THE POWER IS UP

The Holy Spirit is the power of the church. When He is shelved by unbelieving hearts who remain in the church, the power is off. It is down. Nothing's running beyond our own steam.

When believing hearts secure their confidence in the adequacy of the Holy Spirit, the power is up.

The difference is not based in feared doctrines versus accepted ones. It is found in the God-participation of His established church.

All along we have made up doctrines down through history to stabilize personal theories. To walk out on faith limbs has been and always will be serious tests for believers. Dare we see into the invisible? Shall we possess the land of hope?

When the Holy Spirit of God is present, unexplainable and undefinable life erupts to which our only accurate response can be Glory to God! The Power is up!

THE MEASURE OF A MAN (OR WOMAN)

The longer I am me the less I am.

The more I lean into Him the more Life opens.

The idea of being buried in Christ is more than a point toward baptism. It is the route to life without living depressed. I live, yet not me, but it is Jesus in me.

I pooped out on trying to work the correct church growth formulas and direct magic touches toward effectivity in the kingdom. My ways flopped.

The secret about our walk is to allow His feet to rent our sandals. God takes us places we would normally fear to tread. With Him we really can do all the things needed to see the church produce.

In any congregation, the mystery of authentic life is never in the staff, the elders, nor the two strongest givers. It is always in Jesus and nothing more.

With God-fueled fire in his eyes, he reminded all of us that bearing fruit requires death. Jesus said we must die in order that we might live. Daily Christian living, in other words, is daily Christian dying: dying to our trivial comforts, soul-shrinking conveniences, arrogant preferences, and self-centered entitlements, and living for something much larger than what makes us comfortable and safe. God does everything through people who understand they are nothing. And God does nothing through those who think they're everything. (John Wood)

DISTRACTING; YET ACCEPTABLE IDOLS

There remains a consistent need within the Christian ranks to be infatuated and enamoured with Jesus. Yes, His is the name that closes all of our church prayers. Yet, clearly there is to be so much more than a name endorsement. It is too easy for one to become distracted by submission to much lesser idols.

Jesus is to be the one who is head over all things to the church which is his body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all. Jesus is to be our everything.

Yet, distractions pull us off course into zones of seeming importance to our theories and our emotions.

From the above Ephesians segment alone, we should see that Jesus is our Primary Primarian. All is to revolve around him. This is nothing new to any of us.

However, it can be noted that church satisfaction rests upon other limited idols. Do the sermons connect well? Are the songs my preference? How about the time factor concerning the "worship service"? Are the teachings in line with my comfort zone? And, how about the building decor?

The church is not a marketing parade but rather a training ground for cross carriers. The very things which might upset any could be the very concepts which would teach endurance. It is true among us. We are in great need of never-give-up-ness.

Today I would call our attention back to the cross and then that empty grave site. The wow of God remains the world's greatest force. The world will likely perceive such in greater awareness if we as the church can align ourselves more fully with the Christ of the cross rather than the idol of personal preference.

AMERICA: POISED FOR A FIRE STORM

Our nation is in a world of hurt. One reason for such is due to the planting and watering of seeds of increased anger. America is ripe for the harvest of a fire storm.

Tension is rife in the media, congress, Wall Street, race, and religion. Animosity is trumped with hatred by too many of high profile. Planting and watering provocation....some in the news (on both sides of the interviews) cannot resist the grooming of this monster.

Yes, for today, we are able to move about in fairly standard normalcy. Yet protests of Occupiers continues to linger and the recent shooting of the black teen gains concern...only to mention a couple of matters. We best be in prayer that our President remain safe.

Should you believe me to be wandering of into the political, such is not my intent. I am alerting us to the truth that Jesus is the only true calmer of the storms.....so you (in him) play a role in containing today's heated market. The body of Christ must awaken America to the possibility of tranquility.

What an opportunity for the church.

We are soldiers on duty to help steady the unstable. We are physicians prescribing salve for open wounds. We are ambassadors from another country supplying firm hope in this present darkness.

Every time we turn on the news, we complain, is more negativity. This simply is a signal of the great need for hope, and faith, and life, and love. These things of God are of prime necessity.

What an opportunity for the church.

Thus far some churches have existed on the meager crumbs of battling they and them over emotionalism, legalism, and other-isms as if the inner markings of the religious world were our real target. Yet, the arm is not to be at war with the leg.

We may be on the cusp of entering a different scale of battle.

What an opportunity for the church.

The church has so much to offer simply through the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Now is a perfect and significant time that we increasingly awaken to this power within us. His fruit is not only desperately needed; it is the only solid solution of hope.

