Exhortations

I thought I'd end this year's writings with a few "exhortations" from my prayer journal, all of which I hope to live out. May we all live them out.

"Jesus, give me eyes to see You everywhere." It is so easy to think and feel like the Lord is only involved in our lives on a part time basis. We believe that we see Him in the expected places, our worship services, devotional study and prayer time, and so on. We don't so much expect to see Him where we work, play, or spend our leisure. We especially don't expect to see Him in the lives of those He brings to us. It's in the lives of other people, especially difficult people, or needy people, or physically, emotionally, or mentally offensive people. Yet Jesus clearly stated that we would. In His parable of the sheep and the goats, He said that He had appeared to us as those who were sick, in need, or held in "prison." When we ministered to such as these, He said we ministered to Him. When we ignored them, were repelled by them, turned away from them, He said we rejected Him as we rejected them. Are you as convicted as me in this? It's so easy to look away from the unattractive, the unlovely, the ones who can only take and not give anything back. Yet it is in these that we may see His face. How many times did we miss His face in the past year in such ones? How many times will we do the same in the coming year?

"That I would live fully, deeply, boldy, in every area of my life." Jesus said that He came to give life, and to give it in abundance. Is the life you and I are living in His name worthy of the life He died to give us? Think on that. Are we day in and day out examples of spiritual mediocrity? Of holy blandness? We are to live vital lives. He has given us lives that are to make a difference in the world around us, that have an impact. Do we exhibit levels of joy, peace, wisdom, strength, and love that attract people to us, that make them want to know why and how we live as we do? Does anybody want to have the kind of life we have? Is the only thing they can say about us that marks us as different, is that we go to church? So many live waiting to die. The follower of Christ should die living their life in Him to the fullest extent possible. Are we doing so right now? No, life is not always exciting. There is the monotony of daily routine, but for the believer, even there we can live with zest, with joyful expectation. With a steadfast hope that flies in the face of all that can seek to steal His abundant life. This year, no matter our age, will we live a life that honors His life? That reflects a possession of all that He has given us in that life?

"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8...."May we learn to be blown by the Spirit wherever He pleases." Much is written concerning living in the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, following the leading of the Spirit, almost all of it very rich. Yet, one can't live by the Spirit while remaining dull to His voice. And many of us, too many, are. Our spiritual ears aren't tuned to Him because our hearts aren't tuned to Him. His voice too often is just one of many voices seeking our attention. We can't follow someone who's directions aren't heard. To live out John 3:8 takes an intimacy most of us don't ever develop or even seek. As a result, we tend to be blown by every kind of "wind" and end up going nowhere, or worse, into places of harm and destruction. The winds of the Holy Spirit are always directed by God, and though we may have no idea where He might be leading us, we trust Him knowing that He is the wind. As we rest in Him, we can trust Him to "fill our sails" and take us along in the pathway He's chosen for us. It may go in many different directions and to many different places, but we rest and trust in that where He takes us is for our ultimate good and His ultimate glory. May we, in this coming year, be so yielded to Him, that He is able to carry us along in the steps of His will. Oftentimes not knowing where He takes us, but always trusting that it will end in His "broad place."

By His grace, I hope to live out these "exhortations" this year. May it be your heart to do so as well.

Blessings,

Pastor O 

Name Droppers

 "Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven, and on earth and under the earth." Philippians 2:9-10..."In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Acts 3:6....."The only thing that distinguished His servants was that they were authorized to use that Name." Watchman Nee

Somewhere along the line in life you've probably met a "name dropper." You know them. The people who like to "drop" a name of someone who's usually well known, and who they know. A celebrity, or person of influence. People who are important, and when they "drop" those names, the desire is that they will be seen as important also. Such people can be very tiresome and most of us avoid them. However, when it comes to Jesus Christ, the use of His name is not for the purpose of bringing attention to ourselves, but all attention and glory to Him. We who are His are really a people of no name serving the One whose name is above all names.

