Wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective.  One of the great reasons we read God’s Word is because from it, we gain wisdom for life. We gain the insight to gain the Christ-minded model.

You know what my previous announcement was concerning being nominated for President of the Southern Baptist Convention.  Some would say, “Ronnie, agreeing to do that indicates your wisdom is really lacking.”  Well, that may prove to be true.  However, I am only permitting it for one reason alone.  The Lord wants me to go that far and only He knows if it will go farther.

In that context, pray for me to have wisdom.  I realize that is such a “trite” request in our Christian nomenclature, but I am very serious. I am not sure I have needed wisdom any more than these days.

I need wisdom in each interview I do.  This serves as an opportunity to get the message of Jesus out before others in a positive way.  As well, in the present church and SBC challenges, the questions so many times are win-lose.  It does not matter how they are answered, to some you are on the wrong side of the argument.

I need wisdom to deal with those who are evaluating our church and me.  I have never been afraid of sensible debate or fearful of dealing with the issues of life, church, and even the SBC.  Yet, there is a time, place, and way to do it.

I need wisdom in the allocation of my time.  I am trying to finish up my book, lead this fellowship, correspond with members, learn about SBC issues in case I am asked to go on the trip as President, and normal life matters.

Pray for me to have God’s wisdom in these things.  I need the heartbeat of God and the mind of Christ in all of them.

My niece Kristy and her husband Rodney had a little baby girl this morning…she was just over 4 lbs.  Pray for little Maci, as she is three weeks premature.  They are in the Houston area of Texas.

God has answered your prayer for my Mom’s house to sell. She has a strong contract on it and will close very soon…so pray that all goes to the end.  She and Linda will rent a home until we determine their long-term housing issues.

Peyton came over last night by himself…well, Kate brought him by and left him with us for a while.  My, how he has advanced….he is filling the baby bed!  Gigi dominated him as usual!

Speaking of Gigi (Jeana, my wife) she has a birthday on Saturday.  May is like Christmas in our family again.  Her birthday is May 13, Mother’s Day is Sunday, and Friday, May 12 is Josh’s birthday!

I told you a moment ago:  life matters go on…

One of my staff members sent me this phrase recently: “Most Christians would rather be right than Christ-like.” I am confident this statement is so needed in families, businesses, and in churches. Is that not a convicting word for all of us? It sure is to me.

If you are married, how many times have you wanted to have “the last word?” Did it send your relationship with your spouse to a new level because you got in the last word? Jesus was not interested in getting the last word in His conversations. One day He will get the last and final word on ALL things.

How many times have Christian men and women lost their testimony on the job because they just had to prove they were right to others, not doing it in the right way? As a Pastor, I hear it often. God help all of us to be wise in our words and behavior. A lost and unchurched world is searching for reasons not to come to Christ; but let’s not give them an additional reason due to our demeanor.

How many churches have become divided over one person or group of persons who act in a way that divided the fellowship, creating anything from schisms to splits? This happens so much in church life it is very discouraging. How many pastors today have done this with their people in their words and actions? Conversely, how many people have done it to their pastor? Or how many have done it to each other?  Just think, slain Christians lie wounded on the brink of becoming spiritual carnage on the side streets of our churches because someone just had to be right.

The Christian life is not about always being right.  It is about being like Jesus. I remember this phrase that was said to me years ago:  If Satan cannot get you to do the wrong thing, then he will try to get you to do the right thing in the wrong way! This is so true.

It is a sad commentary on Christians when we are more concerned about being right rather than being like Jesus. Perhaps you are guilty of this in your relationships. I know I have been before. May we pray together that it is not a part of our lifestyle in any relationship regardless of what occurs.

You can be right and be Christ-like at the same time. They do not have to be competing forces in your life. In fact, true rightness is done like Jesus would do it. When you evaluate Jesus’ life, He always did right, stood for right, and said what was right AND He always did it in the right way. A way that pictured godliness, holiness, and brought great glory to the Father.

Today’s challenge:  Do NOT lose your testimony over being right, but GAIN a testimony by being Christ-like. You will begin to be heard and appreciated much more in all relationships when you do what is right in the right way.

Prayer: “Lord, help me, help all of us to pursue Christ-likeness 24/7.” You never lose when you are like Jesus. Jesus always wins. Jesus will win in the end.

I was asked something one month ago that really has challenged my life and entire decision-making processes. Has that ever happened to you? I am sure it has. However, this one really rattled my cage.
 
One month ago last night, Johnny Hunt, a pastor friend of mine, called me and told me that he did not feel peace from the Lord on being nominated to be the next President of the Southern Baptist Convention. As strongly as he felt he was not that man, he stated to me, “I believe God wants you to be that man.” That was a huge bomb, a big-time, mega bomb! I felt that I had 100 pounds dropped on my chest that night.  
 
Through prayer processes, evaluation processes, confidential conversations, and the Holy Scripture, I believe God wants me to act upon the request to have my name placed in nomination to be the next President of the Southern Baptist Convention. What does that mean? It means I will be nominated for consideration, not necessarily become the next President. The convention messengers in our Annual Meeting in North Carolina this year will make that decision. Only God will determine if He wants me to serve in this capacity.
 
