Over the past few weeks I have found myself intrigued and drawn to the relationship between David and his son Solomon.  The story is found in I Chronicles 17 and begins with David realizing that he is living in a magnificent palace, but that the Ark (which symbolized the presence of God) was dwelling in a tent.  It was the heart of David to build a glorious temple for God, but God told David…”NO”.  Has God ever told you “NO”?  That must have been a crushing blow to David’s heart and ego, but an incredible lesson for all of us as we serve, lead and more importantly learn to release those coming behind us.

It was David’s heart and vision, but God told David that it would be one of his descendants and not him that would be given the privilege and responsibility of building the temple.  Now, I am sure you are much holier and sanctified than I am, but overcoming hurt, anger and getting certain questions answered describe my potential reaction to God’s decision.  I can imagine questions like ”don’t you know that the whole temple concept is my vision and plan?”  “Why not me?”

However, this was not David’s reaction.  David’s heart to worship and please God never ceases to amaze me.  He went out and prayed and began to thank God for giving his family an eternal legacy.  Then in I Chronicles 22 we find David doing everything possible to prepare for Solomon’s success.  He gathered the gold, the silver, the wood, and all of the skilled craftsmen together in preparation for the temple to be built.  Instead of being filled with envy and bitterness, David set his heart to making sure that the next generation fulfilled the purposes of God.

I really believe God is trying to reveal to those of us who walk in leadership today to come to an understanding that everything that God has ordained for His Church is not going to be fulfilled through us.  In fact I am convinced that part of the restoration of the Apostolic order that God has reestablished in the church over the last 20 years has been for this purpose.  God’s desire has been for us to see into the future with understanding that we have been called to raise up and release (send out) a generation coming behind us.  It is a heart that says, “Let me help you, and feel free to stand on my shoulders, but you can rest assure that I will not hold you back or limit your potential with my structure, strategies or systems”.

The next generation is coming with energy, their own strategies and a burning desire to serve God in a radical way.  God has already called and anointed them to reach their generation.  The challenge to myself and my generation is to become like David and gather all of the resources available.  Do everything within our power to prepare for those God has chosen to build and advance His Kingdom.

This is my challenge to those who serve and lead.  Over the next 30-60 days, find as many opportunities that God brings your way to help prepare and release the generation coming behind you to find their identity and purpose in God’s Kingdom.  Then take a few moments and celebrate the idea of preparing the way for the next generation God is raising up.

Pastor Robbie

 

 

Yesterday I shared the importance of understanding that our lives, if totally surrendered to God, will be led and directed by the Holy Spirit.  Opportunities of influence are not coincidence, but divinely orchestrated by God.  Today, I want to share with you a second truth concerning being an effective witness for the Kingdom of God.

It is my goal for us to understand that salvation comes only as a result of an individual being drawn by the Father.

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  John 6:44             

We need to understand that we cannot force the hand of God.  On a daily basis, I am learning that God’s ultimate purposes and plans do not always coincide with my limited perception.  Realize what Jesus said in Luke 19:9-10  And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”” Notice He did not say those who were lost, but rather that which was lost.  Everything that God the Father sets into motion is for the purpose that none should perish.  He is not just interested in seeing a few people come to salvation.  God is interested in establishing, or I should say restablishing a KINGDOM, HIS KINGDOM. 

So why is it important to be effective witnesses?  As I said yesterday, so we can either plant or water.  We have a responsibility to be a the salt and light in the earth so when the Father draws them they will have a clear direction of what it means to live and be a part of the Kingdom of God.  This is why Jesus gave the command in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples (not go and win the lost as we have heard most of our lives).  When the Father draws them by the power of the Holy Spirit, there is only one way in….JESUS.  Being an effective witness means pointing people we come in contact with toward the door of the Kingdom of God.

In our next session….Jesus: The Door.

 

 

What comes to mind when we think about witnessing?  Like most of us, the thought of standing on a street corner passing out tracts or walking up to a complete stranger and taking them through the Roman’s Road to salvation is not our “cup of tea”, much less effective.  Over the last month of preaching, teaching and walking out in my own persoanl life the series “Can I Get A Witness?” I have discovered that there is a deep desire in most of us to share our story of God’s grace.  However, the problem for most Christians is that we have not been equipped with the right mindset when it comes to sharing our faith.  And because we don’t know how, many of us miss opportunities to be effective witnesses for the Kingdom of God.  Over the next several days I would like to use this platform to share what te Holy Spirit has put in my spirit concerning the call to witness.  It is my hope and goal to clarify some confusion concerning our role in being an Effective Witness .

The FIRST TRUTH is that you have to believe that your life has significance on a daily basis, so don’t waste it! 

