Getting in the Way of Blessing

Personal Note: I know it's Saturday but I have something to share! LOL!

Last night, the family took a trip to Concord, NC to share in a worship experience with Jonathan David Helser. I didn't know much about Fire Church but I did know a lot about this brother's music. Although we hadn't originally planned on going - I contacted my brother (who was going), encouraged the Cantrell family to join us (they did), and we loaded up the Acadia and made our way down.

Jonathan's music is as unique as the worship set. Although there is a plan for music, the carrying out of the plan is completely up to the Holy Spirit. You may sing a song straight through or you may spend some time in the chorus. You may also have God's Word sung over you or the group will share what they sense the Lord doing in the room. You can call it prophetic, intimate, and energetic. The singers and worshipers were free and the atmosphere was heightened and relaxing at the same time.

God used this night of worship to bring great encouragement to my heart. He also confirmed some things in our family. What an awesome time! I think God also spoke to a few other in our group...NO, I'm sure He did.

What consumes my mind today is the memory of what I used to do in my walk with God. I used to look for opportunities to worship. Our home church didn't offer Sunday night services so I would join up with some friends at the Church of God. If there was a singing, youth event, etc. going on around me - I would do what I could do to get there. This mentality put me in the way of blessing over and over again. As I stepped into the path of blessing, God always met me there.

It's easy for us to be so caught up in the busyness of life and become protective over our "personal" time. However, the great truth that I have re-discovered over the past two weeks is that when I step into the way of blessing God is always there.

Last week we stepped into a blessing by deciding at the last minute to take our family to Winter Jam. A decision that God used to get us onto His agenda for the remainder of our lives. YES! It was that transformational. This week we stepped into a blessing by saying "yes" to an opportunity to worship with other believers.

There is a balance. You should be able to confirm the times when you choose to stay at home with just you and the family. However, never hesitate to join God in what He is doing.

Big thanks to Jonathan for sharing with us his gifts and heart. For more info or to hear a sample of music check out: www.jonathanhelser.com or www.aplacefortheheart.org

I'm thankful that God is never giving up on me!

"The reality may be, when the tally is finally totaled, that North America is one of the most lost places on earth." Jim Ballard (missionary)

Isn't sad to think that one of the freest countries on earth could be the most lost? In America we don't force our beliefs upon anyone but allow people to freely worship as they choose. Yet, with all of our freedom the advancement of the gospel isn't what it could/should be. And these numbers can't be blamed on Canada alone! We must come to the realization that there are people living in the "Bible Belt" that know nothing of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Every year Southern Baptist have a special offering during the Resurrection Celebration (Easter) that specifically goes to supporting the work of North American missions. This offering "Annie Armstrong Easter Offering" honors the work of the woman whose name it bears and supports those who currently serve as missionaries in their own country.

A short history of Annie Armstrong:

"Each year, we honor the life and work of Annie Walker Armstrong (1850-1938) when we give to the annual offering for North American missions named after her. As a tireless servant of God and a contagious advocate and supporter of mission efforts throughout the world, Annie Armstrong led women to unite in mission endeavors that ultimately led to the formation of Woman's Missionary Union, for which she served as the first corresponding secretary.

"Annie believed in Christ with all her heart, but it was her hands that expressed that belief in tangible ways. She spent a great amount of time typing and handwriting letters in support of missions. Many of these letters were quite lengthy and all were filled with conviction that more could and should be done in our mission efforts. In 1893 alone, she wrote almost 18,000 letters! Annie also never hesitated to use her hands to reach out to hug a child or distribute food and clothing and the Word of God to those in need. Her hands held her own Bible as she studied to know how best to share Gods love with others. And, most important, Annie was a woman of prayer, folding her hands in prayer to intercede for the missionaries and for those they were helping discover Christ.

