Life of a Pastor Blog

Sonya, Hannah and I took off a little early today to take in the Tanyard Creek Trail in Bella Vista.  After all the rain we have had, the waterfall and creeks  were flowing.

Is there a cause that we are fighting for?
All we say is there’s not an open door

There has got to be something more
Something worth dying for

What about us, what about me
What is it that we really see?

Hanging in the balance is their destiny
A soul destined for hell, for all eternity

Something to die for was what Jesus saw
With His blood He bought us all

He spread His arms on the Cross of Calvary
Pierced through to purchase you and me

To die for was His thought towards mankind
Why is it that the world stays so blind

Cannot see, Cannot hear,
That Jesus loves them dear

Where is God’s own
That to them the way is shown

The path to eternal bliss
If we keep silent the world will miss

This is the cause that we were born for
A cause for us that is to die for

To give up my life it might be
But I will share to set man free

I will give everything for my Lord
Surely He is worth dying for

Danny Cheney

Are you possessed?

Since it is not possible for a Christian to be demon-possessed, I am not speaking of that kind of possession. What possesses your life? What is it that consumes you?

As I was reading in Genesis, I discovered for the hundredth time that God gave us dominion over this earth and all that is therein. He said that we shall rule and reign and have possession of creation and we would have dominion over it. But do we have dominion over this world? Or does this world have dominion over us?

As I pondered this thought, I concluded that God’s intention was different than what we have made it. We have become possessed by the possession. Our lives are meant to live in pursuit of God and to be inhabited by Him and His presence. He created this world that we might oversee it’s creation but I think somewhere we have mistaken what our role is. It is as if now we are worshippers of God’s creation not the Creator, God.

Maybe you have no problem with being content in such things that you have but, are we pursuing God or are we pursuing what we can gain in this life? In this life are we seeking to advance the Kingdom of God or to advance our own kingdoms?

I remember many years ago, living in a one bedroom one bath apartment. Then we moved to a two bedroom one bath duplex. I was content with what I had. I then had the opportunity to “move up” into a three bedroom, one bath house. Booya! I was living in a mansion. From there I was able to live in a three bedroom, two bath with a formal living room. Man, God is good! Now I am living in a house that is the largest I have ever lived in. I have arrived!

Now, what if God asked me to live in a one bedroom again? Could I do it? What about all the stuff that fills this bigger house? He has blessed me with all of this STUFF certainly He wouldn’t ask me to downsize, right? I won’t do it…I am not downsizing because I have all of these things that I MUST keep.

This seems to be the attitude of many American Christians. We are possessed with our possessions. Many of us do not know what sacrifice is. We are bound by our desire for more and we are determined not to go “backwards”. How do you think credit card companies stay in business?

The Ten Commandments remind us, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve (worship) them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.”

God wants all of us! He is jealous for our attention. The willingness to have dominion over our hearts. He created us to fellowship with Him, but we keep putting more things in between us and Him. Our relentless pursuit of more is not because we are blessed but because we are not content. Only God can fill our hearts and give us true happiness. God cars more about us than He does about our things. It is about us finding contentment in Him and quit putting everything before Him.

God gave us dominion over this earth but He requires dominion of our hearts. Who has possessed your soul? The things of this world or the Savior of the World? We are to be possessed by Him alone!

Last night, Sonya was meeting with someone so I decided it was the perfect time for a Daddy/Daughter date at Chick-fil-a.  After our dinner, we had to run to Lowes to get some things to get ready for Saturday’s workday.  As I pushed the cart down the back aisle, Hannah leans over and gives me a big hug and kiss. She then, threw in a hearty I love you!

A couple minutes later, we were making our way down another aisle and Hannah asks, “Dad, am I a princess?”

“Of course you are honey!”

Hannah replies quite frankly, “That means every one should bow down before me!”

I first wonder, “where on earth does she get his stuff?” Then I quickly reply, “NO honey, we should only bow down before God.”

Hannah finished the conversation, “Well, if I’m a princess, I think they should bow before me too.”

