Prayer has been considered one of life’s greatest mysteries, yet seems to appeal to over 85% of the population. Surveys show that most people today both believe in and participate in some form of prayer.  For myself, I dedicate a good chunk of time every morning to prayer as I have learned it is a critical piece to my life.  Recently, I was reading through a great book by my pastor, Frank Damazio and came across this great list of reasons to pray. It revived my passion and commitment to prayer and thought I would pass it on to you as well. I hope it inspires you to pray more. These twelve principles have been taken from his book, Seasons of Intercession.

1.   Christ left us an example of the importance of prayer.

      (See Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12; 3:21, 5:16, 9:18) 

2.   The Apostles left us an example of the importance of prayer.

      (See Acts 1:14, 4:31, 6:4, 12:5, 13:3, 16:3, 21:5)

3.   Prayer is God’s method for obtaining joy.

      (See John 16:24; Acts 16:25)

4.   Prayer keeps us spiritually fit and alert.

      (See Matthew 26:41; Luke 21:34-36; 1 Peter 4:7; Jude 20)

5.   Prayer enables us to receive wisdom and the mind of God.

      (See James 1:5; Acts 1:24, 10:9, 13:3, 14:23; Luke 6:12-13)

6.   Prayer transforms us into the image of Christ.

      (See Luke 9:28-29)

7.   Prayer is God’s means of obtaining our material and spiritual desires.

      (See Matthew 7:7-8; John 14:13-14, 15:7, 16:23-24)

8.   Prayer moves the hand of God to work in the affairs of men.

      (See Exodus 3:7, 14:10-11, 10:15; Jonah 2:1; Acts 12:5; James 5:17)

9.   Prayer expresses our dependence upon God.

      (See John 15:5; Zechariah 4:6)

10.  Through prayer we gain freedom from worry.

      (See Philippians 4:6-7; Psalm 22:1-5)

 11.  Prayer unleashes the power and blessing of God.

      (See 2 Chronicles 6-7; Acts 1-2, 4:23-31)

12.  Prayer teaches us to know Christ intimately.

      (See Jude 20-21; Philippians 3:10; Colossians 1:9)

One of the most famous men in history, one who was responsible for shaping the history of mankind made this profound statement, “Give me a handful of young dedicated men who will give me their lives and I will control the world.” He did just that! In 1903, he had seventeen followers. By 1918, he had 40,000 followers controlling over 160,000,000 people. In less than sixty years he impacted one-third of the planet. His name was Vladimir Lenin! This man had a revelation of the power of multiplication. He built his empire on the philosophy of communism, which had a negative impact on the world using the same principle instituted by God!

For years, the term “multiplication” has raised more questions than answers. Many have associated the term to stale, modern-day techniques that bypass relationships in order to obtain the goal of big numbers. However, upon closer examination of the word in its Biblical context, this perception couldn’t be further from the truth.

•  Genesis 1:28 “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
•  Genesis 22:17 “blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.”

Jesus himself modeled this biblical truth in his ministry on earth. In His last words to His disciples He didn’t say, “Go and make decisions” but, “Go and make disciples.” That means, make “healthy, active, reproducing members of the body of Christ!” Jesus was the perfect equipper. Of all the options possible to build His church, He chose twelve raw recruits. He then spent more time with the twelve than all of humanity combined. He devoted three and half years concentrating on reproducing himself into these individuals, who would later change the world!  

•  Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

 Jesus followed a very methodical plan of raising new leaders. From the first contact with His disciples until the final meeting before His ascension, these principles are seen. (See Mark 3:7-14; Luke 6:12, 17-19)

                        Jesus’ Method                      Principle Learned

                        I teach, you listen                    Preparation

                        I do, you watch                       Observation

                        I do, you help                          Cooperation

                        You do, I help                          Application

                        You do, I watch                       Delegation

                        You do, I’m gone                    Multiplication

The principle and methods used by Christ moved in a strategic sequence. These four main steps are what He used to multiply the message of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. This simple pattern should be applied to our process of recruiting, raising and reproducing leaders:

 Step One: Calling

He spent many months searching and observing those in the crowds. When He saw those whom He would choose, he put out the plea, “Come, follow me.” (see Luke 5)

 Step Two: Training

He spent the first stage of their relationship training the disciples in the ministry of the Kingdom. His first phase of ministry was primarily solo acts, with the disciples observing and learning. (see Mark 3:7-14) 

Step Three: Sending

Once they were trained, He began to use them in ministry situations, and ultimately sent them out to become agents of the gospel message. (see Luke10) 

Step Four: Reproducing

When He communicated His plans to leave, He commanded them to take the calling, training and sending to the lost, and reproduce themselves throughout the earth. (see Acts 1:8)

These four steps can be overlaid to just about any ministry development area of your church or organization. If you aren’t reproducing leaders you should stop and reflect on what you need to change.

