Proverbs 29:8
“Mockers stir up a city, but the wise turn away anger.”
I have devoted my life and ministry to bringing hope, deliverance, and, yes, change to broken lives. Every article I write and each time I speak, it is the desire of my heart to reveal the truth behind certain strongholds that have remained unchanged (for the most part) in the 2000 year history of Christianity. At the top of this list looms the most polarizing argument before us today: “The Christian and the Homosexual”
I am frequently confronted by angry, evangelical Christians who suggest that it is “high time” for Christians to stand up against the massive movement infiltrating this nation among the organized, homosexual community that continues to push homosexuality into the same civil rights status that African-Americans demanded in the 1960’s to secure their civil liberties. I often ask if this outrage is over homosexuality in general or just among Christians who seek freedom from the homosexual stronghold? The response is most always the same. “There is no such thing as a Christian homosexual.”
That statement reminds me of the time I attended a mega-church in Atlanta where the pastor declared that he needed to clarify how his church handled requests from parishioners seeking financial assistance. He made it clear that “his” church had over 3,000 members (at the time), and therefore, could not assist “non-members” with such matters. He further explained that any “members” of the church who requested financial assistance would be subjected to a review of their tithing records. The church would not help those who did not tithe because the Bible makes it clear that they are under a curse – therefore, the church would not join itself with someone who was already under a curse by offering them financial assistance.
This puzzled me, especially since this same pastor loved to quote from the Book of Malachi regarding tithing and say, “Try the Lord, and see if He will not open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing so big you will not even be able to contain it.” My simple mind summed it up this way: Those who tithe are blessed to the point that they can’t even count all of their money, so obviously, they won’t be asking for your help. This would leave only those who do not tithe to ask for financial assistance (the same bunch you declare to be cursed), rendering them disqualified to receive help. He could have saved the sermon and summed it all up by simply saying, “We don’t help anybody.”
Likewise, if the religious man believes that there is no such thing as a Christian homosexual, why are these same people so angry and ready to argue with those involved in or who support homosexuality? Why would a lost person care whether he finds freedom from the stronghold of homosexuality or not? And better yet…why would we care as Christians? It seems to me, if one is lost and bound for Hell, his sexual identity is the least of his worries.
The fact that so very few people have found freedom from the stronghold
of homosexuality across the past 2,000 years is not the responsibility or accountability of the lost, the government, or the advocacy groups who have risen up to say, “No more!”, regarding the shame, humiliation and judgment suffered by those who identify themselves as homosexual. This movement has grown to a fever pitch as a result of a judgment that offers no true wisdom or plan for freedom from the stronghold. As Christians and Ambassadors of our Father’s heart, that responsibility is ours to bear. If these arguments had ever offered freedom from homosexuality, thousands would stand up in the church to shout praises for their deliverance today. The deafening silence testifies “loud and clear” to the futility of these arguments. This is the enemy’s finest work. While our “righteous indignation” provides the lock on the very door of Satan’s most cruel stronghold, the enemy kicks back to take a rest, content to watch us do the work for him.
I asked many people who follow me on Facebook to tune in to the OWN cable television network on March 8, 2011, at 10 o’clock p.m. EST to watch “Our America” with host Lisa Ling. The one-hour documentary was devoted to the question, “Can you pray the gay away?” Lisa interviewed Alan Chambers, the President of Exodus International, a Christian based organization dedicated to offering hope and support to those who seek freedom from the stronghold of homosexuality. She also spoke with various Christians who embrace their homosexuality – also visiting a Christian youth camp dedicated to helping Christian teens accept and love themselves as God loves them. The camp is led by a Lutheran minister who is homosexual.
Lisa Ling made a comment near the end of the documentary that I both understand and support. She said that although each group was taking a different path to get there, it appeared to her they were all seeking the same thing. I believe that “thing” is acceptance. I don’t think most people really care so much about whether or not someone accepts their personal choices, beliefs, or lifestyle, as much as they each long to be accepted as a person who was molded by the hands of God himself. In fact, I believe that is what each person who has ever lived or died desires. We each just need to know that we matter. One fact is certain: When a person is declared “worthless” long enough, he will likely join with others, like himself, and rise up to demand he be reckoned with. And in the end, I “reckon” each person deserves that much.
Most evangelicals are as uneducated and uncaring regarding the issue of homosexuality as they have ever been. Our careless judgments have ignited a firestorm in this nation that will not be quenched any time soon. I say with confidence that if it is your passion to deny equal rights and eventual marriage rights to those who are secure and content in their homosexuality, you are about to be gravely disappointed. I only wish we had concerned ourselves as much with heterosexual relationships before Evangelical Christians reached the point of divorcing at a greater rate than any other group in this nation. If we had been this concerned with loving our spouses until death do us part, we would have closed the door to the stronghold of homosexuality long ago. Instead, we have left our children broken and plagued with feelings of abandonment, prime targets of the enemy for this particular stronghold. In the meantime, we have been duped into entering the useless arguments and judgments surrounding the “right or wrong” of homosexuality, while accepting no responsibility for leaving the door wide open by our own disobedience regarding the sanctity of our own marriages or the judgment of others. Yes, I reckon the firestorm is coming. I’m just wondering how long it will take Christians to realize that it is we who have poured the gas and thrown the match?
