May 1st, 2009  -   It’s On The Desk

Steve was the starting center on the school football team and also the best student in the college’s Bible class.  One day, his professor asked Steve, "How many push-ups can you do?"  "I do about two hundred every night."  Then the professor asked if he could do 300 in sets of 10.  He had a class project in mind and needed Steve to do about the push-ups for it to work.”  With Steve’s okay, the plan was in motion.  On Friday the professor pulled out a big box of  donuts.  Everyone was excited that there was going to be a party.  The prof asked the first student if she wanted a donut.  When she replied in the affirmative, he turned to Steve and asked him if he would do ten push-ups so she could have a donut.  Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten.  This pattern went on until one of the athletic guys asked,  “Can I do my own pushups?"  "No, Steve has to do them."  The young man said, "I don't want one then."  The professor turned to Steve, "Would you do ten pushups so he can have a donut he doesn't want?" With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups.  Steve continued to do pushups for each person in the room whether the student accepted the donut or not.  Even though his body was in trauma, he refused to stop.  As Steve laboriously finished his 350th pushup, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.  The professor turned to the room and said. "So it was that our Savior Jesus Christ.  Whether we  accept His gift or not, the price has been paid.  Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"

May 2nd, 2009  -    Time

When we entered the new millennium, there was considerable confusion about exactly when we should blow the whistles and celebrate.  Though the vast majority of us held to the traditional concept that we could celebrate at the strike of midnight on December 31, 1999, some analysts insisted that since there is no zero year the new millennium was due until the close of 2000.  Still others confused the issue by pointing to other world calendars and declaring that we were nowhere near a millennial change since the Hebrew calculation placed us in the year 5760, the Islamic calendar at 1420, the Chinese calendar at 4698, the Old Roman calendar at 2753, the Coptic calendar at 1716, and the Buddhist calendar at 2544.  It was enough to make us desire a visit from the children of Issachar, who I Chronicles 12:32 says were men with an understanding of the times.  Of course, we too can understand the times if we only remember to keep every thing in perspective.           

Every second of our lives is a little slice of eternity that God has entrusted into our hands.  Today is a gift from God; that’s why we call it the present.  But it is likely that very few of us realize exactly how valuable that present really is.  To realize the value of one year, ask a student who failed a grade; the value of one month, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby; the value of one week, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper; the value of one hour, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet; the value of one minute, ask a person who missed the train; the value of one second, ask a person who just avoided an accident.

May 3rd, 2009 - Is God Important?

In the eyes of the world, America is a religious--even a Christian--nation, but a recent study shows that our  relationship with God not very important to most Americans.  The Christian Post reported that the majority of Americans do not rank their relationship with God as the most important personal connection in their life.  Seven out of ten American adults choose their earthly family over the Heavenly Father when asked to choose the most important relationship to them, according to a new Barna Group study.  One-third said their entire nuclear family is most important, while nearly a quarter (twenty-two percent) named their spouse and one-sixth (seventeen percent) pointed to their children.  An additional three percent of American adults identified their parents as the most important relationship in their lives.  Only nineteen percent--less than one out of every five adults--said that their relationship with God, Jesus Christ, the Trinity, or Allah (specific names) is the most important in their life.

The sad truth is that if we want to have meaningful relationships in other areas, we must first have a true relationship with the Lord.  Jesus said that if we would  seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, then everything else that we find significant in life would be added. (Matthew 6:33)

May 4th, 2009  -  Evangelism

Maturity is reaching the age at which you can reproduce.  If you are not reproducing yourself in other people, you are a failure.  The only reason God doesn’t use us is if we are unusable.  Who would build a ship and leave it in dry dock?  The world is waiting for you to be bold enough to give them what it is that you have.  When some Chinese Christians were called in for interrogation, the police captain asked them how to be saved and then suggested that they have their underground church in his aunt’s house so he could attend undetected. 

Evangelism doesn’t have to be door-to-door announcements that the people need to be saved.  You can evangelize through just presenting what Jesus can and will do in their lives.  By presenting the people with biblical solutions to their problems even if they are not born again.  There will come a time when they will eventually realize that they cannot make the principles work without receiving Christ.

