Fathers in a Fatherless World

We live in a world that is in desperate need of fathers, both naturally and spiritually. Statistics in the US show that today twenty-two million, or four out of every ten homes, is fatherless. People are desperate for a father in their lives, someone they can trust and to whom they can turn and know that they will be there for them. I believe there is a call on the church to step up and be fathers in their community or place of influence. Even though this word is a call to fathers, the Biblical principles are just as important to mothers.

 

1 Thessalonians 2:10-12 says, “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” NIV

 

Fatherhood is first established by who we are and not what we do. Paul lays out some basic characteristics for us as fathers. We are to be holy. This is not a call to perfection but a commitment not to compromise and to be quick to deal with sin in our life through transparency and repentance. People are looking for real fathers, not ones who are faking it.  Being holy is not about being perfect but being honest.

 

We as fathers are to be righteous and blameless. Righteousness has to do with our relationship with God the Father. He is our ultimate example of fatherhood. Being an effective father requires that we must walk in communion with Him and obedience to Him. The mantle of fatherly authority is only possible as we submit to the Father of all. Being blameless is not perfection but a constant awareness that we do not live unto ourselves. Our lives are a living example of God the Father to the world and especially to those in our area of influence.

 

As fathers, we need to be constant encouragers, speaking affirmation and value into those around us. In a world that promotes wrong values we need to affirm right values. I have heard it said that the church has lost its moral authority to speak into the world. As fathers, we must live holy, righteous, and blameless lives in order to earn the authority to be a father in someone else’s life.  As a father we need to bring comfort to those in need and crises. Being a father requires us to lay down our lives for another, being there for them even when it doesn’t fit into our schedule.

 

As a fathers, we must urge our sons to walk worthy of God. Walking worthy is not about a list of does and don’ts but about bringing your sons in relationship to God and enlarging their vision and faith in who they can be in God. God is calling us to be fathers in our home, church, place of employment and community. Today, become a father to someone who is desperate for a father in his life. Often times we feel inadequate as fathers, but the Father of fathers dwells in us by His Spirit to enable us to be the father He has called us and empowered us to be.

 

Andy Clark

Inclusive Environment

Acts chapter two is a record of the grand entrance of the Holy Spirit into the life of the church. The Spirit did not come in quietly but with “a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, …. then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them, ….and they all began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The sound was so loud that the Bible said “the multitude came together,…. and everyone heard them speak in his own language.”

The Holy Spirit definitely wanted everyone’s attention. When Jesus walked on the earth, His teaching and miracles attracted people from every walk of life, and out of this diverse group of people He called an equally diverse group to be His disciples, one-hundred and twenty of whom were in the upper room seeking for the promise of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit made His grand entrance, the Bible records in Acts 2:5 that He attracted “Jews from every nation under heaven.”  The writer records the names of fifteen of these nations that heard the disciples praising God in their own language. If you were to look for these nations on a map, they cover a 360 degree circle around Israel, fanning in every direction on the face of the globe.

None of this happened by chance. God is very intentional in all that He does. Why did Jesus and the Holy Spirit’s ministry attract such a diversity of people?  I believe it is because God by His very nature is inclusive, and everything He does is inclusive. Why then are we as the church so exclusive? We exclude people by our traditions, doctrines, and practices. We surround ourselves with people who act and think just like we do.

Jesus is not calling us to sameness but to oneness. Jesus prayer for us is “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”  Inclusion is not watering down your belief or condoning that which is wrong. Inclusion is loving people where they are and allowing the diversity to enlarge us and our vision and understanding of God. It is having “fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." (I Peter 4:8) It is removing the plank from our eye before we attempt to remove the speck four of our brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:4-5) It is by love, trusting the Holy Spirit to do His work in each of our lives as He sees fit according to His unique will and plan for each of us.

