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A ‘Sure Fire’ Way to Get Blessed!

/ Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

A young guy had moved his family here from Texas. He came here to ‘learn the ropes’ of ministry, so to speak. After he’d been here a few years he felt like it was time to go back to his hometown and begin the work the Lord had for him. He asked me a question, “What would you do if you were me?” The typical answer that most leaders like myself would give would be to go back and start a church. But, unless the Lord has spoken clearly and specifically to do that…..I wouldn’t give that advice at all. I think my answer might have caught him a bit off-guard.

“I’d go back and find out ‘who’ the poor are in your town.” The poor look different from town to town and city to city, even region to region and state to state. “I’d find out who they are, where they live, where they congregate…..and what their real needs are. Then I’d find out how to help them and to serve them.” He asked me, “Why would you do that?” My answer was, “Because if you’ll make it a priority to help the poor, God will bless every other thing that you do!”

It’s true, we’ve made it a priority here, and I’ve seen it happen over the past 25+ years. The poor are very special to the Lord; so much so that if you’ll help them….he’ll help you! It’s a Biblical guarantee. “When you give to the poor, it’s like lending to God.” I’m gonna go out on a limb here (just kidding) and say that He’s a pretty decent bookkeeper!

If we really want to talk about doing the work(s) of Jesus and neglect the ministry to the poor….we’re missing a huge ingredient of what Jesus’ life was all about. In fact, if He came back today….I think the church would have some serious questions to answer. There’s great potential among the poor in your community. The poor traditionally have no voice….and, sadly, no one is contending for them.

Figure out a way to help them! It’s a sure-fire way to get blessed!!

You’ll like these too:

“The Poor Need the Church…..But Not Nearly as Much as the Church Needs the Poor!”

Thank You, Mother Teresa!

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It Ain’t as Easy as It Looks!

/ Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

About a year ago were was a young guy, I’d say in his late 2o’s, who wanted to get on some bucking bulls. Professional Bull Riding, the PBR, has come to the forefront over the last decade or so and is finding a strong fan base similar to other professional sports. So, this young guy obviously was captivated by the mystique, machismo and the sheer danger of it. He’d never been around it….but he did know a little (very little) about it.

He got on 3 or 4 bulls back to back. He didn’t ride any of them further than a jump or two. I will say for the guy that he wasn’t afraid to get on! After about the fourth one he yelled at his girlfriend, who he’d brought along to watch, “It ain’t as easy as it looks on TV!” Truer words were never spoken!

And, it’s like that with a lot of things. It looks easy from a distance, or on TV, as our buddy above surmised. But most everything changes when you’re actually doing it. Ministry is dang sure like that! Oh, there’s plenty of people out there who love to make fun of ministry people. They say things like, “Yeah, he couldn’t do anything else, so he started preaching.”. That’s some of the nicer stuff. But, just like our bull riding friend said…..it ain’t as easy as it looks. I rode bulls professionally and the stress of that doesn’t even come close in comparison to this. Don’t get me wrong, I ain’t griping; everybody’s got plenty of stress to deal with. And, the Lord always gives plenty of grace when it’s needed. 

Oh, and there’s a way to insulate yourself from the stress. I guess you could just look at it as job. (some do!) You could just treat it as a 9-5, not get attached to people, not deal with their tragedies, and not care whether or not they would have an authentic expression of Christianity, or have a genuine relationship with the Father….or experience a church that’s actually alive. I could never do that!

But, if you sincerely care about people, if you’re willing to do everything in your power to keep it real, if you’re determined to not be satisfied with some ‘phony imitation’, if you’re willing contend for the glory of God and endure all the criticism that comes along with it……it ain’t as easy as it looks!

Related blogs:

Critics……..There’s One Around Every Corner

What If I’d Said, No?

I’m Just the Messenger

 

 

You Got to Me Too Late!

/ Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

If you’re a regular reader of mine you already know I don’t have  much tolerance for people telling other people that God’s mad at them. And I have a grand total of zero tolerance for preachers taking the ‘good news’ and turning it into a bunch of religious rules….that for the most part they can’t even keep, themselves! Dead religion is a cruel taskmaster and it leaves the children of God feeling like they’re never good enough. That’s a problem of the highest order!

I think what gets under my skin the most is the fact that God is so grossly misrepresented. He’s often portrayed as having an unreasonable attitude toward us and almost impossible to please. God is, first and foremost, a Father. And, fathers are loving and nurturing to their children. It just comes natural to us dads, and God is so much better a Father than we are. When He’s misrepresented it can cause one to avoid coming to Him because of a preconceived fear of rejection.That’s very serious….and it must really make Him sad. It has to stop!

