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

Random Friday

It's FRIDAY, it's a little late for the blog update, but here goes. I'm just going to share some Random Thoughts.

First: Went to Winter Jam last night in Roanoke. GREAT TIME! We decided a little late in the day to see if we could make it and God made a way. Winter Jam is a collection of various artist in Contemporary Christian Music who get together and put on a show with the intent of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This years groups were phenomenal. We were able to hear Fireflight, Newsboys, Newsong, Third Day just to name a few. All for $10 at the door and a love offering later. This years tour has recorded 138,216 people in attendance, 3,565 sponsorships for orphans, and 17,930 decisions for Christ!

Second: I just want to give some praise to God for how He uses this blog. I find it so interesting the people who read and comment on how God speaks to them. There have been days when I just didn't "feel" it but God has come through. Please pray for me during this process. I really want to share the things that God wants me to share so I can be an encourager, edifier, and maybe even cause people to think outside the box.

Third: I have been thinking a lot about evangelism. I think that is obvious from some of the posts that I have put on here. However, I feel the need to share something that has been on my heart for a few days. It's real easy for those outside the church to think that we are condemning them for their lifestyle. That could be because of the way that we share or because of the conviction they feel. Regardless of the "why", here's what I want to say: Anytime you are sharing with an unbeliever, make your approach about them and not their sin. We cannot expect anyone that is lost to live any other way. Imagine your own life without Christ. Can any of us expect to live a life of godliness apart from the Holy Spirit? When we make a decision to share Jesus with those around us - let's make a point to deal with the main issue at hand. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. It's not what we do that keeps us away from God but rather what we do not do. God has settled the issue of sin through the cross of Jesus. It's when we come to God through faith in Jesus that the issue is laid to rest for "us." Show this person how we ALL need FORGIVENESS!

Last of all: As we enter into this weekend, I pray that our hearts and minds will be prepared for worship. Most of the readers of PBC Voice attend church somewhere. Let's begin the process today of being ready to enter into the presence of God. Let's ensure that we are ready to worship, teach, preach, pray, and entertain the presence of God. We have a great opportunity before us every time believers gather for worship. May we not miss what God wants to do in our midst!

May you all be blessed!

P.S. If someone reading this blog today is one of those who has always felt outside the church and condemned, know this: Jesus did not come to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be SAVED! (Those are His Words) Just accept Him and make Him Lord of your life - He will take care of the rest.

Just Another Day...

How do you handle "Just another day...?" You know - a day when you are neither up on the mountain top or down in the valley - a day when you are just living.

What does a writer do when he/she is uninspired?
How does an artist cope without a picture to paint?
Or a musician without a song to sing?

Is this not one of the most difficult places to be? There is no inspiration but there's no pain either. On the one hand I'm let down while on the other hand I can count my blessings. How do we face "Just another day...?"

Psalm 32:8, "The Lord says, 'I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch over you.'"

What I can tell you about living in every day is that God is still God! We may not "feel" His presence but we can live with faith in knowing that at any moment He will show us where to go.

The hard reality is that we will face days that are simply "normal." However, we continue to pray - continue to read God's Word - continue to look for the opportunities that He provides. I know it doesn't sound as exciting as revival but it's also not as bad as suffering.

It's O.K. to go through the motions as long as God is a part of them! He will make us wise even in these times according to His Word. He has also promised to guide us and watch over us during the process.

Remember that God is the Potter and we are the clay. It would be foolish for the clay to complain about spinning on the wheel because the process takes time. In the same way, we have much to be considering. How are we going to respond when God decides to speak? What direction are we going to go when God points the direction?

Today may not be "Just another day in paradise." But it can be a day of preparing yourself for the will of God. Keep trusting! Keep believing! Keep on keeping on! God's not finished. Just be thankful that He has given you a day to reflect, to wonder, and to be expectant as to what He is going to do next.

Henry Blackaby says in Experiencing God that he often gets asked the question about what to do when the doors aren't opening. People have experienced God speaking to them, they know the direction He wants them to go - but right now they are waiting. His response, "Simply do the last thing God told you to do." Remember: "Just Another Day..." can be a day of EXPECTANCY!