There's a refrain in one version of the song, "No Longer Slaves" that goes, "There is power, in the name of Jesus. There is power, in the name of Jesus. There is power, in the name of Jesus, to break every chain, to break every chain, to break every chain." Another song goes, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There's just something about that name." Something glorious, powerful, majestic, mystical is in His name. I know in my life there have been times in prayer where I was so weighed down with need that I couldn't even put into words what I was feeling in my spirit. In those times, all I could do was say His name, over and over again. And in response came a deep, abiding peace. That which seeks to oppress, hinder, even harm us, cannot stand in the face of His name. There is power in His name, but do we really live like we believe that?

In Acts 3:6, Peter and John were in the Temple when they walked past a man crippled from birth. He was begging for money. Peter told him he had none, but he gave him what he did have, the healing power of Christ. And the healing came not from Peter and his name, but from Christ's. As Watchman Nee says, those who are His are authorized to use His name. The authority of Christ has been passed on to His followers. It is not a power and authority that we can use indiscriminately, and at our choosing, but when He leads us into situations where a word of healing, or victory, or deliverance is needed, we may speak His name and know that whatever it is that holds that person or situation "in chains" is broken by the power of His name.

This is what we, the church, have been raised up for and called to. We're to speak life into death, sight into spiritual blindness, peace into chaos, and joy into despair. Young and idealistic people are often told by someone that they can "change the world," and seek to do so through social and political means. But as the lyric goes in the classic song by The Who, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." Whatever change is wrought almost always takes them into deeper darkness. It is for His church to go forth in the power of His name and "heal the sick, raise the dead, and cleanse the lepers," but instead, we've mostly been sitting in our pews and chairs, singing and preaching to each other inside the walls of whatever structure we meet in. Oblivious to the power of the name of the One we say we follow.

May we be "name droppers" of the King. May we freely go out speaking, singing, sharing and proclaiming His name. When we do so in the power of His Holy Spirit, chains will break, and lives will be made free. Let us be those who look for lives and situations into which we can "drop His name." His name, like His word, never comes back empty.

Blessings,

Pastor O

Christmas Past Pt 3

 "Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:28...."This advent word is not meant for the well-fed and satisfied, but for those who hunger and thirst. And like a miner buried alive in the mine, we hear every blow, every step closer the rescuer takes with extreme alertness. Can one even imagine that the miner ever thought of anything but the approaching liberation from the moment he heard the first tapping on the rock?" Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This week I've shared two stories of past Christmas times in my life. Stories of how, in the midst of pain and suffering, He broke through with His infinite hope and assurance. With this last entry, I want to share a story of how He brought me out of the shadowlands. How He restored the years "that the locust had eaten." How He gave back to me, that which the enemy had said was lost to me forever. His Word says that He came to "seek and save that which was lost," and if we will trust Him, He will do so in ways beyond belief.

This story takes place during Christmas, 1993. It had been four years, seemingly unending years, since the collapse of my marriage and ministry. During that time many voices had "spoken" as concerned about my pastoring again. Most were voices that offered no hope. Voices that encouraged me to be realistic; single men didn't pastor churches. Most especially, divorced single men didn't do this. I needed to realize this, accept it, and get on with my life...a life that would never again have such a role for me. The problem with all this was the voice of the Father was never one of them. So, I held on to the promise of restoration I'd believed He'd given me. Step by step, the days turned into months, and then years, but in a manner that only He could work, the door opened to come to Virginia and plant a church. A planting that had next to no visible resources, few people, and little reason to expect it to succeed on any level. One person told me it would be a miracle if I was still there after 6 months. None of this made any impression.

Some would call what I had an "opportunity." I called it God. I had been longing for this door to open, and I had told Him that whatever door He did open, I would go through. Like the miner, I had been "hearing" in His still, small voice, that my redemption was drawing near. When the door suddenly opened, I knew it could be no one else but Him, and all the dissuading voices in the world would not keep me from stepping out into what seemed a void and finding the Rock that is Christ to stand on.

