Leaders Always Ask the Right Questions

Never stop asking the right questions.

2021 30-Day Prayer Challenge Launch

Always pray and never give up. - Luke 18:1 Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thes. 5:17 Join us for the 2021 30-Day Prayer Challenge this September as we endeavor to engage in a spiritual movement through the power of prayer. Join the 2021 30-Day Prayer Challenge here: https://tremendous-painter-8063.ck.page/8c11aff5d4

In Need of an Eye Opener in 2014

And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight; and he arose and was baptized- Acts 9:18 (ASV)

Paul got an "eye opener" after he had his run-in with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Many of us do not even see it that way, though.  

We see Paul's encounter with Jesus on the road as the eye opener.

Nope.

That was just the shocker that got homeboy's attention.  The eye opener did not happen until he had been humbled due to to being rendered dependent on the care of others, particularly the folks around the way on a street called Straight.  That's when things started to come together and make sense for him.

I find that the local church may need more of an eye opener than it would care to admit in such an age of enlightenment and information sharing.  We have websites with plenty of popups and other bells and whistles.  We have lots of folks giving us a thumbs up and liking the pastor's latest status updates and photo mashup uploads.  Yet, we leave a whole lot to be desired right in our own midst.


When was the last time that the church just invited the visitors from the past quarter or the past year just to come and have fellowship with the pastor? I mean like cookies or cake and punch like a party without the dog and pony show.  I am thinking that we could invite some of the folks who just recovered from years of battling alcoholism or imprisonment, even widowers and former battered wives, to share their testimonies of survival and victory through faith and trust.  let those folks and their testimonies serve as the keynote addresses and let the pastor simply invite the attendees to join in prayer, then let them meet with a prayer counselor or elder of the church- however you do it in your church or congregation- to share their decision to join or to seek more answers about salvation, church and being a Christian.

Something like that may be the breakthrough that we have been awaiting.  The sound system and the projected song lyrics on the big screen are indeed impressive.  In fact, I love seeing that.  But the "true riches" that Christ spoke of will not  be reached and placed in our possession (under our stewardship, rather) if we do not stop for a moment and address our own blind spots to get those around us to come to know us as more than holy hypocrites.  They need to see that we are flesh and blood just like them but the we have the favor of faith that is also readily available to them, too.

Imagine if our local churches took on the role of community center and resource center more than simply just worship center.  What would alter and change in your community? Would your pastor still be seen as the guy who talks about Jesus and God? Or, would people in your community come to know Him as a servant of the Lord and a true man of God in their opinion? It is all in how outsiders view us that is considered public opinion.  How we view ourselves is called "self image." We do not get an eye opener from looking in the mirror or leaning over and telling our neighbor on the pew that we are doing great and doing God's work.

Open up your hearts and mind, then begin to open your doors, so that you have a new image in the community where your church is located.  Maybe you won't change the community in one day, but you surely can change the community's perception of you and your congregation.

For more insights on this please read my article on local visitors and the local church.

Scoring More Than Par

Golf is more than a sport.

Golf is the type of activity that can lead you down tree-lined fairways and into the serenity of winding rock canyons.  It can cause you to endure the lay of the land as well as come face to face with the majesty of God's creation.

All the while, you learn just how feeble your humanity really is in true perspective.

Just look at your scorecard after a round of golf.  Even on your best day, you may not make par on every hole.  It's a reality for many of us weekend golfers.  We do not excel on each and every hole.  We may do better on par 3's than par 4's.  We might do better on executive golf courses than others.  We just might not being having a good day.

Our business may be just like our golf game.  We may not make every move with precision.  We might get hung up on whether to swing a big-headed driver or play it safe and lay up with a long iron.  How we decide to make certain moves will lead to how things play out based upon the given conditions.

Remember Kevin Costner's blunder in Tin Cup? He took too much club and it cost him.  He went for it rather than playing it safe.  He wanted all of the gusto, but it ended up costing a penalty when his ball rolled into a water hazard.  The same thing happens to us as we go through the the course of life.

God wants us scoring more than par.  He wants us trying our best with obedience to His instructions.  If we stay in His Word and in communion with Him, we can stay on course.  That is more than scoring par on every hole.  That is spiritual success throughout this life.

New Mercies Day by Day

Morning by morning new mercies I see. . .- "Great is Thy Faithfulness"

Every single day is a blessing.  Yes, I know that it can be considered a given, but today I have good reason to say so.  After tossing and turning all night with a head cold, I could hardly sleep.  I awoke in a stuper this morning and in no condition to even try to go to church, possibly infecting everyone near me.  I awoke and celebrated the goodness of God.

Great is Thy Faithfulness!

I celebrate the fact that God is in charge.  He can slow us down when we will run ourselves down to the bone and keep on until there's nothing to wear out left.  God has stopping power.  He can stop the planets in the middle of their orbit.  He can command the birds of the air to feed a runaway prophet and the fish of the sea to leap into the nets of a small boat for Simon Peter.  God has power.

He gives us new mercies daily.  He doesn't try to pass off yesterday's mercies as just as good or in working condition.  He gives us the best that He has to offer.

Lord,
I just say thank you for not leaving me in yesterday's condition and
allowing me to awake today in a new condition.
Yes, Lord, You are powerful!
Amen.

