Fasting From Fleshly Desires

Recently I have been going through the Beatitudes in the book of Matthew and preaching on them in our Youth group.  This past Wednesday I preached on Mathew 6:16-18 where Jesus preached about fasting.  Theologically I know there is a lot of depth and breadth to fasting that can be discussed.  However, one thought that came to me as I was studying that I would like to share; fasting from fleshly desire. 

As I was reading through Isaiah 58, fasting from fleshly desires caught my attention.  For one I understand that fasting should not only be for our benefit spiritually, but also for the benefit of those in need.  Our doing without should benefit those in need.  Isaiah 58:6 reveals this truth; however I see another purpose in this verse.  Fasting from fleshly desires.

Isaiah 58:6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

There is no doubt that fasting is commonly associated with food, but not limited to nutritional intake.  Jesus came into this world to set us free from the bondage of sin.  He offers us another option to sinful fleshly desires.  He offers us His way, truth and life.  Jesus spoke this as it relates to salvation; “Unless you repent, you too will perish.” (Luke 13:3,5). 

Repent is to turn from sin.  In other words it is to eliminate and even deny yourself sinful behaviors and practices.  Fasting is to deny yourself food or other physical needs.  Both are practiced for the purpose of drawing nearer to God.  They are practiced so that your spiritual life can be renewed and transformed.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Let me share this thought with you; fasting from fleshly desires.  When you fast, eliminate, and deny yourself sinful and fleshly desires, then are you not set free from the yoke of oppression?  Think about it, sin is a yoke that keeps us in bondage to the flesh and ways of this world.  Sin is the yoke that oppresses you spiritually.  Sin is an addiction and addiction just as damaging as drugs, alcohol and sex. The only cure for any addiction is to eliminate and deny yourself whatever it is you are addicted to.

May I encourage you to fast from your fleshly desires so that you may be set free from the oppression of sin?  In doing so my prayer is that your life will be renewed and transformed in the likeness of Christ.

The picture is me and Laura.  Laura was once oppressed by abandonment and abuse in another country.  She was adopted by and American family. I was blessed with the opportunity to share Jesus with her during a youth mission trip.  Laura has been set free!

 

Romans 13:14   Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

Memorial Day 2013

Recently I was blessed to visit the war memorials in Washington DC and Arlington Cemetery.  I never imagined what would come over me as I approached each of the memorials and entered through the gates of Arlington.  There was this sense of awe and raw emotion.  It was so surreal as images went through my mind of men and women in the military were dying for me.  Each of the thousands of lives was willingly given to protect the freedom of a fellow country man they did not even know.  Many gave their lives before I ever existed.  Every one of them willingly paid the ultimate price to protect the country they loved.  A country founded on Godly principle and religious freedom. I love what Abraham Lincoln said during the Gettysburg Address “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.   I am not writing this to debate any religion, I am writing this to honor those who died for you and for me. 

To all those who have gone before me into the eternal, I say thank you.  My words will never be enough. My hope and prayer is that my life will honor those who have died for me.  Thousands gave their lives for those they didn’t even know; past, present and future.  They all died for friends, family and fellow countrymen.  May my life be worthy in honoring your ultimate sacrifice.

I writing this, I would not be justified if I also did not honor the one who not only died for His friends, but His enemies as well.  Over two thousand years ago Jesus Christ, God’s one true son willingly gave up His life to save those from not a temporary but an eternal war.  A war between sin and salvation.  He died to bring us freedom from the penalty of our sin.  He died to set you free.  Free from the bondage of sin and the gates of Hell.  Will you honor Christ as well? Not just with words, but with a life worthy of His ultimate sacrifice to set you free.

I took both pictures at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

 

 

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s Love!

The Justification, Sanctification and Glorification of Salvation

 

Are you who you were yesterday, last week, last year…?  Are you still the same person you always have been?  I hope not.  I accepted Christ as Lord and Savior over 20 years ago.  I can honestly say, I am not who I was before I surrendered my life to Christ.  I have changed and changed a lot especially those first couple years as a Christian.  Regretfully I share with you that most of the years that followed I changed very little.  That should not have been.

This morning our pastor preached on Romans 3:11-14.  I was about the sense of urgency we must have as Christians.  Especially as we see signs of the end times approaching.  During the sermon he was sharing about salvation and how it is not a one-time event from our past.  Salvation is a timeless process.  It has a beginning, a process and a future.  The beginning of salvation is when we make the decision accepting Jesus Christ’s offer to be Lord over our lives.  The beginning is when we are justified by Christ’s life, death and resurrection.  The process of salvation is the maturing of our faith as we grow and change to become more like Christ.  The process is called sanctification.  The future of our salvation, well that is when we enter into heaven.  It is the eternal time that will be saved from the trials, hardships, and downfalls of this world.  It is a time of glorification. 

