Oh That Men Would Praise the Lord

I am overwhelmed with the call to worship that comes from the throne room of God. We see it over and over again, a cry for the men created in the image of God to rise up in worship and enter into intimate fellowship with the Father.

Psalm 107:8–9 (KJV): "⁸ Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ⁹ For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness."

I really can't imagine what the Father must go through when He looks at mankind, knowing His heart's desire for us. Not unlike that day in the Garden of Eden, He is in search of those who will walk in intimate fellowship with Him. And where will He find them? Who will rise to the call and walk with Him?

John 4:23–24 (NKJV) - "²³ But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. ²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

True worship is not using God for what you can get out of Him, but the relationship does come with the promise of good gifts in abundance. True worship is not about the worshiper, no, it is not about you, and it is not about me; it is about the Father. For the Father it is all about us, but from our side it must be all about Him.

As a dad, there is nothing that warmed my heart more than to have one of my kids breeze into the room, climb up on my lap, put a grand hug on my neck and tell me, with no other motive, how much they loved me. That still warms my heart. Not to reduce God to my level, but, if I find such great joy in this simple expression of love, how much more the Father?

When that same child is walking in obedience and conformity to the "house rules" and pouring out the kind of love we're talking about, I look for ways to bless and increase them. I listen for clues to their heart's desire and try and make them come true. I don't do it because of their actions, I do because of my love for them, but their actions of cooperation and obedience put them in a place of increased favor. That favor brings blessing with it, and God tells us that He operates the same way. Look again at the Word:

Psalm 107:8–9 (KJV): "⁸ Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ⁹ For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness."

Look at how the Father responds to our love. He fills to overflowing the one who has been exhaustively chasing after and diligently seeking Him. And what does He fill them with? Goodness! Study that out and you'll be amazed. Let it suffice to say here that those who make the Father the object of their affection and settle for nothing less that the reality of His manifest presence where they can snuggle up to Him, kiss His face and hug His neck will be abundantly rewarded. His presence would be enough, because it is Him we seek, but He then pours out His favor and blessing. It's a love relationship and it's mutually beneficial.

Please don't misunderstand, I don't love God to get blessings, I get blessing because I love God. If I never received another thing in exchange for my devotion, I would still worship Him. He is my loving Father, how could I not?

Psalm 37:4 4 - "Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."

As a worshiper, you will go about your day, simply living life in Him, and He will be listening to your heart. As the thoughts and dreams bubble up inside you, He will take notice, and He will bring it to reality for you.

Psalm 91:14–16 (NKJV) - ¹⁴ “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. ¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

Will you rise in loving worship and pour yourself into His heart? You will find Him eagerly awaiting your arrival.

The Importance of Discipleship

This week I had the privilege of teaching at the Armada Commission, a school for ministry preparation where those called to ministry can train and prepare within driving distance of their homes and families. Our topic for this week was "Discipleship," and it was a joy to interact with these disciples who are fired up and ready to go forth and change the world.

Discipleship has become passe in the churches of today, but it is still the mandate given to us by God in the Great Commission. Discipleship is our only means of reproduction in the Kingdom of God. Churches who fail to make disciples are nothing more than social clubs soothing the religious conscience. This is not who we are supposed to be.

There are some key elements to discipleship that we should all be out to master.

• discipleship is all about relationship, make the most of the relationships God gives you
• discipleship is not cloning, and we should see the differences that keep us from being blindsided
• discipleship causes increase in both the student and the teacher
• discipleship allows us to fulfill the "Prime Directive" and reproduce the image and likeness of God in our disciples

As we go forward in this time of real "harvest," let's not forget that, as Pastor Wayne always said, "We are here to make disciples, not decisions."

Burkina Report

I am just back from 2 weeks in Burkina Faso, West Africa where I stood in for Br. Bob Dunphy. To say we had a successful trip would be to understate the results to the place of being insulting. Let it suffice to say, God began a change in Burkina this month that will last for generations, if the people continue to run the way they have started.

I arrived in Burkina with the tentative itinerary in had to minister to pastors, preach in churches, and minister to the widows only to find that this had been totally scrapped, and we were now doing (4) six hour seminars on "Women in the Church." Br. Hagin's admonition rings in me even now as I think about it, "Prepare the messenger, not the message." This is missions, things change, maximize flexibility, and let God be God. Fortunately, for me, this is a subject that is near and dear to me, and it stews in me on a regular basis. With just a little time to jot a few notes, I outlined the Seminar and prepared myself in prayer.

Day One found us at Pastor Timothee's church for a prayer meeting that would set the tone for our time together. We arrived to find them already praying with passion and diligence. Oh the sound of voices raised in intercession. We prayed, we worshiped, we prayed, we worshiped, and we prayed some more. It wasn't like we had anywhere else to be or something else to do. Praise God, faith works around the world.