Do with this warning what you will. I speak it with much love, knowing the righteous anger will come, but that’s OK with me. I survived abuse beyond your wildest imagination to accept the mantle God has placed upon the remainder of my life. If these words will open the eyes of just one caring heart, many will be spared this terrible stronghold in the generations to come. This is the warning:
If we continue to point a finger of judgment at those bound in homosexuality and devote our time to the useless civil and religious arguments surrounding the pros and cons of this issue, there will be no freedom found from homosexuality. Likewise, if we men continue down the path of abandoning our heterosexual marriages and the responsibility we hold as fathers, teachers, and guardians over our wives and our precious children, we leave the door open for this stronghold to grow stronger and deeper than Sodom and Gomorrah ever witnessed in the generations to come. In fact, it will pale by comparison. And finally, if we don’t wake up and recognize what fools, hypocrites, and self-righteous judges the enemy has made of us in all that I stated above, the firestorm of homosexuality that is coming to our children and our children’s children is our responsibility. Government will not help us, arguing will not help us, and the horrors within the ultimate manifestation of this stronghold will be beyond anything we have ever witnessed in the history of this nation.
So what do we do? We begin by reducing the entire law of the Prophets, as well as our religious arguments to the wisdom our Lord gave us. We begin to treat ALL people the way we would like to be treated. It is a fool who continues to do the same things, expecting different results. Therefore, we begin immediately to educate ourselves and the church, regarding “how” the stronghold of homosexuality begins and “one-by-one” we move to close that door of opportunity in the young lives within our circumference of influence. It is an individual change that we need. People are changed “one person at a time.” Therefore, I suggest that we begin to truly love, embrace, and pray for homosexuals and reserve finger-pointing and judgment for ourselves. If each of us will take on this mantle of responsibility, the generations to come will not be burdened with the stronghold of homosexuality that “we” have participated in perfecting within our own.
Arguments are for fools. Love heals a multitude of sins, homosexuality included. Continuing to garment ourselves in “immoveable” religiosity regarding this issue will only continue to enrage the arguments and cause a hurting world to believe that, “since we act like fools, we must follow one.” However, wisdom brings change, and I submit to you that “change” is exactly what we need.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
What Would I Say If I Had One More Day With My Dad?
The major impact of my ministry over the last fifteen years has been the transparency of my life story of surviving childhood physical and sexual abuse at the hands of my Dad. To date, over 1.1 million copies of my testimony have been given way around the world absolutely FREE of charge, either in hard copy or internet download. However, my father passed away in June of 2008, leaving much unsaid between us.
Many who have heard me speak LIVE have heard how my Dad told me that he loved me during a 2007 trip back to the home where I grew up, and where my father still lived until the time of his death. What you may not have heard is that a few short weeks before he died, my Dad asked my younger brother to contact me with the terms of his last request. That request was made with my father knowing the end was near. His request was that I not attend his funeral, and no family member was to notify me of his passing. Although I was notified by my brother on the day of his death, I honored his dying request and did not attend his funeral service.
I was asked a question recently that I had never given much thought to before. The question was simply, “What would you say to your father if you had just one more day with him on this earth?” After much thought in the days that have passed since the question was asked, I am certain I know the answer.
I would tell my father how much I looked up to him as a small boy. From there I would simply add….
“I was so very small and yet you were the biggest giant in the land! I thought you were so smart. You could take a few pieces of wood and turn them into the most beautiful pieces of furniture or cabinetry I had ever seen, while I couldn’t fashion a mud pie without it falling to pieces right before my eyes.
You taught me so many things that are still so deeply entrenched in my character and personality. Things like…never being late, and never losing sight of a goal until it had been reached. You taught me that hard work was no shame and no man was to ever be judged as less than myself.
Even though I was not invited to your funeral service, I had a quiet time alone to remember you…and I cried when I heard that you were gone. I think I cried more for the wonderful times we could have had, and the lost relationship between a father and his first born son that was not destined to happen for us."
But I wouldn’t be able to let our final day together pass without adding these words….
“On the morning I received the call from my brother to say he had stopped by to check on you before heading to work and had found you staring lifeless out the window that overlooked the place where you grew up as a small boy…I prayed that in those brief seconds it took for you to walk from the couch and sit in the chair where you died, that you gave your heart to Jesus.
It was never going to be important whether or not I attended your funeral. Across the span of our lifetimes, you and I had crossed many troubled waters. Along a troubled path that nearly destroyed any remnant of who I was created to be, sweet Mercy crossed the road and gave me a reason to live again. A little farther up that road of life I made the choice to forgive you of all that had transpired between us. I discovered quickly that only when our cup of forgiveness is poured out for others, can we truly be free and whole again. So rather than allow my cup to fill up again with unforgiveness over your decision to exclude me from your funeral…I chose to remain steadfast in my love and forgiveness for you, while hoping so very much that Mercy had reached out to touch you before you took your final breath that day.
