New Beginnings

Someone this past week asked why I haven't been blogging. It's been a long time and now I see how important it is that I start again. So, I am!! New Beginnings is a vital part of Woodlake Church. We developed New Beginnings to assist New Believers in their decision to follow Christ. So now I find myself with a tool that I've ignored and it's time to get started. Hope you enjoy the new direction.

Got Balls?

So I've got to tell you a story about what happened before Haiti that helped Haiti. So is it a big deal? if you've Got Balls it is. One of our team is a changed man. I've watched his life unfold right before my very eyes. For Him, it's a BIG DEAL! I'm talkin 14 months ago this guy is an alcoholic and drug addict. His life was spiraling out of control. One night he is home after spending the evening in a bar celebrating his daughter's birthday and gets into a fight with her boyfriend. When he wakes up the next morning he gets up and finds blood just about everywhere. He doesn't even remember the pipe to the head, goes out to the garage and gets out his bottle and starts drinking again. Well, that was his bottom and the rest is history. I'm talkin sober since January 2010. No more drug addiction and this guy is on fire for God. Now he's goin on a his first Mission Trip! Can you believe it? I can, because He is My Guy and I love him like you can't believe.
So he works for a company that makes high-end furniture. So he's doin his best to be a witness to the people he works with. I've been through the shop and I can tell you the fav word for the group is the F-word. So he's havin lunch one day and these guys are talking about My Guy goin on his Mission Trip. One thing leads to another and they start brainstormin on what they (the guys that aren't Christian) can do to help the kids in Haiti. So they come up with a ministry - "Got Balls Ministry" Their goal is to raise funds, purchase and ship Balls to kids all over the world. Think it's possible? I do. I'm laughing because they even come up with a Message to go along with the Balls. To ship, it's best to deflate the balls and take pumps. So these guys go out and buy balls for My Guy to take to Haiti. And here's what they came up with as a witness....the ball represents you life; empty and without purpose. Many go through life this way and never reach their potential or their purpose for God. The Pump represents God. The Needle represents Jesus - the connection between God and Us. The air pumped in represents the Spirit. Now how cool is that. A group of guys who really aren't Christ Followers, except One, come up with a great way to spread the Gospel - to KIDS. So, I used the illustration and it was good. We took 4 soccer balls and 4 pumps. We left one in a village and now there are kids playing with a Ball that they didn't have before. The other 3 we gave to the Mission to give out as needed. Got Balls? We did and it was awesome.

mike

Deny Yourself

We live in one of the most prosperous countries in the world. Yet we are spiraling out of control. Our national debt continues like a rapid countdown clock on a bomb ready to explode. Time is running out. What troubles me the most is the way we think we can buy our way out. Our finances are stretched to the max. Our time is all often misused. This continues to spiral so fast that we think this is the norm.
The people of Haiti do not have a postal service (as we know). It is a luxury just to own a vehicle let alone afford to put gas in it. Owning a home is, well, I wouldn't call it a house - but they do and it's their castle. At best probably the finest homes were four room cinder block with no windows. Slats were built into the concrete to provide ventilation. A Haitian house could almost easily fit into my living room. Six foot privacy fences consist of hedges of cactus. I know few burglar's who would attempt to scale a wall of cactus. I saw no parks and few fast food restaurants. There was nothing luxury about anything in Haiti. Even the resort that we spent the last day relaxing was at best a 2 star according to our standards.
But Haitian's possess something that I almost envy: no agenda other than survival. Purpose and intention in just about everything they do. Life is simple or so it seems. I saw no one who appeared starved. I saw poverty and filth but I saw smiles and giggles from children in the villages. Picture this; dust and rock, dust and more rock, a village center with a hand water pump. Picture a central location where people are gathered to do their laundry and yes - take a bath. Then look across the way into the cesspool of dirty water and picture a pig lying in pure heaven. That was one pig you could never get me to eat - no matter how long it was cooked. I go, go, go and at times become very tired. Tired to the point of exhaustion. It's what I've done for so long that it is normal and I am happy. I'm doing what I like to do and have many things. That's the luxury of living in America. I'm to the point though that I am ready to start denying myself what I really don't need. I'm happy with my house, happy with my car, happy with my jobs. I'm no longer drivin to have the latest and best. OK (unless someone wants to buy me an IPad). I'm more focused on putting my time into something more beneficial - taking up my cross and following Him (Jesus). So what exactly does that mean. To me it means letting the whole world see that I am guilty of following the One who died for all. America I am sold out and my light is shining bright. My life is all because of Jesus Christ and He alone.

