What’s Love Got To Do With It?

July 24, 2015April 13, 2020 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

I’ve always liked Tina Turner. Well, way back in the day it was Ike & Tina, but you know that whole story. I just caught a piece of her song from 1993, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”, on XM a few days ago. And I thought about that question and how it relates to the church of the 21st century. There are plenty of challenges facing the world today; plenty of challenges facing us as Americans….and plenty of challenges facing us as individuals. But as I see it (That’s the title of my blog, “The Way I See It”...and if you’re not already a “Follower”, you should be!) there’s no greater nor more important challenge, especially for the church, than….”Are we going to love like Jesus did?”.

Today the church in America has it all; Majestic, million-dollar buildings to hold churchgoers; Sound systems that cost into the thousands; Worship teams that exude professionalism; Expository preaching/teaching using the Hebrew and the Greek; Ministry teams that know how to get ‘er done….and lots of other important things. I need to say right here that I’m for all those things to a degree.….and as long as they’re not excessive but used in a way to bring honor to the Father and to bring everyone closer to Him.

But in the final analysis, those things are bound to dim in the light of the more important issue; How did we do at love?? Every time I say we should be learning to love like Jesus did I get plenty of ‘pushback’. Don’t have time to argue that point but if you disagree you can keep on fooling yourself and be part of the problem rather than part of the solution Lots of people argue that there’s no way we could possibly do that. I disagree. It’s not an easy one by any stretch….but because He encouraged it Himself….it’s doable. We should ‘wade-in’ with the opportunities that we have to love….right now!

So you ask, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”

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We’re “A Work in Progress”

July 23, 2015July 23, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

We’re being ‘conformed’ into the image of Jesus….individually, and corporately. At least that’s what the Bible says. By that we know that the Father wants to nurture us into spiritual maturity. When I look at ‘where’ I am today and then look at Jesus it becomes extremely obvious that I have a long way to go to be like Him. I’d say the Father has His work cut out for Him! But, take heart…..He’s in it for the long haul and there’s no doubt about it…it’s a lifelong process.

The tendency for us in the church today is that we reach a plateau and our spiritual growth and maturity just start to flatline. I’ve been pastoring for, going on, 27 years and I’ve encountered this more than I’d like to. Church people, oftentimes, don’t continue the maturing process. When that happens they stay in a mode of childishness….which causes all kinds of problems….both for them and the church, as well. Paul, in his letters, addressed this more than once, “By now you should be teachers…but you still have need for someone to teach you”. And, “I’d like to feed you solid food (the deeper truths), but you’re still on milk”. Those attitudes are prevalent in the church today and those stuck, by their own unwillingness to move on, in an infantile mode need to be told to ‘get off the tit, and grow up’!

Kingdom people, on the other hand, realize that they’re a ‘work in progress’. It takes a long time to be conformed into the image of Jesus. They learn to resist the temptation to just settle in and they won’t let themselves get comfortable in those ‘plateaued’ seasons. It does take some effort to rise above mediocrity…..but ‘kingdom’ people are willing to do it!

Where Do I Belong? – *How to Find the Right Church

July 22, 2015July 22, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 3 Comments

This is a very important issue for us all. More important, in fact, that you might think. And many times it isn’t really approached with enough seriousness and deliberation. The truth of it is, the Lord has ‘written down’ the sum of your days, (Ps 139) which just says that He has meticulously planned out every detail of our lives. With that in mind it just makes sense that ‘where’ we’re called to grow and serve is of extreme importance.

Most people in the Bible Belt going to church today are going to church where Grandma or their parents went. There’s nothing at all wrong with that scenario if it is, indeed, where the Father wants you to be. And if that’s the case, go at it full blast! But, what if it isn’t?! Then what?? I think we stand a good chance of missing our destiny if we don’t find where we really belong.

Finding where you belong could very well be a process….but it’s well worth the effort. Of course you want it to be a place where the Bible is being taught….and not ‘watered down’, and Jesus is being lifted up. I’ve listed some things that I think will be of value to you as you seek to find where you belong.

1) This issue needs to be prayerfully and carefully considered. Ask the Lord to direct you.

2) Is it just church as usual….or can you feel that something ‘significant’ is happening there?

3) Is the church having an impact in the community?

4) Can you feel ‘life’?? (or does it feel lifeless?) You can feel the tangibility of spiritual life….or the lack, thereof.

5) Are there opportunities to ‘connect’ relationally?

6) Does the church have ‘vision’? *Very important…..Are they going ‘somewhere’?

7) Do they encourage you to relate to God as Father? *If not…..move on!!

8) Are there opportunities for you to ‘get involved’? *If you’re going to fulfill your destiny, this is non-negotiable!

9) Does it feel like ‘family’? Do you have a ‘kindred spirit’ with the people there?

10) Do they ‘value’ you as a person? This tells you a lot about a church!

11) Is the Holy Spirit welcome? *Are there opportunities to be prayed for and ministered to?

12) Is the church reaching the poor? *It was an important thing to Jesus!

13) Are they speaking your ‘language’? *Can you relate to the message?

14) Does it feel like ‘Home’?? *You’ll have a feeling like, “This is where I belong”.

This should help! Now it’s up to you!

By The Numbers

July 21, 2015July 21, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

I was thinking a few days ago about what I do and just wondered how many times I’ve preached a message, how many funerals I’ve presided over, how many ‘corporate’ prayer meetings I’ve led, how many ‘ministry’ school sessions I’ve taught in, how many conferences I’ve spoken at, how many civic events I’ve been asked to speak at, how many marriages I’ve performed, how many different churches I’ve spoken at, how many ‘small group’ meetings I’ve led, how many youth camp services I’ve led, how many graduations I’ve spoken at, ordination services I’ve been a part of, etc. So, I thought I’d try to count it up. It’s a ‘ballpark’ guess at best and I’m trying to be conservative.

Sunday/Wednesday Messages: 2125

Funerals: 350

Prayer Meetings Led: 1144

Ministry School Sessions: 60

Conference Messages: 60

Civic Events: 35

Marriages: 100

Different Churches: 60

Led Small Groups: 100

Youth Camp Messages: 100

Graduations: 20

Ordination Services: 40

Misc.: 25

Grand Total: 4319

……in addition to that…..

Newspaper Articles: 550

Blogs: 125

Small Group Lessons: 100

Radio Shows: 85

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’!!

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!

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!