Praying for your pastor.

This is a repost from Perry Noble's blog today.  I just had to share it.  The prayer points that he shares in this blog are - right on.  If you have ever held the position of pastor, then you know what I mean.  I encourage you to pray for your pastor daily and I will certainly continue to pray for mine.  My pastor holds a tremendous position in my life and deserves my support by praying for him.  Perry Noble is the Senior Pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina.  You can read his blog at www.perrynoble.com.

Pray For Your Pastor   November 30, 2009

This particular post may seem a little self serving…but so be it…this needs to be said (AND…I don’t mind asking people to pray for me!) :-)

This past Thursday (Thanksgiving) I was enjoying some great food and watching a football game when all of a sudden I began receiving text messages about something happening to Matt Chandler, the pastor of The Village Church in Texas. Long story short…Matt passed out, hit his head…was rushed to the hospital and after some tests was diagnosed with a mass on his frontal lobe that will be looked at this week. Matt is a young leader (33 or 34 I believe) whom God’s hand is all over. His preaching/teaching is amazing…and God has used him to grow the Village Church from about 100 or so people to over 7,000 in just a few years. (He is an incredibly gifted preacher/leader!)

Hearing about what happened to him shook me up…BIG TIME. I had VERY few words for the rest of the day as I began to think about the stress and pressure that is on pastors that simply is not understood by many.

My prayer is that things like this will cause the church to rally behind their pastor…and pray for him with more passion and intentionality than ever before. Here are several areas where you can be praying for your pastor…
#1 – His Walk With God – Pray that his relationship with Jesus isn’t one out of obligation…but of OBSESSION for HIM!!! It is VERY tempting for a pastor to read the Bible for sermon prep and NOT to know Jesus. Pray that His relationship with Jesus will be FRESH and that he will be filled with vision and passion like never before.

#2 – His Integrity – It takes YEARS to establish integrity…and it can be destroyed in seconds. Pray for your pastor to keep his eyes on Jesus and OFF of anything that might lead him astray!!!

#3 – His Marriage – Pray that your pastor just doesn’t preach about a healthy marriage…but LIVES it out. I promise you the enemy comes STRONG after his marriage…and his kids!!! Lift up his wife and children by name as well!!!

#4 – His Sanity – He deals with critics, he deals with unrealistic expectations, he deals with accusations, he deals with pressure that is intense. Pray that he will keep his sanity. I recently heard of a survey that said only 10% of the men entering the ministry actually retire…the others either get disqualified OR drop out! That is a 90% failure rate!!! THE STAKES ARE HIGH!!!

#5 – His Health – I was in a meeting of pastors a few years ago…everyone of us were leading large churches…everyone of us were under 35…and over HALF of the men in the room (remember, we were under 35) had been hospitalized in the past two years because of serious medical problems (most likely brought on by stress and anxiety!) Good health is so vital for ministry…and I can promise you that physical, emotional and spiritual health do not just “happen!” Do not assume that just because your pastor is young that he is healthy…lift him up.

Whoever your pastor is…seriously…I would ask that you lift him up. No matter who you are…no matter who your pastor is. I don’t care if you are reading this site and hate me…don’t hate your pastor. Cover him…and pray that Jesus will speak to him and through him in ways that he has never experienced.

Rick Warren once said that he believes pastors are the most underrated changes agents in the world…and I believe that!!! SO…let’s lift him up before God…and pray that Jesus will have HIS way in his life!
AND…keep praying for Matt!!! He is in God’s hands…God has a plan for him…and I know God will receive ultimate glory out of all of this!!!

Perry Noble

Relationships

Pro.27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.


I was listening to someone talk about how important our relationships are.  And how we need to surround ourselves with people who can challenge us or make us better as Christians and people.


And we do need to choose carefully who we associate with.  We should constantly look at how we are being formed and influenced.  We all have different ideas and opinions and we all can learn from others.  Know one knows it all.  And the Bible is also clear that those we associate with will influence us in some way.  So choose those who are going to lead you into a deeper relationship with Christ.
1Cor.15:33 Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character.”

Try Thanksgiving

**TRY THANKSGIVING...  (reposted from AG News http://www.ag.org/)


Following are a few brief excerpts from articles written in the
"Pentecostal Evangel" by leaders of decades past on the topic of
thanksgiving. We hope they prove to be an encouragement and help to
you this Thanksgiving Day and throughout the year.
--AG News

PRAISE CHANGES THINGS by Mrs. Chas. E. Cowman ­ November 24, 1934

... We found that prayer and praise are the two wings that mount the
soul upwards to God. Prayer asks, praise takes, or brings the answer.
I fancy that someone is saying right here, "I have prayed, but I do
not feel like praising God. Praise in the valley of the shadow?
Praise when my heart is bleeding and torn? Tell me rather to weep!
How can I praise God at such a time?"