Eat My Dust

There are distinct odors in Haiti. Fires seem to be prevalent throughout the countryside. It took me a while to figure out the reason. Simply - trash. Those are the easy odors to identify. The others are still a mystery to me. I found out day two after arriving back in the states and unloading our soiled clothing from the suitcases. Dust. I can tell you that dust is something to get over - because you will get dusty; clothes, hair, nose, and of course shoes. I think I brought home my weight in dust. I look back to a video that I've seen that talks about the disciples following Jesus so close that they would be covered with His dust. When you consider that we tend to be clean freaks and despise dust I actually welcomed it. There is just something about not wanting to leave Haiti. It permeates your senses and caused me to forget about the comforts of home and engage the opportunity in front of me.
Maybe it's the work never seems to be complete. To be honest with you I don't ever want the work to seem complete. The Kingdom of God is alive and active. The Kingdom of God is moving and growing, as it should be. The people of Haiti are hard working people. They labor for everything they get. All too often I see many people (in the Kingdom of God) standing on the sidelines or better yet - sitting idle watching others complete the task. The Church of America is lazy and far too many have no desire to lift a finger to further the Kingdom. i refer to them as punching their spiritual time clock. And by observation that just means they come - they sit - they leave. Rarely, if at all, do they participate in the service. They have become spectators in the greatest game that will ever be. The game of Life. ....Jesus came that we might have Life and have it to the FULL...
So when I step off the property of 7100 E. 31st and engage the world, whether near or far, I love following the Lord and I love getting dusty. My goal is to "leave it all on the field." A quote I hope they say that I was guilty of: "My life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather I will skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming..."Wow...What a Ride!" I want to be covered in Dust.

mike

Not Too Close

I've got to tell you I've never been near a Mosque. I've never been near a Hindu or Buddist Temple. I've never been in a position that I felt uncomfortable. Yet I never imagined in my wildest dreams I'd be so close to the enemy. I remember some dialogue I've heard about a prerequisite for ordination with a minister in Cuba requires one to have served prison time. No, not for something illegal unless you consider preaching the gospel illegal. Of course this is just what I've heard. Day Three in Haiti we had the privilege of going to a nearby village and painting a house. No big deal? Well, consider the house was built ten years ago and imagine yourself living in your current house and having gray concrete walls and floors. It was such a joy to be hosted by the families Son. He was very gracious and at times even joined in on the fun. Our contractor had given us instruction to keep the floors free of paint. Well, that lasted only for the first few minutes. To make matters worse one of our interpreters was very wild with the brush and roller. Soon the floor was covered paint. Near the end we started working on trying to get up this paint. No water and no rags didn't help. Strangely enough on one of my trips around the exterior of the house I discovered a razor blade on the ground. Ouch. And it wasn't the only one I found. However our efforts only removed so much. That afternoon we came back to this village and spent time with the children in the area.
During dinner our contractor came over and said we needed to go back and clean up the mess. No problem. But we couldn't all go so a few guys went with the contractor and intern. By now the Sun is going down rapidly and it gets dark out in the country. You see this village and this house had no lights. So by flashlight a small team of men got down on their hands and knees with water and towels and cleaned as best they could. Things were going well until the contractor said, "we need to leave and we need to leave NOW!" Really, uh, there's more to do. The family was grateful that we had come back to clean but unknown to anyone in the team during the day or the team that went back to clean that the whole time we were next door to a Voodoo Temple. Is that why there are candles lit all over the place? Well being the only white people in an unlit village on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince didn't really need a second call to retreat. Think about that for awhile.

mike

Haiti 2011 Delayed!

