I Don't Want to Get Old!

In the last six months of my life I have seen a lot of transition! For the past fifteen years, I have pastored a church that I poured everything that I had into...my time, energy, money, resources, thoughts and love. Six months ago I started a new season of my life; still in the ministry, but now pastoring pastors...loving them and walking with them through challenges and opportunities. It's been a huge transition! I have also walked through (and have come out successfully) some significant health challenges and have learned how to pace myself and lay down the stresses of life. Actually, it's been a relief learning that I don't have to solve everybody's problems and everybody's issues aren't my concern...wish I had learned that years ago! In addition to the transition that my family and I have walked through, I also recently celebrated my 49th birthday. It was during this time that I heard the Lord clearly speak to me that I was at the "halftime" and beginning the second half of my life. That's cool, because I have learned that in life, we go from survival to success to significance. It's during the second half of your life that you focus on significance!

Sitting back and taking a lot of things into consideration...I have come into this realization: I don't want to get old! Now, please notice what I said and didn't say. I didn't say that I don't want to get older...I have no choice in that matter, I will get older. Nothing that I do or say can stop me from getting older, it's a fact of life! I honestly don't mind getting older...I just don't want to get old! I don't want to become old in my perspective, my habits, my choices or my outlook on life itself. In fact, I've been around people who are physically older, but have a youthful and fresh approach to life and I've been around people who are younger and have an old approach to life. I know one man who is a lot younger than I am and he walks around with his shoulders down, when you walk in his office; it looks like an old man's office...I don't want to be like that!!!!

Psalms 103:5 says "I will enrich your life and renew your youth like the eagle's". The concept of renewing your youth literally means that there is something that God will cause you to retain. I love that! As you get older, the temptation is to lose a sense of youthfulness. Not immaturity, but an outlook that is optimistic, expectant and ready for change. I don't want to get set in my ways. I don't want everything to be the same. I want the fresh and new things of life and of God. But why an eagle? An eagle can fly up to 10,000 feet and can move along at speeds of 30-35 miles per hour. As you get older, the temptation is to "come down to earth" and to "slow down". When you come down, you lose a perspective of 10,000 feet. You see everything close up and it all becomes about you. God help us to enlarge our vision and to broaden our horizons. The older I get, the larger I want to see life. It's really not all about me.

I recently heard somebody say, "Oh, I wish I were 25 again"...not me! When I was 25, I was dumb and broke! I'm glad to have matured, settled down, focused and ready to move into the second half of my life. Obviously, I don't know what's around the corner in terms of the challenges, blessings and opportunities that life may hold for me, but I make a determination right now that I will fly at 10,000 feet; I'm going to slow down, enjoy the blessed life, be everything that God has called me to be and keep a youthful, optimistic view of who I am and who I am becoming. I have too much to live for! There are so many things that I haven't done yet, places that I haven't seen yet, people that I haven't met, sermons that I haven't preached, books that I haven't written...life is to be lived young - even when you're getting older!

The Ties that Bind...

The last couple of days have been somewhat of a roller coaster for me. Two days ago, my father who will soon be 79 years old, had a heart attack. Since then, he has gone through a battery of tests and procedures to discover that not only will he have to endure open heart surgery for a triple by-pass surgery, but he will also have to have a pacemaker installed to keep his heart in rhythm and beating as it should. For many of you reading this blog, you have walked through similar situations and can completely relate. A lot of you may be like I was prior to this incident, I have not walked through an issue like this with somebody on my side of the family; so this is a first for many of the emotions I have experienced.

My father and I have not always seen eye to eye, and have not always gotten along through the years (especially when I was younger and living at home). As I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate the fatherly efforts that he put into raising his children. He may not have approached life the same way that I do, but in his own way, he loved his family and did all that he could to provide a secure future for us. Looking back, I can see the sacrifices that he made so that we could "have a life". It may not have been the life that I personally would have chosen as a teenager, but we don't get to choose the circumstances that we grow up in. Notwithstanding, I can say with certainty that my father loved and gave in his own way.

It's been amazing to me to experience the rush of emotions when you get news about one of your parents, or somebody that you deeply love. All of a sudden, the trivial issues that you may have ever struggled with are inconsequential. Why is that? I believe that all of us make mistakes, hurt other people and do things that we regret, but the bottom line is that we are family! The most important things in life are not "things" at all, but those that we love. I am so thankful that I can look at my life and that I learned to mend fences along the way with my father. Throughout the last couple of days, I have had the chance to do an inventory on how I treated and responded to my father and I'm glad that I have loved and respected him and honored him for who he is and what he has done for his family.

