January 1, 2012

December 18, 2011

“…the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

In a short display of Jesus’ power, He spoke a word to a lame man saying, “Rise up and walk.” The words were so simple and yet the result so profound. In each of the Lord’s miraculous healings He did not deliberate over the sickness or disease. He simply spoke the Word and they were healed. In each of His invitations, Jesus’ offer was clear and concise, opening the door to the impossible. Peter saw the Lord walking on water and said, “If it’s you Lord, bid me to come.” The Lord’s one word reply was this, “Come.”

Today the Lord is calling you to receive His gift which is the gift of the Holy Ghost. There is no other gift that compares with His Spirit. He is calling for your healing; to provide the miracle you desire. While this season has become filled with complexities and philosophies, the Lord is offering a simple word for your life. While many desire philosophy over scripture and have complicated matters already resolved in the Bible, the answer is still the same: His name is Jesus.

I urge you to receive the wonder of God by opening your heart to His forever established Word. The miracle is in your obedience to His call. And His word still echoes over the sea: Come.

September 11, 2011

Just hours after 9/11 so many years ago, the nation gathered with heavy hearts to reflect upon the tragedy that had befallen us. Fear crippled transportation as airlines closed their doors. Candles lined the roads of so many northeastern cities as once polarized people held hands in unity. Suffice to say, America was never as united as it was when two towers fell to the earth.

Now ten years later, the prayer that once was borne from our hearts has all but vanished. We have plummeted farther than we were before that most tragic day in our nationsn’s history. Fire and rubble which provoked us to turn to God has all but disappeared. Today, not even one clergyman or represented religion will be present at the ceremony in New York, so says Mayor Michael Bloomberg. God has been shut out. Religion has been suppressed. In the place of Christianity stands a half-completed structure of human design declaring the will of man’s resolve.

We only thought that we needed God ten years ago. In the height of our tragedy, we only thought that America needed God more than ever: that it was critical for Him to take center stage. But I would submit that there has never been a time when we needed Him more. There has never been a day when America needed both the Lord and the Church. So today we will do our part to pray for this land that so desperately needs the Spirit of the Lord. We must pray for our leaders, our land, and our people. While we recall those moments of September, ten years ago, let us also embrace the burden of a great land and faltering nation.

September 4, 2011

When Moses handed the reins of leadership to Joshua the Bible tells us that Moses was neither weak nor weary. God would not allow simply not allow him to enter the Promised Land. And though the eyes of Moses “were not dim”, there was nothing physically wrong with him. God was leading the people into a new realm of blessing and Joshua was ordained to lead the people.

Throughout the Bible, God ordained divine transitions. Some transitions were forced upon them by virtue of the error of men, e.g., Saul and David; but many of them were blessings from Heaven.

Our transition from one building to another is a God-ordained directive. The Lord’s Will has been accomplished at New Life and we must corporately acknowledge the Sure Hand of the Lord upon us. His Kingdom is about seeking and saving the lost. This is More than a Building because we are fulfilling His mission of seeking, winning, and ministering to the souls of people.

This church is for everyone as it has always been. It’s for seasoned saints, new believers and the un-churched. This house is for families, children, and people of all ages. And our transition is in geography alone. The same powerful Spirit of God occupies this new place. And this house is designed and will soon be dedicated to fulfill the heart of the Lord, Who would have all be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. So we rejoice for what God has done and we will embrace these blessings for the work of the Kingdom.

August 28, 2011

In the course of our lives it is often rare that we see a vision, prayer for that vision, and then witness the reality come to pass. But today we are embarking on the tangible blessing of a vision that God gave almost 12 years ago. The process has been paved with prayer; must fasting; and sacrifice. And though we have built a building, the vision was always about people. We needed the tool. It was imperative that we had the space. But it has always been about ministering to the lives of the people in our community.

I am rejoicing with those who rejoice about the blessing of the Lord. I am fighting the spiritual fight with those who war against darkness. And I am praying with those who are seeking to win their families and friends. This transition that we are making today will impact our city in ways we cannot even understand. So let us live under the direction of the Lord and have confidence in the sure hand of God that He will complete all the work that we have begun.

This is the Day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad.

August 21, 2011

I read a piece that said, “if you grow in 30 hours, then you are a mushroom. If you grow in 30 days you are a pumpkin. But to be an oak tree it might take you 30 years.” Looking at the world at large, e.g., our own societal practices, it is with little wonder why we are sinking into this abyss of moral and spiritual decline. We want it all now. While our high school students live out unrealistic lives, our college graduates have been made to believe that the world is waiting for them. Each demographic demands immediate success but fewer are willing to simply take the time to grow.

Paul wrote that we should “grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We must not bypass the process. Living a Christian life entails growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. Each day of our lives is another opportunity to “put on Christ.” Through trials or difficulties; in the midst of sorrow or suffering; we are given life-tests that build up our faith.

So let us continue to grow in this truth called “The Way.” And let us put precept upon precept and line upon line. This is no less than the pathway to Heaven.

August 14, 2011

John 2:23-25 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

The miracles which Jesus performed astounded the masses. They were drawn to His healing power and authority over ever sickness; even the grave. Thousands watched in awe as He fed 5000 and then another 4000 with minimal means. The Lord became famous for His miracles but He longed for something more from His followers. At one point He quoted Isaiah when He said, “Isaiah was right about you. You serve me with your lips but your heart is far from me.”

