Lifestyles of the "not so" rich and famous

I have way too much stuff!  Vehicles, TVs, and fancy home decorations (that's all Shelli) are just the beginning.  By most of the world's standards I'm filthy rich.  Let me put it this way...I've got two heat and air systems in my home (one upstairs and one down) but this is not sufficient.  I'm so rich that I've got to have a personal heater to set at my side as I search the Internet on one of my two computers just so my fancy toes don't get too cold!  If I was honest about it, that would make me look like royalty in most nations.
I can't possibly know what Jesus was talking about in Luke 21:1-4,

“As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.  He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

It seems that no matter how much I give to the church, organizations, or families who could use it...I'll always be giving out of my wealth.  But there's a part of me that would like to be able to tell Jesus, "I gave all I had...out of my poverty."  Please don't get me wrong, I absolutely don't want to give up what God has so graciously blessed my family with.  I believe it would be selfish to even think that way.  The best I can do is give more through my wealth, God blessed me so I can bless others all the more.  But is there somewhere in my life that I can experience what it means to give out of my poverty?  Is there a place that I can show Jesus that I don't have much but what I do have is His?

I've attended all different sized churches in my life.  One's that range from 100 - 3,000 people.  For the most part these churches have been growing, active, and wealthy churches.  There's a part of being in these churches that you expect the church to give unselfishly...it would look a little odd if we enjoyed the new basketball gym at church without at least giving to the local food pantry too.  But now Shelli and I find ourselves serving in a ministry that is at this point much smaller.  As I find myself serving in a church with less people I am finding an opportunity for us to experience giving out of our poverty.

The key to Vimy Ridge Immanuel Baptist's mission is connecting with a surrounding community, a community that this church was built to be the center of.  We are to be "Christ centered and community focused."  Although we are considered wealthy by financial or status standards we have the opportunity to show Christ that we are willing to give all we have to live on, we are willing to give out of our poverty.

Don't allow a lack of funds or skills to lessen what you bring as an offering to the One who gave it all for you.

Can't a brotha' get a Motel 6?

"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him."  Isaiah 53:2

Is it odd that Jesus' birth was announced with angels appearing out of nowhere, a bright glowing star in the sky, and shepherds and wise guys running in from all over the place...all leading to the "Son of God" being found in a dirty ole cave?  Is this odd?  Wouldn't you think that such a HUGE announcement would at least be able to make a reservation at the Motel 6?  Although the message of His birth was brilliant and majestic, Jesus was not.  There was nothing beautiful about Him.

This says more about "us" than it does "Him."

We see beauty as something to be desired...we want it in our mates, in ourselves, and in everything we do.  Nobody sets out to marry the ugliest girl they can find, we want beauty!  There are two major issues with this mindset....

1.  Our image of beauty changes...what was beautiful 15 years ago is out of date and hideous now.  When was the last time you saw a lady rocking the beehive hairdo and you turned to check out how hot it was?

2.  Beauty creates infatuation...the human mind is so easily confused.  We can rarely distinguish between a healthy relation and infatuation.  We confuse lust for love and too many times our zeal for another fades with their beauty.

God's plan for salvation takes the human nature concerning beauty out of the equation.  Had Jesus come as beautiful and majestic as He really is...we would have become infatuated with His beauty.  When life got ugly we would be guilty of seeking beauty in something new (don't believe it?  look at marriage stats).

Jesus came not to impress us with His beauty but to impress upon us our need for a Savior.

Waiting Stinks

Waiting...there are very few things in this world that match the difficulty of waiting.  We can't wait for someone to call us back so we have call waiting.  The biggest event of my week was going into the revenue office and NOT having to "get a number!"  Personally, I feel like I'm good a doing.  When I think of an idea...I've probably already begun the process.  But waiting???  Waiting stinks.

"Yet those who wait for the LORD
         Will gain new strength;
         They will mount up with wings like eagles,
         They will run and not get tired,
         They will walk and not become weary."  Isaiah 40:31 (NASB)

As Shelli and I have entered a ministry that is new to us we now find ourselves waiting.  No doubt I'm working and running and striving...but yet waiting.  I find myself seeing the BIG picture of what ministry will look like, then I find myself running towards it.  Then, I find myself tired and weary.  Waiting...

One thing I know is that waiting gives way to greater faith.  I've waited for the Lord before and I'll do it again because those who wait will not grow weary.  Today don't grow weary in waiting, strength is in the Lord.

Say it! Say "Uncle!"

Remember the feeling of being crammed into a headlock by your older brother, or having your arm stretched and twisted beyond what nature intended, and having that voice echoing through your ear screaming, "Say it!  Say uncle!"

There is a knee jerk reaction that wants to give in and accept relief from the pain and suffering, but then there is that voice from within that hates to lose.  Which one wins? 

When life throws those arm twisting and head lock giving struggles your way, what is your knee jerk response?  Do you scream uncle at the first twitch of pain?  Or do you avoid that voice for the other one, the one that says my God is greater than my uncle!

Scripture tells us to "rejoice in our sufferings" and to "consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials."  This is among the most absurd of statements made in Scripture...to the unbeliever.  How can the believer see the compromising positions that life has for us in a different light than others?  How can we shout praise to our Lord instead of shouting for salvation from our family?  Because...

Perseverance = Character = Hope

Faith that is stretched and pushed to it's breaking point, results in greater faith.  Faith that cries uncle at the first sight of trouble, is stunted in growth and will likely never leave the playground in which it is tortured by it's bullies.  And consider this, the hope that is produced by perseverance and character may be the hope that someone else needs...crying uncle may not only leave you weak, it could leave others weak as well.

