Take the revival challenge!
I had prayed, fasted, and was burdened. I was ready. A revival was going to break out! I had been preaching for two weeks and a local pastor had invited me to preach for the mid-week service.
This was to be my third time to preach. The first time was at a camp meeting. The content of what I preached there was not entirely hermeneutically sound, but everyone out of the kindness of their heart backed me like I was “preaching the house down.” The second opportunity had been at the home church. I had done my best and was ready to turn the world upside down for Christ!
I had this burning message to preach to the lost and my dad rode over with me that night for support. When we arrived a bit early the pastor’s family and two widows were there, ready for church. I thought surely more would trickle in before church or during the course of the service. As I was invited to take the pulpit that night, I scanned the congregation; the pastor and his family and two widows who had likely been saved since before my dad was even born.
“You have the wrong message!” my mind was screaming, but it was all I had. I preached what seemed like an eternity that night, but later my dad would say,“He wore out every bit of five minutes!”
I was discouraged as we left, my thoughts centered on how terribly I had preached. Dad pulled into Dairy Queen for ice cream. I guess he thought some ice cream would help.
His words that night come back to my mind often after I preach now. “You don’t always preach camp meeting messages but you keep on preaching what you are given because that is what you’re called to do. God will do the rest.”
I went looking for results. God was looking for my obedience. I wanted someone to be moved by my sermon. God wanted me to live out His word. At the time I thought I was preaching to no one but the walls because, to my knowledge, everyone present there was saved. But just recently I learned that a prodigal was there in that service, one who has not forgotten the message I was able live out before him.
I haven’t preached many, (actually any,) “camp meeting” messages and I probably need to take a heremenutics class. But I keep on preaching because that is my calling and my passion. I know God will do the rest.
Our obedience is what really matters in our usefulness to the Master. And so, whatever the message I feel compelled to preach, I’m still praying, fasting, and believing a revival is going to break out!
Texas, Our Texas! all hail the mighty State!
Texas, Our Texas! so wonderful so great!
Boldest and grandest, withstanding ev’ry test
O Empire wide and glorious, you stand supremely blest.
Tanya always unjustly makes fun of the Lone Star State’s song. I’m not sure what makes a great state song though. There are some interesting state anthems. You should try perusing through them sometime. Do you know how it is stated, “Everything is bigger in Texas”? Well there is one area that is true…state pride! If you are Texan and you know it, everyone else does, too. It had been far too long since I had been to the Mighty State!
After two years the family was able to make the trek back to East Texas. There is no place like home! Although I only drove the family through Tatum and past the ol’ home place, I was ecstatic to see familiar sights and share memories with Tanya and the kids.
I was privileged to attend a memorial service for the Apostle Lobias Murray who was the pastor of Full Gospel Holy Temple of Dallas (www.fght.org) for 56 years. I also was honored to perform my first baby dedication for my nephew “lil David” Stevens and preach at Victory Holiness Tabernacle ( www.vthc.org ) in Watauga, TX. We preached in Louisiana for Bro. Stacy Holden and were able to see what God is doing in Shreveport at Lighthouse Holiness Tabernacle. The Stacy Holden family and L.H.T. have been laboring for the Lord and it was awesome to see how God is working there.(www.lighthouseholinesstabernacle.org)
One of the greatest experiences was staying with my parents at “The Ridge,” (where there is no ridge incidentally,) just over the state line in Louisiana. My dad now is working at a men’s camp where men who have met challenges in their lives can come for a certain amount of time and be given the opportunity to build a spiritual foundation. It is just getting started and they are working hard everyday to get it up to full speed. I was able to attend a couple of devotions that dad gave to the men. I watched as they responded hungrily for the Word and had great respect for my parents.
The time we spent with the family was priceless. Watching the cousins play was a riot. Everyone did their part spoiling the new member of the family, baby Justice “lil David” Stevens. One of our favorite times together was when the whole Holt gang stampeded down to the Stockyards in Fort Worth. We enjoyed the “cattle drive ”, the gunfight, and the western shops. It was great to see the blessings and favor of the Lord on the Holt, Iler, and Stevens family!
