Day 12 "How To Maintian A Powerful Prayer Life"

The Lord is teaching me in our spiritual journey and consecrated focus on prayer (both personal and corporate) two very important yet practical points I want us to ponder today. One is, praying with others without spending time alone with God will compromise the effectiveness of our corporate praying power. Two, we have made praying so mystical and deep, but prayer is simply talking to God and allowing God to talk to you. Understanding these to two very important facts we ought to jump in with both feet into prayer.

Here is some earth shaking simple ideas to an effective and efficient personal prayer time.

Just Do It! Don't allow a day go by that you don't take or make time to talk to your Heavenly Father. He longs to hear from His children.

Set a time to pray but not the amount of time. In the beginning don't set an amount time you are going to pray. Just do it. Setting a time in the beginning is setting yourself up for an attack of the enemy in order to defeat you.

Don't force it just relax and let it go. Let it happen naturally as your relationship with God grows. The more time you spend with God and the knowledge you have of Him the deeper your prayer life will be.

Ask God to help you carve out time to pray. Ask and allow God to show you things that you can eliminate from your schedule, or at least shorten to the point of giving you an extra 10, 20 or 30 minutes. Remember it’s not about good verses bad but good verses best. What is the best use of the 24 hours God grants us everyday? There is nothing more important than prayer so make or take the time.

Start each day off with prayer. I love Morning Prayer. It’s as if my thoughts are much clearer. Rather than at the end of the day when my mind is so cluttered with everything. Your prospective will be better in the morning. You have the thought of yesterday and a brand new day ahead to allow God to lead and guide you.

My Love Letter To God (Prayer): Father, We worship You because You are Eternal, Faithful, Holy, Immutable, Impartial, Incomprehensible, Infinite, Just, Loving, Merciful, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Righteous, Self-existing, Self-sufficient, Sovereign, Wise and Good. You are full of promise and perfection, majesty and mercy, bounty and beauty, truth and trust, values and virtue, fruitfulness and faithfulness, glory and generosity, holiness and hope, justice and joy, forgiveness and freedom, righteousness and redemption, salvation and satisfaction, completeness and control. It is with honor, adoration and reverence that we humbly approach Your throne. We will continually offer to You a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips as we acknowledge Your Name. Today, We request nothing of You but have come to worship You for who You are. Thank You for being our God. Thank You for giving us Your Son and comforting us with Your Spirit. Some would say that You cannot be found and some would say that You are far away. But I know You're the God who lives in me and I know You will always have my heart. We worship You with gladness and with joyful songs. We know that You are the Lord our God and it is You who made us, and we are Your people and the sheep of Your pasture. For You are good and Your love endures forever throughout all generations. Thank You for leading us into this spiritual growth journey in prayer and allowing us to witness and experience You move as we pray together. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Day 11 "What Makes Prayer Work"

As I sit in my office pondering all that our church family has endured over the last two years…I am so grateful. Two very famous passages of God’s Holy Word comes to mind Genesis 50:20 & Romans 8:28. Genesis 50:20 reads You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Then Romans 8:28 says And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. No doubt this has be a rough, rugged and rocky ride but today I realize that all the night I was sitting up wonder what God was up too. When I think of the many long days and tough nights when I was so depressed, down, disappointed and discouraged. All the days, weeks and (yes even) months when I couldn’t find the words to use in my prayer to describe what I was feeling. Sometime sobbing, sometime crying and sometime screaming. Today, I finally understood what God was doing…(He let me in on the secret) He was simply answering my prayer and the prayers of many in this church family. Over and over again we prayed too NOT become the biggest church in the world but the healthy church in the world. That’s what God has been doing in the life of Bethel, granting us our prayer request. I don’t know what the future holds for Bethel but I think we’ve come through too much to give us now! God is working…bless His wonderful name.

Though for today: “God created the earth and then He created man to rule over it. Man lost his rule of the earth because of disobedience to God’s laws. Satan gained control and his goal is to destroy God’s purpose for every person. God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and break the power of the enemy. In other words, Jesus took the penalty for man’s disobedience, which is death, so that those who believe in Him can live fruitfully on earth and spend eternity with God. When Jesus rose from the dead, He commissioned everyone who believes in Him to destroy the ruler-ship of the enemy and restore ruler-ship to man. THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE THROUGH PRAYER!”