What do we do?  We pray…we do not run for President. We pray. We seek the Lord. We ask God to get the real truth out about my pastor’s heart. Sure, I am human. I have made mistakes in pretty well all of life. There are times I could have been a better husband, father, pastor, friend, or servant in this denomination of 43,000 plus churches. I will make more mistakes and prayerfully not the same ones. This is why I need people to pray.  
 
I am excited about what God is doing in my life and was before this possibility ever emerged 30 days ago.  My heart is to be God’s man above all. I want to do only what God wants me to do, nothing else. My heart is to advance the gospel of Jesus throughout the world.  My life and ministry all of these years testify to everyone that is what I am about. Perception may be this or that, people may write this or that, but the Lord and my people know that I resonate daily the church’s mission statement: Reaching Northwest Arkansas, America, and the World for Jesus Christ. This SBC possibility emerges as perhaps another way to help our church fulfill its mission through their Pastor serving this denomination as a volunteer for the next year and possibly two as its President.
 
Please pray for me as I conduct interviews along the way. Pray for those interviewing to hear and write what I state and believe. Pray for protection in every way through the next days in everything. Pray for my family to be protected. We are entering some possible new territories of influence in this world. If God is wanting it, Satan will fight it fiercely. In reality, it is all up to God. I am who I am, nothing else. I am becoming more what God wants me to be daily, I pray. If God wills it and the people affirm it, then we will do and accept what God does. At this time to be obedient, I must walk through the door to follow what God has put in my heart. 

Therefore, join me in praying for the will of God…my only true resting place.

Since this blog is about my life between Sundays, I want you to catch up with me on where I have been in these past 30 days.  I shared something very important with our church yesterday.  It is something that has some enormous challenges and responsibilities, regardless of the outcome. 

I realize the weekends become very fragmented for many of us.  As we run here and there we may miss something that is important.  If you were not present in our services yesterday you missed something very, very important.  I hope that you will catch up with us today.

In order to understand where I have been and where I am in my life at this time, I really think the best thing is for you to visit one of our websites right now.  Over the next few weeks as I share matters with you, I want you to understand the events and how they have unfolded in these past 30 days.   

In tomorrow’s blog I will share some insights with you pertaining to the announcement that was made yesterday.  In order for understanding to occur, please do a “quick study” today.  Thanks for understanding.  Therefore, until tomorrow, I need you to go to either www.fbcs.net or www.churchph.com and view the press release by my great friend, Dr. Johnny Hunt of Georgia.  His passion to reach the world is great and his heart for the American church is genuine.  He pastors one of the greatest, most unique, and most dynamic churches in all of the world.

Until tomorrow, do the “quick study” from one of our sites and pray.  The will of our God supercedes all to me…everything. 

Did you realize that the mission of taking the gospel to the world is very possible?  I have thought about this for some time.  God has given us the resources and the technology to do it.  The resources we have are far greater than money…people. 

We have young men and women in colleges, seminaries, and still in high school that God has in mind to use in order to accomplish this mission.  He will call them and we need to be His voice to issue the call in human voice.  We need to do what we can to echo the voice of God encouraging young adults and teenagers that there is more to life than business, sports, entertainment, and pleasure. 

I am also convinced there is a group of adults who, now that they have entered their lives, are open to hear God speak to them.  As they listen, God is able to call them.  He can call them right out of corporate America.  He can call them into early retirement to give the second part of their lives to the gospel.  He can also call them to help send others and pray for others.  Yes, we can all be a part of His call to win the world in some way. 

I am very committed to issuing that passion when I speak and communicate to them.  Join me in placing those thoughts into their hearts as they consider their futures.  There is so much more, so very much more to life than what people choose to settle for on this side of eternity.

Let’s pray for the future of the gospel throughout the world.

Today is the National Day of Prayer and the call is to bring honor to God as a nation.  Built upon the powerful verse in 1 Samuel 2:30 that says, “I will honor those who honor Me.”  This means that we will bring esteem and preference to our God in all things.  This is a great need in our nation.

We often think the key to our nation is who is in a particular office of government.  This is not the key to our nation, even though it may be important for leading our nation to honor God in all ways.  The key to our nation is for us to bring preference and honor to the Lord and Him alone.  This is also our hope…only hope.

I am convinced that unity is built only upon truth, understanding that Jesus is the truth.  He, the Living Word of Truth, and the Bible as the written Truth is the secret to our future to our nation.  Somehow, someway, in this political-crazed world we must find a way to bring honor to our God.

This honor must come in the centers of power and influence in our nation.  These centers of power and influence are:  church, education, family, government, and media.  If we want the Lord to bless and favor our nation and give favor to us personally, then we must find a way to honor our God. 

One of the great privileges I had one year was to join Shirley Dobson, wife of James Dobson of Focus on the Family, to equip her national leaders for the National Day of Prayer.  Jeana and I remember with fondness the personal time we had with them, the passion they have for the Lord, and for our Lord Jesus to be honored in our nation.  Today, these leaders are unleashed nationally to call their communities and cities to honor God and to honor our nation.