(Rom. 5, James 1)

Follow Me

As a young pastor I've often wondered two things...
- Who will my first wedding be for?
- Who will my first funeral be for?

While the former is left unknown, I now know the answer for the latter.  This Tuesday we held a funeral for Shelli's grandmother, Mrs. Leota Warford.  I was honored to be invited by Shelli's father to deliver the message for the service.  What a great thing to be a part of a celebration of one's life who loved the Lord.  Don't get me wrong, there is sorrow in the loss but it can't outweigh the hope that is found in the resurrection of our Savior.  The text that was used in the ceremony says much about the mood,

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  John 14:27

Praise Jesus that He does not give as the world gives!  He doesn't dangle a carrot in front of our face that is always just out of reach.  He doesn't concern himself with wealth, comfort, or status but gives freely according to "His great riches."  Jesus doesn't give according to what you already have or what you deserve, He doesn't hold a lean on our account because he first gave and now it's our turn. 

Praise Jesus that salvation is free for us because it cost Him everything!  He doesn't give according to how good our credit score is but blesses beyond what we could fathom.  Do not be troubled because we have a God who gives peace!  A God who doesn't take back what was given!  A God who loves unconditionally!

With one simple request, everything God gives is offered to us.  With one statement from a man walking down the beach, the Kingdom is at hand.  Jesus, with every blessing in hand says, "Follow Me."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEmLgTnrg98

Being An Answered Prayer

Have you ever been an answered prayer?  You know what I mean...someone else is praying for something and along comes you, and at that very moment you are exactly what they were pleading to God for.  I must admit that this is all too uncommon in my life, but occasionally it happens.

This past weekend I had the honor of being an answered prayer, I don't say this to boast in anything other than to boast in my Savior.  None of us are capable of doing anything that makes us worthy or capable of being such a blessing in another life, but "God is so rich in His mercy" that He would do such a thing.  In Sunday's message I managed to make the journey to one of my favorite chapters in the New Testament, Ephesians 2.  In this text, Paul makes a statement that we miss the point of all too often.

"God raised us up with Christ [that's salvation through grace]...in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us through Christ Jesus."  Eph. 2:6-7

So what???  The grace that was offered to me through the death and resurrection of Jesus was NOT ONLY for my salvation but that I might be an answered prayer to someone else.  So that in the days to come, others might see what God has done in me and think..."Hey, you think God might do that for me too?"

Fake It Till You Make It

If the church today had an unspoken motto I think it might be, "fake it till you make it."  I sure hope I'm wrong and this attitude is a thing of the past, but I don't think I am.  There is a mindset that Christianity is the cure for all that ails you, so if you're part of the church you'd better put your church face on so nobody thinks your faith is weak.  I wish I knew where this mindset came from because it wasn't Scripture!  In our series concerning contagious passion from 1 Thessalonians 1, I'm looking this week at verses 4 and 5. 

"For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction."

Paul didn't say I know you're chosen by God because your life is perfect, either that or you fake it really well.  Nope, he said because the gospel of Jesus came with power, the Holy Spirit, and conviction.

Turning the Page

If there was such thing as chapters that could separate milestones in one's life this would definitely be the beginning of whatever chapter I am in.  Sunday Oct. 24th, 2010 I accepted the position as pastor at Vimy Ridge Immanuel Baptist in Alexander, the building is located on the corner of Vimy Ridge and Germania.

My family and I have spent the last three months without a church home as we followed God's call on our life to end the chapter of our life in youth ministry in order to pursue an opportunity to pastor a congregation.  So the process was that we bounced around from church to church, preaching at every opportunity that was offered.  At first I thought it sounded fun, having to chance to preach whatever God burdens me with, the freshness that would come from being somewhere new every week, but I soon found out it's no fun at all.  Instead of feeling like a traveling pastor always on the move, I felt more like a vagabond with no place to go.  Praise Jesus that chapter is over!

As the page turns from where we were to where we are, I am eager to know what the scene will look like in the near future.  As much as I'd like to, I dare not even attempt to guess what our ministry will look like in 6 months or a year, all I know is that God has placed me and my family where He wants us, needs us, and is going to use us.  In our new family at Vimy Ridge the focus will be to passionately seek and serve Jesus, while adding to to this passion compassion for those in our path.  If the past is any indication of the future, one things for certain...God has a plan for this congregation and it's bigger and better than we could dream of! 

So the journey continues...

Current Series:

Sunday Morning Worship -
"Contagious Passion" - 1 Thessalonians 1
Paul has painted a picture of a church whose faith is ringing out all over the land.  The question we are asking is, "Why did the message ring so loud?"






Sunday Night Discussions - "Worship"
These days when worship is discussed the conversation usually begins by asking, "What style?"  Setting human styles aside, we are asking God, "What do you want?"

T1 Life

After spending many recent Sunday mornings preaching at various churches, I'm excited at that possibility of having a church home once again.  As this possibility grows closer I've been studying for my message on Sunday, which is the day that the congregation will vote as to wether or not to bring me in as their pastor.  While studying for this, I've really been drawn into 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1 to be specific.  God has revealed to me the vision of a flourishing church through this letter of Paul's.  Paul is beginning the letter to the Thessalonian church with is a word of confirmation of how the life that they are living as a church is spreading everywhere, the passion that they have for the gospel is contagious!

If I have the opportunity to do so, I'll be spending the next few weeks of my preaching time in 1 Thessalonians 1, trying to communicate why this church had such success not in growing the church in numbers, but in effectively spreading the gospel message of Jesus Christ!

1 Thessalonians 1:3,
"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
Contagious passion comes from passionate faith and enduring hope that leads to compassion (love) for people.