Just a thought

The Devil made me do it.

2009-08-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was at home alone doing research on our current message series. That in itself is nothing unusual; it is something I do all the time. The difference is my research was on Demons and Satan, not topics I spend a lot of time on. I was trying to find some artist’s rendering of Satan for the video we are shooting today. Remember I said I was home alone. Let me make a confession right now. I don’t like scary movies or sad movies. The reason is both of them make me leak water. The sad one’s make me cry and the scary ones make me wet my pants! No kidding I am a scaredy cat when it comes to that kind of stuff. Did I mention I was home alone looking at pictures of demons and Satan?

I navigated to a site that had different images of demons and such, all of a sudden this scary laughter comes over the speakers. It was creepy, real creepy. I thought to myself “Oh dang, I have opened up the demonic portal, the equivalent to cyber Ouija board!” Then I started hearing things in the house, stuff creaking, and strange bumps. So I ran throughout the house and turned on all the lights, and I turned off the TV (I did remember that kid that got sucked into the TV, so I thought I wouldn’t take any chances). I searched to find my silver bullets and wooden stakes, but I felt like they might not work against Satan himself, since he’s not a werewolf or a vampire. I was fresh out of Holy Water so I gathered up a half bottle of Dasani and gave it a quick prayer and thought that might work in a pinch. About that time lights flashed against the front of the house and I thought “They are outside trying to get in!” I knew locking the doors wouldn’t help since the Devil and his demons could surely pick locks! Sure enough the dead bolt began to turn and then the door knob. I was completely ready with my one cross necklace, half bottle of Holy Dasani, and every light on in the house. I thought to myself “come on in big boy and you are going to get burnt by some holy soft drink.” Then I heard his voice. It sounded strangely like Stacey’s. “Just as I suspected Angels are men and demons are women.” Just as I was poised to slosh the Holy weaponry, Stacey stepped in and asked “What are you doing?” With my “I’ve got every thing under control face on” I calmly took a drink and told her that I was checking for shorts in the electrical system that could be causing higher electric bills. What else am I going to say? “Thought you were the devil and I was going to have to kill you with bottled water and a plastic cross.” No thanks, she has enough to laugh at.

The night might not have been as dramatic as I have storied about here, but I do have to admit looking up those images and doing that research at home alone made me aware of our enemy. But at the same time, I also recognize the mighty weapons we have are given to us by a mighty God. Unlike in the movies, it isn’t our strength or our weapons that will give us the victory over the enemy, it is the power of God working through us that will secure the win.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2 Cor 10:4-5 NIV

Baywatch

2009-06-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

I shot this picture on the Mediterranean Sea as a ferocious storm was blowing up. I love storms. I think this comes from my childhood. As a kid, my Mom would get lawn chairs and we would sit outside and watch storms blow up. Today, you can have your children taken away from you for that kind of stuff (it was just as crazy back then too, but Mom didn’t care and we didn’t know any better). Mom taught us not to be afraid of the storm, she always reminded us that there is a God who is much greater than the storm. Valuable words. The storm I experienced in the far East was different than any I had seen as a kid, the back drop was much larger and the canvas this storm painted on was one of most famous seas in the world. I wanted to get the perfect shot, so I climbed to the top of a newly reconstructed theater and positioned myself and I waited. Moments passed as the wind picked up and my subject was vividly pointed out. One single rock outcropping. A single standing stone that was courageous enough to stand against the punishment of the storm. Wave after wave crashed against this centennial, as the front’s push came ashore.

On waters, not too far from where this was shot a couple thousand years earlier, a very similar story unfolds in the life of a man. The man’s name is Peter and the event is one that all readers of the Bible know. It is night time and the sea is tossed, the wind is blowing and a group of frightened men are huddled together waiting for their watery death. It is about this time they see the impossible. A figure comes to them walking on water. Interesting fact is that, according to one account, he is going to walk on by when all the shouting and screaming provokes Him to let them know He is their Leader. Peter is so taken by the event he does what any hyperactive guy would do, he asks to join Jesus on the water. Jesus obliges and says “come”. Peter exits the boat like a gray hound jumps out the gates. In a moment he is on the water. Like a toddler on a skate board, Peter is up and water walking. Everything is looking good, then it happens. The same Peter that was ready to dive in feet first realizes that the storm hasn’t stopped and he now is beyond the gunnels of the boat of safety. Peter looses sight of Jesus and gets an eye full of the crashing waves, and immediately begins to sink.

Isn’t that how it is? The storm seems to suck the faith right out of us. We can be one second praising our all powerful God and the next shaking in terror. It seems we can be Peter or Mom. We either can focus on the storm with fear and drown or we can admire the terror of the storm with the understanding, no matter what, God has a plan and that plan is for our good. I think it is important to point out that we face storms daily; storms of deadlines, storms of fears, and storms of being overwhelmed by the everyday. It doesn’t have to be a raging, extraordinary circumstance to be a storm that will cause you to take your eyes off of Jesus. No, very often, it is the relentless pounding of the smaller waves that beat down our ability to see through them and see His face. Regardless, don’t be tempted to watch the waves, that gaze will be your undoing. Many have burnt out, given up, quit, left, and ran off, because of the overwhelming size of the storm in comparison to our strength and abilities. Instead, use what I call the God measure, compare your present storm to the size of your ever present God. With those factors, the storm hasn’t got a chance. So the next time a storm blows up get out your lawn chairs and watch it pass, because it will do just that… pass.

Time to BE THE CHURCH!

2009-06-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matt 5:16 NKJV

What we do brings glory to God. Because what we do proves what we believe. We say we want to reach the world but to reach the world you must serve them. God loved the world so much that He gave. The giving proved His love. The church is good at talking about reaching a lost and dieing world but if you are not willing to put some skin in, your really not serious about reaching the world. A section of Vilonia and out skirts of Conway were hit by straight line winds. Lots of trees down, quite a bit of damage. It isn’t the level of damage of Katrina or last years Sherwood storms but it is, none the less, an opportunity to bless our community. We will, as we always have done, activate and go. Everybody is needed. If you have tools such as chain saws, tractors, trucks, trailers or anything else like that bring them. Our greatest needed resource is people. Strong backs would be great but everyone can help.

The Plan…

Our primary mission is to have conversations with the people in the community as we remove debris from their property. We also will be giving out water, and maybe cook some dinner for the block. Read the following to understand the need.

Communication Crews:
Teams of people engaging people in the community in conversations about Jesus. Good listening skills are essential. This team will also invite people to Mercy’s Cross as well as handout invite cards (these have not yet been created).

Work Crews:
Teams running saws, tractors, and removing debris. Strong backs and tolerance for heat is important here. There is inherent danger when you are working around power saws, cutting trees and moving brush, just keep that in mind.

H2O Crews:
People running water to the community as well as our workers to ensure they are hydrated. This team will also be our failsafe if someone gets hurt.

Dinner Crew:
Group of people who will grab the larger grill from Sherwood along with two propane bottles. Round up hamburgers, buns, condiments, and chips to give out to this community. Dinner would be around 5 at quitting time. We want to do this on the block where we are working.

Times
We will abbreviate the service in Conway. Conway service starts at 11:30 am we will meet then for a shortened service (come in your work cloths) afterward we will leave for the hardest hit communities in Conway and the outskirts. For directions mercyscross.com

See you tomorrow.

A horse named Whiskey

2009-06-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

Ultimately we have to decide. That is what it is all about…deciding. Life consists of an endless number of choices. Good one’s, bad one’s, some that matter, and some that don’t. Those choices and decisions dictate what we are. Think about it like this, it is a decision that makes you “incarcerated”. It is a decision that makes you “divorced”. It is a decision that makes you a hero or a zero. That is why there is so much power in the capacity to select.

A few years ago, Stacey and I hosted a married couple’s retreat that would ultimately end up at a horseback ride along the Arkansas River. We all had looked forward to the ride, it would be a sun set ride with our sweet hearts on back of some beautiful gentle animals... so we thought. We got to the riding stables and discovered that we had more riders than they had gentle animals. What I mean is they had plenty of horses but they didn’t have enough “good” horses for us. The owner said that since I was the leader I would have to ride one of their less desirable horses (how does that work?). He took me to a pen that held a hodge podge of different colored and sized horses. They all looked at me through the fence like a pit bull looks at a Chihuahua. The owner explained I could decide between them which one I wanted. He went on the give their names and along with their names he would give their disposition. “This is Red, he throws people, this is lightening, he will take off running and you can’t stop him.” All I could think of was “oh crap!”. I even asked if I could walk, but the answer from the crowd of supporters was “No.” Finally he told me of one horse that seemed the lesser of the several evils, his name was Whiskey (and believe me at this point I needed a drink), the owner explained Whiskey was a “biter”. So my choices were to get thrown, stomped, run off with or bitten. I chose bitten. To be totally honest here, I have only ridden one other horse in my life up to this point and it was connected to a merry go round type of thing at the State Fair, so by no stretch of the imagination am I a seasoned rider and how I got selected for this mission I will never know. Life is like that, there are times you have to decide even when the variables are not fair. So Whiskey and I set out for an epic ride, I felt like the ride of my life (or should I say the ride for my life). We hadn’t gotten far before I was faced with the reality of Whiskey’s character defect in the area of biting. We were on the trail and Whiskey wanted to stop and eat a little grass, I thought “no problem, if his mouth is full of grass he won’t be so tempted to fill it with my leg.” But our guide didn’t want the horses to eat along the way, so I was asked to pull up on the reigns and get Whiskey to move along. That is when it all went wrong. From that point on I realized I had a horse that was kin to a psycho path. Immediately he was able to turn his head almost full around and look me in the eye (like the Exorcist) with an anger that a horse should be incapable of. After that, at every opportunity he would turn his head and bite my calf. The pain of a horse bite can only be understood by clamping a peace of your skin in a vice until it is bleeding and bruised. Up to this point I have tried to “whisper” to Whiskey and be nothing but kind but by the second bite all the kindness was over. But what was I going to do? I was helpless to do anything to my torturer. Then the Holy Spirit (I think it was Him) opened my eyes to something that just might work. Now what I am about to tell you I have never shared with anyone in my life. The very next time Whiskey turned to bite my leg (which at this point was red and throbbing) I did something unspeakable…I poked him in the eye. Yep I did, right in that big brown (evil) eye I stuck my finger in it. I could immediately see the shock in is horse face. He couldn’t believe it as he looked at me through his one good eye I could tell I had gotten through. Then I whispered in his ears “There is more where that came from”! Sure enough he tried it again and again I poked him in the eye. I know right now some of you animal lovers are going “Oh how cruel”, I have to say to you GET OVER IT, this horse was evil. I would have driven him to the glue factory myself that day! It is interesting that later Whiskey tried to bite me on my other leg and I reminded him with my finger he had an eye on that side of his head too. By this time both of his eyes were watering and both of my legs were red but some how Whisky and I came to an agreement. You don’t bite my leg and I won’t poke you in the eye, simple as that. The remainder of the ride was less eventful. I learned something that day about choices. Sometimes you don’t get to pick between better and best, sometimes it is between being thrown or being bitten, but having said that even with those variables God will provide a way. So remember when in life you have to ride a horse named Whiskey you might have to poke him in they eye to stop the biting.

