Conspiracy Of Kindness

The Counterattack

2009-07-20T12:39:00.001-04:00

A funny thing happens when you begin to write about spiritual warfare - the spiritual warfare that you are experiencing gets more serious. Not long after I finished the article Choosing Your Ground I was hammered by the most intense battle that I have experienced in years.

Did I know one was coming? Yes; but I have to admit that it was far more severe than I had anticipated. It was like a wave that knocked me off of my feet and rolled me around under the water for a while. I am only now beginning to find the ground and get my feet back under me again.

While it is disconcerting that I was hit so hard, I was reminded yesterday by my pastor that, "a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity." Thank God that my righteousness isn't based on any goodness inherent in me, but is solely dependent on the perfection of Jesus Christ imputed to me by faith. God is certainly good!

The aftermath of the attack has left me pretty tender and wounded, but I see the attack as a good thing. In it the enemy was allowed to sift me and used a seemingly small area of darkness in my heart as the access point for his attack. He exploited this area of rebellion in my heart to his advantage to quickly open up a breech on a flank that I thought that I had thoroughly defended. Because of this attack I am now aware of an area where I had grown complacent and that needs to be submitted to God.

Another positive on the heels of this attack is that it would seem that the articles that I have written have struck a nerve with the enemy. That is a very good thing. Thus, I intend to continue writing. As I suggested in Total War, if he bloodies me, I have every intention of returning the favor.

The most disturbing outcome of the attack has been how long it has taken me to get back in the saddle. I'm not even sure that I'm back there yet, but I do seem to be moving that way. And as I return to the saddle, I will return to the offensive. I intend to write the next installment of the Spiritual Warfare Series in the coming days.

Wynton Marsalis On Integrity

2009-06-22T13:58:00.001-04:00

Excellent interview with Wynton Marsalis on integrity and how lack of integrity has put our country in the situation it is in. This is one sharp fellow. I'd love to sit down with him for a few hours to talk or jam!

Ray Hughes - The Symphony of Heaven

2009-05-17T20:33:00.003-04:00

This is one of the most amazing sermons that I have heard on worship. I love this brother's voice! He reminds me of Johnny Cash! It lasts about an hour and ten minutes. Be blessed!

Choosing Your Ground

2009-05-12T15:26:00.041-04:00

Part Two In The Spiritual Warfare Series

It was a bad situation. His brother had parleyed an agreement that dictated the English surrender their garrison at Stirling Castle to them if they were not relieved by the English army by Midsummer's Day (June 24). Robert hadn't wanted to put his troops in a position where open battle against the English army was necessary. Slash and burn techniques and guerrilla warfare had proven the more effective strategy given the strengths and weaknesses of the Scottish and English armies. Yet what was done was done, and once again, as he had for the past 18 years, Robert was making the best of a bad situation.

That the English would come was without a doubt. Edward II had been humiliated by Robert and his men too many times for him to pass up a chance for one decisive victory to win back the lands that he had ineptly lost - lands that his father Edward Longshanks had so ably taken from the Scots. The setting was already chosen - Stirling Castle, and the time was relatively certain. He had just a few months to prepare for the coming battle.

The English would have heavy cavalry and archers. The Scots would have only light cavalry and a few archers. The English would likely have far better armor and would probably also outnumber the Scots heavily. It was unthinkable to attempt to fight the English in the open field. It would have been suicide. Their superior technology and numbers forbade it. So what could he do to mitigate the strengths of the English army and leverage the abilities of his own?

At the Battle of Falkirk, William Wallace had demonstrated that it was possible to repulse heavy cavalry using a bristling formation of soldiers armed with long pikes. Unfortunately, the same battle demonstrated that these formations (schiltroms) were vulnerable to the attack of archers because they were not mobile.

Robert had developed a solution to this problem. He drilled his men, teaching them to be able to move and fight in perfect formation with the schiltroms. Now they were less vulnerable to archers. But that in itself would not be sufficient to give him victory against so large a force. He began to scout the land for a defensible position.

There was little doubt that Edward's army would follow the old Roman road to Stirling. It was the only way that would give his heavy cavalry firm enough ground to be able to operate. But, with the dense Tor Wood to either side of the road, it would be easy to force the English into a narrow formation that would negate their numerical superiority in battle. Robert set his men to the task of digging pits along either side of the road and hiding them under a thin layer of branches and earth. They also cut down trees to make easy passage through the woods impossible and blocked all paths. On the other side of Tor Wood the Bannock Burn flowed through a narrow, boggy floodplain, called the Carse, that created a natural funnel between Tor Wood and New Park - a heavily forested hunting preserve on the other side of the Carse. It was a perfect spot to pick a fight.

He didn't have to wait long. Edward arrived on the scene on June 23 and his cavalry made contact with Robert the Bruce's forces in a frontal assault that was easily repelled by the Scots. As expected, the English outnumbered Bruce's army nearly three to one, but Robert's preparations had borne fruit. Edward turned his forces off the Roman road and crossed the fords of Bannock Burn to camp on the Carse that first night. He had fallen into the Bruce's trap. The battle that followed the next day saw the English routed and Edward abandoning his army to flee for his life, leaving them to get home the best that they could. The victory was so decisive that Scottish independence from England was only a matter of time. Edward never ventured into Scotland again.

The victory that day belonged to the Scots because they picked their battleground wisely and forced their enemy to engage them on their terms. Had Edward been wise enough to recognize the trap that he was walking into, he may have refused to engage the Scots until he had a plan to counter their positional advantage.

The lesson that Robert the Bruce taught to Edward that day is one that we must learn if we are to be successful in our spiritual campaigns. A wise commander chooses his ground carefully and refuses to engage his enemy on a battlefield that does not play to the strengths of his force. How well we do this will determine our success or failure in spiritual warfare.

There is only one battlefield that the saints of the Lord should battle on - the battlefield of truth¹. All other battlefields belong to the enemy. The battlefield of truth is defined by the Word of God. The enemy will do everything that he can to entice us to fight on his terms and on his battlefield. But we must not do this! We can rest assured that it is a trap every time.

Let's return to a story that most folks are very familiar with:

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it — I give every green plant for food." And it was so. Genesis 1:26-30

Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:8-9

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:15-17

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"

"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Genesis 3:1-7

This story is a perfect example of the devil's tactic. God gave Adam and Eve a specific command, "you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," and a specific consequence for disobeying that command, "for when you eat of it you will surely die." This was the truth. As long as they believed and acted on the reliability of God's truth they would be fine.

But then the devil showed up. And the serpent immediately began to question what God had said. He probed the defenses to see how firmly Eve knew the truth. He began very broadly, asking, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

Eve's answer was sound. She explained that they could eat from any tree but the one, and she even went further, saying that they couldn't even TOUCH it or they would die. It sounds good, right? She was making sure that she didn't eat any of that fruit, because if she didn't even touch the tree she couldn't eat the fruit, right?

Perhaps God had given them that additional instruction, but we have no record of it if He did. Is it possible that this deviation from the truth that was recorded provided the opening that the devil was looking for? Immediately upon hearing her reply the devil lied to her saying, "You will not surely die" and continued to convince her that she needed to eat that fruit to be like God.

At a recent spiritual warfare conference I attended, Steve Thompson² taught that the enemy always tries to convince us that we have to do something to become what we already are. How true that was in this case! Both Adam and Eve were the very image of God, and yet the devil tried to convince Eve that she had to do something else to become like God. Unfortunately for all of creation, she and Adam took the bait, trading their lives and their dominion of the earth for a lousy piece of fruit. The rest, as they say, is history.

The devil didn't make it clear what was at stake. In fact, he flatly denied the truth. I can imagine the old serpent handling the fruit, polishing the fruit, perhaps even tasting the fruit before Eve and demonstrating that it was indeed quite tasty and non-lethal. How different things would have been if Eve (or even Adam) had stuck to their guns and remained firmly planted on the truth. "God is my friend. He loves me, and if He told me that it would kill me then it will. I don't care how pretty it is. I don't care how tasty it is. God doesn't want me to die, and He knows what is best!"

However, that is not what happened, and because Adam and Eve allowed themselves to be persuaded to move away from the truth that God had revealed to them, the enemy was able to defeat them and take everything that was theirs. This story is our example of what happens when the devil is allowed to choose the battlefield and define the terms of the battle.

Fortunately, we also have an example in the Bible of how to keep the enemy fighting in the realm of truth. The story takes place right after Jesus' cousin, John, had baptized Him.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

(The devil tried the same line on Jesus that he did on Eve. 'If you are the Son of God, you have to prove it!' From the very start he tried to get Jesus to doubt that He was the Son of God.)

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'[a]"

(Jesus set the battlefield and the terms right there: Man lives on every word that comes from the mouth of God. He gave the enemy notice that this was where they would fight. He wasn't going to listen to the devil, and He wasn't going to listen to His body. He was going to listen to every word that came from God's mouth.)

Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If You are the Son of God," he said, "throw Yourself down. For it is written:

" 'He will command His angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'[b]"

(Impressive. The devil knows some scripture. He pretended to comply with the terms that Jesus set, but he didn't change his premise. He was still trying to get Jesus to question who He is, and he was still trying to dictate what Jesus would have to do to prove it.)

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'[c]"

(Jesus wasn't fooled by the devil's use of scripture. He recognized that the enemy's tactic hadn't changed at all; he had just wrapped it in a nice religious package. Jesus' thorough knowledge of the scriptures exposed the sin in the devil's enticement. This attack shows us the importance of studying and understanding the scriptures thoroughly - a job that we will never complete in this lifetime.)

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give You," he said, "if You will bow down and worship me."

(The enemy is persistent, and in this temptation he finally got around to what he was after all along. Please notice that he never left his premise that Jesus really isn't the Son of God. Inherent in this promise was the denial that everything in all of creation already belonged to Jesus as the Son of God. The audacity is staggering.)

Jesus said to him, "Away from me, satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'[d]"

(End of discussion. This was the final word. Jesus was never moving off of it.)

Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him.

Matthew 4:1-11

That is how you beat the devil. You take your stand upon the truth with the help of the Holy Spirit, and you refuse to be moved. Every time he opens his mouth, every time he brings a temptation, every time he attacks you, you must respond with the truth of the Word of God. To be able to stand you must know the truth and you must believe the truth.

To know the truth you must know the Word of God. The Bible tells us that God's Word is truth. It tells us that we shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free. And we also have the important admonition of Paul to Timothy to, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."

Be diligent! To be able to accurately handle the word of truth we must be diligent in our study of the scriptures. The children of Israel were encouraged:

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

That is constant marination in the truth! If only we were so diligent to do so! But it is what we must do if we are to know the truth and to believe the truth.

Belief goes far deeper than mere mental assent to the veracity of the Scriptures. Belief begins to kick in when you are willing to stake your life on the truth of the word of God. I know no one who is walking in perfect belief, but this is an area where we must begin to grow!

The trials that we suffer are opportunities to transform our knowledge and our mental assent into true belief; for it is in these trials that we find the enemy's assault on the truth that we claim to believe. How do you respond when sickness comes? Depression? Trouble? Persecution? Poverty? Do you still believe the truth of the scriptures in these situations? Do you still fight against the devil with the Word of God when these situations come against you? How long are you willing to fight? Are you willing to lean on the Word alone instead of running to other supports?

I am not suggesting that you run out and handle poisonous snakes to prove the truth of Mark 16:18, but if you should find yourself bitten one day, will you trust that verse for your life? (You might want to refer to Jesus' response to the devil when he suggested that Jesus jump off of the temple if you are tempted to handle them just to prove it. Don't fall into the devil's trap!)

I am also not suggesting that you must fight alone. God gave us brothers and sisters to stand with us and to multiply our strength when we fight together. I had an experience leading up to my trip to Japan that demonstrates what I am saying very clearly.

All winter I was around many people who were very sick. I was in close contact with people who had sicknesses that lasted for weeks and weeks, yet I stayed healthy. Every time I would begin to feel a twinge of something starting to attack, I would declare that it wouldn't take residence in my body and that I was well. I would stand on Isaiah 53:5, Psalm 103:4 and 1 Peter 2:24, and I was victorious in that fight all winter.

However, three days before I was to leave for my mission trip to Japan, I began to exhibit the symptoms of a cold. I fought them all day with the Word of God and with my declarations. I declared that I did not receive it and that I was well, but as the day wore on it was clear that I was losing the fight. I called two friends who are powerful in faith and asked them to pray for me. They did, but the battle still wasn't won. I had not shaken it yet. So, when I went to church that night for worship practice I asked the band members to lay hands on me and pray. They did, and the sickness broke. I got continually better from that moment, and by the time I landed in Japan there was no more sign of any sickness.

I'll make one comment here regarding battle that I expect I'll come back to before everything is said and done. It is easier to keep the devil out than it is to get him out once he has established a foothold. That is why it is so important to not let him get even one inch of ground upon which he can stand. Call in every resource that is at your disposal to defeat the enemy before he can get established.

I have heard that people trained to spot counterfeit money don't study counterfeit bills - they study real money. They become so familiar with the inscriptions, weight, feel, and smell of real money that when someone tries to hand them something that is fake they know it immediately. Similarly, we have to become so familiar with the truth of the Word of God that we recognize his counterfeits the instant that he tries to pass one.

One of the disciplines that I have developed over the past 10 years or so is the reading of the entire Bible over the course of a year. I use the One Year Bible. I have found that it is a good format for me.

When I first began, my stated goal was not to understand everything that I read, it was merely to make sure that I got the entire Bible entered into my brain. That way, if I were ever without a Bible for some reason, the Holy Spirit would already have the resources stored away in my memory that He could draw back out. I figured anything that God wanted to highlight to me was an added benefit.

As I continued the tradition, I began to read with an eye toward various themes. One year I read, paying special attention to all of the passages that I saw about healing. Another year I read paying special attention to the way that God describes Himself in the Bible. It hasn't been a fast process, but it has been a thorough one.

I would recommend such a discipline to anyone. Over the years I would say that the greatest benefit that I have derived from it is the increased understanding of who God is and what He is like. The better I know who He really is, the better I recognize the lies and counterfeits that the devil tries to float past me.

As we diligently input God's Word into our hearts and minds we will become more and more like Jesus and instantly recognize any attempt of the enemy to take us away from the truth. As we let it begin to change us, we will find that we have greater and greater authority. Then we will find it easier and easier to dictate the battlefield and the terms to the devil. If we stay firmly planted on the battlefield of truth the enemy won't be able to stand before us. Learn this battlefield and refuse to be moved from it.

Go To Spiritual Warfare Series Part 1: Total War

¹I am reasonably sure that I got this concept from Francis Frangipane's book, The Three Battlegrounds. I am not positive because I read the book almost 20 years ago, and I cannot find my copy to confirm it. I remember hearing the phrase "fight from the realm of truth" somewhere, and I think it was from Francis. After 21 years of walking with the Lord it is hard to remember where I picked up my information.

²I was attending the MorningStar Ministries Spiritual Warfare Conference that ran from April 16-18, 2009 and Steve Thompson made this comment on Saturday morning, April 18.

Good News

2009-05-11T14:28:00.005-04:00

After the sober word posted earlier, it only seemed appropriate to post this encouragement from God's Word.

- Cephas

Psalm 27
Of David.

¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

² When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.

³ Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.

⁴ One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

⁵ For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.

⁶ Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.

⁸ My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.

⁹ Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.

¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.

¹¹ Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.

¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.

¹³ I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Tsunamis

2009-05-11T11:04:00.001-04:00

Back around the time of the election I wrote a couple posts that were prophetic in nature. Some of the elements of those prophecies have come true and some have yet to come to pass, but based on the accuracy of the parts that have come true, I am convinced that the rest will eventually be manifested.

In that first post I wrote the following about prophecy:

I believe that God still speaks to His people. Down through the ages this communication has been called prophecy. And God often reveals his plans to His people through individuals called prophets. Many of you probably have real doubts about whether prophets even exist in the world today. I can assure you that they do. I have known quite a few and can testify that their words have proven true.

A group of prophets, that included one man that I know personally, accurately predicted (in 1999) the current war against radical Islam. (They also predicted that the war would involve China and that it could be averted by prayer. I am hoping that the China part was turned away.) Months ago another friend of mine predicted the stock market crash that we have been witnessing over the past weeks.

What is prophecy? Prophecy is merely accurately reporting what God says about a situation or a person. The real rub is in the "accurately" part. It is pretty serious business to claim to speak for the Almighty. However, it is clear through the Scriptures that God speaks to His people through prophets. It occurred in both the Old Testament and in the New: Jesus spoke to his disciples about the blessing of receiving prophets, Paul commented that he wished that all of the believers in Corinth would prophesy, we are even encouraged to ask for the gift of prophecy.

Modern prophecy is no substitute for the scriptures. It is by the Word of God that all prophecy is judged. Any prophecy that does not agree with the Bible is false. This premise is critical to grasp. This truth, however, does not change the fact that God also speaks to His people about the things that are going on in their lives beyond the written words of the Bible. He is eager to speak to those who are willing to pursue intimacy with Him.

On January 13, 2009 I believe that I had a conversation with God in my prayer time. In that conversation God spoke to me very clearly about judgments that are coming to our nation and about the church's lack of preparedness for what is coming. I have been pondering this message now for several months and feel that the time is right to share it. The message is alarming. There is a very real physical danger that we are facing. The events of this prophecy will be the most distressing that any of us who have only lived in the United States have ever seen.

The purpose of sharing this message is not to create fear though. I realize that such a statement seems rather counter to common sense. However, when there is danger coming, forewarned is forearmed. My prayer is that each person who reads this prophecy will become sober and vigilant and will begin to prepare in earnest for what is about to happen in our nation.

The best way to prepare is to get serious about knowing God. To that end I would recommend greatly reducing the amount of time spent on entertainment. 24 hours is such a short period of time. If eight hours are devoted to work, eight hours are devoted to sleep, three hours are devoted to meals, one hour is devoted to travel, and two hours are devoted to other necessary personal activities, each person only has about two hours' worth of time left for "leisure." A single 30-minute TV program that promotes the godless systems of our world uses ¼ of the time that is available to seek God. Most people watch far more TV than that.

How can we know God? One of the best ways to start is to begin practicing the disciplines that you have always heard about in church: daily Bible study, prayer (both corporate and individual), fasting, meditation on the scriptures, and scripture memorization. These things will not in themselves cause you to know God, but you won't know God without doing these things.

Quiet yourself and remove as many distractions as possible from your life. Part of the reason that we have so much trouble hearing God is that we have too much sensory input. We are so distracted we cannot be still enough to hear God. Get honest with God about the things that are going on in your life. Look at your life and confess every area of sin that you are aware of, and ask the Lord to help you to be free from these sins. Allow God to begin to speak to you about the areas of your life that the enemy has used to hold you back, and allow Him to begin to heal those areas. Most of all, don't give up. Stick to your pursuit of God like your life depends on it - it very well may.

Below is the text of the conversation between God and me from January 13, 2009. The text in bold font is what I believe the Lord was speaking to me and the normal font was what I said to Him.

My people are not ready. They have not been heeding the warnings. They need to dig down into Me. Be ready. The first waves will catch most of them by surprise. They will need for you and the others that I have prepared to show them where to go. They will need you to help them to get their feet back under them.

It is going to be a lot like the tsunamis that hit Asia a couple years ago. The judgments that are coming will come in just like that, but there will be multiple waves. If My people will respond properly when the first wave comes in many can be saved. Keep your head and direct people to safety.

(I keep seeing images of the tsunami. It will be destructive just like that. I sense that there is a military element to it, but I am not sure if it is terrorist or actual militaries.)

