The Year of Jubilee

2011 is over in just a few more hours and as most of us will look back for awhile and then look forward with hope and anticipation. When looking backward, a good majority of people will have regrets. It's normal, it may have been those pounds that didn't come off, or the bank account didn't grow like we'd hoped, or maybe the people we'd hoped to finally connect with on a consistent basis, we just couldn't find the right time for. Then there are some people who will look back and are very happy about the way the year turned out. Maybe that's you, and you practiced the disciplines that were necessary to lose that weight, found ways to save money in order that your savings account is now in a healthier place, you connected with that friend or family member and you stuck to it and now you've celebrated.
Some things we plan for and they happen, and some things we don't follow through on and they don't happen. Then there is God's favor, which contrary to some TV evangelists, is a mystery that we cannot make happen by sending in a donation and getting some specially blessed prayer clothe. Much of God is a mystery and accepting that is just a good idea! This past year for me was all about God's blessing. For the last several years I sought God for a verse, and a theme for each coming year. And He as answered. Corny as they sound here are some of them that my good friend Tim and I came up with.
"It will be heaven in 07'"
"It will be great in 08'"
"It will be divine in 09'"

Tim and I have formed a kind of pact with one another that we would be there for each other no matter what. Sort of like men who fought in foxholes on the front-lines and heard bullets next to their ears. So as we shared our deep desires, prayers and hopes and we would take time to pray and fast. Sometimes these fasts would last several days, even more. We were foxhole brothers. I stood by him and he did the same! Lots of listening and some hard conversations, but that's they way it should be.

Onto 2011. A Bible verse I really put to memory and meditated on was Psalm 37:4
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." All commands in the Bible come with a promise, in this case delight yourself in God, (the command), He will give you the desires of your heart,(the promise). God took it further and communicated to me that this year would be a "Year of Jubilee" I wasn't sure what that meant, but I shared it with Tim and we committed it to God and prayed like crazy. God showed up!! Many, many people I know saw God do some amazing things. Not everyone for sure, in fact for some it was the opposite. But I know that for many it was an amazing year. As I said, God is mostly a mystery and I cannot really explain how I heard from God but I KNOW I did. Here is a short list of my Jubilee blessings and of some that others experienced.

* I moved from Florida to North Carolina to serve as Life Groups Pastor at Southbrook Church. I had been out of full time ministry while God chiseled away some things in my life and character.
* I got married to Karyn whom I love with all my heart, we are best friends and basically waited on God for His perfect timing. We waited 6 plus years. That's a long time, but she is worth it and so is what we have now! We are so happy and amazed!
* My youngest daughter graduated from college with two majors and did so with high honors and worked a job as a Debate Coach at Whitney Young High School in Chicago.
* My oldest daughter and her husband left N.E.Georgia for the Mile High City of Denver without knowing anyone, trekked out there to pursue Graduate School. They have had a hard year but it has brought them closer to each other and to God and though they wished their current circumstances were different, when it's all said and done, they will have seen how good this hard time will have been for them. I am so proud of them both!
* Tim left full time church ministry to be launched in a National Marriage Ministry. This was something he had been praying for several years!
* My friend Alma got a great job after being in a job that was not using her true talents and gifts. Her sister, who was not able to get pregnant, along with her husband got to adopt a boy and within just a few months after that they got pregnant. So instead of no babies, her and her husband now have two.
* My wife's son got his graduate degree from a prestigious program near Boston and he won Teacher of the Year honors in the school district he teaches at in Florida.
* My wife's daughter took a courageous step and left the company she worked for several years to follow her passion by starting a Flower Company and it's thriving.

The list really could go on for quite awhile and these are just a few highlights. Whatever happens in 2012 I know that God will still be a mystery, but by faith we can take our hopes and dreams to Him and that practicing disciplines is also a great way to bring about the results and desires we have. But I also know that every good and perfect gift comes from God. He longs for us to delight in Him and He longs to give us the desires of our hearts. It's just that sometimes we must wait on His timing and be willing to trust Him completely if He says no! Only God knows how hard I trusted Him for what I had prayed for and I know that the intimacy and honesty we gained in our relationship with one another is not replaceable. Not even close! Happy New Year to you, and thank you God, I will take great care of all you have blessed me with. And by the way, this year's verse is Galatians 5:25 - look it up!

A Simple Christmas that is FULL!

Merry Christmas to you all! I am sitting here with Karyn, we have the fire going and we are listening to Christmas music. I love Christmas music but too much of a good thing is not good and starting tomorrow I will be done with it. Karyn and I did give presents to others, our kids, and so on but not to each other. We have the money mind you, it's just that there wasn't anything we wanted or needed. And the cool thing about it is, we are good with it. Seriously, it's so cool. To be very honest, we both are just so incredibly glad that we are together and after years of waiting on God to give a blessing for our marriage, we are overwhelmed by His goodness. That's where the focus has been all week and all day so far! God's goodness. There is this hymn I remember after I first converted to true Christianity, and the chorus went something like, "Count your blessings name them one by one, count your many blessings see what God has done. Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings and see what God has done."
I hope you got some cool gifts and gave even better ones, but seriously, I challenge you that before you go to bed tonight (exhausted I am sure) take time to list on a pad of paper as many things as you can that are blessings in your life. It may be things, positions, accomplishments, people and well you know... I love being around thankful/grateful people versus those who can find anything or anyone to complain about. Sure, grateful people may seem a bit corny, but that's because they are sincerely thankful and they can't keep it in. This Christmas I can tell you that I have a long list of reasons to be thankful and grateful. Heck, the fact that you are reading this far means that you are one of those reasons!!! Merry Christmas!

