All I Can Say is: "WOW!"

Place: PBC Sanctuary
Event: Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting
Time: Somewhere around 7:50pm

A group of us were praying on Wednesday night (like we always do) when God began to speak to my heart.

Let me start off by saying that there was a great anticipation for our prayer meeting on this particular evening. I wasn't sure what God was getting ready to do...I just knew He was up to something. The group was one of the largest we have had in some time. People that aren't always able to gather for prayer on Wednesday night were present.

Things were going on as "normal." We had worship music playing in the background. Many of the people were gathered in a circle praying. I had set apart certain ones who would lead in this prayer time and the others were encouraged to pray as led. Some of us had made our way to the altar. Others separated themselves from the group to pray and worship.

I was there at the altar when God began to speak to my heart. He was moving upon me in an awesome way. It was like waves of mercy just kept flooding over me during prayer. Then I began to hear these words:

"I'm daring you to believe the Impossible."

"I dare you to love your wives as Christ loves the church."

"I dare you to honor your husbands and you would honor the Lord."

"I'm drawing the hearts of the children to the fathers."

"I'm drawing My own children to My heart."

"I'm restoring: Marriages, Broken Dreams, Joy, and the Songs that have been lost."

"I'm delivering: From Depression and Addictions."

"I'm daring you to take Me at My Word."

I was a little unsure how to handle this. I knew that the Lord was speaking these things over us. When the last person prayed - I took over. I thanked the Lord for His presence. Then I began to share through prayer what I believed He was saying. The agreement in the room was automatic. God was confirming in hearts and spirits what He had spoken. His presence became stronger and more intimate. Over and over again, God was confirming different things for different people.

This "phenomenon" happened all throughout the prayer meeting. Someone would pray over an individual the very same prayers that they were praying. Someone would make a statement that another person had prayed into their lives. Verses of scripture were matching up with those that God had been sharing. It was truly awesome.

The fact is that we have believed God isn't finished with His work for this group of believers. We are only seeing the beginning. God has blessed PBC so richly. This night of prayer was a reminder that what God has started in us - He will continue!

May the Lord bless you all in Christ.

State of the Union?

O.K.! We just hear the president's state of the union address last night. In summary, "...........................(Bush's fault)................(still spending like crazy)..........(I, me, mine).............(evil rich & corporations)...........(spend a lot more money).............(sound tough on defense).........(spending freeze {lol})...............(did I just say terrorist?).........(reach out to the left).........(I won't quit)......." In reality: AMERICA NEEDS TO DIG IN!

When Obama was elected president, I said that I would give him a fair chance. I would wait to see what he did as the leader of our nation - policies, handling of the war & terrorism, etc. After watching last night's address: he is still the guy that I didn't want elected. I thought that it was clear that he is still pushing an agenda that will bankrupt America, leave us vulnerable in the world, and that will satisfy the far left. "Hope" and "Change" has turned into "Hype" and "Catch-phrases". He's still a smooth talker but I thought his speech lacked the charisma that seemed to enamor the people during the election season.

It looks like this year will be no different than his first few months in office. We will:
Spend money we don't have
Increase taxes everywhere possible
Give terrorists a time table
Push for health care
Blame Bush
Blame Republicans
Hand out talking points
Etc.

One of the most interesting statements came when Obama said that he wasn't just "trying to put a legislative win under his belt." Then why are we pushing a health care plan that nobody wants? It's clear that at least through 2010 - this will be his agenda.

As a citizen of the state of Va, I must say that I was proud of our governor's response to the state of the union address. I thought he was well spoken, true to conservative principles, and well received. When McDonnell said that government was "trying to do too much", I applauded. He also quoted the new Massachusetts senator by saying that "tax payer money should be used to defeat terrorist not protect them."

Folks, please don't take this the wrong way. Our reality is God, not our government. Our economy is God's economy, not America's. In the natural world we may have to cut back, save, and do things that are necessary during a recession. In the spiritual we trust the All Providing God.

I have been listening to a song lately called "God of this City." This song speaks the words that I want to share with you. Don't come away from the president's address thinking that all is lost. America may have to dig in but the believer can let go and trust in God.

The song says, "Greater things are yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city." The question is: What will we believe? Will we believe that the state of our union rests upon the shoulders of politicians or will we believe that it all rests in the hands of Almighty God?

I choose to trust in the Lord our God. "Blessed is the nation who trusts in Him!"

May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America.

