WAR ROOM
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 I had one of those moments on Monday morning...the kind that if you were the boss or in a pretty high position of authority in your work place and this occurred, it probably wouldn't be a "big deal". And for this particular situation it wasn't as big a deal as the exact same situation had been for previous employers
But in ministry, it works the same way, doesn't? Despite being eternally-minded and work having a "greater purpose and meaning", at the end of the day, it is still a job with assigned responsibilities and accountability systems in place just like what is found in the secular market. Are such situations in the church handled in the same manner as corporate America? Situations can't continue to go unresolved, simply because it's in a church environment. This could happen to any church position, yet for some reason I'm thinking of such struggles in which Associate Pastors might find themselves. Pray for Associate Pastors as church staff in general, that job-related issues that arise would be handled with prayer and wisdom. Pray that there would not be a rush to judgement or rash decisions. Pray for understanding and solutions to take priority over frustration and the problem. May having an eternal perspective about the responsibilities of their position help foster a culture of excellence; that even when night reached, will still place them in pretty high regard, for the glory of God. -PNC
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 My Senior Pastors' mother has been in the hospital for the past 43 days, 39 of them, in ICU. We got the update during Sunday mornings' service...in the next day or two, she'll be home.
Our Pastor is incredibly involved in leadership positions outside the 4 walls of our church, so his schedule, combined with the health of his mom the past month and half, it's been a busy time in which many have stepped up to help things run normal. More importantly, thousands agreed in prayer for the health of a woman, who with her husband, has experienced an incredible, decades-long ministry throughout the world. Those who heard of her condition prayed for her healing, whether they were on the other side of town or the other side of earth. The body of Christ at-large agreed in prayer and a local church held up its Pastor. What man sees as addition, God sees as multiplication. If one can put 1,000 to flight, then two can put 10,000 to flight. And where 2 or 3 are gathered in His name, He shows up!! Does three put 100,000 to flight? Four, a million? So 1,000's pray and I run out room for the zero's! Pray for Senior Pastors...may the be reminded that God is faithful; despite faults and failures. Pray, that like many of us struggle, that they not get hung up on figuring out the situations they face. May the solutions of heaven be carried out here on earth. Pray churches around the globe continue to be prepared and equipped to help carry the burden of the church; that its vision, operation and success would not rise, fall and rest solely on the abilities and experience of one individual.  "Live as a credible witness. If our actions don’t line up with the message we’re proclaiming, we risk losing our credibility." - Dr. David Jeremiah, Sr. Pastor, Shadow Mountain Community Church.
In a word, consistency. Where there is no consistency, there is no credibility. This is all that we need to keep in mind as the church engages its community. Pray for churches and their communities, that actions would line up with the message proclaimed. Pray for consistency, that we would be aware of decisions, actions and words that would cause onlookers to use as reasons against coming to Christ. Pray that church would no go so far as to focus on perfection, but a persistent pursuit of God and a constant renewing of His grace for those moments when our credibility is in jeopardy. May God transcend our faults and strengthen our efforts in pointing others to Christ. -PNC  ...missionaries and a mission field.
We are called to be a witness to the grace and glory of God and the power of the cross. Yet, as we go through life, we need those who continue to invest in us, that we may grow in that grace and the knowledge of Christ. This is why we need the body of Christ. We all have experiences that are to be shared with each other to strengthen the faith of those around us as well as to be strengthened by others. So who is investing and strengthening the lives of those in ministry? Our Pastors? Our missionaries? Pray for our missionaries, that they would be surrounded by those who would invest in their lives. Pray that their faith would be strengthened, their minds renewed and their spirits refreshed. Pray that life would not discourage their purpose; particularly to the point that it would undermine their ministry. May their lives be fortified, that when they have done all they can to stand, pray they remain standing. -PNC  Last night, as I played with the kids before bedtime, I pretended to fall asleep on the floor. I could barely contain a smile or laughter as they tried everything to see if I was awake, including the youngest opening my eyelids (read: practically poking my eye) and shaking my head, "wakey-wakey, wakey-wakey". Then the two of them started talking and asking. Do we call Mommy? Daddy not wake up. What do we do?
