Turn AND Burn!

I heard a man say in a message the other day that young men seek significance and old men seek contribution. It is an interesting concept that I have been mulling over ever since I heard it. As a young man I wanted to make my mark. My first pastorate was before my 25th birthday, having only been born again 3 years prior. I set out to change the world--at least my part of it--with all the vigor I could muster. Pastoring in a traditional Pentecostal denomination that was stuck hard in tradition and fading memories of past glory, was hard.

I cared little for what used to be, and even less for worship of a glory that had clearly departed. What summarized the situation best for me was after the general meeting of the group in the mid '80's, a prophetic message, a call if you will, to repent came forth. It was without a doubt God's Word to save us from our present condition. I took this call very serious, very personal, and as a Divine commission from God's heart to mine. I spent coming weeks on my face weeping and crying out for God's mercy. I organized prayer meetings in coming weeks around this theme and we prayed for revival. As a district overseer for 7 or 8 churches we hosted a district convention and I put the transcribed message on the cover of the program. Every speaker was assigned topics on the theme REPENT!

It became an obsession for me. I felt like a terminal patient on total life support who needs a miracle or death is imminent. Perhaps I took it to an extreme and as I am oft to do with my personality, I took it within my own hands to "fix" what was wrong. I just could not understand how people could be so indifferent and apathetic toward this call. After all, almost every church in our state and nationally was on the decline. Church membership was down, people getting saved in our altars was down, people getting filled with the Holy Spirit was down, and every other category was heading down. I remember standing in one of the oldest churches in the state and making the statement, "If we do not get a hold of God and see revival come to OUR generation this church will close its' doors and cease to exist."

That wasn't met with favorably by the older, established crowd. In fact a plan was launched to have me removed from the pulpit. I must say I didn't fight too hard to keep that pulpit. My attitude was more shake the DUST off your feet and move on. And move on I did--but several years later that church building was sold, what people were left died or moved on, and that church no longer exists.

One of the primary leaders in the denomination pulled me aside one day and tried to tactfully call me down from my turn or burn message. When I shared with him the pathology of my mindset he said to me, "Repent? Repent for what? I am not cheating on my wife, I am not slipping out and sinning...I don't need to repent." It was clear this message was intolerable for most and I was warned to let it go or I would "lose" my effectiveness.

But my heart was broken. The call church-wide was being ignored. In a subsequent general meeting one of the most respected ministers in the group, a man who held a high office, preached a watershed message where he dissected this hardness of heart within the group and recalled this message and how it was going unheeded and the ensuing judgment that would result. He shared how in the churches of Asia Jesus sent a call out to the seven churches to repent. In one particular church, Laodecia, he said, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish you were cold or hot. But because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you from my mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich and I increase, AND HAVE NEED OF NOTHING..."

The words of that overseer that reproved me echoed in my ears. "I don't NEED to repent..." This was clearly one of the single most powerful messages I have ever heard preached. It was courageous, it was accurate, and it was clear. Over the course of time though the church as a whole failed to heed this call. In the next few years it became painfully obvious that we missed God in this call. Thousands of people left our ranks. An entire crop of young preachers left as well leaving a void of leadership. I left myself deciding that working for revolution and reformation was a waste of my time and energy. I am not saying that what I did was what I should have done--only God will reveal it--but it is what I did.

Sometimes I catch myself wondering what if... But I stop because you can't live in the land of what if, we live in the land of what is. Now I am not trying to change the course of a denomination. I am not trying to turn the hearts of a entire movement. I am concentrating on my course, I am focused on my heart and seeing it turned toward the Lord. Today I am not looking for significance. I am trying to make a contribution.

To all the younger men and women of God I would like to contribute to your search for significance. First I encourage you to GO for it! Seek God with ALL your heart, and let Him fill you with a Holy FIRE to turn your world upside down. To make your mark is a goal worth seeking. Just to see this among the youth of our day is heartening. So many have given up there hope for changing the world. So many are disillusioned and discouraged. They have given up the quest for taking nations for the Gospel to having a high score in WARLORDS(forgive me for not knowing the hottest game now).

Reach for it! I have no regrets for having tried. I make no apologies for calling God's people to accountability and responsibility. Along the way I made some people mad, but some are serving God and are making an impact because I cried out. Really I never thought I was saving a denomination, but the people in it. It was not the organization I loved, but the people in it. Many of my friends are still with this church, and I am glad to say that in recent years it is starting to make a comeback. Many of the lifeless traditions have been dropped. Some of the stifling doctrine has been re-evaluated, and the leadership has humbly and hungrily opened up to God's heart for renewal.