Have a great day even if it is "Just another day..."

Friends Don't Let Friends Go to Hell

*The following article was written by Kirk Cameron for the "Way of the Master" newsletter.

I was recently on an airplane sitting next to a lawyer who specialized in "toxic tort" cases. That means he sues large chemical corporations who've hurt everyday people by neglecting to take proper safety precautions, often winning settlements of millions of dollars for his clients. He was a very sharp-minded and eloquent orator who also happened to be a Christian.

We got to talking about sharing the gospel and he mentioned how he had recently taught his Sunday school class a very important lesson. He told them, "When I'm speaking to the lost, I must remember that I am not selling them a 'fire insurance' policy, but a 'new life' policy." He made a good point. As Christians, we know there is new life in Christ, if a person genuinely repents and trusts in the Savior. But I immediately remembered the Scripture that instructs us to "save with fear, pulling them out of the fire" (Jude 23) and the words of Jesus -- "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). So which is it? Do we tell sinners to "flee from the wrath to come" or to "come to Christ for a new and improved life"?

Several days earlier, I asked a friend what he thought would happen to him when he died. He believed he was going to heaven. He smoked, he cursed, and he partied, but said that between him and his identical twin brother, he was the "good twin." I liked his sense of humor. His life was going great -- he had a successful career, a healthy family, and lots of toys. He was funny, popular, and very comfortable in his own skin. Everybody liked him and he liked himself. Life was good.

I knew that if I simply offered this guy a "new life" policy, he likely would have turned it down -- because he was already living the good life. Instead, I did what Jesus did and stirred his curiosity about how God would deal with his sin on Judgment Day. I told him that "friends don't let friends go to hell." I then walked him through the Ten Commandments to help him see how he had sinned against God and desperately needed His forgiveness. When I sensed that he was feeling conviction, I shared the good news that Jesus came to save him from sin and its consequences. He could then see the incredible love God had shown him in sending Jesus to die for him on the cross.

The simple realization that he has been saved from eternal hell, coupled with a humble, repentant faith, changes a man. When sinners understand that their sin is "exceedingly sinful" and that they deserve eternal damnation for sinning against the Almighty, then and only then are they ready to comprehend grace. Only when they see their danger will they want to be saved.

"New life," biblically speaking, is eternal life in Christ, not a flowery promise of life improvement here on earth. The gospel is glorious. It directs our gaze off of us and onto God, who humbled Himself, demonstrated His great love by suffering a cruel death on a cross to save us, adopts into His family those who believe, and transforms us. This is the beautiful gospel that brings life to the dead and changes us from the heart.

So if we want to bring this kind of "new life" to those we love, we must do it biblically or risk losing them forever. If we genuinely care about others, we must strive to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and preach the one and only, true gospel. Not "fire insurance" and not a "new life" policy, but the old, old, gospel and nothing else.

Make sure you bring the knowledge of sin by opening up the Commandments like Jesus did (in Mark 10, Luke 18, etc.) and remind sinners of the Day of Judgment when every person will have to give an account of his life to God. Let godly fear "work repentance" and the good news of the gospel bring them to saving faith in Jesus Christ. If you've never led someone you love to the Savior, please let us help you. Go to www.WayoftheMaster.com and listen to two free online messages called "Soundly Saved" and "True and False Conversion." Do it today, because friends don't let friends go to hell.

-Kirk Cameron

No Substitutes Please

Jesus proclaimed to His follower that they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Salt and light are two very powerful forces. As long as salt doesn't cease be salt & light does not cease to be light - it's difficult to stop them!

As I was thinking about salt this morning, I couldn't help but think about those people who use salt substitutes. It looks like salt, tastes a little bit like salt, but it in no way has the same effect as salt. If we aren't careful our style of Christianity may be nothing more than a substitute for the real thing. It may look Christian and it may even taste like the Christian faith but the effect is very different. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says unto me Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven..." In other word: Not everyone who claims to be salt really is.

