Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The First Fifteen Plays

   Under Bill Walsh and George Seifert (former head coaches) of the San Francisco 49er's, and quarterbacks Joe Montana and eventually Steve Young, the 49er's would script the first fifteen plays of their offense. This insured that regardless of where the team was on the field, they had a customized, defined purpose and plan for success to begin each game. Under this offensive system, the 49ers went on to win 4 Super Bowls.
  On the desktop of my office computer used to sit a file entitled 'Sunday Game Plan'. The Sunday Game Plan was written, largely in part, because there were a number of things that I needed to perform in sequence each Sunday morning upon my arrival in preparation for worship. (1) Login and print message copies (2) Upload the message Powerpoint to the church server (3) Unlock the building (4) Drink glass of orange juice... (8) Spend time in prayer and reflection for the service and message... On and on it went. Over the years our volunteer base and deacon ministries have grown to a point that I no longer need the 'Sunday Game Plan'. But I still have my game plan etched in my mind. 
   Having the game plan has allowed me to be more organized mentally, physically, and spiritually to worship and serve my church but also provided a greater opportunity for the Holy Spirit to move in my life and service to the church.
   This past Sunday's worship service was by far the best time of worship I believe I have ever had to be a part of. As I looked back Sunday night I wondered what it was that helped jump the service into a higher level - what I came up with was the whole idea of 'expectancy'. Though I had just spoken about 'expectancy' it seemed that had already been occurring across the congregation. The level of expectancy of the Holy Spirit's presence and transforming our lives on Sunday was what I would call 'thick' and 'static'. 
   Let me encourage you to do a few things on Saturday sometime in preparation for corporate worship:
  1. Take a Mental Inventory: Review your week; struggles, temptations, the busyness, devotion times, confession of any sin. As best as possible, just clear your mind of the week's junk and keep the good stuff (what the Lord told you in His Word...)
  2. Get Ready for Church: I know it's Saturday, but if Sunday mornings are hectic with the kids baths, clothes... shift that to Saturday. If need be, go as far as to set out clothes, prepare Sunday's dinner in the crock pot. I know, I know ladies... you won't know what mood you'll be in so this doesn't make sense to you. However, your male children and husband are easy!
  3. Pray: Sometime Saturday begin praying that the Lord speaks to you. Pray for the message that it is communicated clearly. Pray that the Holy Spirit empowers all of the volunteers on the worship team as they lead as well as those who are serving in the children's ministry that make the parent's worship experience even that more meaningful and that the children's ministry volunteers are blessed for their faithfulness!
There's a lot we could cover here but honestly here's the deal: Preparation leads to Expectation and Expectation leads to a powerful Manifestation!

See you on Sunday, expecting our Great God to knock our socks off again!

Pastor Paul
   

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Walk Softly and Carry a "Selfie" Stick

September 1, 1901 at the Minnesota State Fair, the (then) Vice-President of the United States made a statement in a speech that helped shape the foreign policy of our nation for 107 years.

"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick; you will go far!"

The national security philosophy of TR was carried forward for over a hundred years by Republican and Democratic presidents alike. It was predicated on the fact that the core values of American exceptionalism are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These human values could only be protected at home and espoused abroad by a diplomatic policy backed up by robust military and the bravery to exercise military might in the face of our enemies. Our nation has fought two world wars, the cold war and the war against Islamic terrorism under these values... however...

How the mighty have fallen! Now we have a foreign policy more aptly defined by the current (lame duck) POTUS as:

"Talk Politically Correct and Carry a Selfie Stick; we Surrender!"

The idea now espoused by the administration essentially is to avoid offending the enemy of Christianity, Judaism and the whole of the civilized world by surrendering our American and human values while taking 'selfies'! Narcissism has reached what was once the highest office in the world. What a joke! If only it was a joke, right? Only we are now the joke of the planet because of the cowardice and faulty idealism called the 'Obama Doctrine of International Surrender'. 

