The Missing Ingredient

In anticipation of our son Michael coming home for an evening last weekend, we raced home after church Sunday morning and made a big pan of enchiladas for a special dinner that evening. By the time that dinner finally arrived, my mouth was salivating. I was really, really ready to end my hunger pains. After all, I had fasted since lunch (except for the chips and guacamole throughout the afternoon). Upon taking that first bite, I immediately discovered that something was noticeably different about the taste. For whatever reason, it was missing that extra "oomph" that makes a meal into something that you'll talk about days later. To this day, I can't tell you what it was. But, this thing is for sure, something was definitely missing!!!

While I haven't discovered the missing ingredient for the enchiladas last weekend, I have discovered what I believe is the missing ingredient in many Spirit-filled Christian lives. This same ingredient is also missing in most children's ministry settings. What is it? I discovered it while reading through the Book of Acts again. It's found in a single word that is used 3 times in the Book of Acts. This missing ingredient is boldness. "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John ..." (Acts 4:13) ... "with all boldness they may speak thy word ..." (Acts 4:29) ... "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31).

Allow me to use a Texas phrase. I double dawg dare you to look at your personal life last week or for those in children's ministry think about last weekend's service(s). It just happened. To quote a friend of mine, it was what it was. You'll quickly agree that there had to have been something missing, right?

Consider this. We all know that "the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead" (Romans 8:11) is living and abiding within us, right? The Holy Spirit isn't weak or anemic. He isn't lacking in power. What would happen if we began to acknowledge this reality and allow the Holy Spirit to operate through us with boldness.

Let's be bold as we take on the day. Let's be bold as we minister to children. Don't allow things to "just" happen. Speak with confidence and authority. For those of us in children’s ministry, boldly announce to your children that everyone will raise their hands and begin to worship God. And then with authority lead and demonstrate the joy of worshipping God. Don't be passive. Announce with authority what is about to happen and then draw the children in. The same is true of engaging your children in praying in their heavenly prayer language. Many children's ministry leaders are passive about engaging the children into this realm of prayer. Consequently, few if any children pray in their prayer language. But, I've found that as I boldly announce to the children that for the next 30 seconds EVERY person will close their eyes, raise their hands up towards heaven, open both their hearts and mouth and begin to pray in their prayer language, a large majority of the children begin to connect with God through the prayer of the Spirit. Midway through the 30 seconds, I again boldly emphasize that everyone should be praying with me.

Before you take on this next week or the next weekend services, begin to talk to the Holy Spirit about boldness. Then, take on the week/weekend services with a spirit of boldness and authority. You'll notice a remarkable difference. Afterwards, write me and tell me about it … billy@billyburnsministries.com.

I'm Billy Burns and I endorse this blog entry!!!

The Secret of the Supernatural

This week's blog entry won't need much explanation. The thought is so simple. And yet, getting a grasp of the depth of this 14 word sentence could change not only your life but your children's ministry and children. Here's the thought ...

The Holy Spirit won't be real through you until He is real to you.

Benny Hinn's book Welcome, Holy Spirit quotes the late Kathryn Kuhlman as saying, "The Holy Spirit is more real to me than you are." Consequently, the Holy Spirit flowed mightily through Kathryn with tangible, undeniable signs and wonders.

Intimately know the Holy Spirit and you will see Him and hear His voice. Casually know about the Holy Spirit and you will hear about what He does ... elsewhere.

Results Not Typical

If you ever wrestle with a bout of insomnia, I have a sure fire way to end this malady. Turn on the television and find a cable network that is showing non-stop infomercials. You know what I'm talking about. Find a station that has a heaping-helping, hefty dose of promotions for Abs of Steel and Miracle Hair Revivors and the ever-popular FDA approved Flab Blaster Capsules. Soon, that thing that is causing the insomnia will cry out for mercy. To escape the absurdity of these infomercials, insomnia will glady give way and soon the zzzzzzzzzzz's will be flying through the night air.

Have you ever noticed that there is one common factor among all of these infomercials? While all of the hype and promotion of miraculous results are being promised, you will invariably see the words "Results Not Typical" flash across the screen for 3 or 4 seconds. According to this disclaimer, after paying four easy payments of $19.95 plus shipping and handling, you won't neccessarily look like the person that you see on the Abs of Steel infomercial whose dumpy, anemic body turned into a walking pile of muscle in six short weeks. Because of this disclaimer, you can count on the fact that after spending $39.95 plus shipping and handling on Miracle Hair Revivors that ladies some day WON'T be running their fingers through that beautiful new head of hair. I'll leave it to your imagination what you will look like after faithfully taking the Flab Buster Capsules. The small print says it all. Results are NOT typical.

Before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, you and I had to live in the "results not typical" world. In reading through the Old Testament and the four gospels, we won't find to many of us "common" folks doing great things for God. But the day of Pentecost turned everything. The small print announcing "results not typical" across the lives of the Billy Bobs and Mary Janes and Joe Schmos disappeared. Now because of the One who has been called to walk alongside us, the great Equipper, the heavenly Revealer, the energized Prayer who now abides within us, ANYTHING can happen. The life of the supernatural can be the way of life rather than the exception. The "these signs shall" found in Mark 16 can happen in the life of the person living on your street in your house wearing your clothes. In other words, YOU!

Come on now. Believe that this true. Begin to talk and act as though Jesus actually knew what He was talking about as He told about would happen as you allow the Sent One to abide in and operate through you! Go ahead. Make your own infomercial about a Holy Spirit filled life. In big bold print announce RESULTS ARE TYPICAL!!!!!

The Cry of the Holy Spirit

From time to time, we have all come across an individual who evidently is head-over-heels in love with hearing the sound of their own voice. This must be true because this person will talk and talk and talk and talk and talk. For long periods of time, we sit helplessly as this person with the energizer jaws and a super-human lung capacity holds us hostage. We've all experienced the horror of watching them take one quick inhale of oxygen knowing that this will enable them to endlessly go on and on.

With that in mind, consider this thought. Is this perhaps the sentiment of the Holy Spirit? Would it be safe to say that in the majority of our prayer time, the One who knows the mind of the Father and has been entrusted the responsibility of communicating that information to us has to sit helplessly quiet as we go on and on and on?

Enough said .... Selah!