Accepting The Challenge… January 5, 2009

Yesterday our church started a new series “ReThink”, we were challenged to ReThink Church in a way in which us/our church can reach the world.  We were ask by our Pastor, “Do you think God can fill this theater 3 times”, we all screamed yes…”then why do you think he can’t do more?”

Isaiah 55:8 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
       neither are your ways my ways,”
       declares the LORD.

 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
       so are my ways higher than your ways
       and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Pastor Dave used the illustration of the “Good Samaritan” to help us understand how we should and can reach the lost in our own daily walk. Read Luke 10:27-37:

27He answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”

 28“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

 29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

 30In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

 36“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

 37The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
      Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

In other words there are people on a daily basis that we come in contact with, face to face in our community and through technology everyday.  We have an opportunity to share through the Internet such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Internet Church (which Crosspoint is hosting on Sunday mornings live at http://www.mogulus.com/moviechurch). 

God ask us to love our neighbor!  He didn’t ask us to pass on the other side of the road…go down another isle in the market…turn away when meeting someone in a hallway, etc…He gives us a way even through technology, meeting new friends through Internet connections, which in turn gives us the opportunity to get to know more about these friends lives.  We find out about what is going on in there life…people are hurting.  God has given us an easy opprotunity to minister to a hurting, beaten up, hopeless, left to be forgotten people in this world.  But, do I take God up on His offer?  No, I am guilty!  I don’t embrace this person and tell them about Jesus!  Why do I let fear keep me from this?  Do you feel this way? 

    Deuteronomy 31:8

8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

 Luke 14:23

“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.

“Accepting the Challenge” to win lost people to Christ amounts to going out to the roads and country lanes of our cities, state, world and make them come!  As Pastor Dave uses the words “make them”…his translation is to “drag them” in!

The Bible says in Matthew 28:19-20

19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

To “Accept the Challenge” I must put this fear that I have aside and take the challenge that has been set before me by Pastor Dave. I pray and I ask that you pray for me that I would take the step  in faith in this scripture:

Deuteronomy 31:8

8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Ephesians 3:20

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work WITHIN US, to accomplish INFINITELY more than we might ask or think.

Maybe you haven’t made this decision in your life to do that!  Leave a comment below if God is leading you in the “Accepting The Challenge” direction in your life.  That way I can pray for you too!

God Bless!

One Picture Says It All November 11, 2008

I borrowed this picture from one of my Crosspoint Community Church bloggers Jason.  He took this picture last week on a business trip in Wyoming. 

When I saw this picture on Jason’s blog I just freaked out…this is the first thing that came to my mind as I looked at this pic…this one beautiful flower living in all the dirt around it. 

We see pictures of Christ all through the Old Testament and then again in the New Testament of Him living His sinless life here on earth. 

This picture portrays to me a picture of Christ (the beautiful one and only flower) that took on a whole bunch of dirt (sin) for us, that we may have eternal life with Him.  Oh, what a beautiful picture. 

I would love to have this picture blown up and hung in every room of my house just to look upon it, to have the reminder of how beautiful Christ was (prefect) but had to become dirty with sin (our sin), and to have His Father turn His back on Him because God Himself could not look upon sin!

Thank you Jason for capturing the small things and sharing it with us!  To me it is larger than life!  It is Eternal.  All we have to do is look at God’s creation and it tells the whole story, creation tells the story we need to hear each and every day of our life if we would take the time to look at it! 

Thank you God for the many servants we have in our church…believe me there are many!  The friends I have at Crosspoint look for those little pictures of Jesus so that they can share them with our great big world!

Enjoy God’s Creation below! 

Got To Top Of One Mountain, Spiraling Down Another! November 10, 2008

Our family has been dealing with a trial since January of 2007.  We were obedient to God in this situation, as we sought His face for answers.  We left our home church and spent almost 6 months in our own home having church because that is where God lead us.

People that we loved and were our friends has been very hurtful to my family and are raising their demonic heads again! You know what really just gets me…these people are Christians and were our best friends.

My post on my life may slow down a bit for I need to be in Gods Word more and more and seek His face in obedience to Him!  I need to drink the kool-aide of Jesus!  Be in prayer for our family as we deal with this trial and pray that we are obedient to God and not lash out like our flesh wants to do but that we will act like Jesus would have us to do as Christians!

Thank you for your prayers in advance!  I love my church Crosspoint Community Church in Decatur, AL and I know that our family will make it through with the church we attend now, because they are an encourgement to our family!

Thank you Dave for being the Pastor that you are!  You have a servants heart!

Love All!