So with salvation being an eternal process and not just some specific point in time, then shouldn’t our transformation be without end as well?  If I am still who I was, then maybe I was never saved to begin with.  The bible teaches that if I am in Christ, then I am no longer who I was; but now someone new.  Salvation requires sacrifice.  The sacrifice Christ made and the sacrifice of your old life so that Christ can make you new! 

I was not until recent years that I truly understood the justification, sanctification and glorification of salvation.  I can honestly say I am not who I was yesterday, last week or even last year.  There is no greater satisfaction than being right on the path of Christ’s sanctification in my life.  I have found no greater joy or pleasure than maturing in Christ. 

The picture is me baptizing one of our youth.

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

To give up more of me is to take in more of Jesus:

As I was reading my bible this morning, I was going through Deuteronomy.  Deuteronomy is Moses’ address to the generation of Israelites that were about to enter into the Promise Land.  Basically it is a historical summary of the exodus from Egypt, the journey through the desert and the evolution of Israel’s relationship with the LORD.  Moses was restating the laws and religious practices that had been established. 

What caught my attention is the number of times you find sayings such as freewill offerings, set aside, and sacrifice.  It dawned on me how a quality relationship with the LORD is so contingent on willfully sacrificing.  During this Old Testament era sacrifice was centered on what was harvested.  You read a lot about livestock, various grains, oils, produce…. 

Although the New Testament era does not call for sacrifice of animals and grains, it does still call for sacrifice. We are called to sacrifice our things like our talents and income.  More than anything, we are first called to sacrifice self.  I’m not talking about taking your life, I am talking about sacrificing your selfish desires and sin directed life.  In Christ your life is no longer “me first”, but “Christ first.” 

I got to thinking, am I sacrificing me, my selfish drives and sinful desires.  Is my Christian life noted for sacrifice?  Am I giving up my way for His way?  Do I feel like I am doing without so that He can do within?  In order to make the most out of my relationship with Jesus Christ then I must willingly and freely sacrifice my old life in order to gain the new life He has promised.  This is not a one-time event; this is to be a daily sacrifice. 

What are you sacrificing for the LORD? Is it time, money, fleshly desires, profane speech, sexual immorality, selfish desires, personal gain, your comfort zone, addictions, fear, anger, bitterness, pride, personal pleasures?... I know I don’t sacrifice enough.  I hope that my sacrifice is always more tomorrow that it was today.  To give up more of me is to take in more of Jesus.

 

Luke 9:23 Then Jesus said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must DENY himself and take up his cross DAILY and follow me.”

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s Love!

 

I am not ashamed and will not shut up:

It is kind of crazy, but I have been accused of posting too much and being too religious on various social media.  Facebook even threatened to close my FB page, because I was accused of spamming.  I will admit I was posting on walls that ALLOWED public posts.  Many were liberal sights like lil Wayne, Oprah, and some other pages.  Truth is I don't share enough. I wish I could share more, but sadly life and some of its obligations limit my time.  I will say this though, my life and all I do and say is about Christ and the faith I so freely chose to surrender to.  If all I could do is ministry, I would do it.  Why?  Because Jesus is that good, and I can't help but talk about it.  I am not ashamed and I will not shut up.

The picture is me on medical mission in Romania.

Acts 4:20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

Alligator Urgency:

 Several years ago when I was about 13 years old, I learned a valuable lesson on acting urgently. I was fishing for bass in a deep canal along some steep embankments. On the opposite side of the canal, in the water was an alligator that was about 8-10 feet long. On top of the embankment above the alligator there was an elderly lady and a young boy about 3 years of age. The little boy got away from the elderly lady then slipped and fell down the embankment and then into the canal not far from where the alligator was. Immediately I threw my fishing pole down, dove into the water, swam across the canal and rescued the helpless toddler. Not once did I consider the dangers of the alligator. The only thing I remember thinking was; if I do not go now that boy is going to die.

 

 In light of the recent tornadoes and other tragedies that have abruptly and unexpectedly taken numerous innocent lives we ought to be thinking urgentl...y. Don’t you think it is time for Christians to start running and stop waiting? The truth is; other people’s lives depend on it.

I Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such way as to get the prize.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

Proverbs 31 Woman

ATTENTION!!! Teen Girls and ladies! This Post is For You.  a MUST READ.