How long do we have?

Not enough time.

Can it be averted?

No.

How do I pray, Lord? What do I pray for?

Pray for their eyes to be opened.

Father God! Open their eyes! Help them to see the truth!

"As in the days of Noah..." life will be going on just as normal and suddenly calamity will come.

Open our eyes Lord! Open our ears that the alarm may register!

Your nation has grown complacent. They do not believe that they are vulnerable to attack, but attack is coming. Their sin has caused Me to remove My protection from them. How I would love to protect them, but they have refused.

You must begin to pray protection over those that you love. Be ready at a moment's notice to pray for your brothers and sisters around the country. For I will arrest you at different times to pray for them. Be ready even in the middle of the night.

Father, will You not help your prophets to warn the people? Will You not help them to uncover the enemy's schemes?

Son, I will tell the prophets, but those in authority won't listen. My message to the prophets will end up saving the lives of the elect.

Father, this is a fearful word.

Remember it is for good. This will end in the liberation of your nation. Your nation will be liberated from the bonds that the enemy has used to enslave it and to derail its destiny. I am rescuing Your nation through My love and mercy, but sin is costly. Its wages are death. They have sown wind, but they will reap the whirlwind.

How do I guard my heart, Lord? How do I prevent the despair and the sorrow from being too much?

You must press in to Me. You must give it to Me. You must come to Me for perspective. I promise that I will be here when you come. I promise that I will comfort you.

Defend my family, Lord. Defend my friends. Defend my brothers and sisters. Defend the helpless and the widows and the orphans. Defend the poor. Protect them from this wave. Let it wake them up. Let it drive them to action.

Later that night there was more:

Much of the damage intended against your nation can be mitigated, but it will not be averted. Even mitigated the damage will be severe.

Father, I pray that the damage done by the attacks will be minimal. Please spare us - especially in the first wave. Give people time to recognize that the prophetic words are true and give them the chance to repent and seek Your face.

There will be loss of life. The degree to which that happens will be determined largely by how effectively and diligently the intercessors stand in the gap.

God, help us to stand mightily.

Many of you will, son. Many will, but there will not be enough to avert the judgment. My people in America largely do not know how to seek My face. They have not been instructed. They have allowed themselves to be distracted by entertainment and by the worries and cares of life and by the desire for things. This initial shaking will wake many of them up from their slumber. Shake as many as you can before the time comes. Wake them up!

Father, anoint my words. Grant them the power to wake them up. Help them to understand the urgency of the hour. Help me to be a faithful watchman. Give me the courage to tell them the truth. Father, break the teeth of the enemy and smash his hands and fingers. Cause him to loose Your people. Force him to uncover their ears. Send Your angels forth to enforce this. Teach me how to pray. Teach me how to unleash Your wrath against the enemy. Teach me how to unlock the passion of the hearts of Your people. Call Your people to action. Uncover their ears so that they can hear the call of the trumpet. Break off of them the spirit of slumber - the spirit of slothfulness - and cause them to respond to the call.

With the inauguration of President Obama my protection will be lifted. It has remained because President Bush has loved Me and fears Me. You and the other intercessors will help to replace that covering, but it will not remain over the entire nation until the nation again returns to Me with a whole heart. The intercession will produce covering in different regions. Some will be as large as entire states and others will be as small as even individual households. Still, you can accomplish much through prayer and even more through prayers of agreement with other saints.

Father, I ask that prayer become a foundational pillar of our new vision at (my church). Please put in the people's heart a desire to pray. Please put a burden in their hearts to pray. Help us, Lord, to spare this county. Help us to join with the other believers around our county to spare us. Help us to desire intimacy with You and not just deliverance from the calamity that is all around us. Help us to seek Your face and the joy of Your presence and pleasure. Forgive me for not seeking this place more often. Captivate my heart - captivate the hearts of Your saints and show them that You are more precious and fascinating than anything that has held their attention before. Help us to connect to Your heart so deeply that we tremble from the joy and passion that we find there....

Who is like You, O God? There is none like You at all. You are glorious and beautiful beyond comprehension. Your love is amazing and overflows to Your creation. Who are we that You have loved us? You are merciful and gracious. Thank You for the treasures of Your mercy and grace.

This is the end of what I believe that I received from the Lord. A friend of mine had some specifics about where some of the attacks may come. This revelation was received on November 10, 2008.

You will see cities burning....

It will be a terrible time for Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Detroit, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Wyoming, and Raleigh. “They” will go after the capital cities in every state, trying to bring down the governments. Austin will be ready because of My prophets there (in TX). Alabama will be ready. Detroit will suffer greatly, as there are many poor people there....

It will not come severely in the first year, but it will crescendo toward 3 years from now. This process will take longer than you would like, but stay faithful. You will see the Great New Awakening that I AM bringing to America, and indeed to the whole world. This is the last great harvest before the end time events are loosed.

Things are no longer “business as usual.” They never will be again. They will first be much worse, then much better. You will rejoice to see it....

Because of the personal nature of other parts of this revelation I left them out, but one of the things included the failure of a major bank. It also talked about the dark times that some have suffered in recent times and how that is part of their preparation for the coming darkness. The struggles that many of God's people have faced will have prepared them to rescue many during these extreme times.

It is beyond time to get ready. If you are reading this and are a Christian, then make your preparation for these events as urgent as if you already saw them happening in your city. There is not time to completely prepare yourself, but you will be happy if you start now instead of waiting for later.

If you are reading this and are not a Christian, then you really should become one. I have explained how to do that many times on this blog. God is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. This is not to say that your life will get easier if you become a Christian - it very likely will not. I will tell you that it will make your life far better in the long run - you will be eternally happy you submitted your life to Jesus Christ. The good news is that those who call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved. Well, actually that is just the beginning of the Good News.

God is good and His lovingkindness endures forever. God loves His children, and He cares for them. Even when we suffer loss and when we suffer hardship, the Lord uses it to bring us to maturity and to bring us to greater trust in Him and His goodness. During these times God will expose your fears. He will expose everything that you lean on besides Him, and sadly, as Americans we lean on many things besides God - even though we claim that we do not. Our fears are proof that our trust is not fully on God and prove that we do not know and love Him as we should, for perfect love casts out fear. Brothers and sisters, trust in the promise that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Finally, take heart that the judgments that are coming against this nation are not for its destruction but instead for its salvation. God has promised to remove everything that hinders love for Him. The shaking that is coming will help to accomplish this purpose and will usher in a Great Awakening in our nation that all who love the Lord will rejoice to see.

Total War

2009-05-11T11:02:00.002-04:00

Part One In The Spiritual Warfare Series

I have been pondering the concept of total war lately. Americans are really not comfortable with the idea of total war. This fact is clearly seen in our impatience with the current war in Iraq and in our approach to the war against terrorism in general. The most recent example of total war in American history was World War II. Yet even that war did not carry the concept to its extreme limits. According to Wikipedia

Total war is a conflict of unlimited scope in which a belligerent engages in a mobilization of all available resources at their disposal, whether human, industrial, agricultural, military, natural, technological, or otherwise, in order to entirely destroy or render beyond use their rival's capacity to continue resistance. The practice of total war has been in use for centuries, but it was only in the middle to late 19th century that total war was identified by scholars as a separate class of warfare. In a total war, there is less (or no) differentiation between combatants and non-combatants (civilians) than in other conflicts, as nearly every person from a particular country (or opposing area), civilians and soldiers alike, can be considered to be part of this belligerent effort.

The "civilized" world in general doesn't seem to have much of a stomach for total war, and I am glad many industrialized nations have embraced the concept of more limited warfare. However, the concept of total war seems to be a good description of the spiritual war in which humanity finds itself.

Consider the reality that exists on Earth. Two kingdoms are engaged in battle for supremacy of the earth. There is no Geneva Convention governing the prosecution of this war. It is a bloody, no-holds-barred fight. Neither side fights fairly, and the weapons of each side are devastating.

The devil and his forces are doing everything that they can to steal, kill, and destroy. They are not above attacking infants in the womb. They put hideous diseases on people. They spawn physical wars. They keep people in bondage physically, mentally, emotionally, economically, and spiritually. They pervert justice and do everything that they can to destroy God's creation. Worst of all, the devil takes advantage of people's fallen, sinful nature to keep them bowing to him. Condemnation and intimidation are some of his most effective weapons. This kingdom uses deception and lies as propaganda to prevent its victims from finding God's light and to entice them to destroy themselves.

On the other hand the Kingdom of God uses weapons that the enemy cannot resist. Those in this Kingdom have access to the precious blood of Jesus that the enemy has no defense against. They can use the name of Jesus that causes every knee to bow in submission. They have the Word of God that is like a mighty two-edged sword. The praises of God in their mouths inflicts "vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them." They have the grace of God at their disposal to set them free from condemnation and from the fleshly sinful nature that their enemy had used to keep them in bondage. And they have Almighty God backing them up.

The greatest insult of all to the kingdom of the devil is that the Kingdom of God doesn't destroy anything except the works of the devil. The Kingdom of God is all about restoration. It takes its enemy's greatest warriors and converts them and uses them as weapons against the devil's kingdom. In fact, the word of a Christian's testimony has great power to overcome the devil. So even the things that the enemy intended to destroy are used to overcome his kingdom. And he can't even kill these liberated prisoners to stop their influence, because the blood of the saints of the Kingdom of God is the seed of the Church.

The sooner that we embrace the reality that we are engaged in a total war the happier we will be. For when we finally recognize this truth we will be able to readjust our expectations in a way that will allow us to begin to walk in victory. So many Western Christians have been deluded into believing that spiritual warfare is a metaphor instead of truth. As a result we are perplexed when we see the suffering that exists in our world. We wonder why our lives are so destroyed and why sickness, bondage, poverty, conflict, and trouble are our constant companions. We wonder why our lives as Christians are such a poor representation of the examples that we see in the scriptures.

John Eldredge described it this way in his book Waking The Dead:

Until we come to terms with war as the context of our days we will not understand life. We will misinterpret 90 percent of what is happening around us and to us. It will be very hard to believe that God's intentions toward us are life abundant; it will be even harder not to feel that somehow we are just blowing it. Worse, we will begin to accept some really awful things about God. That four-year-old girl being molested by her daddy - that is "God's will"? That ugly divorce that tore your family apart - God wanted that to happen too? And that plane crash that took the lives of so many - that was desired by God?

Most people get stuck at some point because God appears to have abandoned them. He is not coming through. Speaking about her life with a mixture of disappointment and cynicism, a young woman recently said to me, "God is rather silent right now." Yes, it's been awful. I don't discount that for a moment. She is unloved; she is unemployed; she is under a lot. But her attitude strikes me as deeply naive, on the level of someone caught in a cross fire who asks, rather shocked and with a sense of betrayal, "God, why won't you make them stop firing at me?" I'm sorry, but that's not where we are right now. It's not where we are in the Story. That day is coming, later, when the lion shall lie down with the lamb and we'll beat swords into plowshares. For now, it's bloody battle.

- John Eldredge, © 2009 Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive, pp. 17-18 Thomas Nelson Publishers

Once we embrace the concept of total war we can begin to act like we are in a war. Instead of wandering around the battlefield naked and unarmed we can begin to gird ourselves for the battle that we are in - and like it or not we are all in a battle. There is no sideline. No quarter is given based on age, sex, race, religion, economic status, handicap, or anything else. We are all combatants on one side or the other. If you fight you will be attacked, and if you don't fight you will be attacked. I don't know about you, but if I'm going to be attacked one way or the other, I intend to bloody my adversary as much as I can.

It is important to remember the nature of a Christian's weapons. They are not physical weapons, but spiritual. And our enemies are not flesh, but spirit. That isn't to say that the spirits don't manifest themselves through people for they surely do, but our warfare is against the spirit and not against the individual. When a Christian wars, success will be far more likely when anger is not allowed to be expressed against the individual that the enemy is using for his purposes.

But why do we have to fight? If a person is born again he belongs to God, right? If God is all-powerful then why do we have to fight? Couldn't He just win for us? He could. But that has never been the way that God has operated in the Earth. Even from the beginning, He created mankind in His image and authorized him to rule the Earth. The New Testament does not change this arrangement. In the end God's saints rule with Jesus when He comes back to take physical dominion of the Earth. A good picture of God's attitude towards warfare can be found in the book of Judges:

These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (He did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.

God actually WANTED all of the Israelites to be trained in and experience warfare! We are no different. The scriptures make it clear that we are to personally engage in warfare through the power and strength of the Lord.

One of the most significant realizations that I have ever come to as a Christian is that the devil does not fight fairly and that I don't either. I am OK with that. The enemy will go after anything that he can to get to me. My family, friends, property, health, and anything else that he could use to harm me are all on his list of potential targets. Anything that I have not protected is likely to be attacked. However, on the other hand the Lord has given us tremendous promises in His Word that allow us to defend ourselves against the devil's schemes.

Peter tells us to "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." Another version tells us to "be sober, be vigilant." Soldiers in a battle zone learn to be vigilant or they end up dead. God has already given us the weapons to defeat the enemy. If we are alert and on guard against the devil's attacks we can thwart him when he tries to devour that which Jesus purchased for us at Calvary.

There is no doubt that the enemy will get in some cheap shots, but as we learn to fight we will make it harder and harder for him to breach our defenses. Even better we will learn to plunder his kingdom, taking back not only what he stole from us but setting other captives free! We will begin to cause more damage to the enemy than he does to us! When we are on the offensive the battle becomes fun.

I hope that you see that there is no avoiding combat in this war. Our actions either contribute to the victory of the enemy's kingdom or the Kingdom of God. As you begin to engage in the battle do not be dismayed if the enemy intensifies the battle around you. Remember that intimidation is one of his tactics. If you will continue to resist him he will flee. And you don't have to fight by yourself either! We can team up against the devil, and that teamwork multiplies our effectiveness.

Soon I hope to address some of the practical ways that I have learned to engage the enemy and to discuss the weapons that I have learned to use in that fight, but these topics are outside the scope of today's post. I hope that these thoughts have spurred you to recognize the nature of the battle in which we all find ourselves and have encouraged you to take up your armor and weapons to defend yourself against the enemy's attack. May God grant you much grace and reveal Himself to you through His Word.

Go To Spiritual Warfare Series Part 2: Choosing Your Ground

Sonnet XIII

2008-11-05T11:11:00.001-05:00

On The American Election 2008 - A Sonnet To My King
By Jonathan D. Eller

My God, Your wisdom far exceeds my own,
And I draw comfort from this very thing.
For by Your great omnipotence You've shown
That You determine president and king.
Yes, You know all men's hearts - this fact is true -
And render unto them a payment just,
Rewarding men and nations what is due.
Lord, in Your goodness I have learned to trust.
Your discipline is sorrowful for sure -
Your wrath and blows seem ever so severe -
But chastisement is sent to make us pure,
And by its cleansing helps us to draw near.
My God, this nation's nothing without Thee.
Please cleanse our hearts and truly make us free.

November 5, 2008

Daylight Savings Time Ends... Tonight

2008-11-01T21:30:00.003-04:00

Don't forget to set your clocks back tonight! Otherwise you'll be showing up at church with the folks setting up!

So Important

2008-10-30T18:10:00.001-04:00

Sonnet XII

2008-10-27T19:08:00.001-04:00

My God – A Sonnet To My King
By Jonathan D. Eller

My God, My God, who loves as well as You?
Your patience is more broad than all You’ve made,
And though all men are false your word proves true.
Your promises, vast as the stars arrayed,
Speak goodness, love, and mercy without end.
Your power stuns my intellect and yet,
The helpless and downtrodden You defend.
Your heart’s inclined to forgive and forget
The sins confessed by children penitent.
But anger flares towards those who mock Your path
And scorn Your truth with actions insolent.
They, sowing foolish seed, invite Your wrath.
Lord, let Your kindness cause them to repent.
Please draw them to the Holy Lamb You sent.

October 27, 2008

Undone

2008-10-21T10:10:00.001-04:00

I was utterly undone by this song this morning.

Sonnet VII

2008-10-14T14:56:00.002-04:00

My Treasure – A Sonnet To My King
By Jonathan D. Eller

Oh Lord, how sweet Your presence is to me.
Its worth exceeds by far the whole earth’s gold!
And yet I find sometimes I run from Thee
To cherish something not worth laying hold.
A foolish man I am, and there’s no doubt
To think that the created may compare
To He who made and stretched the heavens out
And notes each fallen sparrow’s end with care.
Yes, fool was I to choose something ‘fore Thee
When lovingly You wanted me to wrap
Up tightly warm within Your arms safely
And snuggle there with You upon Your lap.
“My son if you into My arms will fly
Your joy will grow as each new day draws nigh.”

October 14, 2008

Another Sonnet

2008-10-11T15:31:00.001-04:00

Here's another sonnet I have written. The meter and rhyme scheme are right, but the phrasing seems off. What do you think?

Atonement - A Sonnet to My King
By Jonathan D. Eller

The Master summons me. What shall I do?
For I am in no state to meet the King.
‘Cause I am marred by sin without and through,
And next to Him I’m such a filthy thing.
My sins are numerous as ocean sands:
For other lords I’ve served in vanity,
And bowed myself to gods made by my hands;
I’ve stolen, lied, and despised family;
I’ve blasphemed, hated, been consumed by greed;
I’ve lusted after women not my wife;
And Sabbaths have I worked to meet my need.
A sinner I have been for all my life.
The Master shakes His head and calls again.
"The Lamb has made atonement for your sin."

October 11, 2008

A Sonnet To My King

2008-10-01T08:20:00.000-04:00

Thy grievous wounds received for my defense
Hath paid in full my fearsome debt to Thee,
As age and wisdom show my full offense
And conscience aches rememb’ring my folly.
On what ground can I claim so dear a gift?
For righteousness or goodness on my part?
Nay on my own I’m naught but dust to sift
And bear the blame for my contrary heart.
“But God…” what words with joyous rapture filled,
Hath loved me and hath sent His only Son!
In shocking love His precious blood was spilled
And raised to life that death may be undone.
O glorious Captain, Savior, Lord, and King,
My life is Thine. I give Thee everything.

Homecoming

2008-09-29T12:24:00.002-04:00

When breath is gone and mortal life is done
How precious will that moment be to Thee,
As spent and bruised my finished race is run,
Collapsing in Your arms in victory.
But crowns and garlands I do not deserve,
For truly it was Christ who bore me through.
In spite of flimsy flesh and failing nerve
Your Spirit worked within to make me new!
At times I wondered if the cost so dear
Against my flesh were truly worth the prize.
Yet now beholding You suddenly near
Hath destroyed doubt and caused my joy to rise!
From here the trials were transient, short and light.
My joy is full as faith gives way to sight!

Jonathan D. Eller

More On Effective Church Action

2008-08-28T12:14:00.002-04:00

Town turns to prayer to fight pornography
Courtesy of OneNewsNow

An adult entertainment facility in Lavonia, Georgia, has shut its doors, and opponents believe it was due to the power of prayer.

Café Risqué opened six years ago, and the city lost several lawsuits to try to close it or force it to move from its location along the nearby interstate highway. The business was deemed an embarrassment to the city, but residents turned to prayer in order to shut the place down.

Larry Finger is senior pastor at First Baptist Church. "We prayed and hoped and trusted that the Lord would help us, and then eventually a situation came up where the property owner was prepared to sell, and using a third party, the city had someone buy the property," he details. "Then the city bought the property from them and closed the establishment."