When I came to the Lord in 1984 I was at a very low point (actually the very lowest in my entire life!) in my life. He had no good reason (from my perspective) to take me in. I’d done absolutely nothing to warrant His favor or to expect Him to answer my desperate cry of, “God, if you’re out there, you gotta help me!”…..But He did!

My relationship with the Father began right there, really kind of unbeknownst  to me. I didn’t even know that to have a relationship with he Father was anything you should, or could, do. But in those days I found Him to welcoming toward me; I found Him to be gracious, forgiving, encouraging, nurturing and full of love toward me. That’s how I know Him!

So, don’t be pulling that, “God’s mad at you”, stuff on me. (or anyone else for that matter!) Do us all a favor….and back off! It won’t work…..you got to me too late!

Check out these related blogs:

The Fear of the Lord…..Let’s Get It Right!

“God, If You’re Out There, You Gotta Help Me!”

If You See God “Wrongly”…….You’ll Never See Yourself “Rightly”!

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Walkin’ the Floor

/ Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

“I’m Walkin’ the Floor Over You”; Any hardcore country music lover like myself can sing that ‘un by memory! The song was written and performed by none other than Ernest Tubb, (click highlighted link for more information) son of a Texas sharecropper and one of the true pioneers of what we now call ‘honky tonk’ music. ET, a  Crisp, Texas (now a ghost town) kid was so fascinated by Jimmie Rodgers that after Rodgers death he contacted his wife for an autographed picture of Jimmie. Mrs. Rodgers was instrumental in getting the first recording contract for young ET. After a semi-botched tonsillectomy that affected his singing voice he turned exclusively to songwriting until he signed with Decca Records in 1940 and tried his hand at singing again. Turned out to be the thing to do; His sixth released single was the one that brought him almost instant stardom, “Walkin’ The Floor Over You”. (click to see Ernest perform) The single sold over a million copies. Quite a feat for someone whose singing voice seemed to be lacking! *(non-country music fans would probably argue that his voice never recovered……you can decide; lol)

I grew up on Country Music, thanks to my Dad. These days I can appreciate all kinds of music to some degree but those Classic Country songs are still my very favorites. I got to see Ernest Tubb when I was 15. He, and his Texas Troubadours, came to Canadian, Texas to the VFW Hall there in ’68. I’ll never forget it. I’ve since then seen a lot of entertainers live performances but ET’s still ranks up there among the best for me. I joke about that fact that we really were country long before country was ever cool (not a lie)! We were excited when the movie ET came out…..only to be disappointed to find out that it wasn’t a documentary on Ernest Tubb! LOL

I was thinking about my last two posts, “Shoot in Here Amongst Us!!” (click to read) and “Perspective, It Makes All the Difference!”. They both, either directly or indirectly, elude to the reality of our going through rough spots, challenges and problems throughout the course of our lives. It’s true that none of us are immune to them….and how we navigate them will have a profound effect on us….one way or the other.

So, you’re probably wondering by now what Ernest Tubb’s song and that last paragraph are even doing on the same page. It’s a fair assessment, but pretty simple if you ask me; When we’re going through those trials of life, which seem to be pretty often, we might ask ourselves, “God, what are you doing??!!!” 

I certainly don’t have the full perspective of God but there’s a few things I think I’m pretty sure of. When He looks at your situation (and by the way, I think He does that often!) He doesn’t have a scared look on His face like we might; He hasn’t lost His appetite and He’s not wringing His hands and breaking out in a cold sweat; He’s not worried sick about the outcome!

And one thing I do know, …He’s not ‘walking’ the floor over you’ and me,…..and our problems!!

Maybe we should stop doing it, too!!

 

Hey….if you like these….”Share” ’em! Thanks!

Here’s some similar posts:

“Only ‘DADDY’ That’ll Walk The Line”

“I Ain’t No ‘Fortunate Son’”

“If You Ain’t Lovin’, You Ain’t Livin’”

The Gospel According to Shaver!

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Perspective; It Makes All the Difference!

/ Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

It’s true…and I continue to prove it to myself at least a few times a week. The perspective that we have on just about everything can make the difference between something being very good or very bad. Let me explain; I don’t always know how it works but I can get my mind stirred up about something, begin worrying about it and in just a short time be all ‘down in the mouth’ about it. I’ll sometimes fret and agonize over it before going to bed and not be able to go to sleep. I might even wake up, or even worse get up, during the night and worry about it ’til I just can’t stay awake any longer. And then, only, to wake up the next morning and be amazed at why I would worry about something so trivial as that! Just doesn’t make sense sometimes!

