Mainstay Ministries by Dr. David R. Mains

Daring to Dream Again: Keep Track... - Part 7

Friday, January 27, 2012 by David Mains

Keep Track of God’s Involvement in the Every Day—Part 7

Answers to Prayer

One is an obvious answer to prayer. Let me illustrate. I hesitated attending a conference because I needed to prepare a rather complicated paper for a particular man. It was due the day I was to get back. I went to the conference anyway and was overjoyed to see that this person was also there.

When I checked in at the hotel desk, I was so surprised I just said hello and walked on.

As soon as I got to my room I prayed, “Lord, I’m amazed this man is here. How wonderful it would be if we could talk for an hour or so and work through some of our concerns in person. But this is a huge conference. I may never run into him again. Please allow that to happen—I’ll immediately ask him if there’s a time we can meet while we're here.”

I unpacked my things, went down on the elevator to the main lobby, and saw this man coming in the front door of the hotel again. We talked briefly and set a time to get together the next morning. To me that was a marvelous God Hunt sighting. The time together helped me immensely.

This might not seem like a God Hunt sighting to you, but, as I’ve already explained, I choose to give the Lord the credit for what happens on these occasions. I admit some of my “sightings” may be coincidence, but I prefer to believe most of them aren’t! And what matters is not whether I can convince someone else, but whether I’m satisfied that it’s the Lord at work.

Evidence of His Care

The second God Hunt category is unexpected evidence of His care.

I called from the office and asked my wife, Karen, “Where are you money-wise?”

I needed to head home and pack. We were using some frequent flyer award tickets to take a couple of well-deserved days away. I had very little cash in the bank, although I figured we could use a credit card if need be. But maybe Karen had money.

Her answer was, “My bank account is as low as yours!”

“Just wondered,” I responded. “See you soon.”

In the next few moments an old friend stopped by the office and said, “Heard you and Karen were leaving for a few days. Knowing how you guys live, I thought you might need some cash. It’s a gift; don’t give it back. Have a good time. The Lord go with you.”

Care of this sort is not an everyday occurrence. But I praise the Lord for friends and also for unexpected evidences like this of God’s care.

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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about?

Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Saturday or Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions.

We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.

For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(149B)

Daring to Dream Again: Keep Track... - Part 6

Thursday, January 26, 2012 by David Mains

Keep Track of God’s Involvement in the Every Day—Part 6

Sightings of the King (continued...)

Hide-and-seek is a universal game. Everyone’s played it at one time or another. In the Scriptures it’s almost as if the Lord invites us to go on a spiritual hide-and-seek. “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” That’s Jeremiah writing on God’s behalf to the exiles in Babylon.

“‘I will be found by you!’ declares the Lord” (Jer. 29:13-14). So even when His people are captives in another land, it’s as if the Lord tells them, “Don’t stop looking for Me!”

The “fun factor” in looking for God comes out in a verse like Psalm 105:3, “Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.” And we do rejoice frequently when we see the Lord working in our lives.

“Seek and you will find.” That’s how Jesus issued the challenge in His Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7:7). He was talking about the reality of His now-and-future kingship.

As I expressed earlier, one of the most pleasurable aspects of my own involvement in Christ’s kingdom is writing down each day what I call my “God Hunt sightings.” These are occasions when I see the Lord acting in my behalf in a special way, and I choose to attribute the events to Him. In our family we’ve come up with four categories that help define what we’re talking about.

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(149A)

Personal Illustrations

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 by David Mains

When posting a message on Sermon-Coach.com, I try to avoid using personal illustrations. This isn’t because I feel they’re inappropriate. Rather, it’s because personal stories can’t easily be used by another person.

I especially like it when personal illustrations make the speaker the brunt of a humorous story. I especially don’t like it when the person preaching frequently presents himself or herself as always doing or saying exactly the right thing.

I’ve heard ministers use personal stories quite effectively. But they don’t write sermon starters for the benefit of other speakers.

The message I posted as Sermon Starter #204, “Retired Generals” is highly personal. I was recently asked to give a 15-minute devotional for the board of an international ministry. I sensed the Lord’s presence as I put the thoughts together. The subject was clear as was the desired response. I’m sure the “how to” and the “how long” were clearly understood by those present. Several of the board members thanked me, not only for what I said but apparently the Holy Spirit spoke as well.