Prayer: Father, thank you for giving Your Son Jesus as a ransom for our disobedience and to die for our sins in order to break the power of the enemy. Teach us to apply Jesus’ victory on the cross and take the ruler-ship away from enemy and establish Your rule. The enemy is a liar and we proclaim Your truth over our lives, families, church, communities and world. We declare that You have brought down the enemy’s strongholds and have set the captive free. We declare health for the sick, love for the fearful, forgiveness to the condemned, revelation for the spiritual blind, and we declare wholeness where there is a shattered life. We ask that You will continue to do great things in us, through us, and around us. It is our pray finally today, that you will make and mold us into a powerful, prayerful and purposeful church. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!!

Day 10 "Why is Praying Hard Sometimes"

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Thanks be unto God for His Unspeakable gifts…in my best Pastor C. C. Cooper’s voice. Our Midweek Worship Experience is growing exponentially. We are praying for God to bless us spiritually, financially and numerically as a church and He is doing it right now. What an amazing God we serve! Ask and it shall be giving, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be open (The Gaddis’ Translations). You ever notice that if you take the first letter of each of the key words in this scripture it says the same things? A – ask, S – seek and K – knock…You pick up on it already, it spells ASK.

In our experience we had a surprised Pop Quiz and I think the membership did well. Then we worked through some application from our daily reading and sermon from Sunday. What exactly is prayer:
Prayer is communicating with God
Prayer is praising and worshipping God for who He is
Prayer is telling God we love and adore Him
Prayer is telling God we need Him
Prayer is making our request know to God
Prayer is serving God His way

We close with a look at the fact that if we think that a future in heaven is the sum of Christ’s gift to us, we will live out a spiritual immature existence, pointed toward heaven, but pointless on earth. Genesis 1: 26-28. We are given dominion, authority and responsibility to govern earth because God gave it to us. Sin has mess it up but because of Jesus we can reclaim our position on earth as King’s Kids! We join together as a people and declared dominion over everything that has had dominion over us. Asking God to give us ridiculous faith, radical faith, crazy faith in God, Who has no limitation and NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE for Him!

After the movement of the Holy Spirit we realized that “What Makes Praying So Hard” is the fact that we don’t do it. There are a number of reasons why prayer has become difficult but they all will be washed away in the life of someone who becomes dedicated to the practice of prayer. I find praying is difficult because there are many different kinds of prayer and I’m not sure how to pray…pray and God will take care of it. I find praying difficult because I don’t think I do it well…pray and God will take care of it. God is waiting to be invited into your human existence to take over. I once thought it would be impossible to pray an hour but once I gave myself to the practice of prayer an hour isn’t long enough, but it start with just taking baby steps. A few words from a heart full of words move the Hand of God more than many words…remember that.

Prayer: Father, continue to move in our congregation. Breathe on us until we become people of prayer making up a powerful, prayerful and purposeful church. You are the head and your church is the body. Director us, lead us, teach us and most of all have your way with us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Days 8 & 9 "The Power of One & What Is Prayer?"

Dr. Ralph Douglas West says, "Confession is good for your soul but bad for your reputation!" So, here's mine...Monday I just didn't do it I prayed @ 4 but didn't make my daily reading priority. So there you have it even the pastor gets caught up sometime. If you miss a day don't give up or become discouraged. The enemy would make you feel like you're going to hell with gasoline undergarments on but the devil is a lair. Just catch up and get back in step. Now here's the trick I have to figure out what I want to share because this is shouting me. Nothing excites me more than a good book that ushers me closer to my God.

Thought for day 8: #1 "If a soldier is wounded in battle, during his recovery time no one should expects him to be out doing daily drills he is in no condition to do. We can become casualties in the spiritual battle sometimes and though we are still in the army, the agenda is to get well..." Pastor Jack (I wish I would have read this earlier in the year, I was blessed by it as pastor.) #2 "The prayers of others are vital and can help us survive, but to really sense the fullness of God's presence in our lives, we have to be alone with Him every day." Stormie

Thought for day 9: "There are two sides to prayer. There is the fellowship side and the partnership side. The fellowship side of prayer is when we come just to be with God in the intimacy of relationship. The partnership side is when we exercise the responsibilities of partnering with Him to see the reintroduction of His rule into our circumstances.