If you could win one thousand people per year to Jesus every year for thirty-five years, you would have brought thirty-five thousand individuals into the Kingdom during this lifetime of ministry.  However, if you were able to win one each person every six months and discipline these new converts and teach them to also win a new convert every six month, the exponential growth of your evangelism would be that of reaching more than world’s population in less than twenty years. 

May 5th, 2009 - Elijah and the Draught

We can learn an incredibly important lesson from the story of Elijah’s provision during the draught.  God first told him to go to the Brook Cherith to wait out the draught.   Considering that a small brook would be the first water source to dry up during a draught, any water he was to get in this place would be a miraculous supply.  It was a supernatural defiance of the curse that was upon the land.  Similar to the time that God told the Israelites who were being bitten by snakes that they must look to a brass serpent to be healed of their snake bites, God was using the very thing that so dramatically symbolized the curse to be his deliverance from the curse.  Next, God told the prophet that he would receive bread and meat each morning and evening through the courier service of a raven.  This scavenger bird could be seen as a symbol of the devourer that so eagerly consumes everything he can.  Throughout the Bible, we see ample examples of God’s sense of justice by making those who would have been our destroyers become our benefactors. Mordecai wound up with all of Haman’s property--likely worth millions; Esau turned from pursuing Jacob and blessed him; Saul came to kill David but had to bless him, Balaam’s curse turned to a blessing.  Finally, he was sent to the home of a poverty-stricken widow  for her to support him.  Just like the feeding of the multitude with one little lunch, the widow’s mite which proved to be more than all the rest of the offerings, and the gushing of water from a rock, God proved that little is much when God is in it.

May 6th, 2009 - Christian Nation?

How do people in our “Christian” nation really feel about God?  Here are the results of a recent poll:

There is only one god.
38% strongly agree
10% somewhat agree
15 % somewhat disagree
33% disagree

All gods are the same.
39% strongly agree
22% somewhat agree
13 % somewhat disagree
20% disagree

Christianity is about religion, not loving God and people (the two major commandments).
53% strongly agree
26% somewhat agree
9 % somewhat disagree
9% disagree

Christians get on my nerves.
12% strongly agree
32% somewhat agree
18 % somewhat disagree
36% disagree

The church is full of hypocrites
72% agree

I never go to church
22%, up from 17% in poll two years prior

May 7th, 2009 - Unchurched

 

The Christian Post reported that new survey has broken down America's church attendance to reflect the growing number of "church" options that have redefined how Christians worship on Sunday.  American Christians are increasingly adopting house churches, marketplace ministries, and cyberchurches as places of worship and ministry. The new Barna survey, contends that popular measures about who is "unchurched" are out of date.  "The fact that millions of people are now involved in multiple faith communities--for instance, attending a conventional church one week, a house church the next, and interacting with an online faith community in-between--has rendered the standard measures of "churched" and "unchurched" much less precise," The Barna Group noted.  Another survey found that seventy-eight percent of Americans are willing to listen to someone tell what they believe about Christianity and seventy-one percent believe that Jesus makes a positive difference in people’s lives.

With these facts and figures in mind, maybe we should re-evaluate some of out tendencies to fragment our lives into little pie-chart segments--secular and religious.  Lets let out lights sign outside the sanctuary as brightly as it does inside.  The world outside the church walls is actually ready to hear what we have to say.   

May 8th, 2009 -  Disorderly Church Music

         
According to CNSNews.com, a Michigan church filed a federal lawsuit after police officers, led by a local prosecutor, entered the sanctuary at least twice without a warrant alleging the church's music was too loud and, in one instance, threatened to arrest church musicians for disorderly conduct. Faith Baptist Church, with a congregation of about ten thousand members, is suing local officials in the Township of Waterford in a First Amendment case a church attorney said could have national ramifications in establishing what local governments can do in regulating churches. The suit--alleging the township violated the church's freedom of religious expression, freedom of speech, and freedom of association--was filed earlier this month in U.S. District Court in Detroit after the church had been subject to what it describes as raids by the Waterford Police Department, led by township prosecutor Walter Bedell.  At least one of those raids occurred during a Sunday service, according to the suit.  The church played contemporary Christian music that included guitars, drums, and other instruments. Township officials contend they were simply trying to enforce local noise laws and that the church is being a bad neighbor.
Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. (Psalm 33:3) Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. (Psalm 98:4)

May 9th, 2009 - Is it Sin?