Read my article. . . Fantasy Sports are More and More Popular These Days

Winning at All Costs

"Winning isn't everything,
but wanting to win is!"
- Vince Lombardi
Head Coach
Green Bay Packers


Look back at Lombardi.  He bred and led champions.  the NFL has named its coveted championship trophy after him and in his honor.  He was a pioneer in the sport's history-making era.  He stood out as a man who could lead men, a man's man and a player's coach.  If there ever was an example of gridiron guts and gallantry to behold, Lombardi was the prime example for all to lay there eyes upon.

Today's NFL is nothing like Lombardi's heyday.  Hard work and determination have been replaced with performance enhancing drugs and off-field antics that border between publicity stunts and public disgraces.  Bountygate has taken prisoners among both players and coaches, revealing true character as it has unraveled before our own eyes.  The NFL currently suffers more black eyes than Pacquiao after his last bout.

The sad truth is that Lombardi's words speak to our character once we get set on winning.  We become consumed with winning at all costs.  We will cut corners to get an edge on our competition.  We will kick an opponent while he's down and out, leaving him with no recourse except to wave the white flag of defeat.  That's what becomes of us when we let a "winning" spirit take over and consume us.

That doesn't have to be the case, though.

He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; 
nor he that loves abundance with increase: 
this is also vanity.
 - Ecclesiastes 5:10

Putting our focus on the prize can detour us from the right pathway.  There are no shortcuts to righteousness.  Purity and holiness do not have a cheat code available to a select few.  No, the Lord shows us that a wise choice is to take the moral high road rather than to stoop to the level of cheater just to get ahead.

Our desire to win should remain in check as win people over on our way towards achieving the prize.

Order a copy of my urban poetry collection Words from the Underground

Beyond What We See with Hurricane Sandy

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father...Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

Matthew 24:36, 42 (NIV)

Look at today's conditions. . .

You don't typically see folks in such a frenzy like you do today since Hurricane Sandy has struck the eastern seaboard of the United States.  From the Carolinas to New York and parts of New England, we saw the devastation and destruction left from a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy.

Then take a look at what the Lord says for us to do.  He wants us to keep watch.  He wants us ready with both anticipation and expectancy, holding onto the hope that only He can offer us.  Don't get swept of in the storm of the present confitions of today.  Keep your eyes open with your everlasting hope resting in what heaven can provide us.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

- Colossians 3:2 (KJV)

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Enduring Faith

"I more fear what is within me than what comes from without."

- Martin Luther

Look at the history of Protestantism and you will find Martin Luther looming and lurking somewhere nearby.  See where he confronted the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church and faced the challenges of going forward in a faith movement as an enemy of the church.

Imagine the ridicule Martin Luther faced.  Think about the humiliation he suffered at the hands of other religious leaders.  He was considered a heretic.  He was made into an outcast.  Nevertheless, he held onto his faith.
Martin Luther was a man just like any other man.  Yet, he was a man of deep conviction.  He devoured the Scriptures and took them to heart.  He allowed the Word to guide him and direct him, even to the point where he abandoned tradition.

Look at what his enduring faith produced.  The entire Protestant realm of Christianity stems from Luther nailing those ninety-five theses to the doors of the church.  He founded what we call Lutheranism today.  He made history by holding firm to his convictions and not keeping with the status quo.  He made a major difference in religious history.

Let such a legacy influence your walk with Christ.  Live your life with such a degree of faith that you live without regrets.  Live a life full of enduring faith.  Let your faith speak and come to life by the way that you live for the Lord.

History will tell of Martin Luther's storied life.  It will reveal his shortcomings.  It will teach us about his attachment to parts of Catholicism that caused divisions among his own followers.  It will show him just as vulnerable as any other man or any other Christian believer.  It will also share how he made his mark on history by making history by having enduring faith.

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/martin_luther_2.html#KklbTLLCHD968kVp.99

Say Something about the Savior

"Let the redeemed of the LORD say so. . ." - Psalm 107:2

We who have been saved by the grace of the Lord need to say so.  We need to share about the Savior and the salvation that He offers us.  We owe Him at least that much for all that He has done for us.

As we move towards Easter and the celebration of the Lord's resurrection, let us recall all that He has offered us through His saving grace.  He has not only risen.  He has bought us with a price through His precious blood.  He has brought us into a right relationship with God.

Say something about the Savior through the way you celebrate His resurrection this year.  Share your testimony with others.  Don't let this year go by with you simply blending in with the world rather than standing out by saying something about the Savior.

Pray like You Mean it

a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways- James 1:8

Don't find yourself unsure and without faith.  Pray with all faith and trust in God.  Be sure to offer God as much trust as you can muster when you offer Him your petitions.  Be sure to let God know that you trust Him with your whole heart when you pray to Him.

Then Jesus said to the disciples, Have faith in God.- Mark 11:22 (NLT)

Have faith when you pray.  Let your faith come out as you pray.  Pray earnestly. Pray humbly.  Pray expectantly.  Pray with full faith.

Sites for Christian Writers

Here is a simple post for Christian writers.  I am just listing a few sites for Christian writers to explore and possibly post some of their work.  There are numerous ways to use these sites.  Look for the opportunities for writers on them. Godspeed!

www.faithwriters.com
www.christianstoryteller.com
www.biblemaster.com
www.sermoncentral.com
www.christianaudio.com
www.ebibleteacher.com

If you know of some more sites for Christian writers, please feel free to add through the "Comments" section.