I am REALLY angry!!!

This story starts months ago, when two people first caught my attention.  It was a Sunday morning at our church and there was confusion in the aisle during worship. I looked back about two rows from where I was sitting on the front row, and saw security taking one of the homeless men out of the service. His wife was crying… he was drunk and needed to be removed because of the distraction he was creating.  I have seen him and her several times since then in church. I am thankful that we bus in over 100 homeless people every Sunday, and I am thankful that there is a place for them in our church. 

A few weeks later I noticed them again and they were sitting near the front, sober and entering into worship and the service.  For several weeks they were there. They seemed to be doing really good for several weeks.  I had a brief conversation with him one Sunday and he is a nice guy.  God was really working in their lives.

Then all of a sudden, one Sunday I saw them walk in before service… he was staggering quite severely… and I watched them make their way to the front and sit right behind where I would be sitting.  Service started and he was talking quite a bit…. she was trying to keep him quiet. It was obvious to all around him that he was drunk again.  During the message he let out a curse…the f bomb actually… and I turned and cautioned him to be quiet.  He was very apologetic to me and others around him.  He felft bad that he had done this.  His wife leaned forward and told me he had fallen asleep and was dreaming.  The thing that really touched me was how soft his heart was and how sorry he was for doing that.

I had not seen them for several weeks until last Friday.  It was raining very hard and I saw them walking through a parking lot. He was pushing a shopping cart with all of their belongings in it.  I was stopped at a traffic light where I could watch them for a few minutes.  It was very obvious he was drunk again, and could not walk well.  His hair was messed up, he was bent over, his clothes were unkempt, he was struggling. 

I remembered back to the times I saw him when he was sober and to my brief conversation with him and I remembered how intelligent he sounded and what a nice man he was that day. Then I got angry.  And I am still angry.  I am angry at Satan for the hold he has on this man through alcohol.  I am angry that his life is in such bondage. 

Friday, when I saw him I prayed for him and his wife, for several minutes.  I prayed for him Saturday and again today.  I don’t know what I can do to help him. If I give him money while he is drunk I am pretty sure where it will go. So all I know to do is be angry at the devil, and pray for him.  I asked one of my fellow Pastors at Church this morning if he remembered them and what his name is. His name is Steve. 

So, my anger at the devil, over what he has done to Steve, has motivated me to pray daily for Steve, the homeless man. I am praying that God will protect him, lead him back to church, and put people in his pathway that will exemplify the Love and Grace of Jesus so much that it will take root in Steve’s life.  Maybe you would say a prayer for Steve the homeless man with me.

As we travel on the High Road, lets take notice of all the Steve’s out there that are held in Satans grip and pray them into freedom through Jesus.

You are your Lens

I received as a Christmas gift The Daily Reader by John Maxwell.  In a writing for one day this week he states that “who you are determines the way you see everything”, meaning that all of our life experiences determine how we view things.

He quotes the following story: “A traveler nearing a great city asked an old man seated by the road, what are the people like in this city? What were they like where you came from? the man asked.  Horrible, the traveler reported. Mean, untrustworthy, detestable in all respects.  Ah, said the old man, you will find them the same in the city ahead.

Scarcely had the first traveler gone on his way when another stopped to inquire about the people in the city before him.  Again the old man asked about the people in the place the traveler has just left.  They were fine people: honest, industrious and generous to a fault, declared the second traveler.  I was sorry to leave.  The old man responded, That’s exactly how you will find the people here”.

This really spoke to me that the way we are is the way we see others.  So my prayer today is “Lord help me be the kind of person I desire others to be.  Help me to be kind, loving, forgiving, merciful and generous, because I need kindness, love, forgiveness, mercy and generosity.”

As we travel the High Road lets be the kind of people He wants us to be and we will begin to see others in an entirely new and different light!!

It will take ACTION!!!

I along with lots of other people, am expecting different and better things to take place in 2010.  I for one am glad 2009 is over.  I have determined to see a change in many areas this year.  But while thinking about that the last couple of days I realized different things require different actions. If you do the same you will reap the same.