No one likes delays and I'm no exception. Monday morning March 14th the whole team was looking with great anticipation of stepping foot on Haiti soil. The last thing we wanted to deal with was delay. I'm still not sure why but I do know there was a lesson to be learned for me and that was patience. Everyone arrived in a timely manner and we all got checked in and through security. The plane was ready and boarding went like clockwork. When the pilots arrived and were going through their checklist they discovered a warning system was not working correctly. No problem. After all Tulsa maintains the top knowledgeable people in aircraft maintenance. So a call was made and soon maintenance people arrived. Systematically electronics were checked and the culprit was found. Here is where it got interesting. Everyone had to de-board the planed while it as being worked on. I suppose I can see the need to maintain safety for everyone. From this point everything went downhill. Quickly a line formed to reroute. Unfortunately we certainly didn't think this would effect us. After all our next flight from Dallas to Ft. Lauderdale wasn't until 8:45 and the Tulsa flight was 6:10, I think. But minutes started to accumulate and accumulate fast. By the time we neared the counter to reroute the plane was fixed and in an effort by utilizing too many people to help us we canceled 8 team members. Now the plane had plenty of room and that was real frustrating for me because we haven't left and 8 of our team are not on the plane. So by now I'm a little over the edge and ready to well, not be so nice. But I kept my mouth shut and went with it. Here is where it got crazy. We had already missed our Ft. Lauderdale connection and we knew we would get stranded in Dallas. So why not the whole team. The other 8 had to rent a car and drive to Bentonville, Arkansas to catch a flight to New York LaGuardia to then transfer to JFK and find a hotel to sleep in so they could catch a flight the next day for Haiti. It looked like the Dallas team was going to get stranded until Wednesday. That is until I happened to wonder over to another counter in Dallas and met, unknown to me, the terminal area manager. This man was amazing. He held the key to opening 14 of 15 seats that were available to fly on Tuesday or we would have been stuck until Wednesday. ON top of that he set us up with a hotel and meal voucher's and a shuttle to take us to our overnight stay. PLUS, we received all boarding passes to get us through to Haiti. Wow!!! When we arrived in Haiti we discovered the other team had arrived and been taken to Mission of Hope earlier and all of our baggage was waiting in baggage claim.
But I've got to tell you if we would have all traveled to Dallas we all would not have made it to Haiti until Wednesday. So all in all the Lord knew what He was doing. In addition one of our team members Holly would not have had a real God moment. As we were boarding the plane in Ft. Lauderdale for Haiti a lady (obviously filled with a Spirit of Discernment) stopped Holly and asked her if this was her first time out of the country. Well Holly broke down because not only was she leaving the country but she was leaving her daughter for the first time. For a mom this was huge. So right there in the middle of boarding, a Christ follower reaches out and prays for another Christ follower. It was a real God moment and if for no other reason to being Delayed - it was worth it. God knows best and I learned a valuable lesson in patience and divine appointment.

mike

Haiti 2011 Day Four

Like a breath of fresh air Haiti is gradually changing and the evidence is very clear. You wonder how in the world something good could come as a result of an earthquake or tsunami or any other natural disaster that might strike the earth at any moment. Mission of Hope is literally exploding on the scene of a hopeless situation. Since last year the progress and completion of building projects is mind-boggling. I sit in the cool of the afternoon overlooking what will soon be a new guest house that will house 150 guests (short term missions groups). The buzz of conversation fills the air as some bask in the cool breeze after having showered and cleaned off the dust of the day. Others are arriving from the field having completed their assigned task for the day.

Dust is a constant. We are north of Port-au-Prince just in the foothills of dirt, rock and brush. The dust infiltrates your sinuses, hair, skin, clothing and well just about everywhere. But it’s good to know that the water pressure here is far above any youth camp I’ve ever attended. A Haitian shower is really simple; get wet turn off the water, soap up, turn on the water and you’re done. There is no hot water and there is no reason to waste what is so precious to these people – fresh water. I’m sure that it is a matter of life in the villages that we’ve visited – but most people are just covered in dust and it doesn’t even seem to bother them.