Conclusion: I need to find a book on how to instill healthy self-esteem while mixing it with a teaching on humility into my daughter’s life.  Friends, I believe I have met my match

“Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?”

This article was written by Pastor Andy Harris, Central Assembly of God, Springfield, MO.

A Day We Will Never Forget!

• Total number killed in attacks (official
  figure as of 9/5/02): 2,996
  
• Total number of victims killed 2,977 Total
  number of hijackers 19
  
• Total number who died on the four planes
  246
• Total number who died in the World Trade
  Center Towers 2,606
  
• Total number who died at the Pentagon 125
  
• Total number who died in Shanksville, PA 44
  
• Number of firefighters and paramedics
  killed: 343
• Number of NYPD officers killed: 23
• Number of Port Authority police officers
  killed: 37
• Number of WTC companies that lost
  people: 60 
• Number of employees who died in Tower
  One: 1,402
• Number of employees who died in Tower
  Two: 614
• Ratio of men to women who died: 3:1
  
• Age of the greatest number who died: between 35 and 39
  
• Bodies found “intact”: 289 
• Number of families who got no remains of
  their loved ones: 1,717
• Estimated units of blood donated to the
  New York Blood Center:36,000
• Total units of donated blood actually
  used: 258
• Number of people who lost a
  spouse in the attacks:1,609
• Estimated number of children who lost a
  parent: 3,051
• Number of  funerals attended by
  Rudy Giuliani in 2001: 200
• Days fires continued to burn after the
  attack: 99
• Jobs lost in New York owing to the
  attacks: 146,100
• Days after 9/11 that the U.S. began
  bombing Afghanistan: 26
• Economic loss to New York in month
  following the attacks: $105 billion
• Estimated cost of cleanup: $600 million
  
• Estimated amount donated to 9/11
  charities: $1.4 billion
  
• Estimated amount of insurance paid
  worldwide related to 9/11: $40.2
  billion
  
• Estimated amount of money raised for
  funds dedicated to NYPD and FDNY families: $500 million
  
• Percentage of total charity money raised
  going to FDNY and NYPD families: 25%
  
• Average benefit already received by each
  FDNY and NYPD widow: $1 million
  
• Estimated number of New Yorkers
  suffering from post-traumatic-stress disorder as a result of 9/11: 422,000

Friend, the greatest thing we can do as we reflect on September 11, 2001, is to go to church this Sunday to honor the heroes and pay tribute to the memory of those who lost their lives.  Pray for their families and our nation. 

Matthew 6:14-15, “For ifyou forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

To forgive
is to live

To withhold
Is to turn cold

How calloused our hearts become
When we hold ought against someone

We cannot forgive and forget
Instead we just uncover it

Our wounds run deep
Our hearts just seep

It spews the hurt, the hate within
Until to us, it becomes our sin

The remedy is found in Christ our Lord
To forgive others and harbor no more

We must release the past
We must do it fast

Before our own soul
Becomes more like a black hole

To forgive
is to live

Showing Mercy brings grace
To show mercy is the only way

-Danny Cheney-

If you notice me getting taller, you will know that God answers prayer.  Apparently, Hannah is concerned that I am too short.  We have had a few conversations about my being short and my desire to be taller.  I have told her that when I get to Heaven I will be 6 foot 3 inches.

During Sunday School, Hannah requested prayer for me.  Her request was that God would make me taller.  She was specific, 6 feet 40 inches.  Folks that is over 9 foot.  We’ll see about the faith of a child:)

Has your integrity ever been tested?

I used to love to play golf.  Golf was always a way for me to enjoy life a little more and also to help me control my anger.  You see golf is exhilarating as well as a test of character.

A few years ago, a friend and I were playing a round at Bayou Din Golf Course and I was having a decent game (low 100′s) but I sure could use some extra help on my score.  On the back nine we happened to pick up two guys to play with us for the last nine holes.  We all hit from the tee box and we went to our respective balls.  Mine usually ends up in the water or near the water.

