Counting My Blessings

 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Roman 8:28

The old song say to count your blessing, name them one by one. I have been thinking about my life and I have been counting my blessings recently. Although, I must admit that the things that I count as blessing today did not seem as blessing as they were happening.

For instance, during the financial crash of 2008 and 2009, we lost almost all of our worldly assets. We lost all of our money, I lost my career, we barely kept our house and one vehicle, and we declared bankruptcy. But through it all we survived. We learned to live on less. And we learned that God can be trusted and that God's people can be amazingly generous. I also began my third career as a driver which I would have never done if the economy had remained strong. And I was able to sell my old house and buy this house. All things work together for good.

The other issue was my wife's illnesses and ultimately her death. Kathy was the sick one in our family. She had aches and pains and arthritis and no amount of confessing and repenting seemed to make any difference. Then he had breast cancer including surgery and chemo and radiation until we though she had beaten it. And then she died. While Kathy was sick I had to do the shopping and fend for myself for meals and do my own laundry. Abilities that have served me well since I was forced to live on my own. All things work together for good.

Today I see couples who both must work just to make ends meet. Both work full time to maintain a high standard of living; nicer cars, bigger newer homes, etc. I was able to retire proactively simply because I had learned through adversity how to live within my means no matter how slim those means were. I discovered ways to thrive using what I have and I made great strides towards being content with what I have. 

"..for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. ...I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11,13

Perspective

 Prescott Valley has a population around 42 thousand. San Antonio is around 1.5 million. But there is an attitude in both places that is similar. Almost an immature, childish, self absorbed attitude. You could live here all of your life and never notice this. But when you move here after living elsewhere it stand out in glaring clarity.

This church sings songs that are strange to my ears. Sometimes it is the same song but sung different. Sometimes it is just a song that in all of my years I never heard before. If you only know these songs the way they sing them here you think that is how they go. When you go to conference or visiting another Fellowship church you wonder why they sing your songs different. They don't, you do.

Perspective is how you see the world around you. People are basically the same everywhere. But people do some things that are unique to them. That sums up the way people live in San Antonio. Different. They don't see it, but I do.

Do Not Be Deceived

 It is interesting to watch the excitement over what is happening at Asbury Theological Seminary. Supposedly it is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on those college students and faculty during a prayer meeting. The prayer meeting that never ends. A friend sent me a video clip from that event. It turned me off and gave me the creeps.

Why are tongue talking Pentecostal people drawn to any kind of spiritual or emotional outpouring? Don't we have enough of God where we are today? Or are we so ignorant as to the deception of things that have a grain of truth but are full of lies?

The music was the tipping point for me. I hate the self focused top 40 influenced modern so called worship music that is less about ascribing greatness to God and more about how I feel. No move of God that is genuine will be based on Hillsong or Elevate music. Emotions and feeling are not anointing. Some people mistake rattle for revival.

The original experience at Asbury was in 1970. That was interesting but not appealing to me or to pastor Mitchell. We need more of God where we are, not a touchy/feely praise experience with people who we do not know.

A Surprise Sermon

 Sunday morning pastor Rubi announced that in the evening service there would be a special message that we all wouldn't want to miss. I didn't think too much about that. I planned to be there even if it wasn't a special message.

Sunday night as service began I began to look around to see where pastor Rubi was. He wasn't on the platform. And it began to be obvious that he was not there at all. But when it came time for the sermon we were told that we were going to watch a video of a message from this past Prescott conference.

I remember when I was the Door director in Prescott pastor Mitchell would have me show a movie on a Sunday night when he was going to be gone. So having a video instead of a sermon, while it hadn't happened in a long time, was nothing new to me.

It was a good message. But it was not in person and that makes a big difference.

A Dream

 I had a dream last night. It was an unusual dream to say the least. But it was vivid in my mind when I woke up and I have learned to ponder such dreams seriously.

In my dream we seemed to be in conference in Prescott. It was a large auditorium filled with people. The room however was dark except for the stage, which was well lit. The song leader was leading songs, but no one in the audience was singing. The songs were the modern Hillsong songs that make your skin crawl. Suddenly, from my vantage point, I saw pastor Mitchell get up and make his way to the back of the auditorium. On his way he motioned for pastor Scott Lamb to join him. They met in the back for prayer and to talk. Suddenly pastor Mitchell made his way to the stage and as he climbed the steps to the platform the lights in the auditorium all came on. A minute later pastor was leading songs with Scott and Scottie and other of the older saints playing the music live and we were all singing the old familiar revival choruses that we used to sing. The church began to sing and to clap and to be exuberant in praise to the Lord Jesus. It was like we were in the Prescott church on Ruth street again.

The things that I saw made me realize again how much we lose with this modern church music. We are not a seeker sensitive church. We gather to worship and to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. Amen. Pastor Mitchell was critical in keeping us on track and preserving us from the winds of doctrine and the so called worship music that some people love but pastor Mitchell did not love.