Sunday found us at Pastor Abraham's church, but he had not yet returned from his own ministry trip to Togo. The service was very good and 6 responded to receive a genuine, personal, interactive relationship with the Father. They had prayed the "Sinner's Prayer" but did not enjoy the kind of dynamic relationship God intends. 3 times as many responded for healing and gave testimony to the manifestation of it, one after another. One woman came to us afterward and testified, "I do not go to this church, but I was drawn here today. Today God has spoken to me and called me into ministry, and I must obey Him."

I need you to understand that the things I shared were just teachings on Scriptures you take for granted: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:14-17, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18, and especially Daniel 11:32 which says, "... but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do great things." For some, this was the first time they had heard such things, and they just don't know enough to NOT do them.

The Seminar, "Women in the Church," involved four teaching sessions and two question and answer sessions. About 160 women attended over the course of our trip. The sessions included:

● Women in the Word

● What can Women do in Church?

● What can Women do in the Home?

● How to be a Woman who Changes History

Back at Pastor Timothee's church, picking up right where we left off, we entered into praise and worship I saw the heavens opened and the Father was dancing back and forth in front of the throne, a typical African dance.

Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)

17 The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will dance over you with singing."

Does God dance over you? Does He see your worship as something that thrills His heart? What a joy to be able to share with these precious people how God was celebrating over them with exceeding, great joy.

Closing out this seminar I came under attack and spent the next two days in bed, a real challenge when you have been teaching faith. But, God is faithful! I am healed, He said so, and all we need do to appropriate it is to take Him at His Word. I was laying there praying "in Jesus's Name," and I began to hear the words coming out of my mouth. "You cannot make me sick; I already defeated you. I hold the keys of death and hell. You are defeated, and I will not abide your lies." When we pray "in Jesus' Name" it is the same as if Jesus Himself is speaking. How can sickness and disease resist the power and authority of the Word?

Sunday came, and we were to go and preach at pastor Pengwende's church, but it was raining. Rain back home is not much of a problem, but this is Africa, and the rules are different. Rivers ran in the dirt streets of the capital. With no indication of where the hazards were, our Director said we would have to cancel, but this was not what the Father had in mind. After some discussion and a call to the pastor, we set out. Fording the flooded streets, navigating around various hazards, we finally got out of the city and the roads got better. Then our Director's fear was realized, a hole across the road with no way around. In he drove, the water rolling up over the hood, and then it quit. I knew we were done, Constantin knew we were done, but that was what we could see, and faith does not go by what it sees. As he reached for the key, I could see his hesitation, and the car started right up. Off we went and even got to the church on time - two miracles in the same morning.

The church had asked that I do a summary of the Seminar for the morning service, and I had every intention of complying, but the Holy Ghost had other ideas.

Daniel 11:32 (NKJV)

32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and do great things.

I began to share with the church and the Father kept steering me toward the stories that came from the great Indonesian revival. There they saw great miracles signs and wonders. They walked on water, they raised the dead, they healed the sick, they cast out devils, and they changed their nation. They saw creative miracles, spectacular things, and could only explain it like this, "We didn't know enough not to believe the Word we had heard." If God will do it in Indonesia, he will do it in Burkina Faso; He will do it anywhere He finds people who are just willing to take Him at His word and do it.

Two weeks isn't very long to accomplish much. Here is what the pastors reported the day I left:

❏ 4,700 people were ministered to either in church or door-to-door

❏ 1,692 people saved

❏ 448 people healed

God did great things and people like you made it possible. For those who supported us financially, thank you. I know God will multiply it back to you. For those who prayed for us, I cannot begin to express my gratitude. Your prayers changed the course of history and made our efforts successful. May the Father grant you the desire of your heart for your faithfulness in covering us in prayer.

Potholes and Alignment

Life and ministry is filled with road hazards. Potholes, landslides, detours, and road blocks can hamper and even derail our pursuits. We need to get things right to see all God has for us.

Acts 15:36-41 (NKJV)
36 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.” 37 Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from [abandoned] them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. 39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

You know the back story:
▸ Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9)
▸ Barnabas’ recruiting Paul (Acts 11)
▸ 14 years of side-by-side service in Antioch (Galatians 2)
▸ The fateful prayer meeting and the Holy Ghost summons, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
▸ The phenomenal success of the first missionary journey. (Acts 13 and 14)
▸ The stoning of Paul at Lystra (Acts 14:19)

As ministers, we have all taught from these passages, but how many times have we been willing to look honestly at Acts 15? In Acts 15 the wheels come off the wagon.

