Embracing His Praises During Life Restrictions

By Pastor John Francis

Psalm 145:4 (The Passion Translation)

“Generation after generation will declare more of your greatness and declare more of your glory.”

We are invited into the praise and adoration of our Father because He knows it is good and healthy for us, especially in seasons of difficulty.  During Mardi Gras Outreach in February this year, a spirit of praise and worship released expectation and anticipation from one generation to another.  That sound of praise brought to my remembrance the deep calling within my soul that I experienced during my young teenage days!  Only a few months later, here we are, faced with an unexpected and serious situation. It almost seems like a Paul and Silas in the prison sort of experience.  Who would have ever imagined what we are experiencing as a result of COVID-19?  Perhaps like the apostles, we can be encouraged through singing from our hearts, love songs to our heavenly Father and releasing those songs to others.  Perhaps some prisoners may find freedom and even some prison-keepers may find salvation during this time.

From a young age I was raised around worship and praise.  My father in those days was a “song leader” within our church.  As a young 13 year old boy, I remember having a moment when the question came into my mind, “Who are you going to praise?”  Would I follow my Father in heaven or would I be intimidated by my baseball playing friends?  My attraction to those friends and their natural talent attempted to block me from God’s call and keep my heart from praise.  The voice in my head cried out, “don’t lift your hands in praise!”  That day I won the inner battle of my heart and peer pressure was defeated.

Growing up in church life was a great and wonderful experience.  I found the call of God during those years to love God and love His people.  I so enjoyed hearing God’s people give Him praise for His nature and the things He accomplished in and through His people.  I loved the sound of intergenerational praise.  Praise taught me to have a strong mindset during difficult and trying seasons.  Praise was my weapon! May it be our weapon today as well.

Praying in the Spirit in the Midst of Crisis

By Jared Walker

As Pentecostal Christians, our unique doctrine and experience of the Holy Spirit lends us a powerful tool by which we can overcome the world in these trying times. I am talking about praying in the Spirit. There are many benefits to this privileged prayer of partnership with the Third Person of the Trinity.

First, according to Paul, it is how we put on and put to use the full armor of God that we may take our stand against “spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:10-18). In reclaiming our Pentecostal heritage, we also reclaim a supernatural perspective that reflects what is seen is moved by what is unseen. The problems plaguing our world are far greater than viruses and the schemes of humans. But we cannot apprehend the true evils, much less thwart them, except by praying in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, spiritual warfare is waged through spiritual prayer. As an aside, we should not think of this kind of prayer as an exception to the rule of our morning “quiet times,” or that it is something that only  “intercessors” can do. For as Paul exhorted the Ephesians: “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”

Second, as Jude wrote, it builds up our “most holy faith” (Jude 20). Paul adds depth to this point in 1 Corinthians 14 when he contrasts the gift of tongues with prophecy. Summarily, tongues are a heavenly prayer language, unknowable to anyone but God- not even the one praying is privy to the actual content of such prayers (v. 2). Nevertheless, “anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves” (v. 4). Paul later instructs, “If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays” (v. 14), and infers that one can sing, praise, and thank God in tongues (vv. 15-17). So while our minds are unfruitful, praying in tongues greatly impacts our spirits as well as the spiritual realm.

Third, it allows us to pray precisely according to God’s will. This is what drove me to relate this topic to our current crisis in the first place. Candidly speaking, I have no clue what is going on or what I should do about it, and it doesn’t seem like anyone else does either.  “There are… so many kinds of voices in the world,” but at bottom there is only one we must follow (1 Cor. 14:10 KJV). Again, Paul provides the insight to our interplay with the Spirit when he speaks of “the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit,” explaining that “the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:9-11). God’s Spirit gives us access to God’s mind in order that we may know God’s thoughts, and by extension God’s voice.

How, then, can we gain such access? This comes back to praying in the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:26-27, we read that “the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Now this may be in reference to tongues or it may mean literal groaning. Regardless, the former stands as a valid practice as demonstrated in my second point; the latter, however, can be exhibited in what the old timers called “travailing.” Travailing is when the Spirit moves upon a person to experience His grief over the world’s sin and pain, causing them to physically moan and writhe about. Travailing is very mysterious in that it is “wordless,” but many who have entered into it sensed that they were praying for things of global significance “in accordance with the will of God.”

