WFA.org

I have had a conversion experience. Although it appears to have taken place just last week, truth be told, it began about three years ago. Through an unusual situation, I was given an iPod. I had never had an iPod – or any mp3 player for that matter – before. So, it was interesting and fun getting used to using it. Also, it was my very first venture into the world of Apple computers. You see, I have used computers for many years, dating back to the good ol’ CPM systems, venturing into the very first “personal computers,” and then breaking ground with the first versions of Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. Oh, those first versions were VERY clunky – it wasn’t really until Windows 3.0 that things were pretty usable, but since then, through both software and hardware, I have been a dedicated Windows user. Windows 3.1, 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, and, oh yes, that great forgettable system, Windows ME. Then came that stalwart, and perhaps most stable system of all, Windows XP. Used it for years. Scoffed at anyone using any “fruit computers.” I even upgraded system and software to the newest, latest, and maybe greatest yet – Windows Vista Ultimate.

Even my phone use has been Windows. I never had nor wanted a Palm or a Blackberry. I went straight for Windows Mobile (actually the forgettable name of WinCE when it first started!). Well, a little over two years ago, I became so annoyed with my Windows Mobile phone’s constant freezing up, that when the iPhone came out, I decided to see what it was all about. It was wonderful. It did everything that I needed – and did it simply and accurately, with no problems at all. It just worked.

That venture allowed me to go where I had never gone before – into an Apple store. It felt odd. I felt like I was somehow doing something strangely wrong. Everyone there knew all about things Apple. They spoke Mac language. Things looked a little similar, but really, it was a totally different world. But, I stuck around, and was intrigued by all that I saw and experienced. While only there because of my iPhone, I would sneak peaks at the Mac computers there. Interesting. But, well, I had my own way of doing things.

This summer, when the new iPhone3G arrived, I was able to sell the original iPhone and then, along with countless others, stand in line to get the brand new version of the iPhone that had served me so well. Now, in the year’s time since I had my first iPhone, I continued to come across so many people who had changed from using a PC to a MAC, and were more than happy to witness to me about how much better things would be with a MAC. I listened. I was polite. I was curious. But I had my PC. I had my way of doing things!

Well, last week was it. I had just come back from a conference, where, again I witnessed scores of folks happily using their MACs, and more than willing to tell me all about them, and how they were so great. So, last week, I got my first MacBook Pro. In fact, I am writing this issue of firstIMPRESSIONS on it. I am now a MAC user.

As I have journeyed through this whole three-year process, it has struck me as to how similar this has been to the way we should lead people to the Lord. You see, no one shoved a MAC at me, and told me I HAD to use it. Of course, they were convinced they had a better way, but they were willing to listen to me, and share their experiences. I watched. I learned. And eventually, from one person sharing, another teaching, another encouraging, I took the plunge, made the decision, and now I am converted.

Have you talked to anyone about a computer today? A PC? A MAC? Well, that doesn’t matter. But, what does matter is this – have you talked to anyone about Jesus today? They may resist at first. They may “have their own way.” They may mock you. They might even listen to you. And, eventually, some of them may be changed, and move from “the dark side” to the Lord’s side!

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 8.24. Live for God, on purpose, sharing the Good News of the best thing that has ever happened – Jesus has come to seek and to save each and every one of us!

Welcome Back
Jeff and Sue Duffield

This Sunday morning, we welcome back to WFA our great friends, Jeff and Sue Duffield. As long as I have been in ministry, The Duffields have been blessing every church I have been associated with through their unique blend of worship and music ministry.

If you know little about the Duffields, aside from the fact that they have new life doing the hymns and “Oldies", you have missed out on the exceptional and creative artists they have always been since the early ‘70s. While Jeff and Sue had major media venues of opportunity (PTL Club, 700 Club, 100 Hundred Huntley Street – Canada) they have never been the commercial Christian sensation they deserved to be.

Sue not only has an incredible vocal ability, she also writes much of the material they perform. Jeff is an amazing keyboardist and has played and produced for such artists as Jimmy Fortune of the Statler Brothers, Doug Oldham, The Original Couriers, Ben “Cooter” Jones of the Dukes of Hazzard, Sammy Hall, Dave Boyer, and others.