Psalm 37:23 says ”the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord….  I have encountered this truth more than once over the last few weeks.  One that especially stands out was on my trip with Gary Burd and Run With The Wall.  There was a man at a truck stop who was a Vietnam Vet that noticed my Chaplain’s Sleeve pinned on my vest and stopped me to ask if I was going to THE WALL (Vietnam Memorial).  When I told him yes, he began to share with me his story of why he couldn’t go.  In 1965 he was in Vietnam and during one battle there were 435 Army Rangers surrounded by 2000 enemy soldiers.  When the battle was over only 100 American Soliders walked off that hill, and he was one of the 100.  Through his tears I could see a man who was broken, confused and in need of healing from this devastating experience.

I know what you are asking.  Pastor Robbie, did you lead that man to the Lord?  The answer is no!  What I did was witnessed to him that there were those of us who cared and willing to go to THE WALL for him.  I let him know that God loved him and that I was going to pray for him.  He wrote down his name and address in order that we can stay in touch.  I am convinced that I was an Effective Witness of God’s love to a hurting and broken veteran that day!

Here is the truth that I want to impart into you.  If I believe God is ordering my steps, and that it is God who is strategically placing people in my path, then there has to be a divine purpose.  What God is asking of me is to be a positive influence for His Kingdom, and according to I Corinthians 3:5-7,  that is either to PLANT or WATER. 

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.  So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.      

So until tomorrow, sharpen your spiritual senses and realize that the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding your life for His glory.  Don’t miss an opportuntiy to let your light shine and show the love of Jesus Christ by being His representative at the right place, at the right time!  This is being an Effective Witness! 

 

Is it just me or have you noticed that everywhere we turn people just seem to be tired – worn-out?  It seems like life is just beating them up.  I am not talking about people backsliding or walking away from their faith, but I am talking about people who love God with all of their hearts seem to be out of energy.  I feel like God has put a trumpet in my hand and has said “sound the alarm”.

One of the greatest seasons of preparation for ministry I ever experienced were the ten years I moved from the arena of being a senior pastor to that of a college baseball coach.  It was during that season of my life that I discovered what it was like to work 60 -70 hours a week (Lynn says sometimes it was more) and try to be actively involved in the ministry of our church.  The truth is I was worn out by life that the last thing on my mind was ministry.  However, the lessons God taught me during that period have given me insight to the sacrifices made by so many who serve in fulfilling the vision of Parkway Christian Center. 

Part of equipping the saints requires us to teach our congregation the importance of overcoming distractions and the “spirit of busyness”.  This is so that we will not forget that our real purpose is to advance the Kingdom of God through worship, making disciples and fellowship.  This is the reason that I believe that God is calling Parkway Christian Center to a season of being refreshed.  Notice I did not say it was time to step aside from your responsibilities or for a ministry sabbatical.  We are living in critical times and the spiritual warfare is becoming intense and the Body of Christ needs to be at maximum effectiveness.  We need to be refreshed!

A refreshed people are a revived people, and a revived people are in tune with the voice of the Holy Spirit.  When we are physically, emotionally or spiritual exhausted we find ourselves operating on autopilot.  This is the beginning stages of becoming an old wineskin where tradition and legalism set in.  Just trying to make it through another day, another event, or another worship service does not bring glory to God.  It certainly will not lend itself to being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

So, what do we do?  Why don’t we look at the life of Jesus and follow His example.

1. Jesus rested - He would tell his disciples to get in the boat and that it was time to go to the other side, and he would sleep.  I believe that this was his time to relax.

2. Jesus got alone with the Father - The presence of God is rejuvenating.  There is no substitute for your personal alone time with God.  We need to learn to slow down and just enjoy the presence of our Heavenly Father.

 Let me give you a great place to start!  For the next five days slow down and meditate on Psalm 37.  Read it over and over, and watch what happens to you.  You are going to find yourself being refreshed by the Word and by His presence.

Remember, God loves you and His desire is for you to be encouraged. You are a child of the KING!