So, there I was, on that Christmas Sunday, leading worship for a small, but vibrant group of believers. He'd blessed us with a wonderful place to meet, and we'd decorated it all for the season. We sang, we prayed, we rejoiced. In it all, I saw the glory of the Lord. Here I was, doing again what the devil said I'd never do, in a place the devil said I'd never be. And all because of His grace that wouldn't let me go, wouldn't let me quit, and allowed me to hear the Rescuer coming for me even when I felt trapped in the deepest darkness. My redemption had come near; my redemption had come. My Redeemer lived and lives. So it is for all who will look up, raise their heads, and look for the redemption that He has promised and that will surely come.

You may well find yourself in that "cave" today. Do not be swallowed up by the darkness but believe and know that His Light swallows up all darkness. The Rescuer stands outside the cave wall. He has come. He will bring you out...if you'll just keep looking up.

Blessings,

Pastor O

Christmas Past Pt 2

 "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means, 'God is with us." Matthew 1:23...."I know that my Redeemer lives." Job 19:25..."Satan wants us to believe that there's a place so dark and demonic that Jesus can't come and conquer it." Beth Moore

There are so many times in my life where this Scripture has literally come alive for me. Times when I knew, in ways beyond description, that Jesus Christ, Immanuel, was with me. Not just beside me, but within me. Exercising a presence, comfort, and hope that I could never have believed possible. Times when the words of the old hymn ring out in my heart, "He's real, He's real, I know He's real." One such time was on the morning of my first Christmas after my wife had left. I was back at the home I grew up in, and when I awoke that morning, the weight of the pain and heartache I felt hit me in a wave of heaviness and darkness.

I remember walking downstairs, where the rest of my family was. We had always used Christmas Eve as the time to exchange and open gifts, so Christmas morning was just a time of family communion. At that time, no one else in my family knew Him, and though they had sympathy and compassion for what I was walking through, I felt completely alone. Memories of Christmas past, when my marriage had been whole, or at least seemed so, flooded in. Along with them came the whisper of hell that said that not only was that past lost to me, but my future was as well. All I felt was crushing pain, and a deep desire for all of that pain to be gone. I wanted Him to make all of it go away, but life in this fallen world is not like that. We can try and run from pain and disappointment, but one way or another, they will always catch up with us. And in all of this He wished for me to know and experience something more. Something greater. The pain would not be leaving,, but neither would He, and no matter how great the pain, the grace He poured out upon me would be greater still.

Beth Moore said that Christ means to come to the tomb of our loss and call us forth. On that Christmas morning, that is exactly what He was doing with me. What I remember about that day is mostly that I was tempted to just give up. Give up hoping in Him, holding to Him, living in Him. What I also remember is that Jesus, my Immanuel, my Lord, would not let me give in to that. I felt pain. I knew fear. I had no idea at all as to what would become of me. He had not promised me anything in this place but that He would be with me, that He wouldn't leave me or forsake me. That if I would continue to hold onto Him, weak though my hold might be, He would not leave me here. I wanted to be anywhere but "here," but "here" is right where I was. And I had the promise of His presence, and that promise called me to keep on walking. I was going through hell, but by His grace, I wouldn't be stopping there. He called me forth.

Jesus, Immanuel, got me from that day to the next day.....and the next one, and onward. I didn't stay trapped in that place. Not physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Jesus is the bright morning star. and though His shining may seem hidden, He does shine. If we believe Him, and keep on walking, all the while in His presence, felt or not, we will see His glory break through. He is the God who breaks through. He broke through that morning, and many mornings, and days and nights since. Immanuel; God with us. I have known it to be true in Christmas past, Christmas present, and am assured it will be so in all the Christmas futures that remain for me. It is so for you as well. Do you know it today? Hold on to Him, for He is surely holding on to you.

Blessings,

Pastor O

Christmas Past Pt 1

 In these last few days leading up to Christmas, I thought I'd share with you 3 writings from 2018 that detail some of the things, both joyful and painful, that I walked through with Him during the Christmas season. I hope they speak to you, and I hope that He is more real to you this Christmas than He has ever been before.

