* Full-time Ministry

Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

1st Samuel 12:24 NKJV

I have a great respect for the offices of pastors and elders and apostles and teachers and missionaries and those whose job it is to "run the church." I know the dedication it takes. The sacrifices. The around-the-clock hours. The isolation and sometimes extreme loneliness. You don't get that kind of anointing to fulfill that kind of ministry without a high level of commitment. I honor their ministry and their lives, but this is not to them.

Wow...full-time ministry. Oh, how some long to be in full-time ministry...

How would you define ministry? The dictionary says it is the profession and services of a minister. What is a minister? Well, the dictionary does list member of the clergy as one definition. Another is somebody's agent or representative. Still another definition is a government diplomat ranked under ambassador. What does it mean to minister? First definition - help somebody. Give help to somebody in need. Wait a minute... Aren't we to represent Christ? Aren't we supposed to help others? Doesn't 2nd Corinthians 5:20 say we are ambassadors for Christ? Then we are ministers to the lost and dying world around us!

Every Scripture that instructs us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, to serve Him in truth with all our heart, to do anything - and everything - for Him with ALL that we have, with ALL that we are, with ALL that we possess - none of those qualify the instruction with just only pastors...only elders, no, only apostles and teachers. No, no, no! Deacons and missionaries only.

Is that what it says? Absolutely not - it is directed to ALL of us. Are we alive all the time? Are we breathing all the time? Are we a Christian (all the time)? Then we are in full-time ministry. How are we doing so far?

Prayer:

Father,

          Open our eyes to see Your Word. Open our hearts to the living, breathing part of Your Word. Help us to see we are to be Your hand extended, spreading the Truth of You in word and deed. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

D.J. Haynes - Champion of the Faith *

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.
1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT

Today, the family and friends of David James Haynes laid his earthly body to rest next to the grave of his beloved Mary, wife of 59 years, and just a few yards from the headstone defining the four short years of his granddaughter, Jenna.

Since Thursday night when D.J. died, I have heard or read countless tributes, laughed and cried at remembered stories, but mostly, I have tried to figure out how I will fill the void that is left by the death of one of the most godly men I've ever known in my life...and I know I am not the only one.

I remember spending nights at Shelia and Don's after D.J. and Miss Mary moved in with them. I would lay in the spare bedroom next to their room and listen as D.J. and Miss Mary touched heaven with their prayers for their family and loved ones. When I confided to Shelia (their daughter, my friend) how amazing that was to hear, she told me that's what she heard every night when she was growing up.

Was D.J. a perfect man? No, he wasn't, and he'd be the first to tell you that. But what he was, was a man who steadfastly followed Christ and expected you to do the same. One who never gave up when life didn't go his way. One who when faced with adversity ALWAYS chose God. A man who lived humbly before Christ and taught the generations after him to do the same. A TRUE champion of the faith.

I can take you to the exact spot in their house and tell you what he was wearing when, upon finding out that both my parents had already died, D.J. proclaimed me to be "Daughter #4" after Shelia and Letha, his daughters, and after Judy, his daughter-in-law, and told me he would pray for me as his own.

D.J. loved to talk and tell stories and somehow, the conversation would always give God glory. After any time spent with Shelia and her family, I always came away richer in my knowledge of the Lord, with more wisdom for how to walk this walk, and always - ALWAYS - feeling loved, feeling safe, and knowing I was covered.

Son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, elder, and greater friend. Strong in body and in mind and a giant in the faith. I wanted to write such a great tribute here that you would be able to grasp at least an inkling of the man that D.J. was, but as I sat here remembering, I realized I don't have to. His legacy is exquisitely written in the lives of his family. D.J. lived his life in tribute to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and it is Christ who will fill any void left in those of us who remain.

