Not "Ready"?

          A few weeks ago, I was speaking to a gentleman about our church. I invited him to be my guest next Sunday to which he replied, “I’ll come when I get ready.” Get ready? Ready for what? As it turns out, this guy along with several people feel that they are not yet worthy enough to enter God’s House on Sunday. Although if truth be told, the church house is not really God’s House. It’s a building. That’s all it ever has been, that’s all it ever will be. We, are the house of God.

“However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?’-Acts 7:48-50
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? -1^st Corinthians 3:16

          There are several people who feel that they need to “get their lives together first” before they ever come to church. That means different things to different people. Some people feel they have sin in their lives they must first get rid of before enjoying a Sunday morning service. Some people feel that they need to work on their own personal issues themselves before worshiping with a congregation on the Lord’s Day. There are others, who just for whatever reason, don’t feel “ready”.

          If you share this sentiment, allow me to lovingly say to you, that you got things backwards. Waiting to “get your life together” before going to church is like waiting for the fever to break before going to the doctor. Common sense tells you that going to the doctor and getting some antibiotics is what will help the fever and the infection that is causing it, go away. That same common sense should tell you that it is by going to church and seeing the “Great Physician”, that you get your life together. I’ll let you in on a little secret; nowhere in the Bible does it say God expects you to have it all together anyways. He wants you to depend on Him, always. Not on your own understanding or ability.

          If you have got sin in your life, church is where you learn how to truly repent, leave that destructive lifestyle behind, and find true freedom. Something powerful happens when we gather together to worship. The presence of God manifests in a special way. Whatever personal issues you may be working through will be brought to healing in His presence. Not only that, our brothers and sisters in Christ can help us work through these issues.

          Now, I understand that there is another side to this conversation. Perhaps as you are reading this you are thinking to yourself, “It’s because of judgmental church people, that I feel like I have to get my life together first before coming to church!” I am sad to admit that some people have been made to feel as though they HAVE to get their lives together before darkening the door of a church. If that describes your experience with church, I apologize. I know that had to be hurtful and even damaging to your faith.

          To expect anyone to clean themselves up and get their lives together before coming to church is a complete contradiction of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At Resurrection River, we will welcome you as you are. WE WANT TO HELP YOU BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST, NOT MORE LIKE US. If we had to have it all together, put down every sin, have already worked through all personal issues before coming to church, then I myself should not go to church. I have my share of all of those.


          Church is a place full of people in desperate need of a savior, whether those people admit they need a savior or not. Church is where you will or at least should, encounter grace that doesn’t say “You are bad because ______!”, but instead declares, “Jesus paid it all…” I understand this religious and judgmental spirit has caused you to feel like you have to get your life together, to “get ready” before coming to church. That’s backwards. You don’t have to have it “all together”. You just have to surrender to the Savior. You’re already “ready”, just as you are.

Reinvent Yourself

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” –Isaiah 43:18-19

          I remember one of my favorite things to do when I was a child was to go out with my family to rent a couple of movies from Blockbuster. It was great except for the fact that we had to return the movies within a few days. It was like a library but for movies.

          Nobody talks about Blockbuster today. Do you know why? Because Blockbuster did not anticipate the changes in culture and reinvent themselves to keep up. Netflix came along giving customers the ability to rent movies and have them delivered to their home. RedBox came along giving customers the convenience of renting movies from a kiosk at the local gas station, grocery story, or pharmacy. Blockbuster had become obsolete and went bankrupt.

          We tend to think that because the way we did things in the past means they will work just fine in the season of life we find ourselves in today. That is not necessarily true. That was then, this is now. What got you to where you are, won’t necessarily get you to the next step. Life is always changing, and likewise we have to make changes so that we are equipped and ready for whatever season of life we find ourselves in. Let me give you an example from scripture.

          During their journey to the Promise Land, the Israelites found food by eating Manna off the desert floor. When they entered the Promise Land however, the Manna stopped and the Israelites were to instead of bending on their knees to pick Manna off the floor, would now stand on their feet and reach up to pick fruit from the trees of the land. The Israelites were entering into a new season of life, and would therefore need to reinvent the way they did life.