The following scripture came to mind and I have been meditating on it for a couple of days. In  II Kings 7:3 the four Lepers said “Why sit here till we die. “  A read of the story will tell you they were in the middle of a severe famine.  People were eating their children.  Destruction was all around. The lepers said if we stay here we will die, if we go to the city the famine will get us and we will die there, so let’s risk it all and go to the enemy camp and hope for mercy.  As they were approaching the enemy camp, the Lord magnified the sound of them approaching and to the enemy it sounded like a mighty army and they fled, leaving their horses and every thing they owned.  The four lepers entered the camp and found no one but found all the food and wealth they needed to end the famine that plagued their people.  Their action brought a breakthrough for them and all those connected with them.

If you want something different in 2010 be prepared to take action.  And it may be action that will require risk  But your action just may bring the divine magnification of the Lord and the results will be powerful.

I for one have determined to take action in every area of my life where I am needing and expecting something different in 2010.  Lets agree with the Lepers…”why sit here till we die”.

As you travel the HIGH ROAD take action and make a difference.

Be Nice

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about how as a Christian, can we individually impact our world. Jesus said we are to be salt to the world.  But how do we do that in a way that is affective.  For the last several years my path has put me in direct daily contact with many people who are unbelievers and how to make an impact in a way that would be affective has always been a question and a matter of prayer.  Today I remembered a friend who while in seminary had to write an original thought.  He wrote “Christians should at least be nice”.  As we travel the High Road let’s at least be nice.  And maybe by being nice we will break down the barriers that some people immediately put up when they know you are a Chrisitan.  Be nice to one another.

Memorialized a Friend today.

A year and a half ago I attended a new comer’s diner at church (not as a new comer, but as one of the Pastors) and sat with a retired couple who had just started to come to church.  John and Linda then started coming to our West of 50 group.  They have become good friends.  She was raised in a Pentecostal Holiness Church and attended Emmanuel College along with many people who I know through my years in the PH leadership.  So we had lots to talk about and through that our friendship developed. 

Three months ago John went into the hospital for bypass surgery.  He never came out and went to be with the Lord a couple of weeks ago. I was honored to conduct his memorial service today as their Sr. Adult Pastor.  It was a joy to have spent some time with their family over the last few days and to be able to minister to them today as they bid goodbye to their Dad and Husband. 

I realized all over again today how great it is to have the privilege of Pastoring people and speaking into their lives.  Sometimes it is a joy to bear one anothers burdens, and to help them carry thier load. 

Just some thoughts tonight after watching a family struggle with saying their final good bye.  Probably doesn’t mean anything to anybody reading it but it is good for me to express my thoughts.

Change is good!!

I remember a statistic that I used to use a lot states that 86% of people have the personality that do not like change.  I really don’t mind change when it doesn’t affect me.  But I have learned again this week that although change may not be pleasant at the time, it is good for you.

I have jumped … been pushed… way out of my box this week with a new project I have embraced.  I have met a lot of new nice people doing this project which I have enjoyed.  But I have also experienced a renewed energy and excitement from this new project. 

So for me change this week has been good and has stretched me a lot.  The bible tells us that “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord”.  Today five days later, the steps He ordered are enjoyable but at the time those steps were a little intimidating.  Thank you Lord for ordering!!  Embrace the change when He leads you into it.  It’s all part of walking the High Road.

Influence

It is 5 am and here I am sitting with my lap top on my lap, writing this blog.  What in the world am I doing up at 5, I ask myself.  But it started about an hour and a half ago, when I woke up with a scratchy throat. So I got up to get some water.  And so here I am thinking through some things and wondering what kind of an impact do we really make as we go through life.  Right now in my life I am meeting a lot of people from a lot of different walks, and I am wondering what kind of message am I leaving with them.  I remember reading from John Maxwell, that Leadership is Influence.

I met a man a few years ago who has become a good friend and through our friendship he has started attending church.  He was away a few weeks ago and got back home on a Saturday and called me and said I am looking forward to going to church tomorrow.  Just being a friend has influenced him back into church.