Pastor Robbie Jones

For years I have taught and led our congregation into the biblical ”Principle of “Declaration“.  I am convinced that this is one of the reasons we are witnessing the growth and favor of God at Parkway even during a time in the natural things seem uncertain.  However, just like any principle established by God, if there is not complete understanding of the TRUTH the enemy can come in with confusion and twist the revelation to make it ineffective and unproductive in our lives.  When it comes to understanding the provision of declaring God’s Word, the enemy brings deception by:

1. trying to make us believe that we have no role in fulfilling the purposes of God in the earth, and God is in complete control of what is going to happen.  (this is a lie)

2. trying to deceive us into believing that we can call anything forth, and when it doesn’t happen it is because of our lack of faith.  In this case we see people lose hope, and feel a sense of condemnation. (this is a lie)

The true “Principle of Declaration” comes by understanding the purposes of God and what His ultimate will is concerning His Kingdom. Did you get that?  It is a vital revelation for all us to grasp.  God’s ultimate purpose is not to bless us, provide for us, and to make us feel good.  God’s ultimate purpose is to establish HIS KINGDOM in the earth and He chooses to accomplish this through us, His Church.  When we understand this revelation, then we can grasp the necessity of aligning our lives and our declarations with the purposes of God.   With this revelation the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples and the “Principle of Declaration” begins to make sense…thy will be done in the earth as it is in heaven.

This is what I am convinced of:  My God is Omnipotent (all-powerful), and everything that He has ever wanted accomplished in the earth has already been fulfilled in heaven.  The reason He sent His Son to die on a cross was to redeem man back to Himself in order that the purposes of God may be manifested through us, the redeemed, in the earth.  This is what the “Principle of Declaration” is all about.  God is looking for a people who will align themselves and get in agreement with Him in order to see the Kingdom of Heaven manifested in the earth.  I am convinced that this is what the Apostle Paul is referring to in Romans 8:19:

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

Notice Paul did not say the SON of God, but rather the “sons” of God, and I am convinced that he is talking about you and me.  God is waiting for the redeemed of the Lord to stand and to declare the Word of the Lord.  Is that not what Jesus did?  Did he not say that things that I do I see my father do, and the things that I say I hear my father say?  Jesus was manifesting the will of heaven in the earth, and this is what he has commissioned us to do as his disciples.

My challenge to you is to discover the plan and will of God for your life, and then begin to establish the Principle of Declaration over your life.

LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO…… Psalm 107:2

Have you ever had those moments when you just sit alone with God and reflected on His favor and provision? Maybe it is just me, but it is on these occasions when God begins stirring me to another level of effectiveness.  During these encounters God seems to pull me aside, and He and I have what I call a ” holy debriefing”.  It becomes a season of clarity for me and for the vision He has put in my heart, and I am challenged to embrace the Next Level.

Since the beginning of 2009, I have sensed an increased intensity that I believe honors God, and is producing both numerical and spiritual growth at Parkway Christian Center.  For example, teens coming to church on Wednesday evenings an hour early to pray and seek God before their youth service.  Witnessing firsthand the commitment and faithfulness of the Celebrate Recovery leadership team every week, and the passion for God’s Word and His presence is being felt throughout the congregation.  Many families are being drawn to the vision of Parkway and are convinced that they have been led and planted by the Holy Spirit.  It has been commented by many of these new families after hearing the  “Parkway Declaration” that they believe this is the reason that God has brought them to Parkway Christian Center.  However, as much as we all would like to focus on the excitement and anticipation for what the “Next Level” is going to bring, the Holy Spirit has been teaching me and our congregation that such a call comes with a great price and sacrifice.  We are calling it Next Level Discipleship.

What does it mean to be a next level disciple anyway?  Is this just more Christian jargon or a new catch phrase? Honestly, I believe it can mean different things to different people depending on their walk with God.  For some it means discovering a liberty to worship, while for others it may come with a new commitment to the revelation of God’s Word or understanding the power of having a prayer life.  For me personally, and for Parkway corporately, I believe it focuses on two main areas:

1. New Level Discipleship focuses on greater effectiveness

2. New Level Discipleship focuses on greater influence

No matter where you look, you will find God’s people as they grow and mature in discipleship becoming much more effective in their service to the Kingdom of God.  Accompanying greater effectiveness, you find growing disciples being given opportunities of greater influence.  For us here at P.C.C., this is Next Level Discipleship!

So, how do we get there?  I am convinced that it requires two major decisions on the part of the believer:

1. Next Level Disciples are willing to take a risk. (Read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30). 

2. Next Level Disciples are led by the Holy Spirit.  (Read Romans 8:12-19)

   Why is it important that we go the the Next Level?  According to Romans 8 the whole earth is groaning and waiting for the glory of Jesus Christ to be revealed in us.  I don’t know what God has put in your spirit, but I sense an urgency to become a Next Level Disciple. 

 

 

Pastor Perry Noble

Yesterday I was introduced to a dynamic pastor, Perry Noble, and a church, Newspring (Anderson, SC), that literally rocked my world.  Even though we have different ministries, there is something that draws me to pastors and leaders who have a VISION and a PASSION to share truth, equip people for the Kingdom, and think outside of the box in order to fulfill the purpose of God for their lives.  This is the reason that I strive to stay connected to leaders like Ron Carpenter, Jr., Tony Miller and now Perry Noble.  Pastors with this kind of passion and vision are never a threat to my identity or make me feel insecure, but challenge me to go places in God that otherwise may be overlooked.

