Todd Murner Leadership and Teaching: 2016

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

GOLF IS SPELLED G.O.L.F.

It goes without saying that the game of golf is a popular sport throughout the world, transcending all cultures and even socio-economic barriers. Many companies and business entities are capitalizing on golf’s popularity and forward momentum.

For most of us however, our relationship with golf is one who might own some golf clubs, possibly even passed down from the previous generation, that sit in the garage or closet somewhere without the possibility of seeing the light of day or the glory of an actual course. No, most relate vicariously through the professional golfer who displays their proficiency in the game each and every week with surgical prowess on most every shot and putt, to cause most would-be golfers to enjoy the game from an easy chair or an occasional conversation around the water cooler.

So, to ask someone about their love for the game, would require the asker to know one’s relationship to the game. Is their livelihood derived from the game? Do they invest their time, money and affection into the game on a regular basis? Can they spell golf? Have they ever taken an instructional lesson from a professional golf teacher to improve their skill in actually playing the game?

Unfortunately, I could have easily written the same information about the average Christian. Most people are good people, who hold a membership in some church, possibly handed down from the previous generation. Yeah, they own a Bible somewhere, just not sure where it might be located. They might chat a bit if asked about their church, just don’t ask them about their faith. Recently, I spent several hours with two Christians on a golf course without even a hint of conversation about their faith and love in Christ. Even when prompted, over the years, I have rarely been successful in holding deep conversations with folks about their faith-even ministers.

You know there is a huge difference in saying that you have a relationship with someone and todd murner golf ball - once was lost saying that you identify with someone. A relationship only speaks of the fact that you are in proximity to the person on some level, albeit possibly a distant acquaintance, without being impacted and influenced by that person or visa versa. Conversely, to identify with someone is to hold the same interests, to be affected and effected by one another’s views and experiences to the point of instigating change or being changed yourself. Most people today have a relationship with Christ, they just don’t really identify with Christ. Those entities and elements that are supremely important to Him, just aren’t that necessary to most “Christians”.

My wife and I agreed some time ago that we are teetotalers. If we are in, we are all in. You will rarely talk to either of us that we are not speaking of the awesomeness of Yahweh and the growth and development of our faith. We enjoy hours and hours of fellowship with others that flows by like minutes as we lose ourselves in conversation about the Kingdom of Christ. Yes, we are all in and we desire to expend the energies and resources of our lives to identify with Christ. For the King!
So dust off your faith in Christ and preach the good news that will impact the lives of others for eternity. Don’t just have a ‘relationship’ with Christ, identify with the revelation and authority of Christ and change the world.

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Friday, March 11, 2016

KEEPING IT ALL CONNECTED

Given that my brother ‘affectionately’ refers to me as the walking golf channel, it is obvious that I analyze my game constantly, along with my playing partners. During the winter months I try to add new shots into my game and also work on different swing thoughts to improve my score and better my golf experience. Recently, however, due to all the winter tweaking, I realized I had digressed quite extensively from my level of play ending last fall.

I’ve often heard that the golf swing starts from the ground up. In other words, starting with the feet and working upward with the knees, hips, torso, shoulders and arms, the rhythm of the golf swing must follow a particular flow and sequence. Last year I spent an excessive amount of time working on initiating the downswing with my left hip and that somehow triggered some really good shots. At the beginning of this year however, it has seemingly all gone awry and my pleasure levels while playing golf have greatly diminished, but not my motivation to keep playing the game.

So, while working on my wedge shots in the yard yesterday, and hitting some horrible shots from skulls to shanks, I realized my issue. While I was concentrating on all the different parts of the swing, I was not keeping them connected. The components were there, but they were moving independently of one another, not in the sequential flow and connectivity that is required for the intended outcome. After employing a tip I saw years ago by placing a golf towel or tee under the left arm pit, I was easily able to connect the torso, shoulders and arms together, which produced solid contact and shots on the correct trajectory and expected distance. Glory!!

As a minister of the gospel of Christ, I spend an inordinate amount of time counseling others in all manner of life situations. Many times, after digging into the problem, the necessary components are there, but the flow and connectivity of those components are missing.

