ITS THE LORD

So many times I think we get so wrapped up in service projects and human programs what we THINK in our hearts that we are doing the will of the Lord. Oswald Chambers hit me right between the eyes this morning with his “re-adjustment” of my way of thinking. Perhaps I need to re-examine my motivation while serving. Am I serving the SYSTEM, or am I serving HIM?

“It Is the Lord!”

"Thomas answered and said to Him, ’My Lord and my God!’"

—John 20:28

Jesus said to her, ’Give Me a drink’ ” (John 4:7). How many of us are expecting Jesus Christ to quench our thirst when we should be satisfying Him! We should be pouring out our lives, investing our total beings, not drawing on Him to satisfy us. “You shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). That means lives of pure, uncompromising, and unrestrained devotion to the Lord Jesus, which will be satisfying to Him wherever He may send us.

Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of true devotion to Jesus is the service we do for Him. It is easier to serve than to pour out our lives completely for Him. The goal of the call of God is His satisfaction, not simply that we should do something for Him. We are not sent to do battle for God, but to be used by God in His battles. Are we more devoted to service than we are to Jesus Christ Himself? {Oswald Chambers}

FATHER, grant us wisdom through the Holy Spirit on a daily basis in order that we might see with our eyes and hear with our ears and think with our minds that which is pleasing to you, not of ourselves. Let us serve you and you alone and be ready to do your bidding at all times. In the name of JESUS of Nazareth, Amen.

ITS THE LORD

So many times I think we get so wrapped up in service projects and human programs what we THINK in our hearts that we are doing the will of the Lord. Oswald Chambers hit me right between the eyes this morning with his “re-adjustment” of my way of thinking. Perhaps I need to re-examine my motivation while serving. Am I serving the SYSTEM, or am I serving HIM?

“It Is the Lord!”

"Thomas answered and said to Him, ’My Lord and my God!’"

—John 20:28

Jesus said to her, ’Give Me a drink’ ” (John 4:7). How many of us are expecting Jesus Christ to quench our thirst when we should be satisfying Him! We should be pouring out our lives, investing our total beings, not drawing on Him to satisfy us. “You shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). That means lives of pure, uncompromising, and unrestrained devotion to the Lord Jesus, which will be satisfying to Him wherever He may send us.

Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of true devotion to Jesus is the service we do for Him. It is easier to serve than to pour out our lives completely for Him. The goal of the call of God is His satisfaction, not simply that we should do something for Him. We are not sent to do battle for God, but to be used by God in His battles. Are we more devoted to service than we are to Jesus Christ Himself? {Oswald Chambers}

FATHER, grant us wisdom through the Holy Spirit on a daily basis in order that we might see with our eyes and hear with our ears and think with our minds that which is pleasing to you, not of ourselves. Let us serve you and you alone and be ready to do your bidding at all times. In the name of JESUS of Nazareth, Amen.

OH I LOVE MY MOUNTAINS

And I Love my Valley's Too!

I love so much those special mountain-top moments with my Lord. You know those, times when God delivers a direct blessing to you through the in-dwelling Holy Spirit. It produces that remarkable sensation of extreme peace and joy that wells up from deep inside you. Filling your whole being, your entire body with that Holy pleasure, glee, happiness, security, love and calm. (this is the only way I can describe the feeling)

Then comes the time when we must come down from the mountain top and into the valley. I should look forward to spending time in the valley. Often though, I find myself wondering aloud where are those gleeful moments that I frequently get when on the mountain top? The feeling is like being directly plugged into God because you can see for miles in all directions. Down in the valley, you can't see very far. The voice of God seems to be quiet, perhaps vacant. Its almost like the signal from God's radio station has poor reception, deep in the valley.

It is during this time, in the valley, that I sometimes become discouraged. The Holy Spirit seems less responsive. Once in a while I even question why I am here. What am I supposed to do? What is my purpose? Where am I going?

Oh yes,..... then....THEN....I remember. The fruit is not produced high atop a mountain. It is in the valley where the work is done. Through the sweat of your toil, the planting of the seeds, the nurturing of the tender plant, it is HERE in the valley where the Fruit, is produced. Praise you Jesus. Praise you Holy Spirit. Only here, deep in the valley, is the accomplished work of our Lord realized. Here is where your faith carries you through. Here, in the valley is where the harvest is taken. It is where the work is performed. It is HERE in the valley where the Lord tests you, strengthens you, teaches you, grows you. The valley is where the TRUE work of Jesus takes place. Be comforted here. Be at peace. He may be quiet, here deep in the valley, but He sees you working hard for Him. What a beautiful sight that is in His eyes.