I am leaving in a few moments to give the keynote address at the National Day of Prayer Breakfast for the city of Fayetteville, Arkansas.  It is a great honor to be asked to do so and I will be faithful to call this strategic city in Arkansas to honor God. 

Today, pray for our nation, our leaders, and the centers of power and influence that are mentioned in one of the above paragraphs.

Last night we had a “Dinner with the Pastor” at our Pinnacle Hills location…God moved and we had 51 additions to our church last night!  Out of these 51 decisions, I was able to lead several of them to Christ via the presentation made.  Hallelujah!  God is good.  Our staff team did a great job assembling guests who had visited that campus for a number of weeks or months, asking them to a time with me to share about the church as they considered us in their spiritual journey. 

This reminds us how time has changed so many things not only in our personal life, but in so many things.  Who would have thought 10 years ago a venue like this could have such an impact, providing an additional opportunity to meet Christ as well as enter into a relationship with our church.  It reminds me of the need for all of us to be willing to change.  One of the great things that really sets aside our church at both locations is the willingness to change.  This is why we even have a second location. 

Last year I was asked to do the major message for the Annual Meeting of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.  I shared a message that God had placed upon my heart about the need for change.  The message was entitled, “This Ain’t Your Granny’s Convention Anymore.”  The reason I spoke on this topic was that a committee had been appointed by our convention that was bringing recommendations a year later on ways our convention could serve churches more effectively in their mission of reaching the world, of which I commended all parties for a willingness to study and change. We need to preserve the great things of tradition in our churches or businesses or even ministries; however, we must be willing to change on matters that need change.  God honors flexibility before Him, willingness before Him, and innovation before Him.  No one is more creative than God Himself.  At times we expect different results in life, never changing any of our processes.  I believe one has called this, “insanity,” doing the same things again and again, expecting different results.

There is not one of us that does not need to change some areas of life, not for change sake because that is immaturity, but for purpose.  God wants purpose to prevail in all of our lives.  One of the great books of all time was written by a friend of mine, Rick Warren.  When he penned the pages of “The Purpose-Driven Life,” God honored it above measure.  People from all walks of life read the challenges on those pages.  I have read it twice and still go back to it periodically.

God is in the changing business and surely I am glad for it!  He changed me and still changes me…and I need it.  My daily desire is to be more like Him.  This involves change.  He changes stuff we do not want changed.  He rearranges the furniture of our lives that we are used to.  Yet, I have never been through anything in my life that God Himself has initiated and brought the change that has resulted in less than God’s best for me. 

I am confident this is true for most of us in life.  What is it in your life, what is it about you that God may want to alter, transition, or change?  Have you been stubborn, unwilling, or yes, even rebellious?  Surrender to Him completely.  Absolute surrender to God attracts Him to you wholeheartedly.  Wow!  I surrender…will you?

Just think, if I had not had that dinner last night, been willing to alter or change or my church would have not been willing…thank you Lord Jesus, for teaching me many years ago the power that comes, the blessing that flows, when we are just willing to get outside of the lines and change.

May God do that in your life, your business, your church, your family, and your stuff today.  Remember, God’s best awaits you on the other side of change. 

When God moves it is always amazing what happens.  When He really begins to move in our lives, some things really occur that are quite amazing.  I have watched this through the years and it has been quite a blessing to me.  Yes, a blessing in the midst of the challenge.

When God moves, He interrupts your life.  In our selfish world, we tend to think the entire world revolves around us and our desires.  About the time you think “I am on top of this,” the Lord reminds you of His Sovereign and powerful nature.  When He does this, He interrupts your life.  He takes “your plans” and adds to them or changes them completely.  The call to adjustment is a constant call in the life of those of us who follow Him.  Hey, this walk is about Him, not us.

When God moves, He changes your plans.  Has God changed any of your plans lately?  I cannot even recount the number of times that I have see the Lord do this in our church or in my life.  It is an exciting part of the ride.  This does not take away from the power of organization or the commitment to excellence.  This does not mean that planning cannot be spiritual; but what it does mean is that what God has in mind for us is ALWAYS better than what we have in mind for ourselves.

When God moves, He always changes lives, beginning with yours.  This is always so very sobering for me.  Why?  Just look at it this way:  Sovereign and supreme God of heaven and earth is so very interested in my life and my future.  This my friend is very humbling to me.  What about you?  I have never seen God even get close to me where it has not changed my life to some degree.

When God moves, it is always to your advantage.  There is not a time where He is not looking out for you, but mostly He is looking out for the advancement of His Kingdom on this earth.  Our part is simple:  how do I fit into this movement and this plan of God?  It does not matter if it is job change, sickness, a change of plans, or anything else God is involved in with your life; He always is working things out for Your good.  He knows what is best for us when we do not know what is best for ourselves. 

Look for what God is doing around or in you today.  When you discover it, remember these lessons. 

Pray for me and I will pray for you.  Happy Monday.