A Life of Change

One thing about living for God that never changes, is that we’re constantly changing. Always changing to be more like Jesus. In our thoughts, words, and actions.

Although change is necessary to be more like Jesus, not everyone chooses to change. Some want things to be as they were. These folks are content with how things used to be. Things then weren’t perfect, but they were simple, easily understood, requiring little effort on our part to maintain. The “good old days.”

Change requires willingness and actions to accomplish whatever changes need to be done in order to draw closer to the finish line. Whoever said that problems would go away for Christians failed to tell the truth about things. Christians may face problems non-existent before coming to Christ, but now they have the supernatural authority to vastly mitigate-or even eradicate-such problems.

No, problems don’t just go away, problems may actually increase because, as a Christian, you’re now a threat to the devil. The difference is that now you have the means to stop the devil, concerning your own life. As a Christian, a child of God, you’re now in victory, the devil’s in defeat. You are now in Christ. God is, by the Holy Spirit, living in your spirit. Housed in your body, which belongs to God (Corinthians 6:20). You, however, are the custodian and caretaker of that body. What you think, believe, speak, and act out is your-not God’s-responsibility.

You now have God’s Word in you. You have the Blood of Jesus to cover, protect, and heal you. You have the Name of Jesus to use here on the earth, to get the same results in prayer that Jesus got when He was on the earth. And you have the same precious Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct you, that Jesus had during His early ministry, nearly 2,000 years ago. The very same one. There is only one Holy Spirit.

Change is required to be more like Jesus. He set an example before us, that we can faithfully follow (! Peter 2:21). Not in our own strength, ability, or righteousness. But by God’s. We can’t achieve God’s best apart from His means. That way He gets the glory, not us.

When we give action to what we believe, we’re taking steps of faith (and some are small) of obedience. The Bible says that we are to walk by faith, not by sight (2Corinthians 5:7). To walk by faith is to walk by what the Bible says, particularly through the New Testament Epistles-letters written to believers just like you and me. Starting with the book of Romans, going through Jude and Revelation.

As has been said, every journey starts with the first step. Walking with God is a life-long journey. Start with where you’re at. Do what you know to do. Taking that first step enables God to show you the next step. Each step produces change in you as well as, sometimes, those around you.

God’s steps are steps of peace. In fact, according to Proverbs 3:17, wisdom’s ways are ways of pleasantness and all of its paths are peace. Declare that you are God’s child and that He is leading you on the inside.

Then take the next step.

© Hubert Gardner Ministries 2024

Six and 76

For years the name Billy Graham has been a household word. Mention his name to many and visions of stadiums still come. Stadiums where faith-not football-was preached, where thousands responded to a simple Gospel message given by, as he was often called, Mr. Graham.

There was another person named Billy who preached the Gospel. This Billy preached in the late 1800s and up unto 1935, the year after Billy Graham received salvation. The other Billy was Billy Sunday, a one-time professional baseball player who became the leading evangelist of his day.

Billy Sunday was influenced by J. Wilber Chapman whose ministry, in turn, was encouraged through the life of one F.B. Meyer. Meyer’s own ministry grew under the tutelage of Dwight L. Moody who was won to Christ by his Sunday School teacher, Edward Kimball, in 1858. 

In Charlotte, North Carolina, one of Billy Sunday’s converts was a young man by the name of Mordecai Ham. I read that in 1934 Billy Sunday was invited to preach in Charlotte but couldn’t. Instead, Mordecai Ham, himself now a minister, came and ministered. In one of those services 16 year-old Billy Graham gave his life to Christ. 

Six individuals over 76 years. Each one obedient to go and speak life to multitudes, or the one. Too often we look at numbers for marking success. God’s markings may be more on the one, the seed of many to come. Your faithfulness to God’s plan for your life may be marked more by that one than those masses. 

Edward Kimball, Dwight L. Moody, F.B. Meyer, J. Wilber Chapman, Billy Sunday, Mordecai Ham, and Billy Graham would, no doubt, agree.

© Hubert Gardner Ministries 2019-2024

Another Hero of Success

My previous post mentioned Daniel Nash as a hero of success, one who prayed much for the success of Charles Finney’s meetings. Today I want to share another hero of success, one who labored much behind the scenes for the success of one of this country’s best-known evangelists.

The name Oral Roberts is, to many, synonymous with tent crusades, television specials, and a university that bears his name. But who has ever heard of Collins Steele? Who was he, and what was his connection to Oral Roberts?

