It Was a Great Answer!

June 20, 2016March 7, 2020 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

If you’re not familiar with our Camp of Champions, you should check it out. It’s just about the most unique church camp you’ll ever bump into. It’s a rodeo church camp. There’s a few others out there but I’d estimate that ours’ is the biggest of its kind anywhere. This was our 14th year and as usual we had participants from about 8 states. It’s for boys and girls age 6-16 who have their sights set to participate in Jr. rodeo. In the 14 years since the inception of the Camp of Champions we’ve had several national junior rodeo champs, high school rodeo champs, college champions and even a PRCA world champion!

Instructors for the Camp of Champions is a virtual “Who’s Who” in the rodeo world. There’ve been too many world champions to mention who give their time and energy for a few days to help these kids in their respective rodeo events…but they’re also ‘champions’ in their walk with the Lord. Rodeo instruction takes place in the daytime and there are tent services at night with the instructors doing testimonies and most of the ministry. In the past 14 years there’s been well over a thousand young people who’ve given their lives to the Lord without any ‘pressure’ from us! We believe that the Holy Spirit is good enough at what he does that we don’t have to try to manipulate or frighten kids into making a decision. Jesus didn’t do that…..so we’re not going to do it either!

I learned a long time ago that you don’t have to convince kids that God is real…..or that He’s good! They already know…..and they already believe! But during our camp recently I was reminded again of just how much the Father has already done for us to enable us to believe. It was on the last night service of the camp. There were over 80 boys, and about twice that number of parents, instructors and helpers under the tent. I was closing out the service when I asked a couple of really simple questions. “Do you believe in Jesus?” It was unanimous! I think every kid and adult in the tent responded with a loud, resounding “Yes”! I then asked the question, “Why do you believe in Jesus?” …..and it was unanimous again. But, this time, not one single person answered, I mean, total silence! It was 100% quiet! And, it suddenly occurred to me that, that was a great answer!!

Here’s my reasoning; The Bible is clear that we’ve all been given ‘the’ measure of faith. It’s the same quality of faith that God used when He ‘spoke’ the world into being. It’s faith to believe in Jesus, His Son, even when we can’t even tell you “why”. I heard someone say it this way one time; “I just know down in my ‘knower'”! It’s that deep, God given, assurance of the reality that He exists….and that He’s good!

So, if you can say you believe in Jesus but you just can’t answer why…..That’s a great answer!!

Maybe you should tell Him, “Thanks”!

Check these out, too:

The Thing About Unconditional Love

Maybe You Should Quit Whippin’ Your Own A#$!!

Anyplace With You

May 25, 2016May 25, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

It was just a couple of weeks ago. I had bought Julie tickets for a Barry Manilow concert. Now, not one thing against Barry Manilow….great songwriter, great artist…..and as it turns out….not a bad performer, either. But, he’s just not up at the top of my list of entertainers that I would pay much to see do a “live” performance. It was the day of the concert and one of the girls she had asked to go with her, couldn’t. Then she called another of her friends who couldn’t go, either. I desperately suggested another person or two. I may, or may not have, even prayed about it! *(okay, I did! “C’mon Lord….help a feller out!) So, then, my number came up! She text me and said, “Well, it looks like it’s you”! I text back, “You think I’ll be the only ‘guy’ there?” She replied, “Probably!”

We had a great drive up to OKC. I always enjoy Julie. But, surprisingly, I found myself enjoying the trip and even anticipating the evening ahead a lot more than I expected. I did, however, leave my ‘man card’ in the car for fear that they’d frisk me at the door and confiscate it from me. But, seriously, I had this thought, “You know, ….anywhere with Julie…..is better than anywhere else, without her.” I’m not trying to be ‘gushy’ but it’s really true when I think about it. Well, the concert was a lot better than I anticipated. I did actually enjoy it! *Keep that to yourself if you don’t mind!

I think I also learned a ‘spiritual lesson’ from that trip. When you step back and think about the bigger picture….it’s actually true in our relationship with the Father, too. It’s inevitable, we’re going to go through a lot of tough circumstances in life. No one’s immune. At this stage of life it seems like a ‘no-brainer’ to me; Given the choice, I’d easily choose to be going through the hardest thing in life than to be sitting in the ‘lap of luxury’ without Him!

“Anyplace (or any situation in life, no matter how hard,unpleasant or painful it might be) with Him……is better than any other place without Him!”

Disclaimer: Now, for those wondering, …..I do have my limits. I did skip the Luke Bryan concert due to another self-scheduled root canal (same with Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Florida Georgia Line and a few others). I’m tellin’ ya’, it’s hard to get a dentist to do a root canal on a Saturday night,…especially on a tooth that doesn’t need it!