In the Kingdom of Christ, the sequence and flow of spirit, soul and body must never be compromised. Whenever your life deviates from its expected trajectory and intended destination, survey each of these three elements of your life and evaluate how you are processing each of them. If you are prioritizing your soulish needs or worldly desires over the mandate to glorify Christ, well, need I say more? The following verse is key:

“Now may the God of peace (wholeness and fullness) Himself (only Yahweh can accomplish this through the finished work of Yahshua and the ongoing work of the Spirit) sanctify (progressive action of grace to purify and separate you from the old man to the new man – who you were from the beginning) you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23

So in golf, when there are problems with your golf swing, work sequentially from the ground up and keep everything connected. In life, when things go awry, operate from the spirit down through the soul (mind, will and emotions) and body-keeping them connected by the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

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Monday, February 29, 2016

ECONOMICAL CHANGE

‘Economy’ has been generally defined as the management of resources, most often by the selling and trading of goods and services, for a given community or nation. Many times the media reports on the status of our national economy at any given time with a measuring device of productivity with descriptions of healthy, rich and robust or poor, slow and anemic. A poor economy would suggest that we are using more resources than we are manufacturing and thus incurring a debt. At the time of this writing, according to U. S. Debt Clock.org, the United States national debt has just surpassed 19 trillion dollars, which is, to say the least, disturbing.

It would seem that people of this era are not ashamed nor dismayed by financial debt. Debt is just a way of life. For those who keep such statistics, most people aren’t even close to having enough money ‘saved’ for retirement. Of course, trusting the government with this responsibility has long since been propagated throughout our society. Actually, most indicators reveal that the Social Security program will not be sufficiently funded for those who only rely upon that program as their sole source of income. So instead of saving money and investing, our society is moving deeper into debt with little to nothing to sustain them after their working days are over.

This is troubling because our society as a whole has changed their view of how our economy works. To me, this is symptomatic of a departure of not only the founding fathers’ view of this country, but also the kingdom of Christ view of just how life works, based on a kingdom of heaven revelation. You see, the world’s economy is generally based on dollars and cents…not sense. One would readily and justifiably take advantage of another in any business transaction and brag about it later…that’s just good business…right? WRONG!!!! At least in the kingdom of God that is absolutely wrong.

I just heard today of a ministry that was preparing to buy a church building from a church that had diminished in size and therefore couldn’t afford the building they occupied each week for worship. The minister who was positioned to buy the building realized the ministry was going under if no one bought the property and promptly waited to buy the foreclosed property later from the bank at a reduced price…despicable!

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? 9 The Lord’s voice cries to the city– Wisdom shall see Your name: “Hear the Rod! Who has appointed it? 10Are there yet the treasures of wickedness In the house of the wicked, And the short measure that is an abomination? 11 Shall I count pure those with the wicked scales, And with the bag of deceitful weights? 12 For her rich men are full of violence, Her inhabitants have spoken lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. 13 “Therefore I will also make you sick by striking you, By making you desolate because of your sins. 14 You shall eat, but not be satisfied; Hunger shall be in your midst. You may carry some away, but shall not save them; And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword. 15 “You shall sow, but not reap; You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; And make sweet wine, but not drink wine. 16 For the statutes of Omri are kept; All the works of Ahab’s house are done; And you walk in their counsels, That I may make you a desolation, And your inhabitants a hissing. Therefore, you shall bear the reproach of My people.”” Micah 6:8-16

The economy of the Kingdom of Christ is not built on selling goods and services but the Word and Spirit. It’s an economy where those within the kingdom judge righteously by doing the right thing based on a vision of God and not a balance sheet or profit and loss statement. For those who have professed their faith in Christ to pay their sin debt, we must now ask the Father to baptize us into Christ by filling us with His Spirit so that we now have His heart and mind on every matter…especially business transactions. Secondly, we must ask the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to open our eyes to Yahweh’s economy that is built on the following paradoxical premises:

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (money).” Matthew 6:24
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:1-5

The solution to this widespread soul virus begins in the heart of every individual Believer of Christ. From there, we must return to Yahweh-centered family economies where there is unity and a commitment to the vision of the family-a vision that benefits each member of the family. Hopefully, this will spread to our churches and then to business, education and government. Let’s return to an economy that works and prospers everyone…the Kingdom of Christ!!!!

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Unity Equals Victory

In football, I love the idea that when a play is called by the quarterback in the huddle that every member of the offense knows what his assignment is for that particular play. The play is called, the players ‘break’ the huddle and line up in their unique positions. The quarterback then barks a series of signals that either changes the play at the line of scrimmage or signals the start of the play. Bam! All eleven players move indiscriminately toward their assignment to achieve movement toward the ‘goal’ line. Some teams are very good at this and others are just average. And no matter that you have a superstar at one or two positions, without everyone doing their part, that team will not win as often as the team where every player is synced with the other players, all doing their part.

