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Are you engaged in a spiritual war?

Years ago, I learned this: if I didn't feel I was under demonic attack, I would ask the Father, "What's wrong, don't you trust me?? Has my training ended?"

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't looking for trouble. Point is, I was coming to understand the necessity of spiritual warfare. The "light resistance" (as Paul referred to it) that I received from whatever devil had been assigned to me actually serves to make me a more powerful Christian. But I had just emerged from years of relational problems and had overcome business and personal bankruptcies as well as an “incurable” spinal disease. I KNEW what it was like to find myself engaged in spiritual battles. Truth is, even though I continued walking into demonic crossfires, their impact on my life didn't have quite the effect thay had in my earlier days, especially once I learned to focus on the Problem-Solver (Jesus) rather than the problem at hand.

Ephesian 6:12-14 reminds us who we are at war with: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

Translation? That coworker who is driving you nuts is NOT your enemy. That kid on drugs is NOT your enemy. Those people in that other political party are NOT your enemies. That group of Church folks who are in disagreement with YOUR group of Church folks are NOT your enemies. The noisy neighbor upstairs is NOT your enemy.

People are NEVER our problem; the problem is our problem, NOT flesh-and-blood. The issues are spiritual and we who are spiritual should recalibrate our guns and take aim at the REAL enemy.

I ministered to an ex-con a few weeks ago. The more he described his mental anguish since being released from prison, the more glaringly obvious it became that he was engaged in a spiritual war. Why wouldn't he be? He'd been serving Satan well for so long, any gang leader would put a price on this traitor's head. We talked about spiritual warfare and the fact he gets to fight dirty and use the Name of Jesus and the Word of God. He was encouraged and is doing well, a month later.

Are YOU engaged in a spiritual war? Probably. The biggest problem I see in the Body of Christ is (A) Most Christians are clueless regarding this kind of warfare, (B) Very few Church Leaders are adequately trained in how to fight this spiritual battle, so how can they equip their congregations? and (C) An amazingly small number of Christians even acknowledge the existence of an actual devil (one long-time church-goer wrinkled her nose and said, “maybe Satan tempts me to eat another slice of pie, things like that, but I just can't believe he's that terrible.”) C.S. Lewis wrote, “one of Satan's most deceptive tactics is to convince people that he doesn't exist.”

ALL Christians are under a spiritual attack on some level. The bombardment of the human mind alone is unceasing. Speaking of C.S. Lewis, as I recall, he said something like this: “Satan would allow even a minister to prepare a sermon so long as he spends little time preparing himself.” As I see it, far too few Christians are investing time in getting equipped. Like anything else preparation begins with a willful decision to do so.

Remember who your REAL enemy is, folks! Truth is, even the person you may have pegged as an adversary is actually under attack by the very devil who's attacking YOU! It would make much more sense to pursue an alliance with a perceived human enemy against the devil than to quarrel and bicker among yourselves.

If the Bible is true, “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world,” (1 Jn 4:4).

If the Bible is true, Jesus declared, “I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy...,” (Lk 10:19).

C'mon, folks! There's a Kingdom to build. God's waiting on multitudes to get in the game right where they've been planted. In other words, to the Army of God, the bivouac is over!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work

SUICIDE IN THE CHURCH

Last night, a dear friend in Colorado texted me asking if I would be willing to contact a former co-worker of hers who lives here in Texas. The woman in Texas had recently lost her best friend to suicide. To make matter worse, she had just been going through her own mother's things when she got news of the suicide, her mom having passed away last Christmas-time. We talked, prayed, she cried a great deal. Her greatest struggle was that she had been taught - despite it being unbiblical - that those who committed suicide were destined to eternal Hell. She really had an issue with that.

I sent her three articles I'd written that had been printed in my town's newspaper after a rash of suicides took place here years ago. She wrote me to thank me and, yes, she was very blessed by them. With so many suicides taking place these days, I couldn't help but feel some of you, dear friends, are either wrestling with the urge to do so, or have grieved over loved ones who have committed suicide. I hope these articles will bless you as they have so many others who have read them.