I am doing a memorial service Monday for a Brother who passed away a week or so ago.  He ended up the last 2 months of his life in a dreary, depressing hospital an hour and a half away. His wife made the trip almost every day to be with him.  I also made the trip several times to see them and pray.  He couldn’t speak, was on a ventilator and had a stroke.  The last time I was there I took his hand and prayed and he tightly held my hand.  His wife sent me an email yesterday thanking me for being there for them and thanking me for being willing to do the Memorial Service. 

The last few months have not been easy.  A lot of struggles, personal, business, health, emotional.  But hey, who isn’t having some struggles right now.  But I have been so caught up dealing with my stuff, I have not given a lot of thought about being an influence.  But sitting here this morning it dawned on me.  Being an influence should be a natural outgrowth of living right. 

So the rambling lesson today is just live right, love people, and influence someone today to be a better person as they deal with the struggles of their life.

A Promise

Many, many years ago one of the great Leaders in Bible College, (I think it was Mary Wilson) said over and over to us “never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light”.  How true that is and it has been proven over and over again in our lives.

A few weeks ago God made a promise to us of a breakthrough in some situations we were walking through.  Considerable time had gone by and there were times when the darkness tempted us to doubt.  But in the last few days and specifically this week  we have seen the beginning of what appears to be a major breakthrough.  We had one situation that turned yesterday, just two days before it would have  been too late.  It just proves what our Pastor says is true, that God is “Jehovah nick of time”.

The lesson is that if you stay on the High Road in your heart and faith if HE makes you a promise it will come through.  No new lesson here … just one that was re-learned again.

A call from a Friend

The other day I was having a little pitty party for myself.  I had been dealing with stress and problems for some time and could not see the answer to those particular situations.  I had prayed, praised and believed for God to deliver me from them.  Sometimes He doesn’t deliver us from them because it is His plan to deliver us through them.

So it had been a long day, several situations to deal with, and then the call came that a member of our West of 50 group had passed away.  Becky and I were making our way up I 95 to visit the wife of the man who had passed and as I often do when driving (much to Becky’s aggravation) I was thinking and not talking.  I had just formulated the thought towards the Lord that said “why doesn’t God send someone to me to encourage me.  Where are all my friends”.  And the cell phone rang.

It was a good friend I had not talked to in a long time (several weeks) and he just called to check in and to encourage me.  Well, I don’t know about you but I enjoy someone encouraging me once in awhile.  So there was good comfort in the call.  And I am sure my friend probably did not realize how important his call was, but to me he was the Lord’s voice reassuring me that it was alright.

When was the last time I made a call and was God’s voice to someone else.  The next time someone comes to mind that I have not spoken to for some time, I will be placing the call.  Just maybe I will be the Lord’s voice to them.

After a long silence

Well, it has been many months since I have blogged.  It seems that I go through seasons of having lots to say and seasons of not having much to say at all.  I have been in one of the quiet seasons for awhile.

It has been a season of reflection, and learning … trying to hear God’s voice while dealing with some difficult issues.  The good thing is that even though it may seem like He is not talking … He is still there… never to leave us or forsake us.  You may say “duh… I knew that”.  Well I knew that too but there have been some days when the facts and feelings have tried to tell me something different. But He and I have prevailed and many of the lessons I had to learn, I have learned.

What I have learned the most is that God IS STILL, AND ALWAYS FAITHFUL.  We are still dealing with the difficulties of the economic downturn in our businesses but GOD IS STILL AND ALWAYS FAITHFUL.  I still don’t have all the answers but GOD IS STILL AND ALWAYS FAITHFUL.

I am not sure this will make much sense to anyone else but to us it is the anchor we are holding on to.

P.S.  Not sure if it is proper protocol to put a PS on a blog or not but I am doing it. Through these past few months God has reiterated to me the fact that I need to be back in the pulpit sharing the message He has given.  So we are in the process of booking services again.  Kind of excited about that!!