I don’t share our story to disrespect you or to glorify the events of our life together. I share our story in hope that other fathers and sons can be free before the end, and never have to wonder… What Would I Say If I Had One More Day With My Dad?”
Many who have heard me speak LIVE have heard how my Dad told me that he loved me during a 2007 trip back to the home where I grew up, and where my father still lived until the time of his death. What you may not have heard is that a few short weeks before he died, my Dad asked my younger brother to contact me with the terms of his last request. That request was made with my father knowing the end was near. His request was that I not attend his funeral, and no family member was to notify me of his passing. Although I was notified by my brother on the day of his death, I honored his dying request and did not attend his funeral service.
I was asked a question recently that I had never given much thought to before. The question was simply, “What would you say to your father if you had just one more day with him on this earth?” After much thought in the days that have passed since the question was asked, I am certain I know the answer.
I would tell my father how much I looked up to him as a small boy. From there I would simply add….
“I was so very small and yet you were the biggest giant in the land! I thought you were so smart. You could take a few pieces of wood and turn them into the most beautiful pieces of furniture or cabinetry I had ever seen, while I couldn’t fashion a mud pie without it falling to pieces right before my eyes.
You taught me so many things that are still so deeply entrenched in my character and personality. Things like…never being late, and never losing sight of a goal until it had been reached. You taught me that hard work was no shame and no man was to ever be judged as less than myself.
Even though I was not invited to your funeral service, I had a quiet time alone to remember you…and I cried when I heard that you were gone. I think I cried more for the wonderful times we could have had, and the lost relationship between a father and his first born son that was not destined to happen for us."
But I wouldn’t be able to let our final day together pass without adding these words….
“On the morning I received the call from my brother to say he had stopped by to check on you before heading to work and had found you staring lifeless out the window that overlooked the place where you grew up as a small boy…I prayed that in those brief seconds it took for you to walk from the couch and sit in the chair where you died, that you gave your heart to Jesus.
It was never going to be important whether or not I attended your funeral. Across the span of our lifetimes, you and I had crossed many troubled waters. Along a troubled path that nearly destroyed any remnant of who I was created to be, sweet Mercy crossed the road and gave me a reason to live again. A little farther up that road of life I made the choice to forgive you of all that had transpired between us. I discovered quickly that only when our cup of forgiveness is poured out for others, can we truly be free and whole again. So rather than allow my cup to fill up again with unforgiveness over your decision to exclude me from your funeral…I chose to remain steadfast in my love and forgiveness for you, while hoping so very much that Mercy had reached out to touch you before you took your final breath that day.
I don’t share our story to disrespect you or to glorify the events of our life together. I share our story in hope that other fathers and sons can be free before the end, and never have to wonder… What Would I Say If I Had One More Day With My Dad?”
Death Voice Of The Religious
There is no greater hatred or verbal violence to be encountered in life than through the death voice of the religious. I preface by saying, “Never confuse the praise and encouragement of Christianity with the hate filled rhetoric of the religious. They have similar language and phrases, but it’s a different ballgame altogether.
This is what the religious crowd said about Jesus. In Matthew Chapter 9 they said he was a “keeper of bad company.” In the book of Mark he was said to be of “poor common stock, a laborer and possessed of Beelzebub”…just to name a few. The gospel of John records the religious saying that Jesus was from the wrong neighborhood, a deceiver and a hypocrite, unlearned, had a persecution complex, was demon possessed – full of the devil and a divider of the people. John goes on to record their further accusation that Jesus was not recommended by rulers, unrecognized by religious leaders, and furthermore…he was said to be a "liar, false prophet, a bastard, ungodly, insane and a blasphemer.” The high and holy really do have a way with words.
By the way, if it was the religious who wanted Jesus falsely accused and eventually crucified, would you like to know who scripture says defended his innocence? You might be amazed. They were as follows: Pilate (Matthew 27:24), Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27:19), Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:4), The thief on the cross (Luke 23:41), and the Roman soldiers (Mark 15:39). The religious leaders lied about Jesus and wanted him dead, gone and out of their sight forever. The ungodly ruler, his wife, the betrayer, a sentenced to die thief and the soldier who arrested him and nailed him to a tree…all declared he was innocent and most likely the Son of God.
The way of the religious man’s heart has always been to either wound or destroy those he disagrees with by means of slander, innuendo and sometimes even outright lies. Jesus felt the full force of their verbal arsenal. Nothing much has changed in the past two thousand years. We have only fine tuned the art with the added asset of today’s media and social messaging outlets at our disposal to assist in spreading hatred in the name of godliness.
I was fortunate enough to be living when the United States of America decided that unless the government forced the integration of public schools, we would likely remain a segregated and elitist society until the return of Jesus. The religious however, decided that such a move was only proof that the Lord was soon returning. The fact that the government forced us to treat other people fairly and equally was surely proof of His soon return! I mean…what else could it mean? (BTW…the religious of today love to pull that “Jesus has to return now” card out of their back pocket whenever things don’t go their way. If that doesn’t work…the communist card is soon to follow.)
