What Is Wrong With the Church?

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Matthew 16:24-25

What is wrong with the church, especially the church in the west? There is probably no more impotent, powerless, church with the exception of the European church, in all of Christendom. Conversions are almost a thing of the past. We seldom hear of miraculous occurrences. We rarely hear of true deliverances. We most likely never hear of the dead being raised to life. But we build bigger churches. We buy more property. The church in the west is steadily declining. Masses of people claiming to be born again stay away from the church and reinvest in other pursuits while church membership continues to decline.

Rather than being the salt and light to this dark world Jesus told us we were to be, we are more likely to conform to this world, acquiescing our place of leadership and accommodating ourselves to the prevailing culture. We have put more value in being successful than being faithful. We want people to know our names, or our church’s name than we want them to know the name of Jesus. We are in attendance in worship and Bible study when it is convenient but will press our way into work religiously. Something is wrong with the church. What is it?

I think the church’s problem is the same as that of society in general. We lack true commitment. We like to think we are committed, but when that commitment is tested we find ourselves woefully lacking. “Whether we are talking about career, marriage, or faith, studies detail the steady demise of commitment. In 2008, more than half of people ages 20 to 24 had been with their current employer for less than a year. It only indicates that young adults are still floundering when it comes to embracing a calling. Marriage, especially, has suffered. Young adults are marrying later than ever probably as a result of a desire for adventure, career advancement, and prolonged adolescence. Lack of commitment is also hitting religion—hard. Studies suggest that the iPod, iPhone, iPad generation is choosing which aspects of the faith to adopt to create their own unique spiritual playlists. What we have seen is an almost uninterrupted march toward self-focus, affecting all of our institutions but especially crippling work, marriage, and family. The basic building blocks of society simply erode without commitment.”

Chuck Colson writes, “By abandoning commitment, our narcissistic culture has lost the one thing it desperately seeks: happiness. Without commitment, our individual lives will be barren and sterile. Without commitment, our lives will lack meaning and purpose. After all, if nothing is worth dying for, then nothing is worth living for. But with commitment comes the flourishing of society—of calling, of marriage, of the church—and of our hearts.”  A couple of weeks ago a good friend of mine wrote, “Commitment is not borne out of convenience, but sacrifice.” We are ultimately powerless because we do things out of convenience and avoid at all costs sacrifice. But Jesus called us to sacrifice. If we have desire to see the church of Jesus Christ rise up out of her lethargy then we need to be like Jesus. He said that we had to do three things, deny ourselves, pick up our crosses and follow him.

  1. Self-denial – Commitment to the point of giving up our hopes, dreams, possessions, even our very life if need be.
  2. Taking up our cross – The cross was an instrument of death. Death on a cross was not pleasant. It was painful and humiliating. Even if obedience is painful and humiliating, we should be willing to endure it for Christ. Sacrifice!
  3. Following Christ – It is not easy to follow Christ. There are so many paths from which one can choose. We will not say we’ve turned our backs on Jesus, but the truth of the matter is that when we compromise in any way we betray him

What is wrong with the Church? We have been more committed to our reputations and our quest for an elusive definition of success than we have been to being more like Jesus. We have forgotten that “wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14)”.

What is wrong with the church? We want the trappings and trophies of success but none of the sacrifice that of necessity precedes it. We have somehow missed that though the fields are ripe for the harvest, they are plentiful, but few are chosen.

What is wrong with the church? We are concerned for our own welfare without regard for the welfare of others. We seemingly overlooked that if we cannot claim to love God whom we have never seen, but hate our neighbor we whom we see all the time.

What’s wrong with the church? We want power, influence and money, but we don’t want God. We have forgotten the words of Jesus when he asked, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?”

It’s time to ramp up our commitment level. It’s time to begin to truly sacrifice all that we think we are and all we hope to be for the sake of the Kingdom. Can you wrap yourself around that kind of commitment?

Would you still follow Jesus if it meant losing your closest friends?

Would you still follow Jesus if it meant alienation from your family?

Would you still follow Jesus if it meant the loss of your reputation?

Would you still follow Jesus if it meant losing your job?

Would you still follow Jesus if it meant losing your life?

It’s not too late! We can turn it around. We can change the future regardless of the downward spiral of this present darkness. We can be the church that Jesus called us to be. All it takes is a determination to be more like Jesus everyday.