          Perhaps you find yourself in a new season of life. Don’t rely on the methods that prevailed in the glory days or on what got you out of the last situation you found yourself in. You will have to learn how to change and do things differently in this new season you’re about to enter.

          The world is different, society is different, culture is different, the economy is different, technology is different, YOU are different. What got you to where you are today may not necessarily get you to tomorrow. What set you apart and caused you to succeed in the workplace in the past may not help you today. Things have changed.

          How you managed your money years ago, may not get you the same results today. The economy has changed. Study habits that helped you excel may not make any difference today. Education is changing. The way you formed meaningful relationships last time may not connect with people this time. Social media has changed the way people relate and connect. The way you have been doing things won’t work forever. If you don’t believe me, just ask Blockbuster…

Take Another Lap

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” –Joshua 6:2-5

          You have to appreciate the faith of Joshua during this moment of his life. Imagine him standing outside the mighty walls of Jericho with the army of Israel standing behind him. Surely the task of bringing these walls down must have been somewhat intimidating at first. But Joshua pressed on.

          Joshua and the Israelites marched around those walls once a day for six days. Then on the seventh day, they marched around it six times. It wasn’t until they lifted up a shout on the seventh lap on the seventh day that the walls came tumbling down. Imagine what must have been going through Joshua’s head towards the end of that sixth lap on that seventh day.

          He and the army behind him had been around that wall almost a dozen times, yet still there was no sign of breakthrough. I wonder if Joshua’s faith was tested. I like to imagine that as Joshua began that seventh lap, he stirred up his faith more than ever before. I imagine that during that moment when it seemed like there was no breakthrough, no change, Joshua remembered all he had seen God do while Moses was still alive.

          I imagine that he remembered how Moses stood up to an unyielding hard hearted Pharaoh, and God brought him to his knees setting the Israelites free after 400 years of slavery. I imagine Joshua remembered how when the Israelites were panicking in the desert over not having any food, how God made manna appear on the desert floor. I imagine Joshua remembered how when the Israelites were trapped between the Red Sea and the fast approaching armies of Pharaoh, he saw God Himself fight for the Israelites by splitting the Red Sea giving the Israelites dry ground to cross over to safety.

          I imagine that as Joshua remembered all these mighty acts of God, his faith was stirred to believe that God could do the impossible just one more time, and that’s when he decided to take another lap. And on that last lap, he told the Israelites to lift up a shout and the walls of Jericho finally fell.

          To Joshua and the Israelites the Walls of Jericho represented the barrier that stood in between them and the Promise Land, their destiny. Perhaps today you find yourself staring at a wall that separates you from the calling God has put on your life. If you find yourself around this “wall” in your life again, don’t get discouraged. Take another lap. You are right on the edge of your breakthrough. Remember how God moved mightily in the past. If He did it before, He can do it again. Stir up your faith just like Joshua did, and take another lap. This wall is about to fall.

Love No Dad Can Resist

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him! –Matthew 7:11

          I have to be completely honest, as much as I LOVE my two sons, sometimes I just can’t wait to rush them off to bed. The other night, I was tucking my oldest son who’s six, into bed. I remember I was tired, stressed, and just wanted to go back into the living room to relax. So I hurried him into the bed, rushed him through his prayers, and even began walking toward his bedroom door by the time he started saying, “Amen.”

          As I began walking out his door, I heard his sweet voice call out to me and say, “Dad…” I turned to him to see his arms stretched out to me. At that moment, his face lit up and he said, “Hug!” At that moment, any desire to just get out of there and chill faded as my heart melted and not only did I go give him the biggest hug ever, I jumped on top his bed to squeeze the life out of him!

          There is just something about a child with their arms stretched out that is irresistible to a parent. Even when a child who is not our own reaches out for love we can’t resist them! Jesus says something amazing in Matthew 7:11. He says that even though we are evil by nature, we still have enough godly love in us that makes it impossible to resist our children when they need us. If that is true, how much more will God reach out to us when we need Him?

