His Ways!

His Ways!

In Isaiah 55:8-9 the Lord declares:  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  That passage of Scripture became so real to my wife and I in the early 1990’s.  We were sitting in the Doctor’s office when we received the news every couple dreads to here.  “You will never be able to have your own children” the Doctor informed us!  For two people who absolutely love children, that news was devastating!  I remember the empty hollow surreal feeling that filled our souls, as we contemplated life without children, life without a “legacy!”  We were heartbroken, and shared the dreadful news with our family and closest friends only.

 

Shortly thereafter, a Pastor Friend of ours called us to inform us that there was a Young Lady in his church who was pregnant and wanted to give up her baby to a good Christian couple.  He told her about us, and soon we were on our way to meet her!  Our sadness was turning a corner, or so we thought!  We met her, and she proceeded to “choose” us as her babies Adoptive Parents!  We were thrilled!  We soon found out that she was carrying a little boy, and we began making arrangements to receive our son into our lives!  I remember sitting in a restaurant and giddily talking with my wife about all we needed to get “our son!”  My contribution to this discussion included a Baseball Glove and a Thompson Chain Reference Bible! 

The day of his delivery came, and we were there at the hospital to pray with the Birth Mother.  He was born, and the hospital hosted for us a “Parents Dinner!”  The very next day, his Birth Mother changed her mind!  Again, devastation and heartache flooded our souls like polluted water!  Was this some kind of cruel joke?  Were we destined to be childless?  Were we suffering for some past sin?  So many questions crowded our mind, and honestly, it was difficult to even “hear” the voice of the Lord.  The weeks that followed that devastating news were filled with a bevy of emotions!  We went through our daily routines mindlessly, kind of on “auto pilot.”  You see, we are Pastors, and we had a church that still needed its Pastors!  But how could we talk about faith and meaning when our own faith was riddled with hurts that only parents who have lost children can understand? 

God was gracious during this time, and the reality of Isaiah 55:8-9, in time, became very real for us.  Actually, it wasn’t until eight years later that we understood just how much “higher” God’s ways were above ours.  One day my wife got a call from a woman she had not heard from in eight years, it was the Birth Mother of the baby boy we were going to adopt!  She was crying, and explained to us that her son, the one we were going to adopt, had been in a horrible bicycle accident.  He was riding down a hill, and flipped his bike.  The kick-stand penetrated his eye and lodged in his brain!  He was in the ICU in a coma and his head was 4-times the normal size!  She told us that the doctors had said that if he lives, he will have severe brain damage!  Then she asked us the incredible!  “Would we please drive the 3 hours to the hospital and pray for the boy!  Our response was…..ABSOLUTELY! 

Upon arrival at his hospital room, we were greeted and thanked by his Mother.  We were instructed by the nurse, that we could go in and pray for him, but that we had to whisper and could only anoint him on his foot, so as not to arouse him, causing his brain to have to work!  Emotions, of so many varieties, flooded our souls as we entered his room!  We gently laid hands on his toe, and began to pray.  As we did, we both felt what seemed like electricity running through our bodies and into his!  The power of God was so real, and in that room!  When we finished, we took his family out for dinner, prayed for them and went home.  We smiled and said:  “This must have been God’s purpose for what we went through in the failed adoption!”  However, the real reason came a few days later, when we received a call from the Mother informing us that the very next day after we anointed him and prayed for him, his brain swelling was gone, his eye was completely restored, and there was absolutely no brain damage!  We shouted!  No, really, we shouted at the miracle of God!  A few weeks later, she drove to our house and let us meet this miracle child, who was at one time, our son!  We truly learned that day that “His ways are not our ways!” 

I do not know what you are personally going through as you read this article, but I assure you that God has everything in His control!  You may not understand the “WHY’S” of what you are enduring, but you must understand the “WHO!”  There are things that you have gone through that you may never know why you went through them, but rest assured, within the perfect will and plan of God, there is a reason!  Your life matters, and the things you have endured in the Kingdom of God, have eternal purposes!  Trust Him and know that “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than your ways!”