The other day a minister friend read a copy that was on my desk and asked why I didn’t share it with others. After some consideration I decided to do so—in spite of the personal illustrations! If you wish, you can read it on my Sermon-Coach.com website, using the link below.

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Saturday or Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions.

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(#149)

Daring to Dream Again: Keep Track... - Part 5

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 by David Mains

Keep Track of God’s Involvement in the Every Day—Part 5

Sightings of the King (continued...)

In the Bible we see that this is what David did too! He recorded what happened to him and acknowledged it as God’s work. Psalm 57 is an example of such an account. It’s a song of David praising the Lord for His help “when he had fled from Saul into the cave.”

Read these verses and picture yourself in David's situation.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
   for in You my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings
   until the disaster has passed.
I cry out to God Most High,
   to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.
He sends from heaven and saves me,
   rebuking those who hotly pursue me;
   God sends His love and His faithfulness.
I am in the midst of lions;
   I lie among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
   whose tongues are sharp swords.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
   let Your glory be over all the earth.
They spread a net for my feet—
   I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
   but they have fallen into it themselves.

My heart is steadfast, O God,
   my heart is steadfast;
   I will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul!
   Awake, harp and lyre!
   I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the' nations;
   I will sing of You among the peoples.
For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens;
   Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
   let Your glory be over all the earth.

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(148D)

Daring to Dream Again: Keep Track... - Part 4

Monday, January 23, 2012 by David Mains

Keep Track of God’s Involvement in the Every Day—Part 4

Sightings of the King

There's something important here which, I believe, applies to all of life. When “sightings” of the King begin to multiply, our world starts to get exciting. How thrilling to hear that the Monarch’s presence has been witnessed. God’s bigger dreams quickly come into sharper focus when we’re reminded of His involvement in our lives. When this happens, though, it’s also true that the enemy engages us in fiercer combat.

Even so, I say, “Good for you!” to those who have trained themselves to recognize God in the every day. These are the men and women who find it easiest to sustain their belief in God’s long-range dreams. That’s because they see daily evidence that the Lord hasn't forsaken them.

It was that way with David. One “God sighting” occurred while, as a young refugee, he was hiding in a cave with his band of so-called outlaws. They were being tracked by King Saul and 3,000 chosen men. When the king had to relieve himself, lo and behold—he did so in the very cave where David was hiding. Then Saul decided to rest there awhile.

David’s friends, far back in the cave, whispered that the Lord had given his enemy into his hands! “This isn't mere coincidence,” they were saying in essence. “God’s in it.” But the only thing David did was to creep up unnoticed and cut off a comer of Saul’s robe. David knew that in this incident God was saying, “I’m looking out for you, David. See how I can give Saul into your hands whenever I want!” (See 1 Sam. 24:1-4.)

There were numbers of situations like this in David’s life. This specific event involved unusual linkage and timing. Of all the caves in that region, Saul chose the very one in which David and his men were hiding. It had to be more than chance that caused Saul to say, “Stop! That cave over there is going to be my restroom for the moment.”

The point is, we all can maintain excitement about God’s larger dreams for us when we keep close track of His involvement in our everyday world. Keeping close track of His involvement is important. I do it as part of my daily journaling. I’ve recorded thousands of such entries in my lifetime. What faith-builders they are.

This exercise is truly one of the most pleasurable aspects of my life. Seldom does a day go by when I don’t see an obvious answer to prayer, some unexpected evidence of God’s care, or maybe special help He provides to do His work in the world.

Possibly some of my “sightings” are coincidence, but I’m convinced an awful lot of them aren’t. And one way or the other, I choose to give God the credit.

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(148C)

Daring to Dream Again: Keep Track... - Part 3

Friday, January 20, 2012 by David Mains

Keep Track of God’s Involvement in the Every Day—Part 3

We continue with our story from the book Tales of the Resistance, which we began in the last blog post.

The Enchanter’s men scattered, and the taxis screeched to a stop within inches of the stunned Hero.