"Don't be afraid! '' he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone. The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David." "Christ is being lost in the faith that bears His name." Erwin McManus

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved Christmas. For so long, it was because of the human element of it, gifts, family, and just the all-around good feeling of the season. It was not until I first came to know Him, on that long ago August night in 1979, that I began to understand what Christmas was really all about. Nearly 40 years later, I'm still learning how much more I have yet to understand.

McManus said Christ is being lost in the faith that carries His name. He's also being lost in the season that bears it as well, but not for the reasons we're so quick to focus on. He's being lost not just in the insistence that we say, "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." And not just in the rank commercialism of it all. I think He's being lost in the tragic absence of joy, particularly in the hearts of His people, when joy is to mark the lives of all to whom He has come. He is joy itself, yet in our hearts and lives there is so little joy at all. We have let the cares of life, the emphasis upon what we lack rather than who it is we have, coupled with countless other "stuff" to steal His gifts of joy, peace, and hope. I know. I have walked through such times, and too often.

I remember my first year in ministry. I'd taken on a very tough assignment but was sure He would bring me forth to "success" in it. Yet what was happening wasn't success at all, at least as to how I defined it. It was Christmas, and in the living room was our tree, fully lit. I have always loved looking at a lit Christmas tree in the dark. It always seemed so uplifting to me. Yet on this night, it wasn't. All I saw was that which was not. The church and my ministry was not where I wanted it to be. Within me were feelings of disappointment, discouragement, and yes, anger. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Why was it this way? Why wasn't God "helping" me more? I wanted good news, but all I seemed to have was bad. As I sat there, wallowing in my self-pity, I was also listening to a radio program. In it, the story was told of a pastor who had planned a great Christmas celebration for his church, and waited in the foyer for all the arrivals. Yet no one arrived. He was alone in the church, crushed and defeated. As he stood there, a group of carolers came by. He felt the impulse to step out and join them. To sing, along with them, of the wonderful gift of Jesus Christ. And as he did so, the joy of the Lord filled his soul. His plan for himself had fallen apart, but the Father's plan had come together. In that simple story, I saw myself. The proclamation of joy that had been announced to me on that August night, was announced to me again on that night. I had been contemplating giving up in despair, but now, the joy of the Lord called me onward. This place was not the end. This chapter of my life may not be the one I had wished for, but He was not finished writing my story. He still has not finished...and His joy keeps calling me, leading me on. The joy of the Lord is my strength.....especially when I have none of my own...which is often.

This week, I hope, with His grace, to share a few stories of my "Christmas past." The theme that I hope speaks loudly, is the gift of His joy, peace, and hope in the midst of both the darkness and the light. A child has been given us; a Savior has come. All heaven rejoices, and so must we. The "stuff" will conspire to keep us from seeing the Son, but if we'll look past it, we will behold Him. A friend of mine, Kerry Willis, always signs his correspondence, "All joy." That is what we must know in all places. His joy, as our joy, is all joy. May it be yours, and mine....today and always.

Blessings,

Pastor O

His Goodness

 I would have despaired, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Psalm 27:13.....

..."We can come to God in the confident expectation that we will see His goodness here, now, and forever.....Your goodness will show up in every situation I face, in every area of life." Chris Tiegreen

We're at the beginning of Christmas week, and though it is a time of joy and wonder for so many, it is anything but for more than a few. Those walking through the grief of this life, from the death of loved ones to the collapse of a marriage, to the wanderings of a prodigal child, know very well the deep, gnawing pain that this time of year can bring. Maybe you're walking through such a time right now. If you are, I encourage you, indeed, exhort you to trust in the words of David the Psalmist from Psalm 27. When all the forces of darkness and this world seek to pull you down, dare to look up....and believe. You will see His goodness again. Perhaps much sooner than you think. 

