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.