How many of you had a tough winter this past winter? I haven’t plowed that much snow in a long time. I noticed this Spring that my truck was pulling to one side. I knew what that meant ... one pothole too many had knocked the truck out of alignment. Running out of alignment caused my tires to wear at an accelerated rate. Obviously, I scheduled a front end alignment. A few days before the alignment, I found out that my spring hanger was almost rusted through. It had caused the rear tires to be out of alignment and I was actually steering to correct the problem. Who knew that one pothole could cause such trouble.

The dynamic duo, Barnabas and Paul, are planning a missions trip to retrace their steps to evaluate their effectiveness and strengthen the churches. BUT, they hit a pothole.

A while back my pastor and I sat down and had a long talk about our roles in the Body of Christ. I shared with him that there was one thing I had learned about my calling, I make a great “#2,” (Number One for you trekkies) but I am just a mediocre #1. I can implement vision strategy, analyze and improve any process, and build a successful team, but I can’t cast vision with an Ugly Stick. My problem is that I expect everyone else to share my passion, share my commitment, and be at my level of revelation. I get blind-sided all the time when I lead. But, when I am in proper alignment with a visionary leader, we see things happen. I am a Barnabas.

Barnabas could see the potential in Mark and was committed to seeing him reach his full potential. Nothing, not even Paul, was going to make him give up on Mark.

Paul, on the other hand, was an apostle. He was interested in results and didn’t have time to waste on a quitter. The pothole of Mark’s abandonment had left a misalignment that wasn’t exposed until now.

Back to my truck ... I could have gotten the front end aligned, but I’d still have been driving down the road sideways. I would get to where I was going, but I would not have fixed the root problem. Sooner or later, I would have to deal with the problem or it was going to deal with me. Paul and Barnabas hadn’t dealt with the misalignment of Mark. They had been driving down the road sideways but didn’t know it.

You may be driving sideways. You may have hit a pothole long ago. A fractured relationship , a twisted doctrine, or maybe a simple disagreement over process has left you out of alignment. Maybe you need a front end alignment - the part that is home to the power and direction for your life and ministry. Or maybe you need the drive train realigned - the part that takes all that power and converts it to work. Your whole team may need some adjustment.

We see this God ordained team going through divorce, Barnabas unable to reconcile and Paul unwilling to yield. Paul's pothole turns into Barnabas' sinkhole. Even though they were called together, had been an awesome team, and had their destinies linked, they were now being broken apart by the jarring impact of a pothole which had not been dealt with in the past. Barnabas goes off in the bondage of his offense, and Paul puts a new rear end in his truck, Silas, they get a fresh lube job from the church, and they once again set the world on its ear.

Barnabas ... disappears into relative obscurity.

Folks, we can’t afford to go through life driving sideways. We need to be in proper alignment to see all that God has for us.

How do we check our alignment?

I was watching a NASCAR race the other day and saw one of the speedsters lose traction and slam into the wall in turn four. He immediately made his way to the pits where they pulled out a long, thin, metal piece that would tell them if his wheels were running true. This template was their reference to identify the need to make adjustments that would keep the car running straight and give them a shot at winning the race. You and I must measure ourselves against our template, the standard. Anything that does not measure up has to be readjusted to bring it back in line. Our template is the Word as modeled by Jesus.

James 1:22-27 (NKJV)
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

If you are out of alignment and things are not working like they should be, repent and realign yourself to the fundamentals of the Word.

If you need a tune-up, get into the presence of the Father and let Him get things back in proper working order, He is the expert.

If your misalignment is with someone else, patch the pothole, reconcile, don't let the circumstance or the enemy steal the treasure God has put in your life.

We are the children of God, nothing is impossible to us, if we will just get in line with what God requires and directs.

Be Proven Faithful

For the past 18 months I have been listening to all of the "sky is falling" rhetoric that has swirled around current events in these great United States. I have to wonder, if God is so impotent as to leave His children at the mercy of the government, how do Christians survive in other countries like Venezuela, Cuba, Georgia, Ukraine, and China, to name a few?

What does it take for we who claim Christ to not just survive in the midst of adversity, but to thrive and prosper? The answer is faithfulness.

Faithfulness is the quality of standing steadfast, being consistently constant in execution of one's commitments, vows, and promises. Faithfulness is tested in prosperity and adversity. In prosperity our willingness to perform without compromise is tested; in adversity we are faced with the trial of refusing to quit when things are no longer convenient or the price becomes more than we planned. The faithful are unchanging in their commitment, uncompromising in execution, and unshakable in the pursuit of their destiny.

“Who here qualifies for the job of overseeing the kitchen? A person the Master can depend on to feed the workers on time each day. Someone the Master can drop in on unannounced and always find him doing his job. A God-blessed man or woman, I tell you. It won’t be long before the Master will put this person in charge of the whole operation." (Mt 24:45-47)

Faithfulness is the marker of those who can be trusted, those who will just do what needs to be done without need for recognition, a pat on the back, or promotion. We do what we do because of who we are. Faithfulness has become our nature, just like our Father.

