May 29

Oh the lessons! Staying true to the blog is staying away from teaching others concepts that I have received without considering what God has spoken to me. No matter how much it stings, this blog is about God’s Word to me and the things He speaks to me. Hopefully that will be instructive and encouraging to all. So in keeping with that, God’s Word revealed something in me that needs correction.

There are parts of this life that I love. I love worshipping God, preaching/ministering a great teaching of great impact, loving people and helping them gain the “more” that God has for them. I love playing with my kids and I love just plain ol’ playing! I love romancing my wife and acting like a twenty-something year old who is drunk with love. Those things however, seem like they are taken over by the things that I don’t like. Instead of reveling in those things, I begin to hate the toil of life. Instead of enjoying working on my house and looking forward to the benefit of…(whatever I am working on), I allow it to become a hated toil with a deadline only to get on to the next project without much or any enjoyment from the current project. Solomon’s words spoke loud today – enjoy what God has given you.

This formidable task may take a lifetime to master for me. That isn’t the point though. The point is to master it! Somehow I must learn to master this blessing – enjoyment. I haven’t figured out how to enjoy what at times seems like a task master, but I can tell you one thing – I am determined to enjoy the toil along with the “easy” work.

May 28

Today was a little depressing - huh? It is interesting to see the last of Solomon's life and how he believed. He had everything a man (worldly) could want. He had satiated every desire of his soul He still had great insight into this life but none into the next life. The lesson for me is that if you focus on this life you will begin to think that this is all there is. Then you will come to the end of your life and realize that it all is meaningless! Without the perspective of heaven, life is swallowed by trouble.

Papa, help me to have an eternal perspective ever present in my heart and mind. I never want to feel meaningless. You bring meaning to my life and all my toil has purpose. Thanks daddy.

May 27

What a heavy price Solomon and all of Israel will pay. God was so good to Solomon, but something happened to this great man of wealth and wisdom. We read it in 3 minutes, but it took years – even decades to happen. After all just the wedding of 700 wives would take 700 weeks at a minimum.

My application is be careful who influences me. Solomon’s downfall was that he let others have more influence on him more than God. When I think about my influencers I first think of TV and media. How much do they influence me? Do they get me off the path? Do they at least distract me? But then I thought of my own thoughts and the “thought bombs” of the devil. I think they are the most powerful influencers in my life. For those of you who are naturally “positive”, you won’t understand when I say that my own thoughts are the things I have to beat down. It is not as if I struggle all the time, because my mind has been renewed! Yet, negativity is familiar to me and must be crushed as an influencer. There are other influencers – the voices of those around me. Will I let the dream crushers and the critics influence me? Will I let those who are well-meaning, but are directing me to something God hasn’t called me to influence me?

Papa – I want you and you alone to influence me! You are life to me! Your voice means more than a thousand others.

May 26

As I read this Song I was searching for my lesson. What did God want to speak to me? What was my lesson? It became evident that I was reading and enjoying the Song but I wasn’t getting what God wanted to say to me. I look for deep lessons, something that touches the heart and not just the mind. So I kept reading and got it.

Although there are a few ways to interpret this book, God spoke to me, mister passion to ramp up the passion! It is so easy to become partners with your lover (spouse) in this busy life, but there was something so awesome about this dialogue. It was filled with passion, desire and expectancy! When I have no desire or passion and expect nothing I must kindle it, pray for it and act it! There has got to be something to look forward to, and it is mine to create that environment. She has her responsibility as well, but that is her story and not mine. Mine is to be the regal king that she desires. Oh, one more thing. There was a whole lot of describing in this book – my task is to complement her and extol her beauty – in and out.

May 25

I have known and read the Proverbs below for many years. Today, greater revelation came.

Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 18:14 (NIV)
14 A man’s spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?

I have always looked at these Proverbs and said a hardy Amen! But there is more than hope for a spirit that is strong. It is as if the Lord is saying – strengthen your Spirit! The crushed spirit is an overwhelmed spirit – hmmm… Also, heartache crushes the spirit. I can’t help but think of one of my favorite Proverbs to quote to my kids, “Above all else guard your heart, for it is the well spring of life.” The Lord is nearly screaming at me (not in a bad way) to give Him all of my heart and life so I can’t be “under-whelmed”. At first I thought that I was to build up my spirit through worship and prayer, especially in the spirit, but now I see the “key” is to constantly give my heart (inner life) to God. (Worship and prayer are keys as well). That will produce the strong spirit I need to NOT submit to sickness or any other trial that comes into my life, but to be sustained. (Which means to be contained as does a vessel or to provide with food).