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

Jesus is my homeboy?

2009-05-28T06:14:00.000-07:00

Have you read 1 & 2 Corinthians lately? What did the church at Corinth look like? I know you have had the illusion that Corinth was a super spiritual church filled with fire breathing believers doing miraculous things. For some strange reason we have concluded that if this church is mentioned in the Bible it must be a model for behavior. Truth is Corinth was a far cry from a spiritual Meca. One indication is almost every chapter of both letters we have that Paul wrote to this church contains a rebuke of some sort. These charges range from people denying the resurrection to discrediting the Apostle himself as being a good source for guidance! At one point Paul has to point out that a man sleeping with his dad’s wife isn’t something to brag about. Corinth was more like a bar filled with drunk patrons trying to figure out the Bible. It would be like waiting until happy hour at your local bar and starting a Bible study then and there. To put this church in contemporary terms, on any give Sunday if you were to visit you might be greeted by a biker dude with a beer in his hand in an insulated sleeve that reads “Jesus is my homeboy,” or you could be met at the door by one of the community prostitutes brandishing a cross tattoo on the massive amount of chest showing from her low cut top. At this point you might be thinking that I am about to drop the judgment hammer on this community of excons and alcoholics. You would be wrong. I admire this church, and the bold vision of its pastor. Imagine presenting Jesus among those who you would expect least likely to respond to Him only to discover that they are ready for life change. Corinth is a place where people didn’t have to change to attend but were allowed to come as they were and change after they belonged.

Paul spends the bulk of his written words correcting the broken behavior of these people but you can tell from every stroke of his pen and every sigh of his spirit he loved them. They are rebels, cowboys, and renegades but they are also people who God loves. It is no accident that in this community so many spiritual abilities are spoken of, after all God was entrenched in a serious battle where Satan had a great strong hold. If this gang of brutes were captured by the Truth it would make any place unsafe for the enemy.

Corinth seems to have a knack for taking the sacred and making it into a party. What they didn’t know about religion they tried to fill in with revelry. I don’t mean to down play the seriousness of sin but it is almost humorous to think that you are going to have to tell people that the Lord’s Supper isn’t an excuse to get drunk. Amazingly enough it is in the eleventh chapter of 1 Corinthians Paul has to do just that. Not only does he have to let them know that the Lord’s Supper isn’t a tailgate party but that the people who are in need are something we can’t ignore. It is refreshing to consider a church that isn’t locked in a battle till the death over paving the parking lot, or choosing paint colors for the lobby. I think it is very cool to consider having to tell the people you are reaching that fellowship doesn’t mean bringing a keg.

This weekend we are going to learn from the Pastor of this mob how we should observe The Lord's Supper. It is going to be interesting.

Times, directions, Podcast? mercyscross.com

Filled and Starving

2009-05-21T05:29:00.000-07:00

Because the foods we eat contain less of what we need and more of what we want it is entirely possible to be filled with the junk food we eat and still be malnourished. It is a sad fact we can be overweight and malnourished. This is true also for our spiritual diets. We can be overloaded with church programs, Christian responsibilities, and other church activities and yet not have the spiritual nourishment that comes from engaging God on a deeper personnel level. What is the answer to our junk food spiritual diets? Fasting.

Fasting is a time of physical hunger and spiritual nourishment. Fasting says that I am no longer content with “Church as normal” anymore, but I want you God. It shifts us from the blasé religious experience to an intimacy with the one that all the activities are supposed to be focused on. It is important to note fasting is not organized, coordinated or launched by the church. It is a decision you make with in the confines of your relationship with God.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” Matthew 5:6

This weekend we will discuss fasting in the message Life in the FastLane.
MERCYSCROSS.COM

Life in the FASTLANE.

2009-05-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

It is a constant battle to keep our eyes on the important stuff. Just the other day I was driving and realized I was supposed to pick up the kids from school, I was almost home! I have three of them and I forgot! Thank God the school doesn't just turn them out and say "hope you make it home since you have a ding-a-ling for a parent." It is so easy for me to get side tracked with the immediate and forget the important. I think that life is designed to confuse me. That is why I have found it invaluable to develop the skill of rewind. Rewind is what I call it when I need to go back and grab hold of something that is important, or foundational that I have some how left off.

This is true with the most important of all of our relationships, our relationship with God. God seems to be the easiest to forget about. I guess that is why He continually tells us in scripture "Remember me."Don't forget me. "Do this in remembrance of me. He tells me this because He knows I am prone to let what is in front of me eclipse what is bigger. Have you noticed the closer things are the bigger they seem? It only takes a very small object to block my vision when it is close. Maybe that is how I can loose sight of God by letting tiny things get in my face.

In the Bible people struggled with the same issues I have. You will see it played out over and over again. God brings them through incredibly tough stuff and they are thankful for a season only to completely forget about God a short time later.

This brings me to my point. I think that religion has forgotten about God. Literally the institutions that are set up to draw attention to Him have forgotten about Him altogether. This week as I prepare for the weekend message I realized we have forgotten about one of the most important practices God has given us. It is a practice that has brought about amazing accomplishments. It is a practice that Moses used to receive the ten commandments from God, it also is something he did to keep God from destroying the rebellious people of Israel. David practiced it and found strength to be joyful during some of the most difficult times of his life. The disciples didn't do it and found that there were things they could not do without it (Matt 17:15). Daniel did it and received a critical answer to his prayers. Esther called for one when her people were facing certain death at the hands of Hamon, and because of it they were spared (Esther 4-7). Hannah did it when she wanted a child and God answered her plea (1 Sam 1:7). The people of Nineveh did it and God spared their judgment. What is it I am talking about? Fasting.

The lost work of fasting. I think I want to make my relationship with God so practical, so applicable, so relevant that I forget that God isn't natural, but He is SUPERNATURAL! Jesus outlines in Matthew 6 three sacrifices that God honors. They are foundational, essential, and they bring about amazing breakthroughs in our lives. He says "When you pray. "When you give. "When you fast. Jesus outlines three things I must do to impact the world and to be impacted by God, give, pray, and fast. These are the three most difficult areas I face in my walk with Christ. Consistent prayer, sacrificial giving (that is giving till it hurts), and fasting. Have you noticed no one is talking about these? I can find a book on every shelf telling me how to be a better dad, how to become financially stable, or how to raise a better kid through shock theropy (not really). What I don't find is books on spiritual disciplines that are not written by wacko-s. I think the problem is that when the wacko-s get hold of something the dignified almost make it off as off limits. Too bad because Jesus gave us the mandate for fasting.

This weekend I will cover the truth that there are spiritual breakthroughs that are unavailable to those who do not fast. Also there are health benefits (significant ones) to fasting. I will also talk about how God opens up opportunities, and give miraculous breakthroughs as he honors the sacrifice of fasting. It will be off the chain.

Baptism-Death to self...

2009-05-15T06:13:00.000-07:00

"I wet my pants too."

2009-05-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

Christianity isn't about pretending that we have it all together. It is caring, loving, and sympathizing. It is having the understanding that we all have sinned. It is a horrible place to get in religion when compassion is replaced with judgment. It is at that point we truly forget who we are...Sinners saved by a gracious God. It is like the thirsty who discover a fountain in the desert later when other parched travelers come desiring a drink they down on their thirst. It is a strange and foreign thing to no longer be willing to be numbered among those who are in need of God's grace. We all need it. We all require it. Scripture tells us that everyone of us has gone his or her own way, the wrong way. By contrast how sweet is the companionship of those who understand that we don't grow to sinlessness we simple grow to understand how much we need Jesus, every day. In the following story there is one who recolonized the fault of another as fault of her own, and instead of pretending she didn't have the problem she did the most compassionate thing she could. She loved.

Come with me to a third grade classroom...... There is a nine-year-old kid
sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his
feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to
stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never
happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never
hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him
again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and
prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five
minutes from now I'm dead meat.'

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her
eyes that says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying
a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the
teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself,
'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is
the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him
gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. Al l the other children are
on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is
wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been
his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.

She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. 'You've done enough, you
klutz!'

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy
walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?'
Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'

Targeted

2009-05-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

“Jack of all trades, master of none.” Ever heard it? I have, and not only have I heard it but I have lived it! I have been so involved with so much at times that I was no good at any of it! I have even caught myself giving myself permission not to strive for excellence because “I have too much going on”. Ever done that? Churches do the same thing. They do it all the time. They are so focused on volume, they lose quality. A great statement we all need to keep is “We can’t do everything.” So if I can’t do everything, nor can my church, what can I do or better yet what should I do?

Over the past year, I have been working on discovering what Mercy’s Cross is good at. What I mean is that sweet spot of God’s will for us as a community of believers. It is like trying to find where we are talented, positioned, or gifted in. I believe I have found it! We are gifted in a few very strategic areas:

1. Connecting Seekers to Christ and His Church-Ones who are wondering about the question of God. Is he real? Why believe? Why Church? Is the Bible true? Etc.
2. Healing the broken-The Broken are those who have lost hope and need love and support to walk into a future
3. The Addicted- Are those who are shackled to the pain of their hurts, habits, and hang-ups.
4. The Widows-Single moms.
5. The Orphans- Foster children in our community.