In the midst of a global crisis, we need to discern and to do God’s will more than ever. We cannot allow fear and confusion to paralyze us from fulfilling our ministry and reaching the world for Christ. There is indeed a strange social reality being thrusted upon us, rife with new obstacles to our message and outreach. But the Spirit knows what to say, what to do and where to go so we can bear fruit for God! The future- both short and long-term- may be incredibly uncertain, but the Spirit gives us the wisdom and patience we need to endure- even flourish- come what may! There may be confusion as to what God is doing in the world right now, but the Spirit wants us to know God’s heart and mind. On a personal and practical level, I can attest, along with many of my mentors in the faith, that taking time daily to pray in the Spirit consistently brings me closer to God, elevates my perspective and bolsters my faith like few things can.

The Long, Hard Journey of Faith

By Lisa Denise Edwards

If the future feels uncertain right now, and worry keeps occupying too much room in your heart, in your mind, remember this: God is already in all of our tomorrows. He knows our way, and He has a plan. And we can be assured it’s always the best one for us.

God never asks us to figure it all out on our own. He just asks us to trust Him, to recognize His leadership and Sovereignty in our lives. And He promises to make our pathways straight. We may not always see what’s ahead, but He does.

“Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go” (Proverbs 3:5-6, TPT).

There’s great power in trusting Him. For it clears the way for our security to be based solely on Him, not on our circumstances, or other people; not on ourselves, or our own ways of thinking. He is faithful to lead us and He sees the big picture. He brings clarity and light through foggy times. He knows what’s around the other side of the bend where we can’t fully see. His timing is perfect even when we start to feel like we’ve been forgotten. No matter how we feel or what our current situation may be, we can be confident that God’s Presence will go before us, paving our pathways, guiding and guarding our steps.

A Post-Pandemic Passion: A Burning Heart For People!

By Johnny Jernigan

I have always been intrigued by the Prophet Jeremiah. He was just like us. He had a desire to see people turn their lives to God, but, fear, intimidation and ridicule seems to have derailed him more than once. He wanted his message to penetrate the hearts of his audience, but he was mocked, beaten and criticized for what he had to say. So, where did that leave Jeremiah?

In Jeremiah chapter 20, he has a discussion with God. He says in verse 7 of chapter 20 that, “God deceived him.” He asks, why did you send me to talk to this kind of culture? But then he offers a rhetorical statement in verse 9. He says, “but if I say, I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in.” Then he makes this truly shocking statement: “indeed I cannot.” Wait a minute. He was mocked, ridiculed, beaten, and insulted, and yet, he still wanted to declare God’s heart to these people? Yes, and he did.

That brings me to this pandemic.

I have found in these past several weeks that people are scared, fearful, and searching for meaning in this quarantine. They want to talk. Like Jeremiah, we have a culture that often ridicules, mocks, or even rejects our message. So what do we do? We must ask God for a burning inside of us so that “his burning will force us to speak to this culture.”

How? I am glad you asked. 

People often ask me, how do you talk to people about Jesus so easily? My response is, I just ask kind, loving, and direct questions. As I interact with people, I ask these kinds of questions:

—Are you a Christian? —Can I tell you the greatest thing that has ever happened to me? —Are you a believer? 

This cuts right to the heart of each heart. Are they a follower of Jesus, or some other religious leader? Their response will guide you which way to go from there in the conversation. This allows you to then share your story of salvation or even the Roman’s Road scriptures. It is so exciting where this takes the dialogue with others as the Holy Spirit steps in on the scene.

Let me challenge you to ask direct questions. Ask very loving questions, but also “very direct” heart questions. These questions prompt the heart so that you can speak about what burns in you, “from the inside.” This way, your heart is not burned because you could not get the conversation started. I dare you to try this. It is amazing where things go from there! Questions open the heart and the mind of the listener for open and passionate dialogue.

I dare you, ask someone a Jesus question, NOW! Then, hang on for the ride of your life!!!

Carpe Diem

Cue Sonny and Cher – It’s Groundhog Day

By Pastor Ben Pitman

Quarantined? Does it feel like the same day over and over and over again?