May 24

Can I not mention the Proverbs about gray hair and how splendiferous my hair is? No

Proverbs 13:20 (NIV)
20 He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

Many years have I believed this, but the Lord is working in me right now to find men who can take me to another level of pastoring. If I can find wise men and walk with them I will grow wise. God help me to find men willing to give away what you have given them.

Proverbs 28:2 (NIV)
2 When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.

This spoke strongly to me about how I lead. The Lord spoke to me as I read this and told me that I must lead strong and not let things “float”. It is difficult to make decisions because of the vocal people who will disapprove of your decision, but there must not be fear within me of disapproval and or rejection. God has made me strong and made me a leader – I will lead strong and trust in Him. My fear of not leading strong (since it was the Lord who told me to), must be stronger than any fear of man.

May 22

Proverbs 21:29
A wicked man puts up a bold front,
But an upright man gives thought to his ways.

It is easy for me to put up a bold front when confronted and in other situations. I don’t want to be “done in” by anybody so I get that look on my face of impervious passing. In other words, “can’t touch this”. It is an attitude of pride or insecurity that shows on the face and comes out in words. God has softened me over the years to react with humility, but those words that come out of my mouth are not always so humble. I have a pretty quick wit and sharp tongue that still needs much taming. I have learned and am learning to “think before I speak”. On a Sunday morning when you speak for 30-45 minutes, it is easy to say something that you didn’t think through. So what! Who cares about excuses or easy? An upright man (me) gives thought to his ways – how he talks, what he does, how he reacts. I will tell you one thing that the Proverbs do for me – hit me in the face with a choice! Wicked= bold front, upright=think about it before you… I am upright, and I will choose to be.

May 21

Today’s reading has quite a cutting edge to it. James says that the tongue can set a whole forest on fire and I guess I have lit a few fires in my lifetime! So when I read these Proverbs I struggle to not find my past in them. With all that is in me I want to find my future in them. I want to have life flowing from my tongue, bringing healing, wisdom and joy to many! I want to enjoy good things from my tongue and be filled with good fruit! I am sure that you want the same things, and yearn for them like me – but there is a catch.

That catch is that I am the one who must control my tongue. Nobody else can do it. I have to go against my first reactions, my flesh, and any proclivity to parrot (repeat) what I hear from spirits of darkness. There lies the difficulty for me. Even though I have completely changed from the pre-Christian and early Christian eras of my life, the “old nature” tendency is still strong. That tendency is NOT good! The only thing to do is kill it and kill it hard! The other thing that I am hearing is “just do it”. There is no way around it – I have got to clear the way for my new natural response. It is SO there just waiting for a chance to speak words of life.

Proverbs 12:16 (NIV)
16 A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

Proverbs 19:11 (NIV)
11 A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

Isn’t if funny as you read different passages in the Bible, there are some that seem to jump out at you and say – HEY, this is for you today! Maybe it is the felt need within my heart that propelled me to give attention to these two Proverbs, or my desire to follow them, for whatever reason, I stopped, I mused, I considered. Then I asked for wisdom.

It is hard for me to overlook an insult. Call it sensitivity, call it insecurity, call it whatever you want, insults sting me more than they should. I have grown over the years in this, however I still have far to go. What I see here in Proverbs 12:16 is some good advice and motivation to NOT play the part of a fool. The second Proverb tells me what I need to avoid taking insults personally, wisdom which gives patience. Patience (slow to anger) with people’s insults or insulting manner helps you overlook (like when you step over something that is on the ground) an offense. Wisdom brings patience.

God – I seek to gain wisdom – I want to be wise and have understanding and good sense. Teach me and train me and input your wisdom into me. Thank you Papa!

May 19

Proverbs 23:6-8 (NIV)
6 Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies;
7 for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments.

When I read this I didn’t think about food, but about time. As a pastor it is evident to me that some people just don’t want to go beyond being blessed on a Sunday. For some, that is their maturity level and the Lord hasn’t broken through that layer of self-centeredness. For those people I must have patience and understanding. Yet there are another people who have much to give, but rarely do. I thought about those people in relation to what I would ask of them in partnering in ministry. This lesson is really to me and not them. I believe the Lord is saying to me that I shouldn’t crave partnership from people who don’t want to partner. They are people who are always thinking about the cost of time and effort. I will be left wanting at the end of things if I coax them or pin them down to help in the ministry. So let God deal with them and change their heart and look for the people who are ready to put their hands to the plow. Stop wasting mental effort and getting disappointed by people who don’t want to minister. Eat with those who love ministering in their capacity! It will be a fulfilling meal.