© All Rights Reserved – Dr. James H. Logan, Jr.

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Live the Spirit Filled Life

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Galatians 5:16-26; Philippians 4:8

The last few days, confined by the weather to home, as afforded the opportunity to watch the winter Olympics. It is always interesting to watch this epic drama played out on the international stage every four years. Athletes prepare most, if not all, of their young lives for their moment in the spotlight. They have trained relentlessly honing their bodies to the best of shape possible with the goal of winning a medal, especially gold. The range of emotions from jubilation to sorrow is evident as hopes and dreams are either realized or dashed. As we watch the images the network broadcasts, along with the back-stories that accompany them, we are vicariously drawn into the emotions they express even though we have never met them.

“Emotions exert an incredibly powerful force on human behavior. Strong emotions can cause you to take actions you might not normally perform, or avoid situations that you generally enjoy.” In psychological terms “emotions are often defined as complex states of feeling that result in physical and psychological changes that influence thought and behavior.” “Emotions are human beings’ warning systems as to what is really going on around them.  Emotions are our most reliable indicators of how things are going on in our lives.  Emotions help keep us on the right track by making sure that we are led by more than the mental/ intellectual faculties of thought, perception, reason, memory.”

Unfiltered, emotions can control our thinking, behavior and actions. While we should never suppress or bury our emotions, we should not allow them to control us either. It is our faith that makes the difference. Our faith filters what we see and hear, and affects how we behave in our daily lives. The challenge, of course, is living by our faith when our emotions scream out another path. That is why we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us that when the Holy Spirit came He would lead and guide us into all truth. Obviously then, we cannot live by our faith without living by the Spirit. That means we have to learn how to live the Spirit filled life.

The first order of the spirit filled life is to keep our thoughts under control and our faith active. We can accomplish this by making a determination to stay in the Spirit and refuse to be derailed by allowing our emotions to rule over our lives. I want to suggest four things we need to consciously do in order to insure we are being led by the Spirit and not our emotions.

1.  Assert our spiritual dominion letting our flesh know God is in control (vs. 16-17). Deny the flesh. Say no to the cravings that try to control us.

2.  Know our weaknesses (vs. 19-21). Understand, the devil knows our weaknesses. It is imperative that we know them.

3.  Avoid strife (vs. 24). Walking in the Spirit means walking in harmony with God and others. Guard our hearts and tongues from bickering, bitterness and conflict.

4.  Think about the things God thinks about (Philippians 4:8 -Kingdom thinking).

It is not easy to live a Spirit filled life. There are far too many distractions to believe we can live this kind of life on our own. We are not strong enough or wise enough. We don’t have the necessary strength of character to make the right decisions all the time on our own. The pull of our flesh, that is weak, is often stronger than our spirit-man that is willing. We need more than willingness. We need more than good intentions. We need more than excuses of what we were going to do; “See, what had happened was . . .” We are in a battle for our lives and our eternal souls. The devil is not going to back up or back down. He will not have pity on us but will exploit and amplify every weakness we display.

If we are going to prevail in this fight it will take more than spiritual affirmations. It will take more than speaking in tongues or dancing in the Spirit. It is going to take surrendering our wills to God’s will. It is going to take making some critical decisions. It is going to take displaying some backbone. It is going to take asserting our spiritual dominion, knowing and strengthening our weaknesses, avoiding strife, and thinking about the things God thinks about.

© All Rights Reserved – Dr. James H Logan Jr

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If God Be For Us . . .

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Romans 8:28-31

Life is tough for the people of God and getting tougher all the time. Compromise encapsulates us on all sides. The courts, the legislature or the electorate now determines morality. Anyone that disagrees is labeled a racist or bigot. The pressure to conform is almost too much to bear and it comes from all sides. Our president refuses to attend the opening of the Olympic Games and sends a blatantly and openly gay representative delegation to protest a sovereign nation’s decision to crack down on what it considers immorality and, in particular, its impact on children. This past week a local high school chose a transgendered youth as its homecoming queen. We hear of the planting of a black gay church in Cincinnati, Ohio with the pictures of the founding pastor along with his first gentleman, and the author of the article decrying the church was more upset about the jewelry and clothing worn in the pictures than he was of the statement their unrepentant lifestyle choice was making.