I have come to understand that even though it appears that these pastors, who have reached a level of significance, have paid and continue to pay a tremendous price to walk in their places of influence.  Their stories of personal criticism and verbal abuse help me see that God will never require of anyone in the congregation of Parkway Christian Center more than He will of me, and in order to become a next level leader I must be willing to endure and sacrifice.  It has been said for years that no church can rise any higher than the pulpit.  I am coming to believe this statement more and more, not because I believe in personality driven churches, but because of the foundation that Jesus Christ puts in those He calls to lead churches.  The greater the foundation, the greater the structure!

Do I expect Parkway Christian Center to look, act or sound like Newspring, or Redemption World Outreach Center, or some other church?  Of course not!  That is not what draws me to a Perry Noble or a Ron Carpenter, Jr in the first place.  I am drawn by the fact that these two pastors and leaders like them “know who they are in Christ” and are willing to risk everything to see Jesus Christ lifted up and glorified in their region.  They refuse to be limited by small thinking, traditions and the past, and are always looking for ways to Unleash The People of God!

Because of this, those who have the faith that produces this kind of vision and passion are often misunderstood, seen as boastful, arrogant and full of pride. It angers those who have a “religious spirit” because they can’t control, discourage, or put out the fire that burns in their hearts.  Those who are of a “lukewarm spirit” are repelled from the anointing of this type of leader because to walk alongside will always require more than they are willing to give.

In closing let me leave you with this!  I am committed to recognize that God has more than one voice with the ability to speak into my life.  Many times we miss what the Holy Spirit is doing today because we are narrow minded and only think He is going to speak a certain way.  As a pastor, I want to unleash my congregation to draw from the many that He has called and anointed in this season which we have been assigned .  “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches” (Revelation 2:29)

I invite you to visit Newspring’s website:  www.newspring.cc  

Pastor Robbie Jones

Have you ever noticed how one person can make a huge difference in the outcome of a situation?  In history we think of men like Abraham Lincoln, in sports players like Michael Jordan, or in music a person like Elvis Presley comes to mind.  On a more personal level I am sure each of us have had parents, grandparents, teachers, pastors or coaches that made a significant difference in our lives.

 I have just finished one of the busiest weekends that I can remember in a long time.  Yet when I look back on the past few days I find myself reflecting on the importance of so many people who add to and make a difference in my life and in my ministry.

Gary and Carolyn Burd have become dear friends.  On Thursday evening, I needed to drive Gary to Raleigh to pick up Carolyn.  However, before we left Founder’s Inn I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Tony Miller, a spiritual voice into my life.  That conversation led to an introduction between Gary Burd and Tony Miller, and a vision was shared that I am convinced is going to lead to the expansion of God’s Kingdom in a supernatural way.  Gary Burd and Tony Miller possess different types of ministries, but each has a desire to form a partnership in ministry that models a Kingdom mindset.  This is what makes these two men of God difference makers…..

Then on Friday night, I watched as approximately 600 people walked through the doors of Parkway Christian Center for our Upward Basketball Awards Night.  I sat in the balcony with my girls basketball team and watched as  Kathy Mustain, our league director, lead and orchestrate a ministry that is touching and presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to hundreds of children.  Kathy has a wonderful team around her, but it is her ability to lead that makes the difference.  There is no doubt in my mind….Kathy is a difference maker!

Saturday was the final day of our third Upward Basketball season.  If you have never been to Parkway Christian Center on an Upward Saturday, then you have never seen crazy.  There are teams, players, and families coming and going all day long, but on this particular Saturday there was one person who was a huge difference maker.  Duane Milner has a servants heart like no one I have ever seen.  Most of the time it is behind the scenes fixing this and cleaning that, but even on this Saturday our Children’s Pastor asked him to share a couple of halftime devotions.  As I walked the halls of Parkway Christian Center I found myself praising God for the difference makers He has put in my life.  Duane Milner is definitely a difference maker!

There are many others that I could refer to and the ones that I have mentioned would probably prefer that I left their names out because of their desire to serve with anonymity.  However, here is my point.  We don’t need a stage, platform, hundreds of people, or a microphone to be a difference maker.  We just need to remember what God has put on the inside of us is not just for us, but it is to make a difference in someones life.