The apostle Paul stated it thusly to the Ephesians:

11 And He Himself (Christ) gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 (a) for the equipping of the saints (b) for the work of ministry, (c) for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head–Christ– 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

I’m convinced that someone read this passage and then invented team sports. Every team sport has individual positions and one or more of those positions serve as a leader for the team to excel and achieve their goal of victory.

Whether it is marriage (a two-team sport), family, business, or ecclesia (church), Paul’s game plan works every time. Unity equals Victory!

As leaders, let us share the vision succinctly, incorporate all the players, outline the assignment for each position and provide leadership that unites the players along the way to victory. We can do this!

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Don’t Keep Driving for Show

There’s a familiar adage in golf, “You drive for show and you putt for dough.” The obvious application is that most people spend more time practicing the less important parts of the game. On average, in a round of golf, you may use the driver twelve to fourteen times or 14% of the time. In comparison, an average golfer will use their putter thirty to thirty-five times a round which equates to almost 40% of the score. So, the question arises as to why most golfers spend most of their practice time with the ‘big stick’ and hit a couple of putts right before the round begins.

In bringing this golf analogy into a kingdom life application, the same premise exists, most people of faith spend most of their time on the externals and not enough time on the internal elements of their faith. Check out this verse:

8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life (perpetuating, reproducing life; dynamo power). Galatians 6:88

I’ve hear it a thousand times, “Read your Bible, pray, go to church, pay your tithe and offering, witness to others!” While all of these practices are viable, shouldn’t they flow naturally out of a Holy Spirit-filled life of devotion and desire to bless our Father, Yahweh? According to the apostle Paul, as we sow to the internal presence of the Spirit, the Spirit will produce fruit (Galatians 5) that will remain. If someone isn’t constantly scheduling church services, Bible studies, prayer meetings and service projects, most people wouldn’t naturally participate in these endeavors. This does not make these endeavors wrong, just positioned on the wrong side of a life in the Spirit. The apostle Paul further explains:

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:16-18

So, what does this mean? Simply that if you are doing all the outward, ‘drive for show’, Christian disciplines and your score is not even close to what you expect, you may need to focus on a part of your ‘game’ that is less impressive but more necessary to your ultimate goals. Praying and sowing to the Spirit aren’t nearly as popular as these other churchy endeavors, but the payoff will glorify the Son and please the Father.

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Warning Signs

golfer-yelling-fore-cartoon It’s an unusual and unique characteristic of golf etiquette to yell, “FORE!”, when you hit the ball in the direction of unsuspecting players on the course. No one knows for sure where the ball might go when struck and therefore a warning system is necessary, albeit not very effective. Most of the time, when you yell, “Fore”, the response from those in the line of flight look up to see the ball coming-not smart. You will not see the ball coming but you will feel the pain of the ball hitting your body…unfortunately because of a wrong response.

Similarly, there are a lot of people walking around this world in pain due to a wrong response. One reason for wrong responses is that no one gave them a warning that something was coming their way that was potentially harmful. Blindsided by the nuances of life, people get bonked in the head and lose their way from time to time…what to do?

The answer to this problem goes all the way back to the original design of man. We were designed and built with an early warning system, known as the Holy Spirit. Yes, the Spirit of Christ, expresses His presence within us by divine wisdom, knowledge, understanding and revelation. The sad truth is that so many Christians don’t fellowship with the Spirit within, therefore they walk blindly in life blaming others for their shortcomings and misgivings. They are actually out of position on the ‘golf course’ of life. Yes, they hear a faint sound, “fore”, in the distance, but to no avail-out of nowhere, here comes trouble.

Don’t live your life expecting something catastrophic to happen. First receive the gift of salvation and open your eyes to all the possibilities and the newness of life promised in this new lineage. Next, receive the Holy Spirit and optimize your life in Christ with the same Spirit that enabled Yahshua to do amazing acts on the earth. Don’t just read about the pros and their amazing exploits. Receive the presence and power of Christ and get equipped with the right response!

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Grace

You would almost think that grace was a new concept in the body of Christ today given the frequency by which it is being utilized. It seems that every message preached and every song being sung today is promoting grace. I wouldn’t be that concerned about it but some of the rhetoric being thrown around pertaining to grace is erroneous at best and reckless at worst. What seems to be at the center of the confusion is the difference between positional grace and functional grace.

Grace can easily be understood as that spiritual resource that Yahweh supplies that you can’t supply for yourself-a gift. Grace is the divine presence and subsequent empowerment of the Holy Spirit within a person that causes change within and flows through that same person to others-glorifying Yahshua.