Avail yourself to the battle. Exert yourself by His strength. We can curtail an oncoming storm. Jesus is the hope of our nation.

The elements are near for a fire storm. What an opportunity for the church.

SIMPLY OVERWHELMED

I'm just telling it like it is. I am one happy camper. And....I am so overwhelmed by getting to be one happy camper.

The workshop just ended. I have emails of both applause and mild criticism. Phone messages await return. At stack of mail sits beside me unopened. (I'll look for the checks first.)

The computer just "binged" with reminders of things I had forgotten...and that is precisely why my computer binged. Ah, my system is working!

Life is a tad overwhelming this morning.......and I love it. I am one of the most fortunate men I ever met in my life.

I tell you all of this simply for those many times you feel similarly buried. We each may feel direct pressures due to our walk load. Yet, may each of us sense we are not alone; but rather in this unique system called the body of Christ.

There is much work to do....and we get to be among those who get to do it.

Yippee!

HAPPY....VERY TIRED....BUT MAINLY HAPPY

The Tulsa Workshop wrapped up its 37th year and it was a genuine Wow!

Many of my colleagues kept saying what the others had just told me, I know every year seems to be the best one, but this one really did.

I concur.

This was a very good year. Something is going on among us. I think it is the Holy Spirit of God.

For me, not every year has been the best year. Some have been poorly delivered and others have been poorly received.

It's just so wonderfully different these days. We, as His children, seem to be growing up. We still have our differences. But in these last three or four years there seems to be a hunger; a new hunger.

It seems the wounded are caravaning our direction to experience recovery so they can move back out into the fields. Some arrive for the reunion due to the loneliness where they serve. All of us soak in the wonder-words of our speakers.

I, personally, treasure in my heart much of what I heard from humble and wonderful speakers of the Word.

The Word still counts. The Lord still reigns. And souls are still our goal at the Tulsa Workshop.

I am very happy this Monday morning. Fatigue surely is a strong, but momentary, factor. However, I find overjoy to be the leading element of this Monday morning!

I am grateful....still!

AND THEN GOD CONTINUES TO SURPRISE

The workshop was so, so, so very good! Attendance was off slightly. We lacked $19,000 in contributions (just giving you an honest scoop), and the spirit of the workshop was at its highest (continuing with the honest)!

Wow! God was on.

In addition, the following article came out in the Tulsa paper Saturday. The timing of God is just wonderfully weird that this would hit when we have a workshop going on under the umbrella of reaching a broken world.

You can read it here. There are three picture of which you will need to click for the next two.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=18&articleid=20120324_18_A15_ULNSei377205

And then there is yet this morning to be unveiled. Workshop fever is stronger than ever! I've caught it...I caught it 37 years ago...and I don't want anyone curing me!

WORKSHOP WOW: HOW CAN IT BE?

I tell you the truth about our evening keynotes at the workshop.

Patrick Mead was at his best Wednesday night.

Jeff Walling hasn't been as on target---in his usual never-miss-on-targetness---in years as when preaching Thursday night.

Last night? I've never heard Don McLaughlin come close to being as powerful as he was last night. Profound.

How can it be?

God surely is with us.

WORKSHOP FEVER! CAUGHT IT!

The Tulsa Workshop is a unique entity.

It has no campus to call home so the expense of renting a public facility is considerable. The rising price of gasoline plus the whining propaganda by the aginners push against us each year. Yet, the heartbeat remains, oh so, strong!

Patrick Mead, Randy Harris, Rick Atchley, and Jeff Walling....well....would you permit me to say they are at the top of their game thus far? However, due to the Spirit they will have matured even more by next year.

Everything on the program is geared for outreach. Everything.

I'm highly inspired by what I am hearing and seeing. There is a gracious and rich heart within our people. We are increasingly focusing upon those things Jesus would attend. Almost reversibly so, the clarion call this week is to see what he sees by realizing how broken we are first.

There is rock-solid hope because of the Rock who gives us solid footing.

Workshop Fever! It has been caught! And, we've got it bad!

TULSA WORKSHOP A "GO"!

It's raining. It's workshop time!

We gathered last night in the Pavilion at the Fairgrounds. Patrick Mead had the ideal message; the world is broken and it begins with us. And it is Jesus who puts us all back together...all of us!

While we adults and several youngsters were in the Pavilion, Brenda Hughes had 37 children working on the Workshop Kids Praise Chorus which will sing for us tomorrow evening. That will be a moving scene!

Blessings to your day as you pray, as you walk, as you reach to Him and to others!

Go!

I AM NEVER NOT GRATEFUL

What?

How is the title worded? Maybe it would be better said, I NEVER FIND A MOMENT THAT I AM NOT GRATEFUL. However, I am never not grateful.

