Month: December 2020

I’m lingering at the church this morning. Came for prayer. Captivated by His presence. Just sitting here pondering. Arrested in prayer by a song on my playlist. As it unfolded I thought, “This has to be an apostolic.” “Give me a love for truth…Because you are the truth.” I pulled out my phone and wasn’t disappointed. Dylan Woodward, blends a perfect combination of love for apostolic truth, with a loving, committed relationship with our God of Truth. The future of the apostolic movement is in great hands. May all who come behind us find us faithful.

I started to list, as I’ve got this song on constant repeat, what I’ve learned and prayed deep in my spirit as I sit here in a plush blue chair in our foyer. Well, kinda plush! Anyway, if I started listing all I would have written the whole song and would have broken copyright protocols a couple dozen times.

Dylan in his anointed song gives us direction in every single line.

Look it up. Listen to it. Learn it.

It’s been a good morning; lingering at the church. The walls have a message: Revival will begin here but will not be contained here. It will overflow into the streets, community, city, and world.

The seats are empty, the prayers are silent. Remember, we do not walk by sight, but by faith. Every prayer is stored in heaven. One day, soon, they will overflow and answered prayer will be poured out generously.

It’s Saturday and the altars are empty. But, look out defeated foe! Tomorrow, empty altars will be full, abundantly overflowing.

There are no sounds evident here. But tomorrow there will be the waves of grace and glory flooding the air space. Praises and prayers will meet together. His power and presence will be available to all.

Today, as I linger here, there is an empty edifice, but tomorrow it will be transformed into a hospital. Spiritual, physical, and emotional healings will abound. The ministry of restoration and reconciliation will be dispensed.

As I peek back into the dark sanctuary the pulpit is vacant. But, tomorrow, a pastor more lively than the Energizer bunny will declare the testimony of Jesus. It will be a clear, clarion, call. Challenge. Conviction. Change. How do I know? He does it EVERY time!

Well, the first arrival has entered. The choir practice starts in an hour. Yep, tomorrow, they will fill the platform with praise. Can hardly wait!

I’m going to leave today, so I can linger tomorrow!

Each day we wake knowing this is the day the Lord has made (Psalm 118:24). Days turn into weeks. Weeks into months. a Year is an accumulation of the individual days the Lord has made. Not all are good. Not all are bad. But, mixed we can count our many blessings and hopefully be content. And, wow, what a year, 2020 has been.

Reading the Scriptures Paul wrote from a dark, dreary, damp, dirty prison cell, I am amazed he would be content, and exuberate joy. He had his eyes fixed on Someone greater than his present circumstances.

“Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances. I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace]” (Philippians 4:11-13, AMP, Emphasis mine).

I like what my friend, Cullen Chrestman, mentioned in one of his messages to my local church, “Some of the things that frustrate us the most are sent directly from God to impact us the most.”

Nick Batzig in “A Marathon Mentality for Ministry” blog post said, “Contentment in ministry is the secret of endurance in ministry. Pastors must learn to be content with what hand God has dealt them.”

A famous violinist, Itzhak Perlman, with a broken string in the middle of the concert continued on, “You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.”

He is also attributed to saying, “It is my gift and my joy to make music with what remains.”

Remember contentment is an attitude. I try to remember any time I become discontent with what others have, and I don’t, it is bordering on envy.  I don’t want that in my life…at all. Praise God for the blessings He is giving to others.

Here are a few other tidbits of advice:

• Resist fear.
• Trust God.
• Develop an attitude of gratitude.
• Count your blessings.
• Take advantage of the time and seasons.
• Embark on a new project or two. Doing something nice for someone else will hopefully lift your spirit.
• Find joy in what you already have.
• Seek God.
• Study God’s Word.

Someone has said, “A contented heart is a calm sea in the midst of all storms.”