Thoughts on "Being the Church"

I was minding my own business...REALLY. Decided to update my Facebook status with something to spark a little thought. Here's what I wrote: "Let's shake off the denominational mindset and take on the mindset of the Body of Christ. People come to Jesus not through a denomination but through lives that have been stirred by the breath of the living God and share the Good News!" You wouldn't believe the response!

Let me start off by saying that my whole purpose for the post was to break out of a mindset that keeps us from working with other believers to evangelize the lost. My post was not anti-denomination. However, it seems that I stirred up a rather large pot.

Most of the comments were positive. Most believers enjoy the idea of working with other churches. There was only one person that commented that didn't like what I wrote at all. In fact, I got a little mini sermon from a pastor stating how wrong I was. I ended up telling him that, unfortunately, he proved my point. I think his problem was that he couldn't see past the building. The thought that we would actually lead someone to Christ without actually bringing them into "our fold" was too much to handle.

Fact of the matter: I was right! We can't expect to be the only ones who will evangelize the world. I would go on to say that our lack of willingness to lay aside some of the "theological arguments" has hindered the expansion of God's kingdom. In Mark 9 we read of a man that was casting out demons in the name of Christ but didn't follow with the disciples. The disciples told him to stop but Jesus told them not to forbid the man. His thoughts on the matter? If the man was against Him then he was for Him.

We have to get rid of the idea that we have everything right. Sure - our denomination tends to line up with our way of thinking or we line up with theirs. However, we don't have everything right! Regardless of what others believe on non-essential matters, we should be able to stand side by side and share Jesus.

The photo above is the logo for Trailblazer Missions. What I love about this logo is that surrounding the world are different types of people, different colors, different nationalities, etc. God's kingdom is so diverse and the people we are trying to reach are very diverse. The problem is that the church as a whole tends to be less diverse in how we approach them. Let's get people saved first! Then we can work on the discipleship part.

One last note: Never mistake unity with uniformity. Now go out and BE the church.

Our Total Depravity

I just finished up a conversation with Ernie (Youth Pastor) and we were talking about the condition of our society among other things.

No greater understanding of how far we have sunk from God's standards can be found than on "ABC Family." Just in name alone one would think that the programming would be family friendly. All you have to do is watch the commercials and it's easy to see that they are all but family friendly. Interesting that "ABC Family" will air all this garbage and yet put a disclaimer on the screen before airing the "700 Club" stating that the view of this show do not necessarily represent the views of "ABC Family."

NO! REALLY!!!

I came across this article written by John Piper on Total Depravity. I think it's worth the read.

Total Depravity - John Piper

"When we speak of man's depravity we mean man's natural condition apart from any grace exerted by God to restrain or transform man.

There is no doubt that man could perform more evil acts toward his fellow man than he does. But if he is restrained from performing more evil acts by motives that are not owing to his glad submission to God, then even his "virtue" is evil in the sight of God.

Romans 14:23 says, "Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." This is a radical indictment of all natural "virtue" that does not flow from a heart humbly relying on God's grace.

The terrible condition of man's heart will never be recognized by people who assess it only in relation to other men. Romans 14:23 makes plain that depravity is our condition in relation to God primarily, and only secondarily in relation to man. Unless we start here we will never grasp the totality of our natural depravity.

Man's depravity is total in at least four senses.

(1) Our rebellion against God is total. Apart from the grace of God there is no delight in the holiness of God, and there is no glad submission to the sovereign authority of God.

(2) In his total rebellion everything man does is sin.

(3) Man's inability to submit to God and do good is total.

(4) Our rebellion is totally deserving of eternal punishment.

In summary, total depravity means that our rebellion against God is total, everything we do in this rebellion is sin, our inability to submit to God or reform ourselves is total, and we are therefore totally deserving of eternal punishment.

It is hard to exaggerate the importance of admitting our condition to be this bad. If we think of ourselves as basically good or even less than totally at odds with God, our grasp of the work of God in redemption will be defective. But if we humble ourselves under this terrible truth of our total depravity, we will be in a position to see and appreciate the glory and wonder of the work of God."

Back from Thailand

Hello PBC Voice friends. I'm back from Thailand with some great news to report.

Tuesday of last week I boarded a plane with Ron (missions pastor) and flew to Thailand to meet up with some dear missionary friends. The time in flight alone keeps a lot of people from visiting this beautiful country but we were on a mission of encouragement.

I ask you to bear with me since I cannot mention all of the particulars of this trip. Names, locations, etc. cannot be shared due to security issues. However, for those of you who know the couple I speak of, you will be excited to hear that they are doing very well.