"Annie rallied churches to give more, pray more, and do more for reaching people for Christ. As we continue to unite to make her vision a reality in North America today, we can be confident that her legacy will also be ours." [Taken from Annie Armstrong website www.anniearmstrong.com]

The Week of Prayer for North American Mission is March 7-14 2010 AD. It's a time for churches to focus on particular missionaries as well as the task of spreading the gospel throughout North America.

I ask that you consider praying seriously for these individuals. After you pray, ask God what He would have you give to support these dear servants. Then considering doing a short-term mission trip to help them in their task.

PRAY - - - - - GIVE - - - - - GO!

Offering Hope

It seems that on a regular basis I'm discovering something very unique about PBC. We are one of the few churches in our area that is actually doing a recovery ministry. For those who may not know - Recovery Ministry is a tool to help people overcome addictions, depression, the past, etc. It's an umbrella program (at least for our church) to help people overcome their hurts, habits, and hang-ups (big thanks to Rick Warren for the alliteration!).

My question is: WHY?

You can travel down Main Street America or any street for that matter and you will find people who live in a prison of some sorts. It could be alcoholism, drugs, abuse, neglect, depression, bitterness, unforgiveness, pornography, work...GET THE PICTURE? If that is true - AND IT IS - why aren't more churches doing something to help?

Thom Rainer said it best in his book "Simple Church" when he wrote: "Many of our churches have become cluttered. So cluttered that people have a difficult time encountering the simple and powerful message of Christ. So cluttered that many people are busy doing church instead of being the church." p.19

When Jesus cleansed the temple the Bible states that He drove out the money changers, those who sold doves, and the ones carrying things through the temple. What we find in Mark 11 is that Jesus' actions in the temple were not the result of a temper-tantrum but a zeal for encountering the presence of God. He tells them very plainly in verse 17, "Is it not written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of thieves'!"

What are we doing in our churches to keep this from happening? Have we become nothing more than a den of thieves? We must protect against merchandising the gospel while shortchanging those who come in the doors of our buildings. We must ensure that we haven't blocked access to the peace and presence of God.

I encourage all churches to open themselves up to the possibilities that God has given us. There is a hurting world all around our buildings and yet we don't offer any hope. We either keep the gospel to ourselves or only seek to help out our own. Imagine what could happen if every church said "ENOUGH!" and chose to do something about the failed marriages, addictions within their congregations, and problems in the homes. Imagine what our communities would look like without the influence of these major problems. The church stands on the verge of something wonderful in their midst if they will quit focusing inward and begin to look outward.

How often have we said that Jesus is the only hope for the world. Then let's stop waiting for them to come and find hope in our midst. Let's take hope to them! Let's do the things that are necessary to help them overcome their past failures and problems.

It won't be easy but God will bless it.

Two Devotions - One Message: Give It Away

2 Corinthians 12:15, "I will gladly spend myself and all I have for your spiritual good..." (NLT)

The Delight of Sacrifice

"When the Spirit of God has shed abroad the love of God in our hearts, we begin deliberately to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ's interests in other people, and Jesus Christ is interested in every kind of man there is. We have no right in Christian work to be guided by our affinities; this is one of the biggest tests of our relationship to Jesus Christ. The delight of sacrifice is that I lay down my life for my Friend, not fling it away, but deliberately lay my life out for Him and His interests in other people, not for a cause. Paul spent himself for one purpose only - that he might win men to Jesus Christ. Paul attracted to Jesus all the time, never to himself. "I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

"When a man says he must develop a holy life alone with God, he is of no more use to his fellow men: he puts himself on a pedestal, away from the common run of men. Paul became a sacramental personality; wherever he went, Jesus Christ helped Himself to his life. Many of us are after our own ends, and Jesus Christ cannot help Himself to our lives. If we are abandoned to Jesus, we have no ends of our own to serve. Paul said he knew how to be a "door-mat" without resenting it, because the mainspring of his life was devotion to Jesus. We are apt to be devoted, not to Jesus Christ, but to the things which emancipate us spiritually. That was not Paul's motive. "I could wish my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren" - wild, extravagant - is it? When a man is in love it is not an exaggeration to talk in that way, and Paul is in love with Jesus Christ." Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest" Feb. 24

Now take a look at what Henry Blackaby said in his daily devotional:

Who is GOD sending YOU?