What an Offer

Every week I get the Sunday Charlotte Observer, and at this time of the year it is twice the weight because it is filled with advertising. I have to wade through it all to find the newspaper I want to read. We got rid of cable TV many months ago and now I do not have to watch all of the infomercials touting the latest and greatest products. The pitchmen they use are amazing (there is probably a school for this), they really are hyped up aren't they?

So let me get to the point of this blog - several years ago one of the high school students we had in our church called me asking for a favor. In a class at her school they were writing comparative religions papers and her Jewish friend chose Christianity. Our student was stumped by some of the questions her friend was asking, and her call was to see if I would be willing to sit with the two of them at my house and answer these questions about Christianity. A couple days later (and having bathed this in prayer), the doorbell rang, I opened the door, and here was our student, then her friend, and then her Mom followed in after them. It quickly became apparent that the Mom didn't want me to try and convert her daughter in the midst of the conversation.
The questions were good ones, I think I answered them well and honestly, and used the Old and New Testaments, as well as outside historical writings to help explain Christianity. When we were all done the Mom spoke up. In essence what she said was this;
"You truly are sincere and enthusiastically believe in your religion and that is commendable, but why must you tell others about your beliefs all of the time?"
Good question I thought to myself, and at the same time I was asking God for help. Here is what I said; "if you find a new product you love like a detergent or phone, do you keep it to yourself or do you tell your friends about it?" She said "of course I tell them"; I then told her that I had searched many years earlier for what I thought was the best belief system involving God that made the most sense, seemed to be the most truthful and I jumped in. I told her that my life had changed so much because of this that I couldn't possibly keep it to myself. And that's still true today.
Here is the offer as simple as I can state it, are you ready?

1. God made us for a love relationship with Him, but in order for it to be the right kind of love, He gave us a choice instead of making us robots.

2. Our choice has been to have life on our own terms, that in many ways please us but displease Him, it's what we call sin, it's an archery term used a long time ago to signal a missed bullseye. If you missed it, the scorer would yell "Sin". The Bible says that we all have missed the mark, we have gone our own way. The result is death, both physical and spiritual. To prove my point that we were born with a sin nature (just go peek inside a toddler room), though no one taught them selfishness, if they see something some other toddler has has they go and just take it away.

3. God hated that we separated ourselves from Him so He sent His perfect/sinless Son Jesus to take our place. He willingly went in our place even though we were the ones who deserved it. Now that's love!!!

4. For everyone who puts their trust in what Jesus did for them, He forgives COMPLETELY! The Bible says God removes our sin from Him as far as the East is from the West and He sees it no more!

5. When we die, we get to spend eternity thanking Him for this gift of what we call salvation, freedom! Because we will want to, and not because we will have to. We even get to do some of that now when we sing praise songs and hymns, at home, at a church or with others in a small group.

6. None of us knows when we will die, but it will happen, the decision we must make while we are living is what to do with this gift of God. We can't make it after we die, the prayers of others will not help us once we are dead. Our good deeds and nice personalities will not help one bit, even the amount of money we give away won't help us either. Forgiveness with God cannot be earned. It's what separates Christianity from all of the other religions. God works His way toward us, instead of us trying to work our way toward Him! It all comes down to an honest and sincere belief about God. If we really get it, it can't help but change our life. Our actions are just the result and not the method!

As we enter Christmas, a holiday that every country in the world celebrates and has for over 2000 years, know this, we all are responsible for what we do with God's great gift of Jesus. You may get some great presents and give some away, but I know for sure that NOTHING will compare or outlast this simple, expensive, but free gift. What will you do with it?

Things that are Obvious and not so.

You may know that I recently went to Haiti with other Pastors and lay leaders from Southbrook Church where I serve as Life Groups Pastor. We had a two-fold purpose, to encourage and equip Pastors at a 2 day conference and to support our Pastor as he spoke at a 3 Night Crusade. This trip was really hard work. Why? Because of the obvious spiritual battles there. Demon possession was out in the open, as well extreme poverty and a lot of hopelessness. As we were driven around Port Au Prince, all I could see was extreme poverty and a lot of hopelessness. Dirty water, sewage rivers right in front of houses that were at best tents, tattered, and butted up against each other with literally no space between. It was crowded, the air was smoggy and the roads were not nearly wide enough for 3 cars wide let alone the 5-6 that somehow managed to pass each other without lines, lights or traffic cops. You get the picture, well you'd have to go there to do that. The Presidential White House was the symbol of Haiti for me, no one had done anything to repair it, it lay broken for all to see.