Pastor Steve Gardner is the Lead Pastor of Christ the Rock Church of God in Knoxville Tennessee.  You can visit the Church website at:  CtrCog.com

Pastor Steve is also the Author of a blog where he writes on relevant Biblical issues at:  ReclamationMinistries.com

The Power of I.S.E.

Recently my wife Kelley and I were sitting in the Living room and having a very deep spiritual
discussion.  In the course of that conversation, she shared something with me that made me know that she was hearing from God.  Monday's are my usual day off, and Kelley said to me:  "Hey, why don't you take Saturdays off, since we are usually all together either at the Ball park for our Daughter, or doing something together.  Then you can make Monday's a day when you go out into the community and randomly minister to people?"  The idea resonated with my heart, and we made plans that the coming Monday I would do just that!

When Monday came around, I dropped my Daughter off at school and headed for Panera Restaurant for a bagel, cup of coffee, and whatever the Lord had in store for me!  My wife joined me until she had to go to work, and shortly after she left, a young couple came in and sat at the table next to me.  Now, what is so interesting is the fact that I was sitting at THAT table!  Because normally I set in the back of the restaurant, but someone had "MY" table, so I sat in a different one.  Little did I know at that time that God had heard our plans to minister in His Name and for His glory, and had "ASSIGNED" that table for me!  The couple next to me was talking to an older woman who obviously worked in ministry.  Their discussion peaked my interest, and so............I LISTENED IN!  After about 30 minutes, I knew this was my "ASSIGNMENT!"  I shared with them who I was and the ministries we were involved in.  It was so ironic to here them say that they had the same interest in ministry that we had, and were actually in the beginning stages!  Much discussion followed and we knew that God had orchestrated this meeting!  We have met a few more times, and have gotten to talk about what God was up to, and about mentoring this young ministerial couple.  God, in a completely spontaneous way, had brought a "seasoned" Pastor and a younger ministerial couple together in His time!

We began referring to this spontaneous ministry as I.S.E.  Which is an acronym for Intentional Spontaneous Evangelism!  How it works is this:  You pick time(s) to just randomly go to a restaurant, store, park, or even business.  You begin by praying and making yourself available to the Lord to "USE" you in ministry.  Being completely yielded to the Holy Spirit, you keep yourself "SENSITIVE" to His leading, and listening for His voice to speak to you about a person or people.  Then you pray for His words and go introduce yourself to that person or people!  You can begin by saying:  "Excuse me, but I am a Follower of Jesus, and I believe He has laid you on my heart to pray!  Then if you sense a particular need, you find out if that is INDEED a need, and offer to pray for them; speak into their life; or share Christ with them!"  You can ask probing questions that help you identify their full needs.  Allow me to illustrate with another example.  My wife and I were involved in a Conference in Gatlinburg in the Mountains of East Tennessee.  While having dinner one day, I noticed an older couple come in and the man pulled out the chair for his wife.  My first thought was..........."How neat it is to see a man acting like a Gentleman!" then I sensed the Lord say to me that they were hurting and grieving over their son."  so as we left, I walked up to their table and said:  "It's really good to see a man act like a Gentleman and hold the chair for his wife!"  They thanked me, and than I said, "Do you have any Children?"  They said they had three.  Two Daughters and a Son, their Son had just recently died!"  I told them that I was a minister of God, and that the Lord had impressed upon me that they were hurting over their son, and that I was to pray for them, because God was going to touch them and help them!  They were very thankful and appreciative!  My wife and I went to the car and joined hands and prayed for God to heal their broken hearts!...........THAT'S I.S.E.

I challenge you to accept the commission to do I.S.E.  Make yourself available to the Lord, ask Him to lead you to people, and then be sensitive to His leading!  It may be at the grocery store, department store, work, restaurants, or a park.  Wherever He leads you, simply be AVAILABLE and allow the Lord to minister through........YOU!  And THAT my Brothers and Sisters is.........I.S.E.

The Pursuit---Part 3!