"So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." Matthew 17:16-17

"Jesus gave His disciples the power to cast out demons and to perform miracles of healing (Matt. 10:8). He gave them His authority to minister to people, yet they became so self-centered that they lost the power to do the work of God. When God sent a father with his epileptic son to them for healing, they failed miserably. They were so concerned with position and status (Mark 9:32-35) that they lost their focus on what God wanted to do through them.

"Jesus' response to His disciples included some of the harshest words ever to come from His mouth. He called His own disciples "unbelieving" and "perverse" and questioned how much longer He had to endure them! Why?
Because they were supposed to be on mission with Him to bring salvation to others, but they had become so disoriented to Him that they were spiritually powerless, lacking the faith to bring physical and spiritual comfort to those God had sent to them.

"God ought to be able to send a hurting person to any child of His and expect that they will be helped. Like the disciples, we can become so preoccupied with our own ambitions and distracted by the busyness of our lives that we become ineffective in ministering to those whom God sends to us. It is even possible to become so involved in religious activity that we are of no help to anyone. Regularly take inventory of your life to see if you are being a faithful steward of every life God sends to you."

Do you think God is trying to say something to us?

Pure and Undefiled Religion

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27 NLT

James 1:27 is a verse that I have been thinking about over the past few days. Some translations translate the 1st part of the verse as "pure" and "undefiled" religion. Either way - PURE, GENUINE, UNDEFILED religion (or faith) in the sight of God is one that cares for and ministers to orphans and widows. God's Word teaches us: "A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation." (Psalm 68:5). It's no wonder that James (half-brother of Jesus) would teach us to be like God!

The question remains: What are we doing to care for the orphans and widows? How are we reaching out to the disenfranchised among us? The number of orphans in homes and foster care is staggering in America and around the world. Not only that, but I wonder how many widows are out in the world fending for themselves or living in retirement homes/nursing facilities with no one to visit them.

Trust me when I say that this topic hits me directly between my spiritual eyes. I have been a part of churches that go regularly to the nursing homes to sing, speak, and visit. However, since I became the pastor of a young congregation, we aren't as in touch with this ministry. It usually makes a difference when you have family members IN the nursing/retirement home. Sure, we have gone during the special occasions but I'm sensing a need to do more.

As for the orphans...We give to a children's home - We minister to them on the mission field - but outside of that...? What can we do to alter this? We make it a point to make a difference. (Honesty is hard isn't it?)

I read of a pastor in Texas who led his congregation to adopt. Not only did he lead the congregation through the teaching of the Word but also through the vision that God gave him to impact a generation. He has adopted children and so has his congregation! Adoption is the process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so going, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent/parents. It's a legal process of bringing a child into the care of another. What a ministry!

What do we believe? We believe that our faith and prayer lead us to solutions. We believe that we will be lead to those who have needs that we can fill. Could God use our faith and prayers to lead us to adopt? ABSOLUTELY! Could God say to a church family, "I want you to spiritually impact a generation of children."? WITHOUT A DOUBT! I'm not saying that you have to adopt to care for the orphans. What I am saying is that we can do more.

Countless opportunities are available through Christian Adoption Groups. You can support a home, sponsor a child through the caring process, and prayerfully consider if God wants you to open your home and heart to a child in need. Whatever God leads you to do - DO IT with your whole heart.

Almighty God,
I come to You as one who is humbled by this great need. I also come to You confessing that I could have done more. My prayer to You is that we be filled with a heart of compassion for those in need. May we make it our aim to live a faith that is pure and undefiled before You and the world. May it be said of us that we followed Your heart to care for the orphans and widows. May we be resolved to follow however you lead.
In Jesus Name
AMEN