When Larry King asked Joel Osteen why he never preached against sin, he replied, “I never thought about using the word “sinner,” but I probably don’t.  Most people already know what they are doing wrong.  When I get them to church, I want to tell they that you can change.”

But do they really know that they are doing wrong?  Recent studies show how Americans feel about what is sinful or wrong:
Adultery: 81%
Racism: 74%
Hard drugs: 65%
Not telling a cashier if given wrong change:63%
Abortion: 56%
Falsifying income tax: 52%
Pornography: 50%
Gossip: 47%
Swearing: 46%
Sex before marriage: 45%
Homosexual thoughts: 44%
Sexual thoughts about someone you are not married to: 43%
Harming the environment: 41%
Smoking marijuana: 41%
Getting drunk: 41%
Gambling: 30%
Not attending church regularly: 18%
Drinking: 14%

May 10th, 2009 - Church Marques

Staying in bed and shouting, “Oh! God!” does not constitute going to church
God does not believe in atheists: therefore, atheists do not exists.
Forgive your enemies; it messes with their heads.
Free coffee, everlasting life--yes, membership has its privileges.
Don’t be so open-minded that your brains fall out.
God so loved the world that He didn’t send a committee.
Read the Bible; it’ll scare the hell out of you.
Wal-mart is not the only savings place.
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
There are some questions that Google can’t answer.
Try Jesus; if you don’t like Him, the devil will always take you back
Jesus can heal your achey breaky heart (outside the Pentecostal church pastored by Billy Joel’s grandfather when Achey Breaky Heart was top of charts)

Mayy 11th, 2009 - Alphabet of Happiness

A--Accept others for who they are.
B--Break away from everything that stands in your way.
C--Create a family of friends with whom you can share.
D--Decide that you'll be happy come what may. 
E--Every new thing you try shows more about yourself.
F--Forgive and forget; grudges only weigh you down.
G--Grow by leave the childhood monsters behind. 
H--Hope for the best.
I--Ignore the negative voice inside your head. 
J--Journey to new worlds by remaining open-minded. 
K--Know things always have a way of getting better. 
L--Let love fill your heart instead of hate. 
M--Manage your time and your expenses wisely, and you'll suffer less stress and worry. 
N--Never ignore the poor, helpless, weak, or suffering.
O--Open your eyes and take in all the beauty around you.
P--Play; success means nothing without happiness.
Q--Questions are your key to learning.
R--Refuse to let worry and stress rule your life.
S--Share your talent, skills, knowledge, and time.
T--Try even when your dreams seem impossible to reach.
U--Use your gifts to your best ability. 
V--Value the friends and family members.
W--Work hard every day to be the best person you can be.
X--X-Ray vision deep inside the hearts of those around you will show you the goodness and beauty within.
Y--Yield to commitment. 
Z--Zoom in on Bible promises if bad memories attack you.

May 12th, 2009 - Harvest

 

A number of years ago, I developed a very deep inner desire to go to Israel.  I felt as if it was actually more than a desire; it seemed almost like a spiritual mandate that I must go to the Holy Land that particular year.  Along with the sensing that I should make the pilgrimage was a “knowing” that God had something special to show are tell me through that trip.  Since Dr. Sumrall was taking a group in November, it seemed logical that I would go with his group; so I began preparing myself to go.  The major problem was money.  I had no extra money in the budget to make such a trip, and I saw no way of earning any extra income.  That was until, a friend called and asked me to fill his pulpit one Sunday when he had to be out of town.  Immediately, I thought that whatever honorarium he might give me would be the beginning of the Lord’s provision for extra money to put toward the trip.  However, when I asked Dr. Sumrall to be away that Sunday, he flatly denied my request!  Disappointed in my situation, but not in my God, I called the friend and told him that I could not come.

 

A few weeks later, I was asked to serve as the tour director for the trip because the lady who was originally coordinating the program had to stay back because of medical reasons.  My faithfulness to my duties and submission to the authority over me opened a wonderful door of opportunity.  Not only did I get that trip to Israel for free, I also was asked to lead several other trips to Israel and even Egypt and Rome  over the next few years!