“Need a ride, buddy?” A burly arm grabbed Hero and pulled him roughly into the front seat. As Hero frantically yanked the door shut behind him, his cab blasted into reverse and squealed around another corner. Within seconds a whole fleet of taxis raced out of alleys and side streets. They drove for a while in a straight line, and then veered off in opposite directions. HARNK! HARNK! HARNK! Their horns blared in great commotion, and for a moment Hero felt safe. No pursuer would know which cab had kidnapped him.

But was he under arrest or under protection? Hero could just read the signs over the huge garage before the overhead door thudded shut behind them: “City Taxi Company.” There was a hustle as the driver detached from the power source. Hero’s door was yanked open and he was pulled out.

“Ey, bub. Big Operator wants to see you in the terminal office.” The cabbie jerked his head to the left, and then drove off. A man in uniform motioned Hero toward a glassed-in office.

The next thing he knew, his wrist was being clasped in the Ranger way. “Well, son. Most Rangers infiltrate Enchanted City as subtly as possible. The whole town knows you’ve arrived, not to mention the powers that be in the Dagoda. But welcome to the Resistance. We are all King’s men and women here, working for the Restoration.”

Hero’s mouth dropped, and Big Operator smiled.

“Yessir, the dispatchers had themselves a job getting you out of that tight spot. It’s not easy moving a taxi vanguard into position on a moment’s notice.

“By the way, I think we picked up most of the orphans. That scattering tactic was pretty effective. The Resistance can use a man like you. How would you like to see the rest of the operation?”

The two walked to the middle of the taxi terminal, a large underground cavern with a huge map of Enchanted City on one wall. Big Operator pointed to purple paper flags stuck all over the map. “Sightings,” he explained. “The King has been sighted all over the city. The Enchanter’s nervous .... Our informants say the Dagoda’s been a hot place with a whole lot of fire flying.” ...

Hero’s mind would not stop whirling. He didn’t know which question to ask first. “But—but what about the Enchanter? How do you get by with this in the middle of Enchanted City?”

Big Operator smiled, but it was a grim expression. He put his arm around the lad’s shoulders. “Make no mistake. The Enchanter is evil and he’s dangerous—never forget it. The closer the Restoration, the more Sightings of the King—the more dangerous and desperate he will become.” Then his smile became almost cocky. “But the truth is, the Enchanter only has power over those who fear him. Here in the Taxi Resistance, we are subjects of the King. Consequently, we are not afraid.”

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(148B)

Daring to Dream Again: Keep Track... - Part 2

Thursday, January 19, 2012 by David Mains

Keep Track of God’s Involvement in the Every Day—Part 2

In the book Tales of the Resistance Scarboy doesn’t become a hero overnight, either. But, like David, he truly is a hero. The question is whether or not he can hold on to what his King has promised, even if it isn’t quickly realized. Scarboy’s first battle in Enchanted City isn’t with a giant like Goliath, but nevertheless his bravery is put to the test.

Din ... din ... din ... The death drums were sounding another beat, faster and faster-a battle beat. Hero realized that more Burners and Breakers were gathering in striking formation. He had done a foolhardy thing. Even with the hatchet in hand, he was only one against many. He was in the middle of the Enchanter’s territory, with no fellow Ranger to come to his aid. His only chance was in taking his opponents by surprise.

Rushing down the stairs, Hero swung into the battle tactic he had learned in the War of Fire in Great Park. “To the King! To the Restoration!” he cried, holding his hatchet with both hands. He jumped into the middle of the band of captured orphans. “Scatter!” he shouted. “Take off your blindfolds and run!”

With his weapon at arm’s length, Hero began to whirl as the children scattered, climbing stairs, turning street corners, scurrying into holes. Round and round Hero whirled, cutting a circle of emptiness between himself and his would-be captors.

The Enchanter’s men were so intent on taking him prisoner, they let the children escape. For a moment, Hero felt a defiant gladness.

S-C-A-R-B-0-Y! S-C-A-R-B-0-Y!

The Enchanter’s evil eye had spotted him. The moment his old name was shouted, Hero began to freeze. His feet were leaden; the hatchet felt so heavy. Closer and closer inched the Burners and Breakers. One of the Breakers caught Hero’s eye and held it with a stare; then he lifted his ugly cudgel over his head.