Over in Haiti they are used to people being possessed and therefore knew how to exorcise demons, they would come right out in the open, taunting us. Here in the States it's not near as obvious, what is anti-God can actually seem subtle and that's the danger. Spiritual warfare is here, that's for sure, it's just subtle. It shows up in apathy, in-difference and being sucked into the vortex of media. I got rid of cable because, frankly what shouldn't be funny was. It was worldliness seeping into my pores and I was becoming okay with it. When I was in Haiti I could smell, see and hear the spiritual forces that battled me and other followers. Here in the good ol' USA, I can recognize the warfare, but I am afraid far too many people who call themselves Christians, who go to church, give and serve, don't even recognize it. What seemed so obvious in Haiti is the same dark forces battling us here, it's just that methods that our enemies use to disengage us from God and move us toward worldliness and eventually evil are different and maybe even subtle.

In I Peter 5:8 we are told that the devil prowls around like a hungry lion seeking someone to devour. Lions are smart, they don't waste their energy running around going after the strongest and fastest prey, they wait and find the sick and injured animals and then have them for a snack. Satan will not necessarily go after the strongest believer, but he will go after the one who has let their guard down and let the world seep in. It shows up in not spending time in God's word and skipping church or Life Group here and there, watching TV shows and reading gossip magazines. Verse 9 is key, "Resist him, stand firm and he must flee." Under the canopy and power of Jesus' name, the devil has to leave. Many times I say aloud, "in the name of Jesus, the victor and exalted one, be gone Satan, you must leave this place." I believe it, do you? Finally in Ephesians 6:10-18 we are given very specific instructions and weapons in this battle. Several times we are instructed to put on the FULL armor of God, meaning, don't forget any, wear them all. "For we wrestle/our battle is not against an obvious foe, but against rulers, authorities and principalities of this dark and evil world." There it is!!!! It was not meant only for the early church 2000 years ago as they were getting started. It's real and here and recognizable. Be aware and alert! I felt it, saw it and heard it in Haiti, don't let this lesson be lost on you, the devil is prowling around and he does have the keys right now! But they will be snatched away when Jesus comes again and Satan will be vanquished forever, in the mean time he is doing his best to disrupt and destroy!

What if Your Life Ended Up in the Bible?

One of the thoughts I've had for a couple years but never put down in writing is this; those who ended up being in the Bible never knew they would be. We know that most messed up, and some triumphed, but God chose to use their lives to influence ours and millions of others over the years since they were recorded. Now I know that nothing can be added to or taken away from the scriptures, I am not suggesting this at all. But go along with me for a minute.

What if some parts of your life, okay like the really hard parts, the testing of your faith parts ended up being recorded? What would be written about you? Would it inspire people? Would your thoughts, actions, attitudes and words cause others to follow God, follow God more closely, or even choose God because of your life? There is a lot that can be said here, but for the sake of one of my shortest blogs ever....

Let's you and I live our lives as if everything about us, good, bad and in between were going to end up being read by millions for years and years to come. One prayer I pray most days goes like this,

"Lord, may everything I say, think or do, bring honor and glory to You."

Orphae

Back in college I had this friend Bruce, I had never met anyone like him, he was his own man in so many ways. This was back in the late 70's and Bruce and I couldn't have been more different, which was cool. He was a singer, artistic, a craftsman, passionate and a bit of a rebel. I was a jock, insecure and not good at the things he was. He introduced me to Mocha when virtually no one had even heard of it yet. We loved antiques and would turn old pieces of junk into someone else's treasure. We have gone our separate ways, each of us having moved several times across the country, raising children, and struggled through many things personally.

One of the things Bruce shared with me back in college was this word Orphae. What is Orphae you might ask. It is this feeling, a euphoria if you will that can happen anytime. You know it when you are experiencing it, like yesterday. My wife Karyn and I were taking a walk in a State Park, the place was practically empty except for a couple guys out fishing on the lake and some guy taking photo's of a fashion girl with high heels, a bright yellow dress and as out of place as you can imagine. Anyway, Karyn and I were walking with the loud sound of leaves crunching beneath our feet and geese making their honking sounds, Fall colors were still bursting, a slight breeze would refresh us and then all of a sudden this incredible aroma. It was sensory overload!! We couldn't quite make the smell out, was it clove? We didn't know but it was amazing and we could find it only in this one area. As we walked, sometimes talked, held hands, sat in the sun, took pictures or identified trees, we marveled at God's creation and just knew we were experiencing Orphae.

It isn't quite explainable, it could be watching someone experiencing joy, a taste of a dessert or special meal, it could be music that moves you or words on a page. Whatever it is, you can't create it nor hang onto it. I hope you have, or get to experience it!! Maybe you even have a different name for it. What a cool thing after all of these years to remember my friend Bruce tell me about Orphae, I kept a journal of Orphae experiences for a long time. I will post a picture of a recent time I experienced it, but it may not help you because you weren't there at the time. Orphae is a wonderful thing. Thanks Bruce!