One of the gentlemen we were with said he had found my ball right next to the water but it was dry.  Which amazed me…rarely do they end up dry.  He asked me if I was playing with a Pinnacle and he pointed to the ball.  I told him no and that I was playing with a Strata.  He laughed and said, “Oh, I was just checking to see if you would lie about it.”  My ball had indeed gone into the water, and I could have claimed the one that was dry.

A test of integrity.  Next hole he asks, “So what do you do for a living?”  I said, “I am a pastor.”  He replied, “I am glad you didn’t lie about the ball.”  The other guy said, “So that explains your golf game.”

We never know when our integrity is going to be tested.  Our lives are on display all of the time, regardless of whether we are a pastor or a layperson, we all fall under the label CHRISTian.  We are representatives of Christ.  Paul said that we are to be imitators of Christ.  How we live is how people will view Christ!

How is your integrity level?  Do you strive your hardest to live a life of character and represent Christ well?  In every area of our lives we must evaluate and see where we have made small compromises.  Adjust those areas and allow God to work those things out.

The book of Hebrews says that He will give us grace to live holy.  Rely on God’s grace to help you live a life of integrity.  You never know when you will be tested.

Seated around a conference table in a dimly lit room, were gather several men.  All of them were there for the same purpose.  The leader of the meeting was assessing each person’s worth.  On the table in front of each man was an application and a spreadsheet with many calculations.  Each paper was different.  Each man flipped through his paperwork as the “boss” discussed an all-important subject: Worth.  What was each man worth?

The thing I noticed about each man was that they were all about my age.  They were in the same age bracket I was.  As each of us looked at our spreadsheets and figures calculating our worth I noticed that most of us had the same figures.  Basically the same worth.  Yet, among our group, was one man who stood out.  When I noticed His paperwork, it far over-shadowed each of the other men.  One’s worth recorded 92,000, while another was 111,000.  I wasn’t allowed to see my own figures but I noticed the other man’s.  The boss was looking at his figures.  17,000,000.

I thought to myself, “He’s the same age as I am.  How could he have built up such a figure in his short life?  What investments did he make?  WHat did he do that I didn’t and what could I do to be where he is at?”  Then I noticed his spreadsheets.  Where most of ours had a few pages of investments made, his read like a book.  Page after page of investments.

It was then I noticed the heading above our figures.  It wasn’t how much money we were worth.  The heading read simply, “Spiritual Life”.  This man was rich spiritually and we were lagging way behind.  As soon as I noticed the heading on each of the papers, I awoke from my dream.

Instantly, the Scripture came to mind, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 2

I asked myself the question as I awoke, “If I prospered as much as my soul did, how much would I be worth?”  I believe it was intentional that I was not able to see the figures on my “spiritual life” chart.  Perhaps it was the mercy of God saving me from the shock of deficiency.  Or maybe God was just speaking to me about the pursuit my life should be taking.  If this text of Scripture is interpreted correctly, prosperity is linked to my soul’s prosperity.  You can be wealthy financially and be spiritually bankrupt.  You can have a nice home with all amenities while your spiritual house is crumbling.

What matters at the end of the day is not how much we have in the bank but rather what spiritual investments we have made.  So often, we are adamant to make investments that will ensure us financial security, but forget about the investments that will help our soul to prosper.I am stirred that my life must have investments of prayer, God’s Word, sharing Christ and serving Him fully.  Yielding in obedience.  When the “boss” looks over my spreadsheet of investments, I want it to read like a book.

One last note: the fact that everyone in the dream was my same age, reveals that spiritual life is not reserved for those who are older in the faith.  It all has to do with how we invest in God’s Kingdom.  No matter our age, our soul can be as prosperous as a saint who has walked with God for 50 years.  It is all about the investment.

What are you worth spiritually?

I just got back from a hospital visit and while out I noticed how warm it was.  Let me re-phrase that. I noticed how HOT it was.  As I was walking in the hospital I thought to myself, “Is it really this hot or is it just the reflection off the windows and heat from the concrete?”