We need to cultivate an inclusive environment. The conclusion of the grand entrance of the Holy Spirit among this diverse group of nationalities, traditions and practices is recorded in Acts 2:46-47, “Now all who believed (3,000 diverse people) continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

Andy Clark

Jesus Journey

As you read in my devotional last week entitled “Jesus,” the only hope for our world that groans in the bondage of sin is the manifestation of the children of God, that is Jesus Christ in us the hope of glory. (Romans 8:17, Colossians 1:27) For God’s glory to manifest in us we must walk the Jesus journey.

The summary of the first thirty years of Jesus’ journey are written in Luke 2:52,

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Jesus is twelve years old and has gone to the temple with his parents, and Luke records in 2:47

“And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.” Though Jesus had revelation knowledge that surpassed the greatest teachers of His day, he spent His first thirty years growing “in wisdom and stature, and favor with God and men.”  We can become so busy with life that we do not allow time in our journey for God to develop His character in us. When we watch the Olympics, we will see people who have spent a lifetime of discipline in developing the character and skills necessary to stand for a moment on the world stage. Whatever we do in life, our Jesus journey begins with the disciplines of a Christlike character in us. We do not live according to the values of this world but by the values revealed to us in His Word and developed in us by submission to our heavenly coach, the Holy Spirit.

The next phase of Jesus’ journey is recorded in Luke 3:22, “and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." Wherever our journey takes us, the voice of affirmation over our lives must come from heaven. While Jesus grew in favor with man, the affirmation of who he was and what he did came only from the Father. No matter what kind of work we do, our only measure of success and sense of fulfillment can come from God. God’s pleasure with His son did not come from performance, because Jesus’ ministry had not yet begun. God’s pleasure was with Jesus the carpenter who had learned to walk as a son in a love relationship of submission and obedience.

The Jesus journey continues with the test of identity and character in the wilderness in Luke chapter four. The repeated challenge of the enemy was “If you are the son of God,” then prove it. Jesus’ consistent response was “It is written.” Satan constantly tests our identity and our character through success and suffering. He constantly flaunts the world before us, tempting us to measure ourselves by those around us, what we see and what we feel, instead of the Word of God.

The conclusion of Jesus’ journey is in Acts 10:38, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” This can be the testimony of your journey when your identity and life is hidden in Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, you can do good works that God has ordained for you and bring healing to those around you.

Andy Clark

Jesus

Jesus said, “If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all peoples to myself.” John 12:23

I have a friend who played both college and professional basketball and now pastors a growing church that is bursting at the seams. His call to ministry was birthed out of an encounter with Jesus Christ that radically changed his life and created in him a passion for Jesus that marked his basketball career, life, and ministry.

As we look out over our decaying world, our only salvation is a generation that is radically turned on to and passionate about Jesus Christ. Christianity, especially in the West has become too much of a private relationship with Christ. Jesus said, “If I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” Jesus’ death and resurrection was a very public matter, out front where all could see. Jesus told the Jewish leaders, who arrested him, what I have done and taught has been in the open for everyone to hear. The mark of the early church was a bold and public confession of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)  We become so caught up with building churches, programs and ministries to attract people that we loose sight of the central attraction to Christianity and that is Jesus Christ. Somehow, lifting up Jesus is not enough of an attraction to appeal to our modern world. We feel this need to compete with the glitz of our modern age and sugar coat Jesus to make him palatable to our day and age. Relational and social evangelism, the trend of our day, is a wonderful thing, but without an open passion for Jesus it cannot stand.

Jesus is the star attraction of Christianity. Yes, there are many who will ridicule, oppose, and persecute the name of Jesus, but without Jesus we have nothing but a vain and empty religion. When we build our lives, reputation, family, work, church, and ministry on an open and public confession of Jesus Christ, He will draw people to himself and build a church that the gates of hell cannot prevail against.

Philippians 2:9-11says, “Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Ask the Holy Spirit today to help you take Jesus out of the closet and make an open confession so that He can draw all people to himself and glorify God the Father.

Andy Clark

Enlarge Your Capacity

Last week I was lying on my bed about 11pm at night in my hotel room in Bungoma, Kenya, praying and meditating on what I was going to share on Community Transformation the next morning at the Leadership Conference, and the Lord dropped two Scriptures in my heart defining two essential elements to community transformation.