Mary and Martha

There is this unique and very short story found in Luke 11:38-42 of Jesus in the home of Martha and her sister Mary, that's a pretty big deal, having Jesus and his disciples visit in your home. But notice the completely different responses of these two sisters. Martha gets all worked up and starts preparing food while Mary chooses instead to sit and listen to Jesus as he speaks. This becomes pretty irritating to Martha and it's not long before she gets resentful enough to speak pretty boldly to Jesus about it. Talk about awkward! How would you feel if you were Mary? How would you feel if you were Martha? How would you feel if you were Jesus?
What happens next is amazing. Jesus calls Martha out, "You are worried and upset about MANY THINGS" in other words, this is how you live Martha! You can't sit still, be quiet, or chill, Martha was most likely a control freak or a Type A personality, at the very least she was a doer. You know the type, you may even be one, the kind that says there is always something to do and someone has to do it so it might as well be me. Jesus says that Mary is doing the most right thing. Psalm 46:10 says "be still and know that I am God..." Being still seems so un-productive and ....lazy! But is it? Jesus says that Mary chose the better option, the only right option. Many people read this and try and heed this but then have no clue how to do this. Seriously, it amazes me that most people cannot shut off their minds for any significant time. Prayer is not just talking but also about listening, many people try to sit in silence and than go crazy. I have done some silent retreats before and I come away from those so full of peace and serenity and slowed down. I have scheduled time away from phones, computers and people and though it takes me awhile to "dial down", when it's time to go back to the "noise" I wish I didn't have to.
Here is my challenge for each of us...be still, worship Jesus, listen for Him, be quiet. According to Him it's the most right choice from time to time. We are commanded to proclaim God to others and serve Him by serving others, be lights shining in the darkness but just as Jesus took time to pray and be alone (see Mark 1:35) so must we. If we do not practice the presence of God in our lives we will end up becoming resentful, busy and lacking peace. Do a quick inventory of your life right now, are you resentful over something or someone? Look at your calendar, is it filled (maybe even with necessary items) but God has been crowded out? Which is the most common theme of your heart - peace or chaos? This short story shows us a very important lesson, be still and take time to sit at Jesus' feet to listen and worship, it's the most right thing!!! Remember we are called human beings, not human doings!

Waiting on God is Always Worth it!

I've been married all of 12 days, and it's been nothing but fulfilling and more than Karyn and I thought it could be. I know, your'e out there in cyber world saying, "wait, it's just the honeymoon phase, then you'll see." I DOUBT IT! We didn't really even get a honeymoon, in fact just the opposite. We packed and loaded a moving truck by ourselves just a day and a half after we got married, we quickly said goodbye to warm weather and the beach, drove to Charlotte in separate vehicles, we un-loaded the truck (can you say fatigue?), Karyn un-packed everything she had packed so carefully and has been setting up our home while I worked. Doesn't sound like a honeymoon does it? Well think again, because even in the midst of that we just stare at each other like a couple 16 year old's and hug each other all of the time and thank God that this is what He had in mind while we walked in obedience on His timing.
We are realistic and know that our personal and professional lives will be tested, our health and of those we love will change, but that's what makes a marriage strong - testing!!! I want to tell you that the waiting part was so difficult (testing). Many lonely nights apart not knowing if we would ever be together. I would cry out to God as my Deliverer and wonder if He was hearing me, I would pray and believe only to hear silence most of the time. Sometimes when I would do my sunrise run along the beach I would see Karyn out on her walks and we would stop and talk and basically have our hearts ache over the waiting on God. We would hang out together but know God had not fully opened the door and friendship was the best we could have at the time. We both wanted to honor God by waiting on His timing and part of that was letting go completely of each other. All we have is from Him and is not ours to keep!
Here's a major thought out of all of this. In the Old and New Testament's none of the people who were written about knew that their stories would be chronicled, that they would become a part of the best selling book of all time!! A book written by God, full of stories of people who were basically losers whom God showed love, mercy, grace and patience with time and again. What if your life or my life were being chronicled? What if all the things we say and do each day ended up in a best selling book? Would you and I be found to be living the kind of lives that pointed others to the same God written about in the Bible? Would we be described as radical followers, patient people who wait on God, obedient and full of faith? I believe with all my heart that Karyn knows that our waiting on God and not running ahead of Him, nor lagging behind Him was worth it. We fought by praying, trusting and waiting because we are worth it. Obedience is always best, and many times it will cost us great amounts of something or everything, but I know, and have known that God is faithful and trustworthy. Don't run ahead or lag behind, walk in step with the Spirit and in the midst "delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart."

He Makes All Things New!

Okay so some of you have been waiting for this news, I promised I would share it but it had to be the right time. I am about to be married! Karyn Joy is going to be my bride and I get to be her husband!!! I realize that we are not young in age by numbers but don't tell us, because you would think we are about 30 years younger than we are! We are joyful people for sure, but when God delivered this immense blessing/miracle in our lives well, we are humbled and full of great thanksgiving.

Here is the scoop for those of you who do not know our story. We both have been married before and they did not end how either of us wanted. We met about 6 years ago and fell pretty much head over heels for each other! However, God is more concerned with making us holy than happy and we must have needed some extra doses of suffering to make that happen because over the course of these 6 years there have been job changes, career changes, financial hardships, health issues, and on again off again times with each other, but never a green light from God. I can honestly say that God spoke to me to not let go of two things. One was full time ministry and the other being Karyn. Neither of these were idols, and I can tell you there were some pretty raw and honest discussions, intense prayers sessions, times of fasting and digging deeply into God's word and holding on for dear life. We certainly made it our goal not to run ahead of God (dangerous)and not to lag behind Him (just as dangerous) but to walk in step with Him. Sometimes that means Him taking much away from us to truly get our un-divided attention and He did.