Out of all the approaches to try to shut down the business, the only one that worked was prayer, says Finger. "It was a scourge on our community and we knew it, but we had come to the point where we thought we were almost hopeless outside God's miraculous help -- and we finally got the victory, and a great one it has been," says a joyful Finger.

The senior pastor is hopeful other towns with a similar problem -- perhaps that are ill-equipped to deal with the situation -- will not forget about prayer. He notes that Lavonians prayed for six years before there was a solution.

What?! You mean prayer actually WORKS?

Did you notice how long it took?

Have you ever quit before 6 years was finished?

I think that I probably added a couple prayers to theirs without knowing it on trips to Atlanta and Florida. I'm glad that place is gone... just like I'm glad Dockside Dolls in Mebane is gone. I credit prayer with that one too.

It is really amazing what the Church could accomplish if we would simply BELIEVE what the Bible says and act on that belief.

Here Is A Good Example Of What Church Is Supposed To Be

2008-08-28T10:50:00.003-04:00

From an article on the Presidential Prayer Team website...

Leadership can be lonely. When you're the mayor, people who talk to you very often want something from you. That's why Portland, Oregon, Mayor Tom Potter was so surprised when one citizen - a prominent international figure - asked what he and his network of local leaders and activists could do for the mayor and the city.

"In all my years of public service," says Potter, "I rarely have people ask what they can do for me - and for our city. My answer, of course, was immediate - please help us solve the problem of homelessness."

The outcome two years later has been substantial. Over 25,000 volunteers have mobilized to tackle not only the area's homelessness but also medical needs, hunger, poverty, school cleanup and more. Their "Season of Service" (www.portlandcityfest.com/season_of_service) includes a dizzying array of projects to connect needy people with those who can help.

Luis Palau (www.portlandcityfest.com/luis_palau), the international Christian speaker who approached Potter, and his team have helped organize local churches to volunteer for the public good. Partnering with government and business leaders, the church coalition is producing impressive results.

Read more...

This is what I am talking about! The church being the hands, feet, and mouth of God here on earth. VERY COOL.

What Is Church?

2008-05-14T00:17:00.004-04:00

We need to rethink our definition of “church.” When we come to “church” as an individual who is primarily a consumer we begin to view church as an “event” where we can consume spirituality or religion to meet our own personal needs. The alternative here is to move from church as event to church as family. When we approach “church” as individuals in a community where we are cooperating together for a common goal its almost impossible to think of church as an event. Instead a better metaphor for church, as we have talked about at The Well a lot recently, is “family.” A family cooperating together to care together for the individual needs, all for a common goal.

- Todd Hiestand pastor of The Well (From the Provocative Church blog)

Psalm 8:2

2008-05-12T13:52:00.001-04:00

"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger."

SJB at Trinity Oaks

2008-05-12T11:33:00.004-04:00

StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing tonight at Trinity Oaks ( 728 Klumac Road Salisbury, NC 28144) at 7:00. It will probably only be a one hour show, but we are planning to pack in as many songs as possible in that hour! Hope you can come.

We are also tentatively scheduled to play for a fund raiser in China Grove on Saturday June 7 (no concrete time for this one yet) and for Farmers' Day in China Grove at Dixie's coffee house. I'll have to check on the date for that one, but it is usually the hottest day of the year... we'll be making it hotter!

Very Cool Video

2008-05-12T11:30:00.001-04:00

Fearfully And Wonderfully Made

2008-05-09T21:42:00.001-04:00

You can see a picture of the molecule over at Deborah's blog, Thoughts Along The Way. That's where I found the video.

Quote Of The Day

2008-05-07T12:10:00.000-04:00

Prayers are deathless. The lips that uttered them may be closed to death, the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God’s heart is set on them and prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; they outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world. That man is the most immortal who has done the most and the best praying. They are God heroes, God’s saints, God’s servants, God’s vicegerents. A man can pray better because of the prayers of the past; a man can live holier because of the prayers of the past; the man of many and acceptable prayers has done the truest and greatest service to the incoming generation. The prayers of God’s saints strengthen the unborn generation against the desolating waves of sin and evil.

—Edward McKendree (E. M.) Bounds

The Path Less Traveled

2008-05-06T19:44:00.002-04:00

Found this on one of the blogs I regularly read and thought it was so appropriate. Hope it stretches you!

"Nothing (truly nothing) hurts more than to see people reject the hard road in search of an easier one. We get lazy when things are too easy - and it's far too tempting to do that. It breaks my heart when I pass by someone's house on Sunday that used to attend our church - and notice that all of their cars are still in the driveway. Who knows if they are attending at an odd service time, but it still hurts to know that they could be missing out on what God wants to do in their life. It hurts to see a family teach their children that they are more important than God - by switching churches based on a kids program and not the leading of the Holy Spirit. It kills me to hear critics complain when they themselves have not shared the Gospel (much less invited someone to church) in years.... All in all, God wants our spirit to be broken so He can fill us with His. You cannot experience true brokenness while you are working to feed your own ambitions in life.... Sacrifice, risk, and the Gospel are partners that spend a ton of time together.... and they cannot be separated! "

- Patrick Gillen @ Active Pursuit

Reward In Full

2008-04-22T22:12:00.002-04:00

This past weekend the StillWaters Jazz Band played at the Brian Center in Salisbury. It was a much different show than we had done up to that point.

You see, so far all of our audiences have been very supportive and enthusiastic. The guys at the NC Veterans' home last week were the most receptive and fun crowd that we have played for. The folks at the Brian Center couldn't have been much more different.

I can say this - at least the crowd wasn't hostile. We weren't having stuff thrown at us! However, there was almost no response from the residents. Most seemed unable to respond. It was very sad, and very difficult to play through. I guess I figured that most folks respond to music even when nothing else can get through.

We did manage to talk to a few folks when we took our break. Some were able to converse with us. Justin is so good at interacting with the people that we play for. I am amazed that a self-proclaimed introvert does as well at it as he does. I find myself hanging back far more than I should. He makes it look so natural - and I suppose it is because he genuinely does care for the people that we are serving.

And that gets right to the heart of the thing, doesn't it? We are there to serve and not to be served. We had a real gut check Saturday. Are we playing because we need an ego boost? Are we doing it just for the fun of it? Or are we doing it to serve our community? If we aren't doing it to show Jesus to our community, then we are missing the point.

It reminds me of the story in the Bible where Jesus talks about the Pharisees who enjoy making prayers in public so people will respect them and think that they are spiritual or those that appear haggard while fasting so that people will think that they are holy for their sacrifice. Jesus said that these people had received their reward in full. It is a good reminder.

There were many elements to Saturday's show that were difficult, but in spite of those difficulties we are committed to going back there again. Who needs our ministry more than these folks? We will find a way to make it fun and seek ways to break through, but even if we don't we really must return. I think it is what Jesus would do.

Opens TODAY!

2008-04-18T01:00:00.001-04:00

Hey, y'all. You GOTTA see this!

SJB At the NCVH...

2008-04-18T00:54:00.003-04:00

Here's an excerpt from a post I wrote on my blog about the StillWaters Jazz Band's most recent gig for the excellent fellows at the NC Veterans' Home:

This past Saturday the StillWaters Jazz Band had one of its most fun gigs so far. We got to play at the NC Veterans' Home on the campus of the VA Hospital in Salisbury, NC. None of us really knew what to expect as we began unloading our equipment. We set up in the front lobby of the facility and the crowd began to gather.

Right off the bat we could tell that these guys were different than the groups we had played for so far. They were asking questions and talking to us - genuinely interested in what we were doing and who we were. It didn't take long before our nerves had settled down. In the picture above you can see Justin talking with one of the residents. This particular fellow was really up on his jazz. He related one story about how he had the pleasure of seeing Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Al Hirt in concert with some other giants of the jazz world back in the late 60s. We were all envious!

Read the rest of the post...

Opening Next Weekend... Expelled

2008-04-11T18:38:00.002-04:00

There is a new documentary coming out next Friday that I believe that we should support. It was produced by Ben Stein and challenges academia's rather unscientific defense of Darwin's theory of evolution. Here's the trailer:

Stein's approach seems to be dogged but respectful. Based on the trailer, I think that you may be surprised at just how much hostility exists in academia and general society towards God's existence and His role in the creation.

If you can see the movie on opening weekend it will be the most helpful. The opening box office will help to determine how many screens will show the movie. I plan to go. I expect it to be a most eye-opening film.

Taking Love Up A Notch

2008-04-03T16:49:00.004-04:00

Today's post at Our Daily Blog went right along with something else that I read today. How interesting it is that such a coincidence should occur.

The morning after Korah's rebellion, a large mob of Israelites formed around the Tent of Meeting. The mob called for retribution against Moses and Aaron because of their role in God's judgment of that rebellion. As the cloud of God’s presence enveloped the Tent of Meeting, Moses could already feel God’s growing wrath.

The moment he and Aaron fell on their faces, a terrible plague began....

...Even though the Israelites had come to threaten them and possibly kill them, Moses and Aaron were still willing to risk their lives to save them. It should be no different in our lives; no matter how obnoxiously people treat us, or how threatened we are by their actions, we must be willing to call out for their salvation and deliverance in prayer.

This is also true when it comes to the sins and wickedness influencing the very life of our own nations today. For example, my personal aversion to homosexuality and other forms of perversion must not stop me from praying and crying out for those bound by these terrible sins.

At times, like Aaron, you and I may even be called to stand between the living and the dead. That’s right, God may even call you to personally reach out to the very people you have been praying for from a distance.

Whether it is someone bound in a homosexual lifestyle or a person addicted to some illegal substance, God may need your actions as much as He needs your prayers....

...Today, the Holy Spirit is calling you afresh. He is calling you out of your comfort zone into a place of service which will change both your heart and the hearts of those around you.

- Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

The post is really excellent. It would be worth reading in its entirety.

Today I also read about a new ministry that is encouraging Christians to "Adopt A Terrorist" on the Presidential Prayer Team website .

A new web-based ministry is urging Christians to adopt a terrorist and pray for them as Jesus Christ had instructed his disciples to love and pray for their enemies.

Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer (ATFP) agrees that the military needs to fight terrorism, but advocates prayer as a counter-offensive strategy not utilized by generals and politicians. ATFP founder Dr. Thomas Bruce believes the war on terrorism is a spiritual struggle against fear.

“The terrorists are just the highest profile intimidators in Satan's arsenal,” Bruce said in a released statement. “They think they are serving God.”

You should really check out that article as well. I believe that Dr. Bruce offers some relevant insights that I won't be covering in this post.

It is so easy to get locked into an "us against them" mentality. It is pervasive in American culture. Heck, my other blog is even named "Xs and Os!" And truly this has been my default setting when it comes to people that I perceive to be opposing me in some way. I can't say that I am beyond responding this way, but God has been working in my heart to teach me to take a more diplomatic tone with people who disagree with my position on things.

It is our job to show love to our neighbors and even our enemies by serving them when we can (individually) and by praying for them. In many of the cases already identified in this post the eternal destination of our enemies is at stake. If we really understand how horrible hell is, we shouldn't desire that anyone go there. Perhaps our prayers can avert that terrible end for even our enemies.

A Warning

2008-04-03T13:51:00.003-04:00

Very few Christians would deny that God still speaks to His people. This communication can come in various forms: from general impressions, to visions, to dreams, and to a voice that isn't heard with our ears but is instead discerned by our spirits.

One of my friends has a particular fluency in their communication with God. Recently, in the midst of a conversation that this individual was having with God about a situation that they are dealing with, God shared something that I believe is very important for many to hear. Based on my experience with this individual, my knowledge of their understanding of the subject matter of the message, and the context in which it was given, I believe that this is a bona fide message from the Lord.

The Bible tells us to "Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment." While many in traditional and even evangelical churches are uncomfortable with calling someone a prophet today or even in allowing that prophecies are still given today, I hope that you will not be offended by this term. A prophet is merely someone who tells others what God has told them. It is our job as priests in the Kingdom of God to consult with the Holy Spirit to test the prophecy. It is with this caveat that I submit this message for your consideration:

If you have an abundance don't invest it in the stock market. That's going to crash later this year. It will be a lot like 1929, but for those whose investment is primarily in the Kingdom there won't be a problem.

Wealth, as America knows it is almost over.

Dave Ramsey's teachings about mutual funds work well in this season - this system, but the economic system is about to change dramatically. The same rules will not apply.

I'm getting ready for the great wealth transfer. Many will be saved. Those in debt will suffer the most. Many will lose everything. "But those who know their God will do mighty exploits."

Let me begin by explaining something of the context in which this message was given. What I have shared was an excerpt from a larger conversation between my friend and God. There was nothing before this in the conversation that even made mention of the stock market, although financial matters had been discussed. This is one of the reasons that I believe that this message is from God.

A second reason that I believe that this message is authentic is that my friend has no knowledge or understanding of the stock market or the economic factors that drive it. This individual has (as was indicated in the prophecy) listened to Dave Ramsey, but that is the extent of their knowledge. In fact, my friend hardly even listens to or reads the news. So I don't believe that this is an idea that could have come from this individual's own concerns about the economy or knowledge about it.

Where does this leave us then? One of the purposes of prophecy is to encourage God's people. The entirety of the context of this message served to strongly encourage my friend.

Another purpose of prophecy is to warn God's people of sin and/or impending events. Proverbs tells us "The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, but the naive go on, and are punished for it." and "A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, the naive proceed and pay the penalty."

I am no financial expert. I cannot tell you what to do in response to this message. Perhaps it would be wise to study the events of the Great Depression and look specifically to the areas that thrived in the midst of the collapse of the Stock Market. I have heard that when one type of investment falters there are often other areas that thrive. This may be a time for God's people to be able to thrive because of this warning.

Perhaps it would also be prudent to move funds from stock market based investments to investments with guaranteed interest. (I'm thinking particularly of folks with 401-ks and that sort of thing.) However, once again, I don't really know what I am talking about. Your best bet would be to ask God what you should do with your investments.

Can I guarantee that this is a word from the Lord? No. But I felt strongly enough that it was that I felt a responsibility to warn as many people as I could about it. Please pray and ask God to show you whether this prophecy is true and to tell you what you should do about it.

One last thought... Christians are not to be motivated by fear. This message should not cause fear, but should encourage us to praise God for giving us a warning before this event takes place.

If you are heavily in debt this may cause you some distress. That is understandable, but do not operate out of fear. Cry out to God in repentance over your situation and ask Him how to fix it. Allow your faith to rise up and trust your God to take care of you and your needs. I can attest that He does and He will. That is not to say that you may not suffer loss, but God will not allow the righteous to be forsaken or their children to beg for bread.

To Vote Or Not To Vote... It Really Isn't The Question

2008-04-01T13:25:00.006-04:00

I found this at the Pray The Vote website:

Has this year’s presidential campaign left you so uncertain...so discouraged...that you’re actually considering not voting in November?

If you can honesty answer “yes” to that question, know that you’re not alone. Other fellow intercessors for Pray the Vote 2008 have expressed to us they feel the same way. Despite their prayers, they’ve wondered if they should even participate in the election process.

But God is moving in their hearts. Here is the story of one such person. Read More...

As citizens of heaven it is our responsibility to do all that we can to impact our society for the Kingdom of God. As American citizens that means voting (among other things). God has decided who He wants to be America's next President. We must seek His face until we are in line with His choice. Don't shirk this divine and valuable trust.

Holiness

2008-04-01T11:42:00.003-04:00

Jim Laffoon has written an excellent devotion on his blog about seeing the consequences of sin and using those examples to create in himself a fear of God and a hatred of sin. It is a most worthy read. Here is an excerpt:

In my own life, God has allowed me to be involved in spiritual autopsies more times than I care to count.

Every time I have to face the horrible consequences of rebellion and sin in the life of a person I love, it makes me fear God and hate sin all the more. Whether it is the horrors and pain of sexual immorality, or the pride and insecurity keeping a man or woman of God from confessing the sinful habits which would later destroy them, these close encounters with God’s judgments have helped to make me a wiser man today.

May your heart be filled with the fear of the Lord and a hunger for holiness as you consider the message of this story.

- Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

We must be careful to not trample underfoot the grace of God or to take sin lightly. The wages of sin have always been death and will remain so, but Christ's sacrifice gives us the power to live holy lives through the Holy Spirit.

A Quote For You

2008-03-29T16:24:00.002-04:00

I am being pressed forward in the Spirit to assume my position. How about you? Each one of us in Christ has a position that we MUST assume. His Bride must be ready for her Groom! We can't fulfill our life's mission if we don't boldly step into that rightful place He has for us.
- Deborah @ Thoughts Along The Way

A Little Music To Help You Through The Day

2008-03-28T10:04:00.002-04:00

StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing at Dixie's TOMORROW from 12:00 Noon to 2:00. I hope you can make it out. It should be a good time.

We had a great rehearsal last night, so I am hopeful for a really good outing on Saturday. We're even having another one tonight!

Tomorrow will be the public debut for my first jazz song, Dog Days Of Dixie, written in memory and as a tribute to the namesake of Dixie's, Dixie the bloodhound.

According to the reports that I have seen it looks like it could rain tomorrow, so that will give you a good excuse to come on out and hang around at the coffee house. The coffee is good, the atmosphere is pleasant, the prices are reasonable, and there will be jazz! What more could you want?

We look forward to playing for you. See you there!

Wonderful News!

2008-03-26T11:51:00.003-04:00

OK, this is a little late, but I figure better late than never. I got some great news from Luke D a former member at StillWaters about the medical condition of his son, Josh. Some of you may remember that Josh nearly died several times as a result of complications from a surgery that he had. It was really touch and go there for quite a while. I'll let Luke give you the details:

Just so you know the context...
Many doctors said Josh might not eat by mouth again.
Josh ate solid food at Thanksgiving.
Some doctors said Josh would not get off the vent.
Josh hasn't used the vent since December 21st.
One PICU doctor raised questions about Josh's future "quality of life" and suggested that we just take Josh home and "let nature take its course".
We know that God determines what Josh's life will be, and because He loves Josh, we can rest in that hope.
Virtually all the doctors (except pulmonology) said he'd never get rid of the trach.
(You know where this is headed...)
TODAY DR. SIMPSER REMOVED JOSH'S TRACH!

Out it came, and Josh continued breathing normally! In fact, he has not had to be suctioned once since the trach's removal at 2:15 pm EDT! He is on his bipap now sleeping comfortably and enjoying this new turn of events. We will change the gauze over the small hole in his neck tomorrow, and the hole should be half the size then. It should close off completely in a bit and all that will be left is a slight scar.

There is still more to be done in terms of Josh's strength and speech, but therapy is dealing with that. This trach issue has long been viewed by Josh as the summit of the mountain he needed to climb. For some time, he has expressed that he will be "normal" when he gets the trach out. No matter how much encouragement and prayer we have given him, he still has struggled with his image. Since mid-afternoon today, Josh has been positively glowing.

Josh's life and successful independence from the trach is testimony to God's faithfulness and the efficacy of prayer. Perhaps you are facing a huge challenge that is causing you to doubt God's goodness and His care for you, but let this story encourage you that God loves YOU and is working for YOUR good. Don't give up - even when the "experts" (like the "doctor" that thought they should just stop wasting resources on Josh and let him die) tell you there is no hope. With God there is always hope. NOTHING is too hard for our God.

That certainly doesn't mean that the road won't be difficult. If you knew the whole story behind this wonderful report, you would know that there were some very dark days and some heart-wrenching cries to God, questioning how He could allow this to happen. You would realize that there were excruciating weeks spent in hospitals where there was little hope offered and exhausting hours spent caring for this brave little soldier.