So, yes, Yahweh must first extend grace to everyone for your position (lineage and subsequent nature associated with that lineage) in Christ to change. You cannot ‘save’, or deliver yourself from your sin condition that is generationally connected to Adam…you cannot make yourself righteous, acceptable and valuable to Yahweh apart from Yahshua’s sacrifice and shed blood on the cross. Yahweh Himself must give this gift of salvation that transfers your family lineage from Adam to Christ. One’s simple response to this gift is repentance-a true expression of the contrition of one’s heart!! Then, by faith (agreement with Yahweh), receive the finished work of Yahshua, completed on the cross. Instantly, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of grace, responds to your heart’s desire to belong and be reconciled to Yahweh through the gift given and received. HalleluYAH!!!

But notice these two passages that reference grace in the New Testament:

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. Titus 3:4-8

So grace cannot be understood solely linked to salvation, but must also be present and active in our lives as Kingdom change agents and sons of Yahweh in the earth today. Romans 8:14 states that the sons of Yahweh are those who are ‘continually’ led by the Holy Spirit. Later Paul explains that even the earth is groaning and travailing for the sons of Yahweh to take their place mightily in the earth so that the earth can glorify Christ as it was originally designed. Man cannot fulfill his divinely given purpose without the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of grace, functioning in and through him. If we stop at positional grace, we change lineages from Adam to Christ without the nature change and without fulfilling the Yahweh-given mandates unique to every believer. As Paul states emphatically, “We are His workmanship, recreated in Christ Yahshua for good works.”

Therefore, there exists a distinct balance and relationship between the spoken Word, the Holy Spirit and man, who is uniquely designed to hear Yahweh’s voice and release his faith, which grants the Holy Spirit access to the spoken Word and brings about manifestation of that Word.

How much of what is being done in the name of Yahshua, the Christ, is actually being accomplished without the Holy Spirit’s empowerment within and through man? How much of Yahshua’s earthly ministry was accomplished without the Holy Spirit? Exactly, my point!

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And The Two Became One

In preparation for a wedding ceremony recently, I was pressing into the heart and mind of Yahweh for a distinct and personal message that I might deliver to the groom, bride, wedding party, family and friends. The morning of the ceremony I was drawn to a very familiar Scripture- Romans 8:29:

“For who He (Yahweh, the Father) foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He (Yahshua, the Son of Yahweh) might be the firstborn of many brethren.”

I was then drawn by the Spirit within to dig deeper into the word, “conformed”. The word in Greek is actually two words, which translate, ‘to be joined or morphed together in both form and fashion’. Of course there could be no greater illustration of the true Kingdom concept of marriage, where the two become one. But, before we can go there we must be true to the context of the verse that we were predestined to be morphed together in form and fashion with the image of Yahshua the Christ.

If we are not ‘conformed’ to Christ by the Spirit, then realistically there is no possible way for us to be truly joined and morphed together in marriage, family, business, ecclesia (church).

The apostle Paul later instructs the Romans to not be ‘conformed’ to this world, but be ‘transformed’ by the renewing of the mind. Interestingly, the word he uses in chapter 12 for conform is different and means ‘to make new again or renew’. So, the message is clear,

We must leave something old and dysfunctional to be morphed into something new, dynamic and life-giving.

Many people claim to have completed this transaction but retain old mindsets in which the enemy has established soulish strongholds that undermine and sabotage this new and effective life in Christ.

Every aspect of our life in this world was predetermined to be influenced directly by the presence of Christ within. Yahweh saw your life today before He created the foundation of the world! Let’s allow the Spirit within to us bring that prophetic vision into today’s reality.

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Golf and Grace

As with most endeavors, golf is governed by rules to make it fair for everyone and principles to ensure a pleasurable experience for everyone that plays the game. Although there can be many unique personalities and styles in the game of golf, the rules and principles by which the game is played remain constant and sure.