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work

Suicide in the church PART 1

Suicide in the church PART 2

Suicide in the church PART 3

Are you stressed?

What is stress anyway? 

Allow me to provide you with an example: Take a toothpick between the thumb and forefinger of both hands and bend it. 

Keep bending. 

The point at which you hear that first audible "crack" is that toothpick's stress level.

How about you? Are YOU stressed? Are you being bent slowly, a bit more every day?

When we are under stress, something's going to give. Something will start cracking; our health, our marriages, our peace of mind. We might get depressed, ignore our relationships, stop performing at an optimum pace on the job, or suffer poor health. 

Not only that, but our stress problem could beget additional problems, compounding the issues in our lives that must be dealt with.

Here are some suggestions that, if followed, I GUARANTEE will create a turn-around in your stress condition:

1) Take time to pray. 

Did I lose you already? Prayer is a supernatural event. I say that because it simply isn't natural for a busy human to "waste" time talking to someone they can't see, and may not even truly trust. Give prayer a chance! Think about it, you're taking time for OTHER things that don't make any sense, aren't you? 

If a millionaire contacted you today and said he had a million dollar check for you if you'd meet him for lunch this Thursday at 2PM, would you find a way to get to that meeting? Well, the Creator of the Universe requests the honor of your presence every day, off and on throughout the day and night, not only because He wants to hear your voice, but because He has things to say to you that will encourage, motivate and delight your soul and, literally, change your life. 

Are you interested?

I have learned to shut off the radio when I drive, the TV, whatever causes distractions in my life, and simply listen as much as I speak when it comes to prayer. At times, I have sat in traffic with my cell phone to my ear - OFF but pressed against my head nonetheless - and prayed aloud that way. 

Pray in the shower. Pray on the commode. Pray a simple "breath prayer" on an elevator ride. There are many moments when we can speak with the Father throughout the day. Find yours! Prayer breeds intimacy between those we pray WITH, the ones we pray FOR and the One we pray TO. 

Let us pray!

2) Bible Study. 

Most would agree that what we're hearing or reading from the news is either untrue, partially true or we aren't getting the news that really matters, just the stories that distract us. On the other hand, most would agree the Bible is 100% true. Isn't it strange how rarely we crack the pages of a resource containing truth that will benefit our lives while devouring that which we admit is at least partially lying to us? 

How are you investing your free time? Could you use at least a  portion of that time to study God's Word? There's nothing but good to come of such an investment.

3) Fellowship. 

Two or three gathered in His Name constitutes a church gathering, in my opinion. Jesus said so. I believe this because, whether we're assembling on a Sunday morning in a steepled edifice, or seated around pancakes at an IHOP restaurant, we are ALWAYS The Church. I recommend we seek out people whose faith walk we'd like to emulate, good examples of Christ-Followers we'd like to be like, and hang around with those folks whenever possible. As I've often said, we all need a Paul, a Barnabas and a Timothy in our lives - someone who teaches us, someone on our spiritual level with whom we can sharpen our own iron, and someone we can instruct; a disciple.

Additional  suggestions:

There are, of course, additional methods for relieving stress, but these three are the best. I find them to be empowering and that's important. Without God's power in our lives, we're functioning solely on people power and, quite frankly, that's not enough to sustain us.

Be sure to add such things as vacation time, exercise and proper dieting to the list, too. When you think about it, you're too blessed to be stressed, so don't give the enemy that foothold in your life. He doesn't deserve your help!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work

When do we get to do the stuff?

John Wimber was a beer-guzzling musician who eventually signed with the Righteous Brothers. In 1963, at age 29, he was a drug-abusing pop musician who was converted while chain-smoking his way through a Quaker-led Bible Study.