At the Passover, Jesus did many miracles but He would not trust in the adoration of mortal man. Jesus knew that people are drawn to miraculous but not all want to be faithful followers. There was an enthusiasm for the spectacular work which He did but the Lord has always sought for true worshipers.

There is nothing more important than to become a true and faithful worshiper. Our walk with God must not hinge upon His blessings; though the Lord does bless our lives. Our faith should not rest upon our physical or financial miracle; though He so often provides those miracles. Rather, we must strive to simply be found Faithful: Faithful regardless of the conditions of health, wealth, or the lack thereof.

Go back review my message to the church entitled, “But If Not.” Those Hebrew boys knew that the Lord could deliver them. But if He did not, they would still be found faithful to the Law of the Lord. I pray that you and I would adhere to the very same principle exampled by the young men of the book of Daniel. It is our greatest testimony that we are found Faithful through it all.

August 7, 2011

One Needful Thing. Those were the words of Jesus to Martha when she asked for Mary’s assistance in duties outside of His presence. It is interesting how priorities and time have always been discussed. Two thousand years ago these two sisters were at odds over the very things that afflict us today. We can all describe the priorities of lives as important or crucial, but Jesus only gave us One Needful Thing: Being in His presence.

I would assume that most of us have given this day to the Lord out of a pure heart, but being in His presence goes a step beyond coming to His house. We enter that place through our praise and worship. The scripture says that He inhabits the praises of His people. To be in His presence means to come with an open heart and hands raised; knowing that He desires our full attention. This is the act of recognizing Jesus as Our God.

But the issues, duties, and stresses of this life demand our attention. Family members and sometimes friends are vying for our attention. Jobs, financial pressures and more all weigh on our minds and the culmination of it all removes from our sight that One Needful Thing.

I simply submit to you this necessary word: Put aside every weight that might beset you and raise your voice to the Lord of your life. Not only is He worthy of your full and unfettered attention, but when you offer Him praise and worship, He ministers healing to your life. There is only One Needful Thing in this life and it is being in the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

July 31, 2011

In the context of the world economies and markets, it is clear that we have entered into the final One World Order. This exact statement has been part of public speeches by the last four U.S. presidents as well as other world leaders. But today it is without controversy that we entered into a One World Order. The simple alignment of countries and economies; currencies and nation bailouts and more have positioned the whole earth for a One World system. The Bible has declared such a time to be the end of all days.

Jesus once scolded the religious sects of His day for being able to predict the weather by the skies, but unable to sense the “signs of the times.” I would suppose that careless Christian conduct has resulted from the massive measure of complacency, leaving most church-goers in that same fashion. People are not looking for the Lord’s return and because they are unaware, their lives are lived more flagrantly; haphazardly.

But if we all could see how truly close we are to the last moment in time it would provoke us to make our calling and election sure. Are you certain that you are ready for Heaven? If the Lord returned today or this week would you hear the sound of the trumpet and be caught away? The Bible states that two shall be working in a field; one shall be taken and the other left behind: two grinding at a mill, one shall be taken and the other left behind.

I am pressing this weighty word upon you to awaken your spiritual desire to be honest, sincere and humble before the Lord. We are instructed to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.” This is the most critical matter of our lives and it bears both discovery and demands an eternal answer.

July 24, 2011

Upon the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus said, “Loose that man and set him free!” The people stood in amazement as this man hobbled out into the open. Grave clothes still bound up his body as would have been the custom for any burial of that day. Lazarus was no less than mummified when the people saw him. The question that remains about the resurrection of Lazarus will never center on the ability of the Master. Jesus can call anything to life. He can even bring things into existence that never were.

But the question is: Why did the Lord ask the people to set Lazarus free? Why did He require them to untangle him and loose him when He could have just spoken the Word and done all the work? The answer is found in the constitution of the Church: the Body. The Lord has equipped us to minister to people who have found their resurrection, but are still bound. And so through love, patience and much longsuffering, the people of the Church are given the opportunity to minister healing to others.

There are so many nuggets of truth here but I wish to impart one notable constant. It is only when we minister to others that we are fulfilled in ministry. Jesus could have done it all, but He left us an opportunity to show the Grace of God in our own lives. When people take on the duty of the restoration of others, they themselves discover a blessing unmatched in this life. And if we look around today, there may be someone waiting for us to fulfill that call. They’re alive. They just need to be untangled. 

July 17, 2011

Just below the surface of the ocean lies a world mostly unseen to the natural eye.   Scientists, divers and oceanographers are still mystified by the immense life that exists in places yet undiscovered. While two thirds of our world is covered by water it is amazing that we know so little about the wonder of the seas.   Our land masses are surrounded by these massive body of waters but the use of them are commonly used but by the shore only. There is life, food, resources and so much more in these bodies of water, even beyond our imagination. We just haven’t yet realized how to tap into them.

God’s Word, His Spirit, and New Life exist much like the oceans of this world. God has supplied more wonders, miracles and resources than we have ever yet realized. There is a world yet undiscovered in God even by those who have been serving Him all of their lives. At this point I would caution all those who think they’ve found it all, or understood it all, to be aware that no one has reached any height of significance in God. There is more about God that you don’t know than that which you do know. There is more, much more to find out than what you have seen.

The Prophet of old warned God’s people not to take their “ease in Zion.” He implied that the death of any people exists around those who have stopped chasing after the Lord. We are commissioned to seek the Lord; to search after Him. Just below the surface of this Living Water is understanding, wisdom, miracles, signs and wonders. So I urge you to seek the Lord today. Run after Him. All that you ever needed or wanted, and more, is waiting for your discovery today.