May 13th, 2009 - Questions and Answers

 

The house was full of boxes and there was a U-Haul truck in the driveway, when a neighbor came over and asked, "Hey, you moving?"  "Nope. We just pack our stuff up once or twice a week to see how many boxes it takes."

 

A guy was fishing when a man stopped by and picked up his stringer of bass and asked, "Hey, you catch all them fish?"  "Nope. Talked 'em into giving up."

 

A man had a flat tire and pulled his truck into a side-of-the-road gas station.  The attendant walked out, looked at the truck, and asked, "Tire go flat?"  "Nope. I was driving around and those other three just swelled right up on me."

 

The driver of an 18-wheeler misjudged the height of a bridge and got his truck got stuck.  When he radioed for help, a local cop showed up to take the report.  He went through his basic questioning and finally came to the all-important question, "So, is your truck stuck?" The diver declared that couldn't help himself: he looked at the officer, looked back at the rig, and then back to him, and said, "No, I'm delivering a bridge."

 

When a co-worker happened by the work station to find another employee working late at work he asked, "Are you still here?"  "No. I left about ten minutes ago."

 

Let’s hope that the questions we ask are more meaningful and that the answers we get are at least as appropriate.

 

May14th, 2009 - George Otis Jr.

 

George Otis Jr. is a world renowned missionary and teacher, probably best known for his research on cities, regions, and nations that have been totally transformed  by the power of the gospel.  The following are a few observations he shares concerning the issues within the church which have kept us form being able to see the same transforming power in our nation.

 

A pornographer advertised on Christian chat rooms and got five out of ten subscriptions; apparently, we are still bound by carnality.  We can’t seem to discern between the wooing of Holy Spirit and the manipulation of men when asked to make decisions like giving or surrendering to the gospel.  The preacher who loves to be before the public is hardly prepared spiritually to be before them.  We try to live above sin by abstinence which does not bring deliverance.  It is dependence upon our own ability to save ourselves.  We have soulical emotion rather than try worship in what he calls “7-11 worship” when we sing seven words eleven times.  We depend upon human creativity when what we really need is to be reflective of the nature of God.  Our pulpits are filled with old windbags rather than new wineskins.  Godly character is woefully undervalued in comparison to human giftedness.  Judging as in recognizing a condition is our business; whereas, judging as in passing a sentence is not.  We must learn to recognize fruitlessness as well as bad fruit.  We confuse possessions, gifts, and accomplishments with godly success.

 

 

 

     

May 15th, 2009 - God’s Thoughts for Men

I-God’s thoughts for a husband toward his wife
  A-She is the crown jewel of creation
    1-Everything in creation was good
       Genesis 1:4,10,12,18,21,25
    2-Except Adam because he was by himself
       Genesis 2:18
    3-When God made Eve, it was VERY good
       Genesis 1:31
  B-She is my source of obtaining God’s favor
      Proverbs 18:22
  C-She is my crown (not frown): Proverbs 12:4
  D-She is my source of spiritual power: I Peter 3:7

 

II-God’s thoughts for a father concerning his children
  A-They are my future to direct
    1-A sword is for hand-to-hand combat
       Ephesians 6:17
    2-Arrows are for long range conflict
        Psalms 127-3-5
    3-Arrows must be aimed for victory
       II Kings 13:14-19
    4-Children can be set on target
       Proverbs 22:6
  B-They can be a reservoir of joy or source of sorrow Proverbs 23:24, 17:25

 

III-God’s thoughts for a married man toward his parents
  A-Genesis 2:24
  B-Matthew 19:5
  C-Mark 10:7

 

 

May 16th, 2009 - Andrew Wommack’s Homespun Wisdom

 

You may be terrified, but that’s just the step before getting edified.

When you see giants, that’s a sign that you have arrived in the Promised Land.
Failing to plan is planning to fail.  You don’t have to plan to be discouraged; simply have to fail to plan to be encouraged.