It seems in the body of Christ today, that many people have not enjoyed their ‘Christianity’ experience and have sought to analyze it to find out just what went awry. The general consensus is that there are too many rules and regulations and therefore it might be good to just throw out all absolute truth and any form of government associated with one’s personal faith in Christ. Many are preaching a gospel of grace that says that since our righteousness can only be a gift from Yahshua the Christ, we don’t really need to abide by any rules or principles that govern a redeemed life. Since you can’t lose what you didn’t earn, you are free to live your life just any way you deem pleasurable.

golfer

I realize this analogy is way too simple to explain the complexities of the issue, but I challenge anyone to just go out and play a game of golf with total disregard for the rules that govern your experience and the principles by which hitting the ball becomes practically impossible to succeed. I have played golf with those who can’t count their score correctly or become angry because their expectation of a good shot is met with the reality of their lack of practice and training. You may not be able to incorporate everyone’s well-meaning advice after a bad shot, but that negative feeling will never be trumped by just trying to hit the ball any old way you like. No, golf shows no pity toward the ill-prepared, emotionally distraught or publicly embarrassed. The only options are to give up the game or submit yourself to the lordship of a golf professional.

Many have walked away from their life in Christ due to an overemphasis of the ‘law’ (rules) and the associating guilt and shame associated with personal mistakes. If only those who struggle in their faith would allow the Spirit of Christ to baptize them into Christ’s fullness. No, it wouldn’t guarantee a perfect shot or a perfect score every time, just a relationship that would make sense of the game of life that most seem to not understand.

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Hebrews 9:27

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,…” Hebrews 9:27

Apart from the second coming of Christ, all of us will face death – when mortality will give way to immortality. Hattie Wells, my dear grandmother, proudly crossed the spiritual divide between the physical and spiritual realm this past week. She was just short of living ninety-six years on this earth and I can only imagine the changes she has witnessed in this world from 1919 to present. With the recent birth of Josiah Murner, my brother’s grandson, five generations were living at one time.

Even with the busyness of my life today, it’s difficult not to find myself drifting into a reminiscent mode of yesteryear remembering the impact and influence ‘Grandmother’ had on my life today as a person, a husband, a father, an apostle of Christ. So walk with me down my own personal memory lane and perhaps it will cause you to remember the significant people in your life, both alive and departed, that deserve a moment of reflection on the impact they have made on your life.

…I remember the gravy and biscuits that were served up fresh – cooked on a wood-burning stove on a crisp winter’s morn in a coal mining camp in eastern Kentucky.

…I remember the Mentholatum mustache she wore each night under her nose so that she breathed well through the night. I also remember that any of us grandchildren that slept with her through the night would wake up smelling like Mentholatum Vapor Rub.

…I remember the swinging, wood bridge that we crossed thousands of times visiting Grandmother and Papa at Big Hammer Farm where we spent the majority of our summers.

…I remember the 38 special pistol that Grandmother carried in her purse at all times, for some unknown reason. I also remember her trying to shoot a rattlesnake in the yard with her pistol. That snake couldn’t have been in a safer place than where Grandmother was pointing that pistol. Dad eventually killed the snake.

…I remember visiting Grandmother from college and after Autumn and I were married. She never allowed us to depart without giving us some ‘lunch money’. She always wanted to know that her ‘grands’ had enough.

…I remember the thousands of delicious meals prepared from foods and ingredients grown right out of Grandmother and Papa’s garden. I also remember the relentless hours of canning those vegetables for delicious foods to be eaten later that winter. Wish I had some of those pickles right now.

…I remember building with Dad several wooden outhouses, which were utilized until they finally built a bathroom on the back of their small farmhouse.

I especially remember her zeal for Christ, her compassion for others and the many displays of sacrifice and kindness she extended toward others-especially her family. She truly was an amazing woman!

…I remember…so many things that wouldn’t mean as much to you as they do to me and I don’t ever want to forget the significant people whom Yahweh placed into my life to mold me into the man I am today. Grandmother, you rank right there at the top!!!

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The Art of Professional Golfing

There is a huge disparity between professional golfers and amateur golfers. Of course those who play the game for a living, by necessity, practice more often and have better equipment than the average weekend hacker. Professionals employ swing coaches, sports psychologists, fitness and nutritional experts and the list could go on depending on the seriousness of the professional and how deep his/her pockets run.

I’ve been to a few professional tournaments and noticed immediately that there is a huge difference in how the professionals hit the ball versus those of us who play for funzies. The sound of the club making contact with the ball, the flight of the ball and most of all the distance by which the ball travels are uniquely different. So different in fact that it is almost seems as if we are playing a different game altogether.

golf-pro

Being a teacher by nature, when I play with other golfers who are struggling with their game, I invariably try to offer some piece of advice that would free them up from what is known as the paralysis of analysis. Golf can be hugely enjoyable if you’re playing anywhere close to your expectations. Who doesn’t want to be outdoors, basking in the sun on a perfectly groomed landscape of grass, flowers, trees, ponds and white sand? However, if you’re not playing up to your fantasy of hopeful expectation, not considering you haven’t practiced or even played in quite some time, golf can be very frustrating and aggravating.

