Even though Deana and I did not spend as much on Christmas this year, it was still one of the best times of Christmas. JR and Jennifer spent this year in Texas and Tiff and Corbo came over on Christmas and we had a great meal and opened gifts. I believe this next year, we will do the same thing, we will get back to keeping it simple. One thing for sure, JR and Jennifer will be with us next year. That will be fun.
I trust you and yours had a great Christmas as well and I pray your New Year be a great one as well. As for us, I believe we are going to have a great new year in our home in spite of the economic downturn and I believe this is going to be a great year for our church. We have a full staff this year with passionate pastors who really want to fulfill the plan of God for our lives. It will be awesome! Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Where Is The God of Elijah?
This past Wednesday I shared a message with our congregation entitled, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" Of course that was the question that Elisha asked after Elijah was taken up into heaven by the whirlwind. Elisha took Elijah's cloak and struck the waters of the Jordon after asking that question. The waters parted and Elisha crossed over on dry ground.
That question is still applicable to you and I today. Where is the God of Elijah? If He is still the miracle working God, why are we not seeing more miracles? If He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-sufficient God, why are so many people not walking in victory in their daily lives?
The answers to those questions was the point of the message. The fact of the matter is, God is right where we put Him.
On September 13, 2001, just two days after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed, Anne Graham Lotz was interviewed on the Early show by Jane Clayton. The following is a portion of that transcript;
Jane Clayson: I've heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?
Anne Graham Lotz: I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it.
So, how about it? Where is the Lord God of Elijah? Where have we put Him? Are we even spending time talking to Him? How long has it been since we talked to Him? He's waiting......right there where we left Him!
That question is still applicable to you and I today. Where is the God of Elijah? If He is still the miracle working God, why are we not seeing more miracles? If He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-sufficient God, why are so many people not walking in victory in their daily lives?
The answers to those questions was the point of the message. The fact of the matter is, God is right where we put Him.
On September 13, 2001, just two days after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed, Anne Graham Lotz was interviewed on the Early show by Jane Clayton. The following is a portion of that transcript;
Jane Clayson: I've heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?
Anne Graham Lotz: I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it.
So, how about it? Where is the Lord God of Elijah? Where have we put Him? Are we even spending time talking to Him? How long has it been since we talked to Him? He's waiting......right there where we left Him!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
What Is The World Coming To?
In the times in which we live, it is easy for us to ask ourselves the question, “What is this world coming to? In fact I have caught myself making that same comment. I believe the world is coming to a point in history that will be some of the most frightful times the world has ever known, but I also believe it will be a season where great faith will be on display. Habakkuk said there would be a time in which the knowledge of the glory of the LORD would fill the whole earth.
As I was contemplating that thought, I began to weigh it all out. Jesus has already come to earth as the suffering servant. He suffered and died on that old Roman cross for the redemption of mankind. He was place in a tomb and came back to life by the Spirit of God after three days. He was seen by the brethren, He was taken up into heaven and the Holy Spirit came to earth to fulfill and complete the work of Jesus on this earth. And in all that the scripture of Habakkuk has not been completely realized or fulfilled yet. So the question remains; At what point will the prophecy be realized?
Before you say; Well that was an Old Testament prophecy to the Israelite people listen to Paul told the Romans. Romans 14:11 states that one of these days, every knee would bow and every tongue would confess that Jesus is LORD. All means all! All must bow down and worship Him; all must acknowledge His splendor, His majesty, His power, His might, His goodness, His wisdom. As the water in the seas fill every nook and cranny, all the earth will acknowledge God as God.
There will be a time on this earth where Habakkuk's prophecy will be fulfilled and it will be when Jesus Christ sets up His literal reign upon this earth. I am longing for that day. I am looking for the day in which suffering gives way to gladness. I'm looking for the day in which war is replaced with absolute peace in this earth. But it will only come after Satan is bound and defeated. Having said all that I believe we need to understand the times in which we are living and we need to know that there will never be world peace until Habakkuk's prophecy is fulfilled. We have a ways to go before that happens. We are living in the perilous times that the Apostle Paul spoke to Timothy about.
What about it? What is the world coming to? Jesus said it in Matthew chapter 24.
The World Is Coming To The Time of Birth Pangs!
Listen to what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 24:3-14;And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many."And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
So, what is this world coming too?
