How Big is your Vision?

I once asked a professor if a vision can actually be too big?  He answered by saying that we are called to win the world, if your vision is bigger than that THEN it may be too big.  Isn’t that truth.  Isn’t it also true that churches think way to small?  I believe that the responsibility of every church is not only to win their neighborhoods, but to evangelize their state, their nation, and the world.  Jesus’ last words for his disciples were to win their Jerusalem, Samaria (surrounding area), Judea (the rest of the nation) and to the uttermost parts of the earth.

I believe that God is going to do great things with our church.  I believe that God has a vision for our church to evangelize the world with the gospel of Christ.  By the way, you may not know this, but our church is located in Pegram, TN and currently we average around 25 people.  One may wonder why I am still so optomistic, the reason, we are going to continue to follow God and it is in His heart to win the world.  God empowers those who follow Him. 

God told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations and he didn’t have one kid.  People may have questioned Abraham, whose very name means “Father of many nations,” as to why his name was changed.  God told me to he would respond.  By the way, I don’t even have one child of my own.  However, God came through and fulfilled His promises and now Abraham’s descedents are as the sand of the shore.  I believe that He will do the same for us.

Who do you believe?

Last year at about this time a major documentary was done (which included James Cameron, “Titanic”) and they claimed that they found the tomb and body of Jesus including his entire family.  Admittedly, I was totally drawn in as the cornerstone of my faith is in the fact that Jesus rose from the grave.  The documentary made the viewer believe that this was more than just an Indiana Jones adventure, they had mathetical certainties and scientific evidence including DNA to back their claims!  When all was said and done they made you feel that if you disagreed with their findings then you probably also still thought that the world was still flat as well.

However, you do have more than one option.  You can believe the claims of a film maker and his collegues made 2,000 years after the fact.  They certainly had a lot to gain; money, noteriety, and the ability to sir up controversy within the church (that is always fun).  Or you can choose to believe more than 500 men and women who actually saw Jesus ascend into heaven.  These men and women had nothing to gain and each one of them died not simply for a belief, but for what they saw.  They were tortured, lost everything they had all because they would not deny what they saw.

So whose story will you choose to believe?

Judas: A Display of God’s Love

At True Life I have been going through a series on the 12 Apostles.  This week I have been studying about Judas.  As I began to study Judas and his life I kind of felt like I was going through the “trap” that so many others have fell into.  The story of Judas is less a story about him and more of a story about the love that Jesus had for him.  From day one Jesus knew the choices that Judas was going to make and yet He still chose him.  Even to the very end as we read the story of the events that occurred at the Last Supper we see that Judas (not Peter or some other great disciple) is there sitting at the right hand of Jesus, the honored place at a table!  Till the very end Jesus loved Judas, what a beautiful picture of God’s love for us.  Romans 5:8 says that God showed His love for us even while we were still sinners.  Even when we hated him, rejected Him, and turned our backs on Him, He still loved us and died for us. 

The other major point that I find from the life of Judas is very simple.  If you could put yourself in his place for a moment and imagine all of the events that he saw in his life.  He saw Jesus walk on water, heal the blind and lame, feed more than 5,000 with 2 loafs and fishes and don’t forget about the messages that he heard the best sermons that this world has ever heard and yet his life ended in suicide.  What I realize is that the conversions of people don’t depend on miracles or even more information Judas had seen it all, but real conversion is a matter of the heart.  If you are looking at Christianity and you are on the “edge” of believing or not and you think if you knew just a little bit more about this whole “Christian” thing then you would believe then you can think again.  Christianity isn’t about knowing more it is a matter of the heart.  There are brilliant people in the world who think the claims of Christ are foolish and there are brilliant people who are totally sold out to Christ.  There are uneducated people who feel the same ways.  It isn’t a matter of what you know, it is a matter of the heart.  Today open your heart to Him and see what He will do.

A New Reason to Obey

I believe that it is a hard concept for most of us to understand and that is this that we are to be obedient to the King regardless.  Sounds like a simple concept, however, over and over I find myself being obedient when it is convenient and most of all when there is something in it for me.  I have even heard (and used myself) the ole “well my heart isn’t in it so I’ll do what I want to because I don’t want to be a hypocrite”.  You have to admit that is a good one.

The truth is that God demands absolute obedience from us whether our heart is in it or not.  Regardless of our circumstances and regardless of whether the outcome is what we hoped for or not we are called to be obedient to Him because He is our God, He is our Creator and we are responsible and accountable to Him whether we like it or not.  The good news is found in the fact that we can trust that God has our best interest at heart.  He is a trustworthy God and would never ask us to do something that would harm us.  Some have misunderstood the laws of God as an “almighty thumb” to keep us from something fun.  The enemy has deceived so many to believe that God’s laws are there to keep us from freedom.  The reality is that God’s laws are there for our protection to help us to be free.

However it is true, God does give tremendous blessings for those who are obedient to Him.  “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart…and He will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6)  “Delight in the Lord and He will give the desires of your heart.” (Psalms 37:4)  Hopefully we don’t obey simply because of these blessings to us, but that we obey because of our love for Him.  If you need just one more reason to obey then do so because He is the Mighty God and we are accountable and responsible to Him as the creation.

Let Go and Let God

What a cliche’, right?  First of all who really does that?  Most of the time I let go, but take it right back as I am leaving.  Recently I read a blog (http://www.christianlivingministry.com/2008/02/12/are-you-worried/) and he gave an example of what it truly it means to let go in an a story.  It moved me, maybe it will help you as well.

