Call to Anguish

David Wilkerson can be so controversial. He doesn't mind. It's his call! There are audios I hear from time to time where I know in his voice this has truly gripped him. This is such a message and I pray it challenges you as it challenges me. (I'd say "enjoy" but that's not fitting.)

At My Best

I was talking with a pastor friend over lunch and he left me with a particular thought. He said someone he knew with the Gallup organization (that does polling) was working on a question where it would answer how effective a church was in a community. What statement would show those members really were maturing as believers and the church was doing something significant in that community?

Here is the true/false statement they came up with: "Church is where I do what I do best."

Their opinion is that when the majority of church members answer "true," that church is really having an impact in their community.

If I could ever get some feedback, I'd like some here!

1. Is that a true gauge?
2. Is that true here?

Verses I Need to Hear

There are times when the Lord will use prophetic words given from other people. When people write them down for me, I read them and many times keep them or make note of them in some way.

There are other times when people will have the Lord give them a Scripture for me. They will write down the reference for me. Last Sunday I had this happen, so I have been meditating on those verses this week. (It's not all the time where I feel something is "right on," so I will let it pass through and not worry about it. This time I knew the words were from the Lord, so I have been meditating on them.)

Joel 2:25-32

I needed these verses. The Spirit has been washing over me with these promises from the Lord. I know these are OT promises for a specific time. I also know the Spirit is using them in my life at this moment to bring his promises to me when physically I just can't see a thing!

Verse 25 may mean the most to me at this point.

"I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you."

What all those types of locusts have eaten up, the Lord will restore. What the enemy has torn out over time will come back. And when the Lord does it, it doesn't have to be slow. It can be powerful. It can be in a short period. On the Day of Pentecost, it was 3000 in one fell swoop. In Acts 5, it was another 5000 in one day. Restoration can come quickly.

There are days, even years, that have seem wasted. There have been things that have been stripped away. Sometimes it's enemy. Sometimes it's me being my worst enemy. But there is the promise of the abundant, incredible grace of God. He is ready... so ready... to do something wonderful and powerful in our church. I can actually taste it. His Spirit is so ready. And it's not up to anyone else. It's me drawing the circle on the floor, standing in it, and saying, "Lord, start revival with everyone in this circle!"

The Lost Art of Notetaking

I am a huge fan of taking notes. Not too many seem to be these days. It could be that people have better memories than I do, which is a distinct possibility.

When I have a rare chance to sit and listen to a sermon (rather than preaching it) I love taking notes. There are several reasons:

1. It helps me stay focused. I may not be preaching because I am tired, so I use notes to help me stay focused.

2. It helps me follow the train of thought of the speaker or preacher. Do they have a train of thought? How is this developing?

3. It is an excellent opportunity for the Spirit to speak to me. I can highlight something the speaker said and go back to it. Sometimes I find myself writing furiously to capture a thought the Spirit is giving me in that moment. I want to develop it later.

I will often have my journal with me in a service even if I am preaching because there are times when I hear the Lord speaking to me in the worship time and I don't want to forget what he is saying.

If we can't remember what the message was from last Sunday, it might be a good idea to take a few notes. Stay focused. Listen to the Spirit.

Great Bible Giveaway

Wow! I am a HUGE fan of having a Bible in my hands! Now, Logos is giving away top line Bibles! The best materials in good translations.

Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.

More info here.

How We Really May Worship

It's hard to know whether to laugh or cry at this one.

Hunger

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.

⁸ My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek. (Psalm 27:7,8, TNIV)

It is so challenging to seek the face of God in the midst of incredibly hectic schedules. This week may be a part-time job and then a huge fundraiser for our church, but next week it will be something else, and the next week something else... you get the picture.

In the midst of all that comes the challenge: Seek the face of God.

One blessing I have found in this is the gift of tongues. As I have made my way through the day this week, I have found myself at different times quietly praying in tongues. One day at my part-time job I found myself doing this and I noticed my spirit just seeming to cry out. It was quiet and unnoticed (I hope), but there was this incredible deep calling to deep. The next day there was a serious prayer need that came to me and I sensed the Lord had been preparing me the day before to step up and intercede for the serious prayer need immediately.

I am so grateful for the power of the Spirit. There may not be some "right mood" or "right setting," but it doesn't stop the Spirit from communing with us along the way!

When Football Players Get Old

I couldn't help but pass this along.

Coming This Sunday...