A New Year's Prayer

Lord Jesus,
Are you coming back today? It is Rosh Hashannah, but you know that. It would only be fitting to start the Jewish New Year in heaven with you. The signs are all there. They are talking peace in Israel while all the world is aligning against them. Even the good old U.S. of A. is adding pressure to Bibi to make concessions. But that doesn't mean much because this great country has just about reached its lowest point of relevancy in her history: economically we are bankrupt; politically we are impotent; militarily we lack the courage to win; and spiritually, ah Lord Jesus, forgive us, but spiritually we are not even in the game. WE have allowed our morality to be dictated by liberal judges who don't even understand the concept of morality. WE have let them remove prayer and Your Word from our schools, and they are quickly removing them from the public square. WE have let them tell us that our unborn children are not humans so that it has become acceptable to murder the innocent unborn while they rest in what You meant to be the safest, most love-filled, space in the world -- a mother's womb. WE have let them change the laws, Your law, on marriage, and now men marry men and women marry women. How disgusted with us You must be. And we, Your people, called by Your name, called to be the salt and light -- change agents and preservatives -- have chosen to sit idly by and let it all happen in the name of tolerance. WE see it all happening and we bemoan the fact that this old world just keeps sliding farther down that slippery slope into the abyss of depravit all the while wringing our hands and wishing You would do something about it when You already have. You Already Have! You sent Your Son to die on the cross for our sins so that "whosoever believes in You" will be saved. You sent Your Holy Spirit to comfort us, to guide us, and to empower us to transform this world. And You have promised that in our darkest moments you will be the Light that shines in us and through us to not only illuminate our need but also to extinguish the darkness. And all WE need to do is to come together as Your people, humble ourselves before You, seek Your Holy Presence, and turn from OUR wicked ways of apathy and laziness and pride and selfishness and then you would heal our land once our sins are forgiven. So Lord Jesus, are you coming back today? Or are you giving us another chance? Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly! Come soon! Come today! Happy New Year!

Partnership Building

I read this great article, and I thought I would share it with you today. It speaks volumes as to what we need to be doing to reach people today.

Brad Lomenick on Partnership-Building

“Building a bridge is an art...I’m referring to building bridges in business, friendships, co-workers, mentors, and key partnerships,” says Brad Lomenick, director of the Catalyst movement of young leaders. In a blog post, he talks about the importance of connecting with those we work, live, and partner with in ministry, particularly in this culture where new relationships can be intimidating, and 15-minute lunches are common. The following are his thoughts on how to best build a connecting bridge of partnership between yourself and another person:

1. Love people until they ask why. Lomenick says your actions of love should speak so loudly that people “ultimately demand an explanation for why you do what you do.”
2. Prove your craft before asking for something. People want to know you are competent before they partner with you, and valuing excellence and execution is key.
3. Ask more questions than they do. Lomenick says asking great questions can be “way more strategic” than giving great answers.
4. Spend lots of time listening. “Once you’ve asked a great question, listen. And listen more. And listen more,” says Lomenick.
5. Find points of connection and shared interests, and be intentional. Make a point to discover the person’s interests, hobbies, and what truly motivates them. Then build on shared interests.
6. Follow-up. Lomenick says this is the most important step that everyone seems to forget. “Never assume that because you haven’t heard from someone, it means they’re not interested. They’re busy, just like you. Take the first step and reach out. And then reach out again.”

Brad Lomenick, BradLomenick.com, 7/2/10

How To Listen To A Sermon

I have stood before congregations large and small along with Sunday School and Discipleship Training classes to proclaim God’s Word on the average of 3 times a week for about 25 years. Figuring in vacations and guest speakers along with the times I filled the pulpit in churches where I was not the pastor, I calculate that I have done this about 3,900 times. I have seen just about every reaction possible ranging from complete apathy to intense conviction that resulted in some people storming out of the church and some storming into the arms of God. How is it that many of these different reactions take place with the same group of people sitting through the same message? I think it is because some people know how to listen to a sermon while others do not. So I thought I would share my opinion on how to properly listen to a sermon.

It is as simple as this; ask the right question. For example, the wrong question is, “Which one of these heathens sitting around me is the pastor talking to?” Out of those 3,900 opportunities to proclaim God’s Word, I cannot begin to tell you how many times someone has said to me, “I sure wish so-and-so were here to hear this. They sure needed it.” I am fully convinced that God knows who the audience will be for every sermon preached, so let God be God and let us ask the right questions. Another wrong question is, “What is that preacher trying to say to me?” I’m sure I’ve heard someone else say what I am about to share with you because I am not that profound, but the other day, this thought came into my mind and I cannot get it out: “To believe that a godly pastor would target individuals with a certain message is either the height of arrogance or the depth of conviction.” To believe that a pastor has the time or energy to search out Scripture and put together a sermon that targets you demonstrates a level of conceit that is almost mind-boggling. However, I know there are times when individuals hear a message that pierces their hearts and souls to the point they know that they are the target – and that, my friends, is the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. So the right question that must come from an humble and honest heart is simply this: “What is God saying to me today through this sermon?” If you will ask this question, God will answer it every time, for His promise says, “Seek me and you will find me if you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).