These are the people we see who have the greatest spiritual needs AND we are best positioned to help. (disclaimer…These are not the ONLY people in our community who have spiritual needs but they are the most needy and the best target for what we are good at in ministry). The next step is to address how we can minister to these for the highest spiritual return. Still working on that…

Two events at my house in May!

2009-04-29T10:25:00.001-07:00

I always have people ask “will there be room?” the answer is “absolutely”! Stacey and I have the privilege of living in a home on 52 acres. Lots of open fields and plenty of room for people and fun. We built our house with the intentions of sharing it with our church family. Our last leadership gathering we hosted 53 people and had plenty of room. So if you are considering coming, don’t hesitate, just come on!

INFUSION:
May 9th leadership gathering. Exact itinerary is not yet concrete but could look like…Talk sessions discussing Craig Groeschel’s book IT. Technology will let Craig teach two sessions over the plasma. Dave Morley will be teaching a session live. I will be teaching a session and outlining our new missional direction for Mercy’s Cross.

Stuff that will be unveiled at INFUSION. Our new missional direction, our new website, and the construction drawings for our new facility in Sherwood! You don’t want to miss this!

Fun will include-Water gun fight (BYOWG-Bring your own water gun), Go cart racing, and some team competition stuff! You will leave dirty, and abused, but filled with vision and a big smile!

The food theme is Italian. No breakfast this time but we are going to do a killer lunch. It is pot luck so bring your best Italian dish.

Sorry: No kids at this deal-e-o.

H2O Hollow 2 Holy-BAPTISM:
May 17 again at my crib (in my yard really). We want to break our all time record for number of people baptized in a single baptism. Last year we set a new record with 58 baptized at a single baptism. Our goal is 100. This is a joint campus baptism.

Fun-After the baptism we are going to shoot for a badminton world record! Most people playing a single badminton game! Imagine 300+ people playing badminton at our giant badminton net! It is going to be awesome….Bring your badminton equipment!

Food-BBQ we are bringing in a whole hog! And the three D’s are in effect bring a Dish, Dessert, Drinks!

Later Night Possibility (my wife says no but….)
That night we are going to watch a movie on the big screen in our yard. Bring a blanket we’ll pop some pop corn it will be great! It’s like a drive in movie, without the car! If we can’t have the movie on that night we will do it later in the summer!

Morgan's Story

2009-04-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

You have heard the chatter about Morgan, well this is her story. Give God the glory.

Shortages.

2009-04-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

How do you handle life’s shortages?

Let’s face it life is full of shortages. Think about it, how often are you short on gas, or short on time? How about short on patience? We have all felt short on talent, or short on sleep. Have you ever had money only to find you are short on cash? Shortages they are everywhere. Life it seems is short on every thing except shortages.

Even the Apostle Paul felt shortages. It seems he had some type of disability that made him feel like he was coming up short. Listen to what he says:

“ To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor 12:7-9 NIV

Paul wanted nothing more than to have this “shortage” removed from him, but God had other ideas as you can read. God let Paul know that His grace is enough. So maybe in your life you have experienced some shortages lately and just maybe you are asking God to help you with them? Could you live with an answer like the one Paul got? In your life is God’s grace enough for you?

I want you to understand this isn't the answer we always get but it is an answer God can give. This week I want to explore our options and ideas as we face shortages.

…To be continued

iPray

2009-04-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

In every account I can find in scripture, God’s leaders lead in the area of prayer. Consider Moses, Noah, Isaiah, Paul, Peter, James, or John. They all had a distinctive prayer life. They were the first to seek after God and the last to leave the late night visits with the Heavenly Father. How easy is it to miss this fact. Leaders listen to God. The Bible says this of Jesus:

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16 NIV

Two words in this passage jump off the page like neon in church. The words “often” and “lonely”. The word “often” lets us know that prayer was the habit of Jesus, it was the norm not the exception. More regular than an oil change is the Son’s conversations with the Father. It seems Jesus just couldn’t get enough of those discussions, day or night He would be found by the waters edge, or in the olive grove talking, laughing, and communing with God. It reminds me of when I first met my wife, I couldn’t get enough of talking to her. If we weren’t together we were talking on the phone. That’s how it is when you love someone. So what did the Son get from Dad as they spoke? He got the same things your Heavenly Father is offering to you:

1. The Gift of Calm. Leaders are nervous. Parents are nervous. Moms are nervous. Men are nervous. By nature we are nervous, scared and stressed. It is a natural part of who we are as fallen people. This nervous apprehension drains our spiritual, emotional, and relational batteries. Have you noticed when you are in a high stress, fearful circumstances they drain you? Ever waited at the hospital for critical news? Ever noticed that after that moment is over how exhausted you are? That is because the absence of calm is the presence of draining fear. Many of us walk around exhausted because we have not picked up on the habit Jesus mastered. The habit of receiving from God His gift of calm.

2. The Reward of Reassurance. Prayer reminds us that what we do, who we are, and even where we are going is in much more capable hands than our own. Jesus Himself at his final prayer time in the garden reminds us all that it isn’t “His will” but God’s will. It is liberating to be reminded that it is God whois our resource.

3. The Help of Hope. It has been said we can last a month without food, a week with water, five minutes with out air, but not one second with out hope. Many times the evidence around us wages war against our hope. We can start the day with every intension of remaining positive and before breakfast is over news can come in or a set back can arrive and out the widow flys our best efforts. Jesus often got alone with God because life can be depressing. It can steal our hope. Prayer is the fuel for our hope tank. Jesus never got far from the filling station.

Then there is the other indelible word: Lonely
Why a lonely place? It almost sounds sad. No one wants to be lonely. Some of the most down cast people I have met are those who are consumed with their loneliness. As we look at this word we discover it doesn’t imply a place void of conversation, or companionship but it is a place where we can focus on the One who can make a difference when no one else can. Jesus needed to be with the Father and the Father alone. If there is one thing absent in this world filled with noise, activities, music, work, cell phones, and ipods it is quiet time, alone time. God speaks but He isn’t willing to speak over the things that have your attention. We are reminded it is the “still small voice” it is in a whisper God speaks. Too much noise, too many distractions and you will miss Him. This seems to be a trend of God. The scripture says that there was nothing in Jesus’ appearance that would cause you to want to be near Him. The King of Kings didn’t appear in royal apparel, or with the pomp and circumstance He was worthy of. Instead he came in the womb of a little teenage girl, married to a common carpenter. At His birth Jesus wasn’t surrounded by royalty, or the privileged. No, it was in a stable filled with the stench of manure and the audience was the blue color workers of His community. God many times disguises Himself in common packaging. If God choose to be delivered in a sack He most likely would choose for it to be brown paper. God doesn’t try to out shine or drown out His competitors for our hearts. Instead He whispers, and he appears in the common, because He wants you to come close and put your eyes on Him. When Jesus prayed, He knew something that we have forgot. It is a privilege to take to God. It is worth turning everything down, and getting alone so we don’t miss one thing God wants to give to us.

Miracles Among Us

2009-03-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

I'm about half way through the graphics for Miracles. Just wanted to get some feed back. The idea is:"I was once blind but now I see." Take a good look at the blind eye. I have several hours in Photoshop creating the sick eyes. Did you notice the depth? The sick tear ducts? How about the spherical nature along with the highlight? Just think if we are taking this kind of pains on the graphics how much greater is the message series going to be? Series begins Easter,April 12, 2009.

Porn & Pizza

2009-03-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

It is this simple...You do not get over porn, sexual addiction, or sexual hurt alone. You need accountability, support, a plan, a program, and a group of non judgmental people surrounding you who understand where you are coming from. You need some people who will pray with you and who will ask you the hard questions. Ever notice that there are not many "how to learn to swim from the comfort of your home" books out there? Or "Learn to ride a bike by correspondence" courses? In the same spirit if you want to walk out of a dark part of your life you will need to have the courage to grab a hand of one who knows the way. Denial will keep you imprisoned, alone and stuck. A rut is simply a grave with both ends knocked out. If you are ready to get out of the rut you are in, tonight is the night. Tonight we are going to talk to these subjects and launch brand new support groups based on sexual addiction. It all starts at 5:45 at Mercy's Cross in Sherwood.

Can't make 5:45? Come late we'll save some pizza for ya.

For directions: Click Here

Nobodies get to do it!

2009-03-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

In Matthew Chapter six, with sniper like accuracy Jesus laid it out. What was the great secret He unveiled? Prayer. How to converse with the creator of the universe. That’s right, God in the flesh is about to put on a clinic about how to talk to His Dad. After all who better to tell you how God likes to be spoken to than the one who spent endless (and I do mean endless) days conversing with Him. The most impressive part for me of this prayer example is the very beginning:
“This is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven,” Matthew 6:9

Just that quick, Jesus states one of the most profound facts of life. “This is how you should pray.” Not this is how you “will” pray or this is how you “better” pray, or this is how you are “commanded” to pray, NO it is a statement of choice. You should, He says. Why you ask? Because the Father likes talking to you. I have considered this statement today several times. I should pray. I do pray but not enough and not with the right heart all the time, and not with the proper awe of the One I am speaking to. But I should pray, you would think that my heart filled with joy or my head filled with fear would force me to speak to God knowing He is my only hope. You would think that God would demand to be recognized in our lives since He not only created us but He also redeemed us. But with the quiet tenderness of a mothers voice, Jesus offers His profound suggestion: “You should pray.”

Then Jesus tracks further: “Our Father in heaven.” Remember the one speaking, this Jesus is who Paul reminds us made and created all things. This is the one who on a warm Jerusalem evening found Himself fastened to a tree dying for an undeserving world. This is the One who all glory belongs to. But now includes us in the group who would call The Father, OUR father. Jesus puts Himself in our company. He chooses to slum with the rats of this world’s sewer. He refuses to be ashamed and instead chooses to share His Dad with us. With plain Jane, dirty fingered, hopeless, nobodies like us. So today we can say “Our Father”, and be included in the company of the divine.