We went to a village and picked up trash along the road side and hauled it back to the Mission for disposal. You’re probably asking – why don’t they just pick up their own trash? Good question. But let’s stop and think about that for a moment. There are no trash trucks in Haiti. Trash bags are a premium and most struggle just to eat one meal daily and maintain what they call a home. So the luxury of trash disposal is not high on their list of maintenance issues. I’m amazed that more people do not cut themselves on razor blades, broken bottles and metal pop lids scattered seemingly everywhere. This is not Kansas Dorothy and the Mission of Hope does what they can to help clean up and demonstrate this with the help of teams dispersed to serve the community. Really it’s not much different than what Woodlake has done to go out and clean up our community. So before you think Haitians or even your neighbors are slobs stop for a moment and put yourself in their place and offer to help and serve as God leads you.

Haiti 2011 Day Three

Today we went to Titanyen (which is a nearby village) and painted a house for a couple. The house was large - 4 rooms and a few out buildings, 2 dogs and 5 chickens. Interacting with the Haitians is a blast. This afternoon we went back to the village and hung out with children. We spent most of our time in the town square. Picture in the middle of the square a common source of water, lots of buckets and a hand pump that was continually working while we present. Rock roads - lots of children and curious onlookers. Jeremy stole the show making balloon figures until things got out of hand and he shut down his operation. The children have all been in awe of Paul Markwood's beard and hairy arms. It has been quite funny. The heat is here but nothing like last year. Last night I even had to cover up with a sheet because it got cold. The team is doing well. Pray for Megan she is having trouble with a tooth. Other than this all is well in Haiti.

Haiti 2011 Day Two

Both teams arrived without incident on Tuesday. Thankfully our luggage was waiting for us in their baggage claim area. The country looks much better than it did one year ago when we first visited. The sights and sounds are the same from congested traffic where it’s every man for himself which is the reason for the constant honking of horns as you maneuver the highway. The familiar smells are present. Thankfully the Mass Grave were most of the Port-au-Prince casualties are buried no longer reeks of death. We’ve noticed a big effort to clean-up a lot of the devastation.

Mission of Hope has changed A LOT. There are many new buildings and accommodations. The Lord is doing an incredible work here. Obviously being spring break there are many people here working and the new guest house will be ready to occupy soon which will house 120 visitors. The Hope House now has 62 orphans and new accommodations to house 120. The school is growing and the clinic is growing. Today we went and worked one of the projects that has been talked about. Currently there are 40+ house being built off site for new residence of Haitian families. In all, this project will build 500 homes. We painted inside these homes and painted trim on the outside. Others planted cactus which was harvested off trees and planted in rows to serve as a privacy fence. These plants grow as tall as eight feet within a year. The cactus will be topped at 6 feet and will fill in to complete the privacy fence. No injuries except the minor cuts and scrapes. The team is in good spirits. Thanks for continuing to pray. We realized our travels were challenging and stressful but most dealt as best they could. All in all if we would have stayed together one of the teams would have arrived today and missed two days. The other thing shared by Jeremy was missions is not supposed to be an easy thing. Just ask a missionary. It takes a lot of determination and patience to carry out this work. Be blessed, we are!

Haiti 2011 Day One

Haiti 2011 – Day One

Wow, all I can say is the temperature is much cooler than I expected. It’s only 49 degrees and it’s 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon. Wait a minute. This isn’t Haiti – this is Dallas, Texas. Today has been an adventure in what missionaries would term “Patience,” which is not one of my strong points. If it’s mechanical – it will break. This morning’s 6:00 am flight finally left the gate in Tulsa around 9:00ish. Our connecting flight to Florida that departed DWF at 8:40 was missed. Subsequently the 1:15 flight from Florida to Haiti was departing as we were finalizing our plans (minus 8 people) to get to Haiti on Tuesday which is tomorrow which is better than the fall back plan to leaving for Haiti on Wednesday. (#!O&@!)! Translated this means I want to put the Spirit of Slap on airplane carriers. But they say not to slap the hand that feeds you. Kaysarasara.