I stopped pretending shortly thereafter, but I had to stretch it for a moment, because their trying to figure out what to do had gotten my curiosity. Later on, something registered. How do youth and children's pastors feel, as they watch kids and teens ask questions about decisions in their life and how their faith should impact those decisions? Likewise, what am I modeling at home, as to how my faith impacts my decisions. It's a challenge to be taken seriously. It's one to be covered in prayer. Pray for the Pastors of our kids and our youth; that their lives would be ones part of a firm foundation being build in kids and teens. Pray their lives would indeed be models of what God can accomplish when we look to Him in the decisions that we face, rather than going solo. Pray that the guidance and wisdom and counsel they provide to kids and teens is firmly planted in the Word of God. May the church be a source of strength and a resource for kids as they grow and mature, rather than a sore spot of resentment. Pray pastors and their kids live and become not only great decision makers, but decision leaders, for the glory of God. -PNC  So much of life, especially in one's early years, is about sharing. Equal opportunities. Equal time. Equal number of turns. If not exactly equal, it should at least be fair.
Who am I kidding? One's early years? It's 2015 and adults have this struggle every day!! If I thought for longer than 5 seconds regarding a few comments I made in the privacy of my own home the other day, Id' have to admit I asked pretty much the same question. Whether your head understands and your heart doesn't accept or vice verse, we all have the moments where we look a situation, usually in some state of transition and think, this is it...I'm ready for it. These moments occur for every one of us, in every stage of life, in every occupation. Dare I say, even in ministry. This can get dicey for any number of reasons, but ultimately, if one's not careful, it can derail what God is trying to accomplish in and through the area of ministry He has placed someone in. Meanwhile, they are missing out because they are focused on going somewhere that God has not opened...or He has, but it's for someone else, at least for now. While difficult, it is okay. It needs to be okay. It needs to be in God's hands, to move the pieces on the board of life, as He sees fit. Pray for Associate Pastors today...may they be encouraged and strengthened afresh. Pray for a renewed desire and focus to "bloom where they are planted". May they continue to be faithful in their areas of ministry and expertise, trusting in God to open the door specifically for them, at the specific time He has ordained. Pray for restraint against wanting to rush the process and procedures of "what's next"; and a quickening in their ability to wait on God and trust His sovereign move. -PNC  No pastor has it all together. Not when it comes to their public ministry life. Certainly not when it comes to their private home life. They face challenges. They make mistakes. They figure how to deal with them in light of God 's grace, just like any other believer.
Unlike any other believer, however, they have to sort through life's struggles in view of those who look up to them on a weekly basis, for guidance, assistance and strength in working out their own battles of life and faith. Certainly, the pulpit is not a job for the timid. People disagree with what is preached; how the church is run and if that weren't enough, how a pastor manages his own household. It shouldn't sound like it should be that way, but if we're honest, we've all seen or heard about a church that does actually work in such a manner. Sadly enough. As we start a new week of praying for pastors, particularly Seniors, pray for wisdom, not only in church affairs, but with emphasis on their home-front. Pray for marriages to be strengthened. Pray for direction and understanding in the raising, parenting and mentoring of their children. Pray for provision in their finances and physical needs. Pray for the pressure to be perfect to be removed; and replaced with a straight-forward clarity of how God would desire them to manage their homes in a manner pleasing to God rather than the congregation. Pray for strength to remain true to the calling God has placed on their lives as well as to the promises He has placed on their hearts. =  Comedian Jeff Allen talks about how, in his marriage, he learned that if his wife wanted something, she'd ask a question. Early on, he wondered,