Let's talk about porn.

2009-03-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

Saturday night (tomorrow night) is going to be one to remember at Mercy's Cross Conway. It is going to begin with an incredible discussion concerning the realities of Porn. 57 Billion dollars each year is spent in the Sex industry. It is one of the most profitable business in the world. Every day millions of people participate in the fantasy world of porn. Christians are one of the top consumers of the product. In a recent poll by XXXChurch.com 90% of Christian men and 60% of Christian women confessed to struggling with porn at one point or another.

So what are the implications of this in the church? The implications are HUGE. Sexual sin is a sin that brings incredible shame into the lives of people. This shame is so strong that many who have failed or have been hurt through sexual sin do not feel worthy to be used by God. Many who could make such an impact in our community can't do so because they feel, unforgivable and unclean. We are opening this discussion so we can help open the eyes of people to the damages of porn, and the healing God can bring into our lives as He reveals His incredible grace to us through Jesus. It will be a powerful night.

Silly String War After The Talk!

So how do you end such a cool night on such a heavy topic? By Arkansas' largest Silly String War. It is the men vs the women. B.Y.O.S.S. (Bring your own silly string). The war will commence after the service on the grassy lot next us.

NO SILLY STRING on the parking lot! On the grassy lot only!

Saturday Night Service Starts at 6 PM in Conway
Need Directions to Mercy's Cross? CLICK HERE

Ever Wonder?

2009-03-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder if those who produce porn target kids?

Do you have a teenage daughter about to start college? What if there were those who would offer her ten times as much to pose nude than she can make at her Starbucks job?

How do kids who have a normal upbringing and would never even consider being in porn get caught up in it?

Porn producers often network through your kid's friends to encourage them to participate in porn. How do they do that?

What if your husband had a secret, that is destroying your marriage? Would you want to know and discover help?

What is the cost of a lust?

What are the results of porn "spicing" up your marriage?

Why is porn an issue if your single?

What questions do you have about porn? Discover this Saturday night the answers as we ask Donny Pauling former porn producer, now XXXChurch.com pastor at our Conway location. Doors open at 6PM THIS Saturday night.

For directions: mercyscross.com

The Arrogant Leader

2009-03-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

No one wants to be called arrogant. There are some cuss words that don’t strike the hurtful cord in me like the word arrogant. To be honest though, I have been arrogant at times. Behind this word is the real root attitude. That attitude is PRIDE. This truly is ground zero for leaders (for me). I find that with success pride is a bigger battle. The more people I have telling me how good I am the more time I need to spend listening to God. It is a dangerous thing to begin to believe that I am better than I am. John the Baptist understood this: “He must become greater; I must become less” John 3:30 NIV The great people of God all had this uncanny ability to see themselves for who they are not who others think they are. Paul starts almost every letter with the title “Bondservant”, or “Slave”. Why? Because it is easy to think more of ourselves than we should. There is a second danger for me and that is liking the good stuff people say so much I try to make sure that is all they see. It is a temptation to start guarding the way I appear to others. It is a temptation to start focusing on looking good rather working to be good.

Why am I tell you this? Is it so you can be aware of the pitfalls of pride and arrogance? No, it is because I need to tell you this so I don’t become prideful. I need to remember who I am and I need your help. By you listening to my story as the letters appear on this page you are helping me to remember I am simply a sinner, who had no hope and still doesn’t outside the crazy love of a God who would take my rightful place and die for me.

See the truth is I really am not a great leader or even a good one. I’m a country kid who grew up swimming in the muddy ditch in front of the house. I am a guy who didn’t finish college with any kind of Christian degree, never did seminary, and really isn’t qualified to do what I do. That’s the truth. No matter what success might be visible at this point in my life, I am only here because God decided to do something pretty cool out of not much to start with.

I was reminded this morning who I really am. The kids bags wouldn’t fit in the back of the car because of some crackers in boxes that I was supposed to bring to the food pantry. So while the rain fell and the placement and replacement of bags didn’t work I got mad. I then commenced to throwing the crackers, boxes and all in the yard along with a coat and what ever other junk was there. I left it there in the yard and drove off taking the kids to school. Great leader huh? I am so many times puzzled by how other leaders seem to really have it together all the time. I don’t know if they are faking or if they really are that happy, positive, never get mad, never throw crackers kind of people. Maybe there are those who have it together. I don’t know, but I do know I don’t. Not yet at least. This evening I will apologize to my kids for throwing the crackers, and realize once again who I really am.

Donny Pauling is coming to Mercy's Cross Church this Saturday & Sunday

2009-03-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday night at 6 PM Donny will be at our Conway location for a raw unedited question and answer session. Come and learn from a person who knows and understands the porn & sex industry from the inside. Come and ask questions and get answers.

Sunday morning at both 9AM & 10:20 AM Donny will be at our Sherwood campus for both services sharing his testimony & delivering a powerful message about a God who calls, forgives, and heals.

For directions to either campus: mercyscross.com

-Sunday morning at 11:15 in Conway we will be sharing a video message from Craig Gross the founder of XXXChurch.com entitled "America's Dirty Secret."

Honoring our Parents...

2009-03-03T04:48:00.000-08:00

I think we can all testify that we didn't have perfect parents. As I get older and further along as a parent myself I am beginning to see how difficult it is to parent. I am also beginning to cut my parents some slack for the things I thought they didn't do well as I grew up. Today my parents are both aging. My mom and dad are both in their 60's, mom has COPD (which is a respiratory heart condition that causes her lungs to fill with fluid making it difficult to breath, among other things), and my dad has had several strokes over the years. Mom presses through her condition and tries to continue her life although she doesn't feel like it many days. My dad can't see well, walk well, or do much of anything without help. All of this has happened over what seems like an incredibly short time. Time flies when we look at it in our rear view mirror.

Now my confession...I am incredibly busy doing ministry in the place God has put me to minister, Mercy's Cross Church. Weekly we see amazing life change, there is never a time where we are not busy. It is easy to put my mom and dad on the back burner as I do the work that is showing such promise and that I love. But God gave me my parents and expects me to care for them and my service as the Church is out of place if I try to replace my role in my parents lives with ministry to others. So today I am taking my mom to the dentist. I will serve my dad when we get back. It is not a challenge, or something difficult it is an opportunity to give back to a couple who gave to me. Being the church means being the church to my parents. I share this with you because it is easy to get our priorities out of whack, even when your the pastor of a kicking church (in two locations! lol) I thank God for the opportunity to care for my parents.

Jesus chimed in on this topic:
Matt 15:3-9
Jesus replied, "And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, 'Honor your father and mother,' and 'Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.' 5 But you say, 'You don't need to honor your parents by caring for their needs if you give the money to God instead.' 6 And so, by your own tradition, you nullify the direct commandment of God. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about you when he said, 8'These people honor me with their lips,but their hearts are far away.
9 Their worship is a farce,for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings.'NLT

Smokin' Hot New T's!

2009-02-26T12:12:00.001-08:00

This Sunday order your SexEd T's at Mercy's Cross Church! All sizes $10 each. They will be in before Porn Sunday. Online orders email me. Scott@mercyscross.com

2009-02-24T14:49:00.000-08:00

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. NIV

Leadership definitions…according to Scott

2009-02-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

What is leadership?
A person who is willing to do what ever it takes and takes what ever is due to accomplish what needs to be accomplished and can inspire others to do the same. Leaders are visible living proof that the vision is worth the effort. Leaders are to followers what gravity is to water. Leaders force the vision infused followers into the cracks and crannies of the world. Vision infusing leaders spread the vision like the plague spreads illness (but in a good way).

What is leader infusion?
Leader infusion is the investment of information, motivation, or inspiration in the leader. The results are cataclysmic.

What is leader impact?
It is the sound of metal bending, glass breaking, along with the smell of smoke, when the unbending desire of a leader meets with the resistance of anything standing in the way of the fulfillment the vision.

What is leader vision?
The ability to see the opportunity even when it is hidden by the possibility of great loss, bodily harm, or hard work.

What is leader inspiration?
The heart felt message that raises the vision of the following to a willingness to charge hell with gasoline underwear.

What is leadership sacrifice?
Life.

What is leadership motivation?
The ability to look in the distance and see the broken body of Jesus Hanging on a tree with the knowledge He hung there for you. He didn’t whine, complain, or quit. That personal understanding will cause a leader to take on the world without even one thought of cost, or odds.

What is leader burn out?
Huh? I don’t know.

2009-02-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

Interview between Pastor Scott and Satan…

Scott: “Why do you use sex as a tool to ruin lives?”

Satan: “Scottie, why have you got such a hang up on sex? Let’s not forget, I didn’t invent it, from your own mouth you said your ‘God’ invented. I’m just using the tools available.”

Scott: “You’re not known for telling the truth.”

Satan: “Are you asking a question?”

Scott: “Yeah, are you going to tell the truth in this interview?”

Satan: “What is truth? You say tomato I say Bloody Mary. Maybe you can’t handle the truth is why you don’t see it for what it is.”

So are you going to be truthful?

Satan: (laughing) “What you want me to put my hand on the Bible? You and I both know that ain’t going to happen. Yeah, I’m going to tell you the truth. After all Scottie I am sure you will know when I don’t (more laughter).”

Scott: Is Oral Sex sex?

Satan: “Are you kidding? Scottie the 90’s are calling, it isn’t sex at all. It is a hand shake, a gesture. It is what you do after you’ve had a good dinner. Everybody is doing it. Why do you and your ‘God’ have to be such a kill joy?”

So you don’t see it as Sex?

Satan: “Your not listening are you Scottie? Do you know who the 42nd President of the United States was? Yeah you know, he didn’t think it was sex either. Are you smarter than the President little Scottie?”