The last line of the Texas state song says,”You stand supremely blest.” Certainly Texas has been blessed, but I think that line fully describes God’s favor on the Holt family as well.
Scheduling challenges and rain delays have prevented me from hauling sheds so far this week. So, the other day I started to organize and clean my garage. This is a task I hate almost as much as having an ingrown toenail removed. (I have had one toenail removed five times.) After a couple of grueling hours, I came to several conclusions.
First, procrastination is nice, but it’s not a friend. I have needed to organize my garage for…well, ever since we moved in five years ago. I have rearranged the two and a half car garage at times so I could pull ‘ol Brown in to do some repair work. The last time I really cleaned/organized the garage was for Cooper’s first birthday. The little dude is three years old now. Two years of contemplating did little to help the condition of the garage. The longer I put it off the more congested it became. More toys, more bicycles, more tools, more junk , bales of straw, appliances, pool supplies, and anything else I happened to bring home.
Secondly, my kids have too many toys and clothes. Green bins, blue bins, red bins, and gray bins filled with mainly kids’ clothes decoratively deck the walls. The ratio of toys to children represented in the garage is way out of balance. Four children to nine bikes, four kids to eight pair of roller skates, and enough water flotation toys to buoy a freight train take up at least 1/4 of the garage.
Thirdly, I am a pack rat, (though not a hoarder.) I have known this for a long time, but confirmed this as I cleaned the garage. My philosophy has been, “I might need that later”. I am not ready to change that state of mind, but I probably need to update/recycle my “stash of treasures”. It was difficult throwing away old business cards from former employment, car parts from vehicles I no longer own, kids’ toys broken beyond repair, and one of the hardest things to let go of; my broken Bongo Board.
Finally, I realized to clean the garage, I had to get rid of things. The trash, oil dry, and loose straw was easy to toss. The kids’ things were somewhat easier to put out. The things that were personal, that had some sentimental value, were a little more of a challenge. I have great desire to have a clean, usable garage, but to have that, some things have to go. My garage has set dimensions and the thing about things is that it has mass and takes up space. So the more things I have, the less space for the purpose of pulling my vehicles in out of the weather.
A person’s soul is similar to my garage. We have good intentions when it comes to what we harbor there. Procrastination hurts with every day, adding more junk to juggle around. The thought that every sentimental feeling we have is justification for keeping it stowed away in a bin, decking the walls of our heart with pain and bitterness. We have confidence that we have it all under control and can deal with it any time we please, meanwhile we drag more and more drama and worldly desire into our cluttered heart. The only way God can get use of a soul is to allow Him to totally clean out every untidy thought or desire in our life.
I filled our trash bins to the brim and then piled all kinds of junk around it. The “treasure hunters” came through last night and picked up an old table, a high chair, toys, and a bicycle from the curb and the trash company came for the rest. I was so proud of what I accomplished that first thing this morning I opened the garage door for all the neighbors to see that the pack rat had come clean!
But we still need to have a garage sale. Might as well make some money off of some of this junk….
Pastor appreciation month is almost over. By now a lot of churches have hosted special services or dinners in honor of the bishop of their local flock. A good pastor deserves every kind word, thoughtful card, memorable note, gift or even new truck ( if a church is so blessed).
I want to personally express my appreciation to Pastor Doug and Sis. Gail Webb for their service and dedication to the Holt family and Calvary Holiness Church. Bro. Webb is a great mentor who has shared years of experience, wisdom, knowledge, and patience with me.
In preparation for a sermon a few years ago Tanya and I came up with a list of “requirements” that some church constituents expect of their pastor. A pastor’s responsibilities require a lifestyle that is totally devoted to his call. The time clock is always running because the burden of responsibilities are seemingly never ending for the man of God.
The pastor is to provide spiritual and pastoral leadership to the membership of his church so that it might see and fulfill its mission and purpose as the body of Christ. The pastor’s job requirements are as followed:
He must have experience as a preacher, teacher, and evangelist and regularly present the word of God such that others are brought to Christ or encouraged in their walk with Him.