You can’t make a u-turn going 1,000 miles an hour.  You have to let your spiritual momentum decrease before you make a spiritual turn around.
If you never go to church again, God will still love you all the same; however, it would show that you don’t love Him as much.
In running a race, it doesn’t matter to the promoter if you win or not.  God is not effected by whether we come in first or second.
Don’t let the devil’s treats make you fall apart like a two-dollar suitcase.  Watch out for the devil, or he will eat your lunch and pop the bag.
You need to believe so much in God’s promises that if the doctor tells you that you are going to die that you will want to kiss doctor and thank him for telling you that you’re going to die and go to be with Jesus or get healed and have something to rub the devil’s nose in.
We need to get the place that we do some things habitually without evening thinking about them like walking even though we had to go through a real learning process to acquire the ability.

May 17th, 2009 - Goliath’s Sword

David killed Goliath with his own sword. (I Samuel 17:50-51)  Later, David took Goliath’s sword as his own. (I Samuel 21:8-9)  I doubt that he wanted it because of its size.  If it were a giant-sized weapon, David probably wouldn’t be able to use it.  It’s interesting that a sword isn’t even mentioned when Goliath and his immensity were described in I Samuel 17:4-7.  My guess is that his sword was not all that outstanding is size, or it would have been included in the description of the giant’s impressive size and weaponry.  It’s unique quality was that it was made of iron.  This story occurred as human civilization was moving from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age.  You could say that Israel was just still in the Bronze Age while the Philistines had entered the Iron Age.  (I Samuel 13:20-22)

 

Goliath’s iron sword can be seen as symbolic of our powerful sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17)

 

I--Inspired (2 Timothy 3:16)
R--Rightly divided (II Timothy 2:15)
O--Only word of life (John 6:68)
N--Never-failing (Matthew 5:18)
But we must develop our ability to use the sword.
S--Seriously (Proverbs 23:23)
W--Worshipfully (Psalms 56:4, 10)
O--Orderly (II Timothy 2:15)
R--Regularly & repeatedly (John 15:7)
D--Directionally (Joshua 1:8)

 

May 18th. 2009 - Carrots, Eggs & Coffee

 

A young woman went to her mother and told her about how hard things were for her.   She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up.  Her mother took her to the kitchen, filled three pots with water, and placed each on a high fire.  Soon the pots came to boil.  In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.  She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.  When she turned off the burners, the carrots were soft, the egg was hard boiled, and the coffee gave off a rich aroma. 

 

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water.  Each reacted differently. “Which are you?” she asked her daughter.  Are you the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength?  Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?  Did you have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have you become hardened and stiff?  Does your shell look the same, but on the inside are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?  Or are you like the coffee bean?  The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.  When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.  If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.  When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level?

 

 

May 19th, 2009 - Holy Spirit

 

According to Pentecostal historian Vinson Synan of Regent University, more than one fourth of the world's Christians are Pentecostal or charismatic.  This means that there are almost two billion people who profess the Christian faith and that more than five hundred million of them are charismatic or Pentecostal.  The impact can be significant; for example, in South Korea where close to one third of the population is Christian, almost sixty percent of them Pentecostal. 

 

Another powerful example of the impact of this movement can be seen in of all places, the Holy See.  Under the administration of the former pope, Pope John Paul II, a charismatic Catholic preached to the pope and about sixty bishops and cardinals every Friday during Lent and Advent. Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa was appointed to delivers these seasonal homilies by Pope John Paul who supported the charismatic movement in the Catholic Church.  This appointment came about three years after Cantalamessa received the baptism of the Holy Spirit which he testifies altered his life and ministry.  He said that he felt convinced of the truth of the manifestation of the Spirit and left his prestigious teaching post at the University of Milan to spread the message that the God is moving in a greater way.  He added that he frequently sings in tongues, a beautiful way of prayer without passing through words.

 

May 20th, 2009 - Icebergs

 

I once read of an observation made by an airline pilot who had much experience flying about the waters of the North Atlantic.  He wrote that he had noticed that the large icebergs he was able to see as he flew across the open waters often seemed to be moving in a different direction from the small ones he could spot.  When he investigated the phenomenon, he learned that larger ones had massive bodies submerged beneath the surface of the water.  These large icebergs extended so far down into the depths of the sea that they moved by the current of the water flowing deep within the ocean.  The smaller icebergs, though that had the same percentage submerged, did not go deeply enough into the ocean to me driven by the current.  In stead, they were pushed by the winds which blew above the surface of the ocean. 

