How Are We Doing in ‘The Thing’ That Matters Most?

July 15, 2015July 18, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

Our lives are important. I don’t think I have to convince you of that. But, have you thought about how important your life might be to God? As a Father…..and the One Who actually gives us life to begin with…..you’d think that He would place an extremely high value on our lives and how they’re spent. Life is a very precious thing. I’m aware of that more today, at nearly 62, than I’ve ever been before. I expect the realization of that truth will continue to escalate as we grow older. It’s almost unbelievable how fast the years go by.

As I stop and look both ways, to the past and to the future, I wonder if I have….and if I will, spend my days doing things that have any kind of eternal value. For me, that’s an extremely sobering thought. I really think the Father wants more for our lives than to for us to just take up space and end up in heaven. If we believe that He has a plan for our life we really should go after Him (ask Him) and allow Him to disclose the details so we can ‘get on with the program’!

But as I think of what really matters most only one thing comes to mind. How are we doing in our journey to love like He loves? Some would argue that there’s no way we could ever love like He does. It’s a valid argument. But I really believe that’s ‘the thing’ that He wants ,more than anything else, to produce in us. Oh there’s all kinds of things He wants to use us to accomplish but none any more important than this. I honestly believe it’s do-able….but not without His Spirit to help us in the process.

Deep down all of us would want to hear at the end, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. And I think that, of all the positive things we might do with our lives, it actually comes down to…..how well did I do at ‘loving’ people?

How well are you doing in ‘the thing’ that matters most?

Are You A ‘Kingdom’ Person? Part 10 – “In the Game” not “On the Bench”

July 14, 2015July 14, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

If you’ve been reading the series, “Are You a ‘Kingdom’ Person?”, you have probably decided by now which side you’re on. If not….keep reading and you’ll be able to clearly decide before the series is completed. Kingdom people are ‘in the game’, not ‘on the bench’! Organized religion doesn’t always work very good. I’m not trying to criticize, just making an observation based on quite a few years of experience and reflection. One of the undeniable things I’ve observed is the unwillingness of people in the Bible-Belt to get involved in their church. Oh, I know, there are some who do….but overall it’s just a very small percentage of the ones who do. For the most part it’s their mindset that, “that’s what we pay the pastor for”. That mindset is rampant but it’s about as un-Biblical as you can get! Therefore, it doesn’t work over the course of time.

On the other hand, kingdom people are ‘in the game’! They look for areas in their church that need to be ‘shored up’ and they’re willing to ‘step in’ and lend a hand. They see it, and approach it, as a ‘family’ business. In fact, that’s a great way to look at it. They take responsibility. They don’t stand around complaining about what’s not being done or criticizing the few who are actually doing something. No, they’re not willing to see this organism, called the church, flounder around when it should be flourishing! In my experience, it’s always the folks on the bench that do the whining, the murmuring and the complaining….all the while….never making a difference with their own life. That’s just the way it is…and it’s always been that way to a degree. If it’s ever going to change we’ve gotta start doing it different. And, THE, place to start is to get off the bench and into the game!

Kingdom people are ‘in the game’!!

Are You A ‘Kingdom’ Person? Part 9 – Learners

July 10, 2015August 17, 2018 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Kingdom people think different….and behave differently than the regular, normal, bored, Bible-belt church guy. They have a keen sense of destiny and are serious about allowing the Father’s plan for their life to be fulfilled. The kingdom person is committed to the process of spiritual maturity and fully understand that it doesn’t happen overnight.

Committing to the Father’s plan for our lives requires us to be ‘learners’. He has us in the ‘school of life’. Every incident, every event has potential redeeming value for the kingdom person. They even have a keen understanding that even the obstacles, challenges and trials have a way of forming and shaping them into the image of Jesus. The kingdom person knows that the Father has an intricate, detailed, plan for their life….but they’re learning not to take themselves to seriously. They laugh at their mistakes, learn from them….and move on!

My dad, Cliff Taylor, gave my brother Monty and me some profound advice growing up; “When you think you know it all, you’re as smart as you’re ever going to get”. If you think about that it proves to be true if you’re a plumber, a doctor or an astronaut. That little piece of advice has caused me to be in the place of a ‘learner’ my entire life.

Paul, the apostle, took a similar position; “I don’t count myself as having attained (arrived)”. As a result of that mindset, he remained a ‘learner’ his entire life. Today, and it’s events, holds the incredible possibility of teaching us all kinds of things. There are plenty of people out there in the church today who act as if they have ‘it all knowed up’. ……..but kingdom people are ‘learners’!!