Prayer: "Father, we know You are real and we want to spend time with You. You are wonderful, almighty, all-powerful, the God and Creator of all things. We exalt You above everything, and We worship You for who You are. We love You, Lord and we thank You for loving us. We need You for everything. We need You to save us, forgive us, heal us, deliver us, fill us, restore us, redeem us, free us, guide us, protect us, lift us above our limitation and move us into the plans and purpose You have for us. Lord, we have no need that You can not meet. We acknowledge that what we pray for may seem impossible to us but with You ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! In Jesus' Name, Amen!!!

Day 7 "Arriving At Your Destination"

Today was an awesome day of worship beginning as early as 815a when our prayer ministry met to intercede for our church. Our 9am service attendance was the largest of 2010 and our discussion was rich and very healthy about SEX. At 1045a we kicked off in high gear with praise and worship...a set of songs that lead us into the presence of God. God is beginning to heal our church from the attack of the enemy and the immaturity of a few members. We are a new church and God is doing a new thing. I'm excited about the future of Bethel... And am so proud of the members who have endured some of the most negative day any church could have experienced and yet grew stronger. Bethel is a Great CHURCH. We have just come to the end of week one of our 40days of prayer. God is speaking volumes to us as His people. He is calling us upward in prayer and to the understanding of importance, power and practice of prayer. Today, it was very difficult to decide on just one thought but here goes...

Thought of the day: "When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He told them that if they would walk His way, He would make them a kingdom of priests. And they would be a people who moved in a realm of authority that was related to their priesthood. They would have a relationship with the One who was the head of the kingdom. But Israel lost that opportunity because they didn't want what God wanted. As a result, they never arrived where God intended for them to go. But we can arrive where God intends for us to go because we do want what God wants."

Today's Prayer: "Father, thank You for what we experienced today in worship. Thank You for meeting us there and allowing Your Spirit to manifest Himself among us. Thank You for allowing me to have the privilege to lead such a wonderful people. Thank You for surrounding me with a supporting team who loves You with all of their heart and mind. Continue to mold us and shape us into the church You desire. Thank You for the privilege of prayer that penetrates earth's realm with Your kingdom. We pray, Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We invite You into the mix of our problems, pains & predicaments. We ask that Your will, Your way and Your work will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We invite Your sovereign power to manifest in our earthly suffering and circumstances. Use us for Your kingdom purpose and plan. Teach us how to become Your ambassadors. Help us to learn to surrender our will to Your will, way and word. We recognize that we will never pray effectively unless we move in the power that You give through Your presence. We desire Your kingdom to be done in our church, our homes and our communities as it is in heaven. Thank You for giving Your Son for a ransom for us. Make us during this journey into a powerful, prayerful and purposeful Church!! In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Day 6 "Navigating the Danger Zones"

We are approaching the end of week one and there is something special happening within our church. As we come together and pray daily for our families, church, fellowship and community. Just a few suggestion as we pray together each day @4pm for 4 minutes for 4 things for 40days. I've made it a practice to call the names of each of my family member down to my grandchildren. With a short request for each from a parents and husband standpoint. As I pray for our church I pray for the spiritual, numerical, and financial growth. Then I pray for our fellowship asking God to strengthen our love, worship, study, ministry, fellowship and sharing. Lastly I pray for our community each day focusing on a particular area such as law enforcement, Arm forces, School board & teachers, medical personnel and so on. Just allowing God to lead me through His Holy Spirit. 4X4X4X40 (@4pm, 4mins, 4 request, 40days).

Thought for today: "Some people are crisis 'pray-ers.' The don't pray for good health until they have poor health. They don't pray for safety and protection until they have an accident. They only pray when things go wrong. Once you understand the power and authority you have in prayer you will fine yourself praying all the time about everything and before bad happen."