For a time, Oral Roberts held crusades under various tents, one of which seated 20,000. These “canvas cathedrals” were massive, requiring many men to spend long hours setting up and preparing the remote facilities for services. The man in charge of these operations was Collins Steele. Collins made sure that the tent was properly set up, kept safe during services, and taken down after meetings were over. The loaded tent sections were then transported to the next meeting site.

Prior to an ORU Homecoming dinner being attended with my wife, I asked Collins Steele what it was like working to set the tent up. There was a long pause, making me wonder if I had been wrong to ask the question. With a far-away look in his eyes Collins finally said in a quiet voice, “It was a lot of work.” No further explanation was needed. No further questions were asked by me to Collins.

With all the attention on the finished product-thousands of people being ministered to-Collins Steele stayed in the background with others, supplying his part in ensuring the success of hundreds of evangelistic meetings for the glory of God.

Like Daniel Nash, Collins Steele labored behind the scenes, out of view of the spotlight and crowds. Unseen to people, but never to God. Another hero of success.

Maybe you feel like you’re working in obscurity, unseen by others. But you’re not. Everything you do is noticed by the One who views success as being faithful, right where you’re at. I value people laboring behind the scenes. People like Collins Steele.

So does God.

© Hubert Gardner Ministries 2018-2024

Exhibit A

When introducing evidence to establish facts, lawyers will label each piece with an identifying mark, such as exhibit A, B, C, etc. The same is true in life. When establishing a Biblical truth, one may refer to the personal testimony of another individual as evidence of that particular truth, such as healing.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present evidence that God heals today as He did 2,000 years ago. I present to you exhibit A, a person who has experienced God’s healing power. This person actually suffered in two ways as a child growing up into adulthood: poison ivy and bedwetting. 

Those who have had poison ivy (as well as poison oak and poison sumac) tell of itching, loss of sleep, and tremendous discomfort. I heard of one person who stated that having poison ivy was worse than breaking a bone. Either way, ouch.

As I stated, this person also suffered from bedwetting beyond the age of 3-5 years old. In this person’s case it continued well into the teen years. Imagine the embarrassment of going somewhere for the night, fearing the ridicule resulting from an “accident.” 

The story now gets better. Two weeks after this person gave his life to Christ he found out that God had also healed him of bedwetting. Talk about relief! He’s been “dry” ever since.

Poison ivy was still a problem until this person, now in his twenties, came to realize for himself that the stripes Jesus bore for us were for our healing, including his (I Peter 2:24).  Acting on this truth led to him receiving healing in his own body. His faith had made him whole.

I’m exhibit A, the boy allergic to poison ivy, suffering from bedwetting. In both cases, I’ve been free for many years now. I’m not bragging on me, I’m bragging on Jesus, my Lord and Healer. I’m bragging on God.

May what's been shared inspire your faith, encourage your heart, and serve as evidence of God's healing power in the world today. Who'll be exhibit B?

© Hubert Gardner Ministries 2018-2024

In Whose Sight?

For some reason work is hard, perhaps explaining why it's called work. I have no recollection of any work being easy. Some was easier than others, but still work. When we work who are we doing it for? Some would say for money, for the boss, or for the company we're working for. While this may be true for some, there's a reason even many Christians overlook: what we do ought to be done as unto God. Colossians 3:23 tells us that, whatever we do is to be done unto the Lord, as unto God.

Doing things unto ones supervisor, teacher, parent, or country is to lower the bar of life, so to speak. Doing things unto God, however, keeps the bar of life where it belongs: at its highest point.

There's something exhilarating about doing our best unto God, as though the "work order" came from Him. Even when no one sees all of what we're doing we rest in the fact that God sees and knows, as well as the attitude of our heart towards what we're doing.

Doing things as unto God often means doing things in a manner above and beyond worldly expectations-especially when it comes to something called quality. Quality means doing things with excellence, our very best.

There's something rewarding about knowing that, as a Christian, you've done your best in any given situation. Whether cleaning house, being a part of a work-related project, or studying for Sunday's sermon, motive matters. Colossians 3:24 tells us that, ultimately, it is God who will reward us. No matter how employers act or the pay scale, doing things as unto God is trusting Him for what we need.

Pride in workmanship has lost its importance with many. As Christians, our work is our witness. Unfortunately, doing things right stands out. What used to be mediocre now passes for excellence. Those who are doing things right in the sight of man will settle for an earthly reward. Those who do things right in God's sight will receive His reward, on top of any natural compensation.