HARNK-HARNK! HA.RNK-HARNK! From opposite directions two taxicabs came careening down the narrow alley, their horns blaring, their speed frightening. HARNK-HARNK!

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(148A)

Revival Ideas

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 by David Mains

When people ask what my work is, I respond by saying, “I provide ministers with sermon ideas.”

“Do you preach anymore yourself?” they often want to know, remembering the work I did for many years on radio and television.

“I do some,” I reply, “but at this time in my life I really enjoy this new calling.”
If they are interested, I explain that I am a recovering workaholic. For many years I did six 15-minute radio shows each week that aired on about 500 stations, plus five half-hour syndicated television productions. That was enough exposure for a couple of lifetimes. Now in my middle 70s, and still enjoying good health, I delight in sharing sermon and service ideas with my peers.

Instead of me preaching a given sermon in one place, now 10, 100, 1000 ministers can use my initial creativity, add their own touches and the sermon concept is heard in numerous settings.

Revival is a topic I used to preach about a lot. I guess I still do. A decade back, Zondervan asked me to put together a one-year Revival Bible, which was a project that took about two years of “spare time” to finish. I really liked the completed piece, but by that time the market was glutted with study-Bibles of all kinds. After a small initial run, the Revival Bible was dropped and the rights reverted to me. I have since put the guts of that material on our Sermon-Coach.com website under the “Revival Corner” tab.

If I were a preacher interested at all in the topic of revival, I would see these articles as a gold-mine of preaching material. Each of the 52 studies is built around a given text with six subtexts for further study. A number of excellent application ideas are included with each article.

Best of all, I have made them free to anyone who shares my passion for another great spiritual awakening.

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(#148)

Daring to Dream Again: Keep Track... - Part 1

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 by David Mains

Keep Track of God’s Involvement in the Every Day—Part 1

God’s dreams for us seldom unfold as quickly as we would like. That’s frustrating, but the experience is not uncommon.

Do you remember the account in Scripture of young David being brought home from watching the flocks? Samuel was attempting to discover which one of Jesse’s boys had been chosen by the Lord to replace Saul as king. Having looked over all the candidates presented to him, the prophet still had no positive word from the Lord. “Are these all the sons you have?” he asked.

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.” His comment implied that David was hardly of age to be a serious possibility. But when David got home, the Lord told Samuel, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one” (see 1 Sam. 16:1-13).

So God Himself said through His prophet that David was to be the next king. But many years would pass, involving any number of hair-raising escapades, before David would finally sit on Israel’s throne. God’s promise didn’t come true immediately. In the meantime, I’m sure this former shepherd boy had frequent reason to doubt that the Lord’s dream for him would ever be realized.

Here, then, is another barrier to seeing God's dreams validated in our lives. It’s the inability to recognize His involvement in our everyday world and, therefore, giving up too soon on His long-range promises.

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(146D)

Daring to Dream Again: Let Go... - Part 17

Monday, January 16, 2012 by David Mains

Let Go Of Our Painful Past—Part 17

These readings will provide additional insight into the topic covered by this most recent set of blog posts:

READINGS - Part 5

Have you counted the cost of the dream God has given you? Do you understand that God’s call for you won’t be without testing and trials and sometimes even sorrow? Understand that when you launch out to fulfill your dream you'll encounter challenges far above your own strength that can be fulfilled only in the strength of God.

Joseph was a dreamer, though he had no idea of the cost of his dream (see Gen. 37). He had a great future, yet it was with great consequence and great price. His brothers hated him and were full of jealousy and envy. Even his own father didn't understand his dream.

During Joseph’s life he saw victories turn to defeat. He experienced disappointment with people. He was imprisoned without cause and lied about by those over him. It was thirteen long years before the God-given dream came to pass in his life.

The sufferings of Joseph, the dreamer, are recounted in Psalm 105:16-19. Verse 19 ends with this summary: “The word of the Lord tested him.” Every dreamer will be tested and afflicted by those around him and even by God Himself. As the preacher observes in Ecclesiastes 5:3, “The dream comes through much effort.”

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Beyond Your Own Strength, Frank Damazio, Creation House, page 144.