Prayer for today: "Father, teach us the discipline of prayer, daily communion with You. You said we should pray without stopping. Help us to fall in love with dialogging with You. You want to hear about our dream, desires, wants, needs, hurts, pains, questions and doubts. And we want to hear what You have to share with us as our heavenly Father, who knows everything before they every exist or happens. Give us your heart so that we may please and server You. Thank You for telling us who we are and where we are going. Thank You saving our souls and giving us new citizenship. For writting our name down in the Lamb's book of life, that registered us in heaven. We are excited about our heavenly home which is grounds for the authority that we secured through Jesus Christ by putting our trust in Him. We claim the victory over the work of darkness and submit ourselves to Your will! Father, move among us as we seek to worship You in spirit and truth in our worship experience this Sunday. Help us lift holy hands, sing songs, dance in disappointment for deliverance, wave in worship, testify to the truth and watch You work among us. During these next 34days continue to transform us into a powerful, prayerful and purposeful church so that we will bring glory and honor to You holy and precious Name. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Day 5 "Driving Under His Influence"

In the words of Jamie Fox, don't blame it on the alcohol." Ephesians says "don't be drunk with wine but be filled with the Spirit...when we pray we ought to pray under the direction, anointing and power of the Holy Spirit. Are we praying under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit? Maybe that's what the "old church" meant when they talked about prayer not getting passed the ceiling. If our prayers are to be effective as the writer of James shares when must pray in concert with the Holy Spirit.

Thought for today: "Jesus always moved under the Holy Spirit's influence. His disciples observed that. They personally witnessed Jesus healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons and performing miracles. They also saw Jesus go privately and pray often. They recognized that Jesus had a source of power they didn't have. They obviously knew there was a connection between power and prayer because they didn't ask Jesus to teach them how to have power but Lord, teach us to pray."

Today's Prayer: Father, Thank You for allowing us to participate in these 40day of prayer. Thank You for already changing us in ways we never imagined. We are growing through our daily time with you and our reading. Infuse us with Your power. Help us to be empowered by the Holy Spirit who is our Teacher, Helper, Guide and Companion. Move us to invited Him to be in the driver's seat of our lives so that He can guide us where we need to go. Teach us to pray with fervency and passion. Teach us to have love and compassion for others, even those who are hard to love so that so that our prayers are rightly motivated. Again, we pray that You will make us a powerful, prayful and purposeful church. In Jesus' Name Amen!

Day 4 "Unleashing the Power"

Would that the people of Greater Bethel learn how to have this kind of faith. The church is the place where people should find healing for their hurts, a shoulder for their sadness, a friend for their failures and a word for their worry. What happened to the time when people prayed for each other? A time when the members of the church prayed and interceded for each other. A time when church was a one big family. I would that the church would return... To the old landmark. I know that sounds funny coming from me but there are somethings that the church should never get to big, educated, sophisticated, technology astute that we leave prayer out.

Thought for today: "The Holy Spirit is the one, who by His presence flowing in our lives, generates the power in us. When we pray, we are opening an avenue for the release of His power. The Holy Spirit brings the power of God into our lives and enables us to be conduit of it. We become like a lightning rod as we transmit the power in prayer?"

Pray for today: Father, You have taught us that Your power works through faith-fill people who pray. Teach us during these 40days of prayer how to become people of prayer, believers who pray and a church that understands the power of prayer given to us. Each and every day we encounter people who feel worthless, useless, purpose less, a failure and no good. Those whom play those old tapes over and over and over in their heads. Let our Greater Bethel be a lighthouse. Let our church be a hospital. Let our church be the family one needs in order to find the love they need. Set free those who are bond by the hold of the enemy whether it is emotional, physical, spiritual, financial, or social through the prayer of the church. You said that if we touch and agree you would hear and answer our prayers. Unleash Your power in us, for us and through us. For Your glory and honor. Again, we pray that You will make us a powerful, prayerful and purposeful church. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Day 3 "Starting The Engine"

There are some things that just go good together: peanut butter and jelly, cream and coffee, cake and icing, tea and sugar, batman and robin, long ranger and tonto, chris tucker and Jackie chan and the list goes on and on. Today we learned that the power of prayer and the power of God are divinely connected and goes good together. There a scripture that came to mind as I read our book today Romans 8:26-28 26 Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. 27 He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. 28 That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:26-28 (MSG) We are simply spitting in the wind if we are trying to become a powerful people and a powerful church without the Holy Spirit.