Well, it’s all about perspective. How I (we) see things is filtered through the ‘grid’ of several different factors. It’s filtered through how we were raised…and the things we experienced growing up. Those things, right or wrong, really have a way of shaping us into how we think….and who we are. Another thing is how we perceive we’ve been treated by the world around us. That would include parents, siblings, friends and just people in general. Again, those things really have a way of influencing us at our very core. Another thing, and one I think is more important, is how we see God and how we perceive that He has treated us. There are other factors, I guess, but you get the idea.

Something that’s helping me navigate all the things I encounter these days is the reality that God, our Father, is trying desperately to give us His perspective. And, not just give us His perspective on a couple of things….but every single thing we come across….the good, the bad….and the ugly. I’m far from having this perfected but I think I’m gaining ground, a little at a time. When you think about it, if we can start to see things through His eyes it really takes all the pressure off, and causes us not to worry as much.

All that’s just my theory….and maybe it’s more for me than anyone else. But, if you think it might be for you too, here’s a few simple ways we can gain His perspective: 1) Communicate with Him! *Don’t complicate it. He wants to hear your voice more than you can imagine! 2) Read His Word! *And as you read, remember He’s your Father! When you read the Word it’ll enhance your relationship with Him! 3) Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions! Things might not be exactly like you first perceive them to be! 4) Reserve judgment! *(Especially where people are concerned!) Don’t always go with your first inclination…..consider that you might be wrong. 5) Just ride it out! *Maybe, just maybe, gaining His perspective will be like a ‘timed-released’ medicine. i.e., You’ll just catch it along the way. 6) Learn to NOT be intolerant of someone else’s perspective, too!!  You might learn something! 7) And, lastly…..Don’t be afraid to change, based on your ‘new’ perspective!

One thing I know….having His perspective changes just about everything!

Check these out….I think you’ll like them!

You ‘Can’ Get There From Here!

If I’m Trying Harder Than You Are, This Probably Ain’t Gonna Work!

It Ain’t Just “Good News” …… It’s “Great News”!

Just For the Record, You Didn’t ‘Find’ the Lord

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“Shoot in Here Amongst Us!!”

/ Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Have you ever heard that phrase before? It was made famous by a, now deceased, comedian by the name of Jerry Clower. If you’re not familiar with him, you ought to check him out. His country brand of humor is, ‘off the charts’, hilarious! I had the opportunity to meet Jerry Clower back in my rodeo days. It was at a rodeo in Athens, Georgia in the ’70’s and Jerry was the featured entertainer that night. He was standing in the alley-way leading to the arena ready to be introduced. Several of us bull riders were also in the alley-way as our event was soon after his performance. I had heard nearly all his 8-tracks (you young ‘uns ever heard of 8-tracks??! lol) and loved every one of them. My uncle, Jack, was friends with Jerry….who by then was a professing Christian. So, I took the opportunity to walk up and introduce myself to him. He was a huge guy; probably weighing in at the 300+ pound range….and wearing a bright red suit and tie. I told him my name…and that Jack Taylor was my uncle. He said, “You mean, Jack Taylor, the preacher!??” I answered, “Yep”. He let out one of his trademark squalls…., “Waaaaaaw, …….and a good ‘un, too!!” His show that night didn’t disappoint…It was great!

I won’t spoil the story of where the title phrase came from by trying to tell it myself; I couldn’t do it justice. But you should click here and listen to, “Knock Him Out, John”!! (you won’t appreciate this blog until you listen to it) I guarantee you’ll want to listen to a bunch more if you’ll listen to this one!

But that phrase has stuck with me since I first heard that story back in about ’72. I think of it often when going through some kind of serious trial of life. It always brings me to a better place. I guess it’s the sheer humor of it all. *Listen to the story…..and the next time you find yourself in a quandary…..try letting’ out one o’ them Jerry Clower squalls and then yell, “Just shoot in here amongst us…..one of us got to have some relief!!”

If you like humor…here’s a few ‘real life’ stories you’ll enjoy:

The ‘Baddest’ Dang Turkey in Arkansas!

“The Best Straw Hat I Ever Had!”

The Day I Almost Sang “The Old Rugged Cross”!!

The Luge….Western Oklahoma Style!

Gem City, Texas…….and the Prayer That Should’ve Never Been!