He became a voracious Bible-reader and, after weeks of reading about life-changing miracles while simultaneously attending lackluster church services, John finally asked his church leaders, "When do we get to do the stuff? You know, the stuff here in the Bible; the stuff Jesus did, like healing the sick, raising the dead, healing the blind - stuff like that?"

When he was told they didn't do that anymore - only what they did in their weekly services - he replied, "You mean I gave up drugs for THAT?" 

Wimber may as well have asked, "You mean Jesus DIED for THAT?" He went on to establish the Vineyard churches all over the world.

Many years ago, while attending a Baptist Bible Study, I recall a young woman asking - no, BEGGING - the group, to help her develop a prophetic gifting she believed she had. I was certainly unqualified to respond at that time but I recall the deer-in-the-eadlights look on all the faces in the group, including the pastor. She sobbed desperately yet no one did or said anything. They weren't equipped any more than I was. After a few awkward moments of silence while she wept, we moved on with our study.

The poor woman only wanted to do "the stuff." The rest of us were content to merely read about it.

I could write volumes regarding similar situations where people got tired of drinking milk and were ready for some meat. Unable to find what they were seeking, they moved on to another church, joined a cult or abandoned Institutional church - at times Religion itself - all together. In my own life, because I've never been a quitter, I have found myself in similar situations where I had mastered the 1st grade education I was receiving from a particular group, was unwilling to look elsewhere out of loyalty, but God used circumstances to get me to move along and take the steps He had ordered for me. 

As I traveled this spiritual journey, I have been privileged to have taken part in doing "the stuff" on numerous occasions. One church I attended was filled with people who were actively trying to discover their spiritual gifts - jostling for position - and whenever I was asked what my gifts were, my response would be, "My gift is the Holy Spirit and He will give me whatever gift I need at any given time." See, it didn't make sense to me that, if I were to come across a man who'd been shot, that I would say, "Hang in there, buddy! My gift is hospitality... let me go find someone with the gift of healing!" 

Nonsense!

I have found that, as I grew in my faith and actually BELIEVED I had received power when the Holy Spirit came upon me, the next step was to PRACTICE - with little baby steps - and watch myself develop this gift or that. I laid hands on sick people until one actually got well and I couldn't wait to do it again. I always seemed to be around when a demon manifested itself and I learned by watching others minister deliverance and have been given many opportunities to do likewise. I have swallowed my pride and audibly spoken what I felt Father was saying to me to bless others. When I saw them responding positively, I asked God for more and He has responded in a big way. When I read about visions and dreams, I asked for that and receive them regularly. After reading that Father would bless me with Wisdom if only I asked, I asked!

Hear this: ALL the spiritual gifts mentioned in Scripture are able to be DEVELOPED. For example, the "school of the prophets" is referred to in 1 Samuel 10 and 19 and in 2 Kings 2, 4 -6. Obviously, anyone being schooled is being trained and is, therefore, developing. Problem is, far too many Christians are trapped within an institutional environment where developing Spiritual Gifts is frowned upon or the manifestation of these gifts holds a back seat to rituals and traditions. Obtaining any training OUTSIDE a particular church edifice or beyond certain denominational walls is not seen as an acceptable practice either. 

So, what is the result? We wind up presenting to the world an enormous army of swordless soldiers. We're big and weak with a form of godliness but no power to speak of (2 Timothy 3:5). We aren't turning our communities upside-down. Lives aren't being radically changed. For multitudes, their version of Christianity can be summed up with two phrases:

1. Going to church and 2. Trying to be good.

We can find Spiritual Gifts in four portions of Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12-14, Romans 12, Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4. In addition, Spiritual Gifts are mentioned elsewhere throughout the Bible . Obviously, these gifts are seen as important by the Holy Spirit who inspired their inclusion, important pieces required for the advancement of God's Kingdom.

Are YOU developing YOUR spiritual gifts? Has the Holy Spirit "come upon" you - the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead - enduing you with power to accomplish the works of the ministry God has given you? If you're doing anything for which you don't find yourself leaning upon and trusting God for HIS power, frankly, your God is too small. If what you are doing can be done under your own power, any time you needed it, I would question whether or not I was operating by way of any Spiritual Gifting at all.