Serving God and building His kingdom is not about us, it is about others and about Him.  In a world that attempts to program us to build for personal gain, name recognition or self ambition, the challenge to stay focused on the true goal is a daily discipline.

The components needed to become a true leader can only be formulated through God’s direction, leading and involvement in our lives. These important components include, but not limited to:

• Strength
• Authority
• Direction
• Vision
• Credibility
• Loyalty
• Honor
• Greatness

How we attempt to forge these principles in our lives, will dictate the end product in our lives. The way that we perceive them to develop, might not be the way the God intends, or we desire. Here is a leadership reality news brief! These insightful tips were taken from a great man and author, Roy Lessin. 

•  A godly leader … finds strength by realizing his weakness
• A godly leader … finds authority by being under authority
• A godly leader … finds direction by laying down his plans
• A godly leader … finds vision by seeing the needs of others
• A godly leader … finds credibility by being an example
• A godly leader … finds loyalty by expressing compassion
• A godly leader … finds honor by being faithful
• A godly leader … finds greatness by being a servant.

Why don’t you take a moment and really contemplate the ramifcations of this short but life-altering list. Write down some things you feel you need to change in each of these areas and make a plan to change. It is only in this pain-staking process that you will truly be refined to become the godly leader that God desires you to be!

The indestructibility of the Bible lends further evidence to the notion that it is 100% infallible. The Bible has transcended centuries of skepticism and weathered the test of time. As Bill Kimball states in his book, “Book of Books, “It has successfully  withstood the repeated attacks of atheistic philosophers, the schools of higher criticism, modernists, liberal theologians, rationalist, humanists, scientific skepticism, Communists and ever conceivable brand of critic.

In spite of the relentless assaults against the Bible, it has not only survived, but has consistently triumphed over all its enemies.”  For example, Voltaire, the infamous French atheist, confidently proclaimed that, “In one hundred years the Bible will be an extinct book.” During the same year, the British Royal Museum purchased an ancient manuscript copy of the Greek New Testament (the Codex Sinaiticus) from the Russian government for the hefty sum of $510,000. In comparison, a ninety-two volume, first edition set of Voltaire’s writings were auctioned off a few years ago from the Earl of Dudley’s library for a mere 8 cents a copy!

What makes Voltaire’s prophecy so ironical is the fact that only fifty years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society was using his house and his printing press to publish and avalance of Bibles! His house later became Paris headquarters for the British and Foreign Bible Society.

May those that are skeptical about it’s authenticity learn from the well known author Thomas Paine who wrote, “Ages of Reason” arrogantly proclaimed the Bible would be out of print in his lifetime. He stated, “When I get through, there will not be five Bibles left in America. Within one hundred years, Bible will only be found in museums  or in musty corners of second hand stores.” After a lifetime of opposition, Paine’s dying words left a sobering tribute to Christianity’s triumph. He moaned, “I would give worlds, if I had them, if the ‘Age of Reason’ had never been published. O Lord help me! Christ, help me! Stay with me! It is hell to be left alone.”

Why not give the Bible a chance and not go down in history as another added to the list of regretful skeptics.

The times in which we live are difficult times. Many today have suffered significant loss. Millions of homes have gone into foreclosure. Tens of millions are unemployed. Multitudes are looking for help in finding their next meal. It is in times like this that many struggle with being thankful for what they “do” have, instead of being discouraged with what they “don’t” have.  I understand that this perspective is easier stated than walked out in real life, but I think we can all agree that there is something in our lives that we can be grateful for, if we just stop and look.

In her classic autobiography The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom tells of the time she and her sister were forced to take off all their clothes during Nazi inspections at a death camp. Miss ten Boom stood in line feeling forsaken and defiled. Suddenly she remembered that Jesus hung naked on the cross. Struck with wonder and worship during that seemingly forsaken moment, ten Boom leaned forward and whispered to her sister, “Betsie, they took his clothes, too.” Betsie gasped and said, “Oh, Corrie, and I never thanked him.” Thanksgiving does not require bounty–just recognition of what our Savior has already done.

I don’t know about you, but when we compare our challenges to the circumstances in Corrie’s life, things just don’t appear to be as severe as we thought them to be. I think it is safe to assume, it is all a matter of perspective.

If you are in a stretching time and find yourself wondering what tomorrow might bring, why not take a few minutes and get alone with God. Take some time to reflect on all the wonderful things He has done for you. I promise you, it will brighten your day and give you the strength to move forward into tomorrow with a heart of thankfulness.

If you have a few minutes, Check out Corrie sharing her heart. Get a box of Kleenex, you will be inspired!