The choice to perform a jazz, soulful influenced repertoire while other duets were doing typical gospel, proved to be a positive strength – staying true to their deep roots and expression. The Duffields had been perfecting this “worship” sound for nearly a decade before it became popular. Their music is rich and lush with many layers and prominent chords. Their songs are brilliantly crafted and sound as if they could have been released to adult contemporary radio yesterday, rather than just twenty-six years ago.

They are a true musician’s musician. Not predictable, but always anointed... and never ever giving in to the status quo of the mainstream genre. They have produced over 30 albums in thirty-four years of ministry. They are busier than ever, sharing their faith-filled songs of worship.

This will be an exciting Sunday, as The Duffields debut their brand new release, “A Soul That Is Stirring.” I received a “pre-release” copy of the work, and it literally moved me to tears. One of the songs that Sue wrote long ago, “Find Rest O My Soul,” is re-recorded on the new CD. Sue said to me, “Truth be known – I re-recorded “Find Rest” just for you!!! And for some reason, it still gets the “nod” from other pastors and people in ministry around the country. Jeremiah 6:16 is true – for all of us in the ministry for our King – “Ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your soul.”

Do not miss this Sunday! We are going to be blessed beyond measure!

How Many Berry Spoons are
There in My Life?

“I’ll never forgive him. I told him I would never forgive him.”

The elderly lady spoke softly, but with resolve, as the nurse brought her her nightly medication. The lady’s expression was troubled as she turned away, focusing on the drape wrapped around her nursing home bed. This brief exchange revealed a deep, deep hurt.

She told of how her brother had approached her bed, accusing her of taking more than her share of family heirlooms following their mother’s death. He spoke of various items, ending with “the berry spoon.” He said, “I want the berry spoon.” For the forty years since the mother’s death he had hidden his feelings, and now they erupted.

She was both hurt and angered by his accusation and vowed never to forgive him. “It’s my spoon. Mother gave it to me,” she defended herself. “He’s wrong and I won’t forgive him.”

Standing at her bedside, the nurse felt her own spirit soften and grieve. A spoon – a berry spoon! In the bed lay a woman given two months to live – just sixty days – and she would face eternity and never see her brother again in this life. Her mind and spirit were in anguish, and her only remaining family ties were broken over a berry spoon.

As the nurse returned to her station she was drawn deep into thought: “How many berry spoons are there in my life? How many things, as insignificant as a spoon, in light of eternity, separate me from God – and from others? How does a lack of forgiveness keep me separated from my family?” She asked God to search her heart. “How many berry spoons are there in my life?”

The Quilt of Holes

As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls. Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles. An angel sat before each of us, sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life __

As my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares were. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult – the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all. __

I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. __

I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened. My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air. __

Finally, the time came when each life was to be displayed – held up to the light and the scrutiny of truth. The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. __

My angel looked at me and nodded for me to rise. My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn’t had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter, but there had also been trials of illness and wealth and false accusations that took from me my world as I knew it. __

I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me. __

Now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was. I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light. __

An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes. Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image – the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, “Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.” __

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through!

Don’t Quit

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay.” – Hebrews 10:36-37

If you’re discouraged because of God’s delay in answering your prayers, understand the delay is NOT a denial. Just because the answer or the miracle hasn’t come – yet – that doesn’t mean God isn’t going to answer or that he’s forgotten you or that he doesn’t care about you. It simply means “not yet!”

Spiritual maturity is knowing the difference between “no” and “not yet,” between a denial and a delay. The Bible tells us, “He who is coming will come and will not delay” (Hebrews 10:37 NIV).

The delay may be a test of your patience. Anybody can be patient once. And, anybody can be patient twice. And, just about anybody can be patient three times. So God tests you patience over and over and over.

Why? To see how patient you are?

No, he does it to show you how patient you are. So you’ll know what’s inside of you, and you’ll be able to know your level of commitment. God tests you so that you can know he is faithful, even if the answers you seek are delayed.

If you’re discouraged, turn it around by remembering God teaches you patience during delay. Ask him to transform your discouragement into patience.

You may be going through difficult times right now and feel like dropping off the planet. You’re discouraged because the situation you face seems unmanageable, unreasonable, or unfair.

It may seem unbearable and inside you’re basically saying, “God, I can’t take it anymore. I just can’t take it anymore!”

But you can.

You can stay with it longer because God is with you. He’ll enable you to press on. Remember, you are never a failure until you quit.