But God has come through! Take Him at His word when He says, "For I know the plans that I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

SJB Gig Update

2008-03-18T11:43:00.001-04:00

The StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing March 29 from 12:00 Noon to 2:00 PM. The time is a little different than I had reported earlier. Hope to see you there!

An Amazing Lyric

2008-03-18T11:34:00.003-04:00

I found this lyric posted on the blog Crying Out To Make God Beautiful recently and thought that it was pretty amazing. There are some really unexpected lyric turns. I hope you enjoy it.

I heard He’s up there in that room
I’m afraid—I don’t know what to do
If He only knew what I’ve done He might never even look at me
I have to climb those stairs
I have to find His voice
As I make my way through the crowds nobody sees me, nobody notices me
I walk up those stairs and through the window I hear Him talking—telling parables
I can hear Him telling parables, I can understand what He’s saying
I should have changed my clothes
I’ve had this dress on for almost two weeks now and it’s stained in my sin
My sin—it’s like stains all over this garment but I have to climb those stairs
The room is crowded and I can’t see Him
He’s kneeled down and He’s talking in parables again
I just make my way over to the right and I lean against the wall
There’s an opening between the phrases
And I make my way, I make my break and I run and throw myself at His feet—and I weep
I have this perfume
I know it’s a gift from my lovers—it’s the only thing I have
So I break the neck of the bottle and start to pour my life
My mother forgot my name
My father disappeared when I was just a girl
I was used by everyone, abused by everyone and I was angry
So I ran and hid in the darkness—can you smell my darkness Lord?
Can you smell my sin, it’s being poured on you
And I worship you here at your feet
I hear them talking about me but I keep pouring
This is my one chance, this is my one hope, I have nothing left,
I’m gonna give you everything
Because I heard you heal the sick
I heard you give sight to the blind
I heard you would father the orphan
I heard you would be a husband to the widow
I heard you would forgive my sin
Demons will flee when the fragrance is lifted
Restoration comes when the fragrance is lifted
I’ve never known anyone in my life to look at me the way He is right now
He rebuked them in my presence and took my face in His hands
He looked in through my skin and said
“The fragrance is lifted. I can smell your worship daughter. You are free”
So I dance in a circle and I laugh out loud for the first time in my life
Cause the fragrance has been lifted—the fragrance was lifted
And I have the smell of His feet in my hair
Where He walked I can tell
Because the fragrance is lifted

-Rita Springer

Regarding Preaching

2008-03-18T11:24:00.003-04:00

Sunday is about preaching the Word of God without compromise and leading believers into a time of worship. We are not seeker-sensitive…we don’t pull out all of the stops for guests. Sunday wasn’t Scripturally meant for them…it was mainly intended for the believer. Don’t get me wrong…we know that guests come to Compass Point on Sundays…and we want them to feel welcomed. We have greeters, Starbucks coffee and decent signage. We explain what each element of the service is so we don’t throw people off. However, when the preaching begins…that’s where “guest friendly” stops. Other church planters always ask me how we keep reaching people that are so far from God…it’s because we couldn’t give a rip about coddling them. People far from God…that venture into Compass Point…are already being engaged by the Holy Spirit. They aren’t looking for budget plans for their finances, their purpose in life or how to have better sex…they are looking for a Savior. If they want “self help” fluff they can get a Tony Robbins video or buy a “Marriage For Dummies” book at Barnes & Noble. If they come to Compass Point…it’s because they want to hear the Word of God…unfiltered. My job on Sunday is not to baby sit consumers…my job is to confront sin…for believers and unbelievers…through the uncompromised preaching of God’s Word.

- Chris Elrod (from his blog, Chris Elrod Dot Com)

Are You On Double Secret Probation?

2008-03-18T11:07:00.006-04:00

I got this devotional thought from our brother, Rick, and thought it should be shared here. Please don't see it as an endorsement of the movie, Animal House. Neither Conspiracy of Kindness nor our brother would recommend that you watch it. It simply isn't edifying.
- Cephas

"We must constantly remind ourselves that Satan's thumb isn't bigger than God's. Try as he might to put it on us, our comfort is that God's is on him." - Rick

1PE 5:8-9
"8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

Lessons from Animal House:

"Sometimes life can feel like its lived under a double secret probation... like a big thumb hovering over our every move waiting to squash us at every little mistake. It seemingly follows us all our days making us wonder if there is any real hope of freedom, eternity, an assured relationship with God. We think it causes our stumbling, suffering and pains, and that it be the thumb of God. But when we receive Christ we find that the thumb is Satan seeking to destroy what life Christ has given us.

When we feel this stalker, our skin crawls, our heart quickens, our breathing becomes more shallow. Aha! Because of Christ we are now aware of what we could not know before. We keep ourself under control by letting God be in control. Satan says "you're not going to get away with it this time, smart guy" but God replies to him that his accusations are groundless because Jesus Christ went to that eternal detention on our behalf. This sets us free from the fear of Satan's looming thumb because it looms no more.

We must constantly remind ourselves that Satan's thumb isn't bigger than God's. Try as he might to put it on us, our comfort is that God's is on him." Rick

Honor

2008-03-12T10:21:00.003-04:00

When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned. There is no such thing as a no-man's land between honesty and dishonesty. Our strength lies in spiritual concepts. It lies in public sensitiveness to evil. Our greatest danger is not from invasion by foreign armies. Our dangers are that we may commit suicide from within by complaisance with evil, or by public tolerance of scandalous behavior.
— President Herbert Hoover

Do Not Fear the Ides of March

2008-03-10T22:45:00.003-04:00

Talk about a noteworthy weekend slate of events . . . consider the following menu of opportunities for the coming Saturday and Sunday:

1. "The Ides of March" The middle of the month, occurring this Saturday the 15th. Carol and Cameron invite you join us for a fun, food, and fellowship gathering starting at 6 pm. RSVP

2. "Palm Sunday" The commemoration of the Triumphal Entry of Christ into Jerusalem just days prior to His week-long teaching, challenging and suffering time. Sunday the 16th.

3. "St. Patrick's Day" A much storied and lively celebration of the patron saint of Ireland. Folks around the world take this opportunity to . . . well, let's just say celebrate. Wonder what Paddy would think of it all? Maybe other saints are turning green with envy!

Caitlin Springs would like you to know about a musical offering this weekend too:
The Catawba College Singers and Madrigals have a big concert at 6 p.m. this Sunday, March 16, in our chapel on campus. Meggie, Zach, and I will all be singing. We just got back this past Thursday from an 8-day choir tour. We sang at churches in SC, FL, and GA and got a wonderful response from each of the congregations. I really like the music that we are singing and would love if any of my Still Waters family could make it.

Enjoy your week, everyone. This just might be an excellent time to reflect upon the Christ as He navigated the final week on earth prior to the Crucifixion and Resurrection. It's in a great little book titled the Bible. (you knew that) The Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are excellent sources for information and inspiration on the matter, so consult them soon.

God's best to each of you.

StillWaters Jazz Band Update

2008-03-03T23:52:00.002-05:00

The gig on Saturday, March 15, 2008 has been postponed to the Saturday after Easter.

StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing at Dixie's on Main Street in China Grove on Saturday, March 29, 2008. I assume that the time is 1:00 to 3:00 PM, but I'll verify that and get back to you.

Sorry things got postponed, but we should have a few new songs in our repertoire by then. We are working on Stormy Weather, Bye Bye Blackbird, and Deep River Blues. Hopefully we'll be ready to share them with you on the 29th!

See you then!

Well Done, Good And Faithful Servant...

2008-02-28T23:57:00.002-05:00

Larry Norman, the father of Christian rock and roll, died early last Sunday morning. He will be sorely missed by those of us left behind. His pioneering work paved the way for the relatively easy access that we have to Christian music today.

Larry was aware that he was approaching eternity and dictated a message to be published on his website after his death.

I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home.

My brother Charles is right, I won't be here much longer. I can't do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably still need financial help.

My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. But still it will be costly because of funeral arrangement, transportation to the gravesite, entombment, coordination, legal papers etc. However money is not really what I need, I want to say I love you.

I'd like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be a funeral posted here on the website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.

Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.

Larry

Larry also shared some thoughts about his mortality on the following video. The video also pays tribute to many of his friends. Those of you familiar with contemporary Christian music's roots will recognize most of these faces.

So long, Larry. I'm sure you wouldn't come back if you could. I look forward to meeting you in heaven!

Jazz Band Update

2008-02-28T23:36:00.001-05:00

StillWaters Jazz Band will most likely be playing at Dixie's on Saturday, March 15th. We still have to work out a couple details, but as soon as I am sure of times, etc. I will be sure to let you know! Hope to see you then!

Havin' Church

2008-02-28T23:19:00.003-05:00

Tonight we had our second installment of the Church Incognito. It was so pleasant. We had my sister's family, two other couples, and myself.

The night started with supper. It was pretty good too. I made shepherd's pie, Penny made an awesome salad, and Sara made chocolate chip cookies with a hint of orange. My sister provided the sweet tea!

After we had cleaned up from supper we got some coffee and headed to the living room where we sang a couple songs and then we talked about the passage in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33. I would love to say that I was better prepared, but I hadn't looked at the passage today. Justin really did a great job talking about this passage and had some really great insights to share.

One of the things that Justin talked about was a book that he read in college about spiritual disciplines. (I need to get the title from him, because it sounded like one I would like to read.) But as he was talking about the book it became clear to me that I have been lacking in the area of meditation and listening to God.

Lately I have been so harried by my situation and by all of the things going on around me that it has been hard for me to pray or hear God at all. I have to be able to come back to my base and hear what God is saying to me and bask in the peace of His presence. I have spent far too much time lately quite literally raging in the storm. The Word tells us that rage is a fruit of the flesh. If I am producing fleshly fruit, I must have gotten detached from the correct vine.

From a practical perspective I have to say that the singing section and the Word section were a little bumpier than I would have liked, but still it went OK. A little more preparation and some prayer towards this meeting should make things go a lot better. And as you can see from what I wrote in the paragraph above, there was fruit from this time.

By far my favorite time of the night was when we gathered together to pray. What a sweet time. We went for close to an hour and the presence of God was so tangible. It helped me to realize just how far I had been from His presence lately. God is so good to meet us, broken as we are.

Anyway, it was a great meeting and I will look forward to seeing how things continue to go. What will God do with our little group? I have no idea, but I am certainly looking forward to finding out!

Jazz Band Update

2008-02-26T00:13:00.002-05:00

SJB had a great rehearsal tonight and added a couple new songs. One was written by Justin, and the other is the old standard, "Stormy Weather." It is always fun getting together with the guys and playing, and it is even more fun when you realize how much better you are getting with the practice.

When we first started playing my hands were worn out in just a couple of tunes, but now I can go for over an hour without any ill effects. (Unless I get excited and grip the guitar too hard!)

We hope to get some performances scheduled in the coming weeks. If you would like to have us perform for your organization just let us know and we'll be glad to see what we can do to accommodate you!

Keep checking back here to find out about our concert dates. Hope to see you soon!

Church On Thursday Night

2008-02-26T00:04:00.002-05:00

I'm not quite sure of the venue yet, but there will be church on Thursday night. It will either be at my house or at my sister's. We will probably start at 6:00 PM. Food will almost assuredly be involved. I'd say that there is a good chance that there will be music, and there will be time invested discussing the Scriptures. We'll probably do some praying too.

This week's text will be 1 Corinthians 14:26 and we'll continue our exploration of what is involved in having church. Please feel free to bring a friend. There's always room for one more!

Live At Dixie's

2008-02-21T21:05:00.017-05:00

Last Saturday the StillWaters Jazz Band played at Dixie's coffee house in China Grove. It was our fourth gig, but was really our first public outing.

When I drove to the grocery store the week before the show I was greeted by this excellent sign in front of the shop. I began to get excited about playing.

I really hadn't played for a secular crowd before, so this was my first time to perform in front of my peers. (When you play in church everyone HAS to be nice to you. It's the rules.)

Of course, I was also somewhat nervous about doing this performance. It was my peers that we were playing for, remember? This whole thing is still pretty new to me. I didn't get that nervous, though. I figured that not too many people would show up.

Boy, was I wrong.

When we got there to set up the place was almost empty. One or two folks came in and left. I figured that we'd be playing to the proprietor. That was OK with me too.

However, by the time that 1:00 rolled around, the place was nearly full. It was hard to believe that that many people from China Grove would actually come out in the middle of the day on a Saturday to hear a band that they had never heard before.

I mean, jazz? In China Grove? Seriously? Seriously.

The coffee shop stayed full until nearly 3:00. There was even a guy there taking pictures of the band. It kind of freaked me out because he was wearing a "Spin" t-shirt and had an armful of really cool-looking tattoos, and was taking lots of pictures in a very professional manner with a very nice camera. I knew that there was no way that we were good enough (or notorious enough) for Spin Magazine to be checking us out. But the longer that he snapped pictures, the more it perplexed me.

The first set went pretty well, and after we stopped for our break I was able to calm down a little bit.

By the way, the coffee at Dixie's is excellent, and the atmosphere is my favorite of all of the other coffee houses in Rowan County. It is classy vintage. I'll try to get some snapshots of the decor the next time that I go there.

Our second set started off a little rocky for me. We did "I've Found A New Baby" and for some reason, I never really got situated right. Both of my hands started getting tired. It was all I could do to finish they were burning so bad. Thankfully, I only had one other glitch during the gig. On "Greensleeves" something happened to my capo and the tension wasn't enough to push the strings down all the way. Not a really good effect!

It was also nice seeing Pastor Cameron, my sister, Vanessa and her daughter, Grace, Randy from our former church, and one of Sara's friends from work. We were so honored by all of the folks who came out to support us.

Let me take a moment now to introduce the folks in the band.

This is Justin, the brains of the operation. It was his idea to put the band together in the first place. I would have never thought of playing guitar in a jazz band. I wouldn't have had the first notion of how to begin, but Justin had the knowledge, the passion, and a notebook full of jazz standards.

Justin really carries the band. He is a great musician, and it is his playing that really helps to make what we do jazz. He has also written a couple of the numbers that we perform. His song that we do most often is called "Cookout." If you ever want to understand what StillWaters Jazz Band is all about just talk to Justin for 5 minutes. That's all he'll need to make you understand.

By the way, Justin is also the band director at South Rowan High School and is a talented bass player too.

Gillen is our bass player. He's only a few months out of high school, but has a lot going for him.

Like most guys his age, he is hyper-involved in all kinds of things. He works a full-time job, goes to school, plays for his church, plays for us... Oh, to have that kind of energy again!

The thing that impresses me most about Gillen is his passion for the Lord. Gillen loves Jesus and is really pursuing a relationship with Him. He hopes to eventually go into youth ministry, and I am sure that he will be excellent at it. You can't know too many people like Gillen. I love being able to hang around with the guy. I have never seen him discouraged. He always has a positive attitude.

This is Sara, Justin's wife. She plays a really mean piano and is uber-creative. I said earlier that Justin carries the band - well, so does, Sara. They both are scary talented and technically savvy. I have learned tons from both of them.

You can tell when Sara is really getting into the music - it is like there is no one else in the room. Sara comes up with some really cool ideas just messing around between songs. My favorite so far is a jazz version of "Fur Elise" that we are trying to work up now. Unfortunately, we have yet to commit it to paper. Hopefully, we will have done so by our next gig. It is so cool!

Sara is kind of quiet until you get to know her, and then you discover that there is a lot going on under the surface.

And this is me, Big Papi. (It looks like I have just had a brilliant idea pop into my head. I think that it is in reality an Easter decoration.) I live right here in China Grove, so it was fun playing on my home turf. I provide the rhythm section for the band.

I'm pretty new to jazz, and stepping out into the realm of solo playing is utterly new to me. I've always been a rhythm guy. So this has been both an exciting, challenging, terrifying, and absolutely fun experience for me. I've been learning new chords and a whole lot about music, friends, and living.

It has also been fun learning about this whole new realm of music. I had heard some of this stuff before (I'm into the swing and big band standards) but now I am starting to actually hear the music of legendary musicians whose names I had only heard before and some that I probably would have never heard were it not for the band - like that of the recently-deceased jazz pianist, Oscar Peterson.

Here we are all together - the StillWaters Jazz Band.

Now that I've introduced everyone, I guess I should say a little bit about who we are as a group. SJB is a group of people who love music, and love friendship, but mostly who love Jesus. We started this band to reach out to the folks of Rowan County in a non-churchy way. Hopefully, as people enjoy our music, they will see something of our Father in us.

We anticipate playing at Dixie's again next month, and I'll be posting updates and announcements when that date is firmed-up. Once again, thanks to everyone who came out to Dixie's last Saturday. We hope to see you next time!

Facing the Flood

2008-02-20T16:40:00.003-05:00

The moment you have victory over temptation in one area of your life, you will immediately be assaulted in another area. When you find yourself under the relentless attacks of the enemy, it is critical that you do not lose your perspective.

In my own life, I have discovered that this level of warfare is normally a signal that I am approaching a unique time of spiritual breakthrough or transition.

... many times God does His greatest work at the darkest moments in our lives. Whether it is Joseph going from the prison to the palace, or Paul and Silas experiencing the power of God after they had been beaten and put in prison (Acts 16:16-40), God delights in displaying His power in the weakest moments of our lives.

- Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

An Interesting Thought

2008-02-20T00:33:00.002-05:00

Here is a thought that I overheard today:

It is an interesting thing about Jesus: there were folks who hated Him and folks who loved Him. The folks who loved Him most were the worldly folks - the sinners. I think that our society is ready for a gospel that loves people. That doesn't mean that it hides the truth from them - just the opposite - but perhaps it is one that earns the right to share that truth first by building relationship.

- JED

What A Blast!

2008-02-16T23:29:00.003-05:00

Today's gig at Dixie's was a huge success. I won't go into details right now because I want to share pictures later, but we had a great time, got some very positive feedback, and were totally enthused about playing there again in the near future.

Thanks to everyone who came out!

Oasis Cancelled Tomorrow

2008-02-16T22:47:00.002-05:00

Due to sickness, Oasis Diner will be canceled this week.

It's Today!

2008-02-16T10:16:00.002-05:00

StillWaters Jazz Band is playing Dixie's today from 1:00-3:00! Hope you can come.

Dixie's is located on Main Street in China Grove at the stoplight next to China Grove Hardware.

You Have Got To Check Out This Blog

2008-02-15T15:31:00.003-05:00

Last night I discovered a blog that you really must check out. It is called It's My Mission and it is incredible. It looks like Geoff Moore (remember him from Geoff Moore and the Distance in the early 90's?) is affiliated with the blog. These folks are really doing a great work. I'm pleased that Blogger named them a blog of note. Had they not, I probably wouldn't have discovered them.

Church Went Great

2008-02-14T22:44:00.003-05:00

Our gathering tonight was small. My sister woke up sick this morning and another couple decided to celebrate the sale of one of their houses. I can't say that I blame them at all. So there were only four of us - make that five - present. I say five, because it was clear that the Lord did show up too.

We had a great meal and talked about what was going on with each other. We played some jazz. We drank tea and ate Girl Scout cookies. (The coffee pot accidentally got broken.) We practiced some worship songs. Frankly a couple of them were pretty rough.

When we finished singing, we sat back at the table and talked about Acts 2:42-47. We laughed at our hosts' spastic cats. We shared prayer requests and we prayed.

It was perfect. I'd put our night up against anyone out there engaged in the Valentine's Day madness.

We liked it so much we're going to do it again next week too!

More to come... hope you can too!