Light is a different concept. The only way that we can hope to stop light is to cover it up or turn it off. "Hide it under a bushel? NO! I'm gonna let it shine!" In the home, when you use a lampshade it changes the quality of light. Sure...the light is still shining but it doesn't eliminate as much darkness. How bright are we going to let our light shine? Another element of putting out the light is to cut off its power source. If you unplug the light or turn off the switch - the light is no longer effective in getting rid of the darkness. When you and I unplug ourselves from the source of light in our lives we will cease to be light in the darkness. However, many of us don't want to be cut off from the source of power. That's when we simply turn ourselves off!

One other note on being light and salt. If you and I were to go to the local light & lamp outlet there is something that we will notice: It's very bright! One could almost wear sunglasses just to keep from being blinded by the light. But as long as those lights/lamps stay inside that store they will never make a difference in a home, a building, or on a sidewalk. And salt? As long as it stays in a mine, in the shaker, or on a store shelf - it will never season the food, cure a ham, or be effective in preserving something that is canned. Here's my question: Are we simply being light among light and salt among salt? If all we ever do with our faith is hang out in our holy huddles (the church) we will never make a difference in our world!

Folks, we must make an effort to be among the lost people of the world. Those of us in the church better make it a point to rub shoulders with those who don't know Jesus or else we will never shed light or be salt for anyone. We must be careful that in our preaching and teaching of separation from the world that we do not remove ourselves from it completely.

What if salt loses its savor?
What if the light in us is actually darkness?
Jesus actually addressed these issues. Salt that loses its savor is useless. And if the light in us is actually darkness, how great that darkness is! Like a lot of things in life, there is a shelf life. You eventually have to use the salt and you eventually have to turn on the light. Thankfully, for us, it takes a long time before salt loses its savor and a light is no longer able to be turned on. But how long can we let this happen? How long before we are unable to make a difference?

In the "Barbarian Way" by Erwin McManus, I found this statement: "When the church becomes an institution, people are nothing more than volunteers to be recruited. When the church is a movement, our stewardship becomes the unleashing of our God-given gifts, talents, and passions." Although McManus probably never intended to use this quote in this way, I felt it was appropriate. As long as we in the church remain alive and active in sharing salt and light we can unleash the greatest possibilities. However, if all we ever do is remain a collection point for salt and light, we unleash nothing.

Now - stop reading and go out there and be SALT and LIGHT!

Friday Thoughts

Working out of the house today. My truck is spending some "valuable" time with the mechanic today {water pump}. Ever heard the Cinderella song "Don't know what you got till it's gone"? That's pretty much how we feel when something like this happens. How many of us think about the water pump until we see, hear, or smell the effects of one going bad?

A water pump is important for a vehicle because it circulates coolant through the engine's cooling system. When it goes bad - serious damage can be done to the engine due to overheating. One of the things that can cause a water pump to go bad is a bad bearing (which is what happened to mine). Some of the symptoms to look for: coolant leaking, engine overheating, strange smells, fluid levels in the radiator going down, pulleys become loose.

I know you didn't show up @ PBC Voice to get a lesson in auto mechanics. I leave that for the PBC Pathfinder page! But I am seeing something in the area of spiritual application here.

The main component in our lives is the heart. It's the primary organ of the body while at the same time a primary organ in our walk with God. We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart. However, over time this spiritual engine can be damaged. Maybe it's a lack of discipline - we haven't checked the fluid levels, we ignore the readings on the gauges, or we don't keep up on the maintenance. All of a sudden (BOOM) something goes out.

Jesus told the woman at the well that the water He gives will become in us a fountain of living water. It's through this fountain of the Holy Spirit that we receive the refreshment in the spirit that we need. When we stop the routine maintenance on our spiritual vehicle: prayer, reading the Word, fellowship with other believers, sharing our faith, exercising our faith in God, etc. We limit the flow of the Spirit through our lives. The water pump isn't able to work properly.