Is there a person that comes to mind that was or is a difference maker in your life?  I would love to hear about them. It is evident that the Holy Spirit, our divine difference maker, has been sent to help us to realize that our purpose is to be a difference maker in someones life.  Don’t let the opportunity slip away!

Pastor Robbie

 

Have you ever felt like quitting?  Have there been times in your life when you have asked yourself, “Is it really worth it”?  I am sure that most of us have found ourselves from time to time asking these types of questions when we have faced difficult circumstances and felt like life was just not fair.  Don’t be so hard on yourself because many of our hero’s of faith also found themselves in similar situations.

For instance, I am drawn to the humanity and the supernatural faith seen in the prophet Elijah in I Kings 18.  Elijah was so bold and confident that he challenges the 450 prophets of Baal to a duel to determine who is God, Baal or Jehovah.  Immediately after his prayer and the miraculous demonstration of Jehovah on Mount Carmel, Elijah comes face to face with his own destiny on that same mountain.  Remember, it had not rained for three years due to the power that God had given to the prophet.

Have you ever noticed when God decides to do something spectacular that it begins with a sound?  There was something so powerful in Elijah that he declared to Ahab to get ready ”for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”  Then Elijah says to his servant, go look out toward the sea and tell me what you see.  Do you realize that the servant went six times and saw absolutely nothing?  Do you realize if Elijah had said well six times is enough and I guess nothing is going to happen that the provision of God would had been missed?  But Elijah new what was in his heart and was determined not to give up.  So, he sent his servant the seventh time which became the time of provision.

I wonder how many times we have missed the blessings of God because we stopped just short of the miracle because we let an attitude of discouragement overtake us?  I will never forget the speech that Jim Valvano gave during the ESPY Award Ceremony just before his death.  If you have never heard it I posted a link for your convenience.  http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jimvalvanoespyaward.htm

I don’t know what you are going through today or may have to face tomorrow, but I am reminded of Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” I just know with God that the only way we can ever lose is if we give up.  Don’t give up, don’t ever give up!

Have a blessed day!

Pastor Robbie

 

 

For several months I have felt the need to teach and write about marriage.  Dealing with this subject is always a little unnerving because long ago I came to realize that there are no two people exactly the same, just as no marriage or how you raise your children can be put into a formula and pull out some patent answer.  (This is the reason that I cringe at the thought of some saying “I tell you what I would do.”)  It makes me want to stand up and say “yeah, I would have liked to have seen you deal with me as a kid, or to be married to me for 30 years.”  There is little doubt that dealing with my stubborness would have blown your ideologies out of the water.

However, with that said I do believe that there are certain principles that need to be in place if we are going establish a creative marriage God’s way.  First, you have to realize that God wants you to enjoy your marriage.  I mean it is the reason that God put Adam to sleep and reached in and pulled Eve out of him.  It was not a punishment!  Marriage was for Adam’s and Eve’s pleasure.  In this supernatural act I see the creativity of God which set the standard for all of us to follow.  The reason most couples become discontent with one another is because they allow their marriage to become boring and mediocre.  We need to remember that we have been created in the image of God and it’s time to become creative, and bring some excitement to our marriages.

Right here is where the differences between men and women show up.  Men are thinking, OK, let’s spice up our romance and sex life, and women are feeling something totally different because of their need to feel safe and secure.  Is there any doubt why I titled this session on communication Houston: We have a communication problem?

Before we go any further I want to speak to a myth that the church has allowed society to infiltrate into our way of thinking.  We have been told and come to believe that because our spouse (being the opposite gender) will never be able to understand us. The TRUTH is that we have lost the desire and art of real communication because it will require more effort and sacrifice than anything we do in our marriage.  We have failed to discover the importance of getting naked – emotionally.  So we feel like we have to run to our girlfriends or our golfing buddies to find someone to listen and understand us.  The problem is that this will never solve our communication problem with our spouse.

As difficult as all of this seems, each of us needs to realize that communication is a learned process. Think about it, have you ever seen a new born baby straight out of his/her mother’s womb with the ability to speak?  The reason is because communication takes time and has to be learned, and there lies the problem with most marriages.

Communication begins with trust which eliminates condemnation and initiates real intimacy.  Intimacy begins long before the bedroom.  So, here is my challenge to all of the married couples, and even to those who are planning on marriage;  make the month of February a time to become creative in the way you communicate with the one that you love.  I encourage you to read Dr. Gary Chapman’s book, The Five Love Languages even if you have read it before. 

Have you ever noticed that happy couples smile a lot?  I look forward to seeing your smile very soon!

Pastor Robbie

I am teaching a series on “A Creative Marriage God’s Way” every Wednesday evening at Parkway Christian Center during the month of February.  Service begins at 7:00 PM.