The first Scripture was Isaiah 54:2-3: "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited.”

The first essential element to community transformation is to enlarge your personal capacity. The command is for you to enlarge the place of your tent. It goes on to say, do not spare, don’t hold back, go all out, and allow the Holy Spirit to stretch you and lengthen your cords. Do not settle for the status quo, but allow the Spirit to stretch your faith, your capacity to love, forgive, and to serve. Allow the Spirit to nurture, develop and sharpen your God-given gifts and talents. As you grow, drive down your stakes deep into God so that you will not be blown away by the tempests of life.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” Do not allow the temptations and cares of life to rob you of your potential in Christ. Your ability to resist spiritual mediocrity will not only enlarge your capacity, but also affect your descendents and their place of habitation.

The second essential element to community transformation is found in Genesis 5:5:

“Then He (the Lord) brought him (Abraham) outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him,” So shall your descendants be.”  What did the Lord bring Abraham outside of? His tent. For community transformation God not only needs to enlarge your capacity but also your vision. Because Abraham had left his country and laid down everything in his pursuit and obedience, God blessed Abraham beyond his wildest imagination. God had enlarged his tent so that he had over 800 servants who could fight and livestock beyond numbering.

However, at one hundred years of age Abraham had not received the son of promise, and God called him out of his tent to look at the stars and believe for the impossible, that he would be the father of nations. I don’t know where you are today, but God wants to do the impossible through you. First of all, you need to resist complacency, allow Him to enlarge your capacity, then step out of your limitations into His limitlessness and believe Him for the impossible.

Andy Clark

Everlasting Destiny

In Genesis 17:4-6, God appeared to Abraham and said, "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.” God goes on to tell Abraham that this was an everlasting covenant and that the land of Canaan was an everlasting possession.

This everlasting covenant and possession was established by God through the giving of a new name, for a new name brings a new destiny. When we are born again, we are given a new name, a new identity, and a new destiny. Our identity is no longer defined by the name of our earthly parents, lineage and nationality. People, circumstances, position and possessions no longer define who we are.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” We have to begin to see ourselves as God sees us, if we are going to be able to manifest His glory in the earth. Abram was ninety-nine years old when God gave him his new name. He had no son, no land, and no inheritance. However, when God gave him a new name, God set in motion an everlasting covenant and possession that no force on earth or demon in hell could rob from him.

1 Peter 1:23 says we have “been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” We have an everlasting covenant through the blood of Christ and an eternal possession through His resurrection. When we were born again, God gave us a new identity and set in motion in us an everlasting covenant, purpose and destiny that no person or circumstances can eradicate as we abide in Him.

Revelations 2:17 says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."' We live in a world that is attempting to rob us of our identity, everlasting covenant, and destiny as defined by the incorruptible word of God that lives and abides forever.

It is time to take a stand for who we are as children of God, so that His glory may be revealed through us in the earth and we come into the fullness of our destiny. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (I John 3:2-3)

Andy Clark

Embracing God

Genesis 32:24-28 “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."

In verse 28 it says “you have struggled with God …. and have prevailed. Jacob wrestled or more accurately embraced God all night. Even after God touched his hip socket, Jacob would not let go until God blessed him with a new identity. Instead of Jacob the “deceiver” he became Israel “Prince with God or He Strives with God.” Jacob would not settle for anything less than his full inheritance.

Why could God not get free from Jacob? How can a mortal man wrestle with God and prevail? THE KEY! God cannot break the embrace of faith. The blessing was Jacobs. It was established by God in Genesis 25:23 and declared by Jacob’s father, Isaac, in Genesis 27:27-29. Esau who represents the flesh was coming to take Jacob’s blessing. Jacob did not fight or wrestle with Esau, the flesh, natural man, circumstances, (we do not wrestle with flesh and blood) but Jacob embraced God the true source of the blessing and did not let go of God until the promise was confirmed and established.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) There is perseverance, a diligent seeking of God to receive the promises that He has given to us. God desires that we pursue Him. He is not withholding something from us but challenging us to go after Him and to walk with Him into the fullness of what He has planned for us.