Thought for Today: “Have you ever wondered why there are good people who love God, read His Word, and pray, but they don’t see His power move in response to their prayers? Their lives don’t seem to affect or change the world around them for God’s kingdom, and so the world looks upon their faith as being irrelevant. Often the reason of that is many people don’t understand the need to ask for the Holy Spirit’s power. God’s power is made available to us in order to do two things. One is to accomplish God’s purpose here on earth. The other is to give evidence to people around us that Jesus is alive but we cannot do either if we attempt to pray without the Holy Spirit.”

Today’s Prayer: “Father, we recognize that all three persons of the God head are vital in our walk to please you. You have invited us to call You our “Father.” You have given us the privilege to pray in “Jesus’ name.” And today, You have given us not only the keys to the kingdom but the power of the kingdom in the “Holy Spirit.” We desire desperately Your Holy Spirit so that our prayers will be powerful but more than that, that we would even know how to pray. We don’t know how to pray. We don’t know what to pray for apart from Your Spirit. Infuse our prayer with Your Spirit. Teach us! Lead us! Remind us! Revive us! Renew us! Restore us! And refresh us through Your Holy Spirit. Even rebuke and remind us of our sins so that we can be cleansed and that nothing will stand in the way of You blessing us, using us and lifting us. We receive a fresh anointing of Your Spirit so that we can accomplish Your purpose for our lives and to be Your witnesses in this world. Give us the words to say so that we can become a powerful, prayerful and purposeful church in our community. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Day 2 "Finding Your Keys"

Today, it took everything in me not to keep on reading...it was powerful! I know that many of you felt the same way but we must remember that part of the power of our spiritual growth journey is unified consentrated focus (our goal is one prayer, one voice, one church, one vision).

We achieve this goal by:

(1) HEARING together all 7 messages that I will be preaching,

(2) READING together from our chosen book,

(3) PRAYING together for our church, leaders & community,

(4) INVITING together a few friends to attend worship & pray with us,

(5) DISCUSSING together what we've learned in a small group setting,

(6) REMEMBERING together a weekly verse & BRINGING together our tithes & offerings to God.

Jesus prayed that His followers would be one as He and the Father are one. So as tempting as it is don't allow the enemy to get us out of step. I'm proud of you!

Today's Thought: "There is very little power in the key that fits my car. The car engine has power, but it does not come to life without my key being put into the ignition. In other words, I don't have the power to go outside and get myself going 60 miles an hour, but I have access to a resource that can get me moving at that speed. Jesus said, I give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:19) Keys represent authority, privilege & access! Keys give you the legal right to the car. In the same way, because Jesus gives us the keys of His kingdom, we have the right to come before God in the power of prayer" Pastor Jack Hayford

Today's Prayer: Father, You have given us the keys to the kingdom. That give us authority, privilege and access. Some things will not be turned around unless You turn them around. Some things will not be turned on unless You turn them on. Some things will not be set free unless You set them free. Teach us to release the power of prayer. Thank You for the right to come before You in prayer. Make us into a powerful, prayerful and purposeful church...in Jesus' Name, Amen!

Day 1 of 40 days of Prayer

Today we embark on a brand new journey that is surely going to transform our church, families and community. A friend of mine who has been very supportive of me for some years and have been a confidant during the darkest period of my life shared the story of David and said maybe it time for you to take the fight to the devil rather than him taken the fight to you. It was those word that sparked something in my spirit. I had been allowing the enemy to beat me down without me evening protecting myself or even throwing a blow. The next forty day we will claim God's promise that upon this rock I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail. God wants too build our church. He wants our collective prayers so that he with is mighty hand lead us according to his will.

Today's Thought: "I found out that if I wanted my prayers answered, I didn't just send up a list to God as though He was a great Santa Claus in the sky. There was something required for me. I had to get my life cleaned up and set on the right track. I needed to be reading the Word of God and living in obedience to God's ways. The good news was that I didn't have to make it all happen by myself. The Holy Spirit in me would teach me all things and enable me to live the way I should. Understanding the Holy Spirit was the key to seeing the power of God move in response to my prayers." Stormie "The power of a praying church"

Today's Prayer: Father, make us a people of distinction, loving, caring, enlighten, full of life, purpose and clarity. show us how to distinguish between our sin which we are responsible for and the enemy's plan to destroy us, which is not our fault, then reveal to us how we will triumph victoriously over the plans of evil and fulfill your plan for our life instead. Let our church be one that overflows with new life. Pack our sanctuary full with people of all, colors, ages, sizes and shapes. Set the pulpit on fire, select the music, scripture, sermon and prayer. Allow those who come in to feel a strong, loving, comforting, healing and freeing presence. Cause the Holy Spirit too be so thick and soul-stirring that we worship you the way you deserve, demand and dictate. Make us into a powerful, prayerful, purposeful church. In Jesus' Name Amen!