 

What a powerful picture of the way that our spiritual lives can be motivated.  The Psalmist says that the deep calls unto the deep. (Psalms 42:7).  In other words, those who care to have a deep relationship with God will resonate with the voice of the Spirit of God who reveals the deep and otherwise secret truths of God. (Daniel 2:22,  I Corinthians 2:10)  On the other hand, those who do not care to grow in their relationship with God will be motivated and driven by other voices that will lead them in a different direction. (Ephesians 4:14, James 1:6).  Not only will they be taken the wrong direction, it will likely be in exactly the opposite direction from where the leading of God would take them.  

 

 

May 21st, 2009 - Stupid Law

The sentence of a child rapist was overturned because the judge quoted from the Bible when imposing punishment. The First District Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio, reversed the fifty-one-year sentence of James Arnett, who had pleaded guilty to ten counts of rape involving an eight-year-old girl.  The appeals court, said that Judge Melba Marsh used the Bible as a source in determining the severity of punishment for Arnett and, therefore, denied him the right to due process by violating the guarantee of separation of church and state.  Marsh had quoted from Matthew 18:5-6: "But whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it would be better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

 

Elsewhere in the world, the nation of Austria had filed to grant personhood to chimpanzee.  In an attempt to protect the primate from certain abuses in captivity, the courts are considering declaring it a person so it can, therefore, receive certain human rights provisions.  The tragic flipside of the coin is that these same courts refuse to recognize the rights of the unborn.

 

Pardon me for my lack of  political correctness, but I can’t help but call such decisions “stupid.”

 

As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind. (Romans 1:28)

 

 

       

May 22nd, 2009 - Random Thoughts

 

Sixty-two percent of Republican college students say that religion is decreasing in influence and eighty-seven percent feel that this is a bad thing.  Conversely, fifty-four percent of Democratic college students say that religion is increasing in influence and sixty-seven percent say that this is a bad thing.

 

The pastor may encourage us to give until it hurts, but the problem is that most of us have a very low tolerance for pain.

 

Billy Graham’s advice to young ministers is to put their emphasis on Bible study and prayer.  He also said that he regrets that he didn’t spend more time in prayer and Bible study. 

 

The average hospital stay for those who attend church regularly is four days versus twelve for ones who don’t. 

 

Strokes are twice as likely among non-churched as among regular worshippers. 

 

You are fourteen times more likely to die after heart surgery if you are not religious. 

 

It may be true that an apple a day keeps doctor away, but just think that we would never need any doctors at all if Eve had only stayed away from that first apple in the garden.

 

Did you hear about the man who couldn’t sell his boat, motor, and trailer until he re-listed as boat and motor with a FREE trailer?  That tells us a lot about human intelligence, but wait till you read what our top scientists have figured: NASA has decided that universe grew from size of marble to billions of lightyears across in a trillionth of second.  Yet they deny the instantaneous creation?

 

May 23rd, 2009 - Naked

         

When God examines our lives, all of us are naked before Him.  “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” (Hebrews 4:13)

 

Did you ever stop to think that it wasn’t until Adam and Eve sinned that they realized that they were naked?  (Genesis 2:25; 3:7, 10, 11)  When the Israelites were worshipping the golden calf, they wound up naked. (Exodus 32:25)  Mark 14:51-52 tells the story of a young man who fled naked from the soldiers when Jesus was arrested.  The seven sons of Sceva also fled away naked when they tried to cast out a demon but were not born again themselves. (Acts 19:16)  The Laodicean church felt that they had it all together, but God said that they were naked. (Revelation 3:17)  Revelation also considers unprepared believers to be naked. (verse 16:15)  The Great Harlot will be judged by being left naked. (Revelation 17:16)

 

The first encounter Peter had with Jesus left him feeling exposed. (Luke 5:8)  In his encounter with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee after the resurrection, Peter didn't want to be naked or exposed any more so he pulled on his clothes--though he probably wasn't actually naked, but simply in his undergarments. (John 21:7)  Likewise, our desire should be to be clothed in the robes of righteousness He provides. (Job 29:14,  Isaiah 61:10) 

 

May 24th, 2009 - Christian Village

 

The little village of Wallacepur is an anomaly in Hindu-dominated India.  Every one in the five hundred or so residents is literate and a Christian.