Lest I sound as if I am harping on homosexuality alone, there is plenty of bad news to go around. The mockery of our faith is epidemic in movies, television, and radio. Christians are portrayed as uninformed, outdated, out of step, and in some places just plain crazy. The interesting thing about these attacks is that the same people making them would never do the same against Muslims and Jews. All of this piled on top of individual challenges carries the potential to completely demoralize and discourage the people of God. The great cry of the Old Testament continues to be repeated, “How long, O Lord, will the way of the wicked prosper?” But we add to that cry, “What about me, Lord?” Then the enemy of our souls joins in insinuating that we were better off when we were serving him, so we might as well come back.

While we in prayer, this past week, I kept hearing this song the Winans recorded last year, “If God Be For Us!” Stubbornly I refused to hear it as a word from the Lord for me and for all of you and yet, I kept hearing it ringing in my ears. If the teacher gets discouraged, and I do; if the teacher is tempted at times to give in and give up, and I am; clearly the flock is feeling the same pressure. I am determined to hold on. I am determined to resist the wiles of the enemy regardless of the intensity of his attacks. Jesus told me to resist the devil and he would flee. I want to give you some help as you navigate he waters of challenge. Just I refuse to give and give up, I refuse to allow you to give in or give up. This word is neither new nor complicated. But we can benefit from simplicity and repetition. Our text teaches us three timeless truths.

1. God has chosen us for greatness (vss. 29-30).

2. God wants to make us into more than we have ever dreamed (vs. 30).

3. When God is on our side, who or what can defeat us (vs. 31)?

“Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.” (Psalm 56:9)

“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.” (Ps.118:6, 7)

“Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands.

Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;

propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.” (Isaiah 8:9,10)

“But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior;

so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.

They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten.” (Jeremiah 20:11)

Our problem is a faith problem. We’ve bought into the prevailing attitude of the world around us that says we have to just accept our lot in life. But if God be for us . . .

Trouble and trial on every side has the effect of dampening our zeal and negating our resolve. We’re tempted to acquiesce to the ways of the world, but if God be for us . . .

Unrealized dreams, unfulfilled promises serve to make us skeptical and cause us to doubt the promises of the future and lose hope. But if God be for us . . .

The forces of darkness seem to be gaining on the forces of light. What we have been taught and believed to be wrong is being systematically redefined and universally accepted. But if God be for us . . .

But God is for us. He went to Calvary for us. He endured the torment of his Roman captors. He suffered and bled for us. He hung His head and while we were yet sinners died for us.

God is for us!

© All Rights Reserved – Dr. James H Logan Jr

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Have A Little Talk With Jesus!

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Luke 18:1-8 

I am convinced that nothing in the economy of God happens outside of prayer. We look to all sorts of gimmicks, plans and strategies to accomplish that which only the miraculous power of God can do. We think mimicking the Saddleback story, or copying the Korean House Church model will grow this church. We think if we can just find a financial benefactor who will fund us we can spread enough material to get our name known. We think if we can just host enough events drawing people to our property we will experience the growth others have. We think if we can just get the right musical team and produce the right sound we will gather the crowd we believe we are lacking.

All of these things have their value and all of them will, undoubtedly, produce results, but only, only as we walk in obedience to the Word and will of God, humbly seeking the face of God. That involves prayer, having a little talk with Jesus, communicating with the Creator and sustainer of all life. Now for those of you who have been with me a little while this is not news. As believers, we have been taught and have even experienced the efficacy of prayer. We have been told that God hears and answers prayers, but we are largely prayerless. We have been told, and I have said it myself, that prayer changes things. But perhaps what is truer is that prayer changes us and then we change things.

As we begin this week of prayer, I am convicted by our lack of prayer as a body and struggle to find the cause. Perhaps we do not understand the results of prayer, or if we do, maybe we do not really believe. I will not pretend to exhaust the results of prayer today, but allow me the opportunity to point you to some fundamental ones.

1. God will forgive our sin and heal our land. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

 2. God will reveal His plans for your life. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

3. God will hear you and restore your fortunes. “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:12-15)

4. God’s peace will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.   (Philippians 4:6-7)

I am convinced that nothing in the economy of God happens outside of prayer. We have such rich promises concerning prayer and yet we continue to rely on our own resources. Jesus taught His disciples to ask and they would receive, seek and they would find, knock and the door would be opened and yet, like so many other times, it appears that they did not understand the authority or privilege they had. Jesus, therefore, tells them a parable about a widow who persistently pled her case before an unjust judge. She refused to accept the verdict she would receive his verdict and continued to present herself before him until he relented and gave her justice. Jesus, using the parable, explains to His disciples that they should be as fervent in their prayer as this widow was in pleading her case, and God, who is always just and has promised to hear and answer prayer, will see to it that His chosen ones quickly receive justice.