1)Birth Pangs Of Wars And Rumors Of Wars
2) Birth Pangs Of Natural Disasters and Famine
3) Birth Pangs Of Persecutions
4) Birth Pangs Of Unrighteous Living
2 Tim 3:1-5 states, "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power. NIV
So in answer to the question of what the world is coming? It is those perilous times, but through all that there is a silver lining and that is Habakkuk's prophecy, after all that has happened and Jesus has set up His reign on this earth and Satan has been defeated, then, The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 NIV
As I was contemplating that thought, I began to weigh it all out. Jesus has already come to earth as the suffering servant. He suffered and died on that old Roman cross for the redemption of mankind. He was place in a tomb and came back to life by the Spirit of God after three days. He was seen by the brethren, He was taken up into heaven and the Holy Spirit came to earth to fulfill and complete the work of Jesus on this earth. And in all that the scripture of Habakkuk has not been completely realized or fulfilled yet. So the question remains; At what point will the prophecy be realized?
Before you say; Well that was an Old Testament prophecy to the Israelite people listen to Paul told the Romans. Romans 14:11 states that one of these days, every knee would bow and every tongue would confess that Jesus is LORD. All means all! All must bow down and worship Him; all must acknowledge His splendor, His majesty, His power, His might, His goodness, His wisdom. As the water in the seas fill every nook and cranny, all the earth will acknowledge God as God.
There will be a time on this earth where Habakkuk's prophecy will be fulfilled and it will be when Jesus Christ sets up His literal reign upon this earth. I am longing for that day. I am looking for the day in which suffering gives way to gladness. I'm looking for the day in which war is replaced with absolute peace in this earth. But it will only come after Satan is bound and defeated. Having said all that I believe we need to understand the times in which we are living and we need to know that there will never be world peace until Habakkuk's prophecy is fulfilled. We have a ways to go before that happens. We are living in the perilous times that the Apostle Paul spoke to Timothy about.
What about it? What is the world coming to? Jesus said it in Matthew chapter 24.
The World Is Coming To The Time of Birth Pangs!
Listen to what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 24:3-14;And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many."And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
So, what is this world coming too?
1)Birth Pangs Of Wars And Rumors Of Wars
2) Birth Pangs Of Natural Disasters and Famine
3) Birth Pangs Of Persecutions
4) Birth Pangs Of Unrighteous Living
2 Tim 3:1-5 states, "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power. NIV
So in answer to the question of what the world is coming? It is those perilous times, but through all that there is a silver lining and that is Habakkuk's prophecy, after all that has happened and Jesus has set up His reign on this earth and Satan has been defeated, then, The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 NIV
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Presidential Election and Morality
As the month of October comes to close and November looms in front of me, my mind is immediately draw to the presidential election that will be taking place on November 4, 2008. With this in mind I have called for a Sacred Assembly at our church for Monday, November 3, 2008 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. This will be a time of worship and prayer for our nation as we seek God's will for our country's highest office.
As we go to the voting booth this year, we should do so prayerfully because so much is at stake. The next president will appoint members of the Supreme Court, direct this country's military, and set the tone for our country's level of morality.
When asked about the election, I simply tell people to vote their morality. As Christians we have a moral accountability to maintain and that moral accountability can be seen through the lens of scripture. The infallible, inherent Word of God should be the our basis for living and a guide in all matters of life for all Christians. It is not my intention to try to get people to vote for one candidate or the other but it is my desire to challenge them to know where the candidates stand on the issues of morality such as the sanctity of life. Where do the candidates stand on the abortion issue? How have they voted on partial birth abortion legislation? Where do they stand on the role of a Sovereign God in their decisions? Are they people who pray and will they seek God for decisions pertaining to all of us?
Historically the far left (liberals) have held the positions of pro-choice, separation of church and state, supporting the rights of same sex marriage, supporting the gay rights agenda, etc. On the other side of the spectrum, the far right (conservatives) has been pro-life, many openly confess their Christian faith and it's role in their everyday decisions, the far right has historically condemned same sex marriages and support the ideal of marriage as being between one man and one woman. Where does your candidate of choice stand on these issues? How have they voted in legislation pertaining to these issues?