I live in this world of grandeur called the Kingdom of God. To operate from human reason and logistics is a mistake. To function from the spirit side of impossibility-made-possible is reality. It isn't fantasy land. The abundant life of Christ....is reality.

We approach the Tulsa Workshop today. It will be filled with joy, excitement, criticism, exuberant chatter, and the Holy Spirit of God. The most of it is fun. Some of it makes me cry. All of it is a glory to Father. None of it is a wasted crumb.

Who wouldn't want to get to be me? And, for that matter, who wouldn't want to get to be you?

I am not never grateful! That's a secret we can know about our inner attitudes.

How about you? Are you not never grateful, too?

Yippee!

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE

Isn't Ephesians 3:20 one of the most exhilarating verses ever? I still love it that we can take the mind elevator to the top and then God will be awaiting to say, Oh, but there is so much more!

That He can work beyond what He dares us to imagine is too fascinating to me. Because of His energy we can get anything done. Truthfully, we get so much accomplished because He makes a great drink for the world out of we lemons.

My problem is that I am a dinky thinker. While I love the passage I still seem so glued to security and mediocrity.

The world really does need us; really is waiting on us. I charge you to continue to imagine what can be/could be/should be/would be and do not stop such fabulous faith.

God is not looking for super stars. He is scouting for mite-giving, fish and loaves believers.

LET GO OF THE CONTROLS

Let go and let God is more than a saying. It is a secret....that works!

Why would guys like me try to control so much? Because we are inferior to begin with...that's why. Our range is so small. Thus, we try to keep what little territory we think we can command under control.

But....it just won't work. We are still too small.

Our role is to die to self; even that nagging spirit of being in charge. Our God is too big. His kingdom is too magnificent. His vision is superior. Our role is to follow His lead rather than us coercing Him to follow ours.

I am in kindergarten. I've moved down a few pegs over the years. Once I was a high school graduate in the church only to be knocked down several notches due to pressure, failure, and ultimate collapse of self.

I can't. He can.

I believe Him. And, He does the work.

This is a much better working arrangement. He does the work while my work is to believe Him...Jn. 6:29.

TULSA PREACHERS SWAPPED FOR WORKSHOP SUNDAY

Today congregations from Jenks, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Skiatook, and Tulsa will participate in a unique swap of area preachers as a promotion of the upcoming Tulsa Workshop which begins Wednesday night.

We are always pumped!

Last year I was farmed out to the Skiatook church while their Russell Hill was farmed in. Today North Sheridan's Tim Luster gets a shot at Memorial while I take aim from his post. What a delightful way to encourage the interaction among area churches.

For those of you traveling long distance, pack your bags. Rains begin tonight with promise of showers Monday and Tuesday with intent of phasing out on Wednesday....ah, just in time for the workshop kickoff Wednesday night at the Pavilion.

The whole thing is just too exciting!

Join us!

JAIL-BIRD MARY?

So Mary and I moved last summer. This required new checks with the new address. After sufficient time, it was clear these were not going to arrive. I called the bank and reordered. The latter I received.

And then.....and then I wondered if the former were delivered to my old address. They were. The bank had printed the new checks with the new address, but sent them to the old address.

Go figure.

I picked up the earlier order and went ahead and used them first since the number order would be in sync.

Everything has been going smoothly until I got a "bounced check" notice from the state for my car tags. What?

When I went to the bank not only were there sufficient funds...there were swollen funds. The banker's research discovered they had (appropriately) stopped payment on the checks I found at the other house should they have been stolen. Thus, my checking account is very big because incoming withdrawals have not been allowed by the bank!?!?!

At the moment I have a lot of money in the bank. At the same moment I have a lot of creditors scratching their heads. Little Terry has begun to scam the community!

For months now I have been writing checks to everyone in the world and I have a feeling that world is about to come down on us. When I discovered this error according to the banker I called the church accountant to see if any contribution checks had bounced. They had not...until that afternoon's mail. Now they have!

What a mess. Not to worry. I just have to wade through it and take care of it. That one bad check to the tag agency ended in a penalty of $25.

Sure, my utilities may be shut off and the house repossessed....but my main concern is whether Mary will have to serve time.

We'll see.

A SURE HIT AT THE UPCOMING WORKSHOP

Classes, booths, speakers, and friends galore....the Tulsa Workshop is just five sleeps away.

Hurray!

The good old standbys mixed with some rookie names on the speaker roster will fill the hearts and minds of a myriad of thirsty workers of the kingdom. We will laugh, cry, sing, and applaud the God-experience of varying moods among us.

