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Our unrealistic expectations dictate that people and life should be fair and they rarely are.   People let you down. The sin nature shows and it can be puzzling that when “people-expectations” are hardly ever realized. We’ve got to rely on the One who is all-reliable. Setting your heart on Him will never leave us hopeless. It really is a conflict of perspective. The more we look to get our needs met the more frustrating life becomes. The more we strive to lead our heart to our spouse, the more fulfilling our relationships and marriage becomes. If we set our hearts on things above there is less chance it’ll get trampled.

It will not be contained

all-consuming

It consumes everything it touches

Bright light revealing the hidden things of God.

The power that fuels transformation

i must surrender to it because i will never out-burn it.

pouring worship on the altar of holy fire will cause a grand combustion of grace and love.

It is not discriminating- it burns through all things placed in its path.

The fire of God smolders waiting for prayer to rekindle the flames

it is inevitable

The fire of God will revolutionize, transform and sometimes redirect the mission.

As a pastor, I have an unusual perspective. I stand before my family, my church, my critics, and my dearly beloved. They see me but I also see them. I stand every Sunday overwhelmed by the task of shepherding people just like me. We sing together as a body. We sing words about brokenness, healing, joy, celebration and faith. And as I stand before them I am vulnerable because I have lost the ability to act adjusted, healed and together. 

I scan the audience and I see a couple that is on the verge of collapse. I see a man of great faith, equipped with an oxygen tank struggling for breath in the battle of inoperable cancer. I see a teenager that is barely hanging on. I see an 87 year old widow who every day battles on my behalf in prayer. I see a couple that is praying for God to send them a child and another that went through a miscarriage. I see a cynical man, a recovering alcoholic, a wounded son, a daughter seeking a vision of a loving father, a handsome young man whose life has been placed on hold because of a mysterious siezure disorder. I see a couple whose son is off to serve as an aviator missionary in Afganistan, concerned but full of peace that I can't explain.

I

am 

overwhelmed.

All I can pray is "Lord Jesus, Son of God have mercy on me a servant that so often is blind to Your ways."

The music begins.

The Spirit sweeps across the church.

The wanderlust for holy ground begins.

We are connected.

We are reminded.

We are arrested by His grace.

And I remember the source of healing and truth and freedom and hope and glory is  sealed in the cross that unites us. 

Spirit dances with truth and anything is possible.

1. Thou shalt know thy culture.

2. Thou shalt avoid languorous, ludicrous, lavish alliteration.

3. Thou shalt not lie. If a personal illustration is not yours then don’t try to make it personal. One pastor began his sermon with the statement, “Kay and I bought a car yesterday and….” This was an obvious mistake since his wife’s name was Lori.

4. Thou shalt not boast of thy intellect. If you are simply popping theological wheelies to impress your flock you are not transforming anyone.

5. Thou shalt avoid wandering for no reason. Movement on stage is useful if it’s purposeful. Avoid pacing, rocking, toe lifting, and repetitive hand motions. Underscore important things with movement. Keep in mind that if you underscore everything with movement, nothing seems important.

6. Thou shalt preach for transformation. If you don’t expect people to change, let the youth minister preach this Sunday.

7. Thou shalt read thy Bible. This is your job: to feed the flock. But you must feed yourself first. Remember the words of the flight attendant: When the oxygen masks come down, put your own mask on before attempting to help those around you."

8. Thou shalt not pray announcements to the congregation. “Lord, empower us as we go to the nursing home at 5:30 Monday evening after a light supper that is absolutely free to all participants with childcare provided for all those who make reservations 24 hours in advance.” Remember you are talking to God.

9. Though shalt not seek the approval of men by speaking only the comfortable words of scripture. If your congregation all thinks you are wonderful, you might want to reevaluate your message.

10. Thou shalt use multisensory techniques. Your message is always more memorable with music, props, stories, interaction, and art.

Lord, Jesus Christ son of God… We admit it. We are living in a culture that’s dying. We are astounded by the lost-ness and heartbreak of a society on the brink of disaster. The wreckage is all around us. The pain, anguish, blindness and fear of a nation whose spiritual light has been snuffed out.

We repent of our worship which is dry, cold, passionless and dead.

We repent of our prayerlessness

We repent of our judgmentalism that grew from the roots of religion

We repent of our unwillingness to risk… our enthusiasm of the past when the present dying are all around us.

We repent of our perpetual motion that muffles your voice.

We repent of our independence from You.

We repent of our bent to division and resentment.

We repent…

We ask you this morning to begin a new awakening in our church.

Teach us how to go to the places we’ve been afraid to enter.

Teach us to meet people where they are.

We pray that you will ignite us and call us to holy adventure.

Baptize us in your love

Consume the apathy with the courage that led you to the cross.

Let us, therefore, not be dismayed, or cast into despair, by delays in answer to our prayers, but let us maintain the firm persuasion that " true prayers never come weeping home," and that we shall always have either that which we have asked, or that which we would have asked, could we have seen, as God saw, what was best for us.

William Taylor Miracles of our Savior