Guatemala - First Morning

It is my first morning here in Guatemala, my second day. I am currently sitting outside in the back of the Leiva’s home and have been talking with Geo. And I am just awed by what God has done so far.

Yesterday, when I first cleared security at the airport, I began sensing His peace. Like, wow, this is really happening. God and His sovereign hand have made away for me to return to this place that is holy for me. I have never been to the Holy Land, but this place is a holy land for me. Maybe it is the mountains, maybe it is the culture, but specifically, it is the people.

I was able to ride with Armando yesterday and catch up. And immediately my brother in Him began exhorting me. Just his love for God and God’s people. He has lived a long time for the Lord, and is a great mentor. His presence is a comforting assurance. He makes me think of what God must be like. We talked of many things. And poured out our hearts about God’s people. I knew God had something for me here, and Amie had prayed for a spiritual reawakening. I am experiencing it.

Last night, I got to listen to all the love shared by this family as they opened gifts. And you could see the genuine love they share for each other. I was smiling, laying in the bed in my little room listening to their laughs and yells. I could have participated I’m sure, but I didn’t want to intrude and wanted them to have their time together.

This morning, as we all woke up, again, godly love in a family was displayed as everyone greeted each other with hugs and holy kisses. There were no morning attitudes, just joy at facing the day together as a family. At breakfast, the laughs abounded.

Then Geo and I came outside to read the bible and talk. And he opened up with me about a bible study he is leading at his Crossfit Box. Seeing his passion and listening to him as he talked about the people he is in the study with made my heart rejoice. They are even leading a Muslim to Christ! 

One thing he said really hit me. Geo is very big on nutrition and exercise. Both of which require intense dedication and discipline. He is committed to them. And he said the reason he can lead that study is he is as committed to Jesus as he is to them. He mentioned that in sharing with his group, they had to be disciplined and it takes time. But you have to dedicate yourself to loving the Lord your God with mind, body, and soul. You have to work hard at it. But in time, it gets easier and easier.

It made me think of how lax I have become in my spiritual disciplines. Even my physical disciplines, if I am to be quite honest. So here I am, learning my lessons. God is teaching me. Just as I knew He would. I have to refocus on the things spiritually that I have been lacking in. I have to focus on my body where I have been failing. With the same commitment I have been making in my marriage.

I know that God is going to use me on this trip. I will be a blessing. But I also know I will be the recipient of some of the greatest blessings.

“God, thank you for this oppurtunity. Use me and teach me. Show me your ways. And allow me to be your hands and feet. Forgive me of my failures, but let me learn from them to be everything you created me to be. May this be a time of revival. And may lives be changed, here and back home, for your glory! You deserve all the praise!!! In Jesus’ name. Amen”

Keep Going

Just got back from C3 conference and as always, it was phenomenal. This year was really cool because my favorite preacher, Steven Furtick, was there. And he preached a message that really spoke to me.

His message came out of Kings where Elisha is dying. He tells the king to get his bow, grab some arrows, and shoot his enemy. He then goes on to tell him to strike the ground. He never says how many times to strike the ground, only to strike the ground. The king, who I suppose had grown weary, stops after 3 times. And that is when Elisha informs him that if he had kept going, even only to 6, he would have been completely victorious. But because he stopped at 3, he will not see victory.

I find it interesting that where he stopped was only half of what he needed to do. And that spoke to me. Immensely. I have to keep pressing on. And maybe right now I am at three. So I am halfway there. Or maybe I am not even that far along. The point is, whether I have struck the ground once, twice, or even three times, it is not time to give up. I am to keep on until God tells me to quit. And HE HAS NOT EVEN HINTED IT IS TIME TO QUIT.

Sometimes I let my own worries, my own fatigue get to me, but I am not doing this for me. I am doing it for God. So quitting is not allowed. I must press on until He says so. And if I do, I will find complete victory.

