Abba, I thank you for your protection and care, for the blessing of travel and fellowship with your children. I thank you for new friendships and the blessings of being in the presence of those I known only from as distance. Thank you for your watchfulness and care when situations could have been, well THANK YOU!!!!

I pray this day for those who have sacrificed so much that your work and kingdom may advance. For those who labor be aren't recognized  honored or appreciated  Those who labor among the poor, under served, broken and 'lest of these.' For pastors and ministry leaders and fellow servants, whose give there all and no one seems to notice. Grant them a moment and glimpse of the 'mountain top' and view of your glorious coming victory. Me we then come down from the mountain into the valley and by the power of your own Holy spirit, set the 'demon possessed' free. 

Bless them with endurance, the ability to run for the 'long-haul,; the grace not to quit before the battle or the race is won. Teach us to see the 'mile' markers' along the way, and to remember we don't run alone. We may not have many to encourage or say, "keep going," but I thank you for the still quiet voice which says, " . . . low I am with you alway, even to the end . . . " 

Grant a spirit of strength and fortitude for this day, and this week, for what lies ahead. Some of us, need something a little different form others, and my we then who call upon your name find comfort in knowing, "I'm here," No, lighting, no earthquake  or mighty windstorm  just you quiet voice of reassurance, that says, "my son, my daughter  my beloved, I know . . . " In this moment I may not choose to answer that most heartfelt request, but I know!" Come Holy Spirit, Come! I thank you for you will do in and for the life and then the ministry you've given, its yours. Do your best work in and around me for your own glory. 

I bless you, and Thank you, in the Mighty Name of Jesus,AMEN!!!

I love you for whjo you are, ant because of what you do, have done and even even for what you will be in my (our) situation. You are God, I am your beloved

--
T.A.B.

http://taburns.blogspot.com

Praying with you and For you today - 9/24/2012

Abba, today I pray for those who are fearful and afraid, we may not know the why but a sense of foreboding seems to hang around, and often won’t let me go. Holy Spirit come, and embrace me, hold me tightly and grant me your peace.

Some friends tell me I’m just imagining it, or “you worry too much,” but between you and me, this is so real, . . .  In this moment I need the strength of your strong arms; the warmth of your loving embrace. There are those who, Lord you know their thoughts as well as mine, I trust you for your outcome for my life and your blessing.

Help me to be a blessing to those around me, the friends you pray earnestly for me, may I receive the grace you give them which is meant for me. May I then in turn shower that grace on those I meet, work with or interact with, that somehow they will receive a blessing they need from a source they nor I ever expected.

Forgive the anger that raises within both me and them, because of . . .  , help me to remember I was there once as well. Grant me courage to face my week, just this week, and not to read into it, what I can’t know or even control. Thank you for walking with me every step of the way. Thank you that I’m not alone, even when I ‘feel’ lonely. I thank you for your silence, when I can’t hear your voice above the noise of daily life.

Thank you for calling me to yourself, you haven’t rejected me, nor denied me your love. I’m yours be your choice, not even my own; you poured your love upon me when I didn’t and even now don’t deserve it, How wonderful are you!!! I don’t understand you and your why, but thank you for loving me as I am, but never leaving me there.

So, what is it you want to do now or next? Thank you for your ability in me to change my wantonness into willingness for your purpose and glory.    

I thank you for all of your gifts and blessing, and even for those things I want so badly, and you have denied, you know what’s best for me. You’ve given me hope in the face of despair, faith when reason has fled; trust when I no longer have anything or anyone to trust in, Thank you for being faithful to me.

In your name I pray, AMEN!!!


Love Ya,
T.A.B.

""Ubuntu"

The lies . . .

Recently, my family and I were honored on the occasion of my fifth anniversary in ministry. I was deeply moved by the service and the tributes.Within the program was my bio, this morning I was reminded of the commencement address given by the Rev. Dr. Renita Weems of Nashville, TN., in 2011 at Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio. In what was the most outstanding commencement addresses I have heard in over sixty years, I was reminded then as now of the omissions and lies my bio does not address.