He must be a competent writer and effective speaker.
He must have a humble spirit, positive attitude, and encouraging nature at all times.
He must lead a blameless life and spiritual walk and never speak a word amiss, even accidentally.
He must have experience as a social worker, counselor, spiritual advisor, visitor of the sick, and comforter of the bereaved.
He must be willing to serve as a theologian in residence and official delegate to all area fellowship meetings, revivals, and rallies.
He must officiate in special services such as weddings and funerals and schedule and perform regular counseling sessions.
He must be ready to offer occasional legal advice, arbitrate often petty disputes between parishioners, and serve as public relations director.
He must oversee, support, and assist in all other areas of administration in the church including the youth, Sunday school, and missions departments.
He must be able to maintain unity and build a sense of teamwork among church staff, coordinate various ministries and outreaches, and facilitate communication between all church departments.
He must have working knowledge of all plumbing, electrical, and structural systems in the church. In-depth knowledge of music and relating sound and recording equipment is also beneficial, as is basic knowledge of machinery works.
He must be able to function as gardener of the church grounds, general caretaker of the church building, and church office computer analyst.
He must head up the trustee board to expedite all financial decisions for the church in a wise and timely manner and do so in a way that pleases every member of the church.
He must direct church staff to maintain within the church building a temperature that is suitable to every church member.
His hours must be flexible and include nights, weekends, and holidays with emergency events superseding all leisure and vacation time.
He must be accessible to all church members at all times either in his office or via his cell phone.
He must be able to work pleasantly and diplomatically with even the most difficult and demanding church members.
Though some of these “requirements” may be unreasonable, they are very real in the minds of some church members. Good pastors work very hard putting the lost sheep and those in the fold above their own needs and desires. If you have a shepherd that watches carefully over your soul, then express your gratitude as soon as you can. Of course a new truck would really say a ton!
Kids Day from the Droid
We are in full swing of one of several busy times of the year for the Holt family. Though it is exhausting, it is one of my favorite seasons. Last week we hosted our annual CHC Kids Day. We had a great time and awesome turnout. If you would like to read more about it, check out Tanya’s blog for a synopsis of the exciting day. Next week is our 47 th Anniversary Revival with The Boyd family from Sterlington, LA. In the past nine years that we have attended Calvary, we have had some great Anniversary Revivals. I am looking forward to a personal challenge and encouragement from the Lord. So hopefully soon I can get back to more consistent blogging.
I have a new hatred for spiders. I repossessed a 12×32 cabin from a rural area of Indiana. The building had set unoccupied for nearly a year. I loaded the building without incident and without noticing the savage arthropods. After traveling about fifteen miles, the devilish creatures must have gotten a little anxious. When I reached under the building to unstrap the cabin from my trailer, it happened.
I felt something drop onto my scalp. Instantly I was filled with the heebie jeebies! I turned into a kung fu super hero. I was placing moves on my head that they have yet to discover in any form of martial arts. When I was sure I was safe from the evil arachnid, I heard this very tenor-ish sounding cry. I looked around me and I was the only one there. That somewhat girly sounding voice may have been mine. Maybe…there could be some other explanation.
After I calmed down a little, I mustered up the courage to complete my task a little more cautiously. I peeked under the building and realized there may have been hundreds of spiders of various classes and sizes ready to pounce on anything that came too close. I got the trusty Droid and snapped a pic of one of the larger spiders under the building.
The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces. (Pro 30:28)
The wise man in the book of proverbs brings our attention to the spider. Though a small creature, its work amazed Solomon. The building I was working with had been left empty and without care, and the insects and spiders there had free reign. At the Holt house we work diligently to keep little creatures like the spider out of our home, but it doesn’t matter if you live in a cabin in Kentucky or Buckingham Palace in Britain; the spider finds his way in.
