Category Archives: Blogroll

affirmation, Blogroll, life, Ministry, personal growth, positive, present, Uncategorized, vision

The Ministry Of Presence!

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” -Galatians 5:13

Some times the greatest gift that we have to give to someone else is simply the gift our our presence with nothing added and nothing taken away. I’m not sure if you are like me or not, but I am one of those people that often thinks “I’ve got to fix it!”, but the Spirit is teaching me that I don’t have to fix it and there are going to be times that I can’t fix it, but I can almost always be present and my presence is more than enough.

My wife used to come home from school and she would start telling me about her day and the challenges that she faced and I would immediately start telling her what she should and should not have done. One day while we were having this very traditional back and forth, she just put her hand up and said: “I don’t need you to be my preacher, pastor or friend, I just need you to listen and let me get it out.” And from that day on, I learned the value of a sore tongue, because I have almost bitten a hole in my tongue while biting it to try and keep my mouth shut.

One of my teachers in middle school used to say: “God gave you two ears and one mouth, so you should do twice as much listening as you do talking.” There are times when we worry ourselves ragged trying to figure out what to say or what to do to help someone else, when honestly all they need is our presence. Just to know that someone cares is often more than enough to get a person through what they are doing their best to get through.

I ran into the above little poem about ministry and it reminded me that each and every one of us have the opportunity to minister to others.

We can minister to others by taking the time to listen. We can minister to others by looking for and accentuating the joy. We can minister to others by helping someone else, even when we feel like we are the ones that needs the help. We can minister to others by asking God to use us to share His love and blessing with others. We can minister to others by putting our arm around someone’s shoulders, giving them a hug around the neck or maybe a pat on the back. We can minister to others by encouraging them by finding the positive that has to be in there somewhere. We can minister to others by praying for them and with them. We can minister to others by serving them and meeting whatever need we can. We can minister others by comforting them with our words and actions.

Ministry at it’s best is about our presence. Some time, most of the time, just being there is more than enough…

Blogroll, Church, Enlightenment, Expectation, Gratitude, Growing, Jesus, vision

What’s The Big Deal?

I grew up in Church. In fact, before I was born, I was in church. My family did not believe in going every now and then, they believed in being there every time the doors were open. They sang in the choir, my Mom led teen missions and my Dad drove the bus to pick folks up on Sunday mornings. Church was a part of our life and living and our lives would not be the same without it.

We are so faithful to church, because of our faith. We believe in God and that God is love. We believe that because God loves us, He gave His most precious gift, His Son Jesus, which is God in the flesh making a way for us, where there was no way. It’s really not complicated, it’s very simple and I think that is where a lot of folks get messed up. I think some folks are looking for complicated.

God created us and because He loves us, He gives us the ability to choose the life we are going to live. Our choices have consequences and as we live our life, those consequences usually teach us what we do and do not want, which is why God offers us: Mercy and Grace. Mercy is not getting what we deserve, which is eternal separation from God and whatever punishment our sins bring into our lives, while Grace is getting what we don’t deserve, which is a relationship with God that allows our Spirit (the real us) to grow on with God through all Eternity.

When you read through the the life of Jesus in the Gospels, you do not find Him going on and on about rules, regulations or religion. You find Jesus, over and over again, inviting people into a relationship and it is because of the loving relationship that people want to get it right with rules, regulations and religion.

“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” -John 1:10-13

The important thing to remember and never forget is that it is all about RELATIONSHIP with the ONE, who brought us to the dance. When we are really connected to God, the our Spirit can see, feel, hear and experience His presence, power, protection and direction. The most important thing we can ever do, is get into a relationship with our Creator. The second most important thing we can do, is grow in that relationships. The Bible, Church and Prayer are the keys that unlock the doors to help make that happen.

I want to encourage you today, if you don’t know God in a personal way, start looking for Him, because He will allow Himself to be found by you. Get into a church that encourages and teaches you how to get into and grow through this personal relationship. And above all, enjoy the amazing journey, because it’s what you were created for…

Blogroll, Church, Evangelism, Growing, Jesus

The Church “Ain’t” Dead!

Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with a group of retired Pastors and even though they are not serving in a position, everyone of them is still serving Jesus through preaching, teaching, writing and encouraging. Since then I have been thinking a lot about the church and it’s modern day condition and I just feel led to proclaim: The Church Ain’t Dead! (And I said “ain’t” on purpose to get your attention!)

I think that a lot of church folks have become convinced that the church has seen it’s best days and the majority have become content reminiscing about the good ole days, way back when… Most of the people in our communities seem to have the attitude that I can live with it or without it. I think they like having us on the corner, just in case, because you never know???

As our world becomes more and more secular and less and less Christian, one might be tempted to think that it’s all over for the church, but that would be a mistake, because Jesus said: “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!” (Matthew 16:18)

The real issue at hand is: Whose church is it? Some buildings are occupied by folks who think that the church is theirs, because they have been there all their lives and their Momma, Daddy and Grandparents too. Some folks think the church belongs to them, because of the community it’s located in. It’s a place to celebrate the births and a spot to be buried when death knocks on our door. There is another group of folks that think the church is a place we go every now and then to be entertained, a show to go to on Sunday to prove just how spiritual I really am.

These buildings, locations, congregations, tribes, communities, stages, and productions are not the church, although it is possible for the church to be found at some of these places. The CHURCH is the body of Christ and is made up of men, women, boys and girls that have a real life changing relationship with God through Jesus. Jesus is the head and people are the body and this is the church that is promised a beautiful, blessed and magnificient future.

I think we sometimes forget that the ONE who made the promise died, but is not dead. Jesus is ALIVE and his promise is more alive today, than it has ever been. Those retired fellows that I sat down to have lunch with, believed it back in the younger days when they were just getting started and they still believe it today as their life and ministry here on this earth is coming to an end.

And we need to believe it too! We need to believe it, claim it and live it, everyday and in every way we can, because God is worthy, His Word is faithful and His promises are true. The CHURCh is not dead, it just needs to wake up to it’s RESURRECTION power and reclaim God’s ground…