Are You A ‘Kingdom’ Person? Part 8 – Doers of the Word

July 9, 2015July 9, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 3 Comments

A kingdom person, in my opinion, see things different than your normal Bible-Belt church person. And, as a result of how they see things it totally changes their activity and behavior. They’re concerned…..and very aware of the Father’s plan for the world….but more specifically….His plan for them and how they fit into His big picture!

Kingdom people are ‘doers of the Word’! The regular church guy is more concerned with ‘getting fed’ than he is in doing anything with the Truth that he’s been fed! My experience in 30 + years of ministry is that the people who are whining about not being fed….rarely ever do anything with what they are fed! Babies have to be fed……adults feed themselves!

What does it mean to be a doer of the Word?? Well, for starters, kingdom people take it personal when the Bible says, “Signs and wonders will follow them that believe”, and “We were created in Christ Jesus for good works”, “Whoever believes in Me and the works that I do, he will do also” The regular church guy believes that stuff happened in Bible days but doesn’t really happen anymore. Makes me wonder, when did God stop doing those things?? Then there are others who believe the miraculous still takes place but believe that it is through someone else, somewhere else or at another time. But the ‘kingdom’ person takes it personally and believes it for himself/herself now. They also understand that you can’t just ‘go rogue’ with this stuff. Nope, they have a keen understanding that they must follow the lead of the Holy Spirit if anything significant is going to happen. But they also know that when they are led by the Holy Spirit and follow His lead in obedience that the ‘sky is not the limit’!! The stage is set for the miraculous! Kingdom people are ‘doers of the Word’!!

Quit Telling Me What The Problem Is!!

July 8, 2015August 18, 2020 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

It was a bit of a rude awakening when we were informed that the ranch we had leased, lived on for nearly 25 years, made our homes, and were assured we’d be there forever, was going to be sold. I’ll never forget that day! Interestingly enough, the day before, I had written inside the cover of my Bible: “God, I want everything You have for me, no matter what it costs me.” I had no idea that the very next day He would begin to shift things in such a way that I could clearly see, at least a little of, what the ‘costs’ might be! It was, even more, the challenge because Julie and I had absolutely no back-up plan. As far as we were concerned we were going to raise our kids…..and grow old there. So everything was somewhat in chaos and we had no choice but to put our trust in the Lord.

That was in 1988, and we moved only 30 miles away south of Cheyenne, Oklahoma. I worked several odd jobs for a few months, everything from helping take care of cattle (which I was way familiar with), to some oilfield day work but nothing extremely stable or permanent. I saw an ad in the local paper and went for an interview, took an aptitude test….and was hired on the spot by Edgar Sellers (before he even looked at how I’d done on the test), a great guy who’d be my boss for the next seven years. I started with Western Merchandisers the next week!

The president of the company was John Marmaduke whose, dad, Sam had started the company on a shoestring a generation before. John was a brilliant businessman, in my opinion. He took a fairly small company and procured a contract with Wal-Mart that eventually enabled Western Merchandisers to supply all the music (Vinyl LP’s, 8-Tracks, Cassettes, CDs), all the books, all the computer software and most of the movies for the entire Wal-Mart chain, nationwide. After a few years, Wal-Mart purchased Western Merchandisers for millions.

John was an aggressive guy in our regional meetings. He knew the business and didn’t tolerate amateurism to any degree. Let’s just say he ‘ran a tight ship’! I remember several meetings with sales reps, district managers, and upper-level management when people would start to talk of all the problems out in the field. John would rip into them….no matter what level they were in…..and I can remember him saying more than a few times, “I’m tired of hearing about the problems; Anybody can tell you what the problems are!’, “I want to hear from somebody who has a solution!”

I’ve never forgotten those meetings and what I learned from John. And, it’s true; whether we’re talking about the Federal Government, the Little League Baseball Team, the Chamber for Commerce, your marriage or the Church; just about anybody can tell you what the problem is….you don’t have to be genius to figure that out! There’s just not many out there who are solution minded.

So, quit telling me what the problem is…….I want to hear from somebody who has a solution!

It’s Not Too Late to Make a ‘Mark’ With Your Life!

July 7, 2015April 13, 2020 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

We’re all born with an inherent need to make a difference with our life. There really is something resident deep down inside us that makes us want our lives to ‘count’. I believe it’s the work of the Lord, without a doubt. Not many people would argue that the Father has an intricate, detailed plan for their life. But when it comes right down to it many of those same people would be hard-pressed to confess that His plan was being adequately worked out in their life at the moment.