If we think that this is a new national security philosophy that is a tragic failure to recognize the religious nature of Islamic terrorism, just go back to 1979 and you will find another impotent man in the presidency (Jimmy Carter). At the age of 17, about to turn 18, I just wanted to fight - anybody! However, when the Iran Hostage Crisis hit, it went to a different level. Only at an early age, I refused to fight under a policy or a flag of impotence and weakness. Here we are today, 35 years forward and we have the leader of the greatest military in the world surrendering to these Islamic bastards. 20 coptic Egyptian Christians are all beheaded along the seashore of Libya and blood allowed to run into the Mediterranean, a Jordanian pilot is burned alive in a cage, muslim soldiers are paraded through the crowds in Iraq inside cages (whose fates are unknown), Kayla Mueller - a 26 year-old American humanitarian volunteer killed while being held captive by ISIS, we have a Muslim terrorist Maj. Nadal Hasan serving in the U.S. Army commit premeditated murder of 13 soldiers at Fort Hood in the name of Islam, Nigerian women and children enslaved, raped and murdered... all the while the president takes selfies, refuses to recognize the real threat and all the while criticizes Christians at the National Prayer Breakfast! 

Now if you think this is a politically motivated article - you are misled. I do not consider myself a Republican or Democrat because I have come to believe that the totality of our political process is at the core of this religious hypocrisy. We are faced with some harsh realities:

Surrender to Islam; succumb to the rape and torture of our women, loss of religious freedom and speech, witness the murder of innocent Christians, Jews by the Islamic Nazis, put on a bike helmet and ride off into history as if it's a episode of 'My Little Pony' while wearing rose colored glasses thinking our world is filled with unicorns and rainbows...

Or
  • Revolt against the Hypocrisy and 'Wimpification' of the American Citizen by these Politico-Religious Cowards
  • Demand a Change at the Core Levels of Our Society and Government 
but if nothing else, Please do your family, friends and neighbors a favor and...
  • Pray for a Great Awakening!


Monday, February 9, 2015

Hold Fast

One of my favorite books and movies is 'Master and Commander". There's a sailor on board the HMS Surprise that has the tattoo 'Hold Fast" on his fingers as a way of saying to his mates... hang on, don't let go...

Sometimes life's circumstances are like traveling on a ship on the open seas. Imagine the winds raging, waves crashing and the skies above and the waters below as dark as night. That may very well describe what you or someone you know is going through right now. I know someone who is right this moment 'holding fast' and that inspires me today to share with you the hope you, me and others share in Christ!

Interestingly, on maritime vessels in ancient times, sailors were repeatedly encouraged to "hold fast". It meant that during rough seas or perilous moments, you needed to grab ahold and not leg go of the ships rigging to save from being swept out to sea and drowning.

The Bible tells us to "hold fast" as well. Indicating our need to grab hold of Jesus and not let go of our confession of Him. There are moments of darkness when that's all there is... ultimately it comes down to that!  Whether it's a situation of neglect, betrayal, abuse, our pillow is soaked by tears as we hold our pet, or we become filled with sorrow or fear... we can "hold fast" to our confession of Jesus. We "Hold Fast' in any number of ways - prayer, reading aloud a prayer of deliverance, reading the favorite Psalm, speaking to another Christian friend, requesting prayer from the church... We are inspired by great men and women in life... here's a few samples:

  • "Never, Never, Never given up" - Winston Churchill
  • "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and HANG ON." - FDR
  • "I will never leave you or forsake you" - God
  • "The best way out is always through" - Robert Frost
  • "Hold fast, help is on the way, Hold fast, He's come to save the day!" - Mercy Me
Over the past several years this has become a favorite saying of mine. So whoever you are, wherever you are and whatever you are going through this minute - HOLD FAST!

Check out "Hold Fast" by Mercy Me... then share the love today and encourage someone you know with a little hope...

In Christ

Pastor Paul