"Sacrifice ... the sacrifice of thanksgiving" is to praise God when
you are depressed and despondent, when your life is covered with
thick clouds and darkness, for it is acceptable to God, a "sweet
smelling savor to your Lord and King." While we are admonished to
"pray without ceasing," are we not also commanded to "rejoice
evermore"? "This is the will of God concerning you."


... Praise has a wonderful lifting power, and we need not be anxious
about the outcome of things if we will take the attitude of
deliverance and begin to praise.


... Try thanksgiving. Praise changes things.


THE THERAPY OF THANKSGIVING by Thos. F. Zimmerman   November 18, 1979

... When difficulties arise, there is sometimes a tendency to
neglect worship and thanksgiving and to concentrate on petition
alone. This is an unfortunate neglect. Focusing on problems without
remembering God's blessings and faithfulness results in forfeiture
of peace. Remembering past blessings results in the confidence that
God who has not failed His people in the past will not fail them now.

... We can all rejoice that in our country one day has been set
apart in the year to remind us to be grateful. But thanksgiving
should be more than an annual experience. It should be a daily
attitude.


... When we make a conscious effort to appreciate our blessings
fully, we will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Our faith will
be built up. Our problems will appear in proper perspective. Anxiety
will be replaced by the peace of God that passes all understanding.
And God will be glorified.

THANKSGIVING IS NOT A HOLIDAY by Glen D. Cole, November 22, 1992


... I have a grandson by the name of Caleb. He was by my side in the
car after a Sunday evening service on the way to a restaurant.
Everyone was quiet until he put his cheek by mind and said into my
ear, "Grandpa, I really do love you." I felt like giving him the
world. He had told me that he loved me before, but he had never used
the word really until this particular night. It was special.


As we drove in silence, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart: "Why
don't you tell God the same thing more often?" It was a sermon I
shall never forget.


I choose to be a thankful, rejoicing person. It glorifies God and
keeps the devil away from my doorstep.


May throughout the land there arise a cry, "I choose to be thankful.
I will make thanksgiving a way of life, not just a holiday."



--Articles provided courtesy of the Flower Pentecostal Heritage
Center (http://www.iFPHC.org).

there is nothing you can do about it

Rom.5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am thankful for the salvation I have in Jesus Christ.  I can remember after accepting Jesus, how I had such a peace about life.  I then ran across this verse in Romans.  Because I said yes to Jesus I now had peace with God.

God is not mad at us, He loves us.  I really like how our Pastor puts it,  "Jesus loves you and there is nothing you can do about it".   I have had this song on my heart as well. It is called “I’m Forever Grateful”.

As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving.  I can say I am thankful for my family and all that God has blessed me with.  And I am forever grateful for the salvation and peace I have in Jesus.

Forever Grateful Lyrics

You did not wait for me
to draw near to You
But You clothed Yourself
with frail humanity
You did not wait for me
to cry out to You
But You let me hear Your Voice
calling me


And I'm Forever Grateful to You
I'm Forever Grateful for The Cross
I'm Forever Grateful to You
That You came to seek and save the lost

Indescribable Gift

I have been thinking about a song we sing sometimes at church.  It is called, Lord I Lift Your Name on High.
Which makes me think of this verse.

2Cor.9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

New every morning

Lam.3:21-23
21  This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22  It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.


I thank God for His mercies, and I am grateful that they are new every morning. And how great is God’s faithfulness!!


I am thankful that God has redeemed my life, my sins are forgiven. He heals all my diseases. He has crowned me with loving kindness. He satisifies me with good things and renews my youth like the eagles. And he makes known to me His ways.


I thank God that I belong to Him. And that he has a good plan for my life and that He deals with me in mercy and grace. And most of all MY GOD IS FAITHFUL!

Photo Courtesy Contactgt

What are you asking for?

It is that time of year again.  If you have young children in your life, I am sure that they are asking for all kinds of things right now.  In fact, just last night my daughter wrote a list of things she is asking for to Santa.  The list is not nearly as long as it has been in the past, but it is a sincere request of things she would like to see under the tree on Christmas day.  The point that I am getting to is that she is not afraid to ask.