Tomorrow, I will pack up my family and head to North Carolina to be with him during his surgery. I am fully expecting him to come through this with "flying colors" and to watch him live out a full life. He can be a little testy at times, a little hardheaded and definitely set in his ways, but he's my dad and I love him. I can look at my own life and see the impact that he has made on me. The strong work ethic that I carry is because of my dad...the sense of fairness in dealing with people, regardless of their ethnicity comes from my dad and the "I'm gonna make this work, no matter what" attitude is most definitely a trait that I gleaned from him. He is a man that has endured hardships, a rough upbringing and has learned how to overcome odds throughout the years. When it's all said and done and I'm as old as he is now, I want to look back over my life and be able to say that it wasn't my money, my stuff, my goals or even my ministry that was most important to me. I want to live by a standard that puts my wife, my kids, my family and my friends first. When, as an old man; I "go the way of the earth" as all men do, I want to have lived my life in such a way that my family will experience the same emotions that I have by getting this news of a man that I love deeply...I call him Dad.

The Law of Kingdom Life!

Make no mistake about it...everything in your life is governed, directed and dictated by laws! In fact, everything that you see in the natural is established by law. There are laws that govern the spirit, soul and body. Out of those laws, we find principles that become the handles that bring that law into motion or in other words, activate the blessing or the consequences of that particular law. There not a single thing that you do in life that isn't impacted by law.

The definition of the word law is interesting: "a system of rules that a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of it's members and may enforce by the imposition of penalties." The Hebrew word for law is "nomos" and it means "that which has been established...a command".

The Bible is the "law" of God. The Kingdom of God is built upon and based on that law. In fact, the word very clearly points out in Romans 8:2, that the "law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ Jesus, has made me free from the law of sin and death! In standing on that word, I discovered that the word for life is "zoe", and it refers to the absolute fullness of life, a life that is active and vigorous, devoted to God and blessed! That blows my mind...the fullness of life that is available to me, the active, vigorous and healthy life that is mine, the blessed life...it's more than a result, it's a law of God! God has commanded zoe towards me. Based on that law, I have a righteous right to live healthy, vigorous and blessed.

Now, my part is to realize that the benefit of that law comes into reality when I begin to walk in the understanding and the authority of that law. As long as the blessed life remains only an option for me and just another possibility among many, and I don't get a revelation of it, I'll never walk in the authority that enforces that law when the enemy attempts to break it. In fact, if I don't get an understanding of it, I'll never walk in authority relative to it. As long as the enemy can keep me in the dark, and I am tossed "to and fro" about who I am in Christ and what belongs to me, he'll always have me in a place of vulnerability and my life will basically be up for grabs.

Several years ago, I left a Saturday night service at our church and was driving to a restaurant to meet some of our church family. I was in a hurry as usual (don't really know why) and a police officer stopped me for speeding. He happened to stop me on the same road that the church was on. As we began to talk, I played my "preacher card" thinking that just might get me out of a mess. When the officer realized that I was the pastor of the church just down the street, I thought I was "home free"...it was then that he informed me that if I traveled that road as much as I did then I should have known the speed limit!! He graciously gave me a warning (so did my wife) and I went on my way. What was he saying? I should have been knowledgable of the law that dictated the speed on that road. Obviously, I knew the law; but I ignored it.

For a lot of people, that's the case. We know what the word says, but we ignore it. Either that, or we are ignorant of the law. Either way, you're in trouble! The old saying used to be: "what you don't know won't hurt you..." I realized that statement couldn't be more off target. In one sense it's true, it won't hurt you, it can kill you. When you don't know the law or the Word of God regarding your life, you'll begin to live by tradition, half-truths and assumptions. Either that, or your theology will become relative to your reason. There is so much of the Word of God that just doesn't make sense to your natural self. That's because it's not a kingdom of flesh and blood. They are spiritual laws and must be exercised by faith, not natural reasoning.

As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, it is your responsibility to know the laws that govern who you are and who you are becoming. Many people mistakenly think that the will of God is automatic in your life...nothing could be further from the truth. God's will is certainly His intention for you, but His will, His word, His law; must be enforced and you must become the enforcer. Let me tell you how critical it is that you get in an understanding of this. I don't have a right to healing and health in my body just because God loves me. Now, He does love me and every law of the Kingdom is based on His love, but it's more structured than that. My right to health and healing isn't up for grabs or decided upon by God on a day to day basis. It's a law: "...by His stripes I am healed", Isaiah 53:5. So, based on that law, everything contrary to health and healing is illegal! Now, if I don't know that law, or if I'm not convinced of it or even walk in a revelation of it; I won't stand on it in faith. When that happens, I just start wishing and hoping that I'll get healed...instead of walking in it with authority.

