I know that Jeana and I are not the only ones getting away for a little rest and relaxation.  Right here in the middle of summer, as many of our families are in and out, let me encourage all of us to continue to pray for each other as well as our ongoing ministries throughout the summer.  Remember, it’s at this time of year that we see a lot of ministry take place not only in Northwest Arkansas, but literally around the world.  I also want you to pray for our Summer Program of Giving, that we will meet the need that enables us to support these vital areas of ministry.

Now, I want to take you back just for a few minutes to this reminder God has given to my heart regarding forgiveness.  Remember, first, when you truly forgive you are releasing the person of all offenses committed toward you and that true forgiveness literally has no limits.

No one should be surprised that Satan and even our old flesh will do everything to set up road blocks to exercising forgiveness in our lives.  They, in effect, act as competitors that seek to keep us from forgiving as we should.  There are six great competitors to forgiveness talked about in Ephesians 4:31.  Before I go today, let me just briefly list them:

1. The competitor of bitterness – this is to have a smoldering resentment in your heart toward another person rather than releasing them with forgiveness. You would rather hold on to it and harber ill intent toward those who have offended you.  This is nothing less than poison to your hearts. (Hebrews 12:15)  Someone has said “Bitterness will not make you better, it will make you bitter.”
2. The competitor of wrath – this means to have rage or an outburst for a moment or for a very minimal time.  Wrath exhibits a deeper feeling of hurt within your heart.
3. The competitor of anger – this means to have a more subtle and internal hostility that flows deeply within you.  It usually takes more time to show itself because it is so deep.
4. The competitor of clamor – this means to shout or cry out words in an uncontrolled way that lead to fighting or speaking evil.  Someone who has a tendency toward clamor may also be tempted to literally fight with fists or with words.
5. The competitor of slander – this means to speak evil of someone and this results in creating greater conflict.  Because most of us have suffered the effects of slander upon our own lives, it is amazing that from time to time we also are caught slandering the personality of another.  Make no mistake about it, slander has destroyed many relationships and killed many churches.
6. The competitor of malice – this is the general Greek term for evil, ill-will, and badness, being the root of all these sins that leads to unforgiveness.  In affect, all of these competitors are allowed to exist in our hearts because of the basic, evil problem called malice.

I know this sounds pretty devastating.  And in some ways, you may feel hopeless to overcome these competitors, but by the power of the Holy Spirit of God who lives in you and in confession to God, you can be set free to forgive and find cleansing.  Right now, take a moment to ask God to set you free from an unforgiving heart.  You’ll be glad you did.  And so will others!

I indicated yesterday that I was recently reminded of the necessity in all of our lives for genuine and extreme forgiveness.  Trust me, if you allow unforgiveness to remain in your life, it will destroy you.  Jesus reminds Peter in Matthew 18:21-35 about the need for him to develop a heart toward those he is close to in his life.  You will remember that he was encouraged to forgive up to seven times which was pretty merciful since the Rabbis taught that God only forgave the enemies of Israel three times.  If you will go on and read, you will notice in verse twenty-two that it was not just seven times, but seventy times seven.  The point Jesus is making is that forgiveness has no limits and should always be granted.  That’s why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:5, “love keeps no record of wrongs”.  A simple definition for the word “forgive” is the concept “to release.”  When you forgive someone, you release them of their offense toward you.

Now honestly, this has been a great, fresh word for my life in these days.  As I applied this truth to my heart I could not help but think how important it is for every marriage, every family, every home, every business to be reminded of this same principle.  As Jeana and I consistently pray for our two boys and their marriages, I was reminded that this principle really speaks to every marriage.  Listen; if you allow unforgiveness to take root in your marriage, you will see clear evidence of that in your relationship with your spouse.

Listen carefully.  Unforgiveness toward your spouse will:

1. Prevent you from giving yourself to them completely.
2. Build up walls that limit communication.
3. Hinder your sex life.
4. Hinder your prayer life and walk with God. (1 Peter 3:7)
5. Quench your personal and corporate worship.
6. Affect your friendships.
7. Pass unforgiveness on toward your children.

Let me close for today by basically just saying, “The worst prison in all the world is the prison of an unforgiving heart.”  I am praying for you today that you will be able to release those who have offended you and experience again God’s grace in your life.  Have a great day!

Great News for Northwest Arkansas! DAYSTAR TV Network is now airing locally on KSBN, Channel 6 on cable. Our Winners broadcast ministry is now airing in Northwest Arkansas, as well as America, and the world on Sundays @ 4:30 pm and Monday through Fridays @ 2:00 pm Central Time. May God be praised! Please pray with me that the Gospel will penetrate the hearts of those who need Christ and that we will hear of many changed lives in the days ahead.

Sunday was a great day! Praise God for Dr. Gary Frazier’s ministry to our local fellowship here in Northwest Arkansas. Jeana and I hope you will consider making the trip to Israel with us in February 2007. As soon as we get details and dates, we will make them available to you.

Now, as I stated on an earlier blog, these are days of preparation for what I believe to be the greatest days ahead in the life of our church. Both campuses have before them unequaled opportunities to make an eternal difference throughout Northwest Arkansas, America, and the world. Preparation, for me, always means a time of rest and reflection.

In light of these past few weeks God has clearly reminded me of several basic things that must continue to be a part of my life. Among these things is the ever present need to be able to forgive. I honestly sense God has invited me to re-visit some basic principles about forgiveness in my own life. I’m not sure where this will take us, but I do want to take the next several days and rehearse for all of us some thoughts on forgiveness.