Cue Sonny and Cher’s “I’ve Got You Babe.” It’s 6:00am, call me Bill Murray, as I am roused to another day and it feels Groundhog Day. Are you telling me, “That is literally my life right now?”

Maybe you are not having a Groundhog Day experience right now where you feel like you are living the same day over and over again, but you have probably felt that way before; chances are, we will all feel it again at some point.

For those who are still catching up to the movie classics of the 90’s, the basic premise of Groundhog Day is that a guy who is a jerk is forced to continue to live the same day over and over until he figures out how to think about other people. Here is the question: who forced him to continue living the same day over again? On one hand, it is because he is mean and selfish, so he has to learn his lesson. When I am stuck in the same day over and over, who is to blame?

Though we are 100% to blame, God has made it his responsibility to work it all out for our good when we came into a relationship with him. Not a moment is wasted, no pain passes through his hand without built in purpose and power for today; in God’s economy no day (no matter how boring and repetitive) goes to waste. While it is true that all things just keep on repeating, and life continues in an endless circle (Ecclesiastes 1:9), it is only true until Christ.

Christ did more for us than set an example for us to follow; he changed the laws of nature. God opened up space and time and entered our world, as something new, the second Adam, Jesus came. In some way, we are all stuck in a rut, but God has offered hope. The late scientist, Stephen Hawking believed that we are entirely stuck, dancing to the tune of our DNA. If Jesus did not come, Hawking’s statement is true. While there appears to be an endless drift towards nothingness in this material world, God is Spirit, and he has offered us the only hope in Christ.

If you find yourself struggling with meaninglessness you may have bought the lie that our life is doomed to be the same thing over and again. Yet, Jeremiah introduces us to the God who makes all things new by his love and mercy. In the middle of the worst time for Israel, as they were deported to Babylon, the lament of Jeremiah rings truly, “Your mercies are new every morning, great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-24). Jeremiah declared, not in ecstasy or joy, rather from the pit of anguish and despair; almost as if it were blood squeezed from a stone.

God’s will for our lives is not that we would repeat the same days over and over again; rather, like a child wakes up to a new day excited to discover the world, we can awaken to brand new mercies and brand new days.

If it is pain and hurt holding you down, remember, Christ came to give us life, so strive to find mercy for today and stop living under the lies. In a world where there is nothing new under the sun, Christ is making all things new.

Today is not Groundhog Day, but another new day where Christ is alive.

Redeeming the Time

By Dr. Richard Cook

We are living in unprecedented times!   Personally, I have been involved in ministry for fifty years and have never witnessed what we are going through today as a nation, or in the world.  While we may not understand everything we are facing, we can take advantage of the time, rather than waste it.  The Apostle Paul shared valuable information with the church in his letter to the Ephesian church when he said, “So be careful how you live.  Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do” (Eph. 5:15-17 NLT).  The KJV translated v.16 as “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

We have been given time…time…time that we didn’t have before.  Time to spend in ways we never thought possible.  Time to invest.  Where?  Where have we invested our time during this lockdown?  Let’s make some determinations that we will not allow this valuable time to be stolen by social media, binge watching TV, or other self-centered interests.  What is the most valuable?  What is the most rewarding?  What is God saying to us at this time?  He has given us time and He is asking us to “redeem” that time, not for temporary gratification but for eternal purposes and the furtherance of His kingdom.  So, where are we now in all of this?  Let’s review.  Let’s take time to write in our journals what we are discovering about ourselves and the journey from here to the “new normal.”  Let’s ask ourselves:

1.  Are we ready for change?  Did this time of pause show us anything about the need for change?  Did we discover something about ourselves, our family, our ministry?  Our career?  Our spirituality?  What are those things?
2. Did we spend this time to invest, develop and strengthen family and ministry relationships?
3. Did we take time to pursue the God who pursues us?  Have we found Him to be more precious than anyone, anything, any achievement or identity?  Have we put Him in first place?
4. Have we taken time to refresh our physical bodies?  How long has it been since we honored the Sabbath Day by resting from all our work?
5. What about the projects that we’ve delayed?  Or the necessary chores that we had no time for?
6. Have we put an end to unhealthy habits and developed healthy ones with the Holy Spirit’s help?
7. Did we use this time to develop accountability systems for our lives?