The first bit of advice that I usually offer the troubled golfer is conceptual and not instructional. You see, the professional is not focused on ‘hitting the ball’. In golf, the ball either sits on a tee or rests on the ground. The ball is not moving when you strike it and therefore shouldn’t be the focus of one’s attention. No, the accomplished golfer knows that a great shot is the product of a good swing. While most duffers are trying to ‘hit the ball’, the professional golfer has learned to swing the club with the ball just getting in the way of a great swing.

Unfortunately, I meet a lot of Christians with the same problem. They are trying to live the Christ life, their focus is on themselves and not Christ and therefore, they are constantly searching for their errant ball in the woods of life. Remember, Christ in you is the hope of glory!!! Yahweh did not give you the greatest gift possible for you to ignore the gift and try to do it on your own. I marvel at Christians who give up in absolute frustration and remark that the Christ life doesn’t work. No, you are simply approaching the Kingdom differently than it was designed.

Yahweh has imparted to you, through Christ, His divine nature and divinely empowered you by His Spirit to win! You don’t need new equipment, more instructional videos or different playing partners. You just need to find out who you are in Christ-the unique you that is one of a kind and just let life get in the way of your new swing!

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The Purpose of the Church

I remember going to an interview for an associate pastor’s position of a larger church when I was all of twenty-five years old. Green behind the ears does not even begin to describe how naïve and unprepared I was for this position. To prepare for the interview, I thought it might be wise to have some understanding of the church. Lo and behold, I visited a local Christian bookstore and bought a book, “The Purpose of the Church”. How exciting, I’m interviewing for a church leadership position and trying to read an entire book to understand the purpose of the church on the nine hour drive to the interview-my wife was driving by the way. I did get the job mainly because the leadership of the church was just as clueless to the purpose of the ecclesia (church) as a legislative governmental agency of the Kingdom of Christ with the five-fold leadership of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers equipping the people for ministry.

Recently, the Holy Spirit has been drawing my attention to the Old Testament family that was to become a nation that would glorify Yahweh and draw all nations to serve Him. Yes, Abraham, the father of Israel, began as a father of a family. If we miss this amazing fact that whatever Yahweh is accomplishing in the earth, He always begins with a father that will begat sons. Marriage and family are the building blocks of every ecclesia (church) and helps us to understand the enemy’s bombardment of these holy institutions.

Consequently, we can’t possibly arrive at the purpose of the church until we understand the progression by which Yahweh formed Israel. Initially, Israel began with patriarchs, fathers-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. This patriarchal stage of development is generally about the lordship of Christ delegated through fathers and the governmental order of the Kingdom.

Secondly, the law was given by Yahweh to Moses. Now don’t get hung up on the fact that I’m introducing the law as a necessary element of the churches’ construction. Yes the Old Testament law was focused only on the flesh with performance and legalism as its primary qualities. However, understanding that the primary definition of law is how something works, then there are New Testament laws just as in the old. The New Testament laws are the law of Christ, the law of faith and the law of the Spirit, a life in Christ Yahshua. It is simply how this new covenant works, which is by the Spirit. The Old Testament law operated by the flesh, produced a curse and led to frustration and futility, setting the stage for grace and truth to come through Yahshua the Christ.

Finally, in the Old Testament there was the prophetic. Mainly, however, because the Old Testament was characterized by external human effort and fleshly desires, the prophetic focused on correction and negative judgment, only speaking of a better day that would come. The prophet Joel indicated that there would be a pouring out of Yahweh’s Spirit in those [futuristic] days.

Yahshua came bringing grace, the internal empowerment of the Holy Spirit as a dynamo, producing perpetual power and revelation of the Kingdom. Today, we no longer operate by the flesh, but now by the Spirit. The spiritual kingdom of Christ continues to operate by the fathers, by spiritual laws and the prophetic. But thanks be unto Christ, we have the Spirit so that the father’s hearts are turned toward the children, the law of Christ has been written on our good and honest hearts by the Spirit and we see prophetically, by the Spirit, the purposes and plans of Yahshua, our elder brother, our Lord of lords, our reigning King of kings.

I’m sure if I went back and read the book explaining the purpose of the church from yesteryear, I would be embarrassed at the notion that we could have been so far off from what Yahshua had in mind for His body and future bride. Let us go on!!!

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ECONOMICAL CHANGE

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (money).” Matthew 6:24
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:1-5