I know how destructive unforgiveness can be in my own personal life if allowed to remain unchecked. I have stated before that I believe unforgiveness is the number one sin in the church and certainly is an obstacle to revival and spiritual awakening. It has been concluded by some that forgiving is first and foremost a benefit to the one who forgives. Or rather, the first person who gains from forgiveness is the person who does the forgiving. I think it is safe to say also that the first person injured by a refusal to forgive is the one who was wronged in the first place.

There are two reasons why forgiveness is so important for each of us:

1. Social scientists are verifying through documentation and research that it does not benefit you to have unforgiveness in your life in any level.
2. To a greater degree of importance the message of our Lord Jesus Christ and throughout the entire Bible, the power of forgiveness and the devastation of unforgiveness are clearly seen.

Jesus is not only our model, but also our means of forgiveness. The world suggests that forgiveness will help us physically. Jesus reminds us often that forgiveness (which is not an option) will benefit us spiritually. So, let’s look at Ephesians 4:30-32 (HCSB) specifically today…

30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit, who sealed you for the day of redemption.
31 All bitterness, anger and wrath, insult and slander must be removed from you, along with all wickedness.

I want to encourage you to take a moment and just do an inventory of your heart. Are you forgiving? Is there any unforgiveness toward anyone? Remember, forgiveness is a choice to release those who have offended you. By the way, it is not only a choice…it is a privilege.

I am preparing to take a group with me to the Holy Land in 2007. By the end of August, we will have a date secured and begin taking reservations. I promise you that this trip will change your life dramatically. You will never be the same after you walk where the Lord Jesus walked. Never again will you see and read the Scripture in the same way. I cannot wait to go!

We are looking to either February or March of 2007 to go to Israel. Trips to the Holy Land are filling up rapidly, so please get ready to go with us. Anyone can go with you, members or non-members of our church. This is a great trip for families, especially those with older children and teenagers. Usually, schools are friendly about students traveling internationally.

One of the great privileges of a trip to Israel is that we can get to know you better, as both Jeana and I will host the group. We go with you daily, encouraging, praying, conversing, ministering to you from the Word of God and with just life we have experienced before. There is nothing like being in the Garden of Gethsemane or the Garden Tomb with our people. We love it and look so forward to it.

Plenty of advertisement will dominate our media outlets about it so you will not miss this opportunity. Please begin to set aside dollars now, as the trip more expensive than in previous years due to airlines and other matters, which is out of our control. By the time we advertise the trip, you will know all the details and how to plan for it.

This is a super gift for Christmas or special occasion. Do not miss the moment or the opportunity. I am convinced it is a time when you will engage the Lord Jesus as never before. Get prepared and go with us.

Begin to pray now about going to Israel with Jeana and me.

Last week I spent a great deal of time meeting, talking, and driving around our region that is full of change. I am telling you, if you have not been to this region in a year or so, things are different and changing rapidly. Business and residential growth is strong, resulting in this region being one of the top places to live in America.

The Pinnacle Hills region is exploding. Roads are being built everywhere and cranes for building top the skyline. The new hospital is moving up, floor by floor. The new Pinnacle Hills Shoppes are almost complete, as well as other office buildings coming online even as I write. The new lifestyle shopping center, Pinnacle Hills Promenade, is sterling in every way, changing the culture of this region. I walked through the new convention center that will open up at this end of this month…WOW. All of this results in 1.3 million sq. ft. of retail and 1 million sq. ft. of office space, accentuated with the largest convention center in Arkansas, a new state of the art hospital, and the new Church at Pinnacle Hills. All of the above will be complete by the end of this year, except for the new hospital.

This region represents the change across the entire landscape of Northwest Arkansas from Bella Vista-Bentonville all the way to Springdale-Fayetteville. New schools are being built and planned for building to stay up with the ever increasing challenges the region is facing. Right in the middle of this is a very diverse culture that is becoming every more diverse racially, socially, and even religiously.

All of this means one thing for both of our campuses: THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE HUGE AND WE MUST CALL UPON GOD TO SEIZE EACH OF THEM! Each campus has equal opportunity and equal challenge. Both campuses face the challenge of a lifetime…to engage this ever-changing lost culture in a successful way.

THEREFORE, WE MUST PRAY. This is our only choice! This is not a time to retreat, but to be on the offensive. We need you to take up the armor, join us in the battle, and forge forward with zeal and enthusiasm. This is our moment…a true God-moment for all of us.

Join me…I need you.

Look what Peyton learned to do while he was supposed to be napping Monday afternoon … he pulled up by himself! You could tell he was so proud of himself. He also has learned to throw his pacifiers over his crib onto the floor and untie the bumper bags from the side of the crib. This guy is into everything nowadays…

My niece’s newborn daughter, Macy, is heading for heart surgery on August 7. Macy was born recently and diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Rodney and Kristy will be dedicating her to God in their church on July 16. Please pray for them as they engage in this time with Macy. The challengesbefore them are great and we must support them with prayer. Begin to pray for Macy to have a successful surgery. It is to last for six hours and she will be admitted into intensive care for three days. She is gaining strength and size, now up to 6 lbs. and 3 ounces.

Yesterday was a good day on both campuses for our Summer Freedom Celebration. I am grateful for those who led and walked through this day with us. I hope you will take the time to hear the message if you were not present.

Beautiful weather has been around us in these recent days. The early mornings have been cool and the days have been gorgeous. What a great place to live.

The rest of the summer is committed to preparing for these days of transition that await us this fall. Our transitions are multiple as we engage in a fall full of challenge and opportunity. We will really kick-off our new facility in Springdale on August 20 as well as upcoming announcements programmatically. In November, we believe we will be entering our campus at Pinnacle Hills. What great opportunities await us as a church…how fortunate we are to be a part of this great ministry.

Enjoy today.