As we go to the polls it is important to be aware of where a candidate stands on these issues and vote our beliefs through the lens of scripture. Many people will vote their pocketbook during this election but I want to challenge you to look at the issues of morality through the lens of scripture and after you have placed your vote, you will be able to walk away knowing that you have done your part. After that we will leave the results in the hands of a Sovereign God who will still be in control long after the political platforms are taken down.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
One World Money
I shared a message with our congregation last night about how close we are to having a one world monetary system. The message I shared was from the Book of Micah. Of course Micah was a prophet who pronounced God's impending judgment upon both northern kingdom (Israel) and southern kingdom (Judah) prior to their destruction and captivity. But Micah's prophetic voice was not limited to that day. In fact he spoke about a coming Deliverer in the "last days."
Long story short, that Deliverer came to Bethlehem as the Prince of Peace. He was ultimately rejected by Israel, crucified on a Roman cross, but resurrected in great power by the Spirit of God. In Revelation, John saw Him in splendor and glory and the Lord gave him a message that we need to heed.
That message is that coming to the world seen one of these days ( which I believe is closer than we know) the stage will be set for a "one world ruler" who will be known in scripture as the anti-Christ. He will set up that one world system.
We used to laugh at the notion that we could be pulled into that but look at what is happening on the world scene today. The dollar is shrinking at an alarming rate. The global world markets and financial institutions are in dire straights. All it would take is for the large countries like China, who holds trillions of our greenback dollars to simply dump them and it would shake the world.
Since 1969, the idea of a common monetary system has been quietly batted around in financial circles and in presentations given at the Federal Reserve conferences.
But do not think that this is somehow a doom and gloom message. It's not, nor should it be because that means that the return of Jesus Christ is so so... close. And that means the eventual rule and reign of Christ as Micah predicted 712 years before Jesus was ever born. PTL!
Long story short, that Deliverer came to Bethlehem as the Prince of Peace. He was ultimately rejected by Israel, crucified on a Roman cross, but resurrected in great power by the Spirit of God. In Revelation, John saw Him in splendor and glory and the Lord gave him a message that we need to heed.
That message is that coming to the world seen one of these days ( which I believe is closer than we know) the stage will be set for a "one world ruler" who will be known in scripture as the anti-Christ. He will set up that one world system.
We used to laugh at the notion that we could be pulled into that but look at what is happening on the world scene today. The dollar is shrinking at an alarming rate. The global world markets and financial institutions are in dire straights. All it would take is for the large countries like China, who holds trillions of our greenback dollars to simply dump them and it would shake the world.
Since 1969, the idea of a common monetary system has been quietly batted around in financial circles and in presentations given at the Federal Reserve conferences.
But do not think that this is somehow a doom and gloom message. It's not, nor should it be because that means that the return of Jesus Christ is so so... close. And that means the eventual rule and reign of Christ as Micah predicted 712 years before Jesus was ever born. PTL!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Family and Friend Day
I am sitting here thinking about last Sunday and wow!, what a crowd we had between the two services. Our final numbers reflect that we had 328 people on our campus after deducting the duplicates from both services. While that is a phenomenal victory, the real victory is in the number of lives that were impacted. We intentionally set out to invite the unchurched crowd to our services and we had a great response. Pastor Lori reported that she had 26 kids respond to the invitation to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior in Kids Inc. and I had at least three respond in the second worship service. PTL!
I'm sitting here wondering just how many of those folks will be back tomorrow...or the next Sunday? Will they be drawn to get involved in one of our discipleship classes? That's the real key........discipleship. Helping people connect to Jesus and then grow into a disciple.............that is someone who is like Jesus!!
I'm sitting here wondering just how many of those folks will be back tomorrow...or the next Sunday? Will they be drawn to get involved in one of our discipleship classes? That's the real key........discipleship. Helping people connect to Jesus and then grow into a disciple.............that is someone who is like Jesus!!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
My First
Well this is my first post. Deana and I are in Pigeon Forge and we just finished participating in the annual Tennessee District Minister's Retreat. Doug Clay was the guest speaker and he did a great job. The last session tonight was probably the best where we were challenged to be a 21st Century Pentecostal Church. The idea was that the 21st Century Pentecostal Church should be activly engaged in winning the lost, focused on water baptism, being culturally engaged, totally reliant on the anointing of the Holy Ghost. There was much more to the message but that's just the summary. Great retreat! Woot, Woot! We head back home tomorrow and reengage in His Harvest!!!
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