rewards. Let's look at three practical benefits of patience: First, patience brings hope. 'Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled.' (Romans 15:4 NLT) Secondly, patience produces spiritual fruit. 'And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.' (Luke 8:15 NLT) Thirdly, through patience you receive what God has promised. 'Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance.' (Hebrews 6:12 NLT)