God has shown me what victory looks like in our context. I know where we have to go. So I just need to keep on doing what He has instructed, and the victory will come. This was such a timely message for me. Even though it gets hard, and sometimes I feel drained, God called me to do it. He knows my limits. As long as I keep responding to Him, doing what He has asked, what He keeps asking, He will give me all I need to keep going. To complete victory. That is assuring. That is comforting. His promise is enough. I know my call. And that is the thing. It is not my call. It is His call. I just have to keep responding. Thank you God for reminding me of that. And thank you for doing it in a voice I recognize as yours. Exactly what I needed.

So now I will keep pressing on. Keep doing as I have been told. Moving forward to fulfill the vision. Forward to 400 and onward to completion. I can’t stop. I won’t stop. It means too much.

Dedication is the Difference

I was doing some studying on dedication tonight and with the understanding that approx. 2.1 billion people identify as Christian and only about 70 million identify as communist, I found the following information very insightful...
"What distinguishes the Communist movement from most others and makes it possible for so small a minority to make so great an impact upon our time is the dedication of the average individual and the immense and dynamic force this represents when all those individuals collectively make their contribution to the cause." - Dedication and Leadership by Douglas Hyde
It makes me think of how such a small party has shaped the world so immensely in the past 100 years with such a small amount of people identifying themselves as such. Imagine if the 2.1 billion Christians in the world were as dedicated to their cause as the 70 million Communists, how different would the world look?
To get on a simpler level, you Christian, how different would the world look if you were as dedicated as the average Communist? Again, from Douglas Hyde, "There is no mystery about the indisputable fact that Communists exert an influence out of all proportion to their numbers, once one grasps the point that practically every party member is a dedicated man in whose life, from the time he rises in the morning till the time the goes to bed at night, for 365 days of the year, Communism is the dominant force."
How is it that a Communist can be so dedicated to a worldly ideal that such a small number can make a big difference, and yet we Christians, dedicated to an eternal decision with eternal consequences are not the driving force in the world today? Maybe the answer is right in front of us. Dedication. It said that the Communists are so dedicated that from the time they rise until the time the got to bed, 365 days per year, they are dedicated to the cause. Are you dedicated to the eternal cause of Jesus Christ? Or are you only dedicated to the cause of feeling good about yourself because you checked off the box by showing up to church?
Dedication requires sacrifice and giving oneself completely over to a cause. What cause could be greater than the eternal cause of making disciples of all nations and baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded and knowing that surely He is with us until the end of the age? Maybe it is time we look in the mirror and ask are we dedicated to the cause of Christ, our Father's business, advancing the kingdom. Or are we dedicated to feeling good about myself now and going through the motions of being a Christian without true dedication to the cause. #AreYouDedicated

His Way and Live or My Way and Die

I am a church planter. The path God has led me down is not the typical path for your modern, trendy church planter. Everyone knows that hurting people are not the best people to start a church plant with. And yet, I was called to plant a church that was still healing after being a part of a church that closed it’s doors.

Thankfully, even when the odds are stacked against you, if you just trust God and do as He says, if you exhibit faith, you will find that he gives everything needed to accomplish what He has called you to do.

This is such a blessing because there have been so many things in the past 4 1/2 years that without trusting that God provides, we would have already quit. But we have experienced that if you just listen to God, no matter what people are saying, He will deliver you through the trials. This had to have been true for Noah.

I mean, think about it… Noah was a good man, a righteous man. In fact he was the one righteous man of his generation. Because of his righteousness and good standing with God, when God decided to destroy the whole world, he was not willing to destroy Noah and his family. So God gave Noah instructions on what he needed to do. He told him to build a boat. A very specific type of boat with very specific building instructions to weather the very specific storm that was coming.

Most of us know how this played out. Noah did what God asked him to do. He built the boat. To the dismay of his contemporaries. One can only imagine the slander they must have been throwing at Noah. They did not understand what God was up to. And they were unwilling to listen to Noah, even though Noah tried to ask them to repent and help him to build the boat. For their disobedience, they all ended up dying in the flood. If hey had just listened to God’s messenger, His vision keeper, they would have made it.