This was the first trip of its kind for PBC. Our mission wasn't about evangelism or church planting. This trip was to bring encouragement and edification to a couple who are seeking to fulfill God's plan for their lives. We spent the first few days simply hanging out and sharing about the events of the past year. Ron and I were blown away by God's provision and providence in the lives of these dear friends. God has manifested Himself to them is amazing ways. A greater intimacy with the Spirit of God, signs and wonders, healing, dreams, visions, etc. Truly Awesome!

The need for encouragement was simple: this has been a very tough year for this couple. Although God has manifested Himself in great ways - personal and medical struggles dotted the map of their experiences. Thailand was simply a place of common ground where we could meet and share. Their appointment is in an undisclosed location and we have tried to share throughout the year concerning the medical and physical difficulties.

The Apostle Paul spoke frequently about those who refreshed him and were refreshed in the ministry by God's people. This trip was about refreshment and that is exactly what we all received. By the end of this 8 day journey my heart was full and my spirit energized. God is quickening His work in Asia and has a good many people called to His work there. However, the mission field is still white with harvest and the need for laborers is still great!

We finished the trip with a couple of days meeting with workers in the region where our friends minister. Worship was a truly unique experience and the teaching/encouragement that we all received was great. I was truly humbled by the presence of God as well as the passion of these missionaries.

The beauty of the land is just one of the memories that I will carry with me. But the greatest memories came from times of sharing and prayer. We witnessed God bringing physical healing and spiritual edification. Prophetic words, encouraging insights into His Word, and the manifest presence of God were incredible. To God be the glory!

I pray that God will continue this work in our friends. I also pray that God will continue to draw the people of Asia unto Himself. May we see in our generation the salvation of the Asian people groups.

Update

Dear PBC Voice readers,

I appreciate all of you who check in from day to day. Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts with you.

There will not be any blogs for the next few days. I hope to update you in a couple of weeks to explain why.

I pray that the Lord will bless each of you and look forward to the time that I can share with you.

In Christ,

Neal

Free from Restrictions

2 Corinthians 6:12, "You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections."

This is a powerful statement from the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian church. We would do well to pay careful attention.

Who doesn't want to live a life without restrictions? Inherent in the heart of every person is the desire to be free. No one want to be a slave. However, what I find interesting is that those who push for freedom often find themselves slaves.

For instance: You have a teenager in your home who longs to be free. They don't like your rules, your restrictions, or your way of doing things. What happens next is a push to get out of the home & on their own. In doing so they become uninhibited in their behavior. Now you find someone addicted to various things (drugs, alcohol, sex, porn, etc.). In their push for freedom they have actually become enslaved!

This happens in our lives as well. The Corinthian church was full of various problems. This church had started out so well. However, they allowed their hearts to be turned. They allowed their affections to be poured out in other areas. They restricted the flow of God's love, spirit, and power in their lives. The apostles hadn't restricted them - they had restricted themselves.

Jesus said of the church at Ephesus in the book of Revelation that they had "left their first love." This departure caused them to have the wrong affections. Love for the things of the world always does.

When we become ruled by our affections rather than our faith we will see ruin all around us. Marriages fall apart we become affectionate about things other than our spouse. If we will LOVE the Lord our God with all that we have there will be no room for a wandering heart.

How do we get back to a life of freedom? Learn to live in the grace and mercy of our Lord. Worship Him in spirit and in truth. LOVE Him with all your heart. Then watch God allow you to break free.

What Is Your Season?

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

You don't have to talk to people very long (especially with the weather we have been having) to discover their favorite season. Personally...I'm a spring and fall kind of guy. I love to watch the changes. Others like summer - vacation, warm weather, playing at the pool. Then there are those few who just love winter with its snow. Regardless of your favorite season there isn't much we can do to stop or accelerate them.

This same principle applies to life. We often find ourselves in various seasons. Some seasons are pleasurable while others leave us with difficulty. Some seasons are welcomed while others need to leave quickly. Regardless of the season we may find ourselves in there isn't much we can do to stop it or make it hurry along. No, all we can do is be faithful.

The writer of Ecclesiastes goes on to say that there is a time to:
be born
die
plant
pluck up
kill
heal
break down
build up
weep
laugh
mourn
dance
cast away stones
gather stones
embrace
refrain from embracing
gain
lose
keep
throw away
tear
sew
keep silence
speak
love
hate
war
peace

That's a pretty extensive list! And regardless of the our willingness to enter into these seasons they just come and go. The only thing that we can affect is how we go through them.

How do I respond when nothing seems to be going my way? What about the seasons where it seems that the Lord isn't speaking the way He used to? How does a person handle a heaven that seems to be made of brass?