Check these out….and pass ’em along to your friends:

God Moves Through ‘Influence’ ……. Not ‘Control’!

There’s Just So Much of This Stuff in Life We’re Gonna Have to Learn the ‘Hard Way’!

Livin’ It Up

May 25, 2016March 14, 2022 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

There’s a phenomenon, I guess you’d call it, that I’ve observed down through the years. And it seems to have it’s effect just about every time….on whoever it’s applied on, or practiced with. It’s the thing of giving honor, or not giving honor, to someone. The conventional way of thinking is that when someone does something noble or noteworthy that we then honor them for their behavior. Makes sense from a logical standpoint. But, I’ve also seen that when we honor someone above their achievements that they nearly always without fail…..rise to a higher level of behavior, or performance. There’s plenty of people who would argue with that line of thinking but you can’t argue with real, genuine results! And again…..you get positive results nearly every time you do it. It seems to work in whatever venue it’s exercised in, whether in your own family, the workplace, the church, friendships or even with just casual relationships.

It works! But, the opposite side of the coin always seems to work, too (‘or not work’, might be a better description!) . When we don’t give that honor…..or when we ignore the actions of those that we interact with, or have a low opinion of them…..they will nearly always lower their behavior to that level, as well. It just does something to a person’s self-esteem. You can probably think about the times that you’ve been honored, ……or dishonored, maybe even overlooked and remember how it made you feel. I think something very profound happens when we give honor…..even before it’s earned.

I’ve said many times that in, being a pastor, it’s a lot more important for me to teach people ‘who they are’, than to teach them ‘what to do’. For me it’s obvious; when people begin to understand ‘who’ they really are (from God’s perspective)…..that’s when the behavior begins to really change….and it’s always a change for the better! He’s put an extremely high value on you, even called you His own sons and daughters. That makes me want to live up to my true identity!

People have a tendency to live up (or down) to the opinion you have of them.

If You Love Someone….You Should Tell Them!

It Feels Good To Be “Believed In”!!

FoMO

May 4, 2016May 5, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Apparently it’s a ‘thing’ now; a real thing. Yep, heard it on the morning network news a week or two ago. They did a whole segment on it. FoMO; “Fear of Missing Out”. It’s a pervasive attitude or syndrome linked to the negative feeling of getting left out of something important, and something that other people might be invited to, or involved in.

I’m gonna say that long before someone came up with the name for it, we’d all felt that feeling before; probably quite a few times, the truth be known. Not a good feeling. No one wants to be left out. In fact, whether we really want to be involved or not….it does feel good to be invited and kept in the loop. Makes us feel important. Getting left out hurts our feelings and makes us feel insignificant.

I’ve got some good news if you’re feeling like the FoMo Mojo’s on ya’! Lucky for us the Creator of the Universe has extended an open invitation for us to be at this huge banquet sometime in the near future, date TBA. Right now there are people going out into the hedges, the highways and byways and inviting all those who, many times, don’t get invited to anything. It’s a big wedding party. The Bible calls this big party the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Gonna be some really important people there, including you! All the people attending have been handpicked and adopted into the Family by God, Himself.

It’s an RSVP event; If you said “yes” to Jesus….that’s an adequate reply. Your seat’s already reserved,…..and in the VIP section, no less! If you haven’t said “yes”, I would at the next opportunity. He really wants you to be there!

When we catch the reality of how much He loves us the FoMO won’t be an issue with us any more!

Check these out:

“Obviously, I’m God’s Favorite!”

The “Only Thing” That Really Works

The Truth Does Not ‘Set’ You Free!

If you find these helpful…..Please “Share” ’em with your Friends!

“It’s Complicated!”

April 25, 2016April 26, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

I hear that a lot these days. It’s a common admission on FaceBook and other social media sites, and it’s usually used to describe one’s relationship status. It may just be me….but I think I’d steer away from any relationship that’s ‘complicated’. If I were to give advice to any of those claiming to be in a complicated relationship, it’d be to simplify. I think that’d make it easier on everyone involved. I’d love to see just one person on FaceBook describe their relationship by posting….”It’s Simple”!

I imagine a lot of people might also classify their relationship with the Lord as complicated. I mean, He’s a pretty profound Entity to say the least. In fact, in His infiniteness, He could decide to make Himself totally un-understandable if He wanted to. But, it’s just not in His makeup to do so. He could reveal Himself to be so complex that it would totally boggle the human mind. He definitely has that capability, too. But, again, it’s not anything He’s interested in doing in the least.