The now dated hymn of the church, that some of you may recognize, highlights the comfort and power prayer provides. If I am not mistaken, it was one of the songs my family would sing as we went down the road, long before there were cassette, 8-Track, CD players, or blue tooth with which to connect your media players.

I once was lost in sin but Jesus took me in
, and then a little light from heaven filled my soul. It bathed my heart in love and it wrote my name above
, and just a little talk with my Jesus made me whole. 

Have a little talk with Jesus tell him all about our troubles. Hear our fainted cry, answer by and by.
 Feel a little prayer wheel turning, know a little fire is burning.
 Find a little talk with Jesus makes it right.

Sometimes my path grows drear without a ray of cheer and then a cloud of doubt may hide the day.
 The mists of sin may rise and hide the starry skies, but just a little talk with Jesus clears the way.

Have a little talk with Jesus tell him all about our troubles. Hear our fainted cry, answer by and by.
 Feel a little prayer wheel turning, know a little fire is burning.
 Find a little talk with Jesus makes it right.

I may have doubts and fears my eyes be filled with tears, but Jesus is a friend who watches day and night.
 I go to him in prayer he knows my every care, and just a little talk with my Jesus makes it right.

Have a little talk with Jesus tell him all about our troubles. Hear our fainted cry, answer by and by.
 Feel a little prayer wheel turning, know a little fire is burning.
 Find a little talk with Jesus makes it right. 

© All Rights Reserved – Dr. James H. Logan, Jr.

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A Year of Double

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Isaiah 61:7                                                                                                      2 Peter 1:10

If you are familiar with prophesy and listen to the various prophetic words that come forth on occasion, you have no doubt heard that 2014 is a year of double. There have been many that have prophesied that this year is the year of double blessing, double anointing, and double portion. Some have even prophesied that 2014 will be the best year that any, who live in Christ and have Christ living in them, in our day and time, have ever experienced. Many have arrived at this prophetic word not so much from what they have heard from the Lord, but from the symbolism they see in the year itself, 20 is double tens and 14 is double sevens. Ten symbolizes God’s administration and seven God’s completion. The fact that the numbers are doubled means that this year is most significant for the body of Christ.

I have not received such revelation from the Lord. In fact, you have heard me say, and I believe it, that this year will be filled with greater challenge and hardship than we have endured in the previous year. So hearing from many others that this year will be a year of double is refreshingly good news, because we will need double to make it safely through whatever the enemy throws our way. The fact that I respect those who have, in good faith, proclaimed 2014 a year of double leads me to embrace and not refute what they have heard. That leaves me with reconciling what I have heard with what they have seen and heard. This year may, in fact, be the year of double, but it will not automatically happen for the people of God and His church. There are some things we will need to put in and get in order for us to experience this double blessing.

I am indebted to Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin for the following suggestions he gives for how to make it in this year. He suggests 10 things we will need to perfect, work on, apply, pursue and demonstrate in order to make it in 2014, and if we do these things we will still have challenges but we will never fail. What then do we need to perfect?

  1. Restlessness, the inability to relax, for we have work to do (John 9:4);
  2. Optimism, because God is in control (Philippians 1:6);
  3. Intensity, doing our work as unto God and with all of our might (2 Timothy 4:2 Message);
  4. Self-control, not allowing ourselves to be controlled by our desires, others, or the world (Titus 2:11-14);
  5. Thick skin, not letting criticism incapacitate us, imperviousness (Luke 6:22-23; Ephesians 6:13);
  6. Energy, for lazy people are ineffective people (Isaiah 40:28-29);
  7. Tact and articulation, to state what we believe clearly and respectfully (1 Peter 3:15);
  8. Correct theology, so we will speak things that become sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3);
  9. Order and organization, so we have quick access to what we need (1 Corinthians 14:40);
  10. Love for God and man, for how can we say we love God, and not love our brother (1 John 4:20)?