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VIP #11 – Steve Jobs

/ Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Knew him well! You didn’t know that?!! …….No, not really. But I’d like to have know him. I’ve kind of had a fascination for Steve Jobs for about ten years, or so, now. Not sure why that started except maybe when I first bought a Mac computer I started to pay attention to whoever it was that headed up the Apple organization.

I was needing a new cell phone just about the time the first iPhone came out….but the Blackberry was the ‘going thing’, at the time. So, I bought a Blackberry. Julie took a chance on the iPhone. I played with her phone for 5 minutes and hated the Blackberry from then on! (the Blackberry doesn’t even exist anymore!) I was so impressed with their products (still am!) as compared to anything else out there that it seemed obvious that someone, somewhere really had an edge in the technology industry.

I’m far from being a high-tech person (I’m past low-tech; I guess you could say I’m, mid-tech, lol) …..but I really appreciate it. I’m fascinated by technology, always have been….ever since I got my first little transistor radio for Christmas when I was just little kid in grade school. But Steve Jobs is, in my opinion, in a class all by himself. You’d have to consider Bill Gates, I guess. But as far as I’m concerned…they’re not even close. In fact all of Apple’s competitors have been playing ‘catch-up’ for several years now. There’s several competitor versions of the iPhone, and iPad out there….but Apple still leads the pack. *(by the end of 2010 Apple had amassed over $76 billion in cash reserves!) Not bad for a business/company that was started in a garage!

When Steve Jobs’ book  (click to see) was released….I bought it that day and literally read straight through it. What an interesting guy; Quirky, driven, extremely hard to work for, visionary, incredibly intolerable of anything other than outright excellence, reclusive, very hard on employees, ruthless negotiator. Steve Jobs had a dream a generation ago that everyone on the planet needed a laptop computer…..before there was even such a thing!! One of my favorite stories in the book involved John Sculley, CEO of Pepsi Cola. Steve wanted to hire John to head up Apple. As was his custom Steve would walk with people in his extremely affluent neighborhood (barefooted) and talk business. After a long walk Sculley was unmoved in leaving Pepsi and coming to Apple. Steve closed the deal by saying to him, “Well, John, you need to decide if you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water…..or changing the world.” Sculley left Pepsi for Apple!! You should read the book!

Steve Jobs, whether you admire him or not, is one of the most influential figures of our lifetime. In the final analysis he will need to be compared to men like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. He has affected your life in some way whether you choose to accept it or not. That’s why I consider Steve Jobs a VIP!

PS-I have a dream somewhat like Steve Jobs. One of these days I’ll tell you about it.

*Check out other VIP Blog*Read them all by going to the “Archives”:

VIP’s #10 – Cliff & Charlene Taylor

VIP #3 – Ronnie Chadwick

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The Fear of the Lord…..Let’s Get It Right!

/ Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

The “fear of the Lord”; It’s one of the fundamental issues of Scripture. I hear people referring to, or quoting, the phrase fairly often. But I hardly ever hear it communicated the way I think it should be done. Let me say up front that I don’t consider myself a Bible scholar. And, beyond that, it’s not anything I’m shooting for either. I do think, that for me at least, that I need (and do have) what I call a ‘good working knowledge of the Bible’. And, by that, I mean that when I need to know where to go in the Book to find the Truth about a certain issue….I can do it. I’m still learning but I can pretty much find a Scriptural answer for your problems when I need to.

But this issue of the fear of the Lord is one that really needs to be cleared up, once and for all! Nearly every time I hear anyone talking about it, (even some of the Bible scholars get it wrong, by the way!) they always talk about it…or teach it in such a way that we’re supposed to be afraid (frightened, scared of, terror stricken, fearful, petrified; all synonyms of fear) of God. Ticks me off, to say the least! Now, if you look at some of the Old Testament expressions of God…..without having any relationship with Him….it’d be easy to assume the wrong thing. And, I think that’s where a lot of the error originates….with people who know a lot of Biblical facts about Him….but don’t actually know Him relationally. That’ll mess you up in a BIG way!

You may wonder why I think this is so important. Here’s why; From God’s standpoint…it’s always been about Him having a relationship with His children. (Im talking about you and me!!) So, think about it….how good of a relationship could you have with someone that you’re afraid of?? Well, there you go! If you’re a parent do you want your kids to be afraid of you?? Good parents don’t want that!