He has never wanted His relationship with us to be complicated. That’s one reason He reveals Himself as, Father. And, He doesn’t just reveal Himself as Father only because it’s a relationship that we can understand, and relate to….although it does go a long ways in helping. Nope, He reveals Himself as Father…..’cause that’s Who He really is!! It’s the clearest description of Him and of His nature.

Religion has a way of complicating our relationship with the Father…..but don’t let it! When you’re feeling like it’s getting complicated….just revert to the simplicity of that Father/son, Father/daughter relationship that He deeply desires to have with you. Enjoy!

And when anyone asks you about that relationship you’ll never, ever have to say, “It’s Complicated’!

Check these out:

Simplicity! It’s All I Have to Offer

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

Relational Equity

April 20, 2016April 21, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Equity: In finance, equity is the difference between the value of the assets and the cost of the liabilities of something owned. For example, if someone owns a car worth $15,000 but owes $5,000 on that car, the car represents $10,000 equity.

Anytime we make a payment into our investments we are building equity. I’ve been paying on my home loan for years. I’m at the point now where I can almost see the end of it. So, I’ve got a lot of equity in my home. In the last year or so our local economy has tanked. I have a friend in the banking business who recently told me that there were 200-300 homes in our area for sale. There’s a good number of those folks just walking off from their homes…..and the loans attached to them. Not a good situation for anyone involved. It does make sense, though, that if you have a lot of equity in that home that you’d do everything in your power to somehow make the payments. Yep….too much equity to just walk away from.

In the same way we make investments in possessions, property and the like, we also make investments in relationships. And every time we interact with someone else….we’re building equity; ‘relational equity’. Julie and I had our first date in 1967, we got married 10 years later, to the day. Next January we’ll have been married 40 years….but together for 50! That’s a lot of equity! A lot of relational investment…and way to much to walk away from. (not that we’re thinking about it! lol)

Relationships are important. They’re challenging, to say the least, but the greatest joys in life come through our relationships. They can also be a source of heartbreak too….but they’re still well worth the investment. We have to take the chance, the stakes are too high, there’s too much to gain! And, besides…..”it’s not good that man should be alone”! Engage…interact, stay hooked and build equity!

It works the same way in our relationship with the Father. Every time we interact with Him we get to know Him more. That’s building relational equity! And the more we ‘know’ Him the more we will, naturally, love Him. If you want your life to be as rich as it can possibly be…..start building relational equity today…..with people…..and with Him!

Check these out, too:

Loyalty – A Forgotten Virtue

A “Disposable” Relationship

‘Betrayal’ – Nothing Easy About It!

The “Only Thing” That Really Works

It’s Better to “Be” The House!

April 19, 2016April 19, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / 3 Comments

Every so often, on a Sunday morning, one of our worship leaders will say something like, “Isn’t it good to be in the house of the Lord”. That’s what most people call the church building. And, that’s a pretty fair assessment of what it actually is. But if you take the people out of that ‘house’, it is really just another building. There’s nothing holy about a building. It’s the people that make it the ‘house of the Lord’.

Every time I hear them say that I say to myself, “Yeah, it’s good to be ‘in’ the house of the Lord…..but it’s better to ‘be’ the house of the Lord!”. If you find that to be a strange observation….here’s where I’m coming from. Paul, in one of his letters said it this way, “Don’t you know that you’re the temple of God, and that the Holy Spirit lives in you?” Paul had received a great revelation when he had his encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus. It totally, and literally, turned his world, not upside down but, ‘right side up’! He talked about, in another of his letters, “a mystery among the Gentiles, which is, Christ in you….the hope of glory”. God doesn’t live in structures built with hands. In fact, he could live anywhere He wants to….but His choice is to live in us, individually and corporately. It’s this ‘temple’ that He wants to restore….and fill with His glory.

So, I’ll agree…..it’s good to be “in” the house of the Lord….but it’s even better to “be” the house of the Lord!

You’ll like these too:

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

We’re on a ‘Need to Know’ Basis with the Lord!!

“Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There!!”

Workin’ it Out!

April 12, 2016April 14, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Something profound, and nothing short of miraculous, happened deep within us when we were born again. It happened in the very deepest part of us, our spirit. When we came into agreement with the plan of God for our salvation, by way of believing in Jesus, and mixing that belief with the faith that He’s already provided for us…..our spirit was renewed. I mean, completely renewed! OK, I’ll make it clearer…..your spirit was perfected! Don’t argue with me….you’ll lose the argument. I’m pretty passionate about this one!