That was my dream.

Why No Retirement?

 I will be honest. I have wondered why pastors never retire. Do they feel that if it is a calling from God they are obligated to preach and minister until they die? One thing that I have heard from my pastor friends over the years is, what does all of my years in the ministry prepare me to do? So pastors keep on until they cannot perform anymore. 

Reading about professional athletes I began to understand a little more about the trials and tribulations that professional people face when they choose to step down. It's like stepping off of a cliff they say. One day you have it all, and in a moment you are on the outside looking in.

People who have worked their whole adult life face the loneliness that comes when you retire. No more feeling needed or feeling important. Social contacts disappear. 

One thing that NFL players who have successfully negotiated life after football do is that they never let football define who they are. Football was simply what they did. It was not their identity. They had education and they found something to fill the rest of their lives with. Those who lived and breathed football and are focused like a laser beam on football suffer the worst when football is over.

It is normal for new converts to be enthused and excited and zealous. It is normal for the fire to die down in time. It is pathetic to see old saints acting giddy like everything is brand new when it is not.

To pastor Mitchell's credit, he not only sent us out. When the time came to call it quits, he brought us home. He did not leave us to die in some awful place that God would not visit and never did anything.

So maybe retirement is not a good idea after all for pastors.

One final thought. We call people who leave our church rebels and backsliders. Some leave to waste their lives in sin. Some leave because they find it impossible to stay. I watched a man who's life had fallen apart in church just turn and walk away from me. It was one of the saddest things that I have ever seen. I never saw him again.

Rich Ministry

 It was a great blessing to have pastor Mark Aulson here for two services. He preached Sunday night in our church and then he ministered Monday night to the men. Pastor Aulson was one of my contemporaries in the early days in Prescott. We were all new converts and newly married and Mark and Michelle were part of that group.

I felt that pastor Aulson has mellowed with age. He is still who he is. But there is a grace and strength that only comes with maturity. Pastor Mitchell had that. Pastor Warner has it.

We are so blessed to have such a treasure of rich ministry. 

Marriage Can Last

 I was told that 40 years ago today, February 6th, pastor Greg and Lisa were married in Perth. This marks for them 40 years of marriage. This means that today pastor Greg and Lisa made it to the place where my marriage to Kathy ended. It is a milestone for sure. And a testimony that with the Lord's help a marriage can last. Mine lasted until death did us part.

Growing and Growing Up

 One thing that I have noticed is there are pastors who pastor churches, and there are pastors who pastor other pastors. I noticed this at the Prescott conference. Most of the ministry during conference is aimed at pastors. Rarely is anything preached that would help ordinary church goers. Non pastors who attend conference are there looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend or a spouse.

In the world of coaching college football I heard a coach say that his job is not a coach, but a CEO of the organization.  That he is more a coach of coaches than a coach of players. This made me think of pastor Mitchell. At some point early in our Fellowship, before it was a fellowship, pastor Mitchell became a pastor of pastors as well as a pastor of the Prescott church. It changed the Prescott church.

As a church member this puts us in a particular position. We love our pastor. But we are not the central focus of his attention anymore. We support the vision of church planting even though we find out that planting churches takes our pastor away from us too often. We are expected to be faithful no matter if our pastor is there or not. Sometimes our pastor would not get a gold star for attendance since he is rarely home.

When the church is a family everyone loves one another. When our church becomes a conference center it becomes more of an organization than a family. We have a job to do. We no longer have a church building, we worship in our conference center. It is not longer a sanctuary, it is an auditorium.

Our church is entering a time where we all need to grow up and mature and stop acting like children.

My Thoughts on Champions

 "For many are called, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:14

Now that Tom Brady has announced his retirement from a fantastic football career, much has been said about Tom as a quarterback. He has led his teams to 7 Super Bowl wins. He has played longer than most NFL players. But no one talks of Tom Brady as the best quarterback of all time. Tom is not a great player, but Tom is a champion.

In the world in general there are good players. They make up the majority of any business or team. They are good and reliable and faithful. But that's all that they are. There are some who by virtue of talent or determination become great players. They become leaders. They attract attention. Great players are what the fans spend money to see. Great musicians, great actors, great authors, great performers in any sport or field. They become famous up to a point.

And then there are champions. Champions must at least be very good. They must have the necessary skills to do the job. They understand how the game is played. But they also have something that is hard to define. They rise to the big moment. They thrive on the big decisions. They make the bold moves that great player cannot even see. And in the end they are recognized as champions.

Pastors are no different. Many are called but few rise above all others. Churches are the same. They have a mystique and a spirit that everyone recognizes but few can define. Champions put in the time and do the work. But it is more than just out-working everyone else. David was a champion. Moses was a champion. Paul was a champion. Christ was the ultimate champion, though he is different in ways we do not understand. Pastor Mitchell was a champion.

Champions are not egotists or self important. True champions understand that they are different. They are humble. They are grateful. They recognize that being a champion is a gift from God.