Some of the symptoms:
We overheat - have you found yourself being angered or irritated easily?
We leak - seems as though every spiritual high is followed by a severe plummet.
We grind - every time we open God's Word there is a conviction, relationship aren't working, etc.

How do we fix it?
1 John 1:9 - We confess our sins!
Ephesians 5:18 - We ask God to fill us with the Spirit!
Romans 12:1 - We present our bodies to the Lord!

The great news is that you don't have to replace the pump. The Holy Spirit never leaves us. However, we may have to replace some other things. We might have to adjust our maintenance schedule. And we ought to pay better attention to the gauges!

I love the prayer of David when he confessed his sin to the Lord. Psalm 51 is one of the greatest prayers of confession I have ever read. In verse 12 he says, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit."

What's happening in your life? Any strange smells? Are you leaking? Overheating? Grinding? Jesus is waiting!

Who Has Preeminence?

As I was reading the Word this morning, I couldn't help but think about 3 John. There's something interesting here that I want you to see.

"I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us." 3 John 9

Can you imagine the audacity? Think about a church leader who was unwilling to receive the apostles! What is it about Diotrephes that made him think he could keep God's servants away from the church? You don't have to look far to figure it out: Diotrephes loved to have preeminence among the church.

In the original language "preeminence" is a compound of "fond" and "foremost" - in other words: he was fond of being first in order/importance. Diotrephes was fond of being first & ambitious of distinction. What is at play here? Look at these synonyms for preeminence:
Supremacy
Superiority
Control

Rather than trying to be a man of influence, Diotrephes sought to be an influential man! There is a difference. To be a man of influence all one has to do is lead in humility and example. To be an influential man one must have control. One attitude takes while the other gives.

Churches must beware of those who want preeminence in the church. We should REJECT those who are malicious gossips and REPROVE those who reject righteous ministry because of envy and jealousy. There should only be one preeminent figure in the church and He is the Lord Jesus!

You may be reading this and thinking "That would never happen to us." But let me ask you a question: Who does your church follow? Do you follow the man of God who was appointed as your overseer or do you follow a more influential person in the church? Far too often we are led by personalities rather than the Spirit of God. I've seen many churches on the cusp of great things only to shrink away when certain individuals speak up. Maybe they have been at the church a long time and have gained a hearing, maybe they are a leader that is intimidating, or maybe they are a strong giver. Does it really matter? If God says "GO!" should anything stand in our way?

What is interesting about the church in 3 John is that there is another man present among the church who is mentioned. His name: Demetrius [verse 12]. There is a striking contrast between the two. Diotrephes loved the preeminence while Demetrius had a good testimony from everyone. However, from the sound of things, Diotrephes seemed to get his way.

*Trust me - I have seen this attitude at work. It can be a pastor or a lay leader. They may even seem to be open to criticism or other ideas but just wait until there is a conflict! It's through the conflict that you find out Diotrephes is among you.

The warning in all of this is quite simple. BE CAREFUL about who is placed in authority. There are those who seek to climb the ladder within the church (to what gain I am unsure). Always seek out humble and godly leaders. Seek out those who long to serve Jesus above everything else. And never forget the warning we see in the history of Israel. Joshua and Caleb were ready to take the land that God had promised while the crowd chose to follow the majority. The result: years of wandering in the wilderness until a new generation (a generation that trusted God) would come into being.

Let's allow God to have 1st place within our churches. Then, AND ONLY THEN, can we expect God to do great things in and through us.

Unquenchable Worship

In Matt Redman's book "The Unquenchable Worshipper", he shares a poem that he wrote when he was 15 years old. Let's take a look at that poem and compare it to a song he wrote years later called "The Father's Song."

The Poem:
"Due to circumstances and conditions of my heart
I've been starved of the love of a Father in the past,
And it doesn't seem to matter, but inside there's still a thirst
That says, 'I want my Daddy,' like a hurting five-year-old.
Due to matters arising and control of situations
I have run from the love of a Father in the past.
And to me it's not so pure, and I find that I'm not sure
If I want that love to seek me and to reach me anyway.
And it doesn't seem to matter, but inside there's still a thirst
That says 'I want my Daddy,' like a hurting five-year-old."