We are believers. We are the righteousness of God. God made us, saved us, and even now sustains us. His desire is that we should in all things prosper and be in health. He is the One who has made us to become the head and not the tail, to live at the top and never at the bottom. He knew before the foundation of the earth what His people would face in this day and at this hour. He knows the turmoil we have faced and that which we will face. Of course, He desires to give us more, more of His power, more of His glory, more of His anointing, more of His pleasures. It is not good news that we will face greater challenge in this year than we have before. It is not good news that the forces of darkness will seem to prevail even more, and that they will win more battles. But we are not left without resources. We have the love of God, the power of God, and the glory of God. God loves us so much that He will always give us what we need to overcome simply because He is greater in us than our enemy in the world.

That does not mean that we can cloister ourselves away and do nothing. We need to perfect, work on, apply, pursue and demonstrate these two things if we expect to make it in this year. God gave Job double for his trouble because he was faithful and refused to give up even when his wife and so-called friends bid him to do so. Elisha received a double portion of the anointing that was on Elijah’s life because he was with him and saw him when he was taken up. Hannah received a double portion from her husband Elkanah because he loved her and she was barren. Isaiah prophesied that Israel would have a double portion in the land instead of humiliation leading them to shouts of joy. If this was the promise of God for His people living under the old covenant how much more for those of us living under the new covenant. We have Jesus and He said that we would do greater things than He because He was going to the Father. That is good news; knowing God loves me so much that He will give me double. That’s a reason to shout for joy. That’s a reason to rejoice and be glad. This year may offer some tough times. Things may not go as I would like or have hoped but in the final analysis, when it is all over, God will have sustained me by giving me double and God will give me more in recompense for what I have suffered. I call that a win.

© All Rights Reserved – Dr. James H. Logan, Jr.

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Purity & Humility

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 9 – Ephesians 4:2; Psalm 51:10

2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.[1]

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. [2]

This is a do or die year for the church because it is a do or die year for all of us as individuals. In order for any ministry to grow and develop as it should and as it has been called, it becomes necessary for her to have a deep, personal spiritual hunger that motivates her to seek healing from God, and to be willing to set aside her own viewpoints and seek God’s vision and ways. This is the second of seven suggestions for how to go about accomplishing that goal: seek a clean heart and humility before God.

Humility and purity before God are two powerful qualities that can make or break an individual or even a nation. There is much in our society that militates against either of these qualities. There is seemingly neither care for purity or humility even within the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. One would be hard pressed to hear a sermon in most churches about the biblical standard for holiness or, especially, about sin. One might hear sermons about humility but they would be tainted by the arrogance of perceived position and power.

In order for the church corporately or individual Christians to advance the Kingdom of God there must be a genuine commitment to purity and humility. God can work in and through vessels that are neither pure nor humble, but their influence and impact will be sorely limited. One only has to read through the Old Testament to see the different types of people God used. They were not all pure and they were not all humble and yet God still used them. To be humble is to be modest, respectful and lowly. To be pure is to unadulterated, chaste, or free from contamination.

Paul counsels the Ephesians to be humble and gentle, to patiently bear with one another in love. David implored God to create in him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him. To be pure and humble then would appear to be qualities that one is able to cultivate, but there must first be a will to do so. If, however, we decide to walk in purity and humility we will see a harvest unlike any we have ever seen before. The harvest will come not because we are so pure, “all of our righteousness is like filthy rags before Him,” but because we completely reliant on God. Let us all make the choice to walk in purity and humility today, for the sake of our personal futures and the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

Gracious Father, come and change our hearts and minds until we become completely humble and pure. Cause our thoughts to come into alignment with the thoughts you think toward us. Enable us to consider the welfare of others over and beyond our own. Show us the way of righteousness so that our lives might better give honor and glory to Your name, and that Your Kingdom might come here on earth even as it is in heaven. Amen. 

© 2014 – Dr. James H. Logan, Jr.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Ephesians 4:2.

[2] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Psalm 51:10.

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Stay Focused!

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 8 – Ephesians 4:1; Matthew 6:33

4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. [1]

6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.[2]

Do you ever feel lethargic, as if you need a spark of energy to get you motivated and moving? Does it seem at times that you cannot do what you need to do, not because you don’t know what to do, but because you feel incapacitated? You may not feel this way all the time, but you have your days, and if the answer to the above questions is in the affirmative then perhaps you have lost your focus. It is not unusual to feel lethargic and unmotivated. In fact, many people often find themselves in this predicament. But as the people of God we should not want to remain in this place and we do not have to.