The enemy is a liar and the "father of lies". In fact, it's the only weapon left in his arsenal. He has been stripped of power and authority, but he is the master liar. He has messed with our theology over the years and many people have come away with this consortium of mixed up beliefs, that they're really not sure in any given situation what God's purpose, desire or intent is. His word is infallible, undeniable and steadfast. His word is final authority. Stop living by what you see, think, hear or feel and take a stand on the law. It's your only hope!!

Whenever the law of God is enforced, the result is "zoe life". The manifestation of obedience to the law is the blessed life...a life that is marked by vitality and vigor. On the flip side of that, breaking the law of God, whether out of ignorance or disobedience produces death. Get the law (word) in your spirit....settle the issue in your mind, align your talk with the word and refuse to live beneath the rights and the blessing of that law in every arena of your life...spirit, soul and body. The next time you are faced with an issue, before you even ask God what His will is, find out what His Word (law) says about your situation. Remember, His Word IS His will! Once you discover what His word says, don't be swayed by anything else. His word is your ammunition, you are the sheriff - take your stand in faith, favor and anointing!!

Flying with the Divine Tailwind...

Okay, I know that's an odd title for a blog, but it grabbed your attention!! In my new role as a district supervisor with The Foursquare Church, I'm traveling a lot more than I ever have before, as would be expected. A lot of my travels are regionally directed within the Southeast, but from time to time, I find myself on trips that take me westward. There are a lot of analogies and illustrations that I could draw from traveling on airplanes...such as sitting on a delayed regional jet for an hour and a half, next to a man twice my size (and I'm a big boy), in front of an individual that had not had a "shower experience" for quite some, and directly in front of a lady holding a small child that continually pulled on and kicked my seat! Those are lessons in patience, however; that's not the focus of my blog today.

Whenever I am traveling from the East Coast to the West Coast, it always takes longer than coming home, west to east. When I first began flying that route, that little fact confused me until I learned about headwinds and tailwinds. Obviously, due to the airstream that flows from west to east, when you are traveling west, you are "against" the airstream and when you are flying east, you are flying "with" the airstream. No surprise that going against the airstream takes longer. In fact, it not only takes longer, but it costs more fuel. Let's reason that out for a moment...it takes longer to get there, it costs more in fuel and is more taxing on the airplane, and that's going the exact same distance in terms of mileage!

How many times have I done that in my life and ministry? Instead of working "with" the Holy Spirit and being led by Him in what I am called to do, it is so easy just to go with an idea or something that I've seen somewhere else. In Genesis 26, we find that the Philistines filled in the wells of Abraham and Isaac out of jealousy and spite towards Isaac's success and prosperity. Isaac simply moved on and dug another well. Each well that he dug was taken over by the Philistines, and they eventually ran Isaac out of town. The problem with that, is when Isaac left, the wells dried up! So, the blessing is not in the well itself, or even in the digging of the well; but in your obedience. Just because you see somebody else digging a well, doesn't mean that you're supposed to dig one! Psalms 127:1 says that unless the Lord builds the house, those that labor, do it in vain. If it's not a "God idea" for you, then it's just an "good idea" and has no guarantee of His blessing upon it. In fact, if God didn't mandate it, He has no obligation to bless it. I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to pay for a house out of my pocket that I built in the name of God. Whenever He guides, He provides!

In Romans 8:26, we are told that "the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, when we don't know how to pray or even what to pray for" and that He does it "with groanings that cannot be uttered". That's a "divine tailwind! That's when you get there quicker, it's not as laborious and it doesn't cost as much money! All my christian life, I have heard people say: "well you know brother, all things work together for good..." I have discovered that you cannot disconnect verse 28 from verse 26. I have found that all things do not work together for good unless you are flying by the divine tailwind! When you allow the Holy Spirit to intercede on your behalf and to lead and guide and direct your affairs and then you live in obedience to Him, then things began to turn around for His purposes and for your benefit. For years, I have lived by Proverbs 3:5-6; "trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not unto your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."

The word "acknowledge" is the hebrew word "yada" (yaw-dah), and it is a jewish idiom for a intimate relationship between a man and a woman. In other words, the direction and guidance of the Lord in my life flows out of my personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. I can't afford to just move forward on my own merits, my own ideas or even learned behaviors. I press in daily for a creative anointing on my life and for a fresh idea and approach to everything in my life. God is not boring, He doesn't have to go to Egypt for a good idea and neither do you. Everything that you need to be a success in life is already on the inside of you...it's called the "anointing to live"!!! So, stop flying against the headwind...save yourself time, frustration, money and wear and tear, and go with God's leading...the divine tailwind!!