The road ahead may have more than a fair share of bumps and potholes, but for the faithful, no worries. How can I fear when I know what the Word says about my future?

"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes." (Ps 118:6-9)

How can I fear a collapsing economy when I have the promises of God?

"Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty." (Ps 37:16-19)

As Christians, may we rise to the standard of living that is modeled in our Father, that was walked out in Christ, and that has been the way of life for the cloud of witnesses that have gone before us.

And Be Thankful

A while back I had an experience that was at the same time both distressing and profound. Let me tell you the story.

First thing in the morning I launched out for a day fishing in the Back Bay. Excitement and anticipation were in my heart and soul, and I could hardly wait to wet a line and see what I could catch. About half way to "my spot" something happened and I lost propulsion. The outboard was still running, but I wasn't going anywhere. It was broken. I did not get discouraged, because I had my electric trolling motor to fall back on.

I lowered the ever dependable Minn-Kota into the water and turned it on. Once again I was on my way and ready to get to the business at hand. I got maybe another hundred yards and the trolling motor stopped; the battery was dead. Now, let me tell you, I was moved to prayer, and I don't mean rejoicing and praising. God was about to deal with my heart and paint a picture that is still giving me revelation today.

I got to a spot where I could pull my outboard and see what the trouble might be. I broke out my tools, did some troubleshooting, and found that the shear pin for the propeller was broken. What was a sailor to do? I decided to fish a while and then go home. As you might have figured out, nary a bite was to be had.

Now, I was not without propulsion. Being an experienced sailor, I had oars to get me home. I got them out, put them into the locks, and started making my way back, and the wind began to rise. Yes, I had to row into the wind.

All the way back I heard bubbling up out of my inner man, "In all things give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thes. 5:18) With each stroke of the oars I said it. Over and over again I spoke it out as I rowed against the wind. For more than 30 minutes I rowed and spoke, rowed and gave thanks, rowed and saw God as faithful in the midst of my situation. Instead of getting angry, frustrated and discouraged, I just let the reality of the Word rise up within my spirit and spill out of my mouth.

As I reached the open water, where the wind would be an even greater trial, the wind quieted. It died down until I turned into the canal we were living on where I was sheltered and protected. I rowed back to the house, pulled the equipment and battery, and called my resident expert for counsel and guidance. Before the day was out I had the outboard back together and running.

God has really used this to teach me a great deal about dealing with trials. The lessons learned included:

• Your success in facing trials will be a function of how well you have prepared for your journey.
• You cannot let your circumstance dictate your course.
• If you really believe that God is with you, you have no reason to get discouraged.
• If you cannot give thanks in the midst of your trial, you really are not trusting God.
• When you face challenges, there is no shame in asking for help.
• Only ask help from people who have something to offer.
• In everything give thanks! Thanksgiving is your key to victory.

I could fill pages with the details of this story and how it has impacted my walk, but let it suffice to say, I am going to be thankful in every situation, in the midst of every trial, and with the certain knowledge that God is on my side, pulling for me, and more interested on my victory and success than I am.

^15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. ^16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ^17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:15-17)

In the Midst of Adversity

It's hard in our current economic climate and "news" environment not to be consumed by the adversity that so many are facing. The things we see can be a powerful influence if we allow them to be. But adversity also weeds out fair weather friends and helps put our priorities back in focus. Adversity is not something we desire, but it also is something that is common to mankind. Handling it properly is critical to achieving our destiny.

There are some real keys to not just surviving adversity, but to thriving in the midst of adversity. First, and foremost, is focus. Your focus will set your direction.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (Hebrews 12:2-3 ~ The Message)

We need, too, to always remember that faith, the force that allows us to put more stock in the unseen than we do in the seen, is the product of our receiving anointed impartation of the Word of God regarding our circumstance. (Rom. 10:17) A battle with sickness and disease demands a Word for healing. A war against poverty requires a Word on prosperity. And standing in the face of temptation, tests and trials is the time we need to hear a Word on faithfulness. It is not enough to study, you need to let those who have been victorious and overcome your kind of adversity speak into your life.

When we look at what it takes to overcome adversity, I think we would be remiss if we didn't address the need to surround ourselves with those who encourage us rather than enable us through commiseration. We have lot's of little adages we could quote that shows even those without Christ recognize this.^

^23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ^24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ^25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb 10:23-25 ~ NKJV)

Having trouble, pray, snuggle up to the Father's heart and let Him encourage you to the place where you are again free from adversity. Give His Word place, the Word that produces life, health, and prosperity for you. And through it all, get yourself in fellowship with those who will champion your success, who will cheer you on to victory. Adversity will come, but you can overcome and be an example to others around you how its done.