The Apostle Paul was writing his letter to the church in Ephesus as a prisoner of the state. He physically could not do what he wanted or had been anointed and appointed to do because he was legally constrained. If anyone had a good reason to lose their drive, feel sorry for themselves, and surrender, Paul did. But Paul was also a prisoner for the Lord in another sense and it was this type of imprisonment that enabled him to maintain his focus despite his physical limitations. When someone is a prisoner they lose all self-determination. They are told what to do and when to do it. Their every move is watched and scrutinized. Their physical space is subject to continuous inspection. They have no will of their own.

When one is focused on Christ and His Kingdom they become a prisoner for the Lord. The difference between being a prisoner for something and a prisoner of something is that the former is voluntary. One chooses to “live a life worthy of the calling [they] have received.” One chooses to “seek first [God’s] Kingdom and [God’s] righteousness.” Whatever else they intend to do, whatever else they hope to achieve, whatever else they hope to receive emanates from this choosing to be focused on the Kingdom of God as a prisoner for Him. The year is young, why not submit all your hopes and dreams to the only one that can open the way for them to happen by focusing on Him as a prisoner for Him?

Lord Jesus, I confess to being lethargic and lazy. I often lack motivation and often feel sorry for myself and am tempted to be jealous and envious of the accomplishments of others. Help me to recapture and readjust my focus so that I see myself as a prisoner for You. You know my hopes and my dreams. You know the secret desires of my heart. Cause me to surrender them all to you trusting You to fulfill Your Word in me. Amen.

© 2014 – Dr. James H. Logan, Jr.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Ephesians 4:1.

[2] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Matthew 6:33.

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It’s Up to Me!

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 7 – Ephesians 4:1-16

Today’s devotional consists excepts from my New Year’s Message. It was motivated by the following prophetic word I received:

This will be a make-it-or-break-it year. You have all the tools you need to make it, but if you get lazy or stubborn, you will be broken and humbled. You will not move forward one inch if you refuse to let go of the past and hang on to things that are no longer relevant to where you are now. You will be challenged to progress, but you will have to provide the initiative by faith. It’s up to you; your will is vitally connected to what you make of this season.[1]

This word confirmed what I had been feeling, sensing and hearing and struck a nerve because of a concern the church is not consistently doing what she has been called to do. She seems to be content with how far she has come, and the little accomplishments she has achieved. But I am not satisfied. I am not satisfied with either my individual effort or my production. I am not satisfied with the lack of accomplishment as a ministry. I am not satisfied because the church should be growing, but instead she is stagnating.

The church needs to grow because of what growth fundamentally demonstrates. “Growth is the sign of life, stagnation is the sign of death.”[2] This is a do or die year for this ministry because it is a do or die year for all of us as individuals. In order for any ministry to grow and develop as it should and as it has been called, it becomes necessary for her to have a deep, personal spiritual hunger that motivates her to seek healing from God, and to be willing to set aside her own viewpoints and seek God’s vision and ways. Here seven suggestions for how to go about doing it.

  1. Seek to be focused on the Kingdom of God. (Ephesians 4:1; Matthew 6:33)
  2. Seek a clean heart and humility before God (Ephesians 4:2; Psalm 51:10).
  3. Seek to bear the fruit of God’s Spirit through renewed daily prayer and Bible study, along with fasting and meditation (Ephesians 4:2; Galatians 5:22-23).
  4. Seek to build and maintain the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3).
  5. Seek to be grounded in the basic, core doctrines of the Bible and not be blown about by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14).
  6. Seek balance in all areas of life (Ephesians 4:15)
  7. Seek to face challenges realistically and maintain a positive attitude (Ephesians 4:16; Philippians 4:8).

Stay tuned! I will say about each of these over the next seven days.

Lord Jesus, I accept that 2014 is a do or die, make it or break it year for me. Forgive me for accepting less than what You intend and have provided. Forgive me for my lack of urgency and enthusiasm for building Your Kingdom Help me to make the most of the opportunities this year affords and from becoming complacent. Amen.

© 2014 – Dr. James H. Logan, Jr.

[1] Marsha Burns, Small Straws in a Soft Wind, Spirit of Prophesy Bulletin, January 1, 2014, http://ft111.com.