Speaking of the communist card, I was also around during the days when every religious group in the nation was hauling people into skating rinks, gymnasiums, churches and any other place that would accommodate a screen and a projector for the showing of David Wilkerson’s prophet film…”If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horsemen Do?” During those little amateur film festivals the crowd was worked into fear and outrage over the communist mantra to one day see American streets filled with the blood of every Christian whose throat had been slit by the soon to arrive horsemen.
You of course know the outcome. The Soviet Union fell, the Berlin wall crumbled…and the religious have moved on to more lucrative exploits for their ongoing campaign involving the voice of death.
Today’s religious voice has its own agenda, coupled with a new platform of people they take issue with. But the rhetoric is just the same. Words of slander and death are still used as their weapon of choice against anyone who would dare to walk to the beat of any drum beating different to their own. If you remember nothing else, remember this. Whether printed or spoken, words of slander and death hurled about at will from the list of religious critics, reveal far more about the one speaking than the one to which the words are directed. Remember this…and you will avoid the evil, and never-ending trap surrounding the voice of death.
There is no need for fear. The loud and vindictive voice of the religious man is as worthless and powerless as it was in the day of Jesus. Sure, the indignation and the false accusations against Jesus resulted in his ultimate crucifixion, but let’s not forget…”that was the plan all along.” God used the Pharisees to accomplish His wondrous salvation plan that would reach out to include even the repentant Pharisee. The Pharisees did what they did best. They spoke in hate and anger, using words that brought spiritual and emotional death. Jesus did what He does best. He stood silent, speaking not a word in defense of their hatred. Then He topped it all with his personal best. He died and rose again to bring to us the greatest miracle gift of love the world has ever known.
When Jesus was resurrected, He was resurrected in LIFE! Jesus Christ, and all who follow him, (Christians) speak life. Christians simply have a different heart than the religious. Their eyes are set on a higher calling. Their lips are heard speaking praise and encouragement wherever they go, and in whatever situation they are found. When they can find no good…they stand silent. The popular phrase used by the religious is, “We have to stand up for what is right!”
The shout of Christians is simply, “Praises be to the name of Jesus!” Christians know something the religious will never quite grasp. It is simply that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will one day confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! The name of pet programs, politicians, celebrities or religious leaders will not suffice. It is at spoken name of Jesus where everything changes.
Christians don’t have time to be drawn into the stupidity of “he said / she said.” Christians don’t have precious time to waste on debating the holiness of one American political party over another, or one man-made religious denomination over another. Christians have always known that their power is not found within the confines of the political process, nor is it found in the charisma of their latest celebrity or religious icon. Our power is found in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone.
In the end, Christians would never use the “Jesus is coming soon” card as a slap in someone’s face with whom we disagree. Christians have ALWAYS known that Jesus is coming again. We know this because, “Jesus Christ himself…said it.” So what’s all the fuss? If something within the realm of disagreement with the religious crowd has instigated the soon return of Jesus to redeem us all to our eternal reward, I say, “Come quickly Lord Jesus. We’ve all anticipated this day!”
Whether this earth stands for one day, one week or for one million years, the religious will continue with the only game they know. They will clothe themselves in the false piety of their religious robes and continue to slander and verbally abuse anyone in their path with whom they disagree. To the religious, it will always be “my way or the highway.”
But across that same stretch of time, Christians will be speaking life and invoking the blood of Jesus Christ into a lost and hurting world. But we might as well get used to it. Right up until the very end, with a vigilant attempt to drown out the praise and joy of the children of God, you will clearly hear the noise and frustrations within…The Death Voice Of The Religious.
This is what the religious crowd said about Jesus. In Matthew Chapter 9 they said he was a “keeper of bad company.” In the book of Mark he was said to be of “poor common stock, a laborer and possessed of Beelzebub”…just to name a few. The gospel of John records the religious saying that Jesus was from the wrong neighborhood, a deceiver and a hypocrite, unlearned, had a persecution complex, was demon possessed – full of the devil and a divider of the people. John goes on to record their further accusation that Jesus was not recommended by rulers, unrecognized by religious leaders, and furthermore…he was said to be a "liar, false prophet, a bastard, ungodly, insane and a blasphemer.” The high and holy really do have a way with words.
By the way, if it was the religious who wanted Jesus falsely accused and eventually crucified, would you like to know who scripture says defended his innocence? You might be amazed. They were as follows: Pilate (Matthew 27:24), Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27:19), Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:4), The thief on the cross (Luke 23:41), and the Roman soldiers (Mark 15:39). The religious leaders lied about Jesus and wanted him dead, gone and out of their sight forever. The ungodly ruler, his wife, the betrayer, a sentenced to die thief and the soldier who arrested him and nailed him to a tree…all declared he was innocent and most likely the Son of God.
The way of the religious man’s heart has always been to either wound or destroy those he disagrees with by means of slander, innuendo and sometimes even outright lies. Jesus felt the full force of their verbal arsenal. Nothing much has changed in the past two thousand years. We have only fine tuned the art with the added asset of today’s media and social messaging outlets at our disposal to assist in spreading hatred in the name of godliness.