On occasion, I like to share other people's testimonies that I know for sure are legitimate.  This particular young lady is a teenager that I have come to know in recent months.  I have followed her on twitter and Facebook.  There is no doubt that she is rock solid in her faith. Her tweets and status are always uplifting and God approved.  I feel safe in saying, this is the type of godly young lady you pray your son will meet.  Her life and testimony has inspired and encouraged me to keep up the good fight as a youth pastor in reaching teens for Christ.  

Hello, my name is "__________" I am a 17 year old girl, and this is my story. When I was in eighth grade, I had my first boyfriend. After that one I had another, and another, and another, and so on. See, I had this problem. This problem is called lust. The definition of lust is to have an intense or obsessive desire in a way that is not pure. I replaced lust, with love. When I was about 15 I met this boy. He liked me, and I liked him. All seemed pretty great, until later down the road. He started to say, "I love you." And of course I just said it back, because I didn't know. I didn’t know what real "love" was. He told me how pretty I was and how much he wanted me. And that made me feel good. He made me feel like I was worth something. Something valuable. I started to become impure. My mind was thinking of all these unclean, impure things. These things made my heart black. Cold and Ugly. 

Then I started to look at myself and think my waist line should be thinner, and my legs should be toner. I could see my flaws, and I began to not care how modest my clothes were, to make myself look better. I wanted to be thin, and I wanted him to look at me and tell me I was worth something. When I dressed like that, I made him lust and become impure within his own heart. Ladies, we should never put that upon men. We should dress modestly and have men respect us for who we really are. When you dress to show off your body, do you really think that they look at you for what's inside? Girl's it doesn't matter if you're too short or too tall. Too wide, or too thin. What matters is what's inside. Because that is where you will find your true beauty! 

My mother is a precious woman, and I thank God for her. She would tell me how he wasn’t good for me. And of course, as the young rebellious child I was, I didn't want to listen. I wanted to always go against what she said. I thought it was my life, and I could do what I wanted. 

After a while, my boyfriend and I decided to take a bigger step in our relationship. After we took that awful step, everything went downhill from there. I was an emotional wreck. I didn't really know when enough was enough. But then I decided to stop this, because I just couldn't handle the emotion. I felt like I did the "right thing" by breaking up with my boyfriend, but I still never truly gave it up, all to God. Then summer came, and one day I got asked to come to Conway with my cousin. I thank God for her, because she gave me this verse, Proverbs 31. This gave me a guide to go by as a woman of God. 

We started to read our Bibles, and she talked to me about how God's love is so HUGE! Greater than any man could ever give me. This past that I have had, has changed me for the better. Of course if I could, I would take it back in a heartbeat, but I can't. So I will tell you how Jesus Christ, the perfect king, died on a cross for you and I. He can take this mess, and turn it into a message! Because God's love is so strong, he can change your life for eternity! 

As women, we just want to be loved. We want to feel like something valuable. Let me tell you, there is a man that will love you more than you could ever imagine! He wants you! He wants all of you! And I pray you feel this love like I do! His love isn't like any kind of love you have ever felt. It's a joy in your heart that brings you peace and comfort. Ladies, this man DIED for YOU! As those whips hit him and ripped through his flesh, he was thinking of you! 

The Almighty God knows you, and He wants to bring you in and love you. All you have to do is say God I give it all to you. It's simple. I praise him for changing my life, and I pray that maybe his work through me will make you realize his love for you. Jesus loves broken people, so it's okay not to be okay. Because that's why Jesus died on that cross. To save you. Because he loves you. 

Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

This young lady's life is the proof of Christ's love! 

God Makes the Implausible Totally Possible

Things, stuff, garbage always happens that place a sense of urgency in your life.  Most of the time is has to do with something out of your control.  Things like tragedies, natural disasters, accidents, illness, disease and such.  When life altering life changing events happen, your perspective on life changes rapidly as well.  All of the sudden there is a sense of urgency, a desire to move and act quickly.  There is that "Oh wow! Now what do I do moment."  Huntington's Chorea disease was one of those things for our family. 

We were just trotting along in life and smelling the roses, when all of the sudden "BAM!" "Your family has Huntington's disease."  Now what are you going to do about it?  Our trotting along became a trap and our roses all became rotten.   This is not just a season or an event that will pass, it is now the rest of our lives. 

A sense of urgency is an understatement.  We wanted to scramble and act fast.  However, that was not possible.  There was absolutely nothing we could or can do about it. It is during this kind of crisis that you actually have two choices.  One is to surrender, suffer and let it takes its course.  The other is to fight like there is no tomorrow. 