"Would she ever come to me and say “Pick those up?” Never. Why? Because that would be simple. Direct. And right to the point. And at that moment, I, her husband, would know exactly what she wants from me. I’d be able to process the information and make a rational decision as to whether I could deliver the request. At that moment, we would be communicating at the highest human level. The way God intended it. Through LANGUAGE." - Jeff Allen But no...instead she asks "Are those yours?" Communication is easy to fumble. In marriage. In the classroom. Among friends. And as we've all experienced, on social media. Perhaps, the most dangerous...misunderstandings amidst the church. Granted, some of it is easy to correct. Much of it, probably not eternally-relevant. However, that shouldn't cause us to be lax in guarding against miscommunication in matters that are eternally-relevant. Such as what takes place in ministry. Such as what is spoken from the pulpit. Careful and wise should we be with words, as Scripture advises. Pray, this Sunday, that church services would be efficient and effective in their communication. May misunderstandings be few, if not non-existent. Pray that what's spoken in classes and church cafes, conversations in the lobby and the sermon from the pulpit would encourage the believer, strengthen the body of Christ, reinforce the building of faith and draw people closer to God. Pray, that regardless of oratory skill and finesse, the Holy Spirit would transcend the speaker, touch the heart of the hearer; to the one who has an ear, may the hear what God has for them with no room for error. Simple. Direct. Relevant. -PNC  It's amazing what happens when you realized you've been blessed and then the opportunity comes you way, that you recognize you can pass your blessing on to someone else in some way.
It's having an awareness of what form "a cup of cold water" could manifest itself in the life of someone in need. Are the people of God watching for opportunities to meet a need in the life of those around them to bless them from their place of blessing? One by one, it makes a difference, which ultimately should be in honor of God and for His glory. Pray that as the church engages the community, that their will be increased awareness of peoples needs. Pray for a increased desire in the lives of the church to meet and fulfill those needs in tangible ways. Pray that our blessings would be the "cup of cold water" that refreshes and renew others. Pray that such opportunities point others to Christ with a great understanding of who He is and what He shared in hopes that all may experience His blessing. - PNC  My missionary friend shared the devotional during our Wednesday night prayer service this week. He spoke about the covenant God made with Abraham and how it was passed on through the generations and is now carried out through the church, in conjunction with the Great Commission, to go into all the world.
As he shared the efforts and the results of the work he and his recently departed wife had accomplished in Africa, you could hear in his voice, the passion for the lost. The mission field certainly demands ones' whole-hearted commitment and conviction. That said, as he closed the devotional, he named a few specific areas that we can pray for missionaries. They are simple and straightforward, so I'm listing them on their own merit and I thank you in advance for joining me in presenting these specific needs to the Lord on behalf of missionaries around the globe: ...finances ...safety ...schooling options/completion for children of missionaries ...favor with government entities ...open hearts amongst the unreached peoples, that they would respond positively to the ministry and the message of the Gospel May God show up and provide miraculously in each of these areas as He equips, empowers and enables His Word to go forth, through the missionaries who have sacrificed their lives for His work. -PNC  It's amazing how many people in Scripture had help with their situations, whether just a normal day or a plan bigger than themselves.
Eve, created from Adam, for Adam, to be a help-mate. Moses helped the seven daughters of his future father-in-law. Aaron, helped Moses speak to Pharaoh. David, commanded the princes of Israel to help Solomon. Hezekiah took counsel with his princes...and they helped him. Paul had help on his missionary journeys. And so many more... It's all a matter of availability. It may be the position you hold, or not, but it starts with an attitude of willingness. Where would churches be if people didn't avail themselves to help around the office? Clean the facility? Lead a ministry? And any number of areas where peoples' skill-set and experience would greatly contribute to church productivity. Pray for deacons and church admins. May they not grow weary in their willingness to serve. Pray that as the help in church operations, that God would help them and be their portion. May God return to them, their time and investment they have offered to the Kingdom of God. May their work and their counsel serve to advance the Kingdom of a God in a greater dimension than has been recognized to-date. May a fresh anointing and outpouring come over them as the continue in an attitude of willingness unto the work of the Lord. - PNC  You wake up late Monday morning, not only arriving late, but you slept past when you should have been there in the first place. Shortly after arriving, you find out just how full your day is looking and half we through the day, you realize you are going to be "more than a few" minutes late getting home for the night.