In The Midnight Hour...

Ever been there? In the deepest, darkest recesses of the night...and the sun is brightly shining outside? Obviously, I'm speaking of the midnight hour that arises by virtue of circumstances in our lives...those times when nothing seems to go right or even worse than that, when that crushing sense of despair will not relent and no matter what you do, it won't go away on it's own, when that news of a particular situation hits you without any warning. Sometimes it's the stuff of life and sometimes it's a very strategic, aligned attack of the enemy against you.

I love the passage in Matthew 11:28, when the Master issues a call to those who have been "under the gun". He says; "come to Me, you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest". The greek word for labor is "Kipiao" and it simply means to be weary from the toils of life. That is the "stuff" of life that we all go through...interesting to me however is the second word...Jesus doesn't stop at "labor", He goes on to address those who are "heavy laden". That's a completely different story! Now, He's talking about those that have come under very strategic attack. The greek word for laden is "phortizo" and it means to have a load or a burden placed upon you by somebody else. In other words, it's not of your making or your doing. Oftentimes, it can be the cruel words or insensitve actions of others or even the oversights of others that make your life difficult.

I believe that there are several principles that will bring deliverance and victory to your life. First of all, you have to realize that you ARE in a battle!! This is not the normal, everyday stuff of life...this is war! The enemy is after something precious in your life. He's after your purpose, your destiny, your anointing. He desires to disconnect you from your source of life, power and victory. He is attempting to get you out of courage and get you dis-couraged. When you are either weary from labor or under a strategic attack, you MUST position yourself to fight! You must surround yourself with others who are willing to fight and to fight well. It's critical that you begin to recognize and pull down the strongholds of the lies that have come against you and all that concerns you. When you are under attack, the "normal stuff" of Christianity won't cut it. You're going to have to have more than 3 hymns and a sermon...you're going to have to have more than a "feel-good" devotional. It's time to get serious about who you are in God, who the Word is in you and the stand that you are going to take! You will have to decide what are you going to put up with and what are you not going to put up with...and, the decision is completely yours. God will surround you with people who will fight for you and with you, but make no mistake about it...this is YOUR battle and the victory doesn't depend on others...it depends on YOU!

During a season of darkness, having the right weapon or scripture is essential to breakthrough. What does God say about your particular situation? Over the years, I have become more than convinced of my Father as my healer, I have actually become convicted. I have a deep, abiding, unshakeable conviction that I am the healed of God, no matter what the circumstances of my physical body say. His word is true and will not be denied. I am not moved by the questions of others and neither will I make healing promises relative to those who have not been healed. I can't answer their questions or understand why certain people have or have not been healed. I do know that His Word is true and I must find my place of authority based solely upon that. With every fiber in my being, I am convicted that healing and health IS the will of God and that Jesus purchased my physical healing on Calvary. So, settle the issue in your mind. This thing is temporary!! This too shall pass, no matter how dark it looks right now. No matter how painful it is right now or seems to sufficate you. God has already eternally addressed the very issue that you are struggling with right now and His victory is yours! Stand on it in faith. Mine out the specific word that is relative to what you are going through and let that become your position of faith and allow that to dictate your speech and to become your point of reference.

Jesus said very simply, "Come to Me". What an invitation!! What a beckoning and welcoming call! Notice He didn't say "get it all together, get it all figured out and then you and I can talk"? He welcomes those that are bruised, wounded and battle-weary! Come, just like you are...I want to embrace you, I want to surround you, I want to welcome you into my love, my peace and my resolve for your life. I can hear the Lord saying..."don't you know that I transcend what you are going through right now"? "Don't you know that I care deeply for you and am passionate about you walking in complete health and wholeness"? Don't you know that I can and I will heal you...spirit, soul and body"? His response to your weariness from the toils of life or the attacks against you from either the enemy or others in your life is that of rest. The Greek word for rest is "Anapauo" and it literally means to pause or permit one to cease from movement or labour in order to recover and collect your strength. To give you rest, to refresh you, to bring you into...and get this, patient expectation! To expect what? To expect the outcome of restoration in your life!

You were not designed to live a life of constantly being harrassed by the enemy. You ARE your Father's child and He desperately loves you. Hear Him welcome you into His arms of love and forgiveness...even in this midnight hour, know that He has a plan and purpose and a way of breakthrough for you and your best days are yet ahead of you! For the latter shall be greater than the former, and He has a peace and a prosperity for you that exceeds what you are going through right now in your life!