The first step, of course, is receiving the Holy Spirit as He comes upon you. Ask for this. Seek it. Don't be afraid or entertain any thoughts such as, "What would my pastor think?"  That's not important! We're trying to build a Kingdom here, right? Father wants us ALL in the game, doing "the stuff."

Let's get busy!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work

Prayer is the answer. 
Love is the 'gas' that makes it go.

I don't believe prayer moves God so much as it moves those who dare to pray. There, I said it. If we who claim to follow Jesus will follow the directive to "pray without ceasing," we just might experience "the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous availing much." 

But we don't pray, certainly not as often as we should. We might even say to another, "I'll pray for you" but we quickly forget rather than stopping right there and doing so.

So, why don't we pray more? Frankly, I think it goes against the human psyche; it makes no sense to our carnal mind. Why spend time talking to someone we can't see (prayer) when we have a million things to do? Factor in doubt and unbelief and, well, there you have it. 

Many don't pray because they say they've "tried it" and "it didn't work," as if they rubbed an old lamp and the genie wasn't home.

It's been my experience that, far too often, I found myself begging God to do that which Jesus said He has empowered ME to accomplish. In those moments, I feel I've actually heard the Spirit saying to me, "No, YOU do it!"

Where sickness is involved, it's not uncommon to hear well-meaning statements such as, "I'll pray for you." Interestingly, Jesus never directed us to "pray" for anyone's health; He told His followers (that includes you and me) to HEAL the sick. I'm not splitting hairs here! Far too many "believers" don't believe it's remotely possible that they could heal anybody... and they're RIGHT! Divine healing is only possible when God ordains it by His Spirit and where faith is involved on someone's part (case in point, very few were healed by Jesus in His own hometown. He was just Mary's kid, after all. How could HE be the Messiah?). Healing miracles are only difficult when we start thinking they have anything to do with us!

As I mentioned, 'LOVE' is the gas that makes prayer work. Do we love our Father? Do we love our brothers and sisters, ALL of those for whom Jesus died? This is key to advancing God's Kingdom, folks. For many of us, any level of compassion is impossible to muster due to our anger, frustration, and unforgiveness of this one or that one. Don't we realize the most powerful expression of our love for God is to love His children? Think about it... a new family attends a church and the pastor crouches down and plays with their kids. The parents feel loved, accepted and are drawn to the pastor all because of the love, acceptance and affirming nature of the man toward their kids.

Get it?

Though I've actually heard a minister say he didn't attend the prayer meetings because he "didn't have the Gift of Intercession," fact is ALL of us are directed to pray. Standing in the gap and contending for those who are too sick, too weak, too depressed to offer their own prayers is the job for those of us who are strong. When I cut my thumb on my table saw, the rest of my body came to its aid and filled-in until it was able to function again.

Get that?

Are we praying for our nation's President - ALL our governing leaders?

Are we praying for those in leadership from the entertainment industry to the local school district to our coworkers, teammates, spouses, kids, grandkids and great grandkids? 

Are we praying for our enemies, even those who are sworn to kill us for our faith?

Are we praying for our community - the violence, the gangs, the drugs, the sexual immorality, the lack of a desire to "father" the children being created?

Are we praying for our community's houses of worship and that God would reach those affiliated with them despite whatever it is their leaders might be preaching - even the Christian gatherings?

Praying for the needs of others is critical to the success of any Prayer Warrior, however, when we pray for ourselves, what we're REALLY doing is allowing Jesus to be the "lord" - the "owner" - of that burden. The key is to relinquish control of that issue so He can have it and deal with it. Our biggest problem is we keep taking it back before He's had a chance. 