To be continued…

SexEd Porn Sunday Feb 22 At mercyscross.com

2009-02-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

An amazing thing has happened over the past eight to twelve hours. I have gotten over 200 emails concerning our new SexEd and Porn Sunday series. The most amazing thing is that NONE of them are negative. ALL of them are positive! It is like people are so relieved that finally a church is willing to unpack what sex should be. It is like a unanimous sigh of relief in our community and everyone is saying FINALLY, we can start to hear what God says about all of this. It looks like we are about to blaze a trail.

Knowledge will increase...

2009-02-13T17:18:00.001-08:00

What a week!

2009-01-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

Just got back in from a radical church conference with a group of pioneers in the work of Jesus. It was challenging and horizon broadening. First, the church where we met was BNC (brandnewchurch.com). I must admit I got a little skeptical when I began my journey to Bergman Arkansas, home of Brand New Church. My ministry is here in Arkansas, I live here, I know what the wasteland of Arkansas looks like, and before last week I was like, Nathanial, “Can anything good come from there?” It was after I passed the second guy with groceries driving a four-wheeler, and was greeted with the indelible aroma of huge chicken coops, I knew this conference was going to be different (my fear was it was going to be way different). I was right it was different. Crossing the top of the hill an amazing thing happened, an incredible structure appeared on the left hand side of the road. A very contemporary building branding the name Brand New Church. Sweet! I thought they got some rich chicken farmer maybe even a Tyson person to fund his own personal church. I was wrong, what I discovered at BNC was a group of people passionate about lifting up Jesus, and He (Jesus) has responded by blessing this work. Who can argue with a church running according to the Campus Pastor 1200+ every weekend in a community of 400? Shannon Odell the Senor Pastor and visionary leader encapsulated his passion and the essence of the success he has been given by saying “The greatest thing I do is lead my wife and my family.” That was worth the trip. I know Shannon does a lot more than that but it is refreshing to hear someone who is getting it done, bring light to the fact that our core relationships are what gives us success, and success at the cost of our core relationships is ultimately… failure.

I will write more in the weeks to come but the following is something that God spoke to me as I listened and shared with these incredible leaders:

IT IS WHO

When it comes to the question of the God life we ask the wrong question. We want to know how. We concern ourselves with systems, plans, and programs. We believe that if we can emulate a certain path our destination will be the same as the one we want to be like.

Jesus tells us in John 15: “apart from me you can do nothing”. What happens when we ask people how they got to where they are (overcoming drugs, losing weight, helping their kids, getting out of debt, or overcoming depression for example) and they answer “Jesus”? Truth is we almost automatically discount what they said. We don’t want to hear that. We want a system to follow, a to-do list to keep. We don’t mind considering starving ourselves from calories, doing a million situps on the latest ab appliance, but the maintenance of a relationship with the Change Maker doesn’t seem like something we want to accept. We want to know “how”, not “Who”.

In church leadership it is the same. As pastors we want to know “how” churches accomplished things. What resource, program, technology, or secret gave this church we admire the accomplishment? So we ask all the wrong questions. Jesus told us God’s house is to be a house of prayer. Why? Simple… because the “Who” is much more important than the “how”. The attempt to change the human heart based on the “how” will result in a chain of sand. It may appear to be something but the test of time will bear out its temporary nature. God is the maker of heaven and earth, He alone has the power to melt and remold the image of broken man into the likeness of His Son. Who does that? Jesus. How does He do that? Relationship.

Learning

2009-01-02T06:48:00.000-08:00

I’m fasting. I fast because I want to know God more intimately. I want to know His assignment better. I want His power to carry out what He wants done. I want me to be out of the way and Him to live boldly in me.

What I am learning so far…

1. Pastors are prideful. Based on a conversation I had with a pastor recently I have come to this conclusion. Pastors want a new and improved church. To reach the world for Christ isn’t good enough. To become surrendered followers isn’t good enough. In these conversations you have to have new reasons for church. Things such as “we are here to be creative”, “to generate leaders”, “to cultivate small group communities”, “to live by purpose”, and so forth. What is true is that pastors want to be recognized as being different, special, some how more connected to God with a unique spiritual mission. Why? I asked myself. The answer came in my hunger. We want to be significant and we don’t feel like we can be significant unless we are unique and people are drawn to our uniqueness. How ever you slice it that is pride. We chase after crowds and compromise the essential mission because we want to look good. Am I doing this?

2. I move too fast and pray far too little. As ministry grows the need for discernment, prayer and intentional decisions becomes far more important. I have come to the conclusion that I am going to work very hard to listen to God better. To make decisions in the right time, and to look to do things that are fully endorsed by God. The following formula is going to be a guide after prayer…People first, Programs second, and Buildings third (I believe this is the value system of God). If the choice is between a pastor coming on to help with people, or a new building or technology, we choose the pastor. If the choice is between moving a part time person to full time or expanding a program, we will choose the person. If the choice is between a nice facility or more shepherds, the choice is shepherds. Every decision will be bathed in prayer and opportunity will not be the gauge to action. God will dictate the action. Am I listening and am I making decisions based on what God values?

3. The construction material of the church is people. Jesus was a carpenter he built things but we have no record of Him ever building a structure, but He is building His church. What is the church? People called, who respond, who commit, who live and grow into those who know Jesus and make Him known. The New Testament does not contain one building being built to house the church. Not one. The church was simply a group of people who believed that Jesus is who He says He is and they could do what the Bible said they could do. They were committed to that. Why is it if that is true the lions share of a churches budget is designated toward paying for buildings? Scary but very good question. What are we building?

To be continued…

How do you spend the 365?

2008-12-26T12:10:00.000-08:00

It has been said and I know it is true…”time is like money if you don’t decide how you will spend it someone will decide it for you.” So having that thought I am working on how I am going to spend this next year. So let me start with the big things first and work my way down from there.

1. This year I am going to spend it under God’s authority. God is right. God is holy. God knows all. God is in charge, of me and my life. This life isn’t mine it is His. All that I own, all that I have, all that I know, all that I don’t know is all HIS. My desire is to spend 2009 completely submitted to Him. My goal, focus, and purpose is COMPLETE OBEDIENCE. That is where it begins and where it ends.
My Life Passage for 2009 is:
My Life Challenge is:

Philippians 2:3-10 NASU

3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

I will challenge myself in the area of selfishness. I will submit in humility to those around me especially God.

4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

I will put the needs of others before my own. I am going to give more away, keep less. I am going to concern myself with the plight of humanity in this lost world.

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

I will not grab onto titles (even if they are justified) or positions and use them as a crutch to hold up my pride.

7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

I will be willing to risk all that I have to take hold of that which is at the heart of God.

8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

I will make God’s kingdom my life and look at trials, troubles, and suffering as part of the life that is here. I will understand that my obedience is essential to my maturity in Jesus.

9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

I will make Jesus the subject of my life in every area. I will concern myself with surrender more than anything else. I will consider His glory more than any other. This is where it starts.

Iconic. The story of Jesus,

2008-12-19T05:15:00.001-08:00

Imagine you are the topic of every person who has ever lived.

Imagine your presence is felt throughout the universe.

Imagine if everything depended on your existence.

Imagine your birth is celebrated world wide.

Imagine your birth is so significant that it changed the entire calendar.

Imagine people for thousands of years desiring to be just like you.

Imagine the symbol of your death is one of the most recognizable symbols on planet earth.

Imagine being so famous, so powerful, so incredible, so recognizable, that the whole world forgot about YOU.

ICONIC The Story of Jesus.

There is a prayer taught to children saying: "God is good, God is great..."

How Great?

Read this and consider...

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:15-20 NIV

There’s a star called Betlegeuse.

If Earth was the size of a golfball. Betlegeuse would be the diameter of 6 Empire State Buildings.

————————————–

Numbers are taken lightly.

A million seconds ago was 12 days ago.

A billion seconds ago was…

in 1975.

A trillion seconds ago….

was 700 BC.

A quadrillion seconds ago…

was 30 million 800 thousand years ago.

————————————–

There’s a star called Musepheus.

It’s so big that you can fit 2.7 quadrillion Earth’s inside that one star.

There’s a star called Canus Majoris.

It’s the biggest star found… yet.

If the Earth was a golfball, it would be the size of Mt.Everest.

16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

————————————–

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20 NIV

The Hubble Space Telescope took a picture of a black hole in the middle of the Whirlpool Galaxy.

One Large Accident?

————————————–

17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

All living organisms are held together by a unique protein. This protein has been undetected for the most part until the invention of the Electron Microscope. Since then the discovery of this protein has led to our understanding of many things. The protein that hold all things together is known as Laminin.

The following is a graphic depicting Laminin.

Remember this is the glue the holds all living things together.

————————————–

This weekend on the Conway Campus we will be discussing Jesus the Iconic God. For times & directions: mercyscross.com

Ghost Mission

2008-11-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matt 7:13-14 NIV

We were created to make a difference. God hard wired the human spirit to be more than a spectator in the world. That is why we feel such remorse when we see lives “thrown away” and wasted. It is such a tragedy to see untapped potential, unused talent, and unfulfilled accomplishment. Normally the lives that are wasted are easily recognized. What isn’t so recognizable is the shadow side of our created mission. It is the alter ego of our created purpose. Human beings cannot exist in the absence of purpose. Everyone sells out to a purpose. Even those who we consider a waste are sold out to their purpose. The alcoholic is sold out to the purpose of the next drink, the drug addict is sold to the next high, the business executive is sold to the next business deal. We cannot exist in the absence of purpose. Survivors of the concentration camps controlled by the Nazi’s witnessed that the cruel treatment, and even torture was equaled by the intentional purposeless work they were given to do. In one camp prisoners were forced to dig deep holes through rocky soil for days and even weeks only to fill the holes back in. This endless activities were incredible torture on the mind of those who were created for significance.

Knowing that we are created for an intentional purpose is only half the battle in living out our potential. Another reality is if we are allowed we will find a substitute to God’s purpose for our lives. This is what I call our ghost mission. It is a life you were never intended to live. Ghost Mission isn’t a life that is normally filled with blatant sin. It isn’t a desire to rape, rob or pillage, no it is much more masked that. Normally our ghost missions are not 180 degrees out from our God mission but more like a few degrees off. It is possible that those who live as a ghost are very religious, very successful, and likable. What separates the God mission from the Ghost Mission is one will end in the benefit of others and the other will end in despair.