In the mad dash to try to reschedule and such and considering we had to disembark so the infamous and well equipped mechanics of an airline who will remain anonymous could work on the plane (FFA rules) we rescheduled and cancelled 8 people standing at the gate who would not get on the plane but are now in Bentonville, Arkansas (by auto transfer) catching a flight to New York City to fly into one airport – transfer to another – and fly out tomorrow to Haiti. We on the other hand have all had a nap and waiting to eat dinner on the unnamed airline at a hotel at DFW. Tomorrow morning we leave again at 6:10 to Florida then 1:15 to Haiti (which was our original flight times today). We had the privilege of working with the most amazing man at DFW. His name Matthew Gilmore and was the Operational Supervisor in the gate area I just happened to run across. Not only did he take care of us – we hold in our hands boarding passes for both flights in the morning. We bypass the ticket counter in the morning because 1st we have no luggage and 2nd because we have everything we need, we just need a plane that functions. The 8 members in New York arrive in Port-au-Prince around 1:00 PM and we arrive around 2:20 PM. We cross our fingers and pray our luggage, which should be somewhere in or near Fort Lauderdale now, will be on the same flight we take from Florida to Haiti tomorrow.

So I ask myself – what in the world? Well first – traveling airlines seem to have its challenges. I remember Pastor Heaston describing Nairobi and the street conditions and obstacles they had to overcome just to drive down the street. So, I shouldn’t be surprised. It just reminds Rhonda and I about our dream 30th anniversary cruise that never happened. I can’t believe my blood pressure didn’t spike today but I’ve for all practical purposes remained calm. Oh I’ve had my moments. So, Lord, for what practical purpose did todays events play in your master scheme of “all things work for the good of those that love the Lord?” Yes, I think it’s ok to ask God why.

Three Days and Then

Three long full days ahead and then our team leaves for Haiti. Counting Rhonda and me, last year we took eleven great people to minister at Mission of Hope. This year our group has doubled. Excellent growth I'd say. When you stop and think about it, for a church that seemed to always throw money at missions our teams are growing from last years initiative. To me that spells success but more importantly it spells excitement and enthusiasm to take the message of the gospel ourselves into the world. From every indication I see that temperatures will be 10 degrees cooler than last year. You might be saying, "Big Deal." When you consider last year we left after a snow storm and when we got off the plane in Port-au-Prince the temp was 98 degrees, I'll take 10 degrees cooler.

There is so much excitement about the trip. Some are veterans and others are newbee's. Of course we have no idea yet what we will actually do but we know it will be life changing. Mission of Hope is in the process of building a new warehouse for Convoy of Hope. That's right people - Convoy of Hope distributes (along with two other relief groups) their resources and donations out of Mission of Hope. This speaks volumes to me of the reputation of Mission of Hope. In addition Mission of Hope is in the process of building homes for the people of Haiti. This is huge. So off we go into the Wild Blue Yonder to do the work that God has called us to do - serve others, make disciples, share the Love of Christ. The orphans, the orphans, the orphans - can't wait.

Haiti 2011

In just a few weeks I'll be headed once again to Haiti. I've looked forward to this return trip for a year now. There is much to do for the people of Haiti. The task seems so overwhelming. It is difficult to choose where to begin. And of course looking from the outside in the obvious must be the government. The government is not getting the funds promised primarily because there is no guarantee that money sent will go to its intended use. In other words will all of this money disappear into foreign bank accounts and the corruption continue to spiral out of control. That said, all I can do is what God has placed on my heart to do and that is spend time with Mission of Hope, helping them in whatever capacity they need. This is my destination and my purpose. The people at Mission of Hope are so warm and receptive and I can't wait to see my friends. Four weeks and counting.

mike

Fast Day One

Today I started a fast. I had every intent to do an all liquid fast. This lasted till about 3 pm when I had a bowl of veggie soup. I was starved - or at least my stomach said I was hungry so I ate all the broth then had to eat the veggies too. Later tonight I had another bowl of soup and a little salad. Fasting is not as easy as I thought it might be. I really am determined to do a whole week with just liquids but I think it might be something I've got to really prepare for before I just cold turkey jump in. I'm not a good water drinker and I know I need to do better at consuming water. All for now.

