Change Is Necessary

Someone recounted a scientific fact today that I had forgotten. It is the 2nd law of thermodynamics stated in layman's terms. It is this: change is constant. I am reminded of the four seasons when I think about change and the following scripture in Genesis 8:22... While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Change is constant. Day turns to night, night turns to day, cold turns to heat, heat turns to cold, seedtime leads to harvest, harvest leads to another seedtime, winter turns to summer, summer turns to winter. And so goes our lives; we are constantly changing. I do not look quite like I did 30 years ago because I have aged. In another 30 years, if I am still alive, I will look much different than I do now. Change is constant, but change is also necessary. And so goes our spiritual lives. We must submit to constant growth and change. If we are not growing, we are not changing. If we are not changing, we are not growing. This is a hard concept for many people to grasp. Change is often viewed as threatening. If it is a justifiable change it is safe and beneficial. If a flower remains a bloom, it will never reveal its true beauty. Therefore, it is justified in its change. If a seed never dies to itself it never becomes anything else. Therefore, it also is justified in its change. Jesus said in John 12:24...Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. Change is necessary to bring forth fruit. We must understand that principle and submit to the laws of change. If we allow change to be a constant on our life, we are sure to be a fruitful Christian.

Pastor Accountability

I want to invite anyone who may venture to this blog site to check out a new page on facebook that Steven Schlinker, my nephew and fellow pastor of Welcome Hill Assembly of God Church in Pottsville, AR, created after an at length discussion that we had concerning having a mutual vision to create a place on the web where pastors could meet to draw support from each other as well as holding each other accountable in the awesome task of pastoral work. Below you can find the link to that page. I will look for you there!


http://www.facebook.com/pages/pastor-accountability/

Your Next Step

It is time to take your next step. You must keep going. At the top is your reward. It is not easy. However, each new step takes you to a higher level. Therefore, you will experience something that you did not experience on the previous step. View it as exciting anticipation. Sadly, many people have been on the same step for years and the view and the experience has not changed. Don't let this happen to you. Refuse to lose. Keep going, it's time for your next step. You might even know what that next step involves. Don't let fear hold you back or hold you down. Come on, take your next step. God is waiting for you.

After this I looked, and, behold, a door [was] opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard [was] as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. Revelation 4:1

The Need for Support

Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

From the days of the early church until now, there has always been a need for fellowship. Why? I believe that fellowship is a necessary component of Christian living. Lack of fellowship cuts you off from the rest of the "fellows in the ship". The truth is, we need fellowship, and without it we become sort of like spiritual hermits or stowaways, struggling privately by choice. I personally enjoy talking and communicating with other pastors. It is a form of support that we all need. We cannot forget that we are not in this thing alone.
I believe that the early church was strong due to the fact that they continued steadfastly in fellowship. If they realized the need for fellowship back then, how much more should we realize it now. I believe that it is time for steadfast fellowship and frequent communication between pastors. I would love to see a networking of pastors in this area.
If you have any thoughts on this subject, please respond to the blog. I'll be waiting for your response.

Back From an Adventure

Well, I have been silent for four months now due to the adventure of teaching school. I began teaching Social Studies and Language Arts in the Pulaski County Special School District in January. It was quite an experience. However, I plan to get back into regular blogging starting today. Praise the Lord!

He Can

I can't save you, but he can. I can't heal you, but he can. I can't deliver you, but he can. I can't give you, peace but he can. I can't make everything alright, but he can. I can't map your future, but he can. I can't make you a success, but he can. I can't pay your bills, but he can.

HE CAN and HE WILL if you let him!!!!!!!

The problem is that we get the words backwards in our minds without even realizing it. All too often what we are really saying by our actions is CAN HE?

I just want to remind you that HE CAN?

Who is He? Jesus of course. He can because he has and he is and he will!!!

.......Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Revelation 4:8

The World Outside Your World

I was thinking about life the other day. I was reflecting on the various ways or capacities that I have had the privilege to work for the Lord. I begin to think about the principle of effectiveness. Some measure effectiveness in different ways. As I was thinking on theses things, I had a thought that ran through my mind and I had to chase it back through my mind again. This was the thought, and I wrote it down, Real effectiveness is when you affect the world outside your world. And what do I mean by that? Well, everyone has their world that they, for the most part, stay in. Some might even call it the Comfort Zone. At any rate, it is our world. Nobody comes into it and most of the time nobody leaves out from it. It is filled with everything that we find synonymous with who we are. These things consist of our beliefs, tastes, habits, philosophies, methods and styles. It also consists of people; people that are like us or who do or accept everything that we do. We feel like if we can affect people in this world we are really being effective. However, isn't it time that we begin to set goals to affect the world that is outside our world. It's kind of like when the disciples begin to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. It was easier to preach to the Jews in Jerusalem but what about all of Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth. What about the world of lions and gladiators. We must be reminded that if the Apostles had not obeyed and gone past the city limits of Jerusalem, we probably would not know Jesus today. We must be effective outside of our usual Amen Corner. We must be willing to go wherever and do whatever the Master bids us to do. Not only that, we must be willing, on a daily basis, to exit our world and affect that world that exists outside of it. In fact, Jesus came to break our world apart and use us as lively stones to build his kingdom. Therefore, as a Christian, the only world we live in should be the world of surrender to Christ and his will. That means talking about Christ to someone who doesn't have a clue or letting your gospel light shine to someone who sneers at the thought of God and Jesus. It may mean preaching under a bridge or going to the baddest man in town with the message of Christ just before he dies. Just as the disciple had to go outside the walls of Jerusalem we also must go outside the walls of our own personal world, leave it behind, and give up all for the cause of Christ.

I was scanning through a dictionary the other day. Yes I am weird like that. God ministered to my heart when I read the meaning of the French word, entrepreneur. It basically means one who starts a business and is willing to take a risk for the sake of the profit.

Go on. Get out of your world, take a risk for the sake of the profit. What profit? The profit of a soul that spends eternity in heaven rather than the alternative. The world outside your world is waiting on you!

Image accessed from
pandora.hhs.homewood.k12.al.us
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Knowing Our Role

In my previous blog post, I wrote about certain judgement that is coming upon this world. I did not write that because as a Christian, I gloat in that fact. In addition I did not write it because I seek to major in gloom and doom. I felt compelled to write it because it is biblical truth no matter how uncomfortable it may make us.
I believe also that we must identify and pursue our individual roles in this present church age. We must come to grips with the fact that this era of biblical history that we live in could very well be the closing chapter or at least the last chapter that the church will be involved in before the rapture. What is our role? Are we in tune with the plans of God? Obviously our role must be to do all that we can in helping to fulfil the Great Commission. We know that is the Master's Plan. Our specific roles may vary but we are all a link in the chain. We must know our personal role. We must sell out to it. We must sell out to it now before it is too late to do so!

Can You Hear The Rumble?

But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I [am] the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these [things] I delight, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 9:24

For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Psalms 37:28

Fact: Judgement is on the way. It might be likened to the rumbling of chariot wheels. It is a matter of time. Can you hear the rumble. Fact: God has been so merciful with this world. Fact: The days of his mercy will end some time in the future. Fact: Mercy will be extended until that day when judgement arrives. Fact: To the surprise of untold millions God will without a doubt execute the fearful results of his fury upon this world. Fact: Jesus is the answer. Fact: In Jesus is eternal salvation and security. Fact: He loves you with all of his heart. Fact: It's up to you.