Watch and Pray

Each day brings about another opportunity to learn and grow. Well, today I learned how the enemy leaves for only a season "When the devil has finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time" Luke 4:13 (NIV). Directly after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan my John the baptist the Bible said He was lead by the Spirit into the wilderness. Tuesday, August 3th I delivered my annual address to the East Zion Consolidated District Pastors and Ministers Conference. Directly after I was blind sided by the enemy. I've always been very careful after ministering God word to protect my heart from attacks by the enemy. Normally, people really don't understand what it takes to stand and share God's Word. After delivering the Word a preacher is at his most venerable state and is subject to the enemy's tricks and skims. Protect your pastor/teacher after he has been under the Spirit of God. Man and women of God beware of who talks, touches and drives you.

Silence of the lamb

Silence of the lamb...one of my favorite movies. I haven't figured out why I have use this blog for my own sociologist session. Maybe because I've been hurt so bad by people I trusted. Only to learn of the betrayal. Maybe because I really don't think anybody even cares. Maybe I just don't have the guts to let another back-stabbing two-faced fake friend in to betray my trust one again. The last two year I've been hit with a lot...I can't even to begin talking about it. It’s beginning to take its toll. My only Solis is when I stand to teach and preach. I'm tired and I want to quit life! Is that possible?

Picking up the pieces is how I feel today. After such a tough year I'm struggling to put it together. Each day is a fight to keep pushing. It’s easy to give up and/or throw in the towel. I'm not a quitter and I'm determined to make my way through this valley. Through Christ who gives me strength.

My First Entry for 2010

All I can say is what a year 2010 has been.

Have you ever gotten tired of the struggle and fight of the race? I mean if it isn’t one thing it’s another. One problem turns into another problem, one situation turns into another, one long night turns into another. How does one survive without becoming bitter and become better?

That was MY dilemma…Yes, even the Pastor, the spiritual leader and the local theologian has the same fights, fears, frustrations, problems, pains and predicaments as those in the pews. For some reason this is the misunderstanding that the pews have about preachers/pastors. I’m sorry to be the one to put to rest that lie. We don’t always have it together. We don’t always have the answers. We don’t always make the right decision. We don’t always know the right spirit, know the right scripture and know the right step. For some who read this blog this is going to cause a mental mystery because we sometime sit in the pew of our local church and think that the personality in the pulpit has life all figured out. NOT TRUE! The particular calling on your life doesn’t exclude you from living in the real world. Family issues, financial issues, frustrating issues and future issues are things that all of God’s children have to face. We’ve all heard that we put our pants on one pants leg at a time or if one is cut regardless of race, religion, or creed we all bleed red. So how does one survive life’s hardest hits without becoming bitter and still hold on to our heavenly Father?

1. Hold on to God’s unchanging hand! Hallelujah! (God is the same today, yesterday and forever more.)
2. Hold on to God’s unchanging scripture! (The grass withers the flowers fade but his WORD will stand forever.)
3. Hold on to God’s unchanging family! (We are a part of God’s holy huddle and should bear one another burdens.)

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone! My prayer is that 2010 will be your year! That you will realize your dreams, recapture what you've lost, revive your life again and regain those things that are important.

FAITH is my word for this year.

One thing that I have found is that the more I think I know about God's Word, the more I find out that I don't know. And, through the years of studying His Word, there are still some things that are hard to believe.

That's where faith comes into play. In spite of human resistance; faith latches hold with Heavenly acceptance, and believes that God said what He meant, meant what He said; and, He offers no disclaimers at the end.

In spite of all that God has revealed in, through, with, and by His Word, there are many Christians who still refuse to live by faith, but choose to live by facts. If I could put it this way, every believer must be a Christian; but, not every Christian is a believer.