 

According to a report in the Times of India, the village was established around 1840 by an English pastor, Reverend Wallace, who brought people from different parts of Gujarat to the locale and gave them the land. Eventually, the settlers adopted Christianity and built a church there.  Although the villagers have no written history or documents to give details about Wallace, oral tradition reports that Wallace left after settling the village.  The village pastor Nilesh Vaghela says, "We still follow father Wallace's plan for a village with space for cattle at rear of the houses."  One village resident added, "Girls are better educated with most of them working as nurses and teachers."  Wallacepur residents are also proud of winning the cleanest village award from the district for the last two years.
Second Corinthians 5:17 declares, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  If this promise can work for a whole village as well as an individual, why should we not believe it for our cities, states, and entire nations?

 

May 25th, 2009 - Miracle Provision

         

Nothing ever takes God by surprise.  He never has to shape His head and admit that He just didn’t see that one coming.  He is always a step ahead of the game, and He always supplies the answer before there is a need.  Just one example from Creation should illustrate the point; He created grass before there was any cattle.  It is His very nature to be pro-active in terms of all our needs.  For example, He was Jehovah Raphael before there ever was sickness.

 

Furthermore, God is ultimately creative in how He chooses to manifest His provisions.  A great example is found in I Kings 17 where He used the ravenous bird which normally would have devoured the food to bring bread and meat to Elijah.  My guess is that while the birds were at the Brook, they stopped to get their own drink of water; their provision was in being a provider for someone else.

 

When Jesus approached the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda, he told the Lord that he had no man to help him into the water when it was troubled.  Apparently, the others around the pool had a man to help them and were trusting in him.  When we--like that lame man--realize that Jesus is all we have, we’ll soon realize that He is all we need!
Our lives are actually on a collision course with God’s miraculous provisions.  All we need to do is realize it.  At that point, our miracles just start showing up like money from a wire transfer.

 

May 26th, 2009 - Unsolvable Problem?

 

We were having a problem with our heater.  It seemed that no matter what we did, we just couldn’t get the thing to come on.  Finally, they sent a service man out to the house.  It took him only a couple of minutes to walk over to the thermostat and push a few buttons and miraculously produce heat.  Flabbergasted, I asked why I hadn’t been able to make it work.  His response was that I had apparently been pushing the right buttons--but in the wrong sequence! 

 

There is a story of a machine in Henry Ford’s plant which stopped working.  Finally had to call upon the man who had build it.  When he arrived, he took a few minutes to asses the problem.  He then took out a hammer and tapped the machine which instantly started working again.  When he handed Mr. Ford a bill for a thousand dollars, the manufacturer balked at the price, “It only took you a few minutes and one hammer tap to repair the machine!”  The gentle took back the bill and promptly altered his price to read, “Tapping the machine with a hammer: $5.  Knowing where to tap the machine: $995.”
The truth is that a million-dollar machine can be stopped with a ten-cent fuse.  What it takes to get it going again may be very small, but being aware of the problem and its solution and being able and willing to make the change is crucial to solving the problem.
The same is true with our faith lives, maybe our problems aren’t really so big and complicated.  We just need the Master to show us exactly how to tackle them.   

 

May 27th, 2009 - Thoughts on Leadership

 

Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.--Albert Einstein

 

When I’m with Condi, I say she’s got the PhD and I’m the C student, and look who’s president and whose the advisor.--Bush

 

I’m just a little pencil in hand of God writing love letter to the world.--Mother Teresa

 

Service really means “serve us.”

 

It is the owner of sheep (God)--not shepherd (the pastor)-- who is responsible for feeding them.  He supplies their needs, the pastors simply distribute what they receive form Him.
I Corinthians 16:16 tells us about the ministry of saints while Ephesians 4:12 tells us about the ministry to saints.  Leaders must work for those who follow them while training them how to fulfill their own responsibilities.

 

Did you ever notice that Deborah was not mentioned in the role call of faith in Hebrews 11, but Barak was?  Deborah got all the credit in the Old Testament while Barak got the New Testament honors.  Here we see two principles of leadership: 1) the leader may actually be the one who is following and 2) the accomplishments may go to the one who, like Barak, is willing to go on mission knowing that he is not going to get any glory. (Judges 4:9)

 

David worked hard to raise money for temple that would be named for Solomon, not himself.

