Monday, October 7, 2024

Worship 101 (6) - Trend vs The Presence (of God)

Many churches (not every one) today operate by the latest trends set by large mega churches and by Christian Contemporary radio stations. When being trendy is more important than seeking for the presence of the Holy Spirit in our corporate gatherings, there will be no life-producing presence of the Holy Spirit upon our worship. It may be impressive, but not anointed by the Holy Spirit and power! Remember, when His presence comes, things happen, and folks change...for the good. I pray you are blessed and encouraged by this teaching. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Thursday, September 26, 2024

Worship 101 (Part 5) - The Presence of God

This teaching addresses the protocol of corporately entering into God's intimate presence. I'm talking about the level of His presence that changes us. I pray you are blessed by this episode. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

 

 

Monday, July 29, 2024

The Gift Of Making Memories

We can't have our family and close friends with us forever. But we can make wonderful memories with them. Rehashing those precious memories is, in a way, like living them over and over again. I am very grateful to God for the gift of family, and the incredible privilege to make memories with them. It also gives me joy to be able to share some of them.

In my Dad's later years I saw Jesus touch him miraculously amid a challenging time in his life. He mellowed tremendously after God touched him. He changed instantly and exuded a peace that can only be described as “heavenly”. And that’s the way he remained until the day he went to be with Jesus. Thank God, that’s the way I remember him.

Dad had a great sense of humor. He was also an exceptionally talented artist. He drew some of the funniest caricatures of us kids over the years. And of course, they were always exaggerated to the extreme!

Here’s an example: As a child, I loved sweets; any kind of sweets. Our family owned and ran a pharmacy in Bay Springs, MS. Our store had a vast, extensive candy case! One of the blessings of being a family member was that occasionally my parents and Grandparents would allow me to raid the candy case, with limitations, of course. What a joy! One time Dad drew a caricature of me literally sucking all the candy out of the candy case…from several feet away! It was truly hilarious! My two sisters, Katherine, and Cindy; my brother, Van, and myself, all inherited a vast portion of his sense of humor.

I will never forget the times when he was cutting up with us kids! It was usually when he was off, or we were away on vacation with the family. Speaking of vacation, one of our family traditions was that we went to a fish camp near Kiln, Mississippi for a week, at least twice each Summer. We would go just after school got out in early June, and go again, just before school started back in late August.

On one particular outing Dad and I were out fishing on the Jourdan River in an old, wooden skiff. That old skiff had a 5-hp motor that you could outrun walking at a slow pace! Anyway, we came upon a huge Gar Fish, dead, floating in the water, and stinking to high heaven! Dad decided we would play a little trick on the rest of the family who were back at the cabin. So, he had me hold the dead, stinky Gar Fish up next to the skiff, leaving it in the water as we rode about a mile on the river to the cabin.

As we pulled into the little boathouse lagoon, my little sister Cindy came running out to see what we had caught. Her eyes became as big as saucers when she saw the big, dead, stinky Gar Fish! She ran to get Mother who hurried to see the catch. She began to smell the fish even before she could see it. At once she knew neither of us had caught the completely inedible fish. Mother ordered us to immediately take the fish as far away as we could, making sure the tide or the currents wouldn't bring it back again! Daddy laughed so hard and told me it was worth all the trouble just to prank them and see their reactions! I miss him tremendously.

One of the greatest blessings of this life is to make memories with family and love ones. Family is a gift from God. My Dad has been in heaven since 2010. But I have the blessing of rehashing those memories over and over.

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Are You Missing The Whole Thing?

I saw an impromptu debate this morning over whether Trump is an idol or not. Some were saying he is an idol. Others were arguing that he is not, but that Biden is an idol. I've seen and heard in other arguments over politics, and the upcoming U.S. Presidential election, that it should be Jesus in 2024. I don't agree with that.

First of all, it should be Jesus forever, not just in the 2024 Presidential election. Let's not turn to Jesus only when it's an election year. Let's not turn to Jesus because you may or may not think either candidate is a worthy choice. This life is all about Jesus. Your destiny should be all about Jesus! If America truly chose Jesus, our country wouldn't be in such turmoil.

The American church is missing the whole thing! The American church as a whole seems to be clueless about this particular upcoming election! It's not about personality, or the lack of thereof. It's about freedom, and the privilege to share it around the world. It's about the freedom to remain the most evangelistic nation ever on planet earth. It's about checking big government, or allowing it to continue to paralyze our nation. It's about supporting God's people, Israel, and receiving God's richest blessings as a nation, or it's about turning our backs on God's people, and becoming the object of God's curses (as He proclaims in Genesis 12:3).

Satan hates America because of her willingness to share the gospel to the nations of this world. As a result, there are millions around the world that hate America. There are folks right here in America that hate America and are working to see her fall. When she falls, the rest of the world will suffer greatly. Satan hates America because she has faithfully stood with God's people Israel throughout the decades. And God has blessed America for that! Yet, we, the church in America debate, argue, pick and choose, and sadly divide over petty things instead of asking the question "Are we better off now that we were before?".

Even on a natural, grassroots level the church continues to be clueless! Crucial things; things that strengthen our nation don't seem to matter. The economy, interest rates, inflation, and price of gas are just a few indicators our economy has taken a nose dive over the past 4 years. But the church continues to focus on the petty, and continues to miss the whole thing: A better America, a stronger military, a stronger economy (once again), closed borders, freedom to share the gospel around the world. These are just a few of the things that will greatly effect your children, your grandchildren, etc.

The church in America must stop expecting her Commander in Chief to be men of God. The church must stop limiting God to our preconceived notions of who and how our President should be. God has used Godly people, and at times, ungodly folks to carry out His will. The church in America is missing it! God's ultimate, immutable will is carried out by and through the person He chooses. But God also requires His church to know His heart for America. Arguing, debating, pitching opinion only weakens our ability to hear His heart. There is where the danger lies.

And finally, look at results. Look at the figures. Remember where we were and where we are. The bottom line is, what is best for the American people. God wants the best for His people. That's NOT Christian nationalism. That is NOT idolatry. So, again, the question is, are you missing the whole thing?