Crowns in Heaven

2008-08-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

Five crowns in heaven…

Incorruptible crown- Life of Christian Discipline
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.(Incorruptible Crown) 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Cor 9:24-27 NIV

Crown of Righteousness- Determined faith in Christ
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Tim 4:6-8 NIV
Crown of Rejoicing -Soul winners crown
But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. 18 Therefore we wanted to come to you — even I, Paul, time and again — but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy. 1 Thess 2:17-20 NKJV

Crown of Glory-Shepherds Crown
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 Peter 5:1-4 NIV

Crown of Life-For those who suffer for Jesus
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 NIV

So little to do...

2008-08-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

Schedule/reality
5:00 AM review and form a script for video message point.
-Hit the snooze too tired from last nights staff and weekend service meetings left Sherwood around 8:30 (13 hour day)
6:30 AM workout
-Skipped again too tired instead took time to review script for video
-3 emails returned
8:30 AM video new Conway Campus for offering video
-Met videographer and did it in one take.
-15 text messages answering questions.
-5-phone calls during this time
9:00 AM Meet with framers and give them a check
-Done
-Made four phone calls answer questions for framer
-Called contractor (3) times to finalize plans
9:00 AM Meet with landlord to finish permit paperwork
-Done
-Text contractor to forward info to her.
9:30 Schedule Fed-Ex check pick-up for Sound equipment Conway
-Done
10:00 AM Shoot video illustration for message
-Finished in three takes
11:00 AM Eat Lunch and make call backs
-3 calls
12:30PM More call backs
-2 calls
1:00PM Finalize plans for Conway neighborhood mapping for visitation teams.
-Done
-Picked up inverter.
3:00PM Go pick up inverter
-Done
5:00PM Funeral Visitation
-Conflicted with Conway appointment
-Sent email and make call letting them know.
5:00 be in Conway for neighborhood mapping
-Started mapping
8:30 leave Conway
-Tired really tired.
9:00 Bible Study with family
10:45 Sleep
(15 hour day)

Tomorrow…
5:00 AM Go over timing for Invitations EKG component
6:30 AM Workout
8:00 AM Meeting
10:00 AM Funeral
12:00 PM Eat
1:00 PM Meet with Lighting Contractor (Sherwood)
5:00 PM Eat
6:30 PM Meet with visitation team and organize visits (Conway)
9:00 Bible Study with family
10:30 Sleep

Fearless

2008-07-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. [Matt 10:28-29 NIV]

Why is fear so detrimental to our forward movement in Jesus? Why is Jesus so adamant about our not being afraid of anything other than Him?

It is amazing that I remember as a kid at night, I was so scared that I would put the covers over my head and breath as shallow as I could because I thought Dracula was real. I was so filled with fear I wouldn’t go to the restroom all night no matter how bad I had to go. In the morning, once the light of day came, I would run as hard as I could to the restroom. Most of us can relate to the fear that made us do funny things as kids, but we really don’t like discussing what fear causes us to do as adults. There are so many fears that even the books struggle documenting them all. Here are just a few: Astraphobia: fear of lightning; Chrometophobia: fear of money; Europhobia: fear of the color red; Cyberphobia: fear of computers (if this is you…thank you for taking such a large step and reading my blog!) Homilphobia: this is the fear of sermons (I have this every Saturday). Then there is even Phobophobia: this is the fear of fear itself! We are scared of a lot of things.

So why is all this fear so bad in God’s eyes? First you have to recognize that what ever you are afraid of, you are subject to. What I mean is what ever holds you in fear controls you. It calls the shots. Fear will stop us when we need to go. Fear will cause us to go when we need to stay. Fear will keep us quiet when we need to speak. It will make us speak when we need to be quiet. You are subject to what ever you are afraid of.

Solomon wrote: “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”, because when we have a healthy fear of God, we make ourselves subject to God. It is interesting that God doesn’t tell us to be fearless, but instead He tells us to fear Him.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. [Matt 10:28-29 NIV]
At the same time we are told that we are not to be afraid.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. [2 Tim 1:7NLT ]

How does this work?

It works in that we are subject to what we fear, and when we fear God, we don’t fear anything or anyone else. In a since, we are liberated from all fear other than the healthy fear that causes us to follow hard after Christ. Fear God and you will fear nothing else. Don’t fear God and you will be subject to all other fears.

The Enemy part 2

2008-05-29T07:42:00.001-07:00

Isaiah 14:13
“I will” raise my throne above the stars of God.

Lucifer wanted God’s Position

WHAT ARE THE STARS OF GOD?

Many times, when we reference the supernatural beings created in Heaven, we use the generic name “Angels”. Some scholars believe this name is a reference to what these spirits DO, not who they are (the name “angel” literally means messenger). Some believe, and I admit to being one of them, that there are many more ranks, and structures to the invisible spirit world than one group. There are hints in scripture to some of these different, yet seldom talked about divisions of spirit beings.

16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created through Him and for Him. Col 1:16 NASU

In Colossians, we see Paul giving credit to Jesus for all of creation. He is inventorying just the highlights of that creation. Notice the inventory: “visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities”. He bounces between the visible things and the invisible things. Dominions and Authorities are both a division of the spirit realm, yet we never talk about either of them.

Now let’s compare Colossians with a list in 1 Peter 3:22

22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. NASU

This list seems to coincide with Paul’s list of names. Notice that Peter specifically says “gone into heaven” letting us know these divisions exist in heaven.

So why do I believe that there are many more amazing spiritual beings in heaven than one division? Because God is a creative God. The earth is testimony to the creative artistry and diverse imagination God has. From deserts flats, to ocean floors, from icy mountain peaks to green grassy valleys, from lizards that change colors to cats with spots, from horses with stripes to flies with hairs, God is endlessly creative. If the crescendo of God’s creative genius is heaven how much more diversity must exist there? Would God choose to unveil His zenith and show to us a boring canvas?

What does this have to do with Lucifer wanting to be over the Stars of God? Everything, because what Lucifer is saying is that he wants to be over all of the created spiritual world. The reference of “Stars of God” is a reference to ALL the Spirit Beings. This is a much broader title than the title “angels” it refers to much more of the invisible world.

On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone-
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy? Job 38:6-7 NIV

It is amazing to imagine, but Lucifer was the Arch Angel over one of the highest classes of beings God ever created, but that wasn’t good enough. He was a four star general in God’s army but he desired to be Commander in Chief.

Today Satan still wants God’s position in the spirit world. He wants to be over your spiritual maturity, development, and he desires to be the subject of your spiritual worship.

Supernatural-The Enemy

2008-05-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 14:12-14
12 "How you have fallen from heaven,
O star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who have weakened the nations!
13 "But you said in your heart,
'I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
14'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.'
NASU

I have a love hate relationship with scary movies. I love to “not watch” them. I mean I want to, but as soon as something really scary comes out, I shut my eyes and cover my ears. It’s really silly if you think about spending your hard earned money to get into a movie and “not watch” it. But I do, so now you know. There are some stories contained in the Bible that at times I must admit I want to “not watch” them, especially when the discussion begins about demons, or Satan. But God lets us know that we need to be aware of him (Satan) and his schemes. God also give us comfort by letting us know that He (God) has our back. So this blog entry will begin a series of entries that discuss the Resident Evil, the enemy of our souls.

Before we go very much deeper let me say a few things about Satan that you need to know.
1. Satan is not without beginning, he is not eternal. He was created, there was a time when he was not. He is not self existent.
"You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you. Ezekiel 28:15

2. Satan is limited. Each time he desires to do something, he must ask God for permission.
3. He is not equal with God. He is most likely equal with Michael another Arch Angel. (we’ll discuss this later).

That is good news. If Satan was self-existent, infinite, opposite of God, we would have something to fear. I am not saying that he is weak, dumb, and easily overcome, but he is no match for God.

A snap shot about his desires:

Isaiah 14 contains five “I wills” of Satan. They give us a deep look into the mind of our greatest foe. Lets deal with the first one.

Isaiah 14:13 "But you said in your heart,
'I will ascend to heaven;

The statement “Heaven” actually is a reference to three distinct places. There are 3 heavens. Paul let us know this in his writings to the Corinthians:
2 I was caught up into the third heaven fourteen years ago. 3 Whether my body was there or just my spirit, I don't know; only God knows. 4 But I do know that I was caught up into paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be told. 5 That experience is something worth boasting about, but I am not going to do it. I am going to boast only about my weaknesses. 2 Cor 12:1-5 NLT

The first heaven is that which surrounds the earth, we call it our atmosphere. The second heaven is the interstellar space, this is referenced in scripture as the place where the angels live. And finally there is the third heaven, this is the Holy of Holies the place where God exists and lives. Lucifer along with the other angels would travel from the second heaven to the third heaven to offer praise and worship to God. Lucifer, at some point, got tired of being a visitor to God’s home and made up his mind he would take it over. Lucifer’s first “I will” reveals that he wanted God’s Place. Does Lucifer, who we now know as Satan or the Devil, still compete for God’s place? How?

What do you think?

Trust or Obey?

2008-05-14T13:42:00.001-07:00

Almost every major religion shares one common theme. A god, his expectations for mankind, and punishment for failure. Whether you are a Muslim, Buddhist, chasing a comet or drinking the Kool-Aid this is true. Unfortunately for most Christians this is also true. Our concept of God is that He has certain standards and if you want Him to accept you, you must meet those standards. It seems logical right? I mean after all it seems God wants to control our behavior and if we were to disappoint Him why not bring punishment. A good question is, where did this come from? Many would say simply look at the Old Testament, and you will see the Law glaring at you. Some believe that the Law is the written standard that God gave to us so that we might be accepted by Him. Again most view the Law as God’s check list for our acceptability. Seems right but is it? After all many would point to Jesus and say, “He did away with the Law and now we are made right by God’s grace.” If that is true why did God who is all knowing radically change His plan in mid stream? Why if God is complete with knowledge, past, present, and future make such a blunder in His original arrangement? Maybe the truth is He never changed His plan. Paul let us in on this secret in his Ephesians letter:
“His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.” (Eph 1:5 NLT) So by this we know that God’s plan has ALWAYS been to adopt us through Jesus. With that being said then how did we come to the conclusion that the Law is His standard instead of Jesus. It may very well be that we have misinterpreted God’s intentions for some time. Let’s take that lead and journey back to the origins of the Law and see the intent. We may well find that God gave it for very different reasons than we have believed.