How many people run from the love of our Heavenly Father because they have never experienced genuine love from an earthly father. In "The Shack", Mack asks Papa why there is such an emphasis on God being a Father in scripture. The reply, "Let me say for now that we knew once the Creation was broken, true fathering would be much more lacking than mothering. Don’t misunderstand me, both are needed—but an emphasis on fathering is necessary because of the enormity of its absence." (94)

Years later, the voice of a hurting 15 year old has been replaced by someone who is able to sing "The Father's Song."

"I have heard so many songs,
Listened to a thousand tongues,
But there is one that sounds above them all;
The Father's song, the Father's love -
You sung it over me, and for eternity
It's written on my heart.
Heaven's perfect melody,

"The Creator's symphony,
You are singing over me
The Father's song.
Heaven's perfect mystery -
The King of Love has sent for me,
And now You're singing over me
The Father's song."

The Father's song was based on Zephaniah 3:17 which speaks of the song that God sings over His people.

WOW! Here's what Redman has to say when he compares the two sets of lyrics back-to-back: "...I am shocked. I realize just how far God has brought me along the path of healing. It's easy to forget the pain I had carried around after my largely fatherless upbringing. The voices of hurt that used to echo so loudly around my head have been drowned out by a different sound - the Father's song. When I compare these two watermarks, I'm humbled by God's hand of kindness in my life.
That's not so say I'm a totally whole person now. Far from it. I'm an unfinished heart. Now and again I feel twinges of pain from the past. I may never be free of them this side of heaven. I remain an unsatisfied worshipper, limping toward wholeness yet full of hope and gratitude."

If you are one of those who is limping through life, THERE IS HOPE! Know that God has loved you with an everlasting love. He longs to be your true Father. Scripture declares that He is a father to the fatherless. Through the sacrifice of Jesus - we can know the Father's love for us.

Excerpts from "The Unquenchable Worshipper" by Matt Redman appear on pages 108-111.

Prophetic Worship

None of us can argue what Scripture says about King David. He was a man after God's own heart. However, when I look into David's life it's rather easy to see the mistakes that he made. He wasn't a perfect man but God saw something in him that was worthy of great recognition.

Over the past couple of days I have been looking into some of the things that David did as King. Through this process I was able to get a glimpse into what God was seeing. What He saw in David was a heart that burned for worship. Folks, we will only possess a heart that goes after God when we have a heart for God.

Here's a couple of the interesting things that David did as King.
1 Chronicles 16:4 - David established full-time Thankers and Praisers
1 Chronicles 25:1 - David set apart those who should prophecy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals.

David placed a great Priority for Worship!
- Think about it...Men whose only job was to bring thanks and praise to God Almighty. Every day was ruled by thankfulness and praise to the God who had delivered, protected, provided, and blessed beyond measure.
- Not only that, but there were those who should bring forth the Word of God through the instruments of praise. Prophecy means to speak or sing by inspiration! This can be done in prediction (foretelling) or simple discourse (forth-telling). Imagine singing God's Word over the day!

I can't imagine how pitiful our worship must be at times. Should we not sing a new song unto the Lord today? The problem within the church isn't impartation...we know that God still speaks and gives. The problem within the church is imitation! We are only praising God with what He spoke to someone else. I think it's time for us to get a fresh revelation of God and begin to sing what He has revealed over our congregations.

David was also concerned about the Place of Worship.
- When you read about David's reign you will see that he longed to build a place for God. He worked hard to return the ark of the covenant back to the kingdom and built a tabernacle to house it. However, in the heart of David this wasn't good enough. God didn't allow David to build a permanent structure but would use Solomon (David's son) to accomplish this task.
- The interesting thing about David's tabernacle is that this is the "place" of worship that will be restored according to God's Word. I believe it has to do with the fact that David's tabernacle could be accessed. There wasn't a veil shielding people from the presence of God. Every time the people went to worship they were able to see God in all His glory.