Whether it's your room, marriage, home, vehicle, place of work, or church, in whose sight are you doing things?

Excuse me now, I have cleaning that's waiting to be done. In God's sight.

The Five-A Team

Most jobs-most of life-involves being part of a team. Classroom assignments, sports, church production, and workplace projects-these are but a few of many potential scenarios where teams are involved. Even Jesus had a team. For the most part, jobs involve working with at least one other person-often more. Given the likelihood of working with others I have found that, by knowing and putting into practice certain basic principles, success in life can come easier.

Have you ever wondered why talent and personality go only so far on the job?  Why is longevity so often demonstrated by those whose character more than makes up for apparent-or actual-less talent and average personality?

Perhaps because, in life, character matters.

In my book The Five-A Team: Character Traits for Success in Life, I list five traits-all beginning with the letter A. When applied, these traits will make a measurable difference in the life of those who desire to succeed in life. You can find my book on Amazon http://a.co/guTlNEv and iBooks http://tinyurl.com/hd7alkv.  This book would make a great gift for graduate.

A few years ago I was addressing several college business students. I told them that, if they'll show up for work sober, and on time, there's a place for them. The teacher agreed. Attendance and sobriety are a big deal to employers. As I state in my book, perfect attendance helped save my job, when others had more talent-and far more personality.

Personally, I believe that success in life is something worth pursuing at an early age. Children can start putting character traits into practice at an early age. By the time they're teenagers they'll be ahead of others waiting at the starting line, so to speak.

I do ask that those making a purchase please leave a review for others to see. I believe that you'll be blessed by what you read-even more blessed by putting what's read into practice.

After reading the book, what additional traits can you suggest?

Are We Using or Losing Them? Part 2

Continuing our previous post, Are We Using or Losing Them? Part 1: Even in the secular workplace a new addition usually has immediate access to secured databases, protocols, and information tools necessary to doing his/her job. Why not the Church? Why must young people be required to wait to serve in the local church? What are we afraid of? Is it that the "newcomers" will show us up? Will that "new kid on the block" intimidate us older ones with a skill knowledge we can only dream of? Are we serving with a clean heart or to establish "job security?" When will the Church learn that if you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted?

Perhaps your church has it all together. The Church as a whole, however, is in desperate need of change. Many of the people coming to your church-especially your youth/young adults-want to be used now, not months or years down the road. If not used now they may not be around months or years from now. Serving on a regular basis is a biblical reason to keep coming.

People make mistakes; it would be a mistake to have someone who's tone deaf run your sound system . After 30+ years of ministry, however, the greater mistake I see is not using the people you have who are waiting to serve right now, especially our youth/young adults. Can the Church really afford to let more young people observe the waters of opportunity, without letting them drink (serve) responsibly? Can the Church really afford to not change? If we don't how many of our talented children will be lost to the devil (and they will) because we were too arrogant, too proud, to afraid, or too stuck to change?

Some say that today's youth are tomorrow's leaders,  the church of tomorrow. Using that line of thinking, what is the minimum age of today's church? At what age will tomorrow's church be eligible for admission into today's? With the church of tomorrow is there, of necessity, the church of yesterday? Who decides who's too young-or too old?

At what point does the next generation become the current generation?

Do the words above describe your church, or merely a perception of the Church at large? What do you see as the answer? Let us know what you have experienced along these lines.

Are We Using or Losing Them? Part 1

Most Christians-specifically youth/young adults-want to serve in their local church. Along with zeal, knowledge, and passion, they want to use their time, gifts, and talents to advance the cause of Christ, if only given the chance. Far too often, however,  churches have a waiting period before allowing "newcomers" to serve in any capacity. The explanation by these churches is it allows leaders to evaluate character, observe faithfulness, and judge whether that (particularly if young) person's skills are both authentic, and relevant to the position that person desires to serve in.

Valid points, for sure.

At the same time, what does one do when the "new kid on the block" knows more than the leadership? As a lifeguard, how many people will drown before you let a qualified (but non-certified) swimmer rescue those you just couldn't get to? Would Michelangelo be forced to go through a paint-by-numbers class before he paints your ceiling?

Does this sound like your church, or one you know of? Check out our next post, Are We Using or Losing Them? Part 2, as we continue to address this issue within the church world.