A lesson from death

People experience death every day. It is never easy. The loss of a loved one, whether expected or not, hits the gut of people close to the person in a way that varies from person to person. We miss the people who have gone. We are reminded of our own frailties. We ponder in our minds how our own passing will effect people and what the reactions of people will be when we are gone.

The reward of heaven is so easy to talk about and brings about much comfort to those left behind. Heaven is indeed the only place where all pain and sorrow are gone. But in this understanding is also found the fact that our grieving still hurts and little really helps.

There is one aspect that I have clung to since hearing it put so plainly many years ago. My mentor loss his mother in law and father within a twenty four hour period years ago. I traveled with several from our church to attend and support him as he led in both services. As one heading into the ministry at the time I could not even imagine all that was racing through his head and heart. I never dreamed that I would learn from him what I did during that trip.

Though I have misplaced the verses that he used, I remember this one thing from his fathers funeral. It has transformed my approach to death and my ministry to those who have lost loved ones. It has carried me through preaching both of my grandmothers funerals and doing more than 526 funerals beyond in 22 years of ministry.

As salvation is a gift from God that we share with people, so also is death. When we join in giving the gift of death as we do the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we find the peace and comfort that is promised.

Until that particular service I had never heard it put that way. As my mentor stood and preached his fathers service and imparted this truth - it stuck! We who are left behind should desire and thus participate in the giving of the gift of death. It is our letting go. It takes our thoughts away from our own selfishness and focuses us on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It maintains our understanding that God is working in drawing ALL people to Himself and so should we. Just as we are commanded to share Jesus with everyone - we are also included in the final gift - giving the gift of death.

Key point: It only works when one knows Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Today I join many in giving this gift to a man saved from drugs and more. Johnny Ray went home to His Lord early Saturday morning. His salvation had freed him from a life of disaster. He had been used by God to minister to so many teenagers and adults alike. His smile and his love for everyone will be missed. but as we will celebrate come Wednesday his life, we are reminded in our sorrow that we can join in the giving of this gift. Stomach cancer is a horrible thing. Leaving earth at 51 seems to be too soon. But now Johnny Ray is experiencing the reality of what God worked in his life.

How could we not want to join in the giving of this great gift. It is a lesson from death, for death.

Have a great time Johnny Ray! I will see you in due time! Thank you for all you did! I now give you this last precious gift.

Most people know what it means when they hear that someone has a burden from the heart. When the heart is gripped by a great need, little in life can match the power of the moment. It is in these moments that we are more prone to "cry out" to God in a way that does not occur on a daily basis as it should.

For the past five months it seems that I have been in more meetings of multiple types (not all with ministers or church people) than I have been in many years. As I took time to reflect back on the first half of 2010 this week I noticed a common thread through all of the meetings. In every facet of life, trials and tribulations persist. Whether a person is in the ministry, a member of a church, a business person, or ____________, we all share this common bond - in life there is pain. And yet more than this aspect was a shocking revelation. People from all walks have noticed something is missing and have asked the following:

What has happened to the STATESMEN?

History clearly teaches that Statesmen convey a quality of leadership that organically brings people together and of elder-ship, a spirit of caring for others and for the whole. A Statesmen never promotes oneself nor do they solicit promotion from others. When a person rises to the level of Statesmen, it so obvious that honor and respect flow automatically. This type of person walks a basic and simple life keeping the focus locked in on the whole and never lowering themselves to acts or words of self absorption, division, or destruction. They get the respect due to their constant giving of respect. They rise above the mess and lead by example. People follow for their message is clear and the absence of selfishness promotes trust and loyalty.

Today we live with a huge void in our world. From politics to spiritual issues. From families to cities. A generation of statesmen have, or are, in the process of passing on. In their place we have a polarizing and extremely destructive new wave. We are seeing experts of finger pointing and blame. We may be taking this to an all time new level. We see situational ethics being applied while denial of such cries out simultaneously trying to point the finger rather than humbly break from our own sick state.

Do we not realize the time and the hour?

Natural disasters. Wars and rumors of more. Oil spills. World-wide economic collapse. Unparalleled calls for one world type governing. Why is this not driving us to our knees? Why in schools, city council meetings, hospitals, churches, denominations, conventions, and more do we continue to walk this path which is forbidden? We are told in scripture the following:

Hebrews 10:24-25

24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,

25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching .
NKJV

The more I read the above verse, the more my burden grows. The plan is simple. The call is clear. Do our hearts break over the things that God desires in and from us? Oh that we would see the rising of many Statesmen for this time period. People are seeking the answers from government, political affiliations, drugs, alcohol and untold more. No answers are being found from these paths.

We who have a placed our faith and trust in Jesus Christ through repentance of sin, are to be the voice in the wilderness. Oh that this would be true. We have serious issues of eternal life in heaven or eternity in hell. Our time is up for the ridiculous. May God break us and raise up a new generation of Statesmen loudly declaring the way of the Lord!