We chose to fight.  By fighting, we surrendered our lives to Christ and gave the battle to Him.  In exchange, we were called to fulfill the great commission, reaching the world for Christ.  Reaching the world for Christ always starts in your own life and spreads from there. 

In the spring of 2007, an opportunity came up for a mission trip to Satu Mare, Romania.  My immediate reaction was this: "We can't afford it, there is no possible way."  Carri's initial reaction was, "I am going."  I was the doubter and Carri was the believer. 

While we were out jogging one morning, Carri abruptly stopped and said, "If money had nothing to do with this mission trip, would you go?"  "Of course I would go."  "Who do you feel should go?"  "You, me, and Mackenzie without a doubt should go."  "Then what is the problem?"  "I'll pray about it." "While you are praying about it, I'm going to sign us all up."

May of 2007, Carri, Kenzie (oldest daughter) and I went on our first foreign mission trip to Romania.  The cost was nearly $6,000.  The out of pocket expense for us never amounted to more than a couple hundred dollars.   God said go, we said yes, and He provided the means. 

We are so blessed that we chose to fight and not surrender to Huntington's disease.  God has taken us to places physically and spiritually that Huntington's disease would never have allowed.  What should be implausible, God has made totally possible. 

When God says go somewhere, do not doubt Him.  Why would He tell you to go if He really did not want you there to begin with? 

The picture is the yellow brick road in Satu' Mare, Romania.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

 

Compromising Faith and Ministry is Not Negotiable:

During the spring of 2010, Carri and I had to make a very difficult decision.  This decision had a direct impact on our financial future, the security of our home and our family.  Like most people we made our mistakes and as a result placed ourselves in bondage to debt.  I am not proud of it and wish I knew then what I know now.  Never place yourself in bondage to debt.

The effects of Huntington's disease had taken enough toll on Carri mentally and emotionally, that her job as a nursing instructor had become too much.  We knew that this day was going to come. Our hope is that it would be after our children were grown and graduated. Guess what? It did not wait.  After a season of sincere prayer, Carri and I both agreed that it was time for her to resign the teaching position that she held at the local college.  Carri had been teaching students to become registered nurses for over ten years.

After making the decision that Carri would resign, I began the pursuit for another job.  We both knew that if we were going to survive financially, I was going to have to have a second income.  We also were going to have to find a way to pay off a huge amount of irresponsible debt.  Prior to Carri’s resignation, our household income was pretty much split 50/50.  Yes, we were living check to check.  The scary part of this decision; knowing we were going to lose half of our income.

The first thing we did was cash in Carri's retirement savings.  We saw no other option other than bankruptcy.  Bankruptcy was not an option.  We acquired the debt; we were responsible for paying that debt back.  It was hard closing her retirement account, but it was rewarding at the same time.  Cashing out retirement early does not come without a significant penalty.  We lost about half of the money to penalties, fees and increased taxes.  Our financial advisor advised strongly against cashing in this account.  She understood how great the financial loss would be. In spite of what seemed logical, in our hearts we knew paying off debt was the right thing to do.  We had to take the loss in order to ensure our future.  More importantly the ministry God had given us.  In paying off most of our debt, we had a piece of mind.  A large portion of the debt we owed had been redeemed.

Paying off most of our debt was still not good enough.  It was going to take more than that to manage our mortgage, utilities, and keep food on our table.  I began to working extra with my current employer as an RN and a medic.   Carri accepted a part time job with a Hospice program.  That may seem like more stress, but it has actually become a ministry for Carri.  She can relate to dying and has something more to offer.   At the same time I was also searching for a second job.  It seemed like every opportunity I found had a direct impact on my ability to continue leading youth group on Wednesday nights and Sunday morning bible classes.

Needless to say, I became extremely frustrated.  I knew in my heart God had called me to ministry.  I remember thinking; “If God had called me to ministry then why would He take me out of it because of the need for income?”  He wouldn't.  I began to pray; "Lord you know my needs, and I trust in you to provide.  Committing to a job that involves working on Wednesdays and Sundays in not an option. I refuse to compromise the ministry you have called me to."  Let me tell you, that prayer and vow pretty much eliminated every plausible option I had for a stable income.  There were no other options left.  Yes I became stressed and worried.  I had no idea how I was going to provide for my family.  I was willing to sell all we had in order to make it happen.  However, some things you just can't sell.  Like medical debt.  Over the previous few years and even recent months we had acquired medical debt that weighed a heavy burden on us financially.  Like every other debt, we were going to pay back what we owed and still owe.