A passage from Psalm 71:20-21 describes my last 7 years or so..."Though you have made me see trials, many and bitter, you will restore my life again, you will bring me up from the depths and restore me to a place of honor once again." If you un-pack those verses they can be pretty hard to swallow but if you trust in Him and His deliverance than when you receive His promises well let's just say CELEBRATION!!!! "Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father above!" We can't wait to be one, we can't wait to help each other know God better, serve Him, and help others discover God and His offer of salvation through Jesus. We can say for sure that the years of suffering were worth it for they truly brought us to many places of surrender. I can also say these years were worth it because Karyn is worth fighting for and because I believed God even when it looked like I should have given up and moved on. He clearly makes all things new!

I am now serving in a church I LOVE and I have the woman I would do anything for! Thank you God for discipline, faithfulness, just enough mercy for each day and grace in abundance!!

Staying in Shape or Getting in Shape

Confession time!! Got your interest didn't I? I was a highly competitive athlete for many years, wrestling from 4th grade all the way to the college level, I was a fairly good runner afterward and I have always stayed in pretty good shape. I laughed at those who said age would do funny things (bad) to you. Then it happened! I got way out of shape. There are reasons I can give but honestly they would be weak excuses and sad alibis. I moved from Florida and missed my favorite running and biking routes, I had no ocean nearby to swim in, and here in North Carolina there seems to be a law against shoulders on the sides of roads, so running and biking seems very dangerous. A day of lost exercise slipped to the next, I worked lots of hours at my new job and justified sitting in front of the TV after a long day. Then what to my wondering eyes appeared on my body but belly fat, atrophied muscles, sore joints and a core section that reeked of middle age!! For the first time in my life I can say I am overweight and out of shape. So what do I do with this new found, and much hated state I find myself in?

Spiritually speaking many can find themselves out of shape so to speak. It's not hard since we know that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against rulers, authorities and principalities of this dark and evil world." Ephesians 6:12. How do followers get out of spiritual strength/shape? Probably just as easy as I did physically. We get lazy, distracted, even bored, we stop looking for opportunities to share our faith with those we come in contact with, we stop being hungry for reading and applying the Word of God, and we end up "praying without ceasing" (a rather poor excuse we use) rather than making time for our "prayer closets" to have uninterrupted, passionate and intimate prayer time. Before you know it, it's been a long time since you last "met" with God and you have atrophied spiritually. You find your way into non-public sin and your soul has gone un-noticed and un-attended. But here is the great news!!!!

No one is beyond the outstretched arms of God. He is always there for you and I. It takes one step on our part, (surrender/repentance). Then it takes iron sharpening (see Proverbs 27:17) and before you know it the fire is burning strong and steady in your soul and it flows out of you to those around you.

I am doing the grunt work to get back in shape physically and it will take effort, consistency and others to encourage me, but I am determined to get there AND STAY THERE!! Spiritually speaking, you can do the same thing. It will take effort on your part, consistency and others to encourage you, but with the power and help of the Holy Spirit you can do it and you can STAY THERE!

Believe me, I know first-hand that it's a lot easier to stay in shape than to get there!!!

Mile Markers and Water Marks

Last week I was driving home from South Florida (more on that in my next blog I promise), I decided to take a detour off of I-95 about an hour North of Jacksonville to St. Simon's Island, Georgia. The summer before my Senior year of college I lived there learning ministry skills, hard core discipleship training and sharing the great news of Jesus Christ and His incredible offer of forgiveness and an abundant/meaningful life. It had been a long time since that summer (I won't tell you how long, but it's a long time). So when I crossed the bridge to the Island I got excited, I reflected on many of the friends I gained, the lessons I learned and still use today, and the things God spoke and did in my life. It was a very significant summer for me. I was a fairly new believer and I was surrounded by spiritual giants, they proved to be so encouraging to me and a great example for life and ministry. I believe God started to really write on my heart that full time ministry was what He was calling me to, and as I look back I see how much He used the St. Simons experience.

But as I drove around nothing looked the same, I got lost, the Island had sprouted buildings, businesses, vacation homes and properties everywhere. It didn't look or feel the same! I found the old Lighthouse, a great reference point and today it is open to tour and climb (I did). I found the Pier, but that was re-built and didn't look the same nor did the downtown area. I couldn't find the original buildings we did our meetings and outreaches in, nor the houses we all shared. There were 30 of us college students plus the staff who led it, and some great lay people who supported and worked alongside us. I know God used that summer as a mile marker/water mark for my life and see that He marked me there. And another really cool thing was that all these years later that ministry lives on, much bigger than the one we started. Today, over 1,000 students meet at "The Gathering Place", where students gather to worship and find true life through Jesus Christ. Churches that were once territorial now run this and many, many lives have been transformed through it. I wonder how many of us that participated that summer are still impacting others for God's Kingdom? My guess is that it's probably 100%.

