Enjoying the Journey
Posts Tagged ‘Church’
The State of the Church
Typically in February the President of the United States addresses a joint session of Congress and delivers the traditional “State of the Union.” This year’s address was much different. In a symbolic way it reminds us that the state of our union is somewhat uncertain at this moment. There is always plenty of political maneuvering and rhetorical gymnastics associated with such speeches. However, at this time in our nation there exists an increased division and dissension. O how we need a spiritual awakening in our land! My greatest burden is not just for the state of our union politically or economically but for the state of the church spiritually. You see, the condition of the nation is deeply rooted in…
Read More4 Stages In A Prayer Meeting
Recently I saw where a prominent Christian leader suggested that perhaps this would be a good time for churches to begin having prayer meetings again. The real question is: why did we ever stop having them at all? Even the churches that advertise a weekly “prayer meeting” typically do more talking about prayer or rehearsing of prayer requests than actual praying. When believers are not living in an attitude of prayer it is difficult to get them excited about the action of prayer. The loss of the prayer closet has caused the death of the prayer meeting, because corporate prayer has no power when we are never alone with the Lord. Public prayers become cliche, stiff, and formal when we…
Read MoreThe King Is Coming!
What are you expecting to happen next in our world? Every day brings new challenges and changing circumstances. I cannot tell you what the government will do, how the economy will respond, or when the pandemic will end. But what I do know is what the Bible tells us – The King Is Coming! God’s people should not be looking down, they should be looking up. Our future is not disaster but deliverance, and we are watching for the coming of our Christ, not the antichrist! Any moment the Lord Jesus is coming for His own. The last book of the Bible tells us the story of both the end of this world and the beginning of eternity with our…
Read MoreRegathering the Flock
Sometimes God scatters His people. This is seen in the early church when believers were scattered because of persecution (Acts 8:4). But there is a huge difference between the scattering of persecution and the scattering of neglect. When God scatters a flock He does it to multiply and reproduce the flock in other places. If sin, fear, or the Devil scatters a flock it is always to divide and conquer. We may soon see scattering because of persecution in our land but we are already witnessing the scattering of neglect. It is time to regather the flock. Throughout both the Old and New Testaments God’s people are repeatedly referred to as sheep…prone to their own wanderings and the attack of…
Read MoreDear Church Member…
What if you received a letter from the Founder of the church? In fact, you have it in your hands each time you hold the Word of God! The Lord has written in black and white exactly what He designed and desires for His church to be. The New Testament is the divine manual on the local assembly. In our day the church is being minimized and marginalized by society. Satan and his minions are on the attack. Many Christians have taken a passive, take-it-or-leave-it approach. This is not the time for believers to take a step back from church! We live on the edge of eternity and now is the time for every church member to find their place…
Read More5 Books To Read On Church Ministry
In a previous post I shared some recommended reading on preaching, but all of us who have been in the Lord’s work for any period of time know that there is more to daily ministry than the preaching of sermons. Much more. Ministry is helping people where they are and leading the church as you follow Christ. These are unusual days in which to minister, but God’s eternal message and timeless methods do not change. The following books have been a blessing to me, both as I labored with a pastor and now as an evangelist: An All-Round Ministry by Charles Spurgeon (Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students is more well known, but this volume addresses the biblical philosophy of ministry…
Read MoreToday Is The Day!
I am not discouraged. Yes, I have watched the news in recent days and have been saddened by the state of affairs in our nation. But God’s people should not be in despair! At the darkest moments in history the Lord has brought the greatest spiritual breakthroughs. We may very well be standing on the verge of a revival in our generation. People are desperate. Hearts are hurting. The best plans and ideas have failed. And that is exactly where we have to come to if we expect to see God at work. The end of us is the beginning of Him. God’s army can only advance on its knees, and this is the time for sincere believers to get…
Read MoreReigniting The Pioneer Spirit
Churches are beginning to open back up. Pastors are trying to find some rhythm again. It will take some time to get everyone back and schedules fully normal, but it is a start. In fact, it is an opportunity for a new beginning! Over the last months I have had the privilege of working with and talking to many pastors who have had to “get out of the comfort zone” and do some thing for the first time. We all have been stretched, and the world should see a difference among the people of God. Some things should not change. Our doctrine, our commitment to Scripture, our faithfulness to biblical distinctives – all of these must never change. On the…
Read More4 Things You Can Do To Help Your Pastor At This Time
These are unusual days for everyone and unique days to serve in a church. Over the last few weeks I have spent a great deal of time talking and praying with pastors who are doing their best, under God, to lead their churches through this crisis time. While these faithful pastors are working to help God’s people, we should also be thinking about how God’s people can help God’s pastors. Remember, we are all in this together! Be prayerful. The most effective use of our words is always in talking to the One who can do something about it! In Hebrews 13 we are encouraged to “remember…follow…obey…and submit” to spiritual leaders (Hebrews 13:7, 17). However, one of the most overlooked…
Read MoreWhat To Do When The Crisis Has Passed
Perhaps like me you are beginning to get impatient or bored with the current state of things in our nation. A little stir crazy? We must remember that, like everything in this world, “this too shall pass.” Soon the crisis will be over. The great question is not: “Will the crisis every pass?” but, rather, “What will God’s people do when the crisis has passed?” This could be – should be – a new beginning for the work of God in this world. Remember that it was after the breaking up of the early church in Jerusalem that the greatest gospel advance in the history of the church took place! O, Lord, cause that to be the case in our…
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