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’!!

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!

I’m All For Celebrating ‘Independence Day’, But I Think We Need A ‘Dependence Day’ Too!

July 6, 2015July 4, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / 4 Comments

We just celebrated Independence Day here in the good ‘ol USA….for the 239th time, no less! It was in 1776 when we won our independence out from under British rule. I, for one, am glad that happened; I really can’t see myself speaking that fancy, refined, limey English brogue. That’d be one heckuva stretch for a ‘whangy’ talkin’ Texas Panhandle boy, if you know what I mean. So I’m glad we’re a sovereign, autonomous….and independent nation!

Independence is a good thing from that perspective. And even, to be independent, as a person can be a very good thing. Independent people are naturally confident and assertive…and they’re not prone to let others’ negativity affect them too much on the road to their goals. But in the kingdom of God…independent attitudes can work against us, not for us. Let me explain; God has created each of us with specific strengths…but on the other side of that, we all have weaknesses as well. He has designed the church in such a way that we’re all needed. Nobody has it all. He wants us to learn to depend on others’ strengths where we’re weak…..and vice-versa.

The church is a ‘body’ with many body parts and it only works really, really well when all the parts are working in conjunction with one another. So, in that respect, we need to get over our independence and be team-players. But there’s an even greater issue with independence that must not be overlooked. It’s my opinion that we need to occasionally re-declare our dependency squarely upon the Lord. We cannot live a successful life nor can we fulfill our destiny without a deep dependency on Him. It’s easy to just put our lives on auto-pilot and not be dependent on Him. I’ve done it too often.

So, I hope you had a great 4th of July; a great Independence Day! It’s a pretty important holiday. And, as much as it’s needed, I doubt we’re going to get the Feds to initiate a National ‘Dependence Day’ so I guess you and I will just have to declare one for ourselves! Do it, and without a doubt, and you’ll notice….and enjoy the benefits!

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.

Are You A ‘Kingdom’ Person? Part 6 – Go to God First

June 25, 2015June 25, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Kingdom people understand that they’re sons and daughters to the Father and their lives are being profoundly transformed as a result of that revelation. They’re people who are ‘growing up’ into their true identity. It’s a lifelong process of evolving into our ‘sonship’…..and we’re becoming more like Him all the time!

Another distinguishing characteristic of a ‘kingdom’ person is the resolve to ‘go to God first’ with the issues of our life. I learned this one the hard way. It’s so easy to decide to do something and then ask God to bless it. And, if you’ve never consulted with Him before about the details of your life….it’s sure better than nothing. But there’s definitely a better way. If it’s true that the Father has an intricate, detailed plan for our life it just makes sense to go to Him first and see what’s in His heart for us. We shouldn’t get in too big a hurry and jump the gun, so to speak. Remember, we’re learning to be led by His Spirit.…and there’s something to be said for ‘waiting on the Lord’.

I totally agree that there’s a delicate balance between waiting on the Lord….and moving out by faith. I sincerely believe that whatever you do with the right heart….God will bless. You’re His kid and He wants to see you do good. But if you want the ‘full blessing’ of the Father on the things you do, we should go to Him first.

Kingdom people do that!

Are You A ‘Kingdom’ Person? Part 5 – Evolving into Sonship

June 24, 2015June 24, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Kingdom people are evolving into their ‘sonship’/’daughtership’! It comes by the revelation to our hearts that God is a Father and He’s chosen us to be His children. It’s an amazing reality and it’ll totally transform our lives for the better when we ‘catch’ it!

When we’re born again we come into God’s kingdom as a little child, so to speak. Our immaturity in regards to spiritual things is pretty obvious at first but hopefully we’ll grow through the childhood stage into spiritually mature adults. I say that with all sincerity, but I’ve observed through the years that many people in the church today have never matured and remain childish and immature. There’s really no excuse for that.

God is our Father and He wants to interact with us on a regular basis. There’s a lot of reasons why we need to hear the Lord but one of the ‘key’ reasons is that the things that God says to us forms us and shapes us into our true identity. He desires to raise us up as His own sons and daughters.

Evolving into our sonship is a lifelong process but we can, and should, start now. We start out with a lot of ‘orphan’ characteristics. We want to be the center of attention, we self-promote so people will accept us, we embellish the details of our lives so we’ll look important. That’s just a few of the characteristics that we might have as immature believers but as we begin the growth process into sons and daughters we start to leave those things behind us. In the light of God’s love, and through our ongoing relationship with Him, we begin to ‘grow up’. *All creation is anticipating the revealing of the ‘sons’ of God!

Kingdom people are evolving into their Sonship!

Are You A ‘Kingdom’ Person? Part 4 – Sons, Not Servants!

June 23, 2015June 23, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Well, have you decided whether you’re a ‘kingdom’ person or not. Like I said earlier, “No pressure from me to be one….but if you do decide to be one, your Spiritual life will be very productive and fruitful.” I desperately hope you’ll make the right choice.