Well I, for one, think we need to think about doing something about that. Fulfilling our destiny is a serious thing to consider. The worst thing that could happen to us in our lifetime is to ignore or reject the Holy spirit’s attempts to draw us to the Lord. For us to miss salvation would be a tragedy almost beyond comprehension. But to miss our destiny (the God-ordained plan He has for our life) would be the ‘second’ worst thing that could happen to us. To be on the planet for our allotted time and miss the reason why….would be a ‘miss’ of epic proportions! There’s really no sense in letting that happen.

If you’re going to fulfill your destiny and make a mark with your life I wouldn’t piddle around too long, ……’cause the clock’s ticking, so to speak. Here’s what to do:

1) Renew your relationship with the Father.

2) Communicate with Him; Talk to him, listen, be aware of how He wants to move in your life.

3) Be obedient; It’s going to take faith for you to proceed. The good news is, you already have adequate faith!

4) Commit to the long-haul. * It’s a lifelong endeavor!

5) Expect some obstacles; There’ll be plenty….but you’re an overcomer.

6) Pay close attention to the people in your path; They’re a ‘key’ to your destiny!

7) Enjoy the trip!

It’s not too late to make a mark with your life!

You’re Not Welcome Here!

July 3, 2015July 3, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

In 1988, our last year on the ranch out in the Texas Panhandle, I was taking care of 2500 head of cattle for a guy from Throckmorton, Texas. He’d leased about 30 sections of the Urschel Ranch north of Canadian. I’d make the 35 mile trip from where I lived three times a week and check the cattle there. There was one pasture that had a perfect view overlooking the city of Canadian, Texas. The Lord started dealing with me about praying for Canadian, which I did nearly 3 times a week that entire summer. I had no idea that He had plans for us to plant a church there.

After we left the ranch and moved to Oklahoma I continued to pray for Canadian. 13 years later He started speaking very clearly to us about planting a church there. We felt like the ‘right’ thing to do was first go the the local Ministerial Alliance (made up of all the pastors of the churches there) and tell them of our plans. Well, the response we got was NOT what we hoped for…..by a long shot! Now, get the picture…I was born in Canadian, Texas, and lived in Hemphill County most of my life. Donald Hill (who was going to Pastor the work) was born there and lived there his entire life. Of the other pastors there, the longest tenure of any of them was about 4 years. They were very rude to us, to put it mildly. At one point one of the pastors asked why we thought we needed to plant a church there because, as he said, “We’ve got plenty of churches here”. When I said, “Well, we believe the Lord has told us to”. Then he replied, “Well, that doesn’t impress me at all.” He went on to say, “Yeah, you hear about the kid on TV who says the Lord told him to kill his parents”. I’m thinking….“well, that’s a perfect analogy of what we’re trying to do here!” lol Very rude!

There was one particular pastor who kept fairly quiet. He wasn’t necessarily friendly but he wasn’t rude, either. We found out later that he called the pastor of the same denomination in Sayre. He told him, “These guys came to Canadian saying they are going to plant a church here. There’s been half a dozen groups in the last 10 years try to do that….and they’ve all been gone overnight.” The pastor in Sayre told him, “Well, these guys won’t be gone overnight!” The Canadian pastor asked, “So, what do you think we need to do about it?” The Sayre pastor replied, “You need to welcome them into your town.” “What do you mean, we need to welcome into our town”, he asked. “Because if you’ll welcome them into Canadian…..every other church in town will be better because of them!”

I can’t tell you how good that made me feel. I think it’s primarily due to the fact that we’ve prayed for the other churches in our town for, now, 26 years….and the Lord honors that!

Oh, and that church, The River, is now 14 years old and, true to form, all the other churches in town are better because of The River. And Donald Hill, one of my old beer drinkin’ buddies, is the longest tenured pastor in the city!

Are You A ‘Kingdom’ Person? Part 7 – Committed to Relationships

July 1, 2015July 1, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

‘Kingdom’ people are different, as I see it. They live and move and think on a higher plane than the ‘going through the motions’, bored, ‘waiting on Jesus to return’, kind of person. I sincerely hope that doesn’t hurt your feelings but if it does….maybe it would serve you well to read all the posts in this series and see if you need to make some adjustments.

Kingdom people are committed to relationships. In real estate it’s ‘location, location, location’. But in the kingdom of God it’s relationship, relationship, relationship’! Of course, our first…and most important relationship is the one we have with the Father. That’s the relationship that sets the tone for all our other relationships….and the one that gives us the validation that we all have need of. But after that all our relationships are important….probably more important than we understand. We might achieve fame and fortune; we might make a lot of money but at the end of our life we’re going to realize that what’s made our lives rich….are the relationships we’ve experienced. So, I’m sayin’ we need to adjust right now and give the value to our relationships that they deserve. Kingdom people do that!