            Just as no loving dad can resist his child reaching out to him, God your Heavenly Father cannot resist you reaching out to Him. If you, with all your flaws, imperfections, and your own selfish ways, cannot find it within yourself to resist the outstretched arms of a little child, what do you think the God who is love wants to do when He sees your arms stretched out to Him? If you even with your own tendency to love people conditionally, can’t resist a child who wants you to pick her up and hold her, how do you think the God who loves you UNconditionally feels when you reach out to Him?

          There are so many in our society that needs that “Daddy Love.” There are people burdened by guilt that need just one Daddy embrace to wash away the stain. Some people battle depression. One hug from the Father will fill them with joy unspeakable. Some go through life full of fear and worry. Once Daddy picks them up, they will know that everything is going to be alright. Some people beat themselves up because they “broke it”. Daddy is here to fix it when we bring our brokenness to Him. Others, live with uncertainty about the future. When Daddy speaks, it will fill them with confidence! Daddy God has what you need, just reach out to Him! When you do, He can’t resist the urge to run to you and embrace you.

Make Him Your Dwelling

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty…” “If you make the Most High your dwelling-even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.” –Psalms 91:1, 9-10

          Psalm 91 is one of the most famous chapters of scripture. It has been read by soldiers, law enforcement officers, first responders, and your average mom or dad going through a difficult time. Its words have encouraged countless hearts for generations. Psalm 91speaks of a wonderful promise from God. That is, a promise of protection for those who “make the Most High their dwelling.”

          In this passage God promises to protect us from four spiritual dangers the enemy (Satan) throws at us. First, God promises to protect us from the “fowler’s snare”. No one is exempt from being tempted (1^st Cor. 10:13). Jesus Himself was tempted. Not only that, each of us have certain temptations of the flesh that are more of a struggle for us than others. This promise insures that God will protect us from that snare that we so easily fall into time and time again.

          Next God promises to protect us from “deadly pestilence” and the “plague that destroys at midday.” A pestilence or plague is a disease or infection that contagiously spreads throughout a community. What do you see others around you being consumed by? Perhaps it’s a mindset or way of thinking such as negativity, hate, racism, bitterness, etc. God promises to protect you from that pestilence and plague that is consuming so many.

          God also promises to protect us from the “terror of night”. The Bible tells us in 2^nd Timothy 1:7 that God has not given us a spirit of fear. Many in our society are paralyzed by fear, worry, and anxiety over the stresses of life and the events that are taking place in the world. For those of us who have chosen to “rest in the shadow of the Almighty”, God’s promise is that we will rest with a peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Phi. 4:7).

          Lastly God promises to protect us from the arrow that flies by day. Ephesians 6:16 encourages us to take up the shield of faith to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Those of us who love the Lord have a target on our backs and Satan and his demons have us in their crosshairs. But thank God that our faith in our Deliverer protects us from His attacks.

          Now, all this sounds great, but Psalm 91 tells us that all these promises of protection are conditional. Psalm 91:9 tells us that condition; “IF you make the Most High your dwelling-…” Jesus goes even further in John 15:6

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire to be burned.” –John 15:5-6

          These promises to protect us from Satan’s attacks, temptation, fear and worry, and the evil that seems to consume so many others are conditional upon us having a living relationship with Jesus Christ. The “shelter of the Most High” and the “shadow of the Almighty” covers those who make the Most High their dwelling. Are you “dwelling” in Him? Are you daily spending time with Him in prayer, worship, and reading the Word?

          There is nothing more important in this life than your relationship with Jesus. Are you “remaining in Him”? Remain in His love, stay rooted in His Word, drink of His Spirit, make HIM you dwelling, your shelter, your hiding place and these blessings of protection will come upon today. If you do not have a relationship with Jesus, start one by confessing and forsaking your sins and putting your faith in Him. Do it now, while your heart still beats.

