First and Foremost I Am A Preacher

I was drinking a cup of coffee alongside Cathy at a wedding reception where I had officiated the ceremony.

A man came up to me with his hand extended to tell me just how much he appreciated what I had said at the ceremony.

He had been one of so many who came up to me at the reception that night to talk to me and tell me their thoughts on what I had said. The Lord used him and many others to remind me of what I was called to do.

“Keep preaching” he said to me, “Don’t ever stop”.

I flashed back to when I first heard the call. The year was 1986; the place was St. Paul, Minnesota. I was getting ready to leave the Sunday morning church service and I heard it: THE CALL TO PREACH.

No, not audibly, but deep in my spirit.

That was over thirty three years ago. I hadn’t yet been ordained or attended Bible school or seminary. I had no idea how to get there or what to do.

But there it was; for me to respond to. And I said; “YES”

And the Lord was faithful to get me “there” and has continued, on my best and worst days, to keep me “there”…the calling to preach.

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

A friend of mine wrote the following. He continues to also be reminded what both of are called to do; PREACH!

No matter what else I do...I'm a preacher.

Preaching is my joy, my agony, my passion, and my pleasure.

To preach is to be a messenger of goodness especially in the angry face of evil.

To be an angelic voice of possibilities, even in the noise demonic cynicism.

The best preaching puts a warrant in the air of possibilities yet unrealized.

So, I'm a lifer; until no air is left in my lungs and no vocal chords to resonate, I will remain... a preacher.

Written by and used with permission from Pastor Randy Dean

https://www.randydeanministries.com/

Undignified

This past weekend I was at the wedding reception of some friends from church enjoying the bountiful foods of the Congo. The DJ used his microphone to call Cathy and I to join the wedding party and the other pastors to dance with the newly married couple. For the record I should state that although I may be swift on my feet when I wear hockey skates, I didn’t inherit my parents’ ability to dance!

I thought that Cathy would say “No” and that would be our ticket out. But she didn’t because she knew that we would do more “damage” by not dancing than to attempt to do so and look bad. Myself, I didn’t want to come across undignified.

I listened to my wife and joined the others; I ‘made a fool of myself’ and had a good time. It’s funny that I thought I would be undignified because joining us in the dance was a man from the Congo who was a politician and served his government in the capacity of the ‘Speaker of The House’   

I thought of 2 Samuel chapter 6 in which a man took another path when his wife DIDN’T want her husband to dance because culturally it was “wrong” to do so.

The Bible records; “David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet” (v.14-16 NKJV).

They had the Ark of God and were returning it as required by the Lord and to the place that it was supposed to be. And David danced with all of his might wearing only a linen ephod, a robe characteristically used by ordinary priests; not kings or dignitaries. The Hebrew words for denude imply that he was stripped of his other clothes; especially anything that made him look important or regal.

Verse 16 records; “Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart”.

His wife thought that he was appearing as foolish and unseemly; lacking in dignity like “one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself” (v. 20 NKJV).

Eugene Peterson translates verse 20 as; “David returned home to bless his family. Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to greet him: “How wonderfully the king has distinguished himself today—exposing himself to the eyes of the servants’ maids like some burlesque street dancer!” (v. 20 MSG)

I love David’s response to his wife Michal; “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight.” (v. 21-22)

How about you? Do you set limits on how much you go for it concerning showing your love for the Lord? Are you concerned about whether or not passionate worship will make you come across as undignified? I would suggest that you join the rest of us who are learning to let it all go and give Him all you got as you worship Him. He is worthy of all praise!

 

 

New King James Version (NKJV)  The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

It would help if it was plugged in…

One of the things that I love to do is mow the lawn, and one month ago grass cutting season was finally upon us here in Minnesota. My lawn mower was ready for a new season of use; all of its parts were cleaned and in top form including new oil, a sharpened new blade, and a new spark plug, and a fresh tank of gasoline. And so I proceeded to cut the lawn.  

I primed the engine and gave the cord a pull and IMMEDIATELY the engine fired up. This is the way that lawn cutting is supposed to be! I spent the next half-hour leisurely cutting my lawn, enjoying the moments to be alone with my thoughts; "interrupted" only by someone waving to me as they drove by my house. When I was finished, I stood back and enjoyed my accomplishments. 

I also noticed that my next door neighbor hadn’t gotten around to cutting her lawn yet. I used to occasionally cut the lawn when her father lived there so I offered to cut the lawn for her; and she promptly accepted my offer. I primed the engine and gave the cord a pull and IMMEDIATELY the engine fired up. This is the way that lawn cutting is supposed to be! I spent the next few moments cutting my neighbor’s lawn enjoying the moments to be alone with my thoughts; interrupted by the sudden silence of the lawn mower suddenly stopping.  

I assumed it was out of gasoline so I went to retrieve the gas can; only to find that there was still fuel from when I had filled it earlier in the day. I tried several more times to start the engine by priming the engine and pulling the cord; but with no success. Eventually I discovered what was wrong; the spark plug cord was not connected to the spark plug. Apparently, I had knocked it off when I was mowing under my neighbor’s swing set. I said to myself; “It would help if it was plugged in…”

Without the connection between the spark plug and the spark plug wire, ignition wasn’t going to take place. There had to be the correct connection in order for the power to flow. The engine needed to be connected to the power source in order for there to be ignition.

Have you ever read the Bible and wondered why it didn’t make sense? I don’t mean the pondering of questions like; “Did Adam have a navel?”; I mean that when you read it, there seemed to no real life or application and so the Bible becomes a boring book to take or leave. I say that it would help if you were plugged in; to the Author of the Bible. 

The Apostle Paul writing to a church in Corinth (Greece) wrote; “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)

It would help if it was plugged in… There has to be the correct connection between the Author of the Bible and us, the readers, in order for the power to flow. We need to be connected to the power source in order for there to be ignition. 

Simply put, we need the Holy Spirit to understand the things of God. It is the Holy Spirit that testifies to the truth of God's message and the response of a man's heart. It will be impossible for anyone one to understand and appreciate matters that relate to God without the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said; “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:4-6)

Over 2000 years ago, disciples of Jesus Christ were given the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 20:21-23 and Acts 2:1-4). As longs as they were connected to the source of power, real ministry took place. 

During this time of year when the Church celebrates Pentecost (The Christian festival celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after His Ascension, held on the seventh Sunday after Easter), it is a good time to ask yourself if you, too, have been “plugged in” to the source of power, or are you still “pulling the cord; but with no success”. 

Today, today you, too, can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit by simply asking.  Jesus said; “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Read Luke 11:10-13).

“And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” (John 16:8-11)

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."