That ‘thing’ that happened is there, in you, to totally transform every area of your life. No kidding! The real you has been ‘renewed’! (made new…and perfect!) And while it’s a lifetime process to flesh it out…your spirit can’t get any more renewed-er (I just made that word up!), than it is right now. So, the challenge becomes……“How do we get what’s happened on the ‘inside’, to manifest itself on the ‘outside’!?

Paul said it this way in the Bible; “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”. (Don’t get too uptight about that ‘fear and trembling’ thing; it just means to be serious, sincere…and diligent about it!) Now, he’s not talking about working (doing good things) to ‘earn’ your salvation. That’s far from the truth. Besides, salvation is a ‘gift’; and like any other gift it can only be ‘received’, and not worked for or earned! What’s happened in our spirit is always ‘ready’ to be given permission, by us, to be useful in our everyday lives. It’s simple; don’t complicate it! It amounts to us learning to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit….Who now lives in our spirit to guide us every step of the way.

It could be classified as ‘learned behavior’; we learn from His Spirit how to let the miracle that’s happened inside to be manifest in everything we do. It’s going to require us to change our thinking, some; OK, a lot! But, it’s doable. And, as we change the way we think our behavior, and everything else, begins to change….for the better!

If we’re really being ‘conformed’ into the image of Jesus, then what’s inside has to be ‘worked out’!

Check these out:

God Moves Through ‘Influence’ ……. Not ‘Control’!

“Loosen the Bible Belt a Little!”

Retaliate!!

A Long Ways From the Lord

March 31, 2016April 3, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Awhile back I was right in the middle of telling my story (my personal testimony). And, something I’ve said a dozen or more times before in that process, all of a sudden, took on a whole new dimension. If you’re a regular reader of mine you’ll remember that I didn’t grow up going to church. In fact, by the time I was thirty, I probably hadn’t even been in a church more than a few dozen times, funerals and all. I will say that even though our family didn’t go to church we were definitely brought up right. We were taught things that everyone really should be taught. Things like working hard, telling the truth, being true to your word, giving value to people and treating ’em all with dignity. Those are pretty valuable things…..we were just kinda missing some of the spiritual stuff. But, thinking back, Mom and Dad somehow imparted to us that God was real…….and that He was good! I didn’t learn that at the church house but, somehow, I knew it! I’ve always known it!

In giving my testimony I said, “We were a long ways from the Lord”. Like I said earlier in this post, I’d said that a dozen times or more but this time when I said it I heard that familiar, still, small voice of the Lord quietly say to my spirit, “Yeah, Andy…..you might have been a long ways from Me…..but I was never far from you”! It got my attention and really struck me in a deep, deep place. I knew that it was the voice of the Lord…..and I knew that it was true.

I’ll bet there are a lot of people out there who, like me, think they’re a long ways from the Lord. But I want to go on the record, here, and tell you……..He’s not far from you!

If you like these “Share” ’em!

You might want to check these out, too:

I Was Born Rich!

I’m Just the Messenger

A “Disposable” Relationship

The ‘Magic’ Words

March 29, 2016March 30, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / 6 Comments

Not sure when I first heard it; I’d guess about the time I started to school, maybe before. But, someone taught me, what they called, the ‘magic’ words. “Please”…..and “Thank You”! I think they really are magic because when you use them and use them with sincerity, some amazing, even magical results can happen.

I was having a visit with a friend a few days ago who had been trying with all his might to help someone very close to him. Beyond helping his friend by giving him some life-giving, Godly advice, he’d helped him financially with bills and expenses….not to mention a lot of time he had willingly invested. But he had made the observation that his friend had never, even one time, said “Thank You”. The absence of a ‘thank you’ left my friend feeling used and unappreciated. That’s not really how you want to feel when you set out to help someone. And now the lack of a ‘thank you’ now and then has left their relationship on slippery ground. It’s tragic but it happens all the time. A little ‘thank you’ goes a long ways!

“Please”, that other ‘magical’ word seems to be equally as important to me. It’s amazing the doors that are apt to open when we just add that little word to our requests. Both those ‘magic’ words have the potential to totally change the outcome (in a positive way!) of just about any conversation they’re used in. When those magic words land in the ears they almost always do something simultaneously in the heart of the person who hears them.

I’m still not sure who it was that told me that those were ‘magic words’, but today…50 some years later, I’m grateful to whoever it was. I can honestly say that they’ve made a difference for me. I don’t think it’s ever too late to learn the ‘magic’ words.

We oughta start using them more…..and teaching others to do the same…..and then watch the magic happen!