In life there are some spiritual spiders that work diligently to dwell in our lives. You can live in a good, two-parent home, filled with faithful, church-going, tithe paying, upstanding citizens and still little spiders will invite themselves in. Bitterness, hatred, lust, greed, worldliness, rebellion, and pride are all examples of spiders that would like to weave a web or even place their deadly venom in your life. You can ward off these spiritual arachnids through diligent prayer, faithful Bible reading, and accountability to Godly people. I sure don’t want to have another experience like I did the other day, so I’m going to be more careful where I stick my head. I would advise you to do the same! You may suffer greater consequences than a emitting a girly scream!
After fourteen years Tanya announced it was time for a new toaster. Whew! It is about time! My dislike for the little bread burning machine started almost from the day she brought it home from Wal-Mart.
To properly brown your bread the culinary experts will agree you need to move the toaster to the middle of the counter space. Well for the last fourteen years…no can do! I think it is important to realize my indoor cooking skills are very limited. I have two specialties… omelets and toast, so toasting technique is very important. The first time I went to use the appliance, I tried to move the toaster to its correct place on the counter and then realized my wife had purchased the toaster with the shortest cord in the world.
I love the mobility provided by modern technology. I remember when we bought our first cordless telephone. A few years later my dad came home one day with a big black Motorola bag in his truck with a wireless cellular phone. I felt so free the first time I preached with a cordless microphone. I realized we were in the right century when I installed a wireless router for our home and to improve upon that, when it was time to upgrade the printer…Wi-fi printing entered the Holt residence. I’m thinking with all these great inventions to provide better mobility, is there not an inventor of a wireless toaster?
There probably isn’t a marketable demand for wireless appliances, but there is something to be said for mobility. There are times in our lives that God wants to use us for a specific purpose in a specific place but we are limited because we are short-corded to some out-of-the-way outlet.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.(Gal 5:1)
Christ has cut the cords of the world from the Christian’s life! Be careful not allow anything to hinder you from being able to be in the center of God’s will. Sometimes it is the pursuit of are career. It could be the desire to experience the American dream. I have seen relationships that have developed that short-corded someone from the mobility to follow God’s will.
A few months after I graduated high school, I went down to the local Dodge dealer and picked out a new Dakota truck. After I filled out the loan application, the salesman said he would call me when the application was approved. A few days later he called my house and left a message for me to come and pick up my brand new Dodge Dakota truck. That weekend, however, I had prayed and prayed and felt like that truck was going to hinder me from something God had for me. I wasn’t sure what it was at the time, but only a short while later God began leading me to attend Bible school. If I would have purchased that truck, Free Gospel Bible Institute would never have been blessed with my attendance! I am so glad I didn’t get short-corded out of God’s will!
Don’t be tied down to the cares of this life. And if you happen to come across a wireless toaster, please let me know!
Nothing Fancy
I have thought often that I should start blogging. Tanya, my talented and beautiful wife has been blogging for over a year. In this modern era of ”intra web” networking a preacher should at least attempt to share something positive with the world wide web. Writing has never been my strong point.I’m sure Mrs. Morgan, my high school English teacher, could affirm that. I am more of a talker. Albeit, here I go with my attempt at digital expression.
So… last year I’m hauling a shed off the beaten path around Nolin Lake here in the bluegrass, and I passed a conspicuous appearing church with an appropriate title on its shingle above the door…. ” Nothing Fancy Holiness Church” . The six foot high fence sporting a flower box on one post, the paint-lacking semi-trailer, the beware of dog signs, and fledgling tomato garden clued me into the fact that this church with 10775 on one of three the bay garage doors was not your typical little church in the wildwood. I was amused and intrigued enough to turn my F250 tugging a 32′ foot trailer around to pull out the trusty Droid and snap a pic and send to some of my preaching friends, (who confessed they had preached at churches that could have easily placed the same title above the door.)
“Nothing Fancy Holiness Blogging” should be my tag line. Maybe I’ll change it. This blog won’t be read in the halls of congress or before thrones of earthly monarchs. My desire is at some point to have a word fitly spoken for a reader. And they could partake of apples of gold in pictures of silver!