We should be weary of ever establishing anything that keeps people from truly experiencing God in our midst! If all they ever see are the performers, and all they ever hear are our voices, then we will have missed the heart of God in worship. Worship is all about Him! It should be a time when we give to God what He is worthy of and allow God a time of unhindered communion with His people.

Last of all, with David there was a Purity in Worship.
- Read through the Psalms and you will find prayers, songs, & prophecies. David, along with those who would follow his lead, wrote about what God had done, was doing, and would do for His people. With every fresh revelation of God came a song to proclaim who He was and what He was doing.
- Could it be that our worship falls short since we are singing about other people's experiences? Don't get me wrong. There are some great worship songs that God honors when we sing them. "How Great Thou Art" is still one of the greatest hymns ever written. "Shout to the Lord" is a praise and worship song that has carried many hearts to the throne room of God. But are we giving birth to our own praise?
- At PBC, we often sing a song that was written by Ron (Worship/Missions Pastor) and the music was created by members of our Praise Team. It has become a PBC favorite. There is such joy and celebration as we sing "Victory." I truly believe it's because God's song has become our song!

During our Iron Man's Conference this year, I had a close friend come and lead worship. Caleb is being used by God in great ways. What struck me about the songs that he led in (some original, some borrowed) was the simplicity. They were fairly simple songs. They were easy to play and sing but the presence and power of God was all over them. Why? Because they brought us back to the heart of worship - It was all about Jesus!

Why not take some time today and ask God to birth a new song in you. You don't have to be gifted musically. All you need to do is be reflective about the great things that God has accomplished in His Word and in your life. Sing a new song to Him today and I believe that you will be swept away in His grace and mercy.

Let the church find her song! And may the church gain a heart for God that once again places a great Priority for Worship, honors the Place of Worship, and returns to a Purity in Worship.

Responding to God's Will

"If I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all." Philippians 2:17

Throughout this week I have tried to focus on the presence and power of God in our lives. This is our greatest need! However, I think it is also important to understand that when God's presence & power are real in our lives - He has every right to direct and determine our work for Him. I'm curious how many believers are seeking the presence & power of God so they can do "GREAT" things for God. What if God leads us to the "INSIGNIFICANT"? How will we respond?

Please read these words from Oswald Chambers' Devotional "My Utmost for His Highest."


"Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the work of another believer—to pour out your life sacrificially for the ministry and faith of others? Or do you say, "I am not willing to be poured out right now, and I don’t want God to tell me how to serve Him. I want to choose the place of my own sacrifice. And I want to have certain people watching me and saying, ’Well done.’ "

"It is one thing to follow God’s way of service if you are regarded as a hero, but quite another thing if the road marked out for you by God requires becoming a "doormat" under other people’s feet. God’s purpose may be to teach you to say, "I know how to be abased . . ." ( Philippians 4:12 ). Are you ready to be sacrificed like that? Are you ready to be less than a mere drop in the bucket—to be so totally insignificant that no one remembers you even if they think of those you served? Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used up and exhausted—not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister? Some saints cannot do menial work while maintaining a saintly attitude, because they feel such service is beneath their dignity."

In the end...when all is said and done...what do want to be said about us? We were always doing GREAT things or "Well done..."? Whatever God speaks on the mountain tops, be sure to obey in the valleys. May God find us obedient to Him.

Responding to the Presence of God

“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. “ Genesis 3:8

When Adam and Eve fell in the garden, they ran and hid themselves from the presence of God. Unfortunately, man has been running ever since. The sad part - it’s not just the lost but the church that is running from God. We have forgotten the joy that comes from His presence. We have forgotten the strength that comes when He abides with us. We have forgotten who God is and are content to experience man rather than God. We must remember Psalm 16:11, “…In Your presence is fullness of joy…”

How will we respond?

1) Running from God’s Presence (3:8)

This is what sin does in our lives. Rather than falling upon God for mercy we run from Him in shame. When we fall, or when we misunderstand the word of God {as Eve did} we will continue to hide ourselves from His presence. You won’t run to a God you are not sure about.