Sometimes people need to realize that God delivers a message to a person and he expects others to trust the messenger based on the reputation and Godly character of the messenger. But usually, people don’t want to hear. They want to live their own ways, following their own direction, because they think they know best. They are unwilling to listen to the man of God. They are unwilling to trust his message. They instead decide they have things figured out and in the end, end up dying a death of sorts.

So the question is, who will we be? Will we be the type of people that make fun of Noah and call him names behind his back? Or will we be the type of people that will trust God’s anointed do what is necessary for us to do in order to make it to the next level? Will we drown in a flood, or will we push through to see a brand new world with many messengers to do the work of the Lord?

Maybe today you are at a cross roads. Maybe today you are struggling with what to do. Be assured, if the way you are handling a situation has caused you to handle it outside of the way God has described in His word how to handle situations, then you are sinning. And if you are in sin, then how can you be in God’s will? If you are in sin, maybe it is time to get back under God’s authority and listen to His anointed and remember, He did not give you the instructions on how to build the boat anyway. He just wants you to trust His messenger. It’s your choice… Trust the messenger, build the boat and live. OR do you own thing, and die. What will you do?

Duck (Repent) Before You Get Slapped!!!

Remember the bracelets that used to say WWJD? "What Would Jesus Do?" Those were awesome. And sometimes the answer is He would flip tables and whip somebody! Knowing that makes me smile when I think of a saying I heard recently... WWJS. It means "What Would Jesus Say?" Or, "Who Would Jesus Slap?" I know that is shocking and the first time I heard it I was taken aback. But the reality is,  I know a few individuals that constantly, perpetually, passive-aggressively attack, criticize, complain, and gossip about everything, and I am like, I think perhaps you are on that list. So for those of us that Jesus might slap, here are a few questions I always ask...

Does it need said? Does it need said now? Does it glorify God?

 If we can't say yes to these things, no matter what excuse we come up with, we just shouldn't say it. The reality is people are going to hell and we are way too concerned with getting things the way we want them to be able to ever effectively reach anybody for Christ. Stop complaining and remember we deserve death. The only thing we are entitled to is God's grace, not everything else we think we deserve. #YouKnowWhoYouAreAndIHopeTheSlapDoesntKnockYourTeethOutBecauseHeIsMighty

What Do We Really Know?

Here recently I have been seeing all sorts of things about what sort of music is acceptable to The Lord. People say different things about styles of worship. They always want to remind us that worship is for The Lord. True. I have even preached on this. Worship is not for the congregation. We have an audience of one. God Himself is the audience. I just wonder where we get off deciding for God what style of music pleases Him?  I do know King David was considered a man after God's own heart. David was also a musician. He penned a great number of the Psalms under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For those that don't know, the Psalms are songs. Psalm means song. So the book of Psalms is the book of songs. I find it interesting that there are no musical notes written. Only lyrics. The lyrical content as we sing out to The Lord is what is important, not the notes. The particular instruments, tempo, and decibel level are not important to Him. What is important is the heart behind the worship. So what style of music pleases Him? Well, King David apparently felt it was whatever instruments were available. Look at 2nd Samuel 6:5... 

"Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals."  2nd Sam 6:5 NASB

Wow... so they used stringed instruments and percussion instruments as they worshipped in song? Incredible. Because the song is not the worship. The song is how we express our heart of worship.

Church, the Gospel is the same in churches with small congregations, large congregations, traditional worship hymns, a cappella songs, contemporary worship, gospel, Christian rock music, and Christian rap music. It doesn't matter if a church is "seeker" sensitive, traditional, or contemporary. It doesn't matter if it is a Baptist, Presbyterian, Church of Christ, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, Calvary Chapel, Nazarene, or Non-denominational church. There is only one name under heaven by which men are saved, and that name is JESUS CHRIST. We have never been saved by any type of worship music, style of service, or denomination. We were not saved because we are reformed, Calvinists, or Armenians. We are saved by the shed blood of Christ on the cross and faith in Him as Lord. 