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(147C)

Daring to Dream Again: Let Go... - Part 16

Friday, January 13, 2012 by David Mains

Let Go Of Our Painful Past—Part 16

These readings will provide additional insight into the topic covered by this most recent set of blog posts:

READINGS - Part 4

As my husband's coffin entered the earth, a scrap of paper fluttered onto its lid—Luke's gift to a father he’d known so briefly. “I love you, Dad,” he’d written in child-scrawl. I embraced the silence, craved it. I wanted to be still for a long time, to heal and ponder this incomprehensible thing that had happened, to rant and shake my fist at God if need be. This was a pain so profound that the tears, the numbness, the disbelief, were all ripples on the surface of a deep, black pool of water. Nothing disturbed its depths. It seemed a well from which grief emanated, a core of my being I had reached only through extreme tribulation.

Yet I had children to raise who were as shaken and hurt as I, and a new baby coming. That lonely birth loomed ahead, a treacherous slope.

After two weeks, the kids were ready to return to school from sheer boredom. Relatives went home, and I resumed an unthinking housekeeping routine. Little Luke proudly occupied his dad’s empty place at the table as we sniffled through our first meal alone. “I can tell when you’ve been crying,” said nine-year-old Naomi, running for the tissue box. “Your nose turns red.” The box of tissues went round with the bowl of beans, and I’m not sure which was emptied first.

In a burst of energy, I tore the house apart that Easter, moving bed rails over the heads of startled guests, clearing a spot in my room for the•baby. Might as well do the heavy work while men were around.

That was the nature of my grief, to hurry it up. Feel the pain and get it over with. I gave away Richard’s clothes, clutching at the familiar smell and feel of that old sweater, his gray herringbone jacket.

I saved his wallet, still molded to the shape of his pocket. He could pull the most amazing things from that wallet—phone numbers and memorabilia from years gone by. I emptied his junk drawer, which, like every man’s, held his special stones and pennies—the same treasures I’m sure he pocketed as a boy. Again I breathed his closeness, the small change of his life. I took off my wedding ring very soon. It was uncomfortable to wear the symbol of a life that was no longer. Smooth from years of wear, its spot indented on my finger, the ring resisted being laid aside. My finger bore its mark for some time. I reached for it sometimes out of habit and was always startled to find it gone.

In some ways I had no choice but to hurry on. Self-pity and depression were indulgences my children would pay for. They tugged at me with the physical burden of their care, with worry over the emotional wounds they carried, with years of financial support to provide.

I didn’t know the best way through such a tempest, but I found I could trust my instincts; I knew what was good for me. Like a physical wound that seeps and bleeds, the spirit also struggles to heal. I felt wounded, an amputee; even my appearance felt different. A wound heals slowly from the inside out; some never heal completely, and all grievous wounds leave scars.

One thing I knew with certainty: I had begun a grueling journey, one I might not survive without a massive infusion of grace. Without God, some part of me might die. This very clarity was a grace; I was poised on the brink of a mortal test, a great experiment. Were God’s promises true and would they be enough?

I had no choice but to go forward in blind trust.

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Young Widow, Kate Convissor, Zondervan, pages 22-23 .

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(147B)

Daring to Dream Again: Let Go... - Part 15

Thursday, January 12, 2012 by David Mains

Let Go Of Our Painful Past—Part 15

These readings will provide additional insight into the topic covered by this most recent set of blog posts:

READINGS - Part 3

The ultimate goal is spiritual and emotional wholeness, and forgiveness is an important component of wholeness. You must acknowledge the hurt and the anger, but don’t stay there. Move on to forgiveness. Take down the barriers. Face the hurt, the fear, and the anger. Understand what forgiveness really means and abandon your stubborn decision to hold on to the past.

In The Hiding Place Corrie ten Boom wrote about forgiving someone who had hurt her. Corrie and her sister, Betsie, had been imprisoned in concentration camps during World War II.

It was at a church service in Munich that I first saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there—the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie’s pain-blanched face.

He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. “How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein,” he said. “To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!”

His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.

Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him.

I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. So again I breathed a silent prayer, Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness. As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.

And so I discovered it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.