Not every Christian takes what God has said in His Word and deposits it into the bank of faith. Someone has wisely said, “All that believes is not faith, and much of what is being called faith today is not faith at all. Any day now someone is going to sue God for breaking a promise.”

Faith doesn't require that we understand it; it only requires that we STAND UPON IT! In verse 6, Faith is DEMANDED. Verse 6 is the crux of the chapter. It is the hinge on which the rest of the door of Hebrews 11 swings. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

In other words, if you and I are to have any hopes of living lives that are pleasing to God, then faith is not a luxury, but a necessity. We cannot please God without faith. We cannot know God without faith. We cannot serve God without faith. We cannot approach God without faith.

God has wonderful things in store for you...I can't wait to see it. Be Blessed!!!!

Sap Running

I’ve watched the sunrise many, many days over the past “several” months and for the most part it has been a welcome sight. It would bring great memories of the day before the laughter, smiles, companionships, conversations, and so much more. It would also bring great expectation of what new and wonderful things the day would offer but today as I layed in the dark watching the same window that I’ve watched for “several” months those thoughts alludes me. ALL I could hear was the Elderly African American community saying “the sap is running.” As a kid I would hear those words often during the fall time of the year. One day my Grandmother was talking and she made reference to “the sap must be running,” I ask her the question that that is on the tip of your tongue what does that mean?

I don’t know if I was really ready for the answer but here it is, it was what the older generation would use when people would die during the fall season of the year. (Sap runs during the fall of the year from the maple trees and it’s a mighty slow process as the maple flowing from the maple tree to describe the slow march of the death angle claiming the lives of people.) I must be honest it scared the you-know-what out of me then. Every time the leves would turn color and began to fall I would leave those days afraid of death but the older I got the less those words had any affect on me. Over the last few years I’ve heard those words echoing through the hall of my memories during the fall season. Since September I’ve experience death physically, relationally and emotionally. So I’ve heard myself not saying but feeling it physically, this Saturday will be the fourth funeral service that I’ve officiated this fall not counting the ones I’ve attended. Relationally, I’ve experienced some death with some associates, some so-called-friends and some people who have had significant place in my life. Emotionally, the deaths are tied to the physical and relational deaths but outside of that has been the death of my trust in people.

THE SAP IS RUNNING!!!!

Help Wanted

You ever needed a SAFE haven? You ever longed for a REAL friendship. What about a CARING and COMPASSIANTE confidant, an UNDERSTANDING ear, or a STRONG shoulder. Simple some one to VALIDATE your feeling, LESSEN your load, BEAR you burden, CARRY your cares, and HANDLE your Hardships. Someone who desires to know you. No hidden agenda, motives, or any other sinister self indulging plan or plot, just someone who when they call your name it sounds different. Someone who contributes to your life rather than subtracts. Someone who looks to see the best in you rather than the worst. Someone to hold you, help you and keep hope alive in you. Someone who walks, watches and works with you. Someone who cares about you, is compassionate toward you and will be concerned about you.

I'm slipping deeper and deeper in this THING and there seems to be no one who can see beyond the smile, beyond the output, beyond the walk, beyond the preaching, teaching and praying. I can sense by now that some reading this has leaped on their religious high-horse and by now is wondering why a preacher, pastor and for that matter a child of God could ever feel this fragile, fractured and fickled. When Jesus approached the garden He was accompanied by his disciples and instructed them to watch with Him. He then took THREE and went a little further and then He himself went a little further. There come a time in everyones life when you need some friends to watch and wait with you. When life hits you the hardest and over and over and over again relentless attack one after another like a heavy weight fighter who is "out on his feet." Knock out but still on his feet trying to regain his balance and composer while the other fighter is bearing in for the knock out punch. One punch after another blood flowing and in the crowd some cheering other appalled waiting and praying for either the ref or the corner guy to stop the fight. How much more can he take, eyes swollen, you can't determined where blood is coming from the cut above the eyes or from his mouth from the beating the other fighter is giving him. Somebody stop the fight! Somebody have mercy! Somebody just throw in the towel. Nobody understands how in the world is this fighter continues taking blow after blow, hit after hit. It is no longer entertainment it is a brutal assault it become hard to watch. Where are those who care? Where are those who have ridden on his coat-tail? Where are those who have ate from his table? Where are those who have benefited the most? Where are those love one, family and friends that have been there in good times enjoying the fruits of his labor?