It is time to stop worrying about these disputable matters. Look at what Roman's 14:1-14 says. And I know some of you are going to say, "That is out of context. It is about food." No, it is about food, special days, and anything else that is disputable...

"Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God." So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this-not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." Rom 14:1-14 NASB

An exegetical study of this reveals... You do it your way, we'll do it ours. We aren't going to condemn yours and you don't condemn ours. It is not about us anyways. Again, it is about Jesus.

Listen, I myself experienced true transformation and the power of God as I came to intimately know The Lord at a so called "Seeker-Sensitive" church. And let me tell you, there are some hardcore Christians at that church (literally ThatChurch.com) that live their faith and stand in the gap with hurting people. And if you know me, you know my life is surrendered to Christ and I am all about seeing lives changed. I want to see people that are Sold Out for Christ. I want to see a church that is Sold Out for Him.

There is a broken world full of sinners that don't know Jesus and are far from God all around us that will die and go to Hell if we do not proclaim the Gospel of Jesus' birth, sinless life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and Lordship.  We will never gain ground in the world if we are constantly condemning each other. We look like a bunch of fools when we do.  We need to face the fact that none of us have it all figured out. We need to accept that there is freedom in Christ.

I know I don't have it all figured out. But I have this much figured out... we need to love God, love people, and make Jesus known. Now preach that. #RiseUpChurch

God Moment

We have all had those special moments in our lives that we know were divine appointments.  These are those times where something happens, the circumstances line up, and we are able to experience God.  Sometimes it is when we need something and it shows up at precisely the right time.  The times where we feel all alone and we pray for God to remind us he is there, and then the phone will ring and it will be a brother or sister in Christ that calls us because they say we are on their heart.  These are those moments where God shows up and we are reminded of His presence, reminded of His glory, reminded that He is a personal, living God that loves us.  Some people attribute these times to chance, or coincedence.  But us believers usually refer to them as "God Moments".

Today was one of those days where I had a God Moment.  I had left my house this morning headed to the church I pastor, Sold Out Church.  I was running a few minutes, as is typical, and needed to get there.  This is not a mere matter of I should be the first one there as the pastor, this is a matter of I have the only key and have to let everyone in!  I can't be late.  It is unnacceptable.  Who knows how the people would feel if they had to wait outside on me.  So naturally I am pretending that I am Bo Duke straightening the curves on my way to the church.  In my '97 Prizm.  Oh yeah, we are talking fast.  It can run a quarter mile in just under ten.... MINUTES.

So here I am, hauling tail to church, worried what people will say if I am late.  And then, the first second of a God Moment.  I see a guy walking down the road.  I am about to go screaming by when he turns, we make eye contact, and he sticks out his thumb for a ride.  What?  Are you kidding me?  I don't have time to pick this guy up.  I am a pastor that is going to be late to the church he is the shepherd of.  But it is hot outside.  Even at 7:50am.  We have been experiencing 106 degree temperatures here in Arkansas of late, so even this early in the morning it is already 90 degrees.  I see this guy and I have compassion.  I can't just let him walk.  Who cares if I am late to the church?  Didn't Jesus say "Love your neighbor as you love yourself"?  I can guarantee you, I sure would not want to be walking down this long, winding road in this heat.  So I whipped my car over and parked in the gravel.  Starting putting everything from the front seat in the back.  The guy gets to the car.  He is very grateful.  I tell him hop in.  Ask where he is going.  Get this... he is walking to the hospital to see his girlfriend that is in there right now.  Are you kidding me?  That is like 8-9 miles from where we are and this guy is walking?  And it is about to get hotter than two squirrels wrestling in a wool sock on a tin roof in Death Valley during the dog days of summer. Man, that is dedication right there!