This year I turn fifty years old and I find myself trying to swallow the idea that I am a half century old. I understand that I have no hair and have a harder time hearing what people might say, but I am still wearing True Religion Jeans and perceive myself to be at least ’semi-cool.’  I also just celebrated my 3oth anniversary with the woman of my dreams and am watching my four grandchildren growing rapidly into these fully active children ready to live life to the fullest. It seems just like yesterday that I was going on my honeymoon or having my first daughter. Where did the time go?  Life just seems to be going by too quick.

In addition, this year has brought some of the most challenging news to my life with my father announcing he has stage 3 lung cancer.  As a pastor, I have been personally involved in helping dozens of loved ones deal with the challenges and tragedy associated with disease and sickness, but when it is your own father, the emotions just seem to go a little deeper. Life also seems to be so fragile and precious. I do regret all those missed opportunities to talk with my dad and am committed to cherishing every breath that comes from his lips during this last days.

Through it all, 2010 has been a time where I am grappling with the importance of life and making the most of every moment.  Life itself is so precious. Life is short and life is very fragile.  It is amazing how quickly we assume that we will be here for another few decades, yet there is no guarantee we will make it through tomorrow.  Yet, we will continue to give our time and energy to things that have the least importance in our lives.

In one year, the average American will read or complete 3,000 notices and forms, read 100 newspapers and 36 magazines, watch 2,463 hours of television, listen to 730 hours of radio, buy 20 CDs or cassettes, talk on the telephone almost 61 hours, and read 3 books.

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross once said, “It is only when we truly understand that we have a limited time on earth that we’ll live each day to the fullest.”  

In Psalm 90:12, Moses said, “Teach us to number our days . . .” Leslie Weatherhead, who pastored the City Temple in London for twenty five years, wrote a book entitled Time for God. In this book, Weatherhead helps us to number our days by mathematically calculating a “one-day lifetime” for a person living an average life span. (His calculations are actually for only the waking hours of 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.).

• If you’re fifteen years old, it is 10:25 a.m..
• If you are 20, it’s 11:34 a.m.
• If you’re 25, the time is 12:42 p.m.
• It’s 1:51 p.m. for a 30-year-old.
•  At 35 it’s 3:00 p.m.
• If you are 40, it is 4:00 p.m.
• At 45 the clock reads 5:16 p.m.
• For a person of 50, it’s 6:25 p.m.
• It’s 7:34 p.m. for those at 55.
• A 60-year-old is looking at 8:42 p.m.
•  Retiring at 65 means it’s 9:51 p.m.
• And if you’re 70, it is 11:00 p.m.

Look at the clock and live each day to the fullest! Maybe its time that you recognize just how precious life is and give your life to those things that matter most. Don’t let life pass you by, treat life as the most precious gift you could receive.

I had the unique privilege of sharing with a young man who claimed to be a “White Magic – Calvinist – Jew.” To say that it was an interesting conversation would be a gross understatement. The good news is that I was able to lead this young man to Christ and get him plugged into the local church.  Other recent conversations seem to have some of the same undertones; people who have formulated their own definition of God and views about eternity.

Welcome to the twenty-first century!  The breakdown of absolute truth coupled with the erosion of Christian influence has paved the way to a new melting pot of religious views that have greatly impacted society, and our ability to reach those that need Christ. As a church leader, I am acutely aware of the fact that my approach to sharing the truth must radically change while still adhering to the timeless truth of the gospel; easier said than done.

Regardless of a person’s belief system or worldview, there are ten main pillars that we must continue to emphasize in our gospel approach.

 These are: (FREE TEACHING NOTES on this topic available on my Resource Page).

Pillar #1: Every person has a perception of Eternity

Regardless of religious persuasion, or lack thereof, every person has a perception of what Eternity might be. Those views may consist of; heaven, hell, reincarnation, a distant galaxy, or cease to exist.

Pillar #2: Absolute truth is the foundation to life itself

To a generation that believes that truth is relative, the need for establishing the foundation is the beginning point of sharing the gospel.

Pillar #3: The Bible is the foundation for all Truth

There is only one book that has ever stood the test of time as being 100% infallible. Establishing the Bible as the sole source of your message is vital to the presenting of any future principles.

Pillar #4: The nature and characteristics of God can be defined

God must be redefined back to His original description. Without elevating God to His rightful place in the minds of man, it is impossible to present the gospel with any sense of need or urgency.

Pillar #5: Sin is an absolute problem not a relative, narrow-minded concept

People must understand sin as “rebellion against God” and it’s affect on humanity in order to understand the immeasurable gap between themselves and God due to their own personal sin.

Pillar #6: Hope and unconditional love are available to those who seek God

Even in the midst of judgement, God provides a way of escape and the opportunity for a new life. This is key to reaching a generation without hope.