I was sincere in my vow that I was not going to compromise the ministry God had called me to.  Even in my sincerity, I also needed a sign. I was hoping for something only God could reveal to me assuring that I was being faithful and doing the right thing.  Randomly one Sunday after church services, our pastor said he needed to talk to me.  I thought for sure he knew the problems we faced and he was going to find a youth pastor to fill my role.  Someone who could be more committed and less strained.  To my surprise he said this "The church affirms your call to ministry and we want to ordain you into the ministry.”  Now that was a sign!  He went on to say; “We also want to hire you part time.  We cannot afford to pay you much, but we feel led to pay you something."  "WOW!" I was thinking, “Are you serious?” Tears poured out of my eyes.  It was so surreal, my mind was questioning; “Did I really just receive the sign I had asked God for?  Yes I did!”

Matthew 6:31-34 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own

Easter Sunday April 4, 2010 I was ordained into the ministry.   It was one of the greatest highlights in my life.  Sure things are tough, but that does not matter.  The investment Carri and I are now making is not in a retirement, it is not in things that will fall apart, waste away or be destroyed.  We are investing in something money cannot buy.  We are committed to investing into people’s lives.

 

 

The picture is me sharing the gospel with some children during a MFUGE mission trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was using an evangicube.  The Boy next to me is playing with it. 

Matthew 6:19-21  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

The Effects of God's Will on His Youth Ministry

After discovering God's will for His people and the church I quickly changed what I was doing. No longer was I trying to entertain teens with games and then sneaking in a quick devotion. I began to incorporate intentional fellowship, encourage meaningful worship, and devotions became sermons focusing on discipleship and evangelism. I also encourage missions work organized and impromptu. When I changed my focus to God's will, everything changed. My brother in faith, Randy, was so right when he advised me; "Do what God says to do."


It takes time and serious prayer applying God's will to youth. It is constantly evolving each and every day. Anyway, the overhead laminate film projector did not seem to matter anymore. It became cool to project the lyrics on a wall with a plastic sheet and play contemporary worship music over the sound system. Instead of sounding like bad karaoke, the youth were singing as to please The Lord. The quick devotions became 20-30 minute sermons. Every week I faithfully pray and seek what God has willed for that weeks sermon.


After several months of the same old routine with 9-12 youth, God began to move. The more I found myself surrendering to His will, the more youth He was drawing in to our youth services. Literally it seemed like overnight that we went from an average attendance of 9-12 to 20-25 teenagers. God was obviously blessing "His" youth ministry in our small town. Most people may think 20-25 teenagers is really not that impressive. Maybe it is not for most towns, but for our town it is. What impresses me the most is the number of youth who continue to come every Wednesday night and worship the Lord in a way that is not the norm for today's youth ministry.


Since May of 2009, God has taken the network of 12 students that I had been blessed to minister to and multiplied it now to an average attendance of 40-50. Through it all, God has truly blessed me by allowing me to network and build relationships with nearly 100 teenagers in our area.


Now forget about the 12, 40, 50, and 100. My real point is not numbers, numbers mean absolutely nothing if all a ministry does is entertain teenagers. What I really want to draw attention to is the faithfulness of the youth to worship in the way God has called us to worship Him. I find it fascinating how God reaches youth and keeps their attention so unconventionally compared to what we think is needed. I have seen teenagers grow spiritually in ways I never imagined. I have also seen students turn from sinful lifestyles that most people would have written off as a lost cause.


When we are within God's will and His plan, He moves. We should never think that our plan is greater than His. We simply do not have in mind the things of God nor could we ever dictate or plan His heart's desire. We simply must come before Him in obedience to His will and submit. We must seek His desire and earnestly serve in such a way as to please Him alone if we are to truly be an ambassador for Christ.

I want to encourage you to apply God's will to your daily life. You will discover blessings beyond measure. I assure you, there is no greater place than to be in the midst of The LORDS will. What I shared in my last post as God's will is this; repentance, following Him, fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions. I certainly have not arrived so to speak and neither has the youth group I have been blessed to minister to. My life and His ministry are constantly and continually evolving and hopefully will continue to do so until The Lord brings me home! I never want to come to the place where I think "I have arrived."


The picture is the most recent I have of the Flippin FBC YOUTH Group! A least some of them from from 2012.


Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.


May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

God's Will for His People and His Church:

As I was seeking God’s will for His church, I did so with extreme sincerity. Over a period of several months, I found myself digging deeper and deeper into God’s word more than ever before. I also found my relationship with Christ maturing exponentially. By exponentially, I mean significantly deeper and with greater sincerity than ever before. The more the relationship grew, the stronger the desire, hunger and thirst I had for Christ became. All the while I was asking the BIG question; “What is God’s will for my life and for His church?” I think most want the answer to that question.