Thank you God for the people who showed patience and grace to me and taught me so much about being passionate, focused, reaching and pouring into seekers who become believers so they fall so deeply in love with you that they turned around and did the same for others!

Finding a great fit!

Blue jeans, love them! But not all jeans fit the same. Levi's are cut one way, than there are jean styles, slim fit, straight leg, low rise, loose fit, boot cut, you name it there is a style out there. It used to be you had to break them in yourself, and by the time they fit so comfortably, they started to rip. Today, you can actually buy them ripped, and it costs more!

You have to wear them for them to fit the best, and when it comes to people in Life Groups, the same is true, they come in all styles, age oriented, singles, divorced, married only, men's, women's, parents of teens, recovery groups, groups for spiritual seekers, Bible Study, book study, topical, sermon based, neighborhood, and the list only grows. The reality is that groups take time to "fit" right, you can't start a group that is broken in! That would be nice, rare for sure, it takes time to bond, get real, get honest and then get real honest. Sometimes it takes a trial in a group member's life to bond people, but time it does take.

If you are in a group, is it all that you hope it to be? Probably not, but I ask you, "are you being the best group member you can be?" As we look in the Acts 2:42-47 we see that these people were fully devoted to one another, not sort of devoted. They ate together in homes daily, they shared communion, studied and were taught the word of God, they prayed together, they shared with whomever had need (do you even know the material needs of those in your group?). These early believers had a radical group life, and the result was they had glad and sincere hearts, they even had the favor of un-believers and nearly everyday people were converting to Christianity because of the message of Christ, and the group life of those believers. Getting along and loving others takes time, grace, love and effort, but you can't do it just by attending a worship service, serving others or even tithing. We need each other, I need you and you need me! Isolation and cocooning is not Biblical nor wise! Jump in and start a group or join one and remember it takes time,grace, love, effort, honesty and you being the best member there is!

Passion for the Christ

It's become a tradition each Good Friday to watch the movie "The Passion of the Christ",it's very emotional for me, and it always points to some amazing realities. Jesus paid it all! When this travels from my head to my heart/soul than I cannot help but be compelled to be with Jesus all of the time, to praise Him, worship (worth-ship) Him for who He is and thank Him for what He has done. And it's all out of gratefulness, It became for me a passion to do anything for Him, and to share this great news with others and help them understand Him better!

I am so thankful I "Got it" at the moment of salvation (right before my 18th birthday), but where and why is there a disconnect for so many others? Why is Jesus and church just another thing in their lives? How did that happen? I think the answers "Fire Insurance", your Get out of Hell Card is one reason. People are told that Jesus paid it all and all you have to do is confess your sins and you will be saved, and you will go to Heaven instead of Hell. But rarely does that person "Get it", because we have moved onto the next not yet saved person and "win" them to Jesus. Christ's sacrifice cost Him everything, true, salvation is free but that's not the end of it all! Immediate follow up, we call it discipleship is a must!!! Another reason people don't "Get it" is because living for God is a lot harder than living in the world and seeking comfort and pleasure!

In Luke 8, Jesus shares a parable about 4 seeds, the first seed the birds got to, the second seed fell on rock and no roots could grow, the third got choked up by all the weeds that stole the sun and nourishment of the soil, and the last seed went deep into the soil, produced fruit 100 times more than the seed that started it all. Jesus goes onto to explain the story. The seed is the word of God, the first seed represents those who hear God's word but the devil robs it from their hearts so that they end up not believing it to be true. The seed that lands on the rock, represents a person who receives the word of God with joy, even excitement and they may even follow God for awhile but when trials come and tests them to the core they look to some other way of getting through the crisis other than trusting in God. Everyone faces trials, it's how we get through them that matters, and in desperate times people without strong core beliefs can lose direction and turn to whatever else sounds right. The third seed represents those who worry, don't trust God truly, the ways of the world seem better to them than the ways of God (that's most people I believe). They love the here and now stuff more than they love the one who loved them enough to die for them. They end up with many mistresses! We know God says He is jealous for us and will have no one or nothing else competing for His love or He just leaves us to ourselves. And of course the last seed represents those who "Get it", they are compelled by His love, no one has or will love them like He loves them and that becomes their life. It's an amazing offer, complete and absolute forgiveness, un-conditional love, an opportunity to live the adventure of serving and representing God, and of course we get a place in eternity with Him once this life on earth ends. Who in their right minds would turn this down? FAR TOO MANY!

I want to say to anyone reading this that no matter where you are right now in your relationship with God - IT'S NEVER TOO LATE!!! God promises that no one is beyond His outstretched arms of longing embrace for you. Seriously, no matter what you've done, or what's been done to you, God longs and waits for your return. His love for you and I is absolutely passionate and when we finally "Get it" ours becomes that too! "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

Together

This weekend I had several wonderful experiences and they all had to do with relationships and God in the midst. There are so many so called experts out there on Twitter, Facebook and Blogs (like me right now). Some are merely theorists, who can talk a good talk while others are true practioners. I really love information, but only IF it leads to TRANSFORMATION.