Faith That Works the Impossible

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” –Matthew 17:2-21

            This powerful statement made by Jesus follows a very dramatic event. After coming down the mountain, Jesus casts the “deaf and dumb spirit” out of a child. It is interesting that the reason Jesus gives the disciples for their inability to cast this demon out is “because you have so little faith”. Earlier in Matthew 10, the Bible records that Jesus gave His disciples power and authority to cast out demons which they did in the various towns and villages in the region.

            The disciples had seen Jesus cast out many demons and had no doubt cast out several themselves. So why were they lacking in faith to cast out this demon? Perhaps it was because this particular case caused them to ask many questions. This was a child after all. Did they question whether or not it was possible for a child to be demon possessed? Did they have difficulty discerning whether or not this was a spiritual or neurological problem? Was the kid just suicidal?

            Asking questions is good and important. Sometimes however, questions can so seeds of doubt effectively killing our faith. Sometimes, we have to simply trust the Lord with child like faith. That is why Jesus said unless we become like children we would never enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt 18:3).

            Jesus goes on to say that if we had enough faith, “Nothing would be impossible.” Now that is interesting. In Luke 1:37 when the angel Gabriel is talking with Mary he says that “nothing is impossible with God”. Yet here in Matthew, Jesus says nothing will be impossible for us, if we have faith just as small as a mustard seed!

            The God of the impossible lives inside every born again believer. His power is released and worked by faith. Jesus says that the impossible is achievable if you will only activate the faith necessary to use it. How do we activate that faith? Jesus gives the answer when He says, “if you have faith… you can say ….” To activate this faith that works the impossible, you have to declare it. Declare what? Declare God’s Word over your circumstance.

            For sickness, declare God’s promises about healing. For financial trouble, declare God’s promises about provision. For times of uncertainty, declare God’s promises about His sovereignty and plans for your life. Here’s how God’s Word stirs up that faith.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

 –Romans 10:17

            God’s promises concerning your circumstance will activate the faith you need to work the impossible. So for whatever “impossible mountain” stands in your way today, go see what God’s Word has to say about it. Then let that Word stir up your faith, so that you can work the impossible by declaring God’s promises.

A New Thing

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland”. –Isaiah 43:19

Words have power. The Bible even says that words have the power of life and death. For this reason, we should be careful about what we say about our lives. Not just our lives, but our community as well. In my brief time in Tyrrell County, I have heard the phrase, “This is a dying community” too many times.

It is not uncommon for people to say that “there is nothing here”. Now, part of the problem is, who are we listening to? But that’s another article for another day. The point is, people to say things like this, and those words do have power. If words have power, I chose to put my faith in the words of the Living God.

A few months ago, God gave me Isaiah 43:19 as a promise for our community. God says that He is doing a new thing! This new thing consists of two parts. One, He promises that in our community, He is making “a way in the wilderness.” Granted, I have heard what the community has, and what cannot be done in the community but I also have heard the voices of HOPE.

I have also listened to the dreamers. I have heard the passion in the ideas of the visionaries. I have been taken back by people in our community who have the audacity to use the words, “What if?” To each dream, to every idea, there are those who say it can’t be done, not here, not in Tyrrell County, no way.

God says the He is making a way in the wilderness. Some may perceive this as a wilderness where nothing happens, no one goes to, and no one leaves. God is going to make a way, a road. A place where people will want to go to, and where people will want to stay and help make it the amazing place God is making it into.

The second thing God says that He is going to do is make “streams in the wasteland.” Imagine that, in a place that others have called a wasteland, there will be “streams”. People have called this community impoverished, with little or no resources. I disagree. Our resources are plentiful if we would just tap into them. God sees this and sometime soon, streams will gush in this place that some have called a “wasteland.”

Before God tells us about this new thing He is getting ready to do, He says this to us.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” –Isaiah 43:18

If we are going to partner with God as He does this new thing, we have to let go of the ways of the past. “The way we’ve always done it” was great, for then. But that was then, this is now. And what got us there won’t get us to where we’re going. Words have power. God is doing a “new thing” in our community. Join me in joining Him by declaring this promise over our community, starting with your own life. Does God need to do a “New Thing” in you?