“By faith Abraham, even though he was past age-and Sarah herself was barren-was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.” (Hebrews 11:11) Notice the focus of Abraham’s faith was on the faithfulness of God. For 25 years Abraham embraced God, not the promise but the giver of the promise. And the Bible says that he was called “the Friend of God.” (James 2:23)

What greater thing is there in life than to be called the friend of God. When we embrace God, we embrace everything that He is. And it is out of that intimate relationship that everything else in life flows.

Andy Clark

Transformational Grace

I never cease to be amazed at the grace of God. God’s grace has not only saved me from sin and made me a new creature in Christ Jesus, but His grace has enabled me to travel all over the world and do things that I could never do myself. It is by His grace and only His grace that I stand today.

When we truly come into revelation knowledge of God’s grace, it liberates us from our carnal nature, whether rooted in pride and self-righteousness, or feelings of inadequacy and failure. Grace is the equalizing factor in every one of our lives because grace is not of us but rooted and grounded in the very character and nature of God. Grace is not a license to sin or be slack as a Christian but enables us to live Christ-like. Grace is all about God and what He can do in and through us.

Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them.” Grace does not excuse us from good works but actually enables us for good works, and not any good works, but “good works which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them.” 

Grace moves us from our good works to works that are initiated by the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit. Grace takes our eyes off of ourselves and fixes our eyes upon Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. The brilliant Apostle Paul, who authored most of the New Testament, never ceased to be amazed at the grace of God that enabled him to be an apostle. In Romans chapter 26, when Paul was brought as a prisoner brought before King Agrippa and Bernice with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, he does not give an eloquent sermon but testifies to the grace of God that saved, called, and enabled him to be an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Somehow, we have to move from ourselves, our failures, shortcomings, strengths, and accomplishments and be consumed by the grace of God in our lives. By the Spirit we need to allow God’s grace to permeate every part of our nature and all that we do. When we do, God’s grace will enable us to praise and worship Him in the midst of our greatest trails and afflictions as well as our times of success and victory.

Romans 5:2 says, “We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.”  In these changing times God is calling us to put our trust totally in Him, so that in time of need we will have access to the abundance of His grace.  This grace that He offers not only sustains us in time of need, but also enables us to be triumphant. May you rise up every day awed by God’s grace that can transform your life and the lives of those around you.

Andy Clark

Sit and Behold

Ezekiel 37:1

“The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.”

The hand of the Lord came upon Ezekiel and brought him out. The Lord of glory wants to bring you out. He wants to bring you out of your environment, out of your circumstances and situation, out of your business and routine, out from what is preoccupying your time and energy. I don’t know what Ezekiel was doing when the hand of the Lord came upon him. In any case, when the hand of the Lord comes on you, it is time to stop doing what you are doing, no matter how important or urgent it may seem to be, and focus on what the Lord is about to tell you or show you.

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (KJV) The NKJV reads, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” We live in a day where there is no vision. If we are not careful, we get caught up in the linear or natural plane in which the world operates where we only see with our natural eyes and perceive with our natural mind. However, God wants to enlarge our vision to see what He sees. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.”

The Spirit of the Lord set Ezekiel down because God wanted to show him something. To be set down is a position of rest. We often want a quick word from the Lord, a plan of action, or a quick response to an inquiry of the Lord or a prayer request. Before God speaks, He often wants to show us something. The promise of revelation knowledge in I Corinthians 2 begins with “Eye has not seen.” Before God can speak to us in a way we will understand, he needs to show us His perspective. Romans 8:7 says, “The carnal mind is enmity against God.” The mind that operates simply on the linear or natural plane cannot understand the things of God.