Dr. Weems said of her bio,  something to the effect, “ . . . there are lies in here, it does not tell of you the classes I failed, of the struggles I had to overcome to become the first African American female graduate in Old Testament studies, at Princeton . . . , people don’t come to you for your failures, or because of that which you didn’t succeed at, but because of your victory at Mt. Carmel like Elijah and over the four and fifty hundred prophets of Baal.”

I too must confess, there are ‘lies, and omissions,” in my bio. You may not know of the places and moments of weakness and dare I say it, failures, and yes, sin in my life. Fifty years of ministry should be celebrated and thank you for your very kind thoughts, prayers and blessings, but I too like Elisha, look back at the victories of my mentors and those who came before me, and want to know, “how did you do that????” What formula did you use, what words did you say, . ., etc???? If you ask me, I have none to give you, I am after all, just a man, and not a great one at that.

I am flawed, broken and wounded human being, I get it wrong as often (I hope) as I get it right, (I hope). I love deeply those who don’t or won’t love me as I wish; I mistake words spoken to mean things that were not intended. I’ve paid little attention to those who were closest to me, and far too much on those who didn’t then and don’t now care for or about me, and even in that statement I’m sure I’ve gotten it at least partly wrong.  But I have a God, who loves the (watch this) “hell” and sin out of me. My failures and sin have not pushed Him away, but frankly brought me closer to Himself. I’ve fought Him working in me and told him to “leave me alone . . .!” He never listened and never has.  

My heart’s desire is to love like my Abba Father, and His only begotten Son, Jesus, without question, without limit and even in the face of abandonment and hatred. I can’t of myself and in a few cases, “I DON’T WANT TOO!!!” I know that His Holy Spirit resides in me, and He is there for a great deal more than miracles and ‘speaking in other tongues’ and praise dances. His love for me, is all embracing, all forgiving and yes, caring in  ways I have yet to understand. I am loved so greatly, he not only weeps for me, but dances over me as well. Nothing I can do, will change His love for me, and He expects, no demands I do the same and by His grace and power I will.

As a fellow believer I hope you understand, we are called to love one another, and perhaps even more so when we are both near to others and when we are at a distance. Do I care enough about my brother in St. Louis, or that prisoner in San Quentin; those who dare to set up or walk into ministry in the inner-city, while never forgetting our brothers and sisters on the foreign field. Those small churches and ministries on both sides of the racial divide; the county pastor with their thirty members and very little chance for growth; No, I don’t know and perhaps never will know their name and most will never read these words, but His love is POURED OUT on them as well. The newspapers or CNN will never report the REVIVAL that broke out in the rural community and changed it into the life changing ministry that affected an entire county and than a state, but it happen and will continue to happen by the power of His Holy Spirit.

I hope that you can believe that somehow you (and I) loved by the greatest, biggest and most loving God of all time. he is present with you in this moment, and despite setbacks, abandonment, poorly cooperative staff members (if any at all) stubborn and difficult situations and even communities that don’t get you, fight you or even steal from you. You are right where He wants you (and I) too be. It is here that I can say for myself, “OUCH!!!” Even when I cry out for help and no one answers, I know He is with me (see Ps. 23; Jn 14:16)

I don’t take myself that seriously, and I know, that even in the face of lies, omissions, etc., I am (you are) His, for His own purpose and glory, and by His grace I’m learning to walk in it.

Love ya, T.A.B.
"Ubuntu"

God Is Good

A king, who did not believe in the goodness of God, had a slave who, in
every and all circumstances, said: ³My king, do not be discouraged,
because everything God does is perfect, no mistakes!²

One day the king and his slave went hunting, and along the way a wild
animal attacked the king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not
prevent his majesty from losing a finger.

Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman
said "Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my
finger."