When I returned to my office, I noticed the weatherbug on my desktop.  115 degrees.  That’s only 97 degrees from boiling. It’s hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you ever like to go your own way? I remember when I was a bi-vocational pastor, I drove 60 miles one way to work and it could become a monotonous drive. We lived in the country and there were six different ways to get to my office. So everyday I would take a different route. The shortest route was always the easiest but I often took the long way just to have some new scenery. It was the way I wanted to go, not necessarily the best way. Some of the roads I went down were old country roads that had potholes and gravel, but that was the way I wanted to go. It was not the best way.

Sometime, this is the way we follow the Lord. There is a better way to go, the Lord’s way, but we choose rather to follow our own paths. The Lord’s way is the best path but we choose the roads filled with potholes and gravel rather than the perfectly paved road the Lord has prepared for us.

Jeremiah 10:23 says, “O Lord, I know the way of may is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. O Lord, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.”

As I read this verse I was reminded of the many times I have chosen my own path only to find myself on a dead end street. We must allow God to direct our steps. We must not lean to our own understanding but acknowledge Him in all of our ways and let Him direct our paths. Our problem is that we have our own ideas of how God should order our steps. We have our own agendas and we try to fit God into what we want. As we live this life, we want things our way and we want them now. We want to do the things we want. We want the ministries that we desire.

In the old movie Bells of St. Mary’s, one of the nuns proclaims, “May the Lord’s will be done.” Another nun replies, “and may our will become His will.” That is often the extent of our prayers; convincing God to follow our will instead of us following His.

Our prayer ought to be as Jeremiah, “Lord correct me but with justice.” I challenge you this morning to not seek your own way but allow God to correct the way you have chosen. Follow His chosen path. Do not get ahead of Him or go down a road that you want to take. Follow Jesus on the road that leads to life and abundance. He surely has chosen the better way.

Have you ever fell flat on your face in front of a bunch of people?

One Sunday, several years ago,  was a tough day for me.  I was under the weather and thus my balance was really off.  As we were closing the service, the youth pastor was praying for protection, of all things, and I was coming down off the platform.  I hit the bottom step, twisted my ankle and spilled in front of everyone.    Laughter could barely be contained; I had fallen in front of our congregation. 

There is a spiritual lesson to be learned from this.  Many people today are off balance.  Teetering in life’s balance and could be swayed either way easily.  Some are good Christian people whose weaknesses keep them off balance.  Others are non-Christians who at any moment will sway to give their hearts to Christ.  There is an enemy of our souls, however, who desires to make us fall.  He desires to keep Christians fallen and non-Christians away from God.  Satan is the one who laughs when we fall.  

It is similar to when we were in Junior High and someone would drop their lunch tray.  Instantly, applause would erupt to embarrass that person.  The devil gives applause to our failures.  As a matter of fact, as our lives hang in the balance, he is waiting to trounce on us and kill us spiritually. 

I Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

A lion is a patient hunter.  He waits back, watches the herd run, and looks for the weak and sick prey.  Then he moves in for the kill of the one who can’t run away easily.  Satan is not looking for the strong as much as for the one’s he knows he can make fall.  I do give you hope.  If the devil is a lion looking to devour us, we serve the Lion of the Tribe of Judah who can devour the enemy with one word.  

We don’t have to be off balance.  We can be solid Christian people.  We can overcome our weaknesses.  We are more than conquerors through Christ.  I challenge you to ask God to make your life balanced and unwavering.  You are important to God.  He wants to see you overcome.

We had a great time at Devil’s Den State Park and enjoyed being outdoors.  Devil’s Den is one of our favorite places in Northwest Arkansas.  We go there several times a year just to admire the beauty. 

It amazes me that after all the rain we had during the spring, we are now in a drought.  We were thinking that we would be able to do some swimming in the creeks at Devil’s Den, but you will notice that the creeks are virtually dry. 

Over the main creek, there is a foot bridge that spans from one side to the other.  In the spring flood it was destroyed.  Notice the tree driven through the bridge in the pictures below.  Rushing water has amazing power!

For some reason, we decided to go camping in this sweltering heat.  Our camping trip was fun but because of the heat, we decided to only stay one night and come back to the A/C.