A Short Story by Pastor Steve Gardner

 The demonic horde that gathered on the hillside just out of town was unusual today. Normally, on any given day, they are right in the midst of things. Manipulating people to believe lies spawned by the evil within their hearts, and perpetuated among anyone who was willing to believe their lies. They roam about among the schools, the city government, the business people, and even the churches! Oh how they love to go to church! Of course not to worship the Lord, but to agitate and upset the lives of those who would dare try to change their lives through Jesus Christ! Preachers and long-time members were their favorite targets! Preachers feared getting too “wild” so as not to scare off any visitors that might happen along their way. Nor did they want to appear that they were purely driven by emotions, so as not to offend the members who pay their salaries. After all, as long as the Word gets out there, even in a diluted weakened form, well they would trust God to accomplish what needed to be accomplished. Many of these preachers thought if God’s Word got “put-out-there,” the people weren't offended, and they got paid; then God would take care of the rest! It has worked like this for years, and as long as some “good-work” got done, the good church people were just fine! “Contain the fire!”................That was the demon’s motto!

On this particular day, a “confab” was ordered by the demon Delirious. He had ordered that all territorial demons be present or suffer the consequences of his wrath! Delirious was a “Principality,” a high-ranking demon who oversaw much of the activity of the area, or as he liked to mockingly put it……….”ministering the upheaval” to those lousy Jesus Followers! He would laugh whenever he would use terms that the enemy used, like…….”MINISTERING!” He used to minister, he ministered before the very Throne of God, but now, out of pure unadulterated hate for everything the enemy stood for, he mockingly used the old terms that used to apply to himself, as a slap in the face of the God. The other demons hated Delirious and often plotted his over-throw, but none dare try! So, begrudgingly, here they met on the side of a hill outside of town! The demon Anxiety growled,……”C’mon, let’s get this thing started, I have fear to inflict, and I have no intention of falling short of my quota!” One of the lesser demons hissed, “Nobody cares about your stupid quota,” which got him a slap from Anxiety! Shut up and mind your place, or I will inflict SO much pain on you, you won’t be able to speak!” About that time, Delirious arrived and stood upon the top of the hill. It did not matter where the other demons were, Delirious always placed himself in a position higher than the other demons under his direction. He did this as a constant reminder that HE was superior to them, and had been congratulated by Satan himself! At his arrival, some of the demons cheered; some hissed; and some cursed, under the breath of course! Delirious, never being one to mince words began immediately with the reason for the meeting. “I summoned you all here today to advise you that YOU have a directive coming from our lord himself! You are to make certain that you are ever diligent in your assigned duties to avert the awakening and advancement of the enemy!” With that he hatefully looked at one of his underlings, Confusion. “I don’t think I need to remind any of us the damage that can be caused when we “slack-up” and take our enemy for granted!” He continued: “We ALL remember the disaster that was narrowly diverted when Confusion here decided to take it easy in his assignment! A well known church in this very town, that has taught for years the false doctrine that the power and gifting of the enemy had ceased, was almost lost when a Missionary visited and shared about their experience of speaking in Tongues and healing!” When he said those two things, the demons shook and hissed at the utter fear they felt from remembering this.

Delirious continued, “It took us months to put out that “fire” and restore things to normal!” Confusion cursed under his breath and swore some day he would make him eat those words! Delirious moved on to the topic at hand. Our lord has issued a warning that ANY demon caught taking it easy on the enemy, would deal DIRECTLY with him! And “trust me, you DON’T want that” Delirious said! Let me give you the detailed instructions! I will spell them out plainly, so that even those of you who are stupid, will get it! With that, Delirious pulled a black scroll from his sash and read the directive from Satan himself! It read: “Demons arise! The time is getting crucial, because I can see that things are begging to happen in the undercurrent of movement among the enemy’s forces! You must remain diligent and committed to our task at hand! Our kingdom MUST NOT suffer loss! Nor are we to willingly surrender ANY ground we have stolen from the enemy! Under NO circumstance must you allow those you influence to gain ANY knowledge that they have been deceived! Over 1500 years ago, I fashioned a “counterfeit-church” that looked a lot like the enemies true church, however minus the power He promised them! I gave them their good-moral homilies; I gave them their songs they endlessly and mindlessly sing; and I gave them programs, to blind them to the loss of power! My church looked like the original in form, but it denied the power! I even gave to them leaders; and teachers; and instructors that told them that the days of power were no more, and ended with those irritating original Apostles! And the beauty and majesty of my plan was this………………….THEY BOUGHT INTO IT! Now while it is true, that we lost some to the irritable salvation the Son gave them, we have hindered, and in most cases, event STOPPED the onslaught of what this church could do if they ever wised-up and realized how much authority and power they really had! They have the “KEYS” but never use them! Instead, they are content with the programs, the single person super stars we give them, the limited civic endeavors, the churchy music, the rah rah sessions they call revivals, and the really good feeling they have, that they had done their “DUTY” by simply going to church! Their ignorance to true spiritual warfare has definitely worked in our benefit! NO,……..NO,…….I will NOT let ANY of these foolish “dirt-people” fashioned out of the dust of the earth, to UPSET my plan or my kingdom! You MUST,……..No, you WILL be diligent and STOP any potential threat to our kingdom! I re-commission you today, my children, to our first intent! That intent is to keep the true church; the true Bride of the Son, from awakening and walking in the authority and power that our enemy meant for them to walk in! Do whatever it is you need to do, but under NO circumstances are you to allow,……………….AWAKENING AND TRUE REVIVAL!”