I was fortunate enough to be living when the United States of America decided that unless the government forced the integration of public schools, we would likely remain a segregated and elitist society until the return of Jesus. The religious however, decided that such a move was only proof that the Lord was soon returning. The fact that the government forced us to treat other people fairly and equally was surely proof of His soon return! I mean…what else could it mean? (BTW…the religious of today love to pull that “Jesus has to return now” card out of their back pocket whenever things don’t go their way. If that doesn’t work…the communist card is soon to follow.)
Speaking of the communist card, I was also around during the days when every religious group in the nation was hauling people into skating rinks, gymnasiums, churches and any other place that would accommodate a screen and a projector for the showing of David Wilkerson’s prophet film…”If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horsemen Do?” During those little amateur film festivals the crowd was worked into fear and outrage over the communist mantra to one day see American streets filled with the blood of every Christian whose throat had been slit by the soon to arrive horsemen.
You of course know the outcome. The Soviet Union fell, the Berlin wall crumbled…and the religious have moved on to more lucrative exploits for their ongoing campaign involving the voice of death.
Today’s religious voice has its own agenda, coupled with a new platform of people they take issue with. But the rhetoric is just the same. Words of slander and death are still used as their weapon of choice against anyone who would dare to walk to the beat of any drum beating different to their own. If you remember nothing else, remember this. Whether printed or spoken, words of slander and death hurled about at will from the list of religious critics, reveal far more about the one speaking than the one to which the words are directed. Remember this…and you will avoid the evil, and never-ending trap surrounding the voice of death.
There is no need for fear. The loud and vindictive voice of the religious man is as worthless and powerless as it was in the day of Jesus. Sure, the indignation and the false accusations against Jesus resulted in his ultimate crucifixion, but let’s not forget…”that was the plan all along.” God used the Pharisees to accomplish His wondrous salvation plan that would reach out to include even the repentant Pharisee. The Pharisees did what they did best. They spoke in hate and anger, using words that brought spiritual and emotional death. Jesus did what He does best. He stood silent, speaking not a word in defense of their hatred. Then He topped it all with his personal best. He died and rose again to bring to us the greatest miracle gift of love the world has ever known.
When Jesus was resurrected, He was resurrected in LIFE! Jesus Christ, and all who follow him, (Christians) speak life. Christians simply have a different heart than the religious. Their eyes are set on a higher calling. Their lips are heard speaking praise and encouragement wherever they go, and in whatever situation they are found. When they can find no good…they stand silent. The popular phrase used by the religious is, “We have to stand up for what is right!”
The shout of Christians is simply, “Praises be to the name of Jesus!” Christians know something the religious will never quite grasp. It is simply that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will one day confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! The name of pet programs, politicians, celebrities or religious leaders will not suffice. It is at spoken name of Jesus where everything changes.
Christians don’t have time to be drawn into the stupidity of “he said / she said.” Christians don’t have precious time to waste on debating the holiness of one American political party over another, or one man-made religious denomination over another. Christians have always known that their power is not found within the confines of the political process, nor is it found in the charisma of their latest celebrity or religious icon. Our power is found in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone.
In the end, Christians would never use the “Jesus is coming soon” card as a slap in someone’s face with whom we disagree. Christians have ALWAYS known that Jesus is coming again. We know this because, “Jesus Christ himself…said it.” So what’s all the fuss? If something within the realm of disagreement with the religious crowd has instigated the soon return of Jesus to redeem us all to our eternal reward, I say, “Come quickly Lord Jesus. We’ve all anticipated this day!”
Whether this earth stands for one day, one week or for one million years, the religious will continue with the only game they know. They will clothe themselves in the false piety of their religious robes and continue to slander and verbally abuse anyone in their path with whom they disagree. To the religious, it will always be “my way or the highway.”
But across that same stretch of time, Christians will be speaking life and invoking the blood of Jesus Christ into a lost and hurting world. But we might as well get used to it. Right up until the very end, with a vigilant attempt to drown out the praise and joy of the children of God, you will clearly hear the noise and frustrations within…The Death Voice Of The Religious.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Mothers
Mother's Day is just around the corner. A time when everyone across the country pauses to reflect on what their mothers have meant to them.
Odd, that we take only one day to do that.
Most days, mothers around the world are cooking, cleaning and providing in-house laundry service to a family that hardly ever notices. Husbands are busy with their careers during the week, or sitting in a deer stand, perched at a ball field, race track...or whatever sport strokes their fancy on the week-end.
Children are running wild, playing computer games, talking endlessly on the phone...while mom is steady at the helm of the ship, carefully watching for storms on the horizon. Maybe this is why Hallmark came up with the ridiculous saying, "God couldn't be everywhere, so He created mothers."
Actually, God IS everywhere, and the simple truth is, "Mothers can't be...try as they may."
It's no wonder that mothers often fall into the enemy's trap of believing that the qualities of being a good mother are found within the confines of the daily chores, unnoticed provisions, and endless errands provided on a non-stop basis by seemingly, "GOOD MOTHERS" all around the world.