C'mon, folks... let us pray!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work

We have a job to do

Far too many who claim to be Followers of Jesus Christ have not yet wrapped their minds around this one simple fact that could completely revolutionize their own existence. That fact is this: If you have a job, you have a ministry, a ministry every bit as important as the so-called 5-fold ministries of Ephesians 4:11. 

Jesus, the One who came as our example, exhibited the majority of His own ministry moments among the people he encountered in the marketplace. Like Jesus, we, too, spend nearly 70% of our lives in the Workplace, working shoulder to shoulder with lost, lonely, hurting people, many of whom are wearing masks to cover their pain. They may come across as successful, flirtatious, tough, or macho, braggarts, geeks, hipsters or Type A's. Whatever mask they're wearing, most are hiding themselves, doing their best from allowing anyone to notice the real "them" while attempting to fit in somehow.

Several recent encounters of my own will illustrate that point. The first involved a new employee whose husband was incarcerated. She was in her 20's, had no car, several children, and was doing her best to excel at her new job as a housekeeper. Moments after I introduced myself, her eyes welled-up with tears and she said, "God must've known how badly I needed to talk to somebody today..."

We talked, we prayed, she cried.

Recently, I met a young lady, a cook, who said she'd just miscarried a baby a few weeks earlier. At 17 years of age, she decided she should join a church Youth Group. With tear-filled eyes, she showed me a tiny tattoo on her hand, a mark that reminded her of her deceased grandfather. When the Youth Minister noticed the "tat," he decided it would be best if she not join their group, fearing she might have a bad influence on the rest of the kids.

Sick, unemployed and cheating spouses, kids in jail or pregnant, bad health, not to mention addictions, loneliness, depression and homicidal and suicidal tendencies... the workplace is a petri dish of human disparity. It's a dark place, easily illuminated by even the smallest ray of light. 

That's where you come in. You don't have to pray with coworkers, unless you feel led. In most cases, praying below a whisper for situations that arise will suffice, interceding for everyone from the owner to the janitor. 

You don't have to lead people to Christ in the evangelical sense unless you're introducing others to the love of "Christ in you, the hope of glory." They desperately need to feel loved, accepted and affirmed.

A warm handshake, a pat on the back, the squeeze of a shoulder... God can do much with your little expressions of love done in Jesus' Name.

Here's a Guarantee: I guarantee if you do NOTHING, nothing will happen. Nothing will change. But filled with the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11), doesn't it make sense that, armed with that kind of power, you should be able to do SOMETHING more than get out of bed, clock-in and earn a paycheck while you're on the job?

To those in pastoral ministry, doesn't it make sense to train and equip your Church Members to do the work of the ministry while they're at work? Faith in the Workplace should be more than another 3-week bolt-on program of Evangelism, wouldn't you agree? In one church of 100 people, if just 50 of them prayed for, loved on and shared Christ with 10 coworkers each, that's 500 people in your community involved in and receiving ministry. Though they may not all wind up a Member of your congregation, fact is, they may be part of the community-wide revival which will ultimately impact the whole town where you live. 

Remember, that's just one church. Yours?

We have a job to do, as individuals, as corporations, as The Church as a whole. What we've been doing is not working, a statistical failure, as a matter of fact. 

Are YOU ready for a change? I am available to assist you, your church, your company so that, TOGETHER we can start making a very real, noticeable difference in the workplace.

CLICK HERE for a 15-minute video from a message I brought at last year's Tipping Point gathering in Austin, Texas. You might want to plan on joining us in April for Tipping Point in San Antonio (CLICK HERE) for a 7-Mountains style gathering where I'll be MCing and speaking again.

House Churchers, Toy and Felicity Dale will be making presentations, too!

We have a job to do - a Kingdom assignment. Let's do it with excellence!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work

 

The Church: Is it open for business?

Recently, I was conducting an interview with a young lady not yet 18 years old, new to this particular company. During our conversation, I asked about her church experiences. She opened up, telling me that she had miscarried a baby several weeks earlier. She decided to attend a local church and sat in with the Youth Group. Last summer, after her grandfather's death, she had her hand tattooed with a tiny image no larger than a dime, that reminded her of their summers spent with him. When the Youth Minister saw the tattoo, she said he asked her to leave the group being told the tattoo might serve as a "bad influence" on the other kids.