Prayer:

Father,
         Thank You for the people You lovingly bring into our lives to enrich us beyond wealth, to teach us beyond degrees, and to help us hold fast to Your promises. I pray, Father, that D.J and Mary's legacy will live and remain in all their generations until Jesus comes. May it be soon. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen   

* Voice Recognition - or - Learning to Communicate

But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.
John 10:2-5 NLT

My phone has one feature that I REALLY like. Voice Recognition. If I'm near a WIFI connection, all I have to do is hit the microphone symbol and speak my message, instead of the usual hunt and peck to text. If I'm NOT near WIFI, there is no voice recognition feature available.

It does seem to have a little bit of an issue translating a Texas accent, at times. Supposedly, the more I utilize it, the more adept it will become in recognizing my speech patterns. The key is to make sure you choose the right language for response. Mine has several choices, but I assure you, 'Texan' isn't one of them. One thing's for certain, its' inherent word bank clearly indicates it ain't from 'round here, and that can be a source of frustration.

Prayer can feel the same way. After all, it IS communication. But are we near our Connection hook up? If not, we're left hunting and pecking to try to get the message across. Can we hear the Master's voice? If not, we need to check if we're in the sheepfold. He calls us by name. He's the Leader and we follow because we know His voice. If we don't recognize His voice, we need to spend more time so that we become adept in recognizing His speech patterns.

There are 2 keys to Voice Recognition or Learning to Communicate in our text for today. 1) Be sure you are in the right sheepfold, and 2) Know who you are and what is the correct response.

If Christ is the Shepherd, then we are the sheep. That means we need to learn how to respond to Him in kind. That does NOT mean, He speaks and we say "Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?"

Clearly, our response should be, "Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…" and follow His voice.

Prayer:

Father,
           Help us to remember that prayer is not initiation, but rather it is always in response to You. We want to be fluent in all aspects when speaking with You and when listening for Your voice. We want to recognize You and obey. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Failure to Communicate

When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.

Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

Jesus responded, “Didn't I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me..."

John 11:32-33, 38 - 41

This is basically going to be a Cliff Notes© section - just one section - of the teaching I heard tonight. I hope I can do it justice.

This is for everyone who has ever been frustrated and angry to the point of tears because of the failure to communicate effectively due to the lack of understanding on the part of the hearer. Jesus knows just how you feel.

Ever had one of those days when you know your mouth is moving because your ears hear the sound of your words, and yet nobody 'gets it,' and you know it will have serious repercussion if no one will listen? Our text for today was just one of those kinds of days for Jesus.

Mary and Martha sent for Jesus. He didn't come right away and Lazarus, their brother, died. In fact, Jesus waited a few days before telling His disciples they were going back to Judea. They argued with Him, reminding Him that just a few days prior, the good people of Judea tried to stone Jesus. Then He tells them Lazarus has fallen asleep and He is going to wake him up. They argue with Him again, until He finally tells them plainly, "Lazarus is dead." Then He bids them, "Come, let's go see him." So Thomas resignedly "said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”

He gets to Bethany and Martha can't "hear" what He's saying. (It's all there in John 11.) Mary comes, the one who sat at His feet to gather the wisdom of His teaching, and she can only accuse. "If You'd been here..." 

Think about this for a minute. How many times have we asked God, 

"Where are/were You?" 

"What are You doing?"

"Why didn't You...?"

And always, it is when we take our focus off God and what He has said - and look only at what we see. Only what we can humanly comprehend. How much and how many times have we reasoned away His Truths spoken to our lives?

Prayer:

Father,

         Open our hearts to receive Your Word. Open our ears to hear You. Open our eyes to see only You. You who are high above our circumstances. Keep us focused on You, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Modern Day Faith

   For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

   For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

   Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator...

Romans 1:20-25b NIV

Recently, a friend sent me a funny picture quote he saw. It read, "In the future, I will tell my grandsons I am older than the Internet, and blow their minds forever." On that note of 'old school,' I'll just say I don't know anyone who likes to be told they're behind the times and/or out of touch with the real world. I thought I was doing well to be able to text and keep up with whatever the latest version of Microsoft Word throws my way. However, my 'tweener' granddaughter is still shocked that I didn't have a cell phone when I was her age.