There are some things God wants to show us. A picture is worth a thousand words. In Ezekiel’s case, in chapter 37, God wanted to show him the desperate condition of the nation of Israel, “A valley full of dry bones that were scattered everywhere across the ground.” It was only when Ezekiel saw the depth of the hopelessness and depravity of Israel that God was ready to speak a prophetic word through him over the nation. Not only did He speak the word but caused Ezekiel to see in the spirit realm the actual fulfillment of the word, the restoration of Israel, long before they went into captivity.

We must be careful that we do not become so absorbed with the news of the day or so busy in our hectic life that we fail to allow the hand of the Lord to bring us out in the Spirit and set us down to behold things which we cannot even imagine or think that God has prepared for those who love Him.

Andy Clark

Community Transformation Principles

George Otis has traveled the world over the past 20 years to document communities that have been transformed by the Gospel. Through his observations, thousands of interviews, studying over 800 contemporary revivals and many historical examples, he has collected some principles and observations that reveal the patterns of God. Some of these below are taken from “The Journey to Transformation, Next Steps” by Intercessors for America.

Transformation Observations and Principles

1.      The process of salvation and transformation begins with hopelessness and surrender.

2.      The need for transformation depends on how we perceive our condition.

3.      Before transformation can occur, we must be persuaded that: 1) our present circumstances are desperate  2) time is running out  3) there is a lifeline or an opportunity to be grasped.

4.      Human history tells us that people don’t generally move until they perceive either an imminent crisis or an immediate opportunity.

5.      Desperation declares that our condition is not just broken and painful, but actually dangerous.

6.      If we sense that we have time, there will be no urgency for transformation.

7.      We must want deliverance, not just relief.

Transformation Questions

1.      What percentage of the Church do you believe is concerned about the condition of the Church and the community? Think about the community you live in.

2.      What do you believe is the perception of need in your community?

a.       Conditions desperate and unmanageable

b.      Conditions troubling but not unmanageable

c.       Conditions not perfect but stable and prosperous

3.      How do your perceive your own condition: desperate, time is running out, there is a lifeline or opportunity to be grasped?

Transformation Application

Based on your perception of your condition and the condition of your community, list some steps you can take personally, and some possible next steps to help those in your community to recognize that the condition of the community is desperate, time is running out, and there is a lifeline.

Begin to join together with other believers to pray for and expect community transformation. It may be you and your wife and family. It may be people from your church and other churches. It may be praying together with believers on your job. Allow God to transform you and then show you how to pray to transform your community

For more information on community transformation go to www.sentinelgroup.org or www.TransformingAmericaTroughPrayer.com or follow my devotionals on my website www.Equipping-the-Nations.org

Kingdom Authority

As we begin to practice the presence of God and become more sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives, we will begin to notice a greater spiritual authority that comes out of our growing relationship with God.

In Genesis 1:26, “God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth.” God created us to have authority over the earth, but through Adam and Eve’s disobedience we forfeited our authority. Jesus, the second Adam, came to restore that authority for us through His death and resurrection.

When Jesus walked on the earth, He spoke with authority and took authority over demons and every kind of sickness and death. Even nature had to bow before His authority. Jesus promised us in John 14:12-14, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” He goes on to say the reason you will be able to do these things is because, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. (John 14:16)

In Luke 9:1-2, “Jesus called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Jesus gave the disciples, those who had committed themselves to follow Him, authority for a specific task: to preach the kingdom, cast out demons and cure diseases.

Jesus gives those of us who choose to allow Him into our daily lives the same authority for a specific purpose: to extend the kingdom by transforming lives. This authority is not limited for apostles, pastors, prophets, evangelists and teachers, but for every believer who has the courage to follow Him in submission and obedience. Ephesians 2:4-7 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, … has raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 1:21 explains that this position we have in Christ is the seat of spiritual authority “far above all principality and power and might and dominion.” God wants to invest His authority in you to transform the lives of those around you, so that they can come to understand the “exceeding riches of His grace.” As you yield yourself to the Spirit’s control of your life, it will allow Him to demonstrate His power through you for His glory.