While Moses and the people of Israel were wandering in the desert they went up to Moses and told him that they were running out of water. Moses told them to pray to God about it. So the people left and a few days later they came back to Moses and said “Moses we prayed and we still do not have any water, it still has not rained” Moses looked at them and said “What do you mean you prayed? If you prayed and believed that God would deliver rain where are all the ditches you dug? How were you going to catch the rain and keep it?”

How true is this?  That is what it truly means to “Let go and Let God”.  May we all relinquish our control into His Soveriegn hands.  Let Him deal with our financial issues, our health and relationship problems and then and only then will we find true peace.

True Life Bookstore

Here is a link to the True Life Bookstore.  By shopping through this link any purchases that you make a percentage is given to our church.

http://astore.amazon.com/truelifenashville-20 

Thanks

The Essence of Spiritual Warfare

When I was growing up most of the sermons that I heard on spiritual warfare were kind of “kooky.”  We would be made to think that the devil was hiding under every rock and hiding behind every door.  True spiritual warfare is very different.  If I have learned one thing about spiritual warfare the principle is this:  That every physical battle is a spiritual battle.  I am reminded about the story of Achan found in Joshua 7.  Achan stole items that belonged to God and because of this spiritual defeat there was a physical defeat, (he along with his whole family was sentenced to death).  The sooner that we understand this principle the sooner that we will be able to get the “traction” over our sin and gain not only spiritual victory, but physical victory as well.  We mistakenly believe that our willpower, personal strength, or by some “secret” we will overcome sin, but this is NOT how sin is overcome.  Sin is overcome through the power of the Holy Spirit living through you.  Sin is not a test of willpower, but it is a test of your faith in God.

I am sure that when Achan was picking up the sacred objects that he must have thought, “I can’t wait to take this because it is going to destroy my family” or “I can’t wait to take this and destroy everything that is important to me.”  He probably didn’t think it would destroy him, just like we don’t believe that sin will destroy us, but it always does.  Sin is so devastating that the only act that could destroy it’s power was the very death of the Son of God, Jesus Himself.  More than the best human begin, more than an angel, but Jesus shed his blood on a cross to destroy sin.  You’ll never be good enough or strong enough on your own, you can be strong enough when you submit yourself to Him.

The True Meaning behind Christmas

If you were the general of an army you wouldn’t tell your enemy when, where, and how you were planning to attack.  You wouldn’t because the enemy would have a great advantage.  If they knew that you were attacking at a certain place and time they could focus all of their forces there knowing that you weren’t going to attack somewhere else. 

In Genesis 3:15 God set the plan in motion and told the world, including His enemies, that a redeemer was coming.  What I love about God is how He revealed this most important plan to the entire world from the very beginning.  God not only told the world that a redeemer was coming, but how (through a virgin woman (Isaiah 7:14), where (Bethlehem, Euphratah Micah 5:2), who (through the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and King David), and even when (Daniel 7:26) this was going to take place.  What I love most, is that Satan knowing all of this could do nothing to stop it.  Our God is Soveriegn and His plans are always carried out.  He is Faithful to the end.

What is really great to know is that God has a plan for us as well.  He has a purpose for us that not even Satan can keep from happening.  Jesus once said, “I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.”  The story of Christmas is more than just God’s ability to keep His promises, but the fact no one could stop even when they fully know everything about His plan.  We can take heart in knowing that if God is for us then who can be against us?

Standing with the King

I don’t know much about military battles, but I do know that it doesn’t sound like a good idea to stand in the middle of the battlefield, however that is exactly what a man named Eleazer did.  In 1 Chronicles 11 we read the story about a battle that turned south and most of the army fled David, but one man Eleazer stood with him.  You may wonder why and the answer is found in verse 10, because he believed the word of the Lord that one day David would be the king of Israel.  The point is that Eleazer found out who (or what) God had annointed and he got behind it no matter what the cost.

It is not much different today.  I believe the difference between nominal Christians and extraordinary Christ-followers is in this fact; they find out what God is into and they completely devote themself to it.  What is God into nowadays?  Ephesians 5 says that Christ loved the Church and He gave Himself for it.  The question I ask is “What are YOU into nowadays?  What are you putting all of your energy into?  What are your priorities?

When it was all said and done and eventually David did become the king of Israel, David raised Eleazer to be one of his mighty men of valor.  One day for those believers that stood with the true King of kings will also be raised up in the world to come.  Where will you be?  Will you be one of those who ran when troubles hit, or will you stand with your King even when it seems to crazy but you stand because of your faith in the King.

Moving to a Building

I am not a fan of moving.  When I was in school, my dad and I counted it one day and realized that we had moved over 30 times (and that was just in my lifetime).  He was in the military and other circumstances, but regardless, that is a lot of moving.  Last week my family moved once again.  This moved seemed a little different though.  Our little church is moving into a building and we are moving (literally) across the street from it.  As the pastor, I am very excited.

A few months ago, our family made one of the biggest decisions of our life.  It was a jump into the unknown.  We found out that God is the unknown.  It is in the unknown that God does some of His best work.  Noah building a boat because it’s going to rain.  Gideon fighting a war with just 300 men.  Over and over throughout the Bible God used people who stepped into the unknown to follow Him with all of their heart and God ALWAYS came through.  We believe that He will do the same for us and our church.

Our desire as a church is to create an atmosphere of authentic worship.  We are tired of the show that most churches put on.  We want people to come to our place and truly have an encounter with their Creator.  So many people are tired of church and “organized religion” and in some ways I completely understand.  However, if I could take you in a time machine back to the 1st century and introduce you to this guy named Jesus I want you to know that you would really like Him.  In turn you would find that He would really love you.  Whether you have been hurt by a church before or by “so-called” Christians, don’t let that get in the way of the greatest relationship that you could ever have and this is with your Heavenly Father.