The slave replied: "My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is
good, and he knows "why" of all these things. What God does is perfect. He is
never wrong!"

Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave.

Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who made
human sacrifices.

On the altar, ready to sacrifice the nobleman, the savages found that
the victim had not one of his fingers, so he was released. According to
them, he was not complete so he could not be offered to the gods.

Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave,
then, he received him very affectionately.

"My dear servant, God was really good to me! I was almost killed by the
wild men, but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a
question: if God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail?"

"My King, if I had gone with you on this hunt, I would have been
sacrificed for you, because I have no missing finger; therefore remember,
everything God does is perfect. He is never wrong."

Often we complain about life, and negative things that happen to us,
forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose.

Every morning, offer your day to God, don't be in a rush.

Ask God to inspire your thoughts, guide your actions, and ease your
feelings.  And do not be afraid. God is never wrong!

You know why this message is for you? I do not know, but God knows,
because he never makes mistakes.......

The path of God and his word is perfect, without impurities. He is the
way of all those who trust in Him, as he says in 2 Samuel 22: 31

What you do with this message is up to you. May God put in your heart
the desire to send it to someone.  God knows why He chose you to receive
this message. Please, bless someone with it.

Author Unknown

Sharing from today's devotional

The Divine Commandment of Life

. . . be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect —Matthew 5:48

Our Lord’s exhortation to us in Matthew 5:38-48 is to be generous in our behavior toward everyone. Beware of living according to your natural affections in your spiritual life. Everyone has natural affections— some people we like and others we don’t like. Yet we must never let those likes and dislikes rule our Christian life. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7), even those toward whom we have no affection.

The example our Lord gave us here is not that of a good person, or even of a good Christian, but of God Himself. “. . . be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” In other words, simply show to the other person what God has shown to you. And God will give you plenty of real life opportunities to prove whether or not you are “perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Being a disciple means deliberately identifying yourself with God’s interests in other people. Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

The true expression of Christian character is not in good-doing, but in God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit divine characteristics in your life, not just good human characteristics. God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian’s life is that the supernatural becomes natural in him as a result of the grace of God, and the experience of this becomes evident in the practical, everyday details of life, not in times of intimate fellowship with God. And when we come in contact with things that create confusion and a flurry of activity, we find to our own amazement that we have the power to stay wonderfully poised even in the center of it all.
My Utmost For his Highest - Oswald Chambers - 9/20/2012

As I read this, I was struck by the thought how much of my life is spent pursuing affections that have little or no impact upon my spiritual and Godly life, i.e., God’s life in me. As I read the Bible, I find the term ‘one another,’ at least 55 times! Why so often? If I am to take seriously God’s purpose and design for the life I’m to live, I need someone to guide me as I meet a world filled with ‘strangers,’ among whom I am a stranger as well.

I believe God had a purpose in our meeting, (you and I) and there will be more meetings of this kind in your life in the future. Our world (and you’re part of it) is filled with hurting and wounded people, and God is concerned about them.  That is where you and I come in. If God is to be seen or experienced, than it may not be in some ‘supernatural’ way. It will most likely because they have crossed paths you you and me.

The only God most people will ever meet is when they are blessed to meet you! In today’s devotional, O.C. calls us to “The example our Lord gave us here is not that of a good person, or even of a good Christian, but of God Himself. “. . . be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” In other words, simply show to the other person what God has shown to you.” What has He shown me, (us)? His grace, His unmerited love and mercy. He wants to use you to demonstrate this to ‘them.’

It is almost a delight to show love and grace to the beautiful, etc., people, why they have almost come to expect that as their right. But what about that co-worker, who eats alone, or sits quietly off to himself so often; those who you meet as we stand in line at the . . . We so often meet and work with people and we don’t take a moment to say Hi! We’re not looking for a ‘date’ or a ‘relationship,’ of some kind; but here is what I believe the Lord wants to share with me and you as well, ‘they’ are someone for whom He shed his life’s blood for and wants to enter into a personal and lifelong (eternal) relationship with. He’s asking you to ‘be my voice, my presence’ to them sometimes by just being present.