Andy Clark

Transformational Thanksgiving

The Bible warns us that one of the signs of the last days is that people will not be thankful. Romans 1:18, 21 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness ….because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

God has so blessed us that we can begin to take the blessings of God for granted in our lives. There is a growing sense of entitlement in our culture that, if we are not watchful, can begin to affect our relationship with God. Paul warns us that the result of this lack of thankfulness is that we become futile in our thoughts and our foolish hearts are darkened. The lack of thanksgiving results in a world full of greed, and corruption to the point of self-destruction. The tragedy of it all is that our thoughts are so darkened we don’t even understand that we are destroying ourselves and the future of our children.

The cure to this self-destructive trend in our society is transformational thanksgiving in which we purposefully begin to publicly glorify God and give Him thanks for what He does in our lives and gives to us. When was the last time you thanked someone at work, at home or in the market place for something simple he/she did for you? When was the last time you publicly thanked God and gave Him glory for something He helped you with on the job or at home, or something He provided for you?

We need to cultivate an atmosphere of thanksgiving. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Don’t just give thanks when things are going well or for the special things or special occasions,, but in everything give thanks. Thanksgiving should become a lifestyle that just flows out of us in gratitude to God.

Psalms 100:4-5 exhorts us to “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” The gateway to entering into the transformational presence of God is through thanksgiving. We need to take our focus off of our possessions, which we think we cannot live without, and put our focus on God, His goodness, mercy and truth.

In this world filled with grumbling, complaining, criticism and anger, we need to be salt and light by developing lips that continually give thanks and praise to God. As we give thanks and glory to God, it will begin to change our perspective on life and will begin to affect others around us and transform our environment. Thanksgiving will produce love, joy, peace, longsuffering and patience in our lives.

Purpose in your heart today to begin developing a lifestyle of thanksgiving, and you will be amazed at what God will do.

Andy Clark

Transformational Presence

Our failure to have transformational impact on our culture is because we have become so busy and self-sufficient that we have defrocked God of His Lordship and power in our lives. We think because God has blessed us and our nation that we are somehow okay. However, the blessings and prosperity of God in our lives is not what identifies us as the people of God. Our religious achievements with all our dedication, work, talents and technology has not transformed our nation.

What will transform our churches, families, community and nation is the transformational presence of God. In Exodus chapter 32 after Israel had angered God because of their idolatry, God told Moses, I’ll send an angel with you into the Promised Land. Yet, Moses who has just spent forty days in God’s presence replies, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth." (Exodus 33:15-16) Are we satisfied simply with God’s provision and not His presence?

What identifies us as God’s people is the transformational presence of God in our lives. It was the cloud and fire of His presence that lead Israel in the wilderness. It was His presence that caused the enemy to tremble and brought them  into the fullness of His promises. It was the presence of Jesus in the boat on Galilee that brought peace to the storm and brought them to their destination. It was the presence of Jesus that healed the woman with the issue of blood with just a touch of His garment. It was the presence of Jesus with the two discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus that caused their hearts to burn within them and sent them running back to Jerusalem with the good news.

It was the transformational presence of Jesus in the lives of Peter and John that healed the lame man at the gate beautiful. When the authorities arrested them for their good deed and for preaching about Jesus, it says in Acts 4:13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

Do people recognize that you have been with Jesus? Time in the morning and evening is important, but what is even more important is that we invite His presence into every area of our lives. It was when Israel became impatient with Moses on the mountain that they reduced God to a calf. Oftentimes, in our rush to do things in our way and in our ability, we reduce God to a powerless calf in our life.  A small God does not impose any threat to our lifestyle but He also has no power to carry us into the Promised Land.

Begin to develop a greater awareness of God. Give Him a greater place and authority in every aspect of your life, and His presence will transform your world.