mike

Christmas Gift

Someone today posted a tweet on the best part of 2010. Mine was easy. This year has been quite a radical change. Ministry has taken a turn. The kind of turn that is not just positive - it has been electrofying. You see this year is the biggest turning point for a family that Rhonda and I are discipling. I've watched an alcoholic and drug addict come totally clean. No alcohol since December of last year. I watched as first daughter and now son have come to the Lord. I've baptized the parents and can't wait to baptize the kids. There's more to come - that's for sure. There is still drug addictions to overcome in the family and together we are believing for miracles. One is headed to a teen challenge in the next few weeks and the other is so deep in meth that it seems an impossible task. But with the Lord - "Nothing is impossible." I've seen such a hunger for the Word of God in this family that it puts my Bible study to shame. Their life change fuels me to continue on and to reach out and pour myself into others. There is hope in this world. This year Rhonda and I along with our daughter Melissa had a very meager Christmas. We decided we would rather bless others and we did. So what's the payoff? I have the greatest satisfaction that I made someone else's Christmas the best Christmas ever. That's enough. Would you like to make a difference in someone else's life? You have to be willing to pour yourself out, be transparent (real), be willing to put others before yourself. Is it possible to balance all this and maintain healthy family relationships? I do, and I work two jobs. My life is all wrapped up in helping others find their place in the Kingdom of God and their place in ministry. 2010 was a great year and I believe 2011 will be even better. Watch and see.

mike

Ministry Success?

Sometimes ministry is successful and all the kudus go out to those in charge. Not to say that this is a good thing or a bad thing. But I want you to think about something. Numbers are great. Excitement is great. However, is connection working. Throw open your doors and invite people to a party doesn't mean that what needs to be accomplished is accomplished. Ministry opportunity is not all about having a good time, connecting and engaging is of the utmost importance. For a church to be at its best - it has to be game on from before the beginning to after the end. Just like you and I it only takes one misfortune to ruin a perfectly good time - I think we've all experienced those things. Some things cannot be helped but when it's GAME ON - we have to be reaching out and making everyone feel welcome, appreciated, respected and wanted.

A good leader should realize where the week spot or possible problem may arise. That's not saying that a leader has to be everywhere but a leader has to be visible, observant and looking for what needs to be done. Really what a leader needs is a host of Jonathan's who do this. Jonathan's are earned out of trust and relational dues. Ministry can be successful but it's not necessarily our doing. Consider the people come because the Lord sent them. It is at that point we need to be Jesus with skin. Why? Because Jesus was all about people and we should be too.

Change The World?

Is it possible to change the world? Such a daunting task? Seemingly impossible? Tough questions with easy answers. Yes. Yes. Yes. However a challenge is a challenge. That seems to be where I am in life. Think about it - there are many people who have changed the world. In some cases maybe challenged the world. But the world is in constant change and that is the challenge.

Eric Hoffer said, "The learners will inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." Think about that for awhile. Those that continue to learn can make a difference, can change the world. I am in a constant mode of learning. Others spend so much of their time trying to tell you what they know or trying to just get an opportunity for someone to listen to them. I've found I learn more with the two ears I have than speaking what I think I know with the one mouth God gave me.

I think I've found the answer on how to change the world. BE what God intended for you to BE. SEE what GOD wants you to see. Listen to the world around you. DO what God (alone) asks YOU to DO. And last but not least (taking from the famous speech of Winston Churchill) NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!!! Most people give up just short of their greatness. Most people cave when the hill seems to hard to climb. Most people start fast and quit before the end. With God most things are possible. NO!! With God ALL things are possible. Who will join me? Together - we can and we will make a difference and we will change this world. If WE don't do this, WHO WILL, Someone Else?