Pillar #7: The Cross remains as the central message of the Gospel

1. The message of the cross is the power of God unto salvation. The price that Christ paid for the sin of mankind must be clearly understood to make activate its power in a person’s life.
2. We need to not only give attention to the cross, but also his resurrection power, that he conquered death and hell.
3. There must also be the realization that Jesus is the only way, and no salvation is found in no other name.

Pillar #8: The only One who can truly fill needs and voids is God Himself

Society continues to look to everything but God to fill the immense holes in their life. The need for love, hope, peace, joy, purpose, acceptance and identity will only be found in God. This can only happen when people enter into a personal relationship with Christ. This too, is an important part of the gospel.

Pillar #9: Commitment to Christ is a life-long decision

People must understand the commitment of a life-long relationship before praying a prayer. Just as in a marriage, a couple must understand the cost before entering into a covenant relationship.

Pillar #10: Becoming a Fully Devoted Follower of Christ is the Goal

God desires disciples, not just decisions. The point of salvation marks the beginning of the journey, not the end. A key part of sharing the gospel is to assist people into understand the new life that has begun.

If there was ever a time where we need clear and concise guidelines for counseling those in need, it is now. There are a variety of societal factors that have greatly increased the number of those in need  and having some guidelines for godly counsel is a must. Yet many attempt to direct people with the best intention, but lead  them toward a distorted solution which only further complicates their situation rather than helping them toward the road to victory.

There are simple, but important principles that every leader should understand and embrace when involved in giving others counsel of any sort. We have been given the incredible privilege and responsibility to direct people toward the ‘God solution’ for their situation, and using proven Biblical guidelines will greatly increase the effectiveness of your counsel. 

I have been often asked, “What do you do with your leaders and your church to help them in counseling?” I put together a document for your review and use on my resource page. It is called, “Counseling Guidelines for the Local Church.” Take a look at it and pass it on to your leaders!

We all need the affirmation to choose what is right rather than what is popular, which is much easier said than done. I am firmly convinced that the reason so many are persuaded by their surroundings, is their lack of identity in who Christ intended them to be. Many today allow the voice of society to define their value and worth, which always ends in disappointment. It is amazing to see what people are willing to risk losing for the sake of gaining the ‘approval’ of others.

Yet God’s view of you will allow you to be a persuader, not persuaded. We are first and foremost to be God pleaser, not a man pleaser (Eph. 6:6).  If we focus on what pleases God and how He values us, we have a great chance of not being persuaded and manipulated by the world and it’s opinion of us. Here are my top ten faith-builders which describes what God says about me!

1. I am God’s child.
2. I am God’s friend.
3. I am adopted into His family.
4. I am complete in Christ.
5. I have a future and hope.
6. I am part owner of God’s Kingdom.
7. I am a citizen of heaven.
8. I am significant.
9. I am special.
10. I have a purpose.

The next time that you are tempted to do something to impress someone else, ask yourself the question, “Am I being persuaded or am I persuading.” You might even print out this little list and  put it in your wallet or purse. It just might save your bacon one of these days!

This Utopian idea of life seems so distant from reality. Life is moving at a rapid pace and there never seems to be enough time to give attention to those things that are most important. The tyranny of the urgent robs us of giving our lives to what matters most. Maybe we should start a, “Feeling Groovy” campaign and live life on purpose!

I just received an email from a good friend, Carl Probyn, which reminded me again to, “slow down, because I live to fast!” Here it is for your pleasure.

“Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven’t thought about it, don’t have it on their schedule, didn’t know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine. I got to thinking one day about all those people on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back.  From then on, I’ve tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn’t suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed?  Does the word ‘refrigeration’ mean nothing to you? How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched ‘Jeopardy’ on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said , ‘How about going to lunch in a half hour?’ She would gas up and stammer, ‘I can’t.  I have clothes on the line.  My hair is dirty.  I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain’  And my personal favorite:  ‘It’s Monday.’ She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches..  We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We’ll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained.  We’ll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet.  We’ll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older.  The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer.  One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of ‘I’m going to,’ ‘I plan on,’ and ‘Someday, when things are settled down a bit.’

When anyone calls my ’seize the moment’ friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips.  She keeps an open mind on new ideas.  Her enthusiasm for life is contagious.  You talk with her for five minutes, and you’re ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years..  I love ice cream.  It’s just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process.  The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker.  If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now..go on and have a nice day.  Do something you WANT to…not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say?   And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground?  Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night?  Do you run through each day on the fly?  When you ask ‘How are you?’  Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?  Ever told your child, ‘We’ll do it tomorrow.’ And in your haste, not see his sorrow?  Ever lost touch?  Let a good friendship die?  Just call to say ‘Hi’?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift….Thrown away… Life is not a race. Take it slower.  Hear the music before the song is over.. (added mine) ‘Life is fun and I’m feeling groovy!’”

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