I like technology because it allows me to stay in touch with family and friends who are hundreds and even thousands of miles away. These are people with whom I have interfaced on a personal level. We had 'face time' before it was an app. But now, I don't have to wait for a letter - I can get the updates quick, fast and in a hurry. However, what I've noticed (and may have said before) is that this social media has too quickly become the defining factor of modern day, so-called relationships. It certainly promotes an I-frenzy and has nothing to do with "Come, let US break bread together."

When speaking to someone who is or has been a real friend, I thoroughly detest hearing this reply, "Well, I posted it on Facebook. It's just easier that way." We post what we like, what and who we don't like, what we want, when we want it, and how we want it, and think that is cultivating relationships. There's no working through differences of any kind, no response required or the other extreme, a lot of vitriolic spewing. And as disconcerting as that is to me, what troubles me more is seeing this definition of so-called relationship translate into our walk with God. 

Pastor Alan Neel nailed it when he defined today's standard as "Modern Porn Faith" meaning we desire to have what God can give us - we want Him to please us, but we don't want to really know Him. We don't want to take the time to know Him for who He IS. There is no prayer closet. No one-on-one. No interfacing on a personal level. No on-our-face time. There is no relationship.

God the Father did not send Jesus Christ, His Son, to die a horrible death to pay for our sin to propagate religion. Christ's blood was shed as an atonement for our sin so that we could be restored into right relationship with God - to know Him in His fullness.

Prayer:

Father,
         You are the same, yesterday, today and forever. The same God who desires that we seek Your face. That we wait for You and obey Your voice. Forgive us, Father. Cleanse our hearts of worldly desires and renew a loyal spirit within us, O God. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Shining Out of the Darkness

Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
Isaiah 58:10 NLT

It's back to school season. Everywhere you look, it's all that's advertised. Lots of charities looking for donations of school supplies, clothes, non-perishables for school lunches, etc. You may have your own family to outfit for school. So what do you do? Some people will skip lunches or give up sodas and use the money to donate to help others. Skip lunch? You mean, like fasting? Yes, if and only if, that's what God is speaking to your heart. So let's read what He has to say about fasting in Isaiah 58 (New Living Translation).

What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting?
Do you really think this will please the Lord?

No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.

When you strengthen and encourage and provide for someone who has less than you, you are rebuilding. When you help a single parent (mom or dad or grandparent) by providing for their child or children, you are restoring a home. Matthew 5 tells us, Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. James 1:27 reads, Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. 

It's the season to shine...

Prayer:

Father,
           Open our eyes and our hearts and our wallets to see the opportunities around us that will allow us to shine out of the darkness for Your glory. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Less is More

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.

John 3:30-31 NLT

One of the buzz phrases of the 21st century is "Less is More." However, it's not a new idea. According to The Phrase Finder,¹  the first time the phrase was found in print was 1855, in a poem by Robert Browning titled, Andrea del Sarto. The phrase was later personified by the works and style of Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, an architect and designer born in the late 19th century, whose main focus was simplistic style.

Isn't it strange how people will embrace the idea of 'Less is More' as it relates to things but heartily reject it when it comes to self? And yet Christ did exactly that. 

Referring to Jesus, Philippians 2:6-8 NLT reads, Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 

And yet there is no other name by which man can be saved. It is at the Name of Jesus that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord to the glory of God, the Father. He died a criminal's death. It was a priceLESS gift He gave, the sinLESS, spotLESS Lamb of God.

He became less so that we could be more than we could ever imagine. 

Prayer: 

Father,

         Help us to embrace Your Truth and direction to not be caught up in the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things that enter in and choke Your Word, so that it becomes unfruitful.² Lord, we truly want to live out that You become greater and greater, and we become less and less. Help us, O God. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

¹http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/226400

² Mark 4:18-20 NKJV