What Exactly Constitutes 'Church' Anyway?

2008-02-13T21:37:00.007-05:00

Ever since the demise of StillWaters I have been wondering exactly what constitutes having church. What are the key elements? What must be present to have had church, and which elements are optional?

One of the things that I have realized is that my community seems to be bound by a religious spirit. Lots of people are very religious, but few seem to have any idea about what it really means to be a Christian. Most are content as long as the service never really deviates from that to which they have become accustomed (and as long as there are adequate programs to take care of their needs.)

Even worse is that this spirit also manifests itself as false religion. Our county has a massive center for Jehovah's Witnesses that draws people from all over the country. There is also a very strong pagan presence in Rowan County. Freemasonry is extremely prevalent, and I dare say that in many of the congregations in our area, fully half of the men are Masons. Truly, those who call themselves Christians but depend on some sort of good works theology are bound by false religion too.

Recently I was talking with a friend of mine whose church meets on Sunday night. We were talking about how strange it is to get up on Sunday morning and not go to church. It is really hard to get it through your head that you have had church when you don't go on Sunday morning at 11:00. It violates that which is religious inside of you. I told her that perhaps the thing to do to help this community would be to have a church that really pushes against religion - an anti-religious church if you will.

Before people start flaming me, let me make it explicitly clear that I am not talking about doing anything that violates doctrinal orthodoxy. The church has many traditions that have become sacred cows. I'm thinking it may be time for some steak.

So this brings me back to my original question, "What elements are required for Christian worship to take place?" The main passage that I have had in mind as an answer to this question is in the book of Acts.

42And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42-47 (ESV)

What were the elements of worship in the earliest church? In verse 42 we see devotion to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread (which at the very least meant the sharing of the Lord's Supper) and prayer. In verse 44 it would seem that they couldn't get enough of each other! They were together alot. They were aware of each other's needs and generously sacrificed to help each other out.

I also thought about 1 Corinthians 14:26 (in three different translations for clarity):

26What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. (ESV)

26What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation Let all things be done for edification. (NASB)

26 Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. (NLT)

According to this passage it would seem that each person is to be involved in the worship service. Each person is to bring something that the Lord has shared with him. I am reminded of the passage in Exodus where we are told that no one should come before the Lord empty-handed.

I have two more passages that come to mind. The first is Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” and the second is John 4:23-24, "But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

In the first passage, it appears that not a lot of people have to come together for God to get involved. Two or three will suffice. And in the second we see that it is imperative that we worship God in spirit and in truth.

So, to summarize: Christian worship requires at least two believers, the Spirit, and truth. It requires more than superficial interaction but needs true koinonia. The remembrance of the Lord's sacrifice through communion seems to be a minimum and a meal seems to aid koinonia. Devotion to the Scriptures and prayer are essential. Concern for each other's welfare and generosity towards each other play a significant role. Finally, everyone seems to be responsible to contribute to the gathering using the gifts that God has given them.

These are just my initial ruminations on this topic. I am sure that I could go much deeper and do a much more in-depth study. I'll keep chewing on it for a while. Any thoughts that you have on the subject would be welcome as I ponder this change in paradigm.

On a side note, I don't want anyone to think that I am trashing all church tradition. I actually appreciate traditions as long as I can see good reasons for them. Over the years as I have drunk from the springs of different denominations I have found that there is life and validity in many of the Church's traditions. The problem comes when we maintain a tradition for its own sake.

In the meantime I am preparing chicken and dumplings for the folks on my worship team for tomorrow night. Most everyone who is coming will be pitching in an element of our meal. As we enjoy the meal, I am sure that we will talk about the things that have gone on throughout our day. Afterwards we will work on a couple of worship songs, talk briefly about a passage from the Bible, and spend some time praying.
Could it be that we will be having church?

Interesting Article

2008-02-12T19:06:00.000-05:00

Much of "traditional" Christianity gives the impression that God has these rather arbitrary rules about how you have to behave, and if you disobey them you go to hell, rather than to heaven. What the New Testament really says is God wants you to be a renewed human being helping him to renew his creation, and his resurrection was the opening bell.

- Bishop N.T. "Tom" Wright (Bishop of Durham)

Got this quote from an interesting interview between Time magazine and Bishop "Tom" Wright of the Church of England. It is about Bishop Wright's thoughts on Heaven and how different they are from many Christians' views. I found it an interesting, thought-provoking read.

Excellent Post On Servant Evangelism

2008-02-12T16:57:00.000-05:00

You should check out this very insightful post about Servant Evangelism (SE). Chris Elrod is the author and he did a good job dispelling the myths about servant evangelism.

People who are really into evangelism don't typically get Servant Evangelism. The key concept to get is "NO strings attached." People who don't get this concept basically use SE as a means to draw attention to their church or try to entice people to come to their church. You can tell these people because they are typically bummed after an SE project that didn't produce a body count. It rarely does.

Servant Evangelism could also be called "Stealth" Evangelism. You are usually in and out before anyone realizes that they have been touched by your ministry. Churches that begin SE programs with the notion that people will come flooding into the church the following Sunday typically end up disappointed. They don't get it.

Steve Sjogren, the founder of Servant Evangelism and the man who wrote the book that this blog was named for once said that they saw very little direct growth from Servant Evangelism - in other words, few of the people that they had served came to their church. However, oddly enough, the Lord brought equivalent numbers of people to the church because of their faithfulness to serve Cincinnati.

Don't do Servant Evangelism to swell your members' directory. It will never work like that. Do SE to make your community a nicer place. Do it to get to know your neighbors. Do it to give someone a smile. If you do, you'll find that you and the people who do it with you will grow. Who knows? As a result of that, your church probably will too.

SJB On The Road

2008-02-09T23:35:00.000-05:00

The SJB took it on the road tonight to Troutman's Barbecue in Concord, NC. We played for a great crowd of around 100 folks and got some great feedback.

We are playing this Saturday at Dixie's coffee shop on Main Street in China Grove at 1:00. It will be a great opportunity to see the band and check out one of China Grove's coolest establishments. We will hope to see you there.

The band is getting noticeably better with each performance. That is very gratifying, and the experience has been great for stretching me out of my comfort zone.

At our very first practice I was faced with soloing - something that I had never done before. As you can imagine, I was pretty awful, but Justin and the rest of the guys were very supportive and patient as I began to develop some chops. It has really taught me about not being afraid to try something new and not being afraid to make mistakes.

I guess I still have a ways to go in overcoming this fear. Even tonight as I was getting ready for the concert, I was very nervous, thinking, "I'm not good enough to be playing for folks!" There was a part of me that didn't even want to play. Yet once we got started everyone was great and I played a solo that I felt very good about. Of course there is room for growth, but I am having a blast.

I hope that this will be the beginning of a trend for me to be more bold and adventurous. It is time to put these silly fears in their place and begin to live and enjoy life. Sometimes that will mean messing up publicly, but it is OK. My experience teaches me that no one is perfect - even the ones who look like they are!

Hope to see you Saturday!

A Good Read...

2008-02-08T11:09:00.000-05:00

Internet Monk has a really interesting series going on the church that would be worth checking out. In it he discusses the flawed but perfect paradox that we see in the Scriptures.

Thanks

2008-02-06T00:08:00.001-05:00

A big thanks to Chad Rochester of the band Baumer who sat in with the StillWaters Music Team this past Sunday. Chad, you added a lot, and it was great getting to know you better and have the opportunity to jam with you!

By the way, Baumer will be playing this weekend in Greensboro and next weekend in Charlotte. Check them out if you can!

SJB In Concert

2008-02-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing this Saturday February 9 at Troutman Barbecue on Highway 601 in Concord from 6:00 to 8:00. We also have an upcoming show at Dixie's in China Grove next Saturday February 16 from 1:00 to around 3:00. Hope you can make it out to one of these shows! (We're getting better!)

Quote Of The Day

2008-02-05T00:54:00.000-05:00

Propositional revelation spells trouble for it takes the heartfelt convicted knowledge of Christ the Lord and the great acts of our covenanting God as marvelous, praiseworthy and celebratory deeds, and replaces it with submissive intellectual assent to authoritative teachings. Instead of preaching being an amazing “Fear not!” announcement of glad tidings woven throughout the older and newer testaments, it becomes academic lecturing. Because it is humanly impossible to wholly eliminate the aesthetic dimension from worship, the hymns and special music provide the back-door individualized sentimental spasm tacked onto the “means of grace”.

And what depressing exercises when propositional revelation dominates theological discussion. Competing sense-verifiable facts inject uncertainty and tension into discussions of Genesis because we have to make sure what can and cannot be maintained against secular biology, geology and astrophysics. By contrast, how very relaxing it would be if we stopped the word play and immersed ourselves within the paragraphs, chapters and whole books to “prove” creation. Instead of declaring by fiat one’s insight into the divine meta-language, or self-confirming one’s method by bad-faith process of elimination, why not turn to the Psalms and Job to understand the Genesis creation?

The consequence of propositional revelation for Bible reading is that the book becomes a bone of contention in God-talk disputations. Gone from our hermeneutics is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob while we waste our time in scholastic pursuits like determining the ipsissima verba of Jesus. It is the yoking of Scripture to an unchristian positivist theory of knowledge and truth that substantiates the charge of bibliolatry. If we search and use the scriptures to reinforce our jots and tittles then our myopia will be too all-consuming for us to point others toward the Lord’s rule.

- Joel Hunter (From: "Can I Have My Bible Back?" at Internet Monk)

What Now?

2008-02-02T09:01:00.000-05:00

With the announcement of the untimely demise of the congregation known as StillWaters, perhaps some of our readers wonder what will become of this blog. The answer is simple - it will continue on. This has become my favorite blog. There is no way that I will chloroform it. The sponsorship of the blog will change, and there may be some minor content changes, but this blog is going to continue right along, just as each of the individual members of StillWaters will.

It still remains to be seen what will happen to our little congregation. Will we somehow stick together as a unit in a different church, will we become a mini diaspora spread like seed among the churches of Rowan County, or will we stand together and soldier on as a new congregation in our God-given mission to the people of this area? It would seem that scattering is the most inevitable of these possibilities, and yet there are some among us who really have no interest in being anything else but a congregation. It is going to be interesting to see what happens.

Tomorrow is our last Sunday together as StillWaters. If you are near-by and can join us, I think that it will be a memorable service. We meet at KidSports off of South Main Street in Salisbury, NC. The service will start sometime around 10:30.

Then keep coming here for information about what is happening with our little band, where the StillWaters Jazz Band is playing, where you can find a house meeting, and for the content that you have come to expect on this blog. Thanks for your prayers, and thanks for reading.

Do Clowns Creep You Out?

2008-01-31T23:11:00.001-05:00

I don't really remember being bothered by them when I was a kid - but now clowns kind of creep me out. I don't really know why. Those guys at the circus are pretty funny, so what is it about them that bothers me? It isn't like I would run off screaming if I encountered one, but I would definitely tense up - and I haven't even seen any movies or read any books where a clown is a bad guy. (This may be one of the reasons I enjoyed Big Fat Liar so much.) Weird, huh?

Perhaps not so much. I found a post over at Provocative Church blog that reported some information that clowns are universally disliked by kids.

He questions the popularity of "clown ministries" that have been assumed to be effective - when research shows that to a kid they are merely just creepy. He wonders how many other things that the church does in our culture are perhaps not as effective as we think.

Unbelief vs. Faith

2008-01-29T12:42:00.000-05:00

Where are you today? Are you, like Abraham, going through all the motions of a person that has real faith, even though faith has long since died in your heart?

Maybe you’re still praying for your spouse to be saved, or a wayward child to return to the Lord, even though you stopped really believing months, or even years, ago. Worse yet is the fact that some of you have even begun to accuse God of being uncaring and even unfair because of the length of time you have been waiting.

Could it be that the unbelief in your own heart has lengthened the process? Sadly, in some cases that may be what has happened.

Wherever you are, however, it’s time for you to be honest with yourself and with God.

If you will only face the reality of your heart’s true condition, God will uproot the unbelief from your heart, so you can begin the process of planting fresh seeds of faith in the soil of your heart. It’s time for you to begin to apply the Word of God to your specific area of need.

As you plant these seeds of faith in your heart through meditating on the Word and verbally confessing it, fresh dynamic faith will begin to grow in your spirit.

This powerful infusion of faith will give you the power you need to fully possess the promises of God.

- Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

Finishing Strong

2008-01-23T15:58:00.000-05:00

A 1995 publication by Steve Farrar (Multnomah Press, ISBN 0-88070-740-2) bears the title, "Finishing Strong." In addition to finding the title alone compelling enough to purchase the book many years ago, I am very much drawn to the sub-title, as well, "Finding the Power to Go the Distance." [It is easy for me to recommend from among his nearly twenty books, four other works by Dr. Farrer, "Point Man: How A Man Can Lead His Family;" "Standing Tall: How A Man Can Protect His Family;" "Anchor Man: How A Father Can Anchor His Family In Christ for the Next 100 Years," and "King Me: What Every Son Wants and Needs From His Father ."]

Steve is the founder and president of Men's Leadership Ministries (Dallas, TX) and a frequent speaker at local churches, conferences and international events relating to men's issues and ministries.

The premise of "Finishing Strong" is that it is never too late for a Christian man to assume his rightful position of leadership whenever and wherever our Lord provides opportunity. As you might imagine, "family" is the principal arena spoken of in his books listed above. The author suggests that even if a fellow has stumbled, or fallen, even repeatedly, what matters most in his all-important race called "life" is "how you finish." Steve's assertion is that by looking around one discovers that few men, even Christian men are finishing well.

Nope, this is not an advertisement for Brother Farrer - not exactly.

As you, the reader of this Blog must know, our StillWaters community is in the final stages of its corporate life. The remaining two Sunday morning worship services are scheduled for 27 January and 3 February 2008. These will conclude our two-and-a-half year exercise in weekly worship together, and four-year exploit at church planting. There are mixed emotions, surely, however no mixed beliefs. Having sought and received the thoughtful and prayerful wisdom of the brethren over us who are tasked with counsel and accountability, we are convinced that the season for StillWaters is rightly concluding. The large majority will hold this opinion, anyway.

Much valuable ministry in the Name of Christ has been effected; many folks have been blessed; more have been discipled; some have gotten saved; lots have been served; a few have known genuine community like never before; and the community beyond our congregation has been the beneficiary of numerous contacts and gifts over the years. All of these will continue to be precious memories in the months and years ahead.

Nevertheless, the faithful members of the Core Group at StillWaters find themselves embarking on a journey of discovery - a season of transition. Perhaps, better said, transitions.

Questions come to mind:

How will we each engage the days ahead?
What will be our individual and collective story to be told of the adventure now ending?
When will the next chapter in the lives of our people and families become the "new normal?"
Where will the folks who called StillWaters home become vitally involved in other fellowships?
Who will strive to overcome current disappointments and give whole-heartedly among others?

We shall see.

Another very important question is more timely, in my opinion: "How shall we finish strong(ly) now?" The current chapter is still being written so its conclusion is yet unknown. My prayer is that everyone at StillWaters will submit to the counsel of our Elders, receive their counsel and determinations as coming from our Father in Heaven, and move eagerly into the new challenges to become full participants in other church bodies. If any have cherished the value of "knowing and being known, loving and being loved, and serving and being served," then I am confident that numerous new people and fellowships will be blessed by their presence. I pray this.

Dr. Farrer states that studies among large numbers of men in America (touching on family, integrity, faith, practice, stewardship) suggest that about one man in ten is truly finishing strong in our culture these days, and in recent years. I hope ALL the people of StillWaters will bravely and selflessly engage the future our Lord has for them with a strong determination to finish well here and now, and to begin well elsewhere. A mere ten percent would break my heart - and surprise me no end. I have high expectations for the dear people of StillWaters, Salisbury North Carolina. That is because I know them. I trust that I know them well enough to warrant being so shamelessly confident in their Christ-likeness in the coming days.

The finish line is near, dear ones. Our precious StillWaters will soon be footnoted in the annuls of Rowan County and in the chronicles of our Christ's Church, A.D. 2005 - 2008. Each of us will contribute to the epitaph to be written. Make your part memorable for all the right reasons.

Thank you. Thank you, more than you know. Thank you dear people of StillWaters for the privilege of learning alongside you, of knowing, of being known, of loving, of being loved, of serving, of being served, of worshiping and praising our Lord together, of laughing out loud, of crying out loud, of being speechless at times, of being allowed to speak numerous times, of being accepted along with my family, of praying and of being prayed-for, of being forgiven, and of being reminded that "God's Sovereignty is not in Jeopardy due to my Difficulty."

Let's talk face-to-face in the near future, shall we? I want for us to agree on the heritage that Christ has crafted in us and from us during our journey together. Perhaps, we can incarnate the beauty of Brother Farrer's sub-title as we stimulate one another to love and good deeds, because we are "finding the power to go the distance." StillWaters is now a sprint; our lives of faith will be a marathon. Let's finish strong!

Praying all God's very best for each one of the StillWaters family, always
Cameron

What Are Your Favorites?

2008-01-18T17:55:00.000-05:00

Over the next 3 weeks the music team wants to do a "Best Of" series. What are your favorite songs done at StillWaters? You can comment here or call Jonathan!

SJB Concert Coming...

2008-01-14T22:43:00.001-05:00

StillWaters Jazz Band has a gig on Saturday, February 16, 2008. We'll be playing at Dixie's coffee house on Main Street in China Grove. The time isn't certain yet, but it looks like we'll be there around 1:00 in the afternoon and will probably play for at least an hour. I'll post more details here when I have them. Come on out and check it out if you can. It will be a great opportunity to meet some folks, hear some decent music, and drink coffee. What more could you want?

An Admonition From the Word...

2008-01-14T22:36:00.000-05:00

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:10-18

And Another

2008-01-13T22:16:00.000-05:00

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Our Declaration To The Heavenlies

2008-01-10T21:59:00.000-05:00

For God who said , "Let there be light in the darkness," has made us understand that this light is the brightness of the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. But this precious treasure - this light within us - is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies.

So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be obvious in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but it has resulted in eternal life for you. But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, "I believed in God, and so I speak." We know that the same God who raised our Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to Himself along with you. All of these things are for your benefit. And as God's grace brings more and more people to Christ, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up.

Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:6-18

If we win, we give God the glory and if we lose we give God the glory...

The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 11:15b

A Milestone

2008-01-10T13:52:00.000-05:00

This is our blog's 100th post - a milestone of sorts. I hope that there will be hundreds more before everything is said and done. We have also recently passed our 1000th page view. There have been visitors to our site from all over the world. I am always amazed when I discover that someone on the other side of the world is reading our blog. Truly the web makes the world a smaller place.

For those of you who have been reading our blog - thank you. We hope that you are blessed by the content that you find here and hope that you find something worthwhile when you come by. That is what we are striving to do.

Our little church is facing some big challenges in the months to come. Your prayers on behalf of our congregation are most welcome. We truly want to impact the people that we encounter every day in a positive way. We want them to know the love of Jesus that we have discovered. Hopefully we will find the anointing and courage that we need to break out of old habits and cultural norms and begin to truly live according to the culture of the Kingdom of God.

May God richly bless you all.

Missing The Point

2008-01-08T08:18:00.000-05:00

As I have been reading in Genesis lately I have noticed something that I never did before: when Adam and Eve sinned they weren't afraid because they had broken their covenant with God. They were afraid because they were naked.

1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Genesis 3:1-7 New Living Translation (emphasis mine)

Even when God Himself showed up for His regular walk with them they STILL were distracted by the wrong thing.