OH I LOVE MY MOUNTAINS

And I Love my Valley's Too!

I love so much those special mountain-top moments with my Lord. You know those, times when God delivers a direct blessing to you through the in-dwelling Holy Spirit. It produces that remarkable sensation of extreme peace and joy that wells up from deep inside you. Filling your whole being, your entire body with that Holy pleasure, glee, happiness, security, love and calm. (this is the only way I can describe the feeling)

Then comes the time when we must come down from the mountain top and into the valley. I should look forward to spending time in the valley. Often though, I find myself wondering aloud where are those gleeful moments that I frequently get when on the mountain top? The feeling is like being directly plugged into God because you can see for miles in all directions. Down in the valley, you can't see very far. The voice of God seems to be quiet, perhaps vacant. Its almost like the signal from God's radio station has poor reception, deep in the valley.

It is during this time, in the valley, that I sometimes become discouraged. The Holy Spirit seems less responsive. Once in a while I even question why I am here. What am I supposed to do? What is my purpose? Where am I going?

Oh yes,..... then....THEN....I remember. The fruit is not produced high atop a mountain. It is in the valley where the work is done. Through the sweat of your toil, the planting of the seeds, the nurturing of the tender plant, it is HERE in the valley where the Fruit, is produced. Praise you Jesus. Praise you Holy Spirit. Only here, deep in the valley, is the accomplished work of our Lord realized. Here is where your faith carries you through. Here, in the valley is where the harvest is taken. It is where the work is performed. It is HERE in the valley where the Lord tests you, strengthens you, teaches you, grows you. The valley is where the TRUE work of Jesus takes place. Be comforted here. Be at peace. He may be quiet, here deep in the valley, but He sees you working hard for Him. What a beautiful sight that is in His eyes.

Expand your horizons in 2016

When I woke this morning there were a few emails awaiting. Most were the Happy New Year greetings, but two had the Holy Spirit as attachments. One was from a woman who had just lost her husband of 47 years in the month before Christmas. His birthday celebration would have been December 23^rd. She struggled through this holiday and only this morning did it appear that her road might be a little straighter, a little smoother. I reminded her of God's love and compassion. That she is never alone, His strength walks with her no matter where her feet might trod. She will be clutching her Bible a little bit tighter in the days ahead.

The other Holy Spirit driven email (actually......they all are Holy Spirit Driven, we just seldom notice). This from a wonderful friend who served in the Army with me. We had been exchanging our opinions and views on world events, especially the huge up-tick in terror related violence, and the persecution and killing of Christians. He lost the love of his life several years ago, but carries her deep in his heart every day.

The dialog between us was clearly focused on the end times, and events taking shape before our eyes and their Biblical connection. I recommended to him a certain named study Bible that held a very high position of respect among others who are starting their personal relationship with God's Word. What struck a cord in me was discovering that his departed wife owned that very named study Bible and that it was in his house. I paused to Praise the Lord. It is awesome the way our Lord, our Jesus does His work, right before our eyes!!!

I despise New Year's Resolutions but permit me to Recommend a commitment, a personal promise, a sign on the dotted line agreement to read through the Bible in ONE YEAR, Genesis to Revelation, starting today. It's going to take some work, discipline, stick-to-it-ness, and management of your time. The benefit to everything in your life, will be extraordinary, wondrous, beautiful and absolutely satisfying. Along the way you will learn things you never knew, revisit that which you may have forgotten, and strengthen your ability to remain strong as the end times and the prophesy unfolds before us.

Here is an online resource that will greatly help you during this year's progress:

https://dgahdd04o9y11.cloudfront.net/assets/site/pdf/YearBiblePlan.pdf

Read with me this year. Read every day. Finish the Race. God Bless you and your family throughout this new year. May the love of our Lord Jesus fill your heart with peace and strength, AMEN.

Expand your horizons in 2016

When I woke this morning there were a few emails awaiting. Most were the Happy New Year greetings, but two had the Holy Spirit as attachments. One was from a woman who had just lost her husband of 47 years in the month before Christmas. His birthday celebration would have been December 23^rd. She struggled through this holiday and only this morning did it appear that her road might be a little straighter, a little smoother. I reminded her of God's love and compassion. That she is never alone, His strength walks with her no matter where her feet might trod. She will be clutching her Bible a little bit tighter in the days ahead.

The other Holy Spirit driven email (actually......they all are Holy Spirit Driven, we just seldom notice). This from a wonderful friend who served in the Army with me. We had been exchanging our opinions and views on world events, especially the huge up-tick in terror related violence, and the persecution and killing of Christians. He lost the love of his life several years ago, but carries her deep in his heart every day.