We go to the church and I open up, the young traveller helps me unload my car.  I tell the my people that I will be back, I am running this young man to the hospital.  We start heading to our local hospital, and he starts asking questions about the church.  I tell him our story, beginning with my own testimony.  I tell him how God has been showing up.  I tell him about Christ and how he has redeemed and renewed this broken man.  He is really listening as I am planting the seeds.  Says he has been thinking about God a lot lately.  I drop him off at the hospital, and he says he is going to come visit us sometime.  He thanks me again for the ride.  I pray with him and for him, for his girlfriend.  Then I started heading to the church, knowing I had done the right thing.

But this story does not end here.  You see, today I was letting a part of our core group, Chris Dendy, preach.  Chris has an anointing, and I don't want to see it wasted.  I want to see him reach his potential in Christ.  So I had him bringing the message today.  Well, Chris calls me and tells me he is running late, that he is just then leaving his house.  I tell him that its okay because I am not at the church myself.  Tell Chris about our hitchhiking friend.  Chris is blown away.  He says, "Dude, have you seen the video I am rolling today to illustrate my sermon???"  I tell him no.  I didn't want to watch it because I want it all to be new to me today, so I can sit back and listen to some good preaching and hear the words God has place on Chris' heart.  So Chris tells me about the video... it shows an internationally known pastor driving down a road and there is a woman walking.  The pastor knows he needs to pick her up.  And as he drives past her, looking at her in his rear view mirror, he still knows he needs to pick her up, but he has to be somewhere.  He doesn't have time.  He passes over a hill as she disappears from sight, all the while the pastor is saying he should pick her up.  He tells us in the video that although it has been years since this real event happened, he still thinks about the woman and regrets that he didn't do what God was telling him to do.  He regrets that he did not pick her up.

We are doing a new series about the things that us believers are called to do.  We are called to care, called to generosity, called to serve, and called to make disciples.  Today Chris was preaching on being called to care.  To have compassion.  And this driving past someone in need was a part of his illustration and teaching.  Now, is that a coincidence, or is that a God Moment?  Chris taught today that true compassion always interrupts.  It is never planned, it is a spontaneous thing.  Well, I was going to be late to the church. I was speeding down the road like the late, great Dale Earnhardt, Sr. I didn't have time to pick up this guy.  True compassion costs.  Have you guys seen the price of fuel?  My family and I get by week to week, usually relying on God's provision more than our money.  I don't have the money to pay for extra miles out of my tank.  I have a gas budget. (Like 99.9% of you reading this.)

Chris also taught one more point about true compassion.  And this is what this story is really all about... true compassion changes lives. I could have passed the guy on by.  I could have went on to the church.  I could have pretended I never saw him. And then I would have heard Chris' message.  Can you imagine the guilt, the conviction that would have placed on my heart!?!  To have heard that illustration, to have watched the video without me picking him up?  I would have had to leave the church mid sermon to go find the guy! Hey, it's a LOOOONG curvy road.  He would have still been there.

Thankfully, however, I listened to the prompting of the Spirit.  I was obedient to what God was telling me.  And because I know God's hand was all over all of this, I know this story is not finished.  This day did not begin so I could write a blog about how I was obedient to God's direction.  This day began so that I could be obedient to God and so I could plant some seeds in this young man's life.  In my heart of hearts, because I see God's handprint all over this, I know that the seed planted is going to grow and one day bear fruit.  I have no doubt that one day this man will come to know Christ in an intimate, salvation relationship!  There was no coincidence at all here.  This was not by chance.  I realize I may never see the guy again.  I know it may not  be today, tomorrow, this week, or even this year that he surrenders to the Lord.  But I know, I believe wholeheartedly that one day He will.  And I know that I did my part in God's story of his life.  Remember, true compassion breeds changed lives.

So if you read this blog, I ask that you will be praying for the young traveller, that God will continue drawing him near and that he will give his life to Him.  And if you read this blog, I pray that you will be encouraged by these words.  That you will be obedient when you are prompted by the Spirit.  That you will be moved with compassion when you see those in need.  That you can share in a God Moment by being obedient to the word of God and loving your neighbor as you love yourself.  Be blessed!