Are you ready to forgive the people who have hurt you? The person you need to forgive may be deceased. The person may live far away. The person may not even know about the intensity of your feelings. Nevertheless, you need to forgive. It may simply need to occur inside you. Or maybe you have done something to this person that necessitates not only dealing with this incident in your heart but also speaking a word to let him know that you have forgiven him.

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Making Peace with Your Past, Tim Sledge, Lifeway Press, page 183.

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(147A)

Try Again Next Time

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 by David Mains

Recently I went out of my way to hear a very good communicator preach. It was Christmas season and I felt the message would be worth the trip. On past occasions this minister’s words had touched me deeply. It was a very large crowd and he or she had no idea I was a part of it.

Maybe it was me, maybe it was the message, but I left about the same as when I came. In some ways I was quite disappointed, yet in a rather strange manner, it was a relief to know that I’m not the only one who does poorly on occasion.

Maybe you have never had one of those weeks when your message just refused to come together. But, most of us have. And, I rather suspect that’s what happened on this occasion.

Fortunately, all of us called to the ministry will be judged on the volume of our work, not just on one given sermon. Even so, when we suspect we have done poorly, it’s an incredibly painful experience ... and also a HUGE incentive to do better the next time. Right?

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(#147)

Daring to Dream Again: Let Go... - Part 14

Tuesday, January 10, 2012 by David Mains

Let Go Of Our Painful Past—Part 14

These readings will provide additional insight into the topic covered by this most recent set of blog posts:

READINGS - Part 2

Through fifteen years, as tapes have gone out all over the world, letters and testimonies have confirmed my belief that there is another realm of problems which requires a special kind of prayer and a deeper level of healing by the Spirit. Somewhere between our sins, on the one hand, and our sicknesses, on the other, lies an area the Scripture calls “infirmities.”

We can explain this by an illustration from nature. If you visit the far West, you will see those beautiful giant sequoia and redwood trees. In most of the parks the naturalists can show you a cross section of a great tree they have cut, and point out that the rings of the tree reveal the developmental history, year by year. Here’s a ring that represents a year when there was a terrible drought. Here are a couple of rings from years when there was too much rain. Here’s where the tree was struck by lightning. Here are some normal years of growth. This ring shows a forest fire that almost destroyed the tree. Here’s another of savage blight and disease. All of this lies embedded in the heart of the tree, representing the autobiography of its growth.

And that's the way it is with us. Just a few minutes beneath the protective bark, the concealing, protective mask, are the recorded rings of our lives.

There are scars of ancient, painful hurts ... as when a little boy rushed downstairs one Christmas dawn and discovered in his Christmas stocking a dirty old rock, put there to punish him for some trivial boyhood naughtiness. This scar has eaten away in him, causing all kinds of interpersonal difficulties.

Here is the discoloration of a tragic stain that muddied all of life ... as years ago behind the barn, or in the haystack, or out in the woods, a big brother took a little sister and introduced her into the mysteries—no, the miseries of sex.

And here we see the pressure of a painful, repressed memory ... of running after an alcoholic father who was about to kill the mother, and then of rushing for the butcher knife. Such scars have been buried in pain for so long that they are causing hurt and rage that are inexplicable. And these scars are not touched by conversion and sanctifying grace, or by the ordinary benefits of prayer.

In the rings of our thoughts and emotions, the record is there; the memories are recorded, and all are alive. And they directly and deeply affect our concepts, our feelings, our relationships. They affect the way we look at life and God, at others and ourselves.

We preachers have often given people the mistaken idea that the new birth and being “filled with the Spirit” are going to automatically take care of these emotional hangups. But this just isn’t true. A great crisis experience of Jesus Christ, as important and eternally valuable as this is, is not a shortcut to emotional health. It is not a quickie cure for personality problems.

_____________________________
Healing for Damaged Emotions, David Seamands, Victor Books, pages 11-12.

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(146D)

Daring to Dream Again: Let Go... - Part 13

Monday, January 9, 2012 by David Mains

Let Go Of Our Painful Past—Part 13

These readings will provide additional insight into the topic covered by this most recent set of blog posts:

READINGS - Part 1

I doubt we can ever put our pasts behind us when we’ve never put them before us. Yet many of us stall on the starting line of change because we fear that we’ll lose family members’ approval and affection.