Committing to relationships is a great idea but there’s no way around it….relationships are hard…they’re work. The greatest joy in life comes through our relationships, but some of the greatest frustrations are assured, as well. So, what do we do?? Since we’re committing to our relationships we must also resolve to work through the difficulties when they arise. We’ve gotta make the relationship more important than the problem. When we do that….the relationship will survive. And the real payoff is that the Lord will restore the relationship and make it stronger than it was before the offense.

If you’re a ‘kingdom’ person, you’re committed to relationships!

“Keith” – It Was a Short Friendship….But a Good One!

June 30, 2015June 30, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 14 Comments

Sitting in a local truck-stop about midnight with some friends when a guy from another table came over to ours’. Keith was a truck driver from a town about an hour away. He said, “I could tell from overhearing you guys that you believe in God.” He went on to say, “I’m in a bad way, I need help.” He then began to pour his heart out to us. Turned out that his wife had left him for his best friend and he was about a low as a man could be. We talked with him for an hour or so, then prayed with him to receive Jesus.

I made it a point to call Keith at least once a week, which I did for a couple of months. He’d have a lot of bad days and a good one here and there. Then one week he called me. I vividly remember the call. He said, “You know you’re always calling me to check in and cheer me up, but today I’m having a really good day….and I just wanted to call and say thank you. I think I’m going to be OK.”

Tried to call him a couple weeks later, but no answer. I tried to call him at least a dozen times over the next month. I bumped into a longtime friend from Keith’s hometown and asked him if he knew Keith. He said that he did and then told me that Keith had been found dead in his truck about a month before of an apparent heart attack. My friend told me about his funeral and said that Keith’s folks had no idea of his decision to receive Jesus.

It was really rewarding to be able to call Keith’s mom and tell her about our midnight truck-stop meeting. You can imagine the peace that it gave her. I also got the opportunity to meet his son a few months later and tell him that his Dad belonged to the Lord….and would be waiting for him in heaven. I think of Keith often and how blessed I was to know him….even if it was just for a short time.

That Whole, “Greet the Brethren With a Holy Kiss” Thing, is Waaaay Overrated!

June 26, 2015June 28, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

It was otherwise a normal, great, Sunday church service. The house was full and the worship was right on. Well, nearing the end of worship time a guy in our church, we’ll just call John Doe, came up where I was on the front row. Now this J Doe is a peculiar dude….I mean really peculiar. He started to give me what I’d loosely call a prophetic word, although it wasn’t very prophetic at all. He meant well. Toward the end of his three minute prophetic utterance…..he kissed me on the cheek! Aaawwwkward! Besides that it was kinda juicy too! I did NOT see that coming!

Well, worship ended, I finished the service and as soon as church was over the Perry’s, Daryle, Carrie, Micah and Nate…and the whole Taylor tribe, 7 of us, loaded up and headed for Red River for a week of skiing and relaxation, like we did about every year for six or seven years. Daryle and I are in his pickup and the rest of the crew were all in our big ‘ol conversion van that was loaded down with food, clothes and kids. We were out around Borger, Texas and Daryle was noticing that I was uncharacteristically quiet. He says, “Hey Bud, what’s up?” “Nothing”. Well, he obviously knows me better than that. “C’mon now, I know something’s eating on ‘ya.” To which I replied, “John Doe kissed me!” He started laughing as hard as I’ve ever seen anyone laugh in my entire life! He did this for 50 miles; he’d start to try to talk and he’d bust up laughing again. He’s not laughing ‘with’ me…….he’s laughing ‘at’ me!!

Well, about two or three weeks later in a similar church service, all going good…and here comes John Doe again! But this time he heads straight for Daryle, who is also on the front row with about 300 people looking down on him. Well, ‘ol JD passed right by me this time! Yep, you guessed it…..he’s going to give DP one of those hokey prophetic words today. And, just like clockwork, about the time he finished up he gives ‘ol DP one of them real juicy kisses too! I mean, it was a good ‘un! I cannot describe to you the look on his face but he kinda looked like he was nauseated or sick at his stomach…..which in all actuality….I think he was! Can you imagine how much I’m enjoying this??!! I doubt it!

Well, after ‘ol J Doe headed back to his seat I made eye contact with Daryle and I said in a loud whisper, “You get you some sugar?!!” He never said a word! He did, however, still have that, ‘I’m about to throw up’, look on his face!

Do what you wanna do…..but for me….that, “Greet the Brethren With a Holy Kiss” Thing, is Waaaay Overrated! I’m guessing DP will totally agree!