These tasks are pretty important, no doubt. Let's face it, most fathers aren't going to get off their southern-most region long enough to see that they get done Without the endless provision of mothers, homes around the world would drown in their own filth in a matter of months. However, none of these things makes a woman a good mother.
A good mother is more than just a resident reminder service to a group of mindless dwellers. She is more than a cook, cleaning lady, and laundress. A good mother is a launching pad with a soft lap; hardheaded about discipline (compared with everyone else's mother) and soft-hearted about everything else.
She motivates her children to help them reach their full potential and praises them whenever she catches them doing something right.
A good mother gives her children more than a balanced diet and a roof over their heads. She teaches them how to feed their souls and gives them a spiritual foundation on which to build. She directs them into the right paths and prays for them when they occasionally wander off onto others.
A good mother cares how her children turn out. She doesn't wait for them to GET OUT!
Maybe God actually created mothers because He needed someone to keep every generation reminded of His presence and His eternal glory. Good mothers have been doing that for thousands of years.
Odd, that we take only one day to do that.
Most days, mothers around the world are cooking, cleaning and providing in-house laundry service to a family that hardly ever notices. Husbands are busy with their careers during the week, or sitting in a deer stand, perched at a ball field, race track...or whatever sport strokes their fancy on the week-end.
Children are running wild, playing computer games, talking endlessly on the phone...while mom is steady at the helm of the ship, carefully watching for storms on the horizon. Maybe this is why Hallmark came up with the ridiculous saying, "God couldn't be everywhere, so He created mothers."
Actually, God IS everywhere, and the simple truth is, "Mothers can't be...try as they may."
It's no wonder that mothers often fall into the enemy's trap of believing that the qualities of being a good mother are found within the confines of the daily chores, unnoticed provisions, and endless errands provided on a non-stop basis by seemingly, "GOOD MOTHERS" all around the world.
These tasks are pretty important, no doubt. Let's face it, most fathers aren't going to get off their southern-most region long enough to see that they get done Without the endless provision of mothers, homes around the world would drown in their own filth in a matter of months. However, none of these things makes a woman a good mother.
A good mother is more than just a resident reminder service to a group of mindless dwellers. She is more than a cook, cleaning lady, and laundress. A good mother is a launching pad with a soft lap; hardheaded about discipline (compared with everyone else's mother) and soft-hearted about everything else.
She motivates her children to help them reach their full potential and praises them whenever she catches them doing something right.
A good mother gives her children more than a balanced diet and a roof over their heads. She teaches them how to feed their souls and gives them a spiritual foundation on which to build. She directs them into the right paths and prays for them when they occasionally wander off onto others.
A good mother cares how her children turn out. She doesn't wait for them to GET OUT!
Maybe God actually created mothers because He needed someone to keep every generation reminded of His presence and His eternal glory. Good mothers have been doing that for thousands of years.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The Buzzard, The Bat...and The Bumblebee!
THE BUZZARD:
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
THE BAT:
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
THE BUMBLEBEE:
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
PEOPLE:
In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! That's the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem! Just look up.
Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up!
Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and trust in our Creator who loves us.
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
THE BAT:
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
THE BUMBLEBEE:
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
PEOPLE:
In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! That's the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem! Just look up.
Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up!
Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and trust in our Creator who loves us.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Music of Shan Wallace
Visit www.myspace.com/shanwallacemusic and listen to the phenomenal music of my oldest son, SHAN!
A fantastic Praise and Worship leader, and the best son a man could ask for.
BE BLESSED BY HIS MUSIC!
A fantastic Praise and Worship leader, and the best son a man could ask for.
BE BLESSED BY HIS MUSIC!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
...taken from Danny's new book, "Forgive & Remember"
I am asked almost every week of my life this one question. “How do you forgive and forget?”
To which I always respond, “That’s easy to answer. You don’t.”
The greatest misconception among Christians regarding forgiveness is the mistaken idea that somehow, to truly forgive someone for something that has been done against us in the past, we must forget all about it. Otherwise, we are told that we have not truly forgiven.
Forgiveness does not involve lapsing into some spiritual state of amnesia. The reason most people struggle with forgiveness and hold on to the past with such fierceness is the simple fact we have received much misinformation within the church regarding what true forgiveness really involves.
First, let me state emphatically that forgiveness has nothing to do with forgetting. It has everything however, to do with remembering.
You might be asking yourself right about now, “What in the world is he talking about? How does remembering the offense of the one who has harmed me so deeply, link with true forgiveness?”
The best analogy to true forgiveness I can give you is this.
Forgiveness is a dry bridge that God has built above the raging waters of hatred and unforgiveness that once had you drowning. That bridge is a place of safety above the waters that once held you captive. You can still see the waters below, except now….the bridge of forgiveness places you above the situation of your past unforgiveness.
Forgive and remember… simply means that we are to “ forgive and remember”, how God has forgiven us for the things we have done, and most likely still do. It is so much easier to forgive from a place of understanding than from a place of condemnation. If we pause to remember the many things we have been forgiven of through God’s great mercy, it is easier to forgive the transgressions of those who have hurt us so deeply.