I quickly discovered, God was not about to give me a road map of His will for my life. Like everyone else, wanted a clear concise picture of how I was going to get from point A to point B. I believed if I had a map, so to speak, then I could easily obey God’s will. Sounds simple right? Wrong, spiritual obedience requires faith. Where is faith if life is spelled out by a road map? There is none. Faith is believing in what is not seen.


As I faithfully searched for the answers to my BIG questions, I found certain desires naturally surfacing. They way I worshipped became sincere and so much more than music. Worship was no longer about what pleased me, but how my life and song blessed God. I developed and increasing hunger to know and learn more about the Holy Bible and how it applied to my life. I no longer was satisfied with who and where I was. I wanted to grow and mature in my faith and character. Being around other Christians became more important and necessary to me. Missions work became more important to me and leading others to Christ became a daily passion.


Without becoming all theological, here is what God revealed to me through His word and through His Holy Spirit. Christianity is not about a specific plan or road map. God's will for our lives simply begins with this; repenting from our sinful self in order to follow Him. When Christ comes knocking on the door of your life, He reveals to you the gravity of your sin and the separation it creates between you and Him. If you are sincerely convicted by your sinful life, then you will desire change.


In order to open that so called door, you must repent. Not become perfect and sinless, but turn away from your sinful desires and nature. It is dying to a self directed life and surrendering to a Christ directed life. Paul said it best "I no long live, but Christ lives in me." In this way, your sinful self no longer directs your life, Christ does. Through this, you literally follow Him.


In repenting from sin by dying to self and following God's will by living in Christ; that is when those seemingly natural desires and passions emerged with in me. I am certain it is the work of the Holy Spirit within me. Gods will for our lives is not about a road map, it is about becoming what He has called us to be. As we become more like Christ, then we discover God's direction. At times He may give very precise instructions. Predominantly His will is that we trust Him in fulfilling the great commission in and through us no matter where you are in life. In our homes, at work, at school, during leisure, when ever and where ever God's greatest commission and will for our lives is making disciples (Matthew 28:19)


In short, God's will for our lives is to repent, follow Him, become a part of His body of believers and make disciples. In and through this process certain themes or practices emerge that are God's will for His people and for His Church. Here they are: Fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions.


Ironically, after God revealed to me His desire and will for me and for our youth group, I came across a book called “The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry. Written by Doug Fields.” I purchased the book and began to read it. Initially I expected to find what everyone else was doing. I expected to learn how to entertain teenagers most effectively and get them in through the church doors. To my surprise, God affirmed everything He had already placed upon my heart.


In The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry book, Doug outlines the purpose of the Church in these scriptures:


Matthew 28:19-20 therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.


Matthew 22:37 "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.


Matthew 22:39 Love your neighbor as yourself.


Evangelism, that is what making disciples is all about. We are to go out and reach people for Christ, leading them to salvation through repentance and entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ.


Fellowship, thats the product of baptism. when someone is baptized they are symbolizing the fact that they have given their life to Christ. When you give your life to Christ, you become a part of the family of Christ. As a family, we must fellowship in order to strengthen our relationships and build one another up. We are called to be a body, not divided individuals.


Discipleship, is teaching others how to obey the word of God. It is also learning how to obey the word of God.


Worship, is all about loving The Lord with all your heart, soul and mind. Worship permeates every aspect of our expression. It effects our song, speech, character, obedience, works, discipline, habits, ethics, morals, values....


Missions, is loving your neighbor as yourself. It is about doing things for others. Maybe it's your neighbor next door, or maybe it's your neighbor on the other side of the world. Missions is being the hands, feet, mouth and heart of Jesus in this world.


So what is God's will for my life and for His Church? It certainly is not a road map although there will be times when God will give very specific direction. God's will first and foremost is that we repent and follow Him. Jesus himself said "unless you repent, you to will perish." (Luke 13:3,5) Repeatedly Jesus Christ is quoted throughout the gospels saying "Follow me." In following Him, He certainly wills our lives and His church to be centered around five specific areas. Fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions. Think about how the life of Jesus Christ clearly defined, expressed and set the example for all these areas?

In my personal testimony I experienced, if your life is truly in Christ and you align your life around these areas, you will no longer find yourself searching for the answers to God's will, you will find your life guided in God's will. You no longer are consumed about tomorrow, next week, or next year because you know God will lead guide and direct you each and every moment of each and every day. What I have discovered is that knowing God's will is directly related to the degree of my obedience and dependence on Him.