James 4:2   Yet you do not have because you do not ask.


I was reminded of this verse by the Holy Spirit when I was mediating on some things in my life.  We must present everything to God in prayer.  Even though God knows what we want, need or desire.  I believe God still wants us to ask Him for those things.  Now I realize we need to ask in accordance to His will.   And He wants to bless us and use us.   But the whole thing hinges on us asking.

What are you asking God for?

Photo Courtesy Ragu Subburaman

A merry heart

Psalm 126:2  Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”


The other day I was just sitting in our living room watching TV and my daughter was playing some of her games on the computer, and every now and then she would start laughing.  That is probably one of my favorite things to hear.  I love it when people laugh, especially my daughter.  I though how much our Heavenly Father probably loves to hear us laugh.

Sometimes we take things so seriously.  We need to loosen up and learn to enjoy life, enjoy family and enjoy God.  Learn to laugh.  Somehow I think our Heavenly Father will be pleased and probably laugh with us.

Job.8:21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughing And your lips with rejoicing.


Pro.17:22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Photo © W. Spoon.  All Rights Reserved.

New Thing vs. Tradition

Isa 43:19  Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.

A “new thing”!   I was reading a blog the other day and they were talking about how the church continually uses old traditional ways of reaching people and the statictisc show that they are not working.  It has been my observation that many churches have older congregations and really struggle at attracting younger people. It may not be pleasing to the older members of our churches but if we are going to reach younger families, youth and children we are going to have to realize that God is doing a new thing.

It is the same message but different methods.  I believe there is a way to blend the old with the new together for such a time as this.  God is wanting to raise up a new generation and blend it with the older generation to show the world the Kingdom of God.

God is doing a new thing!

Photo Courtesy Kirill Kurashov

His eye is on the sparrow

The least of these... (originally posted Oct. 01, 2008 by Wendy Spoon)

There is a woman that I work for occassionally by running errands or taking her to her doctors appointments, etc. Today I went to work with her. She had been caring for a bird for the past five days. It had been attacked by a stray cat and appeared to be blind and have a broken leg. She just wanted the poor little bird to die so that it wouldn't continue to suffer. She was afraid that in its condition that it wouldn't survive on its own. She couldn't bring herself to harm the bird, so she asked me to break its neck, and I was afraid as well, so I asked the guys on her yard crew if they would come and break the sparrow's neck. So the guys came around back and looked the bird over. They were sure it could be nursed back to health. So I said, " My goodness, kill it already, it's just a sparrow." And my friend said in gentle reply, "But Wendy, HIS eye is on the sparrow." Those simple words reminded me of the depth of God's love for each any every living thing. The man who was most concerned over the little bird gently cleaned the eyes of the bird and was going to put ointment on its leg when the sparrow found they strength to fly away. It was such a relief to know that the bird would make it. And the lesson I learned because of it I hope to not soon forget.

His Eye Is on the Sparrow from Wikipedia
"His Eye Is on the Sparrow" is a Gospel hymn. Although today it is a staple of African-American worship services, the song was originally written in 1905 by two white songwriters, lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel. The song is most associated with actress-singer Ethel Waters who used the title for her autobiography.
The song has been performed extensively in Gospel music with notable versions by Shirley Caesar, Crystal Lewis, Marvin Gaye (from In Loving Memory), Kirk Franklin & the Family, Lauryn Hill & Tanya Blount (from Sister Act 2), Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Dottie West, and Barbara Mandrell. Jessica Simpson recorded the song for her 2001 album Irresistible.

Inspiration - The theme of the song is inspired by the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible.

Matthew 6:26
26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Matthew 10:29-31.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.  30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Civilla Martin, who wrote the lyrics, said this about her inspiration to write the song based in the scriptures outlined above.

Early in the spring of 1905, my hus­band and I were so­journ­ing in El­mi­ra, New York. We con­tract­ed a deep friend­ship for a cou­ple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doo­lit­tle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doo­lit­tle had been bed­rid­den for nigh twen­ty years. Her hus­band was an in­cur­a­ble crip­ple who had to pro­pel him­self to and from his bus­i­ness in a wheel chair. De­spite their af­flict­ions, they lived hap­py Christ­ian lives, bring­ing in­spir­a­tion and com­fort to all who knew them. One day while we were vi­sit­ing with the Doo­lit­tles, my hus­band com­ment­ed on their bright hope­ful­ness and asked them for the se­cret of it. Mrs. Doo­lit­tle's re­ply was sim­ple: "His eye is on the spar­row, and I know He watch­es me." The beau­ty of this sim­ple ex­press­ion of bound­less faith gripped the hearts and fired the imag­in­a­tion of Dr. Mar­tin and me. The hymn "His Eye Is on the Spar­row" was the out­come of that ex­per­i­ence.


Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain:
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.


"Let not your heart be troubled," His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Photo Courtesy Manon Ringuette

We Go Mad

Notes we heard from the sermon that Pastor Jamie preached today.  He was ministering about Kings and how King Saul went mad.   1Sam.18:6-8

Three steps people take when they go “mad”.

• We Go Mad When We Think The Kingdom Is Ours.  We have to realize that God is in control. It is His Kingdom not ours, it is His Will, not ours.  It is His Way, not our way.

• We Go Mad When We Start Throwing Spears.  1Sam18:10-11, 1Sam.19:9-10  We may not throw literal spears now, but we can throw spears with our tongue.  Pastor Jamie made a great point. How many people are out of church because someone threw spears at somebody?  We have to learn to speak the Word of God into our lives and other peoples lives.  We need to pray the prayer of David.  Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
  
• We Go Mad When We Consult Witches or People Who Will Tell Us What We Want To Hear. 1Sam.28:6-7  We need people who will be honest with us.  People who will tell us the truth no matter how much it hurts.  We have to surround ourselves with people who are full of the Word of God.

Pastor Jamie did a great job. Looking forward to hearing more from him in this series.

Jamie Austin is Pastor of Woodlake in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Devin Castle Ruins, Bratislava, Slovakia © W. Spoon, All Rights Reserved.

Above all else

Proverbs 4:23   Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Our hearts have to be kept pure before God.  The bible talks about out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  We have to guard our hearts and not allow bitterness, anger, hatred, and malice into our heart.  We have to learn to keep our hearts guarded and pure. 

Above all else guard your heart.  God looks upon the heart, not the outward man.

Shining even brighter

Proverbs 4:18  The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.



If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, then you are the righteousness of Christ.  And you life just keeps getting better.  The path you are walking keeps getting brighter and brighter.


Continue to follow after Jesus and let the glory of God shine upon you and out of you.

Declaring Jesus for the next generation.

Judges 2:10-11  After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.  11  Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. (NIV)

What a sad commentary this is.  It should speak to us that we have to reach the next generation with the gospel.  I hear so many views on how the church needs to minister to the next generation.  Some criticize the methods that some are using.  I don’t think the method is sacred; it is the message that is sacred.

And if the next generation is not introduced to the same Jesus we know, then history tells us that they will serve (worship) something other than Jesus.  We have a responsibility to do all we can to reach the next generation for Christ.  Whatever methods and means you choose to use, as long as we are declaring Jesus.

Photo Courtesy Sergey Kravtsov

Have Thine Own Way Lord

Jeremiah 18:1-6  Speaks about the potter.  It says in verse 3 that “he was making something at the wheel”.
God is making something out of you and me.  We are on the wheel of life and sometimes we feel like nothing is happening to us.  But God is making something out of us; we are still on the wheel.

Even when we have messed up or “marred” our life.  Maybe we feel like we have ruined some things in our lives.  God is able to reshape the clay into another vessel.  God has a purpose for you and me.  Lets stay on the wheel and let Him shape us to be what He has designed us to be.
It is like that old hymn we use to sing:

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after thy will,

while I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!

Search me and try me, Savior today!

Wash me just now, Lord, wash me just now,

as in thy presence humbly I bow.

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!

Wounded and weary, help me I pray!

Power, all power, surely is thine!

Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!

Hold o'er my being absolute sway.

Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see

Christ only, always, living in me!

I Can!

Phil.4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.

If God has called you to do something, you can do it.  If He has called you to that job, that ministry then you can do it.  I have met some who do not think they are important or really have nothing to do.  But they are wrong.  It doesn’t matter if you are a housewife a CEO, a pastor or missionary in what may seem a hard place.  You can do the thing that God has called you to do.  And it is vitally important that you do it, because you are important.

Isa.54:17 “No weapon formed against me shall prosper”.

I know the enemy attacks us.  But a lot of times we defeat our self with bad attitudes or negative feeling and thoughts.  You are a winner in Christ.  If He called you to do something then do it with all your might.  You can do all things through Christ.  He has called you and empowered you.