You must also have the ability to remember what you have forgiven, and what you have been forgiven, to be of assistance to others who are struggling with their own inability to forgive unspeakable circumstances. If your memory were suddenly wiped away in the moment you extend forgiveness, how would this profit others to find freedom from their own struggles with the same?
The truth of the matter is that often times, the forgetting part that people encourage us to undertake is nothing more than the classic, “Sweep it under the rug”, theology that most in the church have lived and taught for decades. People are encouraged to hide behind their well crafted masks and live under the grand illusion that, “Out of sight, out of mind”, is the way to forgiveness.
Unfortunately, the problem only grows worse. These people become bitter and develop a clear and present inability to relate well to others. They are often viewed as troublemakers, when all they really are is someone who has never truly offered forgiveness, either to the one who has hurt them, or most importantly…to themselves.
Along with the question about how can we forgive and forget, I also get the comments from people regarding how they just don’t “feel” forgiveness. They have prayed and waited for the feeling to arrive, to only be disappointed when that moment doesn’t come.
Forgiveness, like love…is a choice. We choose to forgive. If you are waiting until you feel like forgiving someone, especially those who have hurt you deeply, you’ll be waiting until Hell freezes over. The feeling will most likely never come.
In the same regard, you will hear many divorced people explain that they divorced because they eventually fell out of love with the person they once loved so deeply. This, is a misconception and outright lie from the enemy to promote divorce.
We don’t “fall out of love”, any more than we, “fall into it.” We choose to love someone. Love is a commitment. It is a vow, and a promise to remain with someone and choose to love them through the good times and the bad. Through sickness, and in health, until death do us part…we pledge to love the person we pledge our love to. Unfortunately, in today’s society, a vow is nothing more than a series of words spoken with a hidden addendum tucked away safely in our back pocket, just in case we ever need it.
Forgiveness is a choice. We don’t offer forgiveness because we feel like it. We offer forgiveness because God has clearly stated that we must forgive to be forgiven. (CHAPTER AND VERSE)
If we refuse to forgive, we sentence ourselves to the punishment of resentment, anger, bitterness and strife, from which God so desperately wants to free us. Unforgiveness is nothing less than a prison with unseen bars that holds us captive. In the realm of our warfare against principalities and powers and rulers of darkness in high places, we are not the only ones held captive by our refusal to forgive. Sadly, the person we refuse to forgive is unknowingly held under the same bondage.
God is a great and honorable father. He is truly the example for all fathers to live by. As earthly fathers, we are always teaching our children by word and example, and then stepping aside to give them the opportunity to make choices that shape their own individual destiny.
God commands us to forgive, knowing full well that the feeling to do so is absent. God is teaching us to walk by the faith of His instruction, rather than the evidence of our feeling. What person would argue with doing what they feel like doing?
I had a friend tell me once that he would stop his three pack a day cigarette habit after God took the desire away from him. He said he had prayed repeatedly for the desire to leave him, and so far it had not. He took this to mean that God was obviously fine and dandy with his nasty habit.
By that logic, we are all nothing more than robots to the New Age God of “Feel Good.”
You know the scenario. “If it feels good, do it”
Well, we’ve been living by that old philosophy since the time of Adam and Eve. I am now prompted to ask the obvious question, “How’s that been working for us lately?” Not so good.
Everyone will do automatically what they feel like doing. If they feel like praying, they pray. If they feel like eating, they eat. If someone feels like sleeping, he goes to bed. The list is unending. The mindset, as it applies to anything God has asked us to do, is stupid. You don’t really have to be a college graduate to figure out that people never have a problem doing what they feel like doing.
Just as a good father instructs his children on what is good for them and what to avoid that will be detrimental, God tells us what we should do because he knows best how to bring true freedom to our heart and soul. After all, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He has already walked where He is asking us to walk. He knows exactly what lies beyond the next curve in the road. Most days we don’t have the good sense to understand what is right in front of us, much less, predict the future outcome of our actions.
There is a lot of wisdom in “Trust and Obey”.
The doorway called, “Forgiveness”, is just ahead. Just inside the door, as you stand in the center of the room called, “Freedom”, you will find the Holy Spirit waiting to bestow upon you the feeling you have been waiting for to lead you to the doorway of forgiveness.
Now you know that turning the knob on the door comes first. The feeling will soon follow.
To which I always respond, “That’s easy to answer. You don’t.”
The greatest misconception among Christians regarding forgiveness is the mistaken idea that somehow, to truly forgive someone for something that has been done against us in the past, we must forget all about it. Otherwise, we are told that we have not truly forgiven.
Forgiveness does not involve lapsing into some spiritual state of amnesia. The reason most people struggle with forgiveness and hold on to the past with such fierceness is the simple fact we have received much misinformation within the church regarding what true forgiveness really involves.
First, let me state emphatically that forgiveness has nothing to do with forgetting. It has everything however, to do with remembering.