With that Delirious folded up the scroll and put it back in his sash. “Did you get it? Our master is too easy on you slackers! I am telling you that if you slack up and make me look bad, I will deal with you in such a manner, that you will beg for the coming judgment that awaits you!” With that he paused, made a conscience point of making eye contact with every demon, and growled: “Now get to work, you slime!”

~~~TO BE CONTINUED!~~~

The Pursuit---Part 2!

A Short Story by Pastor Steve Gardner

The angel’s name was Jonathan. Many warring angels had what might seem to some humans as more exotic names, but he was glad that his name reminded so many people of the Forerunner of the Messiah, Jesus. John the Baptist prepared people’s hearts with repentance, to receive the prophesied Savior. He remembered so long ago, actually standing in the Jordan River with John the Baptist, as he baptized Jesus! In fact, the hill side was full of angels witnessing this long ago prophesied event! Jonathan remembered the majestic worship that arose as His God and King was plunged beneath the water! And he remembered the fire that surrounded Jesus when the heaven’s opened, God the Father Spoke, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, filling Him with His power and anointing! The angels bowed their heads as the full manifestation of the Trinity was manifested here at Jesus’ baptism. And then, almost the entire angelic contingent followed Jesus as He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to do battle with the devil. Jonathan recalled this event as if it was present before him right now, in this little kitchen, with this humble Follower of Jesus. Every angel had their swords drawn! Every angel was ready to pounce as the leader of the fallen angels appeared upon the scene like a venomous snake appears out from under a pile of wood. Jonathan’ fallen former friends hissed and taunted Jesus as he fasted and sought the presence of His Father! Lips that once spoke majestic praise, now spoke curses upon the Son of God. He felt the anger well up within him, and without even thinking, had pulled his sword, ready to strike down the blasphemous horde that strode before their Lord with such arrogance! Jonathan came to himself and realized that he was not at that scene, but in the kitchen with this Daughter of the Lord. He also noticed that on instinct, he had drawn his sword!

As he placed the sword back in its sheath, two other angelic warriors appeared next to him, greeting him in the name of their Lord. We have been sent to inform you to be on guard! The prayers of several Saints of God in this area, including this Daughter of the Lord and her Pastor, have been heard by the Lord, and are creating quite a stir in the Spiritual realm! The King has told me to rally the troops and the word is given! The word?............The word that he and his Brothers who serve the Lord had been waiting for; for SO MANY years, had finally been given! This was a word that the angels NEVER spoke, for fear that if it was spoken before the command was given, might result in false teachings and actually be used by the enemy to lead people AWAY from Christ, instead of TO the Lord! It was a word thought of with such deep reverence, that it was only rivaled by the Names of the Holy Trinity themselves! BUT NOW,……..The word had been given! That word that inspired such awe, respect, and reverence; was…………………….REVIVAL!

This word revival was not held with quite the same level of majesty and honor among many of the Human Followers of the Lord that was held among the angels of the Lord. Humans used this term many times and for many reasons, sometimes almost in a flippant type manner! What the angels knew as the true meaning of revival was NOT what so many within the Church had come to mean when the term revival was mentioned. When most said REVIVAL, what was in their minds was: A series of meetings in which a well known Evangelist was brought in to preach for a few nights within a local Church body. Sometimes special singers would be included within the mix and some, but not all, of the members of the church or the regular attendees would come. The Evangelist would preach, and “fire-up” those who were already Followers of Jesus, and then pray for a few people. The revivals, while pleasant to Jonathan and his fellow angels, fell SO FAR short of what genuine revival actually looked like! Jonathan was always amazed that so many Followers of Jesus could be so “dooped” into believing that THIS series of meetings could ACTUALLY be confused with the genuine revival that the Saints in the Bible wrote about!

It bothered him that the Followers of Jesus would come to a series of meetings called “REVIVAL,” gorge themselves on the “Good-Things” of the Lord, and then………….GO HOME……..as if NOTHING had happened at all to actually change their life! No Follower of Jesus left the building with such conviction and heaviness of heart for those who were without Christ, that they just HAD to go and minister to someone! And rarely, if ever, were these same Followers of Jesus so hungry for the power of the Holy Spirit and His Giftings to fulfill the Great Commission, that they would “TARY” at the altar until they were “overflowing” with the presence and power of the Third Person of the Trinity! Why were so many concerned more with going out to eat and fellowship then staying in the presence of God seeking and crying out for more of the Glory of Jesus to manifest within their lives; their churches; and their communities? Jonathan often wondered: “How could they read the stories of old; the statement of the Lord that they would do what HE DID and even GREATER; and the promise from the Father to send the Holy Spirit, and then be SATISFIED with a mere series of…………………..MEETINGS! Meetings that in his mind, seemed like only “PEP-RALLY’S” for the ALREADY SAVED to feel good about themselves and life once again! Where were the son’s of Paul?........Where were the son’s of Peter?.............Where were the daughter’s Junias? He didn’t mean disrespect, but there was SO much more that his Human Brothers and Sisters had NEVER experienced yet, and it made him SAD to think that so many Followers of Jesus settled for meetings; and Fellowship Dinners; and mere programs! Sad,………SO SAD! But NOW,………..the WORD has been given!..............THE WORD HAS BEEN GIVEN!!!.........The Lord had begun His Final offensive before His much anticipated return,……………………And that offensive was called………………….REVIVAL!