8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
Genesis 3:8-10 New Living Translation (emphasis mine)

They totally didn't get the point. It is pretty clear that we're no different today - we're blaming ourselves for things like "Global Warming" when what we're really guilty of is worshiping something other than the one, true God. In the religion of secular humanism, that god is man.

Another thing that I have learned in my recent reading is that sin has a predictable life cycle in a society. From the time that sin takes root in the society to the point that it bears its full fruit of death can take hundreds of years, but, just as surely as a dropped object will fall earthward, sin will bear that fruit if repentance does not come.

In Genesis 15:16 it says:

"After four generations your (Abraham's) descendants will return here to this land, when the sin of the Amorites has run its course. (emphasis mine)

I frankly believe that all of this talk about "Global Warming" is hogwash. However, if any of their data proves true, I believe that we are merely witnessing the ripening of the fruit of our sin - not the fruit of driving to work.

The enemy loves to distract us from the true issue. It has been happening since our forefather Adam and it continues today. If the enemy can get us to feel shame for something other than our sin then he can prevent us from taking the antidote to that sin - repentance. Humble repentance before God can undo much sin.

13 At times I (God) might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 NLT

Notice that the onus is on God's people to humble themselves, pray, seek His face and turn from their wicked ways. Sadly, we are the ones who stand in need of repentance all too often. How wonderful that God has made a way for us to be made right with Him.

Let's not be distracted by the enemy's misdirection. Let us recognize our sin for what it is and humbly turn away from it so that our land may know the goodness of God.

A New Name...

2008-01-06T19:50:00.000-05:00

Whether you realize it or not, God is bringing people into your life on a regular basis to see if you will rename them. From the random encounter, to the friend who pours out his (or her) heart to you, these may well be divine appointments. Yet, this is more than a great privilege; it is also an awesome responsibility.

Paul clearly delineates the awesomeness of our responsibility in Romans 10:14c: “And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

If you do not speak to the people whom God is bringing to you, how will they ever hear the Gospel? As you take a moment to ponder this great opportunity, let the words of John 20:21b-22a settle into your spirit: “'As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' And with that he breathed on them...”

Can you feel your Master’s gentle breath? Can you hear His loving voice? He is not only sending people to you; He is sending you.

Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

A New Beginning

2008-01-04T00:35:00.000-05:00

Well, it has begun again. January 1 has rolled around, and I finished my One Year Bible about 30 seconds after the gunfire began to erupt around my parents' house. (I live in a rural area where folks still get excited about making loud, booming noises at 12:00 AM on New Year's Day.) I think someone must have had a cannon going off, because I heard a few eruptions that sounded louder than the typical 12-gauge shotgun! In my opinion, New Year's Day is a pretty ridiculous holiday, but, hey, it is a day off, so who's complaining?

Anyway, as I was saying earlier, I finished up reading through the Bible about 30 seconds after midnight on the 1st. Now I am beginning again all over again. Last year I used the New American Standard version. This year I am planning to use the New Living Translation. I like to switch versions each year because it gives me a little different perspective each time - something that is helpful to someone who doesn't read in the original languages yet. Of course, it makes it hard to find verses using concordances sometimes, because I end up grabbing a word here and there from each version that I have read. It gets very annoying when you can't find a verse that you know good and well is in there!

Each year I also concentrate on one theme as I am reading. That isn't to say that I don't notice other things, but it helps to keep me focused as I am reading. It also helps me to get a good feel for what the Bible says about that topic "globally," which is one of the main keys to correct biblical interpretation.

Last year I payed particular attention to what the Bible says about the nature and character of God. How does God describe Himself in the Bible? What sorts of things will He do? What sorts of things won't He do? What is God like? It was a very good theme and I learned a lot - especially as I was reading through the prophets. This year, I plan to pay special attention to the theme of fear. What causes fear? What are we supposed to fear? What are we not supposed to fear? How can fear be defeated?

I am already a little bit behind, because I forgot to take my NLT Bible with me when my family went to celebrate Christmas (on New Year's Day) with my Grandmother, but it really won't be hard to get caught up. Each reading only takes about 15-30 minutes. I have also gotten a little bogged down meditating on the opening chapters of Genesis. I really love reading the Pentateuch. There is so much great stuff in there. But who am I kidding? There is a lot of great stuff in all of the Bible. The Word of God is truly a treasure. I wish I saw it that way even more than I do now.

If you have never managed to read the Bible through from cover to cover, I would heartily recommend it. The One Year Bible is a great resource. I like it because everything is already set up for you. Each day you get an Old Testament passage, a New Testament passage, a Psalm, and a Proverb. The good thing about that to me is that when I hit a passage that is dry to me or difficult, I know that it is only a little bit of reading until I get to something where the "fruit" is a little more accessible. Of course, if you can't afford one, there are daily Bible reading schedules that will carry you through the Bible in a year too.

Regardless of what method you use, I hope that you will make it a daily discipline to spend time in the Word of God this year. It will bring great dividends!

Happy reading!

He's Alive!!!

2008-01-02T22:37:00.000-05:00

"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated"
- Samuel Clemens AKA Mark Twain

Hello, friends. I am sorry that it has been so long since my last posting here. Much has been going on since my last post. As many of you know, I lost my Grandfather on December 21. Between his loss, the business of the holidays, and the intense need to get some much needed studying and work done, I wasn't able to complete my Advent series as hoped and promised. I am sorry for that. Motivating myself to write during that period was more than I had energy to muster.

I do anticipate a much more regular posting here in the new year. We are fast approaching Lent, and I expect that there will be some meditations leading up to our celebration of Christ's resurrection. I doubt that they will be daily posts - that took more out of me than I had expected - but I do expect that there will be some content here to encourage you as you prepare your heart for this very important remembrance and celebration of the Church.

2007 was a very difficult year for many. I, for one, am glad to see it go. I hope and pray that 2008 will be a year of great blessing, breakthrough, and abundance for all who read this post. May God bless you all.

Happy New Year.

Mea Culpa!

2007-12-13T23:38:00.000-05:00

Hi folks. I wanted to tell you that I am sorry that this week's Advent series has been put on hold. I have been sponsoring a party this week and it has been more than I can do to get both things done. I will get you accounts of the major angelic encounters leading up to and immediately following the birth of Jesus. Hopefully things will be back on track next week. Thank you for your patience.

Logan's Testimony

2007-12-13T13:20:00.000-05:00

Here is an incredible testimony about our God. Not only does He care for us, but He is close to us and speaks to us - even to kids.

What a great God we serve!

A Useful Tool

2007-12-11T08:37:00.000-05:00

Have you ever managed to read the Bible through from cover to cover? It can be a daunting task, especially when you are struggling through the opening chapters of 2 Chronicles! However, to develop the "global picture" of God's Word that is necessary to interpret the Bible correctly, there is no discipline more critical than the regular, repeated reading through the entirety of the Scriptures.

I have found The One Year Bible a valuable aid in achieving that goal. The Bible is broken down into 365 daily readings that include an Old Testament passage, a New Testament passage, a passage from the Psalms and a passage from Proverbs. So when you get to one of those passages that are more difficult you know that you will be gleaning from a different passage before long. It also comes in many different translations. I switch translations every year or so to get a different perspective on the texts. It aids my understanding and helps to keep things fresh.

I have a leather Bible that was given to me for my 21st birthday. I don't write in that Bible. However, I do make notes and write questions in my One Year Bible as thoughts come to me. I started using the One Year Bible 10-years ago, and as a result have managed to actually complete 5 trips through the entire Bible. There are also chronological versions as well although I think a different publisher produces them. I may take that up in the near future. It would probably help to draw better connections between people and events in the different books of the Bible.

Another strategy that I use is that each year I try to pick a theme and look for Scriptures that pertain to that theme as I am reading that year. It is a really helpful exercise. This year I was focusing on the nature of God. It was very enlightening.

So there you go. Something that might help you on the way!

Don't Give Up!

2007-12-11T08:34:00.000-05:00

The prayer that sparks revival begins long before the countryside seems to awaken from its slumber in sin. It starts when men fall on their knees and cry out to God. That's where true intimacy with God takes place and we begin the journey of being transformed into the image of Christ. And as men are transformed, the course of a nation can be changed.

— Wellington Boone, pastor, speaker and author

Advent Day 9: Unbelievable News!

2007-12-08T22:08:00.000-05:00

Today's Text: Luke 1:5-25

Angelic visitations - a person would tend to think that they are a rare thing. I mean, how many people do you know that have seen an angel and knew it? So I was very surprised to discover that there are many accounts throughout the Bible of human encounters with angelic beings when I was doing research for this post. The second theme in our preparation for Christmas is the angelic announcements.

Today we begin with the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth.

5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

There are some important things to notice here. First, we see that both Zechariah and Elizabeth were from the tribe of Levi - Aaron was a descendant of Jacob's (Israel's) son Levi. This will be important to know later this week. Secondly, we see that both Zechariah and Elizabeth were considered righteous by God. Which makes the fact that they had no children amazing because barrenness was often considered a disgrace among the people of Israel, and because the Scriptures tell that children are a blessing from the Lord. Something else that is interesting to me is that Zechariah and Elizabeth are described as being very old. According to the Law the Levites weren't supposed to perform service in the tabernacle after they were 50. While I don't consider 50 old, I will concede that it is pretty old to be having children. (If anyone has any insight into this point I would appreciate it. Has anyone seen anything in a commentary about this Levitical law?) Anyway, on with the story.

8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. 9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10 While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.

11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

The first thing that I notice in this part of the story is that Zechariah was chosen by lot to perform this duty. It is possible that he had never done it before, but today God had ordained for him to burn incense to Him.

Then Zechariah encountered the angel of the Lord. Sadly we don't have a description of the angel, but I doubt it looked like the one to the right. Instead, "Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. " I dare say that our art falls FAR short of capturing the appearance of an angel. In nearly every encounter recorded in scripture, when human beings encounter angelic beings they are usually so terrified that they are undone. In this case, as in almost every other, the Angel tells Zechariah to not be afraid.

Then the angel told him something amazing. He told him that God has heard his prayer. I wonder if this statement surprised Zechariah. I wonder if he knew immediately what prayer the angel was talking about, or if he was puzzled, wondering, "What prayer?" Well, he didn't have to puzzle for very long, for the angel gave him a wondrous message of a great prophet that God was going to bring about through him and Elizabeth. What a message! Not only was he going to finally have a son, but that son would be a mighty prophet - the prophet foretold many years ago that would prepare the way for Messiah! And even better than that, it meant that Messiah was finally coming! You would think that Zechariah would be excited beyond description by this news, but the Scripture tells us a different story.

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

This was the wrong response. In fact, it is a shocking response. How could you doubt the veracity of the message when you are talking with an angel? What more proof do you need than to see Elizabeth's belly begin to swell? It would seem that the prayers for a child had ceased long ago from Zechariah. He had accepted the "fact" that this dream wasn't to be and had believed that God had ignored his prayers.

How many times we do the same thing. We believe that we have seen a promise in the Scriptures or have heard a promise from God and we believe it. We pray, and believe, and hope, but we don't seem to be getting any results. Eventually our hope begins to flag, our prayers slow from a stream to a trickle and eventually dry up. We are wounded in our souls because God has let us down and mourning, we bury that promise. We accuse God of lying to us and it becomes even harder for us to believe the next time.

I believe that this is where Zechariah was. He still assented to the fact that nothing is impossible for God, but he really didn't believe that God would. Friends, if this is where you are, you must repent for you have believed a lie. God cannot lie. His promises are true. And He loves us more than we can possibly imagine. Everything that He does is for our benefit - even the unpleasant things and the delays.

19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. 22 When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.

23 When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. 24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

Thank God, that Zechariah's unbelief did not hinder the will of God. What a great encouragement! There are far too many times that I also despair of waiting for the promises of God to be fulfilled in my life. This may also be a good opportunity to mention that it is wise to be careful what you ask for - Zechariah found out that you just might get it. He lost his ability to talk as a sign that what the angel said was true.

The text doesn't tell us whether or not it is so, but what if this was Zechariah's last tour of service before retiring? So often God seems to wait to the last possible moment to make the things that we have been dreaming about and praying for to become a reality. Wouldn't it be just like God to make Zechariah's last opportunity to burn incense before Him a moment that he would never forget? Be encouraged! God hasn't ignored your prayers. Sometimes, like Zechariah and Elizabeth, He is just making you wait because the gift is so great, and the time isn't quite right yet!

NOTE: If you are interested, two other very good devotions using this text can be found HERE and HERE.

Questions and thoughts to discuss with your family:

1) What are your chores around the house? Do you expect anything interesting to happen while you are doing them?

2) How do you imagine angels to look? If you saw one that looked like the one in your imagination, would you be afraid? Why do you think Zechariah was frightened? You can click HERE for a description of an angel from the Bible. Would you be frightened if you saw something like this?

3) What is the best news you ever got? How did you react to the news?

4) Who was Elijah? (His story begins with the beginning of the rule of Ahab in 1 Kings 16:29 and runs through 2 Kings 2:11) How would you feel if you were told that your son was going to have the spirit and power of Elijah?

5) The angel's message told Zechariah that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he was born. What does this statement tell us about the beginning of life? Does life begin for us at birth or before?

6) Have you ever prayed for something that didn't come to pass? Why do you think that it didn't?

7) Have you ever had to wait for something? Did it make you appreciate it more? Have you ever given up on a dream and then it was finally fulfilled? How did that make you feel?

Advent Day 8: "Forsaken"

2007-12-07T22:27:00.000-05:00

Well, today brings us to the end of the first theme of the Advent cycle: the prophetic announcements. Let's take a brief moment to review the territory that we have covered so far.

Last Saturday we looked at the first Messianic prophecy. On the heels of Adam's disobedience and in the midst of the judgment that God declared, we find a promise that God will send a descendant through Eve who will "bruise the head" of the serpent - though in the process His heel would be bruised by the serpent. It shows us that even though man was now separated from God by his sin, because of His great love for man, God was making a way to restore their closeness.

The topic covered by Sunday's lesson (although it wasn't delivered until Monday) was the prophecy about the virgin birth of Jesus. This lesson showed us that God is able to do the impossible. It also showed us that the birth of the Messiah could not happen by man's will or through his agency, but could only be brought about miraculously by God.

Monday's lesson talked about some of the things that the Messiah would accomplish, but more importantly showed where much of His ministry would take place. We get a glimpse that the Messiah was not only here for the Jews but also for the Gentiles as well.

The fourth lesson in our series talked about Jesus' birthplace and put a lot of emphasis on the meaning of the names for Bethlehem. Not only would the Messiah be a descendant of David, but He would be the vine that is "fruitful" and would be the "bread" of life for all who would come to Him.

Wednesday we dealt with the theme of the suffering servant. Our passage made it clear that the Messiah would suffer mightily and would be misunderstood and rejected by the very people that He was coming to save. However, the passage also made it clear that it was worth every bit of the suffering for the prize that would be achieved through it.

The next topic in our series looked more closely at Isaiah 53:2 and considered the ramifications of the revelation that Jesus came here with no "special tools" in His belt. Although He was born free of original sin, Jesus took no advantage of His Divine nature, and instead chose to fulfill the law relying only on the help of the Holy Spirit.

Yesterday we considered the miraculous signs that the Messiah would perform, and discussed how as His disciples we are commissioned to go and do the same. Far better than Santa Claus if you ask me!

Which brings us to today's lesson, which I have titled "Forsaken."

Prophetic Passage: Psalm 22:1-18

Fulfillment of Prophecy: Matthew 27:35-46

"My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" This is the cry of anguish that greets us at the beginning of today's text (NASB). Although our text would allow us to return once again to the physical sufferings of the Messiah, I want to focus our attention primarily on this one verse. For this is a cry not of physical anguish, but one of the despair of the Son over the loss of the intimacy that He had enjoyed with His Father, God, His entire life. This was Christ's greatest sacrifice for us - not His life - but the sacrifice of His relationship with God as He took our sins upon Himself.

Jesus had spoken of this moment earlier in His ministry, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." (John 3:14-17)

We have seen some of these images already this week. Who was the serpent? Right, the devil. We learned that last Saturday. So is Jesus saying that He and the serpent are the same? No, not at all. But even as the serpent in the garden was the embodiment of evil, even so Jesus was going to take upon Himself the sin of every man and woman ever born. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us "He made Him who knew no sin (Jesus) to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

As the spikes were driven through His flesh into the cross, Jesus became accursed for our sake and bore on our behalf the wrath of an outraged God against sin - our sin. And Jesus lost His greatest treasure - the deep, intimate relationship that He had with God the Father. Though the physical pain that He had endured to that point had been superlative, not even Jesus was ready for the pain of His broken heart.

Jesus endured this, His greatest trial so that no one would ever have to experience the loneliness and despair that comes from being separated from God. For millions of people, (even those in the church) this time of year brings the greatest loneliness and despair of the whole year.

As Christ's disciples, we must learn to treasure our connection with God's presence as much as Christ did Himself. Jesus compared this relationship to a "pearl of great price" and "a great treasure hidden in a field."

Sadly, too often we are like the poor person who sells a Picasso at a yard sale for $2. We hold in our hands the answer to any problem anyone could ever have, and we have no clue. As we properly assess the value of God's gift to us, our joy will overflow to everyone around us. What is your relationship with God worth to you?

Questions and thoughts to discuss with your family:

1) Have you ever been depressed and/or lonely? Has it ever seemed like God has abandoned you? How did you respond to those feelings? How did Jesus respond when He was separated from God?

2) Have you ever been punished for something that you didn't do? How did that make you feel? Were you able to forgive the person who punished you? Were you able to forgive the person who deserved the punishment instead? What if the guilty person mocked you while you were being punished?

3) Have you ever given a gift to someone that didn't appreciate it? What did you want to do? What did you do?

4) Have you ever received a gift that you didn't appreciate? What did you do?

5) Have you ever had a very close friend who suddenly stopped talking to you? Who or what caused the break? Did you try to fix the relationship?

6) Hey, this sounds like an Easter story. What does this have to do with Christmas?

7) In what do you place more value than your relationship with God? If you aren't sure, consider the things that keep you from spending time with Him in His Word, prayer, fellowship, and service to others.

Advent Day 7: "The Works Of Messiah"

2007-12-07T14:23:00.000-05:00

Prophetic Passages: Isaiah 35:4-7, Isaiah 42:1-9, Isaiah 61:1-3

Prophecies Fulfilled: All four gospels, but here are some good key verses. Luke 7:18-23, Matthew 12:18-21, John 9, Matthew 15:30, John 5:8-9, Matthew 9:32-33, Luke 11:14, Luke 4:16-22

Yesterday we learned that Jesus, the Messiah, lived His life just like us. He wasn't even especially handsome or noteworthy in His appearance. That being the case, how on earth did He manage to draw the crowds that He did? By His works. Today we are keying on three passages that tell us the things that Messiah would do.

I am assuming (yes, dangerous, I know) that the primary audience reading these posts has at least a basic understanding of the types of things Jesus did when He was walking about on earth. Therefore, I will not be comparing and contrasting the prophecies of the Old Testament with the New Testament evidences that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. I have included numerous links above if you would like to do that.

Instead, I want to focus on the works of the Messiah as predicted by the prophet Isaiah in three key passages. By far Jesus' greatest work was his death and resurrection, and we covered His suffering and death on Wednesday. Even though His suffering ended in His victory and glorification, it is still a sad topic to discuss. However, discussing the works that Jesus did while He walked among us brings a joy and amazement that exceeds even the magic of the stories of Saint Nicholas. I hope that you will allow yourself to be caught up in the wonder of the accomplishments of our Messiah!