I once counseled with a charming thirty-something Christian who grew up in a subtly, but profoundly, unhealthy home. She said her birth family’s motto was “family first.” I think that meant, “Ignore and don’t talk about who and what’s hurtful in this family.” An alternative translation might be: “Don’t rock the boat (with truth) even if it’s the Titanic!”

We will never begin the move from hurting to healing until we answer the question: “Whose rules rule?” The person whose rules we are living by is god to us! If, in an attempt to gain the parental seal of approval, we continue to live by the rules of hurting, hurtful parents, we will continue our hurting, hurtful ways. But if we choose to know God and put him on the throne of our lives, we will begin to live by His rules. And, as we’ve already seen, God takes truth very seriously.

I read somewhere that calling a thing by its correct name is the beginning of change. Some of us will need to begin calling our family loyalty lying, if that is its correct name. Yet, just contemplating such a genuinely truth-based approach to our entire lives, we may feel as alien in our families as salmon would be in the Sahara! Yet God and commitment to change call us to begin dealing honestly with our pasts as well as our present lives. We must face the pain inherent in becoming truth-tellers in truth-fearing families. We are foolish to expect reality-phobic family members to jump up, click their heels together, and exclaim, “Oh, goody goody. We’ve all been wondering when someone would get healthy enough to start changing so that we’d be confronted with our personal and family dysfunction and be dragged kicking and screaming into greater wholeness!” It just doesn't work that way.

In unhealthy systems, whether they're families or companies, the person who sees and speaks the problem becomes the problem. Instead of working to resolve the problem, such systems focus on removing the problem-perceiver.

_______________________
Hurt People Hurt People, Sandra D. Wilson, Thomas Nelson, pages 94-95.

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(146C)

Daring to Dream Again: Let Go... - Part 12

Friday, January 6, 2012 by David Mains

Let Go Of Our Painful Past—Part 12

These questions will help you affirm what you’ve read in the previous blog posts:

FOR DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION

1. Have you recently heard someone in a conversation give evidence of holding on to a painful past experience? How common a problem do you think this is?

2. Why do painful past experiences often inhibit people from dreaming God’s dreams for themselves or for the church?

3. Almost everyone has had a negative church experience of one kind or another. What is a memory like this which you might do well to put behind you?

4. Do you, like Moses, have any memories of trying to serve the Lord and being hurt in the process?

5. If a person said, “I don't know how to put memories like this behind me,” what advice would you offer?

6. How good does “daring to dream again” sound to you?

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(146B)

Daring to Dream Again: Let Go... - Part 11

Thursday, January 5, 2012 by David Mains

Let Go Of Our Painful Past—Part 11

Continuing the adoption story from a previous blog post:

The two old people walked on either side of the boy. Hero dragged his heavy feet through the garbage dump, filled with rotten refuse, which separated Great Park from Enchanted City. Closer they came, closer and closer to Burning Place, just outside the city walls. And all the while, Hero sensed that Mercie and Caretaker were growing fainter, dimming somehow here in the rank air that smelled of smoke and fire. They were fading away from him. In the soft light, Hero read a sign which proclaimed:

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A KING.
DEATH TO PRETENDERS!

His feet kicked the soft ashes, and Hero knew he had finally returned, come back to the one place that he hated above all others.

“Mercie?” he whispered. “Caretaker?”

They were gone.

They had left him here on the edge of Burning Place, alone, without aid. Abandoned. Helpless. Unloved. No, no wait. Hero took a deep breath.

He closed his eyes and thought back to where he had just been. Inmost Circle. Within the leaping Sacred Flames. He remembered the cry, “To vows!” and recalled the strong pulse of life clasped in the Ranger grasp. He was not alone. He might be on the edge of the evil Enchanted City, but wonderful things had happened to him. He belonged to somebody. He was loved.

At that moment, with his eyes still closed, he heard the lovely hum. It was not just a memory out of the past. It was with him now, in his ears, in his own brain. As Hero listened, the flailing in his heart was quieted. The hum grew from one note to many, and from many notes to the full music of Great Celebration.