Jesus takes Peter, James and John to watch with Him only to come back to find them sleep. Sleep on the watch. Sleep on the job. When they should have been at their best. When Jesus needed them the most. They were so self absorbed that they missed their chance to minister to the Minister. They have become so accustomed to being on the receiving end that when they had a chance to give they failed.

Defining Moments

There come a time in every relationship when you hit a defining moment. Its that moment when you come to the fork in the road where a decision has to be made and it defines the rest of the relationship. Proceed with caution because sometime one decision can alter the very future of a marriage relationship, family relationship, friendships "THIS" relationship or "THAT" relationship. I've crossed some of those road with individuals in my life and as painful as it has been I believe that God has purposed these experiences. People are in your life for a reason, season or a lifetime. You see, many times our relationships cloud our intelligence. Emotion and feeling sometime eclipse our view of who people really are. We often want to see in people that which is not in them or that which they have the potintial but refuse to accept.

In recent days I've discovered that there have been people that I have trusted to have a place in my life. Whom I thought we had a mutual love and appreciation for each other. I must admit that I'm very guarded in those whom I allow to get close but even with that you really never know a person until your in the fox hole with them, at a place and season where you need them. That's where relationships are defined or destroyed, stranded or strengthen.

Hurt Village

The Blind Side is the remarkable true story of a young man named Michael Oher who becomes an All-American football star. Mother addicted, father found dead, a dozen or more siblings separated, his own mother couldn't remember his last name, virtually homeless, bouncing from couch to couch never having a bed of his own until he is spotted on the street by Leigh Anne Tuohy. What starts out as a gesture of kindness becomes much more as Michael becomes part of the Tuohy family despite the differences in their backgrounds. What blows me away is how the story ends with Leigh Anne and Michael sitting on the curb of the laundry mat that he frequent when there was no couch available, she asked him how he made it out of (catch this "Hurt Village" the name of the area Michael is from). He said my mother taught him to close his eyes when bad things happened. Michael makes it out but his friend David dies as a result of not making it out of hurt village.

As I sit in my second dark mostly empty theater through this movie for the third time trying to shake the emotional strain of today. I've asked myself the question how does one get out of Hurt Village? Each and everyday their are people who successfully maneuver the trail of tears while other are detoured by the devastation of depression.

Why did Michael make it and David did not? Why did David drop out of school and life and die in the village and Michael become a first round draft choice. One word "Community!" The Tuohy family gave Michael the support, strength and spirit to overcome hurt village. Over and over again Michael was drawn back to hurt village again and again and again. Hurt village can be conquered with the help of loving, understanding, compassionate, caring and Christ-like people. A person present hurt doesn't have to define their future given the right support system.

Playing Hurt

The last few days have been like a bad recurring dream. Its been like that movie ground hog day, when the guy keeps having to relive the same day over and over again. Every morning he wakes up and goes through the exactly same thing that he did the day before, eats same food, goes same places and meets the same people. Strange how one event can turn your world upside down.

Funny (NOT in a ha, ha, way but in a strange way) how people never look behind the smile. I shared this past Sunday on my weekly radio segment Words To Live By that every athlete learned early on to "play hurt" (definition: A injured player plays through his injury). Playing hurt separated good athletes from great athletes. Many time in ministry the pastor must "play hurt!" He does have the liberty to take time to heal, much like the franchise play on a professional team. The only difference is that the organization and ownership understands how valuable the franchise player is and wouldn't risk him being injured, hurt or possible falling to a career ending collision. One would think that the church, his family, friends and love ones would take a page out of the NBA or NFL owner's manual and protect the franchise player. I know that the church is bigger than one man but I also realize that in many churches people attend week in and week out because of the personality in the pulpit. The families of these men and women are supported well by his/her ability to do what they do. The members of these churches are strengthen fed and encouraged by the words that fall from his/her lips.

Sunday after Sunday I have stood broken, burden and battered. Preaching through heartache, hardship and heart break. Leading worship wounded, worn, weary and weeping. Ministering while morning and missing my Daddy. Nobody knowe! Nobody cares! Nobody concern! Just keep giving what we want.