Since kingdom people have an understanding that God is Father they also have a keen understanding that they are ‘sons’ and ‘daughters’ to Him. The Book tells us, “We didn’t choose Him…..He chose us.” Incredible, huh?! But many people today consider themselves ‘servants’ and that’s not entirely wrong. But if we’re talking identity, which is extremely important, then we must understand that we’re not hired hands at all….we’re sons and daughters! There’s a vast difference; Hired hands work ‘for’ a blessing; Sons and daughters work ‘from’ a blessing; from the blessing that He’s handpicked us as His own children!

Detractors would love to argue that, in essence, our identity is that of a servant. But it’s not true. It’s a rather large issue and if you miss the truth of it, you’ll miss much of what your life was intended by the Father to be! To clarify the issue, as sons and daughters we do a lot of serving in our Christian life, even more than those with a hired-hand mentality. The difference is, we’re part owners; the Book says that we’re ‘joint-heirs’ with Jesus! If you think about that…it means that we own what He owns! That’s a pretty big deal if you ask me.

Kingdom people understand that they’re sons and daughters….and the revelation of that to our hearts changes everything!

A Father’s Day Reflection

June 22, 2015June 22, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

Father’s Day, it’s nice to be honored for being a Dad! As I thought about what I’d teach on Father’s Day (which was yesterday), it became apparent to me that as dads go….I’ve had it pretty good. And while we didn’t grow up going to church, Cliff Taylor really had it together in how to be a great dad. So, in preparing my message for yesterday I wanted to approach it with three emphases. 1) A day to honor The Father. 2) Encourage dads to become ‘spiritual’ fathers. 3) Practical tips for being a great dad. As I remembered the extremely positive things Cliff Taylor (and Charlene Taylor too!!) did in raising my brother, Monty and me….it seemed that these traits would be pertinent for spiritual fathers as well…..and traits that God, our Father, possesses as well.

1) He took us; My dad took us with him anytime it was possible. *We learned a lot just be ‘being with’ him

2) He helped us do things; He made the things that were important to us….important to him…even when he couldn’t really afford it!

3) He taught us; We grew up on a ranch. We learned all kinds of things. We could do things at 10 or 11 that most men couldn’t

4) He was an example; Cliff Taylor was a great example of a man. The most important thing was in how he treated people.

5) He corrected us; He believed in correction! We’re better men, by far, because of it.

6) He believed in us; Somehow he imparted to us that ‘we could do it’

7) He was there; Well, he was literally ‘there’, but he was and still is ( at 86 yrs old) here when we need someone

8) He loved my mom; One of the best things a dad can do for his kids. Good job, Dad!

9) He protected us; There was never a time that we felt in danger when dad was around. Nobody messed with us.

10) He loved us; There was never a question. He said it…..and he showed it!

*God, the Father, is like that too!

Apply these principles with your natural children, and apply them with your ‘spiritual’ children and you’ll be way ahead of the game!

Oh, and incidentally, my Father’s Day was totally off the charts! My youngest son, Clay and his pretty wife, Chelsea announced to us that they’re going to have a baby in January!! What a Father’s Day!!

Are You A ‘Kingdom’ Person? Part 3 – How To Communicate With the Father

June 19, 2015June 20, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Kingdom people communicate with the Father! They realize that He has the ‘secrets’ and ‘mysteries’ of their lives. I’ll bet there are some really good parents reading this blog….but as good as you are….you aren’t as good as He is! That being said, it just makes sense that God wants to talk to you.…probably even more than you think you need to hear Him! Father’s want to communicate with their children.

Now, this’ll stir up the religious folk but, the Bible doesn’t have all your answers. It has a bunch of ’em but it doesn’t have ’em all. It can’t tell you who to marry, what job to take, what city to live in or who you should pray for. The list could go on and on. Now don’t misquote me here; I’m not saying that you shouldn’t read your Bible. In fact I think you should. But I must tell you, as important as the Bible is, it’s not a substitute for your relationship with God! My experience in 30+ years of ministry is that there’s a lot of people out there whose relationship is with the Book……rather than with the Author! It was a problem even in Jesus’ day; “You search the scriptures for in ‘them’ you think you have eternal life….but you’re not willing to come to me that you might have life.” From God’s perspective, it’s always been about His encounter with you…..and the ensuing relationship that He desperately longs for with you!

So, how do we communicate with the Father? Don’t complicate it!! Talk to Him like you’d talk to the person you’re the very closest with. Pour your heart out to Him; Let your requests be made known to Him. Tell Him when you’re happy or sad. Ask Him all the who’s, the what’s, the when’s….and the where’s! And remember….God’s not limited to speaking with an audible voice. He speaks in a myriad of ways. And, yes He does speak through His Word, the Bible. He speaks through dreams and visions and prophetic words. He speaks through the ‘still small voice’. He speaks through our circumstances and through people who come in and out of our lives. You have His Spirit living in you to help you discern the voice of ‘your’ Father.

Kingdom people take full advantage of that!

PS-It’s my opinion that He didn’t have all the details of your life recorded in a book on purpose! It’s because He wants you to come to Him…..and there He’ll reveal Himself to you!