And there in the light of dawn, of a new day, as the people of the city ended their work and prepared to sleep, Hero lifted his head and held forth his arms. His back straightened, Ranger tall, and he began the dance, kicking the ashes of Burning Place as he stepped to the glorious chords of the inward melody. And for those who were still awake to hear, a laugh, young and joyous, rose from outside the walls and settled in the morning air.

For the lad, Hero, discovered that when one belongs to the Kingdom, he is never alone in the terrible places of the world; he can always hear the single, clear-note hum.

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(146A)

A Touch of Jealousy

Wednesday, January 4, 2012 by David Mains

I don’t often get asked to preach on Christmas Sunday. I guess it’s not customary for pastors to ask someone else to fill their pulpit on such a special weekend.

But the situation sometimes leaves me feeling a bit left-out. Christmas and Easter Sundays are occasions when it’s hard for an old preacher like me to maintain a mere listening mode.

So I trust that you who on Christmas Day got to retell the wonderful news about the great God of the Universe graciously sending His Son into our world, did justice to the grandeur of that message.

My prayers were with you, as they will be on Easter Sunday, as well. I pray for you, because who really is adequate for such an overwhelming assignment?

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(#146)

Daring to Dream Again: Let Go... - Part 10

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 by David Mains

Let Go Of Our Painful Past—Part 10

Continuing the adoption story from the previous blog post:

Hero closed his eyes and listened to the simple one-note hum. The place on his forehead which Mercie touched grew warm; then the gentle warmth diffused through his whole body. It was only when he opened his eyes that he realized every hatchet had been sheathed and that the hum he heard, the one-note hum, was now in his own brain, in his own ears, in his own heart.

The people of Great Park began to leave; wordlessly, they withdrew into Deepest Forest. Amanda gave him a shy hug. Her eyes glistened with tears. On the edge of the crowd, special friends waved silent farewells. Each Ranger clasped his hand and then departed. The Sacred Flames dimmed and died, leaving only glowing charcoals to mark the circle. '

Hero stood alone with Caretaker and old Mercie. “It is time,” said Caretaker. “We will accompany you as far as Burning Place.”

So the three walked together out of Inmost Circle, through Deepest Forest, past the practice field, deserted in the night, along the path by Caretaker’s cottage where the latest outcasts rested in sleep, down the edge of wildflower Woods to the old stone gates of Great Park.

A faint melon-wedge of light cracked the night sky, and Hero realized he would leave Great Park at the same time of day, dawn, that he had once entered it so many seasons ago.

Caretaker raised his hatchet and the familiar hymn-hum began. The gates creaked open slowly, and the three walked beneath the inscription:

WELCOME ALL WHO HUNT.

Hero turned and watched the gates close behind him. “Will I ever see this place again?” he wondered out loud.

Mercie pulled him around to face Enchanted City. “Nonsense,” she snapped. “You'll see it every time you close your eyes.” Little as she was, she was now without pity and her grasp was mighty on his arm.

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(145D)

Daring to Dream Again: Let Go... - Part 9

Monday, January 2, 2012 by David Mains

Let Go Of Our Painful Past—Part 9

Kingdom people believe in restoration-in release from oppression in Egypt and even worse settings. It is the King’s ultimate dream for the world that we cherish.

Now is the time to again dream great dreams for our Lord. His return may be soon. Can we be King’s men and King’s women in this day? Can we put the pain of our past experiences aside? It is important to recognize that:

* The person who hurt you may never ask forgiveness.

* The marvelous ministry job you did may never be recognized.

* Some injustices may never be righted.

* The sin committed against you could go unconfessed to the grave!

But for the sake of the future, you can still say, “I’ll put past hurts and fears aside. I want to hear once again the call of my King. With Christ it’s never too late to dream.”

I want your story to be like the story of Hero in the tale I’ve been sharing.

“Now,” said Mercie beside him, “the Rites of Adoption.” The beautiful woman pressed two fingers to Hero’s forehead. She steadied the back of his head with her other hand. The Rangers in the near circle lifted their hatchets, blades pointed toward him, and a hum, one note only, began.

“I, wife of Caretaker, war-maiden Ranger, do implant you, Ranger Hero, with this proof of parentage. You will always know you belong to us. You are ours. Orphan no more, you are heir to all we hold.”

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Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

(145C)

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