 

May 28th, 2009 - The Bible--America's Favorite Book?

 

According to the results of a survey reported by Reuters, when it comes to literary pursuits in the US, most people agree on at least one thing: the most popular book is the Bible.  A Harris Poll of nearly 2,513 adults ranked the Bible number one, but the second choice was not as clear.  Second place among men’s books--J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings; for women--Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind; among 18-31-year-olds--J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series; for 32-43-year-olds--Stephen King's The Stand and Dan Brown's Angels and Demons.

 

The only problem with this reported popularity of the Bible is that I also heard recently of another national survey of Christians across America which found that only one out of five have any kind of regular, systematic program for reading the Bible.  That means that there are four times as many born-again Christians who have Bibles that basically sit around unopened.  It was found that the average length of time spent reading a Bible is five minutes a day.  For two out of five Christians, the only time during the week that they ever really open and read their Bibles is when they are in an organized group.  They open the Bible only because the pastor or Sunday school teacher instructs them to open to a particular passage.  The same study went on to say that two out of five born-again Christians don’t even know for sure that the story of Jonah and the whale is part of the Bible or in which book it is found. 

 

May 29th, 2009 - Pentecostals

 

Vinson Synan, Regent University professor and historian of the Pentecostal movement, estimates that more than one forth of the world's Christians are Pentecostal or charismatic.  He said that there are almost two billion people who profess the Christian faith, and that about five hundred forty million of them are charismatic or Pentecostal.  The growth of Pentecostalism indicates that "the renewal will continue with increasing strength."

 

South Korea is an example of how the faith has impacted a whole nation.  In 1900, the country was considered on of the most resistant mission fields in the world.  Today, thirty percent of the population is Christian, making Christianity the largest faith group in the nation.  About sixty percent of Korean Christians are Pentecostal.

 

This movement is just one indication that we are living in the end times.  A worldwide inundation of the Holy Spirit’s presence is a prophetic sign of the generation that is to close out human history as we know it.

 

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18)

 

 

May 30th, 2009 - Paganism

 

A recent article in London's The Sunday Times  announced that Britain has stripped pagan groups of their status as charities.  Paganism--including Druids, witches, and followers of a Viking god--is not a religion "in the charitable sense," the country's Charity Commission ruled. "Any charity must be established for public benefit.  This is not apparent in the case of paganism," a spokesman said.  Groups that will lose their charitable status and will now have to pay taxes on direct donations.

 

Paganism is the fastest-growing religion in Britain, with 100,000 followers.  Most followers are young, rural, working-class people.  The main tenets of the religion are belief in the deity of nature, male and female gods, and the fulfillment of individual potential.  Though some may see this growth of non-Christian faith as a sign of the end times, it is probably more of an indication of the emptiness in the message being presented by the churches in the country.  There is a supernatural hunger inside every person--a desire to encounter something beyond himself.  If the church offers only humanistic philosophy and feel-good therapy, people will eventually look to other sources to try to fill that God-shaped vacuum within.  The Old Testament history of Israel’s repeated turning to Baal worship proves that apathy in the pulpit results in apostasy in the nation.
Dr. Lester Sumrall always warned that we live just one generation away from paganism.   

  
May 31st, 2009 - Thoughts on Prayer by Great Prayers

 

When Bishop Trent was challenged that all his testimonies about answered prayers were nothing more than coincidences, he responded, “Well, maybe they are coincidences; but the only thing I know is that the more I pray, the more coincidences I have.”

 

Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the Kingdom.--Charles Spurgeon
God does nothing apart from prayer and everything by it!--John Wesley
More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of; wherefore, let thy voice rise like a fountain day and night.--Alfred Lord Tennyson

 

Something happens when I pray that doe not happen if I don’!  Therefore, if I have not prayed today, something has gone undone in God’s Kingdom plans for my life and in the lives of those for whom I may have been praying!--Dick Eastman
The great people of the earth are the people who pray.  Prayer isn’t the only thing, but it is the chief thing.--S.D. Gordon

 

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.--Jesus Christ