The dialog between us was clearly focused on the end times, and events taking shape before our eyes and their Biblical connection. I recommended to him a certain named study Bible that held a very high position of respect among others who are starting their personal relationship with God's Word. What struck a cord in me was discovering that his departed wife owned that very named study Bible and that it was in his house. I paused to Praise the Lord. It is awesome the way our Lord, our Jesus does His work, right before our eyes!!!

I despise New Year's Resolutions but permit me to Recommend a commitment, a personal promise, a sign on the dotted line agreement to read through the Bible in ONE YEAR, Genesis to Revelation, starting today. It's going to take some work, discipline, stick-to-it-ness, and management of your time. The benefit to everything in your life, will be extraordinary, wondrous, beautiful and absolutely satisfying. Along the way you will learn things you never knew, revisit that which you may have forgotten, and strengthen your ability to remain strong as the end times and the prophesy unfolds before us.

Here is an online resource that will greatly help you during this year's progress:

https://dgahdd04o9y11.cloudfront.net/assets/site/pdf/YearBiblePlan.pdf

Read with me this year. Read every day. Finish the Race. God Bless you and your family throughout this new year. May the love of our Lord Jesus fill your heart with peace and strength, AMEN.

FINISH WELL

I just received this in an email from a dear friend and brother in our Lord. I thought it a fitting closer to the year two-thousand-fifteen and a brilliant opener to two-thousand-sixteen. As the Apostle Paul alluded to in his writings, U.S. Army Brigadier General Michael Ferguson brings to the present a message on the importance to FINISH WELL:

In an age of so little perseverance I find these words are ringing in my ears like the background music on an elevator. Fight the good fight; keep the faith; finish the race.
I can't count how many times I heard Pastor Arnold Lastinger speak these words of challenge into my life. As a young man with no experience I probably rolled my eyes, but as time has passed this holy background music has become more like the soundtrack of a timeless movie. (Yes, I downloaded the Star Wars movie score in anticipation of Episode VII. Thank you, John Williams.)
On December 8th, Pastor Lastinger went absent from the body and present with the Lord. What a soul-marking moment it was for me, as I watched him worship until the end, using his dying breath and waning strength to lift his hands to the God he longed for.
Several days later I flew to Mississippi where I spent time with another one of my heroes, John Perkins. Due to his age and health concerns his daughter makes clear that he needs boundaries on his schedule. Yet when he starts talking about Jesus and justice and the greatness of God, he just won't stop. I'm serious. One night, after hours of conversation, I had to plead with him to go home and go to bed, as it was approaching 10:00. As we finished, he invited me to be a part of the Bible study he was leading the next day. At 5:30 the next morning. I've never heard of a Bible study at 5:30 in the morning. But sure enough, there he was, long before the sun would rise, leading a room full of men through Romans 9. It was like watching a child opening a present on Christmas morning. Joy. Energy. Wonder. 85 years of age and he is still burning.
A week earlier, I listened as Pastor Lastinger described his peace and contentment and anticipation of heaven. "It's all true," he told me. "When I preached funerals in my 20's I thoughtI believed it. But 50 years later I realize, it's all true. And it works!" he explained with a peace I can't explain. But then I heard something else: his longing for his Savior. The closest comparison I have is like a bridegroom getting ready for his honeymoon. He was longing for Jesus. On his deathbed he was still burning.
I want to burn till the end.
In an age of so little perseverance these two men stand tall. Their voices have weight. And their entire life has become their message. Neither has tried to stay relevant, and that is part of what makes them so. Their transcendence is their relevance. Oh how it has fed my soul to be exposed to men whose lives carry such a rare grace. Some things can only be said after years. Or decades. Or a lifetime. And the only way you get this kind of gravitas is to persevere. To endure. To finish your race.
What a lesson for young leaders.
I've heard it said that it takes 20 years to make a man or woman of God. But I'm starting to think it takes a lifetime. In a culture that bows before the shrine of youth and worships to the tune of the latest one hit wonder, it becomes difficult to discern when timeless words are being written and the truest lives are being lived. But I long for this.
Did these men give me clues about how to persevere? Sure. Both would tell me stay curious. Keep learning. Figure out how to handle your pain. Set up accountability relationships to deal with temptation. But at the end of the day both of these men most fed me because their obsession with Jesus. I would meet with Pastor Lastinger seeking wisdom, and it was there. But in the middle of a lunch meeting he would break down in tears when he began to speak of Jesus. I flew to Mississippi seeking justice, and it was there. But what I found most was a man dripping with the Author of justice.
Finish well, my friend.






Happy New Year dear friends – Brother Gary