I am relatively new to the church I serve, and I have been busy scheduling as much time as I can with our people, maybe that's one of the reasons I have put on about 10 pounds since moving here, meals with people. But I don't want to sit in my office only writing training manuals and strategizing, as good and necessary as those tasks are. I am called to BE WITH people!! I love Southbrook Church, we have a very passionate and Godly Pastor in Rob Singleton, and his family, a staff that is united and practicing our Core Values, and a congregation in love with God, and many people finding God weekly. Ours is not a sit on your hands kind of church. Over the weekend I performed a funeral for someone I did not know, but knew the daughter-in-law and was honored she asked me to preside, (weep with those who weep). I also heard of the death of a man whose son and wife I am getting to know, again (weep with those who weep). After a meeting at the funeral home on Friday I decided to visit our Monroe Campus for Family Night at Vacation Bible School. What a great time watching that team serve and lead with excellence (rejoice with those who rejoice), I did my best to stop and chat, say hi, or talk with as many as I could because relationships matter. I am so grateful God created me so relationally!!! I need my down time mind you, but I get I energized by being with people!!! After VBS, I wanted to go support our Weddington Student Ministries team as they kicked off their Summer Tour, I got there a little late but people were still hanging around, so I had another opportunity to build more relationships. I even got introduced to a potential key leader who is chomping at the bit to use her gifts for Life Groups.

Sunday, (Father's Day) was a full one, but so rewarding. I believe strong relationships occur because of bonding experiences and not just by hanging out, but it takes one for the other to happen. After helping lead our FUSE Volunteer Pump Up at 8:15, and then going to our Worship services where our people literally nailed their "UNLESS" list to the cross, I was invited to our Executive Pastor's house for a quick (for me) Father's Day meal even though they had extended family over. (I was truly honored,thanks again Kush's), we had some more bonding, but I had to cut it short, but for good reason as I had signed up to serve with our great team for the monthly serve at the Charlotte Rescue Mission. There were like 20 of us instead of the usual 8-10, (on Father's Day no less). We worked hard, side stepping each other in order to serve the men who are trying to find their way to God and overcome addictions. It was so wonderful to watch our folks dive in and serve so well and begin to bond. Many of us did not know one another until right then and there, but we do now!

Being in other's lives is what it's all about, isolation is never good. In fact it's deadly! Now because I am a people person, I am lucky in that meeting new people energizes me, I know I am not the norm, so for you who get anxiety attacks at the thought of meeting new people, can I just say that rarely will you be disappointed, out of 10 people that you meet, one or two may even become a life long friend, or for a season, a very significant someone. Whether it's weeping with those who weep (at a funeral), or rejoicing with those who rejoice by encouraging Ministry Team Leaders, or serving alongside the saints. We need each other!!! Today is a great day to reach out to a long lost friend, mend a wound, seek forgiveness, give it, thank someone who made a difference, or perhaps invite someone new along for the journey of doing life together. The role model is Jesus, full of compassion, truth, love and mercy, and he didn't give theory!! He walked daily with real people, getting dirty as he walked hard and dusty roads to meet people's felt and real needs. He made a lot of time to build relationships, we should do the same, the rewards are incredible our lives richer for it!

The Joy Factor

Joy is missing in our world today and it's no wonder! Natural disasters happening around every corner, nearly everyday. People losing their homes, possessions and being completely displaced. The job market is of course terrible, college students are no longer able to find jobs in their field of study that they just invested a whole lot of money, time and effort on, they are just happy to find a job. Not to mention those adults who have been outsourced, replaced, or are over qualified, replaced by someone who can live with a lower salary. People are popping prescription drugs at incredible rates because their stress levels are so high and exercise too low. I see joylessness played out in checkout lines as people are so inpatient, and put out with everyone talking loudly on their cell phones oblivious to those around them. On the road people seem to drive as if they are entitled to drive however they want and act out with road rage like never before. Courtesy and kindness are nearly extinct. Happiness of course is totally related to circumstances...

JOY has nothing to do with circumstances and it is NOT a personality trait! In Galatians 5:22-23 we are told that the results/benefits/fruit of having the Holy Spirit in our lives is joy. It comes from God! You cannot manufacture it, you either have it or you don't and that means you are either walking in step with the Spirit of God or you are not.

As a follower of God and while I am living in the extreme times I am, I want JOY to overflow out of me! I want this to be true for two reasons; one for me, I need and want to walk in step with God's Spirit, and so I can thrive and not just survive. Secondly, I want the people who are suffering, discouraged, angry, sad, lonely, needy and at the end of their hope to experience what I have. I want JOY to overflow out of me! But I must walk in step with the Spirit. How do you do that? That's what I will write next time, but for now I challenge you to examine your life, an easy way to know if you are walking in step with God's Spirit is to ask yourself and even others if Joy is consistently a part of your life.

The In-Between

Going home, you can do it but it's never the same! I went home recently for my youngest daughter's college graduation (Way to go Elyse), and I was also able to go visit my siblings who live in the small town we grew up in. When I am there I love to go for long runs along familiar streets, and one of the places I run by is our town's cemetery. It reminds me of my mortality, I was born here and I have lived in many cities and states since then but I love coming home. We all have a birthdate and celebrate it, but we also have a death date, that date we have no clue about, but rest assured it's coming. Not trying to sound doomsday or morbid, it's just a reality.