As the book of Proverbs instructs, Wisdom is calling to us to put away things that drag us down, that weaken us spiritually, physically and emotionally; to embrace Wisdom and run from foolishness, foolish people, and foolish living.  Once again, the question before us is, “Are we ready for change?”  If not, we will not be ready for where Wisdom is leading us and what God has in store for us.  There is so much to gain and, yet, so much to lose.  Be a seeker of Wisdom and Understanding.  May we allow the reverent fear of God guide us into the future, resulting in a life well lived!

Get Up!

By Captain John Arroyo, Jr.

Are you waiting on a word from God?

Living in uncertain times can increase your faith because you really do not have the ability to take control of the situation, but can, Only Believe everything will get better.

My life in the military was so structured and planned out that I did not think much about my future because I believed nothing could happen to me. I was a career soldier and, at the time, had fifteen years under my belt, and was sprinting to the finish line of retirement.  However, in an instant, my life and family stability were shaken, and all certainty was lost.

My wife had just lost her little brother in a hunting accident, and both her parents passed away nine days apart. Approximately six months after losing her parents, I was shot in what is known as the second mass shooting on the Fort Hood military base in Texas.

At times, I am sure many of you have felt like I did then. Everything in your world is instantly shaken, and like the effects of an earthquake – everything appears to be out of order. Possibly, you have thought, “I am in Bible College, how can this happen to me?”  Perhaps you are a teacher or an administrator, and you’re trying to make sense out of a senseless world – but can’t. I understand what you are going through. Friends, the entire planet has been shaken to the core.  As I lay in the hospital, unsure whether I would live or die, not only was I fighting for my life, I was fighting to put it back together. My future was monumentally uncertain.

In Daniel 3:19, we read about the three men who were sentenced to death by being forced into a blazing furnace. However, God did not stop the men from being forced into the fire; He stepped into the inferno with them. God did not stop me from being shot, but He audibly spoke to me and stepped into my tragedy. If you study the scripture mentioned above, you will understand that other men had died in the fire. However, the three men condemned to a fiery death placed their trust in the Lord, and their outcome was vastly different than others who had preceded them.

After I was shot, I did not have a sudden increase or supernatural impartation in my faith. What I did have was a word from the Lord. When I was bleeding on the ground, Jesus audibly spoke to me and said, “Get Up.”

Friends, I have a word from the Lord for you, Get Up!  Shake off the after-effects of uncertainty and begin to live your life fully trusting in God.

Remember, Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Get Up!

To learn more about Captain John Arroyo, Jr. and his experiences, visit his website here: https://www.attackedathome.com/

DESTINY OVER DESERT

By Pastor John Francis

Numbers 14:24 English Standard Version (ESV)

24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

You are prepared for destiny and promise.

As we consider a new way of life during this time of uncertainty, let’s reflect upon Caleb.  There are many things that Caleb must have used to guard his heart.  He was able to have a different spirit after years of walking in the wilderness with those who walked in a negative way.  I am sure Caleb learned what not to do and how not to act by observing the unhealthy lifestyles of those journeying with him.

Yet, God stated that Caleb had fully followed Him.  God saw Caleb’s desire to walk interconnected with Him, and the virtues of God’s heart became the rhythm of his own heartbeat.  The results would be to lead Caleb into the land Promised Land.  The lifestyle that Caleb lived would be the pathway  to bring His descendants to their inheritance.

Let us all be reminded by Caleb of how to walk in difficult times, with difficult people, with uncertainty before us and maintain a focus on the destiny ahead.  Caleb wanted the promiseland.  His desire for the greater thing that was ahead of him, pulled him out of the desert he was in.  During a similar time of having to rethink about how to do life, we must allow God to make the necessary adjustments within our hearts.  Things have changed, and  we are unaware of what will remain and what will be a part of the way of life as it used to be.  We are unaware of what the new normal may look like.