So, let’s get this right; God is the perfect Father…..and He doesn’t want us to be afraid , or scared of Him. Now, …..reverence, respect, adoration, devotion, loyalty, esteem; these are all *correct responses to Him (*actually they’re ‘natural’ responses to Someone Who loves you like He does!) So, if you’re out there telling everyone they need to be ‘scared’ of God.…STOP IT!!

Get to know Him, and you won’t be scared of Him anymore! It’ll make a huge difference in your life!

Here’s a couple more you might like:

The “Only Thing” That Really Works

“Obviously, I’m God’s Favorite!”

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“Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”

/ Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

“……….nothing remains quite the same….” That’s just part of the words to a song that’s been one of my faves for 30 + years. I don’t know if you like Jimmy Buffett or not….you should! If you don’t, let me know and I’ll pray for you ’cause there’s obviously something ‘fundamentally’ wrong with you! I’ve seen him in concert at least three times down through the years…..and I’ll do it again if I get the chance. I mean, what’s not to like about Jimmy Buffett??!!

But, seriously, it’s a really great song….and it has a pretty profound message to it, as well, if you’re willing to really listen. (you can click ‘here’ to listen to the whole song) It’s about taking a look back over our lives now and then and reflecting on where we’ve been, what we experienced, how we thought about certain things and how those things change over the years and the seasons of our lives. That kind of reflection can be a good thing.

I’ve had cause over the last month to do quite a bit of reflecting, myself. Even though there’s been some tears, I think for the most part it has been healthy. It’s evident to me that the whole Taylor family is transitioning into a new season. It has been a little rough at the get-go, but I predict it’ll be a great season of life for our big ‘ol Family. There’ll be plenty of challenges but as far as I can see the potential outweighs them by a mile.

It all amounts to some ‘changes in latitude and changes in attitude’; and just like Buffett sang, “nothing remains quite the same”. The attitude with which we choose to approach these seasons of life could make all the difference for us. And Jimmy addressed that too; “With all of our running and all of our cunning, If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.” We oughta resolve to laugh a little more!

“Maybe you should take off for a weekend next month and try and recall the whole year.” You’ll find there’s been a lot of faces and places….and some may have even disappeared.

Make your next season a good one! ….and just consider that Jimmy Buffett might have really known what he was talking about when he said, “Yesterday’s over my shoulder, So I can’t look back for too long. There’s just too much to see waiting in front of me, and I know that I just can’t go wrong!”

You might like these, too:

You Can Live in the Past if You Want To…..But There Is a ‘Downside’

Keep Your Eyes On The Road!

You ‘Can’ Get There From Here!

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Simplicity! It’s All I Have to Offer

/ Andy R Taylor / 6 Comments

It has been about 12 or 13 years ago now. I had found myself in the company of several guys who headed up some very effective ministries. Ministries that are operating ‘under the radar’ as I call it. They’re not your typical Charisma Magazine poster boys at all. They’re more of what I’d describe as being kind of like John the Baptist. Some are very controversial figures because of their relevant, but edgy, message on such things as the kingdom of God, grace, the prophetic, signs and wonders, the finished work of Jesus and ministry to the poor. I consider them all to be world changers. A very unique bunch of men, to say the least!

As we got together periodically and grew to be great friends it was easy for me to see how the Father had equipped them for what they were giving their lives to. I could clearly see what they brought to the table. But the more we got together I began to wonder how I got in the picture with these men. And, while I learned a lot from each of them I couldn’t see anything of value that I was bringing to the relationship.

When I questioned the Lord about that I felt like I heard Him right off. “Andy, you bring ‘simplicity’ to the table”. That made a lot of sense to me. He went on to show me that there’s a great need in the whole Body of Christ these days for simplicity. I remember in those days clearly hearing from the Lord, “Andy, I’m about to bring the significance to simplicity that it’s always deserved“!

When I think about simplicity, I immediately think about Jesus…and how He did the things He did. He was God in the flesh, He had all wisdom….in Him was all the fulness of the Godhead (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) in bodily form….yet His teaching was so simple that even those who didn’t nearly have it all together could understand it. 

That’s my goal….always has been. I’ve been an avid student of the Bible now for over 30 years. I know enough Bible that I could show up on any given Sunday and teach something that only the hardcore Bible hounds could really understand but it doesn’t appeal to me at all. I’m not trying to impress anyone with my Bible knowledge! My goal is, I think, the same as Jesus’……teach it in such a way that no one can miss the Truth!

There’s a lot more to be said about ‘simplicity’. I’ll do it along our way. I’ll leave you with this great quote from Leonardo DaVinci: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”!

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