2) Refusing God’s Presence (Ex. 20:18-21)

“Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’ And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.’ So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.” Exodus 20:18-21

Oswald Chambers, “We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him.” I’m afraid that we have become addicted to the anointing, the relayed Word of good-preaching and teaching. Too many of us have become “milk babies” who want to sit in padded seats in an air-conditioned and climate-controlled building where someone else will pre-digest what God has to say and then regurgitate it back to us in a half-digested form. Ask yourself these questions: Do you prefer preaching of the word over reading the word? Reading about God through books rather than reading His Word about Himself?

Israel chose distant respect over intimate relationship. They refused to change who they were to be where God was. They chose the “safety” of the mountain base over the intimacy of the mountain top. Religion will keep you standing afar rather than entering in where God is.

3) Requesting God’s Presence (Ex. 33:14-15)

“And He [GOD] said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ Then he [Moses] said to Him, ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.’” Exodus 33:14-15

You have to see the priority that Moses placed upon the presence of God. Moses went from wanting the presence of God to seeing the face of God.

You have a choice to make:
a) You will grow into a relationship with Him no matter the cost
b) You will turn back to where you came from

If we turn from His presence we will become a program-driven, meeting-going, organizing, committee-run church people, doing all the “good” things “good people” are supposed to do. And we will miss out on the dwelling of God.

Desperate People do Desperate Things

Matthew 11:12, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”

Luke 16:16, "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.”

There is something to be said about desperate people.

Desperate means to be “without care of safety; reckless; frantic; beyond hope; past cure.” This describes many of those who come to Christ for various things. Whether it is healing, divine intervention in some situation, salvation of self/others, or the need to feed a divine hunger in their lives. Whatever the situation, you can find those who are desperate for a touch from God Himself. And why not? God seems to be compassionate to those who display this desperate mentality. God’s ear is attentive to the prayers of those who follow after Him. God answers the cries of the desperate, He's just not hearing them from us.

Unfortunately, we could enter into many churches today and find that they do not need the gifts of the Holy Spirit because they are talented, or they can create the illusion that they know what they are doing, or they can market the church in a different way. When they don’t see God moving the way they think He should then they change approaches, methods, messages, and targets.

Here’s the problem: We are changing the outside (methods, etc.) when God is concerned with what is going on inside of us. God is searching for those who are desperate for Him to move. When He spoke to the prophet Joel, He spoke of rending hearts and not garments. God is searching for those who are desperate for His presence. God is searching for those who will do what it takes to get a hold of His heart and see Him move with compassion upon their lives. Desperate people do desperate things.

To be honest with you I am sick and tire of cute church or packaged church. All those churches produce are cute and packaged people. What the world needs to see, and what God is looking for, is the church that is desperate to see Him come in and do a work that only He can do.

Here’s some people who got desperate for God to move:
I Samuel 1:8-13...Hannah is crying out at the altar for a child. GOD ANSWERS!
2 Kings 4:8-37...We have the story of the Shunammite’s son. This woman was desperate to see her boy brought back to life. GOD GRANTS IT!
Matthew 15:21-28.…Here we find a Canaanite woman following hard after Jesus to come and deliver her daughter from a demon possession. SHE RECEIVES!
Mark 2:1-5...the paralytic who was brought to Jesus by his friends. HE WALKS AWAY FORGIVEN & HEALED!
Mark 5:25-34...and how could we ever forget the woman with the issue of blood. AFTER REACHING OUT AND TOUCHING THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT THERE WAS NO ISSUE!

What are we Desperate For?
Revival?
Salvation?
Healing?
Growth?
Understanding?
Gifts?
Evangelism?
Marriage?

Are you hungry/desperate enough to lose your dignity? There are some of you who need to push your way to the front of the line. Stop waiting and start receiving!

Church of the New Wine

Luke 5:37-38, "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. but new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

What does it mean to be a church of the "new wine"? The church of the new wine is the church that is experiencing fresh moves of God. Wine – in Scripture – is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. New Wine then is a fresh outpouring of the Spirit of God. And the only way that we are going to be a church of the New Wine is by allowing God to move in and upon us as He chooses.