Stay Fresh

It is easy for our spiritual journey to become stale. Often the daily ruts of life find a path into our spiritual growth and slow it down. There is nothing boring about God. Satan loves to distract our journey with a focus on things and people that drag us into the sea of apathy and even burnout.

This week do your bible reading different. Pick a new time. Add the discipline of writing journal. Read fewer versus. Do something different!

Focus more of your life on ministry - real ministry. Get out of the norm of 'keeping the sheep comfortable" and find people who need Jesus!

Remember this:

Psalms 47:2

2 For the LORD Most High is awesome ; He is a great King over all the earth.
NKJV

Your journey should be FRESH!

In Thanksgiving for Those Who Gave Their All!

Help Your Pastor!

The following is copied from Thom Rainer - President of Lifeway. It is great encouragement and direction for church members in loving and supporting their Pastors. Thanks Thom!

I know. Pastors aren’t perfect. But they do have one of the toughest jobs in the world. Regardless of the church polity, they do have to answer to every church member. Please allow me to speak to you who are church members. I know most of you love your pastor. I know most of you respect your pastor. But you may not know how you can best help your pastor.

I have served as a pastor of four churches, and I have consulted with hundreds of pastors. In many ways, I think I understand the heart of a pastor. So would you allow me to share with you how to demonstrate love to your pastor? I put them in the form of five things not to do, and five things to do.

What Not to Do

Let’s get the negatives out of the way first. I’ve tried to streamline the list some.

1. Don’t criticize or make critical suggestions to the pastor unless you have spent much time in prayer over the matter. Pastors have to deal with criticisms every week. It drains them. Also, don’t criticize the pastor’s family.

2. Don’t ask the pastor to make announcements right before the worship service. He needs to be focused on his sermon. Similarly, don’t say other things to him that may distract him before he preaches.

3. Don’t tell your pastor how he compares to other pastors.

4. Don’t expect the pastor to be at all the church events and functions you think he should attend. Most of the other church members want him at “their” events as well.

5. Don’t expect the pastor to be the primary pastoral care giver to all members, their relatives, their distant relatives, and the rest of the community within a 30-mile radius.

What to Do

As I have talked with pastors around the world, they have shared with me some of the steps church members have taken that have really encouraged them. Let me share five of them.

1. Do pray for your pastor. Send him an email to let him know you are praying for him.

2. Do encourage your pastor. He needs it because he’s human, and he needs it to balance the criticisms he hears.

3. Do work with the leadership of the church to make certain the pastor is getting sufficient rest, time off, and family time. Most pastors are on 24/7 call.

4. Do encourage the rest of the church to take on pastoral care responsibility, particularly through small groups and Sunday school classes. The pastor should be the primary care giver for the most urgent and serious of needs. The rest of the church should do the bulk of the ministry.

5. Do be faithful to the ministry of the church. Few things encourage a pastor as much as committed church members.

Remembering Frances Mason

The very first blog I wrote was about Frances Mason. She was one of those church members that every pastor loves. Upon her death, I noted several reasons why I loved her so dearly.

As I reflected back on Frances for this blog, I realized that she was the type of church member that embodied all the great characteristics that are noted in these ten action items for this article. She prayed for me. She encouraged me. She looked after my welfare. She was a totally committed church member.

Many pastors are hurting. Sometimes I think most pastors are hurting. They are looking for answers to help their lives and leadership.

And the good news is that you can be a part of the solution.

Words Worth Remembering

The human brain has the ability to memorize and store more than we can ever imagine. And at the same time the human brain can suffer clutter and distortion resulting in loss of memory with little to no warning. We can forget the simple things and yet recall the complicated. We can put things out of our mind and yet get things stuck. God created an incredible thing when developed the human brain.

Our memorization of God's Word is so important to our daily lives. In fact one of the most remembered versus from Vacation Bible School back in the 70's was Psalm 119: 11 "Thy word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee." Funny how I still remember it in KJV! In fact it struck me today as I was looking at the summer schedule and studying for Adult VBS in July, that this verse is the one I most remember from my every year attendance at VBS. Other than the snow cones, this verse is about all I remember.

During a phone conversation today another verse was jogged out of my memory. A verse that really hits home in so many circles and situations. Rather than elaborating on it and sharing mere human thoughts, I am simply going to post it knowing that we all could do well to head the words written:

Titus 3:1-11
Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,

2 to speak evil of no one , to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,

5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

9 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.

10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition,

11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.
NKJV

Coming Soon!

After several months of being "off the air" I am happy to announce that the Winning Truth Broadcast will once again begin airing the week of May 24TH with new messages. The broadcast will be available in podcast form and for download. Links will be provided next week. This blog will share insights into the broadcasts with discussion points from the messages. The current plan calls for one broadcast per week and an occasional Special Interest Broadcast from time to time dealing with Hot Topics of our day and particular issues that American Christianity is dealing with.

We pray that these broadcasts are a blessing to you. I look forward to interaction on the subject matter as we discuss and grow together. Time is running short. The return of our Lord is soon though NO person knows the exact time. We must do all we can in these days to reach as many people as possible with the only Winning Truth - the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

See you next week!