Mark it down, one display will be a home run of sorts when the WKPCs file onto the stage Friday night to sing their little hearts out. Brenda Hughes is the Workshop Kids Praise Chorus director and she is one top-notch talent; ideal for children to build confidence as they serve beside us.

The future of world evangelism, as well as experiential faith, is buried within our young. Events like the WKPCs participation serves to embed within their tender hearts the truth that being involved in the church is refreshingly alive!

Whether Marvin or Patrick or Sally or Jeff are those whom you travel to hear, brace yourself! When the WKPC group fires up....you will applaud the God of all children!

Come on!

Join us in Tulsa....March 21-24!

SPIRITUAL GIFTS: WHAT THEY SHOULD TELL US

I was trained in school to believe that spiritual gifts had ceased. Not so strangely, when one believes they have ceased....they have.

Later I learned a great secret of God is that He gifts His followers in various manners...still. Some are gifted in mercy, others in giving, etc. One of Memorial Drive's staffers, Jason Thornton, has blessed our work (and mine in particular) through his PLACE program that has helped this congregation know where individuals are gifted and where we are not.

This has become a blessed awareness. Everyone fits in. Not one among us is one-size-fits-all. The teamwork and the church harmony resulting from Jason's careful mentoring has set this congregation on a new course of joyful productivity. We have learned that we all fit and exactly where we fit.

Spiritual gifts tell us a couple of things at the moment:

1. If we are gifted in one area we can assume we are clutsy in about 100 areas.


2. And even in the area we are gifted, such comes from God and not ourselves.

Therefore, we have much to be thankful in that God would share His fragments of skill with each of us and that the body would keep us in spite of our obvious lack.

Spiritual gifts....needed from God because we are so inept without Him. The church has such life because we dare to allow Father to provide that which we cannot possibly muster on our own...effectiveness. What a gift!

BEYOND THEIR ABILITY

In co-laboring with God we must be cognizant of the Spirit factor which takes us into a whole new kind of operation. It is worded of the Macedonians that God's grace had been issued, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.

For I testify that according to their ability and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord.

Believers are called to a radical zone of behavior in that we do not do things according to logic. Human reason yields to Spirit capacity. This is very difficult for earthlings. We are challenged to walk with our feet upon earth with our minds in the heavens....literally.

My problem has been attacking problems with earth-bound solutions. It still takes me a few failures to relinquish my tight grip in order for God to get to breathe upon my/our efforts.

I don't know about you but this is just one more reason I find myself in kindergarten in the kingdom. I keep learning my ways are lesser than His...of which He already pointed out.

May we grow in the willingness to operate beyond our ability!

HOW TO LIVE IN COMPLETE AWE

The infant church of Acts 2 was immediately overrun by awe.

I am so glad.

Awe is for us today for it is a huge part of the church of Christ.

How do we live in awe? Self-generation won't do it. Trying harder is the same. Yet, there is a factor--an awe gear--to which we may shift.

Luke 7 paints an ugly/beauty scene; that of a member of the church (of sorts), a community reject, and then the Son. One in this painting is in awe. A second is in complete disgust. The one in awe had at least three things going her way:

1. She was overwhelmed with her own sinfulness and, therefore even more in awe of the Son who would dare let her be in the same room.
   



2. The Son covered her back.
   



3. She seems oblivious to her critic for no one was more aware of her persistent lack than she.

These three traits lead us to complete awe. Life isn't awesome because we finally get it. Life is awesome because we finally get us...devastated without Jesus. Mediocrity spends too much time noticing the critic as well as nurturing our own possessive pride.

When we realize we are a train wreck with no deservation of God's intensive and extensive grace, our hearts open to abundant tears of awe....just like the woman discussed.

Awe is for the church today. A villain which has robbed us of awe is the same villain that robbed that Pharisee of his; we have paraded how right we are and how wrong others are.

Repentance of such a mindset will surely fill the church with awe once again.

TONGUES: WE WON AND WE LOST

We don't speak in tongues. There are those who do and I don't judge them. But for us, we don't.

And why?

We rehearsed repeatedly through the years how speaking in tongues has ceased. I for one believe that is true.

However, in working at this battle we have lost major territory. Too many of our people--in general--don't use their tongues to speak. I see two glaring traits among us: (1) our people speak to those they know and struggle with using their tongue to speak to a stranger (in the church), and (2) fundamentally our tongues have gone mute when reaching to the unchurched.

So while we are a clan that basically doesn't speak in tongues we are also fail to speak in any tongue at all.

If we are going to be serious about the kingdom of God and being like the original church, we must perpetually groom, train, and work on speaking in the one tongue we know....love for God and others.