Folks, I hear stories like this all the time. Well-meaning but misguided Christians informing others they can't join their church because of this or that does nothing but drive a wedge between those who choose to give Christianity a chance and the Institutional Church. One lady, a practicing Satanist who looked like any other Booster Club mom, told me she chose the devil over God EVEN THOUGH she knew he had nothing good to offer her, however, she and her kids were so alienated by the church, she felt she had no option. I've been told by other Satanists they chose that route in order to receive the devil's power. Way to go, Church!

Where's the love? Where's the unity? Where's the power? Growing numbers of Christians are leaving churches of all denominations... disillusioned, disenfranchised, disheartened. Though they're looking for acceptance and appreciation, too often they are left feeling judged, unloved, illegitimate and unacceptable.

When I was a Youth Minister, I used to discourage cliques among our group and would often remind the kids that they were BRIDGES for others to cross en route to joining our family, NOT locked and impassible gates! As a young father, I would often remind my kids to seek out the goofiest, dorkiest, loneliest looking kids and befriend them. As a result, my youngest son, a popular athlete, had as one of his closest friends a skinny half-pint with a pink mohawk who, today, is a successful business man, married and making loads of money. My oldest son was known for defending kids who were being threatened and these reports got back to me. Even a couple of years ago, he was driving and rescued a woman whose car was in a ditch, hidden by brush. His closest friends, too, have always been outcasts.

King David's army consisted of down and outers, too. Jesus was loved by prostitutes, lepers, tax collectors and children while being scorned by the religious folks. 

What about you? What about the hurting people God loves who are surrounding YOU all day long? If we all did a little in our own little worlds, we could make a huge difference.

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work

Why do we presume upon God?

I have found that, whenever we are about to make a decision - ANY decision - there are a few questions we have to ask ourselves before we make the move.

First, does this opportunity, or decision, advance God's Kingdom, or does it build my own empire?

Second, is it Biblical? Is it a win-win for everyone involved and not merely for me?

Third, are the circumstances all lined-up?

Time and again I see Christians rushing into decisions - relocating, spending money, changing jobs, getting married - doing things THEY actually want to do (so they presume to believe it's God). They don't ask for confirmations, they don't seek the wisdom of counselors, they may not even be in agreement with their own spouse. 

Over the past few months, a woman has contacted us three times regarding purchasing our home, even though we don't have the place on the market; it's NOT for sale!  We met her, liked her, and she's walked through twice, once with family members, and she made an offer. A nice one. We love this neighborhood and have made many wonderful memories in this 100-year old structure. 

A few days ago, I asked my wife three questions: 1) Was selling the house Biblical? Was it a win-win for all concerned? 2) Do we have peace about selling the place? 3) Are the circumstances lined-up? The questions prompted some transparent discussion. Even though the circumstances aren't where they need to be at this time, that could change. Though we don't have all the peace we need, that could change, too. We decided to pray about it, pray against Deception and Greed and declare Jesus is the Lord of this situation. Time will tell. 

Far too many "followers" of Jesus don't know how to follow His lead. Perhaps we don't know Him enough to fully trust Him with ALL things, who knows? His sheep will know His voice, after all. Instead, we presume upon God, childishly stepping out in blind faith, when He had nothing to do with that upon which we are about to embark in the first place. Mercifully, lovingly, He uses ALL THINGS to work together for our good, but not without it costing us a great deal of time, energy, finances and heartache before we realize we missed God by a country mile. Graciously, He will allow us to take these tests again.

Trust me, I've presumed upon God far too many times myself. I want to believe I've learned from my mistakes but, again, time will tell.

Perhaps you, too, are about to step off the boat and try and walk on water when the Lord hasn't suggested it. If so, you might want to heed this message.

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work