Frustrating for anyone who cares about their job and how their work is perceived. As I thought about how this plays out in the life of a pastor, it dawned on me...depending on their position, particularly with regards to Wednesday night services, their week is half over already. Our week has just started, yet for anything around the church office it seems like the next day or two is a "it has to be done by" day. It's either Friday and Wednesday, which means any reminder of a due date is merely a 48 hour notice, potentially. Talk about praying over effectiveness and efficiency each week. Thus, pray for Associate Pastors. They may not have the daunting task of preparing a sermon, but nonetheless, their responsibilities vary greatly and are serious and intentional in their own right. Pray for strength to accomplish each and every task that waits to be completed. May they have vision and clarity of though to properly assess and purposely resolve to finish their work for the glory of God. Pray for wisdom, to properly balance pastoral responsibilities along with family, friends and other matters and relationships that take place outside church offices. May the frustration of the days that don't go so well, or as planned, not hinder their spirits nor detour their eyes from what God has ordained in advance for them to do for His glory. -PNC  Pastors don't always get things right. While I'm sure it bothers them, like it would the rest of us, I think what might bother them more is when they don't get it right in the eyes of those who look up to them.
There's always those who disagree, but there's a difference between catering to keep the peace amongst people versus keeping peace in one's heart and soul by being true to what God has prompted them to do and the decisions and desires they express. "The hardest thing a pastor can do is to do what's right. The second hardest is to live with his conscience when he doesn't - unknown Pray for pastors, that they would stay focused on what is right, not in the sight of man, but the sight of God. Pray for the courage to stand by the Word of God and their convictions; whether on the church stage or the city sidewalk. Pray for their dreams and desires to continual be aligned with the direction God has ordained for them. Pray their efforts and the results they long for not be hindered, by those with their own agendas which may not be grounded in Scripture, but in selfishness Pray for the strength to stand for righteousness. Pray for grace and forgiveness when they don't quite stand so tall. -PNC  Jeff Foxworthy, in one of his stand-up comedy routines, talked about family and Sunday mornings and shared the sentiment, that by the time they got to church, he needed church, b/c he had yelled at everybody in the car on the way there. I'm sure he's not alone. What I'm not sure of, is whether I want to confess to having shared the same sentiment. If not on Sunday morning, it was probably sometime Saturday afternoon. (insert wink here)
Life calls for our attention. As do schedules. Work is sometimes unavoidable, especially when you're not the boss...or at the least in charge of scheduling. Plus there's always...I don't feel like it or there's uncertainty to the benefit of going. But there is benefit and you should feel like it! Church is friendship, with God and man. Church is community, with like-minded people. Church is support, to the needy, the struggling and the frustrated. Church is family...the kind you would choose if that were possible. Church is the strengthening of faith and the classroom of God. Church is the primary venue for the presence of God..."where two or three are GATHERED, in MY Name", scripture tells us. These are the reasons church must be both effective and efficient. Would God want to show up where preparation has not been made for Him? If people were not ready for what He might accomplish in and through them? Church needs to be a place of expectancy. Pray that churches would be a place filled with open hearts. Pray that there would be expectant mindsets. Pray that church would be ready to serve, whosoever may enter the doors; for one never knows where one is at in life. Our church has done a LIVE, drive-through Christmas story on the life of Christ every year for the past, 16 or 17 yrs now. Our Senior Pastor tells the story of a man who drove through a number of years ago, and as Pastor greeted him at the car with a cup of coffee, he noticed the man had a gun on the front seat...ready to take his own life. Yet for some reason, he found himself on church property, waiting to watch the life story of Christ, acted out in real life. Imagine that event, NOT covered in prayer. A congregation NOT expecting the miraculous...NOT believing that lives would be changed for eternity. I don't share this, to brag on my church; but to illustrate the power of church that intentionally works to be effective and efficient for the glory of God. Not only do people have a need for church...the church has a great need for people...to pray up...to show up. -PNC  Everyone has those moments in life...wishing something was different; wishing there was more; wishing there was something else. Ultimately, perhaps wishing they, were someone else.
