Being Right Is Not Enough

 Moses is still an important figure is history. He is the law giver. He led the people out from under slavery and forged them into a nation that is still a nation today. He wrote the first five books of the Bible. He was with Christ on the mountain. Moses is remembered and revered to this day.

Joshua was a disciple of Moses. Joshua was a warlord. He led the conquest of Canaan. A book of the Bible bears his name. But he is largely forgotten in history. He is just a historical figure with little current value.

Everyone has his or her part to play. Some are remembered, some fade away. One thing that makes us memorable is not just being right, but love. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love conquers human hearts. A preacher who loves God and loves the Bible but does not love people will be forgotten.

It is possible to be right, and to be all alone.

Random Thoughts

If one size fits all was true, ministry to people would be much easier. Discover what is in the Bible and then use that truth for every person in every circumstance of life. If by chance it doesn't work for someone, that is their problem and it is up to them to change. In the real world, when a person doesn't not feel included or accepted they will give up and leave. Not everyone who leaves our church is a rebel. Some are just discouraged by their differences.

A turtle is not a failure because it cannot run like a rabbit or soar like an eagle. That turtle can fast and pray and discipline it's life. But it will always be a turtle. And, no one criticizes the eagle for not being a turtle. No one criticizes the rabbit for scurrying around. Only the slow, plodding unattractive turtle gets criticized.

Greg Mitchell is not my pastor. Pastor Wayman Mitchell was my pastor. I was saved and Spirit filled under his ministry. I was married by pastor Mitchell. We were sent out by pastor Mitchell. We were counseled by pastor Mitchell. When pastor Mitchell died my pastor died. I have a new pastor now. And he is not Greg Mitchell.

Finally, grief is love looking for a home. If you mourn the death of a spouse one day you will understand this statement better. The absent are always present. Amen.

How Much Is Enough?

 We can do almost anything if we know the limits to our activity. Fast three days and you can see the end approaching. A week long revival or conference is doable because it has an end. Anyone can read their Bible as long as you don't have to read it all every day. Limits make life livable.

But there are things in our Fellowship that have no limits. The size of our churches. No one says this is big enough. The size of our bank accounts. No church ever has enough money. Pastors serve until they die. They have nothing to look forward to and there is only death to end their service and their ministry.

When we say the field is the world, we will either do all that we can or we will do nothing. Some pastors ought to quit their jobs and just evangelize all day every day. No studying, no praying, just witnessing to everyone on planet Earth.

The problem with a limitless outlook on life is burn out. When enough is never enough one day you will quit or give up and say enough is enough.  When you give until it hurts you have nothing more to give no matter how hard the preacher pulls for more. It must be enough since it's all that I have. Prayer that is not answered becomes dull and routine and one day you will say enough of this.

Time is the enemy of the endless and limitless life. No one at 70 is interested in acting like a teenager. If a pastor could only serve in his own church I wonder how long he would last. Variety give spice to their lives by preaching in other places. The test of time can show us if what we have is worth keeping.

How much is enough? 

A Tale of Two Sermons

I heard two different sermons recently. One was classic Bible exposition. Explaining the Biblical narrative with accuracy. Telling us how it happened and how the characters in the Bible felt or what they were thinking. It was all true. I had a hard time paying attention to what was being said. 

The other sermon was a message about God in the real world. It was heart felt. It talked about real people and real places in our world today. He talked about how God was at work today and how people were helped and healed and saved. I hung on every word.

The radio and YouTube are filled with preachers who know the Bible inside and out, who know ancient languages, who can tell us with great detail how and why it played out in ancient times. They can tell us how Moses felt or what David was thinking. This is the letter of the law that is awful to hear and dangerous to our faith.

Pastor Wayman Mitchell was an expert on practical righteousness. He ministered to real people with honest fears and hopes and dreams and failures. He made it clear that God could help us in the here and now. Some other pastors in our Fellowship are good at this. Some are not.

I do not care why Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. I want to know how to avoid forbidden fruit in my world. I want a word in season when I am ready to give up. I want a living hope for today. 

"who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." 2Corinthians 3:6

I Repent.

 I repent. I have been a fool. I have listened to words of rebellion and I have spoken words of rebellion. No more. Let God be true, and let every man be a liar. I delight to do God's will for my life.

Pastor Mitchell gave us a blueprint that has brought us this far. Evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. I will be a part of this vision in my new home church. I will not go to Hell over things that I do not understand. And I will no longer have fellowship with those who have rebelled against our church and our churches.

To God be the glory, great things He has done!

O You Of Little Faith

 "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Matthew 8:26

In this story we read of the time when the disciples and the Lord were in a boat on the sea and a storm rose up. The men in fear cried out to Jesus. He rebukes them, then he calms the storm.

Here is what I was wondering about. These disciples had been with Jesus for some time now. They were as close to Jesus as any man could be. How is it then that the minute trouble happens, they freaked out? How is it that after all of the words they heard from Jesus and all the personal time they spent with Jesus they seem to be unprepared for this situation?

My thought is that when we rely on God for everything, we are incapable to do anything on our own. People who claim to be walking with Christ today and pray about everything seem to be unable to solve any problem or do anything that requires faith.

Also, these men, for spending so much time with Jesus, didn't know him at all. 

"Who can this be?" is their response. Verse 27.

I think that a theology that claims that the answer to life is walking close to Jesus is somehow wrong in it's thinking. Faith is an action word, not a believing word. Faith is seen by what we say and by what we do. Being close to Jesus is not enough. Jesus told them that they had no faith. 

Think about it.

Conference Thoughts

 In Prescott, there are good people who take their family vacations during conference. There are faithful people who stay home and watch the conference services. Why do they not attend? You would have to ask them.

Here, they have been doing conferences for many years, and they act like this is their first time putting on a conference. Some people are still giddy with excitement. Pastor talks to us to tell us what to do and how to behave like we don't understand the magnitude of what conference is.

For me, this conference is about people that I do not know and hearing preaching from pastors who I do not know. I remember the first time that I preached at a local conference. It was exciting. I remember the first time that I attended a regional conference. It was interesting. Conference here is not the first time of anything for me and so I find it neither exciting or interesting.

I could stay home and not feel like I had missed anything. But I won't stay home out of respect for the Fellowship. Maybe I can hear God speaking to me even when the preaching is not aimed at me.

God bless us all.