What happens in-between our birthdate and death date is EVERYTHING! We have no idea when our death date will be, for all I know this could be my last blog. But what we do with that in-between time is called our life? I know when I put my head on the pillow at night I take for granted that I will wake up the next day and get to live it passionately for God. I am so incredibly glad to know the following;

* I know that God loves me, chose me and I responded to that invitation.
* I know I am not good enough to earn my way to Heaven, but because Christ Jesus went in my place I am able to spend eternity with God worshipping Him, enjoying whatever He has for me here and there and that hope is secure.
* I know that He has given me purpose and gifts/abilities to accomplish that purpose and so my life has meaning!
* I know that my life is not my own, it was bought with a price I could never repay, but it is in fact a free gift available to anyone just for the asking.
* I know that my life would be a complete wreck without God, sure I could live and have a job and get up and do it all over everyday, but frankly that is never enough for me or most people. We are always asking "Is that all there is?". "What is the meaning of life?" "Why am I here?"

So, we have a birthdate, and the reality is we have a death date, it's just not known to us yet. The question I challenge you with right here and right now to ask is...

WHAT WILL I DO WITH THE IN-BETWEEN?

Bold and Passionate Prayers

A lot has happened since my last post, but I want to write about what I read in scripture this morning. Over in I Kings, Solomon had just finished building the Temple and was dedicating it, and in Chapter 8 in the Message version it says that he had finished praying bold and passionate prayers, he had been kneeling the whole time and had his arms raised before God. I am someone who loves prayer, I love praying, listening in prayer, praying with others and participating in Concerts of Prayer. I am a praying kind of person, not boastful here to make myself seem ever so spiritual, but I am communicating that I LOVE PRAYER!

I am often curious why some Christians, in fact a majority have such a hard time praying out loud in public whether it be a small or large group. Why? Do they just not practice prayer in private, or have they not had good modeling? Do we just not teach on it enough? Is it just an odd practice speaking to someone we can't see or hear from? Is this why Prayer meetings are so poorly attended in most churches? And when believers talk about wanting revival, do they not know that before every great revival in history it was always proceeded by a movement of prayer? I want revival, we NEED it badly as we watch the world coming apart at the seams all the more reason to turn toward God. I would have loved to hear Solomon's BOLD and PASSIONATE Prayers, I want to have bold and passionate prayers, who is with me? Let's get out of the shadows of shame and ignorance and self consciousness about our prayer lives and lets learn together how to pray boldly and passionately. Let's make our prayer lives a strength rather than something we hope others just won't find out about. Speaking to God, pouring out to Him and even hearing from God ought to be the most natural thing we do, like breathing.

Delighting in God

For 2011 I have chosen to meditate and wrap my life around 2 verses from scripture. The first is Romans 15;13 "I pray that God, the source of hope will fill you completely with joy and peace BECAUSE you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." (more on that verse in another blog) but the other verse is;
Psalm 37:4-5. "Take delight in the Lord and He will give you your hearts desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord, trust in Him and HE will do it."

One of the last things I am about is one of those wealth and prosperity Christians, there is absolutely no logic or correct line of thinking here. Try preaching it in India or Haiti or any 3rd world country. Honestly the poor do not have the lure and distractions of money, they just need to survive everyday, but they have a joy from God that no amount of money could ever give. Enough of that....here is what I am learning and applying each day this year regarding Psalm 37:4-5. First, delighting in God without asking Him anything for myself is not as easy as you might think, well not for me anyway. I find in my prayer life that so much of it was in asking God for answers for myself and others. Yes, I am commanded to bring my requests before God with faith and with His will in mind. I am also commanded to pray without ceasing as well as many other commands, but delighting in Him has been so good for my soul!!! The fact that He knows what my heart desires are all ready makes it redundant to ask what He knows anyway, my part is to delight in Him, totally commit my life to Him and His part is to grant me the desires of my heart that are in line with His perfect will! How cool!!! So this is how a new prayer for me might sound like;

"Father, I delight in my future, that You hold the keys, that You are the author and perfecter of my faith and I delight that no good thing do you withhold from those who truly love you. I delight that you are the giver of all good things, I delight that your protection for me is secure as You go before me, come behind me and send Your angels to camp over me! I delight that you actually care so intimately about me that when one more of my hairs falls out (and more have fallen out then grown back in) you know it! Thank you God for knowing my every step and day and nothing takes you by surprise. In Jesus matchless name, Amen!"

How I might have prayed this prayer could have sounded like this; "Father God, I need your help desperately, I need a better paying job. I need to provide better for those I love, and I feel so in-adequate in not doing so. Please God, please, I ask that you jump in and help me quickly, I am in dire straits here and you know it. Thank you and bless you God, in Jesus matchless name - Amen!

Do you see the difference? I am a Dad and I am so glad when my adult children communicate something to me about me that they love about me. I disliked it when the only thing I was good for was when they just asked for things only I could provide, I did love providing it, but not wanting it to define my parental existence. So it is true of my relationship with my Heavenly Father, He has the resources to provide everything I need, and He could give me everything I want, (that would not be good of course). But the best thing I can do is delight in Him.

How do we delight in God? Well, that's for the next blog! I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you delight in God on a regular basis!