I mentioned on Wednesday that there was much disagreement about the Messiah and what kind of a role He would play. It would seem that even John the Baptist had some confusion about what role the Messiah was to play. He even sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus if He really was the Messiah or if John had been mistaken when he made that declaration earlier. (For another really good devotion about this event you can click HERE.)

18 The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, 19 and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

20 John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to Him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’”

21 At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and He restored sight to many who were blind. 22 Then He told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. 23 And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’” Luke 7:18-23

Jesus answered John's questions by pointing to His works - the works that had been foretold by the prophets.

Here are our key passages:

4 Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” 5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. 6 The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. 7 The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived. Isaiah 53:4-7

What are the themes of our first passage? Deliverance, healing, and regeneration. These themes can be interpreted both literally and metaphorically. For instance this passage says that the Messiah will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. Our proof texts listed at the beginning show us that Jesus literally caused the blind to see and the deaf to hear. However, on another level He also caused blinded "spiritual eyes" to be opened so that they could recognize Him, and deafened "spiritual ears" to hear the Gospel. (Cross references HERE) In a similar way, the environmental regeneration seen in verses 6 and 7 could be both figurative and literal.

1 “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or raise his voice in public. 3 He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. 4 He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”

5 God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is He who says, 6 “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. 7 You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons. 8 “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. 9 Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.” Isaiah 42:1-9

What are the themes of this passage? Justice, gentleness, zeal, righteousness, covenant, light, healing, release, and glory. This passage has something interesting in it that I would like to point out. Did you notice verse 4? It seems that God was even prophesying about the Western Hemisphere in this verse. Perhaps He was only referring to distant places like Spain, but it also seems plausible that God was talking about people that hadn't even been discovered yet. How cool!

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. 2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. 3 To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. Isaiah 61:1-3

What are the themes of our final passage? Good news, comfort, release, favor, justice, beauty, blessing, and joy. This was the passage that Jesus quoted at the beginning of His public ministry. When He told the assembled Jews that the prophecy was fulfilled that day in their midst, He was claiming to be Messiah. Oddly enough, they took offense at Him because they had watched Him grow up. (I guess they thought the Messiah would just appear out of nothing one day.)

However, Jesus didn't just make empty claims, He backed them up with action. Throughout His ministry, Jesus performed amazing miracles - some that had never been done before. There had certainly never been anyone who performed such miracles on the massive scale that He did.

Then Jesus did something unbelievable. He commissioned His followers to do the same things that He had been doing! We are called to bring all of these things to the earth as His disciples. (Don't believe me? HERE is the proof!) How amazing! And what is just as amazing is that His disciples did as He told them to do. When they did God performed extraordinary miracles through them. HERE are a few examples. The greatest miracle of all is that through their testimonies, many others were saved - and if you have been saved your salvation is the result of their work.

Here is the true joy of Christmas - the great reason to celebrate: Jesus Christ came to us to set us free from our bondages, give us hope, destroy fear, heal our sicknesses, tell us good news, and give us light for our darkness. As Christians - as disciples of Christ - we are called to be like Jesus, and if we will take a step of belief we will see our families, communities, nations and world changed in wonderful ways.

Questions and thoughts to discuss with your family:

1) Name the things that the Messiah would do according to the key Scriptures. I was able to come up with about 20 + or -.

2) What is the coolest present you ever got? How did you react when you opened it?

3) What is the typical reaction (according to these passages) of those that receive from the Messiah?

4) Have you ever had something that was very precious to you that was lost or broken? Have you ever a case where that item was found or made as good as new again? How did that make you feel?

5) Review the themes identified after each key passage. As believers we should be causing these things to spread to our culture. What are some practical ways that can we do that?

6) What happens when God prophesies something?

7) Do you believe that God can use you?

Advent Day 6: "Just Like Us"

2007-12-06T20:02:00.000-05:00

Prophetic Passage: Isaiah 53:2

Prophecy Fulfilled: Philippians 2:5-11, Hebrews 2:10-18

Supporting Scripture: Luke 9:28-36

I'm going to color outside of the lines a bit today. The texts that were on the guide that I have been using were Zechariah 9:9, Zechariah 11:12-13, Zechariah 12:10, Matthew 21:1-10, Matthew 26:15, Matthew 27:3-10, and John 19:27 but I just didn't feel like talking anymore (at least for now) about the crucifixion, Jesus' betrayal, and things like that. Instead, I want to turn back to one of the verses from last night and examine it a bit more closely.

If you have ever looked at the artwork created about Jesus you will notice that in much of it He tends to stand out. He usually has a halo and is making some weird gesture with His hand. When we sing our Christmas songs we talk about the "little, Lord Jesus no crying He makes," and our nativity scenes all feature a what would appear, judging by his size, to be a child of about 3 years. Our key scripture paints a different picture.

"There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him."

Doesn't that mess with your mind a little bit? I mean He is the son of God, certainly He must have looked different - at least a little, right? Not according to the Scriptures. Jesus came into this world just like you or me. When the shepherds arrived they found everything just like the angels had told them. Sure enough there was a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger. No halos that we know of.

Paul wrote to the Philippians:

5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus, who is fully God, laid all of the privileges of Godhood aside and became just like us. The only difference between Jesus' manifestation as a baby and you is that Jesus was born without a sin nature.

I have heard it suggested that before Adam sinned in the Garden that he was clothed in God's glory. He was sinless and made in God's image. That seems reasonable. That being the case, Jesus would have been eligible to run around displaying God's glory too, but, Paul wrote in Romans 8:3 that God sent "...His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh... as an offering for sin." Jesus even laid aside the glory that was due Him because of His sinless nature to be just like you and me.

We do know of one instance where Jesus unveiled His glory while here on earth. You can read about it HERE.

Why do you suppose that Jesus came here "incognito?" Hebrews 2 gives us some clues.

10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that He should make Jesus, through His suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

11 So now Jesus and the ones He makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them His brothers and sisters. 12 For He said to God, “I will proclaim Your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise You among Your assembled people.”

13 He also said, “I will put my trust in Him,” that is, “I and the children God has given me.”

14 Because God’s children are human beings — made of flesh and blood — the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

16 We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; He came to help the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore, it was necessary for Him to be made in every respect like us, His brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18 Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.

I love that. Jesus didn't get any special perks just because He was God's son. (How many leaders could say that they don't use their position to gain a personal advantage?) No, He did everything just like you and me - except He did it without sinning. He faced the same temptations and struggles all of us face, but He came through it all without sinning even one time.

It was His perfection that allowed broken, dirty, vessels like us to be used of God and made into beautiful vessels of honor. Praise be to God!

Questions and thoughts to discuss with your family:

1) Have you ever felt plain and unattractive? Have you ever wished that you looked like someone else?

2) Have you ever been comforted in the midst of a hard time by someone sharing that experience with you or by someone who had experienced it before you?

3) The Bible tells us that Jesus was just like us in many ways. He suffered the pain of rejection, loneliness, sorrow, and even the same temptations that you and I face. Do you believe this statement? What is your reaction to this statement?

4) Why was it important for Jesus to become a human?

5) Who had the power of death? How was his power broken?

6) Are you afraid of dying? Why? What did Jesus do to take away this fear?

7) What did Jesus' sacrifice do?

Just Wondering...

2007-12-06T00:15:00.000-05:00

Hi folks,

I was wondering if the Advent series is helping you out? Has it been useful with your families? I could really use some feedback. Yesterday's post "Suffering Servant" was a tough one and dealt with a bunch of difficult Scripture.

Let me let you in on the philosophy that I have taken with these posts. My plan is to produce a study that provides the Scripture and a devotional reading on a level that will be suitable for grown-ups. I am just not equipped to try to write these devotions on the level that a small child can understand. I just haven't had much practice with that! However, I have tried to provide meat for the adults with the assumption (a dangerous thing, I know) that parents will process this material and present it in a way that will be meaningful to whatever age children they have. I have also tried to write questions that will spark conversations that get at the heart of the devotion rather than just have pat answers.

So now I need to know how well these devotions are hitting these goals. What would make them better?

If you don't know how to post a comment it is pretty simple (once you know what to do.) Look at the bottom right hand corner of a post - all the way at the end. You will see in the bottom margin something that says "X comments." (Where X represents a number between 0 and... well, I don't know how high they go!) Click on it. It will open a box where you can enter your comment. You'll receive further instructions once you get this far. It really isn't hard.

Of course you can also just email me if you know the address!

Thanks!

Advent Day 5: "The Suffering Servant"

2007-12-05T11:07:00.000-05:00

Prophetic Passage: Isaiah 52:13-15, Isaiah 53:1-12

Prophecy Fulfilled: Matthew 27:11-60
Key verses: 12-14, 57-60

In yesterday's devotion we read about the glorious promise of the Messiah's birth in the small village of Bethlehem. It was wonderful news. Who doesn't like babies? Who wouldn't be excited about the long-awaited Messiah's birth?

Today's message is not as pleasant in many ways, for it deals with the purpose and destiny of the Christ at His first advent. It is the message of the suffering servant.

There was much disagreement between Jewish scholars about Messiah. Some believed that he was coming as a glorious king to liberate them and deliver them from their enemies. Yet others looked at today's key passage and believed that the Messiah would come to suffer. It turns out that both were right - there was just going to be a break between one event and the other. Here is today's passage:

13 See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. 14 But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. 15 And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about.

Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? 2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. 3 He was despised and rejected — a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. 7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. 9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. 10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. 11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. 12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
Isaiah 52:13-15, 53:1-12

I wish that the text weren't so long today because it is so full of significance and there are so many things that should be said about it.

Let us begin with verse 13. This contains a pun of sorts - although not a funny one. The Scripture tells us that the Messiah will be highly exalted. Sounds great, right? But exalted is another way of saying "lifted up." Yes, Jesus gained much glory through what He suffered, but this phrase also shows us the manner in which He would die - by crucifixion.

Verse 14 gives us far more information about how severely Jesus was treated by His executioners than the Gospels do. Isaiah 53:2 tells us that there was nothing special about Jesus' appearance (even at the best of times) to indicate that He was anything special. He wasn't glowing on the cross or any of the stuff you see in the paintings about the crucifixion. He was a mess.

Verses 4 through 6 show just why He suffered - it wasn't for any sins that He had committed; instead it was for our sins, for our rebellion, for our brokenness, and our sickness that He was so severely punished.

We see the fulfillment of this prophecy in this passage from Matthew:

26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. 27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29 They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. 31 When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. Matthew 27:26-31

In verse 7 of Isaiah 53 we learn that the Messiah wasn't even going to answer in his own defense. The fulfillment of this prophecy took place in Matthew 27 as well.

12 But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 13 “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. 14 But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise. Matthew 27:12-14

Even the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9 came to pass:

57 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Matthew 27:57-60

What is the point of these prophecies about Jesus the Messiah, and why is it important that they were all fulfilled? First of all I believe that God gave this information to His prophets so that His people would know the Messiah when they saw Him. Secondly, they show that God knew hundreds of years before the Messiah appeared what would happen. This demonstrates God's sovereignty. It also demonstrates God's very great love for man. Jesus laid aside His majesty so that we could be bought out of the slavery into which we had sold ourselves so cheaply. The price that He paid for His people was dear, but it was worth it to Him.

What does this story have to do with Christmas? Christ's birthday was the day that Jesus became fully human - capable and worthy of being the sacrifice that would save so many. But first, He had to grow up just like you and me and live His life completely without sin - fully dependent on His Father. That all began in Bethlehem, but it had been planned for all eternity.

Questions and thoughts to discuss with your family:
1) Have you ever been wrongfully accused of doing something? How did you respond? How did Jesus respond?

2) Have you ever sinned? Isaiah 53:6 tells us that we have all gone astray. We have all sinned. Romans 6:23 tells us that the penalty for our sins is death. How does that make you feel?

3) Hebrews 9:22 tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no remission (or forgiveness) for sin. In other words, for sinners to be forgiven someone or something had to die. In the past God had ordered the Children of Israel to sacrifice lambs, sheep, goats, and bulls for their sins. At Passover a lamb was killed and its blood was put on the door frames of the Jews' homes. This reminded them of the very first Passover when God "passed over" the homes with the blood on the door and spared the people inside, but killed all of the firstborn of Egypt who did not have the mark on their doors. Verse 7 of Isaiah 53 compares the Messiah to a lamb. How was Jesus like the Passover lamb?

4) Why did Jesus die?

5) Our key passage (53:10) today tells us that "it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief." Does it seem strange to you that it was the Lord's plan to crush Him and that the plan was good? Do the following verses (11 and 12) explain why God would do such a thing and how Jesus' suffering could possibly be good?

6) Jesus took a punishment that we deserved because of our sin. It was a dreadful punishment, and yet He took our punishment willingly so that we would not have to face God's wrath. God had mercy on us when He allowed His Son to die on our behalf. Why would God do such a thing?

7) Do you recognize that you are a sinner? Do you know that you need someone to save you from your sins? Do you know that the only person who could do that is Jesus? If you have never received God's free gift of salvation I hope that you will today! Here are some verses that will help to explain what you must do to be saved: Acts 2:37-40, Romans 10:9-10, John 3:16

Don't Miss Beautiful Star If You Can Help It

2007-12-04T21:53:00.000-05:00

The following announcement is not sponsored by StillWaters in any way. We are in no way affiliated with this production, but I have seen it twice and can heartily recommend it!

- Jonathan

In this return of last season's sold out holiday hit, Reverend Roy Ledbetter and his congregation are back to bring the Christmas story to life in an Appalachian setting with down home laughter, toe-tapping music and a tug at the heart. This new holiday tradition is a musical and storytelling journey from the creation of the world to the birth of Jesus. In the tradition of the medieval mystery plays of Old England, Beautiful Star weaves music, humor and awe together, re-telling great stories from the Bible in a festive gathering of family, friends and faith.

Beautiful Star is set on a cold winter evening, high in the mountains of North Carolina, where the members of a small Open Heart Community Fellowship gather to tell the story of the first Christmas. But this is no ordinary Christmas pageant. As this fellowship brings these glorious stories to life, their simple mountain church is transformed by the power of music, the telling of tales and pure faith into a world of magic and wonder.

See what critics called, "the best show I've seen in this or any holiday season" (The Charlotte Observer) and "perfect family fare...[that] will lighten your heart and put a lump in your throat." (Greensboro's News & Record)

TICKET INFORMATION

Advent Day 4: "House Of Bread"

2007-12-04T20:08:00.000-05:00

"I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen — that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike."

- The Apostle Paul

Prophetic Promise: Micah 5:2-5a

Prophecy's Fulfillment: Matthew 2:1-6

Beit lechem - these are the Hebrew words that mean "House of bread" and are the same words that we translate to the name Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a small, insignificant town situated on a hill about five miles from Jerusalem. The area around Bethlehem was ideal for agriculture - indeed the primary industries in Bethlehem were farming and shepherding.

Yes, Bethlehem was a small and insignificant town at the time of Augustus Caesar's census, but it had a rich history. Many significant events in the history of God's people had taken place in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was the birthplace of Rachael's last child, Benjamin, and the place that she died. It had been the home of Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi. It was the birthplace of David, Israel's great king.

In the intervening years, Bethlehem's importance waned - much like that of our hometown, Salisbury, but something was coming that would cement its significance as one of the most important cities of all; for a prophecy had been made about Bethlehem long ago by the prophet Micah:

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you,
one whose origins are from the distant past.
The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen
will return from exile to their own land.
And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
for he will be highly honored around the world.
And he will be the source of peace.

The Messiah was going to be born there! Ephrathah - an ancient name for Bethlehem that means "fruitfulness" - was going to be the birth place of the one who would one day stand and say, "I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now He offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world....I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:32-33, 35) He is the same one who would tell the people,

"I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me."

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing."
John 15:1-5

Truly, Bethlehem was the true house of bread - a home of great fruitfulness.

I cannot help but wonder if any besides Mary and Joseph were contemplating that wonderful promise to the little town of Bethlehem in the midst of the bustle and chaos that likely existed in the midst of this decreed census. I wonder if Mary and Joseph's relatives suspected that the baby born in their home and laid in their manger was the Christ, the promised Messiah.

Regardless of whether anyone was aware of the significance of that birth or not it happened just as the prophet had foretold:

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”

Matthew 2:1-6

Right under everyone's nose the King of kings was born in a little, insignificant home in a little, insignificant town - or was it? For it was the town of his great ancestor, David; the town whose very names attested to its destiny. If you are discouraged because you have an unimportant seeming role or live in an insignificant town or belong to a small church, take heart! God specializes in drawing the momentous from the midst of the lowly.

Questions and thoughts to discuss with your family:

1) Do you know what your name means? HERE is a link that you can use to find out. How did your parents pick your name? Are you anything like the meaning of your name?

2) Have you ever been the smallest one in a group? Have you ever felt unimportant or overlooked?

3) Who is your oldest living relative? Are any of your ancestors famous? Are there any pastors in your family tree? Any heroes? Any godly forebears?

4) What is the significance of the meaning of the names Bethlehem and Ephrathah? How do they point to Bethlehem's true destiny?

5) Bethlehem was a sheep herding and and agricultural town. What is the significance of these occupations in Micah's prophecy? Do you think that this was by accident?

6) King David had not had a descendant on the throne in Judah since the time of the exile. Why do you think that God chose David's birthplace for Jesus to be born?

7) As we have discussed, the names of Bethlehem mean "bread" and "fruitfulness." Can you name something that we do in church that involves "bread" and "fruit?" What does this sacrament represent?

Advent Day 3: "The People That Walked In Darkness Have Seen A Great Light"

2007-12-04T11:43:00.000-05:00

Scriptural Truth: Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. Hebrews 1:1-2a

Prophetic Promise: Isaiah 9:1-7

Prophecy's Fulfillment: Matthew 4:12-17

They were dark times indeed. The prophets had been silent for 400 years, and massive changes had taken place politically in the nation of Israel. The Jews had finally learned their lesson with the exile and tenaciously held to their belief in and worship of the one true God in the midst of a sea of paganism. Life was anything but stable during this period. It was a period of wars, intrigues, persecutions, and unrest.

In fact, in many ways times were just as dark as they had been during the days of the prophet Isaiah, when he told Israel, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

Light shining in the land of the shadow of death! What a promise! But where would the light come from? According to the Scripture it would come from a child.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Those who heard and understood the message would be greatly encouraged by this news. A Messiah was coming, and the prophecy said of Him:

You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest
and like warriors dividing the plunder.
For you will break the yoke of their slavery
and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod,
just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.

Sadly, many misunderstood these passages to believe that the Messiah was coming with an earthly kingdom to execute vengeance upon their enemies. Instead the Messiah would enlarge the nation of Israel by extending mercy to the Gentiles. He broke the yoke of their slavery to sin, and lifted the heavy burden of the law from their shoulders. He broke the rod (another sign of authority) of the enemy of mankind - the devil.

The fulfillment of this prophecy came in Jesus of Nazareth.

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He left Judea and returned to Galilee. He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:

“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali,
beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River,
in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,
the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
a light has shined.”

From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

Jesus testified of Himself, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12

Things haven't changed that much. We still live in a world of great darkness, but Jesus is still the light of the world. Perhaps you are wondering how Jesus could be the light of the world when He physically is no longer here. He has commissioned us to carry His light:

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
Matthew 6:14-16

Make this a season to let the light of Christ shine through you like never before!

UPDATE: I just realized that Hanukkah, the Jewish "festival of lights," begins tonight at sundown! What good timing!