"Is there not a cause?" Were the words of David in his youth. At the end of his life it was "How can I leave something behind for my son and my sons son?" There will always be a cause. God is raising up a young generation with a heart to serve him. These are exciting times to be alive. Let God show His strength to YOUR generation by yielding to him. But in the process do YOURSELF a favor--find a older person who can speak into your life the wisdom and council of God, and listen!

This is not to slow you down, or pull you back, or to stifle you in any way. It is to push you beyond, ignite you above, and release you unto your calling. It will help you focus, it will keep you grounded, and it will make you more effectual in your quest to change the world. Every son needs a father, every father needs a son. The most powerful prophetic word to this generation is that God will TURN the hearts of the children to the fathers and the hearts of the fathers to the children. The message is still TURN, but now instead of saying turn OR burn I am saying turn AND burn! Let the fire of the Holy One burn in YOU!

Next blog I want to tell you why this is essential for your success! God bless you, and I am praying for you to make a difference.

The Day God Ran

When I think of God, I see Him as this way cool Deity that never gets excited, never does anything rash or hurried, and never perspires. I mean He is God, right? He is always not just IN control but under control! But get this verse in Luke 15: "but when he was a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and RAN...."

This is from the story of the Prodigal Son. Jesus shows us the heart and action of the Father when one of his sons(or daughters) turns toward him to come back home. I can see an aged man, because he is a father, doing something he doesn't ordinarily do--running! Picking up each leg and making stride, panting breathlessly but determined to reach this wayward child of love. I see the look on his face--pained in one sense because running at a furious pace hurts. But beaming with joy-"my son was dead, and is alive again!" I see the embrace in all of its passion and power. A weak and defeated son, guilty and ashamed because of where he has been and what he has done. But being held in the arms of love, forgiveness, and mercy. Tears flow and wash away the sting of the sin, kisses are given soothing the shame of past failure and regret.

You see this is MY story--for I am that son, but it too is my Father's story! The day He ran to me when I thought there was no way back to Him. If I heard the voice of the accuser once I heard it one thousand times, "there is NO way back for YOU, you have gone too far." In my prodigal condition this voice came AFTER I had turned BACK toward my father's house. Yes I was trying, yes I had sinned, yes I had failed miserably. It was all true and the devil would not let me forget it.

In my turning, I was getting wearier and wearier as the guilt and condemnation mounted. But in a moment of inspiration, and Divine revelation I saw Him! It was not about me getting "back" it was Him running to me, falling on me in love and complete forgiveness. I saw the panting breath of love as He fell on me with his great power to save, power to heal, and power to restore. YES! THE DAY GOD RAN--HE RAN TO ME! He does not take our plight lightly. He does not passively wait--He is active, He is MOVING TOWARD YOU!

Now everywhere I go I see God RUNNING. He runs to help the weak, the needy, and the hurting. Now everywhere I go, it has become my mission to show people a RUNNING God who can't wait to help you!

Recently I was privileged to share at City of Life Church in St.Cloud Florida, where my daughter serves on staff. COL is an awesome church with tremendous pastors, Jeff and Amy Smith, and founding pastors Gary and Janis Smith. Their midweek service is called OASIS. Invited to share the Lord put it on my heart just to share my personal testimony with them. This church had a profound impact on my restoration but the details are for another blog.

What I want to share with you is how AWESOME God is in the after story. After preaching a sweet little Latino mother came up to me as I was leaving the sanctuary. She was in tears and gave me a big hug and thanked me for sharing. She then proceeded to tell me that as I was preaching tears began to flow from her eyes as she thought about her own prodigal son. She said she so wished he would have been there to hear the message because it was so similar to his own experience. She repeated at least twice how that while I was preaching she was wishing he had been there. I hugged her and said, Mom, keep praying and the Lord will bring him home." She said, "No, you don't understand. I cried hot tears while you preached and so longed for his salvation. Then you stopped and gave the invitation. After bowing my head in prayer you invited those who raised there hands to come forward. When I looked up there was my son in the altar!"

We both were crying then! You see what happens when God ran? He ran through me right to another and to another and to another! I'm so glad He ran. Now I am running with Him--trying to keep up. Sometimes I am breathless, sometimes I am tired, but like Forest Gump--I am runnnninnnn!

Whatever lie the enemy is telling you about you and/or to you. Know this! God is running TOWARD you and FOR you--you CAN NOT LOSE!!!!!!! This one thing is sure--once the Father sets His eyes on you--you are HIS! He is YOURS! You WILL make it!