Christians, non-Christians, even those in ministry have times at which we don't recognize the incredible blessing it is, to have the moments we have...to enjoy the moment in which we presently find ourselves. That said, it's incredible and important to remember, God is control. We are His creation and in His sovereignty, there is a plan and purpose for our lives. And for the lives of those around us, whose lives are full of moments wondering if there is something more and they wish they were someone else... All is found in Christ. Love and forgiveness. Identity and purpose. Pray, that as the church engages in community, that conversations would transpire where people would come understand that there truly is something more. There is something else to life. There is someone else, in their identity. Pray for a spiritual awakening. Pray for a real life awakening; where faith is not separate from everyday living, but an integral part of every moment we have on this earth. Pray for strength, that even in the moments where there doesn't seem to be a "happy ending", the ending we should be concerned with is the one to come, not the one for the situation in which we find ourselves, whatever the reason. Meanwhile, pray for grace for the moment. The moments to follow, while there is still air in our lungs. - PNC  Procrastination is bad for your health. I can vouch for its warning labels, the print on which is too small for the brain to process quickly, before it's too late and you've missed out.
Consequences are everywhere, yet it's the unintended ones that you don't see coming that are the most frustrating to deal with. Waiting on God does not qualify as procrastination. You still actively pray while waiting. You actively trust while waiting. Unless you've been directed to stop, you should continue to be faithful working on whatever is in front of you to do until He directs elsewhere. And if you take the advice offered in the movie, Facing The Giants, you should "grow where you have been planted". Whatever God has in store next, great; in the meantime take care of what's in front of you and do it. NOW. Start Tonight. For missionaries, this is a constant battle. Grow where planted, sure...but the obstacles and challenges can at times be too numerous to count. The frustration, overwhelming. The results? Statistically negligible, perhaps. The questions weigh on the forefront of the mind while the heart breaks, longing for...peace, comfort, strength, victory. Pray for missionaries...that the strength of their spirits be renewed. Their efforts, unhindered and unrestrained. Pray for wisdom, to know when to wait and what they can do while they wait. Pray for vision and clarity of focus for those matters on which they need to take initiative and Start Now! May God be their strength and their portion. Their high tower refuge. Their foundation upon which they build up communities of faith for the glory of God. On behalf of grateful believers everywhere, thanks for your service to the Kingdom of God. May God bless your efforts and honor your sacrifice. - PNC  Have you ever thought just for a moment, how difficult it is to take heart, that all will work out; we just need to keep our heads up and remain focused on God. It's certainly easier said than done, but it's also hard to tell yourself to keep your head up while looking down.
Life is no doubt taking a toll; circumstance not working out how you hoped or planned and the unexpected has you second-guessing decisions and wishing things were just a little...less frustrating at the moment, would be a good start. Yet, frustration can't stand in the way of what's next. Try as it may, it must not overtake and consume perspective, decisions nor advice. So, as we pray for deacons, admins and church staff, pray that circumstances and the frustrations that ensue, would not dissuade them from the task at hand. Pray for focus and clarity, to rise up and accomplish the work set before them. Pray for a fresh seeking, of the face of God; that past decisions, advice and counsel that may not have resulted in the desired outcome would not hinder their ability to offer fresh perspective and insight into current situations. Pray for a renewing, that each and every day be committed to God, covered in prayer, that they may walk in the ways ordained for them in advance. -PNC  We took the kids to the playground last night for a few moments, and later, as I considered today's post, I recalled an album from the Christian Metal band, Bride, titled "Snakes In The Playground". The album revolved around the subjects of drugs, gangs and the underworld in every day life.