A.W. Tozer wrote, "God never tires of inviting people to come and experience His goodness and taste His wonderful grace." In those very real times of heaviness and sorrow, we must continue to tune our ears to His voice. If we do, we will hear His persistent invitation to come unto Him, to experience Him. To experience the One who is goodness itself. 

I know the very real pain of loss, of being separated from loved ones, and of living in the midst of circumstances that only seem to get darker and more hopeless. All we can see is the grey horizon of more days and hours like the ones we've already lived. Like David, our "adversaries," be they people or events, are everywhere. The enemy whispers in our ear that our God is nowhere to be found, that He's abandoned us. This is where we must choose to believe what He's promised, that He will not leave us or forsake us. We must choose to listen to the words of a song I heard a number of years ago; "When you're going through hell, don't stop." Press on. Know that He gives you the strength to do so. Know that this is not where it ends for you. He leaves no one in the wilderness. He leaves no one in the middle of the storm. He takes us through. He gets us to the other side.

In the years since I first came to Him, I have known so many Christmas seasons of great joy, but I have also known some that held great pain and heartbreak. Pain so deep that I felt on the edge of despair. Heartbreak so devastating that I simply wanted to fall beside "the road" and give up. But always, David's words from Psalm 27:13 would come to mind, along with other of His promises of hope. I chose to believe, in spite of all appearances, that I would see His goodness, experience His deliverance, and that his was not the place that I would perish. And I experienced His goodness immediately in that by His grace, I had the strength to take another step, and another, and then another.....till I reached the other side. 

Fellow travelers, if you know something today of what I speak, answer His invitation to experience His goodness. You will. He is faithful. Where you are is not where your journey ends, not if you journey with Him. Press on! In His grace and strength, press on. You will see His goodness and taste His grace. He leaves no one, especially you, in the wilderness.

Blessings,
Pastor O

Worship?

 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”  John 4:24....."Is it the voice of heaven or the traditions of men that determine how long we worship Him?" Francis Frangiapane....."Father, may we not fail to recognize the time of our visitation."

The western culture is a culture on the go....even on Sunday. The great majority who attend what we call "worship services," have a clear expectation of just what and how long those services should be. I'm not advocating for long services and even longer sermons, but I am wondering if our expectations, which have turned into our traditions, are hindering, even harming the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in our gatherings?

If your fellowship meets on a Sunday morning, the general "rule," whether stated or not, is that everything needs to be ending by the noon hour. If you're part of a multiple service fellowship, then the ending time element is even more pronounced. Then you're focused on not only getting the people out in a timely manner, but getting the next group in. Most fellowships can become very efficient at this. Timing is everything. I get it. I've been a part of it, and am still a part of it. This is not a blanket condemnation, just a plea for consideration. How, and where may we be missing Him in all of it? Where are we not recognizing, and missing, our own "time of His visitation?"

I know of a gifted worship leader who really "leads worship." They have a number of times taken a break in the song list to share something from His heart with the congregation. They confided in me that they've often felt a spirit of suppression in doing this. I think it comes in part from their feeling that this is not part of what people expect. The song service is for songs, words from Him are for the sermon time. That's the way it's always been done. Tradition. And then, you have the other end of the spectrum. What if the anointing is so heavy upon the singing and music that the Holy Spirit begins to move powerfully over the congregation? What will that do with the planned order of service? And who decides when there has been "enough?" What happens with "getting them in and getting them out" then?" What happens with people's expectations? Who is it really, that is Sovereign over what we call worship? And who and what is it that we really worship? Almighty God, or the way we "do church?"

Frangiapane said that "the goal of a visitation from God is that we become the habitation of God." The culture that has so heavily influenced us is in desperate need of a church that is the true habitation of God. A church where the fullness of His Holy Spirit reigns and ministers. A church that realizes that worship is not what we attend, but what we do and who we are. May we, you and I, go beyond the realm and practice of "doing church." May we be the church as He created us to be. May we earnestly seek both His visitation and habitation. May we live in expectation of both. May we miss neither.

Blessings,
Pastor O