May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

The Search for the Purposes of Church

During the time I agreed to lead our Wednesday night youth and the day I surrendered to the ministry, I was attempting to mimic other youth pastors and their methods of ministry.  I really had no budget to work with and not much money of my own to invest.  What I did have I spent on trying to make our Wednesday night youth appealing to our local students.  Honestly, that was an epic failure.    God had called me into His ministry not my ministry or the ministry of someone else.  My failure was trying to fulfill and mimic what others were already doing.  I was not seeking what God wanted to be done. 

It is funny how we have it in our heads that God needs all the fancy gadgets and latest technology to reach the lost.  The irony was in what I did have.  The digital projector was broken, I had no laptop, and the youth building was and still is the old church with no pews.  We did have an old pool table, a ping pong table and one basketball goal.  The floors were and still are bare.  The walls are just a plain white with grungy smudges everywhere.   No fancy lights, no fancy décor, no band, and no cool place to just hang out. What we had and still have is the blah boring bare minimum, a scratchy sound system, and an old school plastic sheet projector.  Most youth would walk in and think “really, are you for real!” and walk out.  In spite of all this, we are blessed beyond measure, we really are.  Today we do have a working computer projector and a somewhat working laptop. 

After several weeks of leading the youth, reality set in.  God wanted something different than what I was attempting to create and mimic.  If He really wanted what I was trying to do He would have provided for those needs.  So the big question was; “What was it that God had planned?”

The first night I led youth, there was 9 students in attendance.   Several weeks later there were 12-15.  Obviously something was wrong.  Please do not be mistaken, it’s was not about how many kids you can draw in and entertain.  It is about making an impact in the life of a student for Christ.  If you have a hundred or even a thousand and not one life is reached for Christ, then it is all in vain.  If you only have one and that one life is changed for Christ, then it is all worth every effort you have made. 

One fact I knew for sure was; we had more than one in our community that needed to meet the Lord.  I also realized that what I was doing really wasn’t what The Lord wanted.  The kids I was ministering to were the kids of parents who had been attending our church for years.  They all grew up in the church and they were expected to be a part of the youth group.  Not that this was a bad thing, because it was not.  The problem was our youth ministry was bound by the walls and membership of our church.  God never intended it to be that way. 

I began to pray faithfully, “Lord, what is it that our youth need? How do you want me to lead and minister?”  As I became more faithful in praying and more in tune to listening to God’s voice instead of making sure God heard my voice, I began to hear what He desired.  I began to realize that what God wanted was not entertainment it was church.  I began to see what God’s church looked like.  It had no walls or fancy comfortable interiors.  God’s church was the people.  With that in mind, I began to focus on what we did have and not what I thought we should have.  I no longer sought after the images of other youth groups; I sought after the images of Christ’s church and its purpose.

God began to put things on my heart and my mind of what He wanted.  It seemed like every time I asked He would respond “Church!”  As I would read His word and pray, I began to realize what Church was suppose to look like and what its purposes were.  When we make church what we want it to be and not what God has called it to be it may look attractive and nice on the outside, but in the inside, it is dead.  In my next post I will share what God showed me, and how He confirmed the purposes of His church. 

 

The picture is of a church in Romania.  the inside was absolutely gorgeous.  The outside was surrounded by homeless people with great need. There is something wrong with that. 

Matthew 23:27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

God Does Not Call the Qualified, He Qualifies the Called

I spent the next several months after the youth mission trip to Mobile Alabama debating with God.  He was calling me to youth ministry and I was trying to convince Him that I was the wrong guy.  I promise I had more excuses that Moses’ ever dreamed of having.  At times, I would think to myself; “I can do this.  All I need to do is be more like this youth pastor or that youth pastor.”  I was always looking at the ministries of other pastors trying to figure out how I could mimic their gifts, talents, abilities, and methods.  However, I would always come to the same conclusion; I cannot be that person.  Then I would say to God "see I told you so."

Sunday February 14, 2010 is the day it all came to a head between God and I.  I was sitting in the front pew of the church waiting for the morning services to start.  Everything seemed routine and normal; there was nothing out of the ordinary.  All of the sudden I began to hear in an audible voice "Are you, or are you not going to surrender to ministry?"  I know it was not an audible voice that others could hear, neither was it an audible voice I heard in my own ears.  It was however an audible voice I could hear coming from within my soul.  I cannot explain it, but I just know it was audible and it came from my heart not my head.  I tried to tune the voice out and ignore it, but I could not. 