~~~TO BE CONTINUED!~~~

The Pursuit---Part 1.

A Short Story by Pastor Steve Gardner

Julie sat quietly at her kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee. She was lost in thought and contemplation concerning her faith. Not that she was questioning her faith; because she had lived for Jesus since that year at Youth Camp when she surrendered her life to His Lordship. Since that time, she has lived as a genuine Follower of Christ, seeking more of Him through reading His Word, prayer, and fellowship. She even attended a Christian college to be in an environment conducive to her faith as she pursued her degree in Early Childhood Education. She graduated, got her teaching certificate, and began teaching at a little Country school not too far from where she rented a small house. She had always been a “Country-Girl” at heart, even though she was born and raised in the city. There was something that beckoned to her whenever she was out in the country, and she always felt at peace there. So, with her graduation and certificate in hand, and her dog “Beaker” by her side, she packed up and moved to the country! Now, she felt at home, and with her career fully before her and her faith to guide her, she was as ready as she could be for her future.

Julie began looking for a church to attend that matched her passion for Christ. She tried several within about a 25 mile radius from her home, but it was through a colleague at work that told her about her church, and when invited, Julie went. She was warmly greeted and the worship was very anointed and inspired. The Pastor preached a powerful Word that seemed to “burn” into her heart! The message that very first day was entitled: “The God Who Has Your Future!” With Julie newly engaged in her future, this message added a strength and comfort that Julie felt reassuring. She was HOME! Within a matter of a few weeks, Julie went forward and officially joined the church! That was two years ago, and now today, Julie sits at her kitchen table sipping coffee, lost in thought and contemplation concerning her faith.