Andy Clark

Transformational Spirit

If we are going to experience transformation and see transformation, we must become desperate for the Word and the Spirit. Jesus said in John 14:10-12, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.  Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

Jesus walked in authority and power out of his relationship with the Father, and he calls us by his Spirit into that same relationship. Jesus said in John 16:7, “I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.” As a result of the Spirit living in us, Jesus said that “the works that I do you will do also; and greater works than these you will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:12-13)

We read about the authority of the Spirit, but we are so busy with our works of the flesh that we fail to submit to the transformational work of the Spirit that God has afforded us through Christ Jesus. Jesus commanded the disciples not to leave Jerusalem “until you have been clothed with power from on high."  (Luke 24:49) Jesus understood that personal transformation was essential to produce community and national transformation.

We groan over the condition of our nation, but are we desperate enough to yield to the transformational work of the Spirit? On the Day of Pentecost a man called Peter, who only had denied Jesus and watched Him die, now stood and spoke with authority to a multitude and witnessed the transformation of thousands of people, a city, and a nation. Do we read the Acts of the Apostles as some story of exploits in times past, or can we believe that the same Spirit can transform our world today?

God is not calling you to transform the world but to allow the Spirit to first transform you, and then He can use you to transform your world or your area of influence. Initially, Peter’s world was a fisherman’s world, but as he walked with Jesus for three and a half years, Jesus expanded his world. Jesus is not going to call you to something that is too big for you, but as you walk with Him and allow the transformational Spirit to grow in you, that same Spirit will begin to impact those around you.

Allow the Holy Spirit into a greater area of your life. Begin your day with Him and pause when making decisions through out the day to allow Him to speak into your world. As you practice His presence, He will transform your life and the lives of those you encounter.

Andy Clark

Transformational Repentance

Last week we looked at a “Transformational Word.” A transformational word often results in repentance, a total change in thought, attitude and direction. Repentance is the first message Jesus preached and commanded the disciples to preach when He sent them out. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter called the multitude to repentance. The primary message to the seven churches in Revelation is repentance. Revelation 2:5 warns the church in Ephesus to “repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.” Repentance is key to entering into the kingdom and in maintaining the presence of God in our lives.

Throughout history, personal, community and national transformation have always been preceded by repentance of sin. Part of the function of the Word and the Holy Spirit is to convict us of sin and bring us to repentance. Repentance has three major parts: “1) a genuine sorrow towards God on account of sin (2 Cor 7:9-10; Matt 5:3-4; Ps 51:1); 2) an inward repugnance to sin necessarily followed by the actual forsaking of it (Matt 3:8; Acts 26:20; Heb 6:1); and 3) humble self-surrender to the will and service of God.    (Acts 9:6)” (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary)

An example of transformational repentance is during the reign of King Josiah of Judah. The land of Judah was filled with idolatry that was even practiced in the temple of God in Jerusalem. God had sent His prophets to warn Judah of impending judgment, but no one listened. Josiah, however was a godly king in a line of ungodly kings. 2 Chronicles 34:3 says, “And he (Josiah) did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.”

Josiah’s first act was to cleanse the land of idolatry. 2 Chronicles 34:7 says, “He had broken down the altars and the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel.” He even burned the bones of the idolatrous priests on their altars. Even though Josiah acted out of a pure heart, which brought tremendous social and religious reformation to Judah, God’s judgment was still pending because there was still no true repentance from sin.

Then in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, they were cleansing and restoring the temple when someone came upon the book of the law. It was brought and read to Josiah, who upon hearing God’s Word, tore his robe and commanded his servants to go to the prophet and inquire of the Lord. In a moment under the conviction of the Word and the Spirit, Josiah moved from reformation to repentance and transformation. Josiah called the nation together, and they renewed their covenant with God, and as a result of transformational repentance, God promised not to destroy Judah under Josiah’s reign.

To save our lives, the lives of our children, our community, and nation we must move from reformation to true transformational repentance, where we acknowledge our sin, become repulsed by sin and humbly surrender our will and service to God. 