Worship music started and I began to sing.  The louder I sang the louder the voice inside my soul spoke.  Again I tried ignoring it, but I could not.  My heart began to pound in my chest and my voice began to quiver as I was singing.  It got so bad I could not sing any more.  When I could no longer sing and all I could do was listen, the music began to fade. Then, God said something different.  I heard this; "The answer is either yes or no.  If yes, I will do great things in and through you.  If no, I will be finished with you and I will ask no more."  Immediately tears began to stream from my eyes and I said "yes!" 

After saying "yes!" to God, I walked over to our pastor Brother Steve.  The worship music was still playing but that did not stop me.  I told him I was surrendering my life to ministry.  Brother Steve smiled, patted me on the back and said, "It's about time."  At the end of the service, I went before the church and made my profession of commitment to ministry public.  I never felt so excited about my faith before than like I did that day.  God was not looking at my qualifications all He wanted from me was a simple yes.   Yes meant that I would surrender all my trust upon Him.  He would do the qualifying for His calling on my life. 

The excuses I had were all about me and not about what God could do.  Ministry should never ever be about the pastor or leader; it should always be about God.   God created us in His image and we try to recreate God in our image when we try to justify God by our qualifications.  How sinfully wrong we are in this thought process.  God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.  Therefore any ministry built apart from God’s qualifying abilities is a failed ministry.  May I go as far as saying that any ministry built apart from the qualifications of the living God amount to nothing more than idolatry. 

The picture is CHAGY the Clown ministering and sharing the gospel with some kids in Nicaragua.  If you know anything about clowns, they can act pretty foolish.  CHAGY is one of the most God qualified evangelists I know.  

I Corinthians 1:25-31 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. 26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

I Am Not, But The Great I AM Is

Right after I started leading our churches youth group, we had a youth mission trip. The week of July 4, 2009, I was the new leader for the youth MFUGE trip to Mobile Alabama. MFUGE is comparable to a mission trip, church camp, and revival on steroids. Lifeway ministry organizes these particular events. It was during this week, I debated with God whether or not He could use me.

I had honestly been struggling with the temporary youth leadership role I had been asked to fill. I had no idea how long it was going to take to find a new youth pastor. My struggle was the fact that I was still rather shy, quiet, timid, and fearful. During this week, God began to speak to me in a way I had never heard or experienced before. Repeatedly The LORD was saying "Bill I want you to lead the youth, I want to use you to reach them for Me. I am going to use you to do this. You will teach them to worship and love Me. You will show them who my son is. Your life and leadership will become the proof and evidence of who I am, through you they will come to know me." My immediate response was something like this "God, I am not able, I am not biblically wise, I am not able to speak, I am not smart enough, I am not strong enough, I am not courageous enough, I am not secure enough, I am not popular enough, my life is not stable enough, I am not……" Throughout this week and the weeks that followed, this was the context to the debate God and I was having.

The main theme for that years MFUGE was having faith, faith to believe, faith to take a stand, faith to move forward, faith to do what God has called you to do. The story focused on Moses and the burning bush. Moses was drawn to what seemed impossible, a burring bush that was not being consumed. My life was a burring bush because of the things I had faced and dealt with in the past, my personality, lack of confidence, and even more so our battle with Huntington's disease. Just like the burning bush that was not being consumed or destroyed by fire, neither was my life. By all standards, my life and family should have been a train wreck so to speak.

Just like me, Moses had one excuse after another as to why he could not do what God had called him to do. God's response to Moses’ doubt was "I AM." For several months, I argued with God. " I am not able, I am not biblically wise enough, I am not able to speak well, I am not smart enough, I am not strong enough, I am not courageous enough, I am not secure enough, I am not popular enough, my life is not stable enough, I am not……blah blah blah…" God's response to every excuse I had was "I AM."

Looking back, my faith and trust in the Lord was weak and pitiful. Who was I to say “No” to God? Of course, I cannot do the things of God, but He can and He will in and through anyone who is willing to surrender and say “Yes.” After all, He is the great I AM.

Are you like Moses and I, do you doubt what God can do in and through you? I assure I was one of the worst doubters, but now I am one of the most assured believers. God is the “I AM.” He is the one who gives us the strength and courage to do what He has called us to do. He has never called anyone to be qualified first. As a matter of fact, no one is qualified enough in self to adequately represent God. God however is adequate enough to qualify those He has called. All you have to do is say “Yes!”

It is in this story and the next couple of stories that I began to discover God’s will and purpose for the church.  The picture is the group of youth we took to MFUGE, Mobile Alabama 2009.

Exodus 3:14 ,God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!