Again, her contemplation was not about “leaving” her faith, or anything like that, her contemplation was that of a huge “ACHE” that began within her heart as she was doing an in depth study of the Gospels and Acts. She read about powerful moves of the Holy Spirit and incredible demonstrations of His power that always validated the proclaiming of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! People who were idol worshipers were so deeply impacted when the Early Followers of Jesus were used by the Holy Spirit through signs, wonders, miracles, healings, and other powerful validations of the Person and ministry of Jesus Christ, and His Kingdom message! To her, it went something like this: The Followers of Jesus would go to areas where non-Jesus Followers were living and conducting business. The Holy Spirit would lead them to a person or group of people who needed a powerful encounter from God, and then the Holy Spirit would “USE” them in one form or another of the miraculous! Then they would proceed to tell them that they had been healed; or delivered; or even brought back to life, by the Lord Jesus Christ! They would then share the Good News of salvation and about having a right Relationship with the One and Only God, through His Son, Jesus Christ! Julie’s heart ACHED for that kind of, what she referred to as……..”JESUS POWER!” She wasn't interested in gaining a reputation as a “HEALER” nor was she looking for anything that even remotely elevated her name or persona! She was ……….HUNGRY! Hungry for more of the Glory of Jesus Christ; hungry for more of what she read in the New Testament and what those early Followers of Jesus considered the “NORM!” She was hungry for……………………THAT! She loved Jesus, but when she looked at what she, and all of her friends who followed Jesus, were describing and living, as what it meant to be a “CHRISTIAN,” she felt a great “disconnect” from what she read as everyday life for Early Followers of Jesus. She loved her Pastor; she love her church; she loved her Brothers and Sisters in the Faith; but she loved Jesus even more, and so for the past two months, she had been praying for…………………MORE!

Unknown to Julie, at that exact same time in a quiet bedroom in a little house across town, Julie’s Pastor was praying! He was weeping and praying for MORE of the Glory of the Lord, and MORE of the Power of the Holy Spirit to be manifested within his ministry; his family; and his Church! Through powerful and really good worship, and incredible moves of the Holy Spirit, a “FIRE” had been ignited within his soul! So, this pastor humbled himself and prayed to his Lord……………..”Please, Lord, ……..more of YOU!” Words spilled from his mouth, …..no, from his soul that seemed to emanate from the very ache he felt within his heart! He genuinely loved God, and loved being one of his True Shepherds, but what the Church in America, the very “BODY” of Christ, had been reduced to, had created a weight and burden that could not be satisfied any longer with “Good Moral Lessons” of Jesus Christ! He asked himself, his wife, his peers, and now even His Lord;…….”Where is the POWER?” The power he had preached about SO many times from the New Testament, but was almost completely “absent” from most of the Church services he had been involved in. And now that he began this reflective prayerful seeking of the Lord, his heart cried out for………..MORE! The “Great-Disconnect” between Christian life and faith today, and what he had studied and preached for 21 years now, had become so glaringly blatant, that to ignore it and give a good Christian homily, would no longer satisfy!

What Julie did not know as she sipped her coffee and contemplated what God was doing within her heart, was the man standing in the corner of her kitchen! If fact, she COULDN'T see him! This man was quite astute at remaining “UNSEEN” until the command was given to make himself known! He was on assignment! Assignment from His Lord and Master, Jesus Christ! He was one of His Ministering Angels that was often dispatched to one of His Lord’s Human Followers. And even if she could see him, she wouldn’t recognize his attire. It was not a “modern” outfit, nor was it what most humans would consider as, well,……….normal! He wore a type of robe that glimmered with an appearance of white refined gold! He was about 8-feet tall, had arms and legs like humans, but had two wings that when outstretched, had a wing-span of approximately 9-feet! Strapped to his side was a double-edged sword that, because of its weight, could not even be held by most humans! That sword had helped him in many battles against his former brothers, who were now darkened fallen angels that rebelled with Lucifer. He wielded that sword with Ninja like skill that any Martial artist would envy! That sword, whenever he drew it, would glow like translucent gold! Actually, that sword glowed because it was empowered by the very Words of God! The Lords Words, well they’re sharp and they,………….CUT! And that sword, sharpened and empowered by the very Words of God, had served this warrior of the Lord very well!

…….TO BE CONTINUED!