[2] Ibid.

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The Battle Belongs to the Lord!

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 6 – John 5:13-15

13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” 14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” 15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. [1]

Who was this man standing in front of Joshua? Obviously he was someone with whom to be reckoned because he held a drawn sword in his hand. Was he an angel? To suggest such is to contradict the historical tradition. In the Bible whenever an angel was encountered and a human bowed to worship them they would be admonished to refrain from their veneration because they were created beings just like humans. In this instance there is no such admonition because Joshua’s encounter with the Captain of the Lord’s host was a Christophany, an encounter with the pre-incarnate Christ at Jericho.

This pre-incarnate Christ posed a problem for Joshua. Joshua was in the region of Jericho checking out the fortifications of the enemy. What he saw, the high walls and consolidation of their resources on the inside were already of concern to him, so now when he sees this man with a drawn sword and an authoritative stance he wants to know whether he is for or against Israel? The man’s response was as interesting as his appearance. He was neither for the Israelites or their enemy, but he was there to take over. It was as if God was speaking saying, “Don’t worry about what I am doing Joshua, do what I have called you to do.”

The experience of Joshua reveals a profound truth, when in the will God rest in the assurance that the battle belongs to the Lord. Consider the Israelite challenge. They were not a seasoned fighting force. They had never encountered an enemy of the caliber of what they would confront at Jericho. The proof of their lack of military skill was evidenced in their massive defeat by little Ai in the aftermath of their victory at Jericho when God had deserted them because of the sin of Achan. The only way they would overcome the challenge at Jericho was if God came and took over. The man with the drawn sword, this pre-incarnate Christ, was present to let Jericho know that he did not have to be anxious because God Himself would fight this battle. Know today that Your greatest mission is to get in and stay in the will of God, and that when you do you will be victorious because the Lord Himself will fight your battles.

Dear Lord, thank you for fighting my battles. Forgive me for my moments of doubt and unbelief. Forgive me for forgetting that vengeance belongs to You and You will repay. Forgive me for forgetting that You never commit us to a task that You do not equip us to accomplish. So help me to rest in You and in the knowledge that today You are fighting my impossible battles for me. Amen.

© 2014 – Dr. James H. Logan, Jr.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Joshua 5:13–15.

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No More Manna!

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 5 – Joshua 5:11, 12

11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan. [1]

The entire time the Israelites were in the desert God took care of them. Their clothes and their sandals did not wear out and they did not want for food. God provided them substance so unusual that they called it manna, meaning, “What is it?” This wafer-like substance, which covered the ground every morning and was to be collected in amounts that would last that day only, satisfied the tastes of the Israelites regardless of their individual desire. Whatever food a person craved the manna satiated that craving. The care God gave was so complete that when they tired of the manna He provided them with quail.

The manna continued to sustain the Israelites throughout their sojourn until they entered the land of promise and celebrated the Passover. From the moment they finished celebrating the remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt the manna ceased. God’s provision for their sustenance was now at an end because they had now entered into the promise of Abraham. What were they to do? They were now to enjoy the abundance of what was provided in this new land. They were told to eat the produce of the land that was flowing with milk and honey. Doing so “spoke of their new beginning, of their new life as the people of God delivered from judgment and rock solid in the place of blessing.”

God has made promises to each of us. While we wandered and floundered at times, God still took care of us until . . . He brought us to that place of blessing He had promised and He continues to do the same for us now. Once He has brought us out of the wilderness to that place of blessing the manna ceases to be provided because now we are expected to sustain ourselves from the produce of the land. The Israelites did not have to seek out God’s provision. It was automatically provided new every morning, but now in this new land the produce was available but it had to cultivated and harvested. As a part of our season of consecration let us open our eyes to see the produce in our land and develop the motivation, energy and imagination to eat of it and be sustained by it. God has brought us to the place of blessing but it is now our responsibility to take advantage of it because the manna has ceased.

Dear Lord, forgive me for expecting you to continue providing me with manna. Deliver me from a lackadaisical spirit that causes me to the opportunities You continue to provide me for increase. Remind me, again, that You have given me everything I need in order to prosper, and then quicken my imagination with ideas and concepts that will enable me to eat of the produce of the land into which You have brought me. Amen.

© 2014 – Dr. James H. Logan, Jr.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Joshua 5:11–12.

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