You might be asking yourself right about now, “What in the world is he talking about? How does remembering the offense of the one who has harmed me so deeply, link with true forgiveness?”
The best analogy to true forgiveness I can give you is this.
Forgiveness is a dry bridge that God has built above the raging waters of hatred and unforgiveness that once had you drowning. That bridge is a place of safety above the waters that once held you captive. You can still see the waters below, except now….the bridge of forgiveness places you above the situation of your past unforgiveness.
Forgive and remember… simply means that we are to “ forgive and remember”, how God has forgiven us for the things we have done, and most likely still do. It is so much easier to forgive from a place of understanding than from a place of condemnation. If we pause to remember the many things we have been forgiven of through God’s great mercy, it is easier to forgive the transgressions of those who have hurt us so deeply.
You must also have the ability to remember what you have forgiven, and what you have been forgiven, to be of assistance to others who are struggling with their own inability to forgive unspeakable circumstances. If your memory were suddenly wiped away in the moment you extend forgiveness, how would this profit others to find freedom from their own struggles with the same?
The truth of the matter is that often times, the forgetting part that people encourage us to undertake is nothing more than the classic, “Sweep it under the rug”, theology that most in the church have lived and taught for decades. People are encouraged to hide behind their well crafted masks and live under the grand illusion that, “Out of sight, out of mind”, is the way to forgiveness.
Unfortunately, the problem only grows worse. These people become bitter and develop a clear and present inability to relate well to others. They are often viewed as troublemakers, when all they really are is someone who has never truly offered forgiveness, either to the one who has hurt them, or most importantly…to themselves.
Along with the question about how can we forgive and forget, I also get the comments from people regarding how they just don’t “feel” forgiveness. They have prayed and waited for the feeling to arrive, to only be disappointed when that moment doesn’t come.
Forgiveness, like love…is a choice. We choose to forgive. If you are waiting until you feel like forgiving someone, especially those who have hurt you deeply, you’ll be waiting until Hell freezes over. The feeling will most likely never come.
In the same regard, you will hear many divorced people explain that they divorced because they eventually fell out of love with the person they once loved so deeply. This, is a misconception and outright lie from the enemy to promote divorce.
We don’t “fall out of love”, any more than we, “fall into it.” We choose to love someone. Love is a commitment. It is a vow, and a promise to remain with someone and choose to love them through the good times and the bad. Through sickness, and in health, until death do us part…we pledge to love the person we pledge our love to. Unfortunately, in today’s society, a vow is nothing more than a series of words spoken with a hidden addendum tucked away safely in our back pocket, just in case we ever need it.
Forgiveness is a choice. We don’t offer forgiveness because we feel like it. We offer forgiveness because God has clearly stated that we must forgive to be forgiven. (CHAPTER AND VERSE)
If we refuse to forgive, we sentence ourselves to the punishment of resentment, anger, bitterness and strife, from which God so desperately wants to free us. Unforgiveness is nothing less than a prison with unseen bars that holds us captive. In the realm of our warfare against principalities and powers and rulers of darkness in high places, we are not the only ones held captive by our refusal to forgive. Sadly, the person we refuse to forgive is unknowingly held under the same bondage.
God is a great and honorable father. He is truly the example for all fathers to live by. As earthly fathers, we are always teaching our children by word and example, and then stepping aside to give them the opportunity to make choices that shape their own individual destiny.
God commands us to forgive, knowing full well that the feeling to do so is absent. God is teaching us to walk by the faith of His instruction, rather than the evidence of our feeling. What person would argue with doing what they feel like doing?
I had a friend tell me once that he would stop his three pack a day cigarette habit after God took the desire away from him. He said he had prayed repeatedly for the desire to leave him, and so far it had not. He took this to mean that God was obviously fine and dandy with his nasty habit.
By that logic, we are all nothing more than robots to the New Age God of “Feel Good.”
You know the scenario. “If it feels good, do it”
Well, we’ve been living by that old philosophy since the time of Adam and Eve. I am now prompted to ask the obvious question, “How’s that been working for us lately?” Not so good.
Everyone will do automatically what they feel like doing. If they feel like praying, they pray. If they feel like eating, they eat. If someone feels like sleeping, he goes to bed. The list is unending. The mindset, as it applies to anything God has asked us to do, is stupid. You don’t really have to be a college graduate to figure out that people never have a problem doing what they feel like doing.
Just as a good father instructs his children on what is good for them and what to avoid that will be detrimental, God tells us what we should do because he knows best how to bring true freedom to our heart and soul. After all, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He has already walked where He is asking us to walk. He knows exactly what lies beyond the next curve in the road. Most days we don’t have the good sense to understand what is right in front of us, much less, predict the future outcome of our actions.
There is a lot of wisdom in “Trust and Obey”.
The doorway called, “Forgiveness”, is just ahead. Just inside the door, as you stand in the center of the room called, “Freedom”, you will find the Holy Spirit waiting to bestow upon you the feeling you have been waiting for to lead you to the doorway of forgiveness.
Now you know that turning the knob on the door comes first. The feeling will soon follow.
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