May 18

I love the Proverbs! They are so sweet and sometimes… challenging shall I say? Today the life came to me out of the heading “Value of Advisors”. The Lord spoke to me and I read those Proverbs sloooowww.

You have heard of the phrase “self-made man”, well I feel like I have been a little too self made. What I mean by that is that I have had to learn on my own. It isn’t that I didn’t want to be taught and guided, it is that this culture doesn’t do that well. As a pastor I have had to learn the hard way more than a couple of times as well as other areas of my life. So the Lord struck me with wisdom and the breath of His Spirit;

Proverbs 11:14 (NIV)
14 For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.

Proverbs 15:22 (NIV)
22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

I will, from this day forward, assemble advisors around to me help me make decisions. When working on my house, I will get council. When investing money, I will seek guidance, and perhaps the biggest area of life spoken to me today is in the realm of the ministry of Hope Chapel. I will seek out those who are wise and assemble counselors to help me implement a sure plan of God’s calling. I think I just gained some freedom and some life!

May 15

Solomon was blessed! He had it all. Peace on every side, great wisdom, plenty of wealth and a big screen TV! (minus the big screen) Even though he had it, David was responsible for much of it. Because of the relationship that David had with the Lord, Solomon was blessed more than any man in many areas. Solomon owed David a debt of gratitude.

What I am leaving for my kids? What legacy, what blessing, what will their future hold for them? Of course it can’t all ride on me, they will walk their own path and make their own choices in life, but I have so much power in their lives. Reading today shook me a little and made me think that what I do, how I live, how I relate to my Papa has GREAT effect on my family. We would like to think sometimes that we live in a vacuum and what I do as a dad really doesn’t matter that much, but it does! The responsibility is incredible! It doesn’t cause me to fear though, just walk a bit more circumspect. I guess it could scare me, but I feel so privileged that God would give me so many to influence so much. How I parent is one thing, but I believe that it was how David walked with God, (which will change your parenting) that really counted. I don’t know if I needed another reason besides I am God’s daily delight and he wants me to walk with him, but I am struck by the ramifications of that walk which will reverberate far beyond my 8 children.

May 14

“The glory of the Lord filled the temple”. Wow! What must than have been like? I have read about others who have seen the cloud, the glory cloud. Jack Hayford writes about it in one of his books, but reading about it isn’t good enough – I want to experience it! It is that manifest presence that I love so much. Not just to “experience” something, but to experience Him! If you think that desire is wrong because it is experienced based, then what are you longing for about heaven? Is it no more pain and sickness… or is it Him – the Lamb of God – Jesus of Nazareth – who longs to see you face to face.

As I read this passage, that we sing in a popular song, it struck me that they couldn’t continue to work because of the heavy presence of the Lord. Was it that they couldn’t see or was it that they couldn’t breathe well or maybe it was because their bodies were trembling in fear because of the heaviness of His presence – I don’t know. What I do know is that if the glory of God fills me up, then I can do no work! First of all, when the glory fills me, my flesh has no chance to creep out in my life or in a quick response. I am filled with the glory of God! Secondly, I got a picture of ceasing from my work – to bask in the presence of God. Of course, His glory does dwell with me because I am His temple, but you and I both know that some days you have been so touched by God that everything is different.

I must seek His glory, worship in His presence, extol Him in praise. I woke up today asking the Lord to please speak to me today – I need a fresh word. Getting in His manifest presence is that word for me today. Don’t let the day just happen – get in His presence first.

May 13

I noticed that the phrase missing – “as the Lord had directed His servant…” Solomon seemed to have some creative license with this temple unlike Moses and the “tent” in the desert. Solomon went BIG! He thought that God was worth extravagance and he delivered it! When I get some leeway, do I deliver extravagantly? When I have the freedom, do I go all out, giving it my all, performing with excellence and finishing strong? Hmmm…. That is something to think about.

It took 7 years to complete the temple and more time to completely furnish it. That spoke to me. 7 years is a long time in anyone’s eyes. 7 years is a long to time be involved with a project. 6 years is a long time to be in the middle of a project and still give it your best effort. God is asking me if I will bear up under construction – even if it takes a long time. I, like most of you, like fast results. I want to work out for a month and have a ripped body, or I want to invest for 6 months in the market and triple my money, but that usually doesn’t happen. There is no doubt that I could be under a “special” time of results, but usually, everything takes more time than I would like it to, especially “temple” construction. I wish I would just be different sometimes, but God takes His time as a Master Craftsman molding me into the image of His Son. I am not after perfection, just a little more gold to cover the rough spots.