Don’t quit. Resist discouragement and finish the race God has set before you.

as seen in Rick Warren’s “Purpose Driven Life ” email of October 21, 2008. © 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved. Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America’s largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers.

Under Pressure!

“We are pressed ...but not ...broken.” – 2 Corinthians 4:8 TLB

Do you feel like you’re in a tunnel with no way out? Rejoice, you’re positioned for a miracle! Paul said, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed...but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going” (2 Corinthians 4:8, 9 TLB).

A certain amount of pressure is necessary to release our faith, and God knows exactly how much to apply. He allows us to get to where: (a) We’ve exhausted our own resources. (b) We’re tired of Satan stealing what God says is ours. © The opinions of others no longer control us.

It’s the place Hannah found herself in when she prayed in the temple, “In distress of soul...and weeping bitterly” (1 Sam 1:10 AMP). She was under such pressure because of her childless state that when she began to unburden herself before God, the church hierarchy thought she was drunk. But when you’re desperate, you’re not overly concerned about blowing the minds of religious onlookers; your only concern is touching the heart of God.

With God there are no hopeless situations, just people who’ve grown hopeless about them. Real faith comes into its own when push collides with shove. After all, you don’t need God to part the Red Sea when there are bridges all around, right? It’s when there’s nothing you can do to avoid the inevitable that you start trusting God to do the impossible!

So the crisis you’re experiencing today could be a blessing in disguise – an opportunity to experience a greater degree of His power at work in your life.

Are You Making Your
Church Great?

We have heard the words “great church” used many times. What makes a great church? Is it buildings, numbers, events, or other assorted things? No, we know better than that. I believe that there are at least eight things that can and will make a church “great.”

1. In a great church no one is ignored.

2. In a great church each believer has others on his mind that he would love to invite to be a part of it.

3. In a great church people are excited about what Jesus is doing.

4. In a great church people pray big, know that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

5. In a great church souls are led to Christ weekly by believers in the church.

6. In a great church people are hungry to get into the prayer rooms.

7. In a great church problems are considered opportunities.

8. In a great church the multitudes have learned how to daily crown Jesus Lord.

The Last Impression

A priest, a Pentecostal preacher, and a rabbi all served as chaplains to the students of Northern Michigan University in Marquette. They would get together two or three times a week for coffee and to talk shop.

One day, someone made the comment that preaching to people isn’t really all that hard. A real challenge would be to preach to a bear. One thing led to another, and they decided to do an experiment. They would all go out into the woods, find a bear, preach to it, and attempt to convert it.

Seven days later, they all came together to discuss their experience.

Father Flannery, who had his arm in a sling, was on crutches, and had various bandages on his body and limbs, went first. “Well,” he said, “I went into the woods to find me a bear. And when I found him, I began to read to him from the Catechism. Well, that bear wanted nothing to do with me and began to slap me around. So I quickly grabbed my holy water, sprinkled him and, Holy Mary Mother of God, he became as gentle as a lamb. The bishop is coming out next week to give him first communion and confirmation.”

Reverend Billy Bob spoke next. He was in a wheelchair, had one arm and both legs in casts, and had an IV drip. In his best fire-and-brimstone oratory, he claimed, “WELL, brothers, you KNOW that we don’t sprinkle! I went out and I FOUND me a bear. And then I began to read to my bear from God’s HOLY WORD! But that bear wanted nothing to do with me. So I took HOLD of him and we began to wrestle. We wrestled down one hill, UP another and DOWN another until we came to a creek. So I quickly DUNKED him and BAPTIZED his hairy soul. And just like you said, he became as gentle as a lamb. We spent the rest of the day praising Jesus.”

The priest and the reverend both looked down at the rabbi, who was lying in a hospital bed. He was in a body cast and traction with IVs and monitors running in and out of him. He was in really bad shape. The Rabbi looked up and said, “Looking back on it, circumcision may not have been the best way to start.”

As I write this, I am in Grass Lake, Michigan, at the Fa-Ho-Lo Conference Center, serving as one of the facilitators for the Michigan District Church Planting and Church Health Boot Camp. What a privilege to be able to speak into the lives of those attending this week-long meeting. I will be flying back to Delaware on Friday evening, and I am looking forward to being home and worshiping together with the greatest church in America – WFA! See you then, my family!