In an interview with the bands' frontman, Dale Thompson, Thompson offers this insight into their song, Rattlesnake: "“Rattlesnake” the song is about how people turn their kids lose into the world without proper direction and in doing so they might as well have dropped rattlesnakes in a playground full of kids playing. Life can be joyous or it can be venomous." - Dale Thompson, Bride That album debuted in 1992. Twenty-three years later...many of us still wondering, the how and why it feels kids aren't getting the proper direction in their life. Whatever the reasons, providing "proper direction", as Thompson puts it, is becoming paramount on the long-term list of accomplishments for which parents and pastors hope to be remembered. We need help..from a Father greater than any man has known; as ever been; as ever aspired for their legacy. Pray for children's and youth pastors, in the role the play to help families and parents in the spiritual aspects of the home. Pray for Godly wisdom as to how best provide direction to the lives of children. Pray for kids and teens to seek advice and look to God before saying yes to whatever the world may use to entice and ensnare. Pray their lives be set-apart for the things of God, not set-up to be left for eternal death. May there be a powerful and effective collaboration between parents and pastors, to provide and establish a firm foundation in the lives of our young people whereby they accomplish great exploits that would reveal Christ to the world rather than self. -PNC  These lights always cause concern when they illuminate. At least they should and usually do at first. The danger comes, when we are not concerned; when they fail to make us pause and consider. The danger grows, as we assume that once it does comes on, we know it what it is; meanwhile it turns into a worse problem while we fail to resolve it.
Such goes the lives of many among us. Furthermore, so goes their home life and ministry. The sign that something might be wrong, when overlooked for one reason or another, can have devastating effects. This can happen at any level, but in particular, I felt led we should pray regarding the warning lights in the ministry efforts of Associate Pastors. Pray that structure and organization would increase in the ministries of Associate Pastors. Pray for the right people to come along side and assist them in carrying out their duties. Pray for an awareness of the warning signs that indicate something bight be amiss. May they not be cause for panic, but simple and careful consideration to ensure things are operating as they should. And most importantly, pray for wisdom, as they work to build ministries that continually align themselves with the love and the truth of the Word of God. -PNC  My Senior Pastors' Mother has been in intensive care for a couple weeks now. During Sunday mornings' service, he shared how his banker expressed that she had been going through similar circumstances with her father. So last Sunday, as Pastor was being driven to the airport, he said, "I think we have time...let's stop at the hospital and visit the banker's dad."
The man, who had been in a coma, opened his eyes, as Pastor simply stated he needed to get right with God. The next day, the father passed into eternity. It's hard to imagine, that in that moment, the father did anything other than give his life to Christ. Furthermore, it's harder to comprehend the wrought, of Pastor not following the prompting the Holy Spirit and missing His leading. It was anything special on behalf of the Pastor...nothing that any "everyday" Christian couldn't experience on any given day. It was simply a heart, sensitive for the things of God, a desire to be used by Him and having a strong enough relationship to know when God is prompting, leading and moving you in a particular direction. As pray for Senior Pastors, may the strength of their faith arise, in believing for the miraculous in the simplest moments. Pray for new levels of growth, maturity and understanding of the things of God regarding their ministry; for none of us have arrived, no matter what letters come behind one's name or the title that introduces them. Pray their minds not get caught up in overthinking the ministry or the gospel; nor their hearts persuaded to other things. Pray for a "myopic focus" as Pastor stated this morning...to the extent Paul writes "to know Christ and Him crucified". -PNC PS: Please keep the family in prayer regarding the loss of this father. Apparently, many of them do not Chr |
AuthorJust a man, attempting to fulfill God's plan. Husband, Dad, Dreamer. Blogger. Archives
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