The date is 1446 BC and God has called Moses to lead the nation of Israel out of their slavery of Egypt. I think it is important to mention that until this point God has been silent for almost 400 years. Then God breaks the silence. For many they begin their study of the Law at the time when Moses climbs Mount Sinai and gets the stone tablets. I know that for years I have watched Charlton Heston collect the tablets of stone only to descent the mountain and see the mess that Israel had made by worshiping the golden calf. But, that is not where God began to speak. It is very import that we begin where he begins…at the burning bush. The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. (Ex 3:7 NIV) Did you notice it? Did you? God said something very profound in this one simple verse. He said “my people”. Did you see it? Go back and read it again and make sure you see it. This statement is very important. Why? Because the commandments have not yet been given. At this point there is no Law to live out to be accepted or rejected. The Law wouldn’t exist until months later, but God is calling Israel “my people”, that means they were accepted before the law was given. Now let’s fast forward to another event that takes place BEFORE the Law…

The date is somewhere around 1450 BC and God has brought horrible plagues on the nation of Egypt to break the will of the Pharaoh so that the whole world might know that God is God. It is interesting to take note that Egypt believed in multiple Gods, they believed that the Nile was a god; they worshiped frogs, bugs, the sun, and almost everything in creation. When God chose to free Israel from Egypt He systematically dethroned every God that Egypt worshiped. God did that so Israel, who had been under the influence of Egypt, might know that the gods of Egypt were no match for the God of the Hebrews. That is the reason God turned the river Nile to blood, sent the plague of frogs, turned the sun black and all the other plagues. The final blow to the religion of the Egyptians was when the Pharaoh (who was seen as god himself) chose to chase after the Hebrews and would be swallowed up in the Red Sea so that all might know that there is no other God like the God of Israel. Today if you were to journey to Egypt you can travel to the Valley of the Kings and you can see the pyramids, tombs. Each of these elaborate burial chambers document the careful work of that community in their burying of their man kings. One pharaoh’s body is mysteriously missing. Missing because it was swallowed up in the deluge of water when he attempted to usurp the authority of the one true and living God. Scientists still wonder why.

Long before the Sinai experience, God spoke and gave His first commandment. It was during the final plague that God gave careful instruction that would result in freedom or death. On the night of the final plague, the plague of the death of the first born, God would send His death angel in to the nation and every first born would die. The exception would be for those who did what God commanded with His first commandment. God instructed that to escape this great judgment each family would have to slaughter a lamb, and paint its blood on their door post and header. They would then feast on that perfect lamb and eat a unique meal. You have to understand that slaughtering a lamb was not a big deal for the Hebrews, it would be like talking on a cell phone for us. But what got weird was when they had to take it’s blood and smear it on the door posts and header of their houses door. This was a stretch, after all what purpose would it serve? Interestingly enough the purpose of this exercise would be that it had no purpose at all and didn’t make since. Are you confused yet? See God designed a ritual that would not make sense, that served no purpose, to force the Hebrew people to TRUST HIM. God’s first commandment and requirement to escape His judgment was to trust Him. Long before the tablets of stone God made the lamb and the use of its blood the subject and first right of passage into a journey with Him. God made the issue of trust first and foremost in this special relationship with Him. In God’s economy, acceptance isn’t earned, it is believed. The Hebrews would have to make a decision if they were going any further, they would have to decide to trust God or not. The first commandment is the commandment to trust.

So why then the other commandments? If we are accepted by trusting God why give rules? That is a wonderful question. Rules are not conditions for acceptance, they are confirmation of acceptance. God gave rules to the Hebrews so they might know how to behave. They had been slaves for hundreds of years and had never known how to govern themselves; they needed to know how to live. Not killing each other is a great start for God’s community. Not stealing each others stuff is a wonderful start for people who belong to God. And the list goes on and on. God gave the commands because Israel belonged to Him not to make them His possession. In the same way in my house I have rules for MY KIDS often they remind me that other kids (I won’t name names) don’t have to do what I require. I remind them those other kids aren’t MY KIDS, and I can’t rule over them, but my kids are my kids and they have to live by my rules. The commands are proof that we are God’s kids, because God doesn’t give rules to kids that don’t belong to Him.

About 2000 years ago, God did something that made no sense, it seemed to have no purpose (as far as science is concerned) and was somewhat weird. God sent His Son into this world to die. Jesus Christ who is known as the Lamb of God, was born, suffered died, and was raised from the dead. God made a radical requirement that we believe that He (Jesus) died for us. In the same way the Hebrews had to believe in that little lamb and make a decision to use its’ blood we have to believe in God’s Lamb and believe that His blood is necessary for us to go any further with God. God’s requirement for us to miss His judgment and go any further with Him is that we TRUST HIM. You can simply pray to God and let Him know that you trust Him and the judgment that is coming on the world will miss you.

Breath

2008-03-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

Many have searched for God. Many believe that they have found His image in the creation. Some say that the finger prints of The Divine are seen in the canyons, or maybe the stars. Some say they can see His face in the clouds. Recently one lady saw the face of God in her toast, someone believed and purchased that toast on Ebay for an incredible amount. But where is God? This is a question that has been asked through out the ages, even some of the heroes of the Bible have pondered and asked this question.

A man named Elijah asked. "Where are you God? Can I see you?" Elijah asked because he was discouraged. I think all of us have asked that question at least once out of discouragement. I know I have. I know I have been with people who have suffered and they have asked the question…”Where are you God?” or “Where was God when this happened to me?” It is a valid question.

Elijah asked it and wanted to see the proof that God was there. So God played along. He sent him out to the mountains to wait and God would pass by. While Elijah waited, a wind came by with such force and violence it tore a mountain in half. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind. Then an earthquake, but the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. Then fire, still not the Lord. After the fire came a gentle whisper. Here is the record:
12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 1 Kings 19:12-13 NIV

“gentle whisper” demamah (translated gentle) literally means silent, and qowl (whisper) means voice. So literally where we translate “gentle whisper”- it is to mean a silent voice. God is telling us something significant. He wasn’t in the larger, louder, brighter things he was in a silent voice. So again what is a silent voice? It is a breath. Many of the old sages and translators believe that this still voice or silent voice is breath. God was in the breath.

The Genesis account of the creation of the Bible tells us that “God breathed into the nostrils of man and he became a living soul.” The first thing man had to do to live was receive the breath of God. In that same creation account the name of God is revealed as Yahweh which means “The Lord”. When you pronounce the name of God, “Yahweh” it is the same rhythm as a breath. When God breathed into the nostrils of man, it wasn’t any breath, it was the breath that gives life. It was a silent voice. It was the name of God, Yahweh.

From the time of the creation of man until today every baby will breathe to live. That breath contains something of God. It contains the life giving name of God. Outside of God, there is no life. And unless a person will say the name, they cannot live. They may deny His existence, they may scoff at His work, but they will say His name or die.

5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man's life is but a breath. Ps 39:5 NIV

What is death? Many define it as when we take our last breath. Or when we no longer can breathe. They are right. But it isn’t the absence of the breath that kills as it is the missing name that seperates the dead from the living. The moment the quiet whispered name of God can no longer be said that person is no longer alive. Death is when God takes away His name from their lips and they no longer are living but are simply the compounds, and chemicals that made them up. So maybe that is what the Psalmist is talking about here:

9 When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust. Ps 104:29 NIV

So where is God? Not where we expect. Elijah expected God to show up and save the day. Don’t we do the same? Don’t we want God to be Superman or Robocop and come in and make things better? Instead God let Elijah and us know that you are alive and I am but a breath away. Live.

Hate

2008-02-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

Horrible. This is the only word I could utter after having spent the morning combing the halls of the Holocaust Memorial in Israel. Image after image, each one painting a picture of the horror of human hate. I worked very hard not to let the images sink in, at least at first. Then I turned the corner and was face to face with the photograph that broke down my resolve not to cry. It was a print of a woman clinging to her child with her back to her soon to be executioner. The muzzle of the rifle was trained on the neck of the mom, her body tense expecting the blow but still shielding the child from the gruesome sight. The image was recorded just moments before the shot. How horrible to be put in a position of desiring to protect your child and at the same time being helpless against your attacker. It was in the moments of weeping before this print I thought of something that had not occurred to me. Who took the picture?

Who would want a picture of such a nightmarish sight? Why at that moment did he squeeze the shutter open? Was it by accident? Did he really want an image of the bullet piercing the mother and her son, and through mistaken timing had recorded an image milliseconds earlier than intended? Was this to be a trophy for the killer? Was this print circulated around the barracks and laughed at by spineless weak minded murders? The intended reason for the image may never be known but its affect on me is something I will never forget.

In my moment of anguish as I empathized with this mom I was interrupted by a plump red faced woman who blurted out “This is more than I can take, let’s go eat.” I couldn’t believe my ears. Lets go eat? That’s all she had to say about this memorial? This monument represents six million lives that were stripped of dignity, starved of the basics of humanity, and murdered. I guess a representation of such great sacrifice isn’t enough to keep the attention of the complacent millions whose number one is themselves. I almost asked God to let her choke on her “much needed” lunch but asked for forgiveness instead.

There is no happy ending to this story. I left the memorial, dejected, hurt and angry. That day I didn’t feel very Christian. I really didn’t like some people and wondered how God puts up with us.

It has been a week or so since I was there and I still am not real sure what I can do with the emotions I have. So I pray and trust God will give me the answers and grace to press out a life lesson from it all. I am working to understand how to love those like Hitler, and plump red faced self absorbed people. Not there yet.

“Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
-Jesus

God of Creation

2008-01-17T14:28:00.000-08:00

In my past life I was a professional photographer and owned my own studio. I recently picked my camera back up and sought to capture images of the world we live in. This beautiful world was a direct result of an intentional compassionate creator. Let me know if you enjoy the images...

Ever wonder why more than one?

2007-07-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder why more than one?

I mean think of it when God created the heavens, the Earth, Krispy Kream, tater tots, and man (one) why didn’t He stop there? Think about it, what problems he could have avoided! There would be no traffic jams, in-law troubles, no blame games, no toilet-seat disputes, no told-you-so’s or any other multiple human stuff. In one undone act, God could have very well done away with court systems, prisons, and even the IRS. Why didn’t He?

Think about all the trouble it would have saved God. No long nights with no sleep staying up listening to prayers of people asking for help in their relationships. No intervention in the soon to be broken marriages. No pain and disappointment associated by people hating people. And the pinnacle would be no cross. That’s right, no cross. If it were just Adam, Jesus could have come in the form of a UFC fighter and whooped the bad right out of one guy, right? God could have daily kept up with Adam and made him do that which is right. But God didn’t just leave this earth with one human inhabitant.

What did God see that made Him know that there could never be just one? God saw us. He saw you and me. Ever heard of love at first sight? Well, God has penned the idea of love before sight. He told the Prophet Jeremiah that he knew him before he was in his mothers womb and he loved him. BEFORE he was, God loved Jeremiah. BEFORE we were, God loved us. God loved us enough that He is willing to endure the pain and hardship to be near us. He is willing to endure the cross so we can cross over to Him. God’s love was way to large too be limited to just one. God so loved us….that He gave.

So what does God want us to do with each other? Love like Him. Love each other like God. How can we do that you ask? Know the love God has for you. That is where it starts. It starts with us understanding God’s love for us. When we do that, we are then able to love others. The old Apostle John told us like this: We love BECAUSE He first loved us. (1 John 4:19). It seems that the reservoir of God’s love for us feeds the streams of our love for others. You ARE loved so you CAN love.

So why more than one? Well one reason is that there is no love where there is only one. Only in relationship and community can we be loved and love in return. Limit the number to one and limit the potential for love. The Bible tells us for certain God is Love. How could a God that is love not want to share that love and watch it multiply.

The foundation of all friendships is Love. This weekend we will begin looking at the love it will take to help your life be filled with friends. See you this weekend!

The cost of loving just went up...

2007-06-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

It has been said that love doesn’t come cheap. That is a true statement! Love isn’t free, or cheap. The Bible tells us that God demonstrated His great love for us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us (see Romans 5:8). Love is demonstrated, active, expensive. With love there is risk. The greater the risk the greater the love’s potential. Risk, loss and cost are all three associated with great love. Jesus told us that no greater love can any man demonstrate than his willingness to lay down His life for His friends. The casual reader would say “that’s true!” and not even realize that there has only been one person who was able to fulfill that statement. I know some will say that about the person who charged into the fire to save another, or the soldier who dove on the hand grenade. All of these are acts of love true enough but only Jesus was able to “lay down” His life. Jesus didn’t have to die, He was without sin, perfect, and could live forever as a man. The firefighter, and the soldier died EARLY. Jesus died willingly.
Jesus demonstrated great, expensive, extravagant love. Why demonstrate? So we could see how it is done. What do you have to give that no one else can give? You might say “nothing”, that isn’t true. If you are a dad, you are the only biological dad your child has, only you can give your child the gift of a loving father that God intended your child to have. If you’re a coworker, you are the only worker at your business that is like you, your presence there is exclusive and individual, how can you be a presence at work that will demonstrate the love God has for your coworkers? Who are you best friends with? You are the only best friend with that person that is exactly like you. How are you demonstrating God’s love to your best friend? Do you see? You hold exclusive rights to being YOU. Give yourself as Christ demonstrated- so the world might know the love God has for them.

"Jesus is trying to KILL me!"

2007-05-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Crazy idea huh? But true. God has designed a life for us that can only be entered into by our death. This death isn’t physical so much as it is actual. God desires a presence in us that is surrendered and completely His. Our future in Jesus is traveled into through the passage of death and burial. It is no coincidence that the very picture of Baptism is a picture of death for the most part. Think of it, Baptism represents three distinct aspects; death, burial, and resurrection. Call us optimistic but we tend to focus on the last more than all the others. We want resurrection, and new life, but God lets us know that the passage is marked by our own death. Two thirds of Baptism focus on topics that we tend to run from. Could it be that we have in our haste jumped the “little detail” of death in an attempt to take hold of something that is out of reach for the living? Could it be that many of us are not living in the fullness of God’s grace because we haven’t truly “taken hold of that which took hold of us?” Could it be that we are living in ourselves with the God “additive”? God will not accept squatter’s rights on that which He alone owns. Paul said it this way “Do you not know that you do not belong to yourselves but you belong to another who paid a very high price for you?” Jesus let us know that to follow Him we will have to take up our execution chamber (our cross) and die then and only then will be useful. “If any man come after me must take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Jesus) It is kind of funny and kind of sad that we tend to think of the things we aren’t doing like Bible study, prayer, or sinless living as “our cross”. But in reality Jesus intended for us to understand that the journey with Him begins with our death to self. Jesus doesn’t want to “reform” your soul He desires to resurrect you. God doesn’t come to take part, but to take over. “If any man clings to his life he will lose it, but if he will loose his life for my sake he will gain it.”

What do we want to be known for?

2007-05-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

We could be known for lots of reasons, but what should Mercy's Cross Church be known for? What activities or attributes should define us? Who, what, or how, are all words we could use to question how we present ourselves to people. How about generous, caring, or compassionate. What would we most like to be known for?

Murder, Violence, Destruction...

2007-04-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

How far will we fall? We have killings on our campuses, we have shootings in our high schools, and we even have kids killing kids on our play grounds. The debate is raging on how to provide more security, gun control, and even arming other kids to protect them. I want to ask one question…What has changed? In our society, in our communities, and in our homes what has changed? These violent acts did not happen in a vacuum. What was the catalyst? It isn’t that guns are more readily available, we have always had guns. It isn’t that we now have violent movies, we have always had violent movies. It isn’t that our kids no longer have great homes, there have always been cruddy families, and awful homes. So what is the difference? Journey with me to another time and another place and lets see what the real issues are…

Mankind without God will always follow a predictable path. Every society since the beginning has had the same plight and flight plan. God gives us the account in the book of Genesis where the first flight from God took off…

5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. NIV Genesis 6:5-6

It all begins with the heart issue. It always does. Our hearts are deceptive, wicked, and desire to do exactly what they want which is usually the opposite of what God wants. “every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil.” Our thoughts reveal our heart. Our heart dictates our world view. Our world view dictates our behavior. Early man had a heart disease that is known in the Bible as sin. Sin if allowed will weave its tentacles around our lives until a firm grip is had then it will squeeze and press all hopes of life from its victim.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. Genesis 6:11 NIV

The story has progressed. Man has now devolved from thoughts to actions. His heart has dictated his life. What he thought of in verse 5 now he is living in verse 11. Violence is always the result of a corrupt heart. Wayward thoughts if left unchecked will result in wayword actions.

So what does that have to do with us? In Genesis it begins with corrupt thoughts, corrupt hearts, minds far from God. Later those corrupt thoughts lead to corrupt deeds, volence against humanity. Then what you ask?

Genesis 7:23
23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. NIV

The results of the path of sin was destruction. Everything was lost. Today if you were to track the demise of every empire, every kingdom, and every nation of our past you will find the same pattern. The gauntlet begins with God being left out of our economy, and our thoughts shifting from the things above to the things below, then our corrupt thoughts give birth to corrupt behavior, and in due course destruction comes. This is exactly what God said:

14 Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. 15 These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. James 1:14-16 NLT

So what does this have to do with the killings recently? Everything.

We are in the very throws of the demise of our community as we know it. Evil desires and thoughts have given way to evil actions and violence in our community. These are the death rattles of a society. Don’t kid yourself apart from the God our end is in sight.

What can we do?
Pray…Prayer evokes the attention and focus of the only One who can do anything about the hearts of man, Jesus.

Take Responsibility…The issue isn’t going to be fixed because of gun control, security, or even metal detectors. The problem is that we as God’s representatives have not done a good job of selling the world on Jesus. This problem is squarely on the door step of the Church. Don’t just stand there, do something! Tell them about HIM! LIVE IT! GET INVOLVED!

Commit…Commit to the life changing work of Jesus through His favorite tool the Church. Changed lives, is the answer. Lives change here at MCC. Bring them in!

Take a second and read what Jesus had to say about the end…

Luke 17:26-27
26 "When the Son of Man returns, the world will be like the people were in Noah's day. 27 In those days before the flood, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came to destroy them all. NLT

Mom for a day...

2007-04-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

I don’t know what I was thinking! I guess I got caught up in the moment planning our new message series (Trading Spaces) and lost my mind. It seemed like a good idea to take Stacey’s place for a day (my wife), but now I am having second thoughts. She gets up so early and stays up late and never stops! My usual agenda is watching the latest Dirty Jobs or Myth busters. What even makes it worse is that it is going to be filmed! We will air the video on Mother’s Day (that should be a real embarrassment) . Holy cow I am not ready to be a mom! Pray for me.

Hippity, Hoppity...well its over now.

2007-04-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

I must admit as I type with a Christian hangover from four Easter services, I am both tired and happy! Easter was more successful than we could have ever imagined. Let me give you a snap shot of our Easter…It began Thursday night at Celebrate Recovery with 142 people gathering to find answers to life’s difficult problems. Then 0n Friday night the Children’s Center played host to an outreach that was led by the Children themselves, they were challenged to bring their friends and they did! 175 children and adults packed the Children’s Center to worship, and learn about the Easter story. Saturday morning found 74 kids and adults in the preschool center hunting Easter eggs and discussing the resurrection. Then Saturday night, twice Sunday morning, and Monday night Mercy’s Cross Church campus was filled with people coming to hear about Jesus, 991 total for our Easter services. So if you look at the numbers I would say that Easter was a success! 1382 people.