All I can say is keep praying, keep believing, and keep going. This season will not last forever. I'm sure that it feels that way but it will come to an end. However, if you will remain faithful you will see how the Lord uses each season in our lives to draw us closer to Him.

What good are the mountain top seasons if we never enter the valleys? How will we ever learn to draw upon the insights, strength, and joy that we gained if we are never put to the test? Jesus never stayed on the mountain top but was willing to come down into the valley to do His Father's will. Shouldn't we do the same?

Actually, if we will learn faithfulness during the difficult seasons we will find greater joy during the easy ones. And we will also discover that regardless of the season our God never leaves us and never forsakes us!

I pray that you will experience God through every season of life. May you be conformed into the image of His Son.

Getting Ready for the Rain

Preparing for a Spiritual Awakening - A.W. Tozer

1) Get thoroughly dissatisfied with yourself.

2) Set your face like a flint toward a sweeping transformation.

3) Put yourself in the way of blessing.

4) Do a thorough job of repenting.

5) Make a restitution wherever possible.

6) Bring your life into accord with scripture designed to instruct us into righteousness.

7) Be serious minded.

8) Deliberately narrow your interests.

9) Begin to witness.

10) Have faith in God.

If we take seriously the stewardship of the Gospel then we can expect REVIVAL in our lives and a SPIRITUAL AWAKENING in our community. So my word to you today is: Get Ready for the Rain!

What happens when we share the Gospel? We actually come into agreement with the heart of God. And when we come into agreement with the heart of God - heaven kisses earth and we all get caught up in the "smack!"

I have no doubt that God is ready for a people who will take this to heart. He's ready to equip, strengthen, and bless them in ways that have never been imagined. He's ready to pour out the power of Holy Spirit in our lives and He's ready to SAVE the lost. If we will but come into agreement.

Take some time to go through the list provided. Take seriously a move of God upon your life and the church and GET READY FOR THE RAIN.

Just one note on the rain: Rain tends to mess up our plans. How many times have we asked God to hold the rain for an outdoor event? The rain of the Holy Spirit will change our plans as well. When God begins to rain down in our lives and the lost begin to be saved - WATCH OUT! They won't look like regular "church folk" and they definitely won't act like them either. Styles of ministry and structures of services will have to change. But the good news is that we will be in agreement with God.

SEND THE RAIN LORD!

2010 - Year of Harvest!!!

In 2008 the mayor of a small town in France banned villagers from dying. This is a true story!

After a court decision that would not allow the cemetery to acquire the land needed for an extension - the mayor issued this ban. The ban states that if you do not have a plot in the cemetery then you cannot die & there will be sever punishment for anyone who disobeys.

I wonder if it worked?

The truth of the matter is that we cannot stop death by making it illegal. It's a nice thought but the reality is that death will continue to come even if it's outlawed.

The only hope that we have is found in Jesus Christ. Through His death on the cross Jesus removed the sting of death and the victory of the grave.

This past Sunday at PBC I delivered a Word from God concerning our focus for this year. That word was: STEWARDSHIP. In particular God was leading us to be Stewards of the Gospel. As stewards of the Gospel we will directly affect the harvest of 2010 in Max Meadows, the state of VA, our nation, and the world.

How will we handle what God has entrusted us with? Will we live as those under the Lordship of Christ by sharing the Gospel with those around us? Will we be faithful to speak the words of life with the lost? We won't keep people from dying but we can affect their eternity!

It is my prayer that God's people will take this Word seriously. May we be able to say with Paul: "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." 1 Cor. 4:1

Through our salvation we possess the greatest treasure that can be discovered in this world. The Gospel message is the "Pearl of Great Price." It is a message of boundless grace, unlimited love, and abundant mercy. It's the message of God's love for His creation. A message that states that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son to be a sacrifice for their sins. Through our faith in Him we can be forgiven, made right with God, and brought into an eternal relationship with Him.

I have no doubt that God longs for people to be saved more than we do! He payed the greatest price to ensure that this would happen. And this message has been given to us! What will we do with it?

If you are like me - you don't have to look far to find someone who is lost. You may look into the cubicle next to yours. You may be able to look into the eyes of someone living in your house. You may look down the street and see a family that doesn't know Christ. Why not share the Gospel with them?

It's simple. God has given us the plan of salvation in His Word. If you haven't done it already - mark these passages in your Bible:

Romans 3:23
Romans 5:8
Romans 6:23
Romans 10:9-10/13

Now take this treasure and share it with someone in need. Be a Steward of the Gospel.