God loves you! Even if you don’t believe it, sorry, it matters not, You have the interest of God Himself. As a result, He wants to share Himself with people so very much like you. Perhaps shy or afraid of being misunderstood; just be available and watch Him work. Jesus simply ask that, “you be me to them.” But Lord, . . . sorry, you are not responsible for their reaction if any,
“ . . . you be me to them.” the rest is up to me, by the Holy Spirit.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.” (KJV) For me, the ‘eth’ implies, He continues to strengthen, enable and empower. This walk we share isn’t one based on, if I like you or not, or that you’re my friend, but in our relationship to Christ who chose to die for us. So go out today into your world and be a blessing, ‘they’ are waiting (without knowing it) for you.

Love ya, T
 
“Ubuntu”

Abba, I thank for the life you've given, and how you walked with me through it. Forgive me for doubting your good and blessing, I've been very self absorbed. I've focused on what I wanted, and how do I get it. Rather than seeking your will and purpose for this day. Come Holy Spirit and melt my selfish heart and mold it into your own desire for this 'clay' that I am. 

Thank you for making me your own. I didn't seek you out, you sought me, you won my heart with a love so great, I still don't understand it, THANK YOU!!! I pray for these my brothers and sister, friends and associates who Have walked with me, even briefly. They are yours, Jesus, what you did for us, should demand we give our entire lives to you. Yet you simply ask, " . . . come unto me me, and I will give you rest." Somehow, may I learn to trust you enough to stop and believe that, knowing you always keep your word.

For these pastors, and leaders of ministries, who work in places that other flee, where resources are limited, or perhaps where many believe 'that's not the place for me,' I pray your blessing of courage and strength to continue to serve with joy, dry their unseen tears, and embrace their hearts in your strong hands, to face this new week. Bless I pray their families, who often suffer in silence behind them, often unseen and not thought of. Give them too the strength to fight with their loved one. 

Somehow remind them that their reach is not as limited as they think or fear; that their efforts are not without reward. I thank you for the 'score board' of heaven, unseen at the moment, but just as real as the those we can see in stadiums around the world. Encourage them to keep fighting, and pressing onward to the day of victory. 

For those who struggle with great self worth, give them just this moment to believe in their value in the great work of Your divine purpose in the world. You have purpose for me, in me and yes, through me. I'm yours, not because of a choice I made, but that you choose me. I bless you oh love Lord and Spirit of the Living God. I'm yours, and you are working your will in my life, THANK YOU! I bless you, in the Strong Name of Jesus, AMEN!!!

Love ya,     

T.A.B.

http://taburns.blogspot.com

"Ubuntu"

Someone recently asked me, "what are the books that have had the greatest impact on your life and ministry?' Thank you for asking! I know for several of you, are saying to yourself, I need another suggestion as to a book like, . . ., okay, just in case you'd like to know (other than the Bible:)

In no particular order:

The Saving Life of Christ - Thomas

My Utmost for his Highest - Chambers

If You Want To Walk On the Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat - 

Second Guessing God -Jones

The Wounded Healer - Nouwen

Total Forgiveness - Kendall

What's So Amazing About Grace - Yancy

The Heart of A Great Pastor - London

Healing Care, Healing Prayer - Wardle

Self Talk, Soul Talk - Rothschild

Outrageous Love, Transforming Power - Wardle

The Transforming Path - Wardle

Helping Others Along the Journey - Wardle

Your god Is Too Small - Phillips

The Safest Place on Earth -  Crabb

Black Fire - 100 years of of African American Pentecostalism. - Alexander

"Truth in advertising," there are several books on this list by Dr. Terry Wardle, He is one of the lecturers at Pastors of Excellence, Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland Ohio, where I attended and I am a Resource mentor in this program.    

Love ya, 

--
T.A.B