The Church of America

The Church of America has lost sight of God, because we have started worshipping preference, music, tradition, architecture, politics, platforms, money, people and programs. The Church model that I've read about is far from this!
Jesus' came (Luke 19;10) "To seek and to save what was lost." If Jesus walked into your church would He be pleased with what He sees or condemn us because we are more focused on what we would prefer to hear or see? All the while the world around us is dying.
There are politicians who want us to believer that the government knows what's best for all. They want us to believer that they will take care of us but all they can really do is just re-arrange things. And if it is an election year-then the truth just somehow gets lost in the....campaign. But (Courageous Leadership, Bill Hybels) "They can't change a human heart. They can't heal a wounded soul. They can't turn hatred to love. They can't bring about repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation or peace. They can't get to the core problem."
Do the actions of the government concern people? You bet. I receive forwarded email after email about what so and so is doing now, or what so and so is going to do. Most of what is forwarded are all out lies, half truths and speculation. But pay attention here - "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!" Does anyone ever do anything about it? No. But forward this to everyone you know. In our day we have people teach riot and rebellion in the name of Christ! They would have us believe that the Christian thing to do is to disobey the law, rebel against authority and permit every man to do what is right in his own eyes. My source is not the government. My source is in the Word of God. Philippians 4:19, Psalms 27:1 and Hebrews 12:2. What would happen if we, the CHURCH, were the CHANGE that we so vigorously fight for our elected officials to be? What would happen if the church (members) quit forwarding half truths and lies (because they don't even take the time to find out what they are forwarding) (inadvertently endorsing as truth) and started to "seek and save what was lost?" Forward this to everyone you know.

mike

Commit

Has America lost her Moral Compass? Definitely. And the only one to blame is the Church. Why, you ask? Because the Church of America has lost sight of God. We've started worshipping music, tradition, architecture, politics, money, people, programs and the list goes on and on.
Luke 19:10 says, "For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost." Jesus was concerned about one thing, THE LOST. Until we decide to Commit to the Cause of Christ the Church will continue to be ineffective. Granted, I'm talking about the church as a whole. There are individual churches who are really doing ministry and outreach to this lost and dying world. In our day we teach riot and rebellion in Jesus name! They would have us believe the Christian thing to do is disobey the law, rebel against authority and permit every man to do that which is right in his own eyes.
Bill Hybels writes in his book "Courageous Leadership," There is nothing like the church when it's working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of community. It builds bridges to seekers and offers truth to the confused. It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addiction, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the marginalized of this world. Whatever the capacity for human suffering the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness."
If we were to truly represent the Savior we worship to everyone that we know, the church could not contain the people that would come to be in the presence of the One who sets the captive free. It's time for the Church of America to Commit. My friend Randy Ayres said, "God did not call us to DO church, He called us to BE the church. To get off the ground and launched into the real purpose of the church we must Commit to God. I'm ready for that, are you?

Weary?

Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV) says, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
This is easy to read - hard to do. That is if you are in the fight. I am and the opposition has a tight grip. You've got to realize that working with non-believers can result in a huge tax on your mental capacity. Today, I feel brain dead. You would too after getting a terrible nights sleep because your 'guy' called at 1 in the morning (didn't leave a message) and 4 in the morning and then all the messages I didn't get over the weekend suddenly popped up. Then after spending time all day concentrating and engaging conversation about 2011 - I'm dead to the world tonight. Pray for me please! I am not giving up, I am not giving in - I am seeing this through until someone or something else pulls the plug.
How about you? Is there someone in your world that you're willing to fight the very gates of hell for? There should be. Well, that's not my calling! Really?? Maybe you should rethink it. I am determined to do everything i can in love to fight for the soul of this man and I'm counting on God to help me and whisper into my ear what to do and say. I am walking among the snakes and scorpions of life and it is hard work. Care to join me?

mike

For Real?

I have been searching for cirricullum for New Believers. Oh, yes, I've found a few things. For example - a four week study, six steps to starting. Really? Are you kidding?? No wonder we wonder why New Believers get lost in the mix, drop out and often are never heard from again. So, I begin to write. It's not rocket science but it is a science to think from a non Believer's perspective. We certainly can't expect them to learn Christianese by the following Sunday. So the journey begins with working on my writing skills. This will be quite an adventure.

mike