Andy Clark

Transformational Word

A transformational word is a word that becomes so alive to us that it radically impacts our life and the lives of those around us. Our lives are filled with words but not transformational words. Spiritual pollution robs us of our strength and God-ordained life of victory. While the Scribes and Pharisees spoke from a knowledge basis, Jesus spoke with authority a transformational word and wants to empower us with the same authority.

Transformational authority begins with a radical change in how we think. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” The Apostle Paul exhorts us in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” We cannot continue to allow the world to indoctrinate us through the media and expect spiritual transformation. Sunday morning service alone will not produce transformation.  We need a radical transformation in thought consumption.

As you enter the New Year, purposefully carve out some time to spend with God. This time with God does not come easily or naturally but initially requires personal discipline. Hearing the world is easy. Hearing God requires developing a mind that can receive the things of God. Mental transformation comes with not just knowing the Word of God, but also coming into revelation knowledge of the Word that produces a change in our perception and our actions. When the Holy Spirit turns the light on the Word and brings true revelation, it will radically change your life. Spiritual revelation comes through focusing on and meditating on the Word to allow it to trickle down from your mind into your spirit.

As God becomes a greater part of your life, you will find new energy and life flowing from your spirit. Your fulfillment will not come from your performance, appearance, or what others think of you. You will find a new level of love, joy, peace and patience in your life that will be astounding. This new life will not come by your effort but will flow out of your growing relationship with God, the author and sustainer of life, and life more abundantly.

This transformed mind will enable you to discern what is good and evil. Paul goes on to say in Romans 12:2 that with this renewed mind you will ”prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” You will begin to see things as God sees them and respond in faith and confidence as Christ did when He walked on the face of the earth. God is not depressed by world conditions because He has overcome, and He wants us to overcome. We need to quit listening to the pundits of the world and allow the Holy Spirit by the Word to renew our mind so that we have the mind of Christ.

May you be encouraged today to launch out on a journey of transformation in 2014.

Andy Clark

Desperate and Expectant

George Otis has traveled the world over the past 20 years to document communities that have been transformed by the Gospel. Through his observations, thousands of interviews, studying over 800 contemporary revivals and many historical examples, he has collected some principles and observations that reveal the patterns of God. Some of these below are taken from “The Journey to Transformation, Next Steps” by Intercessors for America.

Transformation Observations and Principles

1.      The process of salvation and transformation begins with hopelessness and surrender.

2.      The need for transformation depends on how we perceive our condition.

3.      Before transformation can occur, we must be persuaded that: 1) our present circumstances are desperate  2) time is running out  3) there is a lifeline or an opportunity to be grasped.

4.      Human history tells us that people don’t generally move until they perceive either an imminent crisis or an immediate opportunity.

5.      Desperation declares that our condition is not just broken and painful, but actually dangerous.

6.      If we sense that we have time, there will be no urgency for transformation.

7.      We must want deliverance, not just relief.

Transformation Questions

1.      What percentage of the Church do you believe is concerned about the condition of the Church and the community? Think about the community you live in.

2.      What do you believe is the perception of need in your community?

a.       Conditions desperate and unmanageable

b.      Conditions troubling but not unmanageable

c.       Conditions not perfect but stable and prosperous

3.      How do your perceive your own condition: desperate, time is running out, there is a lifeline or opportunity to be grasped?

Transformation Application

Based on your perception of your condition and the condition of your community, list some steps you can take personally, and some possible next steps to help those in your community to recognize that the condition of the community is desperate, time is running out, and there is a lifeline.

Beginning next week, I will be doing a series of Transformational Devotionals which I trust will be an encouragement to you. If you live in the Richmond, Virginia area, we will be showing and discussing at our next ETN Missions Forum one of George Otis’ Transformational DVDs, documenting three Community Transformations in three different parts of world. The ETN Mission Forum will be held Tuesday, January 21, at 7pm at the House of Prayer, 10500, Newby’s Bridge Road, Chesterfield VA 23832. Join me in the Journey to Transformation.

May God reveal Himself to you in a greater way in 2014 and meet your every need.

Yours in Christ,

Andy Clark