However, we can remember the example we have in Caleb in this season of transition.  We can allow the Holy Spirit to drop creatively into our hearts the desires and concerns of the Father’s heart. There is nothing that God cannot lead us through as He showed through His relationship with Caleb.  We may discover new strengths that God is forming inside us, and we should look for something of His Divine nature that we can focus on that will stabilize us during transitional times.  He will be the source of our strength;  He will be the source of our joy.  He will be that brother that sticks closer than a friend.  He will be our rock, our healer, and our victory.  He will be our focus when things are out of focus.  He will be the calm in the storm. He will also be our comforter.  He has prepared each of us for this moment and He will prepare us for the next.  If we align ourselves with His Spirit, He will always lead us to Himself.  He will lead us to experience Him in ways we never have before.  He has empowered us!

POWER OF TESTIMONY

During a difficult season of ministry that I did not ask for in 2009, I experienced the life of Christ that I would not have chosen for myself.  This is the time when the economy crashed.  Melanie and I pastored a congregation that had just moved into a brand new multi-million dollar building.  Our previous lead pastor retired prior to the crash and we were asked to serve as    lead pastors. When this crisis hit everything and everyone was affected.  I had to pastor a church through a storm that I did not create nor did I ask for.  The pressures were extreme for us and our young family.  During that season of what seemed to be an unraveling in our lives, we later discovered the inner strength that God had forged in us.  He was building stronger foundations of His nature within us that would mark our lives.

He is the maker of our destiny. As we submit ourselves to Jesus, He lives boldly within us. As He was with Caleb and with Melanie and I, He will lead and carry you through!

Reflections of a Military Chaplain in COVID-19 Duties

By Dr. Page Brooks

I received a call that Mr. Norman had passed away. Mr. Norman was a Marine Corps veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and had fought on Iwo Jima during World War II.  He was 96 years old and passed away of COVID-19 complications in his nursing home. The problem was that because of COVID-19, no honor guard was going to be available to honor him at his funeral.

I have served for over 18 years as a chaplain in the Louisiana National Guard. I enjoy chaplaincy ministry because it is one of the ways I am able to get outside of the four walls of the church and do ministry in the community. Chaplaincy ministry is primarily based upon what is called “ministry of presence.” The phrase means that our ministry is primarily relational. We might go around and visit at a location or an institution where we serve as a chaplain and simply build relationships. In such a way, when something happens in their life, hopefully there is an open door for them to come to us for help.

As chaplains, we serve as a reminder of God’s love and presence to people during times of victory and trials. We are there to celebrate with them when things are going well, but also to be a presence when hard times come. Sometimes simply being present in a hospital room, saying nothing at all, but being a gentle reminder of God’s presence, can be just as powerful.

Chaplains are often able to go and do ministry where others are usually not. This is especially true in ministry contexts like the military. I have had wonderful adventures while serving in the Army National Guard but also walked through some very trying times with soldiers. I rode with “my guys” in convoy operations in Iraq. I have waded in water that was waste deep to pile sand bangs on levees during hurricanes in Louisiana. I sweated with them going through tactical operations in the woods. And I have provided comfort when we lost soldiers to suicide.

Most recently, during COVID-19, I have walked with my soldiers providing care to sick patients in the New Orleans Convention Center. My duties have involved making site visits to soldiers at the testing sites where members of the community may come to be tested. Some soldiers are packaging meals at area food banks to ensure individuals and families have food. I will usually provide a “word of the day” that I can share in about 45 seconds when soldiers gather around to be quickly encouraged. But I also conduct worship services on the weekend because soldiers, most of the time, are not able to go home. Sermons usually involve sharing a word of hope during long hours of duty, helping to provide a sense to them that in small ways they are making a difference in the community.

My chaplaincy ministry has taught me a great deal in the civilian pastorate as well. Chaplaincy has taught me to see my community as my “parish” just as I might see an institution as my “place of ministry” in chaplaincy. Chaplaincy has taught me to be quiet and listen when often, as a preacher, I just want to talk. I have learned that ministry by presence and action is just as important as ministry through words and preaching.

Serving at the funeral of Mr. Norman was an honor and privilege. I also play the bagpipes and have played Amazing Grace more times than I can remember. So, my way of honoring Mr. Norman was to show up in military uniform, play Amazing Grace on the bagpipes, and render the salute he was due when no one else was able to do it. But that action sums up what chaplaincy is all about. We are there to minister in the toughest of situations, providing a reminder of God’s love and comfort.

Mr. Norman, as a Purple Heart recipient and Iwo Jima veteran, deserved to be honored. But in this situation, the honor was all mine.