You must understand that we cannot choose how God moves in our churches, however, we can choose whether or not we all him to move. When God chooses to visit a body of believers by the work of His Holy Spirit we can either embrace what He is doing or we can reject what He is doing. It’s really about the attitude we bring into our relationship with God. We are either going to allow Him to be Lord or we are going to continue to run the show around here. We can either be a church of the status quo or we can be a church born of the Spirit of God. We can be pew warmers or we can be genuine followers of Jesus Christ. It’s all about how we relate to what God is doing.

Oswald Chambers, “If we have never had the experience of taking our causal, religious shoes off our casual, religious feet – getting rid of all the excess informality with which we experience God – it is questionable whether we have ever stood in His presence…The attitude of receiving and welcoming the Holy Spirit into our lives is to be the continual attitude of a believer. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive reviving life form our ascended Lord. It is not the baptism of the Holy Spirit that changes people, but the power of the ascended Christ coming into their lives through the Holy Spirit. We all too often separate things that the New Testament never separates. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an experience apart from Jesus Christ – it is the evidence of the ascended Christ.”

Just as the religious leaders rejected the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem, we all too often reject the triumphal entry of the Holy Spirit into our lives, into our church, or into our services. We should welcome His work among us. This is the move of God into our lives.

Ron Phillips, “…rarely does the religious establishment embrace a new move of God…Whether historical or modern, God’s divine visitation almost always faces opposition and controversy. The fresh move of God may even be opposed by the old move of God.”

1st Tragedy – Rejection.
Change is often rejected because it often comes in the form of new people.
2nd Tragedy – Divided Church.
Old wineskins blame the new wine for bursting their church, never seeing the truth that it was their own inability to change that destroyed the church.
3rd Tragedy – Holy Spirit is Quenched.
Great Awakening that took place in the early 1700’s in New England was hastened to an early end by disagreements.

If individuals and churches are to experience the new wine of God’s presence, then there must be a change of wineskins. The wineskin represents the structure that carries the fresh wine. In biblical times they were made of goat or sheepskin, and got old and useless when they were not cared for properly. The only way that a wineskin can stay new and pliable is if why are rubbed with olive oil. Obviously, the wineskin pictured the religious establishment in Jesus’ day and prophesied of the church in our day. Only churches that are constantly rubbed and renewed by the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit can carry the new wine of God’s fresh revelation of Himself and what He is doing.

Keys to Experiencing the Moves of God:

1) Consciously Reflective (33-35)
You need to be aware of the things that keep us from receiving a move of God. I think it’s a sad state of the church when the first question is not what you are for but what you are against.

2) Constantly Receptive (30-32)
The reason that the religious leader could not accept the way of God is because it differed from what they believed. You better be sure that what you believe about God comes from His Word. I’m afraid that we have built much of our theology upon the words of the preacher. We have built much of our theology upon the words of songs. We better get our view of God and His ways from His Word or we will miss how He moves today.

3) Consistently Renewed (37-38)
This is where we will be applying the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit. You need to ask the question: “How can I be renewed in my faith?”
a) In Mind
Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
b) In Walk
1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
c) In Worship
Revelation 2:4-5, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.”

Ron Phillips, “Awakened by the Spirit”, said today’s generation wants:
* Personal Relationships and will leave their big screen TV’s to find them.
* Participate & Celebrate. They want to clap, raise their hands, and even dance before the Lord.
* When they are sick, they want to be touched and prayed for.
* They want their children trained to worship.
* Want to know how live in truth and freedom.
* Salvation that not only keeps them out of hell, but also helps them get up on Monday morning.
* Church that will follow Jesus in reaching the poor and hurting and help people out of their lifestyle of despair.
* Intimate walk with Jesus Christ, not just as church that exercises religion but great spiritual freedom.

Members of this generation want more than a sermon. They want the power of God on their lives and families. We need new wineskin churches filled with members who will listen to God, allowing the healing and changing power of His new wine to flow to the ones who desire it most.