OUT OF THE BOX

DID I “MISS IT?” In our darkest moments we often think we have failed or that we have not lived up to our potential. To some degree this may be true for most of us. But ultimately we must do our best... and leave the judgment to God. In a dark dungeon and about to be beheaded, John the Baptist sent word to Jesus saying, “Are you the ONE or do we look for another?” These sad words express the despair of one who, for a moment, thought he had failed. Jesus responded with words of reassurance letting John know that the work he started was going forth gloriously with signs and wonders, and that John had correctly pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God sent to take away the sins of the world. A FRIEND'S QUESTION: A friend who was struggling with a sense of failure recently sent me the following message: "Here is my question, Billy Long: If I can’t see that I have accomplished much with my life thus far for the Kingdom, and certainly not what I may have expected to back in our salad d...

SUFFERING...OR INCONVENIENCE? NO SWIMMING POOL Throughout history Christians have suffered persecution and faced fiery trials for the word of God, for the testimony of Jesus, and for righteousness sake. There are many today who are imprisioned, tortured, persecuted, and put to death for their faith. However, there are also many of us who have no concept of real suffering for Jesus’ sake. We complain at small inconveniences as if we have paid such a great price. One pastor’s wife said she was suffering for the Lord when she and her husband left their nice home in California and moved back east into a house without a swimming pool. NO TOILET PAPER My friend Adam Kuczma was the head of the Methodist Church in Poland when it was still under communist control back in the days before the Berlin Wall was taken down. He was talking to a lady in America when she told him, “I want to go to Poland and suffer for Jesus.” “We don’t have toilet paper,” he responded. “I don’t feel led to go...

I remember many years ago looking at what we had built, and thinking, “This is solid. God has given us really good people. This will stand firm.” Then something happened that caused me to realize that whatever we have, no matter how great it seems to be, is like a dandelion in the wind apart from the grace of God. We are always on the verge of keeping it all and losing it all. There is something spiritual that holds things together. It is the favor of God that establishes (Ps 44:2-4). What we build must be born of the Spirit and perfected by the Spirit. It must arise out of our intimacy with the Lord, for it is He who establishes and gives us a “sure house.” While many pastors are trying to bring their churches to the next level, there are many who simply struggle to get things off the ground. They live in that insecurity zone wondering if they will ever “get this thing to fly.” The church seems to speed down the runway a hundred miles, never leaving the pavement, while many “passen...