Questions and thoughts to discuss with your family:

1) Have you ever been camping in a place where you weren't allowed to have a fire? What was that like? Have you ever been in the dark and afraid? How did you feel when a light was turned on?

2) What is a Gentile? What is a Jew? Why is it significant that God was bringing His light to the Gentiles?

3) What do the titles of the child in Isaiah 9:6 tell us about who Jesus is? Which of the titles is your favorite? Why?

4) What is zeal? What does it mean when the Scripture says that "the zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this?" Another way of saying it is "The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!" Why would God be so eager to make sure that this happens?

5) What are some of the things that have made this a dark time? Have you done anything to contribute to the darkness?

6) Jesus told the people to repent of their sins. What does repent mean?

7) What can you do today to shine the light of Jesus?

Advent Day 2: "The Virgin Shall Conceive..."

2007-12-03T16:26:00.000-05:00

The first theme that we are going to explore during this Advent season is that of the prophetic announcements about the coming of Messiah. These announcements were numerous - so numerous that there is no way that we will exhaust the many Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah over the course of the next seven posts.

One thing to understand about the Scriptures and the prophecies contained in them can be summed up in this passage from 2 Peter:

For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:16-21

Here is the information about tonight's study.

Texts: Isaiah 7:1-14 and Matthew 1:18-23
Key verse: Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah was astounded. God was sending him to Ahaz - one of the most wicked and stubborn kings in Judah's history - to offer to help him out of a major crisis. The northern tribes and Syria were threatening to come and attack the land of Judah, and Ahaz was scared. He had come up with a desperate plan to join forces with the Assyrians to defeat the armies that were coming against him. But God had a better plan. He told Isaiah to tell Ahaz:

But this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“This invasion will never happen; it will never take place; for Syria is no stronger than its capital, Damascus, and Damascus is no stronger than its king, Rezin. As for Israel, within sixty-five years it will be crushed and completely destroyed. Israel is no stronger than its capital, Samaria, and Samaria is no stronger than its king, Pekah son of Remaliah. Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.”

Well, Ahaz's faith wasn't too firm, so a little while later God sent Isaiah back to Ahaz.

God had instructed Isaiah to tell Ahaz that God would perform a sign for him to prove that the word that He had spoken through Isaiah was true. Ahaz could ask for ANYTHING at all and God would do it for him. But Ahaz refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the Lord like that.” Wrong answer. Perhaps Ahaz was trying to be humble or appear spiritual. Perhaps he thought that God (or at least Isaiah) would be impressed that he knew that somewhere in the Good Book it says "Thou shalt not put the Lord Thy God to the test." It is even possible that he was just being petulant and stubborn in his refusal to acknowledge the God of his fathers. But God wouldn't take no for an answer.

Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). Isaiah 7:13-14

As I was studying earlier on some of the meaning of this passage I found a really good observation about this passage and both its Old Testament and New Testament implications:

Isaiah 7:14 is a beautiful prophecy of hope and deliverance during time of distress. It is also a powerful testimony to the grace of God Almighty, who is not willing to quickly abandon even the most obstinate among us. God delivered His people Judah from the threat they faced during the time of King Ahaz. He also, in a far more significant way, has delivered His people of all ages from the threat of sin and death with the incarnation of His Son -- the true embodiment of Immanuel: "God with us!" Praise God for His matchless grace.
- Al Maxey

In the New Testament book of Matthew we find the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy.

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”
Matthew 1:18-23

God proved that He was true to His word, and God proved that He is not willing to allow sinners to perish without a fight - a fight that required God Himself to enter the world.

Questions and thoughts to discuss with your family:
1) If God gave you the same opportunity that he did Ahaz what would you ask Him to do to prove His faithfulness? How has God already proven His faithfulness in your life?

2) The Lord told Ahaz "Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm." Have you ever experienced this in your life? Have there been times when you couldn't "stand firm?" How can a person make their faith firm? See Romans 10:17.

3) What does today's passage have to do with Christmas?

4) Why do you think that God did the impossible when He caused Mary to conceive Jesus as a virgin? Why was that sign so important? How does God do the "impossible" for us?

5) In the Bible, names and their meanings are often very significant. The prophecy said that the child would be called "Immanuel" which means "God with us." The name "Jesus" is a derivative of the name "Joshua" and means "Yahweh is salvation." What do these names tell us about what and who Jesus is?

6) Can you imagine what it would be like to have God/Jesus visit your home? How would you act if Jesus were to come to your house?

7) Why do you suppose that God was so patient with Ahaz? Have you ever done anything that required your parents, siblings, teachers, or friends to have patience with you? Do you need for God to be patient with you?

Worth Millions in Baseball

2007-12-03T14:18:00.000-05:00

In recent days a sports-related item has made the leap to the news pages of papers all across America, and I suspect, Japan. One Mr. Alex Rodriguez has signed a ten-year deal to play (may I stress that a moment?) PLAY baseball for the New York Yankees in return for a mere $305 million dollars. Uh huh, the Steinbrenner boys are willing to shake on this one.

I am a baseball fan.
(except for the five years following the strike in the Nineties)
I am a staunch free-market Capitalist.
("Yeah!" Founding Financial Fathers)
I am more than a little surprised, and scary jealous.

What if I had actually kept playing the game into my adulthood? What might have been the career outcome of my dedication to the art and science of America's pastime? What makes A-Rod worth more per minute than THOUSANDS of teachers... first-responders... single Moms... pastors... and almost everybody else besides plumbers, Union Sanitation Engineers, or global warming-gurus? (Trust me on that last one, friends.)

305 Million U.S. Dollars for ten years comes out to exactly $3,481.73 per hour. That's almost 3500 bucks for every hour Mr Rodriguez breathes for the next 120 months. Asleep. Awake. Visiting friends in the Dominican Republic. All the time. "Ca-Ching!"

Here is a snippet of info from Wikipedia regarding said, A-Rod, "Since 1996 (his first full season) through 2007 he leads the Major Leagues in home runs (HR), runs scored, runs batted in (RBI), total bases and extra-base hits. Of all players in baseball history at age 31, he is first all-time in HR, runs scored and total bases; second in extra base hits and RBI, and 4th in hits. To this point in his career Rodriguez has more HR, RBI, runs scored and more base hits than all-time leaders Hank Aaron (RBI), Barry Bonds (HR), Rickey Henderson (runs scored), and Pete Rose (hits) did prior to their 31st birthdays."

Well, more power to him (since he already has everything else).

Makes me think of other ball players in the "Bigs" who can cash large checks for hitting the ball once every three times they are at bat. Millions. Batting .333 is considered something of the "gold standard" for hitters in the Major Leagues. Did you hear me, MILLIONS for doing something one third of the time your employer / spouse / girlfriend / mother expects you to. Seems like good work if you can get it. Oh, and you get to guest-star on scores of TV shows, too. Then there is the whole "endorsement" genre of stealing, uh, making millions more for eating a certain kind of peanut butter, or smiling as an announcer declares that "A-Rod wears only bio-degradable cleats from Green Weenies Shoes."

One-out-of-three is good, huh?
Well then, the parties StillWaters hosted last evening in Salisbury and Mooresville were hugely successful because over a third of the folks invited from the neighborhoods actually attended! Add to that the many folks who served and supported the outreach events and you are up into the platinum strata of performance. Woo Hoo! Yeah God.

Join everyone who cares about the spiritual and community health of our neighbors by praying for some lasting benefit from the dual events. The intention of each of the hosts and helpers last night was that relationships may be developed and deepened in order that Jesus the Christ might be known and followed by LOTS more of the people near us where we live. Perhaps, due in no small measure to the selfless efforts and prayers of so many StillWaters families, some folks may come to a saving knowledge of the Son of God in the days ahead. What an honor to lift us His Name at this time of the year when He is almost forgotten by the larger community in America, and elsewhere, as shopping and celebrating avarice and excess is rampant.

Gentle reminder people of the world, "It's CHRIST-mas."
Enough said.

This year I will not be buying presents in the volume, at the rate, or to the expense of years gone by. Finances play their part in the decision Carol and I have made, but even more important is the notion of making a difference (for good) in the lives of the folks around us. We hope your hearts are full this Christmas, dear friends. Your participation in the Kirker and StillWater families has certainly caused ours to overflow. Thank you... really.

While Mr. Alex Rodriguez EARNS just under one dollar per second for the next 315,360,000 seconds (no, I am not bitter...) the rest of us Christians may take comfort in the fact that every one of those dollars will remain on earth till they burn, while our redeemed spirits will soar to the heavens to dwell with Jesus in Paradise eternally when we leave this tired old planet.

So, my advice to you is this, "trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved! You and your household."

Oh, and also teach your sons how to throw a baseball 60.5 feet left-handed at about 100 mph.

Both of these are excellent retirement programs.

Like you, I don't think $305 million dollars would change me.

Right.

My Apologies

2007-12-03T12:08:00.001-05:00

I apologize for not being able to get an Advent post done yesterday. There just wasn't time. I intend to double up today and include two prophetic passages about Messiah in today's post. I will do my best to have it finished by supper time so that you can use it with your family in tonight's devotions. In the coming weeks, will make my best attempt to have Sunday's devotion ready on Saturday night so that you can use it on Sunday with your family. There is just too much to do on Sundays for me to get a well-thought post done.

What A Night!

2007-12-03T11:33:00.000-05:00

Wow. The StillWaters family pulled off two very successful Christmas parties last night. Unfortunately I don't have all of the details to give you numbers, but at the party I attended the first guests showed up right at 4:30 and the last one left around 7:45. There was an abundance of food, and everyone seemed to have a great time. Hopefully, I will be able to entice the hosts of these parties to give us the full details here in the coming days.

Last night was also the debut of the StillWaters Jazz Band (SJB). By all accounts it was a successful outing. If you are bummed that you missed the debut you will have another opportunity to see SJB in action on Tuesday, December 11th from 7:00 to 7:30. They will be playing at South Rowan High School as part of a fund raiser for The SRHS Drama Club called The Coffee House. Come on out if you can!

There are also opportunities to continue serving our neighbors THIS WEEK. Lunch With Lois is planned for this Saturday, December 8th at 12:00 Noon at the Kirkers'. Lois is a sister in the Lord who is in the midst of a financial struggle right now. The plan is to enjoy lunch together and visit with her and then provide her with a monetary gift and wrapped Christmas gifts for her two grandchildren (a boy 10 years old and a girl 12 years old.) If you can help with this outreach and/or would like to attend let Carol know. (If you are not from this area and would like to help, church contact information is located at the bottom of the blog!)

Also be looking for information about an upcoming Servant Evangelism project that we are trying to pull together for Saturday, December 15th. The plan is to assist customers at the Salisbury Mall in getting their packages to their cars. The entire event including travel shouldn't take more than 2 hours (unless you want to fellowship some afterwards!) As I firm up the details I will post them here on the blog.

Man, who would have thought that serving our neighbors could be more fun than riding in a one horse open sleigh?

Advent Day 1: "Original Promises"

2007-12-01T11:44:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day of Advent (at least according to the Advent calendars I have seen around.) I wasn't raised with the tradition of Advent, but I like the idea of it, having been exposed to the practice more recently in my Christian walk. In the midst of all of the gross commercialization and secularization of the holiday it is wise to make a conscious effort to focus on the actual point of the Christmas season - the coming of the Messiah who would deliver the children of God from their bondage to sin and usher in a new Kingdom to the earth. The event that would mark the end of satan's dominion over the earth and would be the beginning of the end of his influence over the earth.

It is with this end in mind that we at Conspiracy of Kindness and StillWaters intend to provide a daily devotion based on the various themes of Advent that you can use with your family as we approach Christmas. It is our sincere hope that these meditations will help you and your family to have a very meaningful, Christ-centered holiday.

December 1, 2007

Ancient Words

Text: Genesis 3

Key Verse: Genesis 3:15 "And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

It had been a glorious week! God had started with next to nothing, a formless blob of... well, we're not sure, but we know there was water. Then by the word of His mouth God spoke light into existence. BAM! There was light. Then He spoke and the sky was formed. Then He commanded the land to arise from the waters and ordered plants and trees to grow. Just like that it happened. After that He ordered the stars and the planets and the sun and the moon into existence. He arranged them in the sky and gave them set paths to follow.

Next God set Himself to populating the world. First He spoke all the fish, birds, and sea-creatures into existence. Then He spoke and created all of the land dwelling animals, but God saved the best for last.

God had an amazing plan - an audacious plan - to make a creature in His own image. He would make man to be like Him and give him dominion over the entire creation that He had made. When this work was finished, God looked everything over and declared that it was, "Very good."

So, after God had set Adam up as supreme ruler over creation and provided Eve as his wife He gave them only one rule. The only thing that they couldn't do was eat from one particular tree in the garden.

We really don't know how long it took, but eventually satan entered the garden as a serpent and talked Eve into eating from the forbidden tree. Then she gave some of the fruit to Adam and he ate it too. Instantly they knew that something was horribly wrong. That sense was heightened when God showed up in the garden. Instead of running to Him as they usually did, they hid themselves from Him.

Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”

The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”

Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”

“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”

Then the Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this, you are cursed
more than all animals, domestic and wild.
You will crawl on your belly,
groveling in the dust as long as you live.
And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

Then he said to the woman,

“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,
and in pain you will give birth.
And you will desire to control your husband,
but he will rule over you.”

And to the man he said,

“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,
the ground is cursed because of you.
All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.
It will grow thorns and thistles for you,
though you will eat of its grains.
By the sweat of your brow
will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
and to dust you will return.”

Thus, man gave away the glory that God had created him for. God had justly dealt with Adam's sin, but the damage had been done: from that point forward man has had a sinful nature. This sinful nature made it impossible for God and man to enjoy the kind of friendship that they had enjoyed in the Garden of Eden. But God wasn't satisfied with this arrangement.

Perhaps you didn't notice it, but in verse 15, during God's judgment of the serpent, God makes the very first prophecy about His provision to re-establish His friendship and fellowship with man. God promised that one day one of Eve's descendants would bruise the serpent's head, but in the process of doing so the serpent would bruise his heel.

We know from other scriptures that satan was the serpent in the garden. So from this prophecy we know that one was coming who would bruise satan's head, but what does that phrase mean? The head is a symbol of authority. It is where kings wear their crown - the symbol of their authority. So if one was coming that would bruise satan's head, that means that one was coming to remove satan's authority over Eve's descendants.

Now who do you suppose is the descendant that God was talking about? Have you heard of any Bible stories where someone's heel was injured? Of course it is talking about Jesus.

God was promising in the midst of the punishment that He had to deliver that He would make a way to put everything back to the way it was supposed to be. When Jesus was born thousands of years later it marked the beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy and when He was crucified He destroyed satan's authority over God's children.

Questions and thoughts to discuss with your family:

1) Of all of the things in creation what are your favorites? As beautiful as all of these things are we know from this story that they are only a shadow of what God created them to be. With that in mind, try to imagine what life would have been like in the Garden of Eden.

2) Has anyone ever tricked you into doing something wrong? What did you want to do when you knew you had been tricked?

3) Do you ever have trouble obeying the rules? Have you ever done something that you know was bad, but don't know why you did it? How did it make you feel?

4) Have you ever had something nice or special that someone else stole or broke? How did it make you feel? What did you want to do to the person who messed up your property? How did God respond when Adam, Eve, and the serpent ruined God's creation?

5) In the key verse, God told Eve that one of her descendants would strike the serpent's head and that the serpent would strike his heel. Which of Eve's descendants is God talking about? Who is the serpent? How did the serpent strike his heel?

6) What does this story have to do with Christmas?

7) Why do we need a Messiah?

The Best Play I Have Seen In A Long Time

2007-11-28T23:16:00.000-05:00

If you can, you would be incredibly blessed to see this play that is being performed at the Triad Stage in Greensboro. I saw it last year and enjoyed it so much that I took my parents back a week later. It was absolutely wonderful. If I had the money I would take each of you.

In this return of last season's sold out holiday hit, Reverend Roy Ledbetter and his congregation are back to bring the Christmas story to life in an Appalachian setting with down home laughter, toe-tapping music and a tug at the heart. Developed by Triad Stage Artistic Director Preston Lane and Laurelyn Dossett of Polecat Creek, the same creative team behind Brother Wolf and the upcoming Bloody Blackbeard, this new holiday tradition is a musical and storytelling journey from the creation of the world to the birth of Jesus. In the tradition of the medieval mystery plays of Old England, Beautiful Star weaves music, humor and awe together, re-telling great stories from the Bible in a festive gathering of family, friends and faith.

Beautiful Star is set on a cold winter evening, high in the mountains of North Carolina, where the members of a small Open Heart Community Fellowship gather to tell the story of the first Christmas. But this is no ordinary Christmas pageant. As this fellowship brings these glorious stories to life, their simple mountain church is transformed by the power of music, the telling of tales and pure faith into a world of magic and wonder.

See what critics called, "the best show I've seen in this or any holiday season" (The Charlotte Observer) and "perfect family fare...[that] will lighten your heart and put a lump in your throat." (Greensboro's News & Record)

Click HERE to buy tickets.

Groups of 10 - 49 persons save 15%. For more information and to reserve your group's seats, call Sherry Barr, Director of Audience Services, at 336.274.0067 ext. 218 or email groupsales@triadstage.org.

And click HERE to download the podcast.

I was impressed by the insight into the stories of the Old Testament that Preston Lane showed as he wrote this play. I was especially impressed by his understanding of the significance of the story of Abraham and Isaak on Mt. Moriah. (This was also the most poignant moment of the play.) The fellow that played the enemy was especially good too. I would consider his performance last year the strongest. The music is fabulous too. It well worth every penny that you will pay for a ticket.

Prepare To Be Rocked...

2007-11-28T16:02:00.000-05:00

I just read this in a post and it blew me away.

“Don’t you ever stop, and don’t you ever let anyone stop you. I let a church full of lazy Christians steal my passion away from me. They did not want to change, they wouldn’t reach out to anyone, and they did not care about people dying without Jesus. All they cared about was making church easy and convenient. I let them scare me into doing what they wanted. And I slowly died. I would give anything to be your age again, Clayton. I would do it differently and I would obey God no matter what people said. Trust me son, you don’t want to end up like me, dying in hospital with regrets hanging over your head. Once you let anybody other than Jesus tell you what to do, you begin to die.”

I'm not going to explain all of the quote or the background. You will be far better off if you click HERE and read the entire post. I know this isn't what we want, so we have to break through our fears and touch our community if we want to have a reason to exist.

James 2:26

2007-11-27T21:05:00.000-05:00

I suppose that it is a little tacky to quote yourself in a blog, but oh well, sometimes you write something that you just don't think that you can improve upon. Not to say that the following quote from my post called The Least Of These is Pulitzer Prize winning stuff, but it really communicates what I want to say in this forum as we are heading towards the big Christmas parties that we have scheduled.

I was talking with my good friend Bruce after the service and we were both feeling kind of low and worn out. We've both been taking a little time in the Lord's crucible lately, and I confessed to him how dry I had been feeling this past week - lonely for the Lord's presence. (Isn't it funny how being lonely for the Lord will often disguise itself as loneliness for other company? But I digress.) He suggested that it was perhaps the enemy's attack. We talked for a little bit longer and in the course of that discussion decided that we should do some servant evangelism together soon. (See Steve Sjogren's book Conspiracy Of Kindness.) As we left the church we passed a car broken down in the middle of the road. I stopped to ask if the guy driving needed help, and he could only answer me in Spanish. I went to park the car and looked up and there was Bruce! He was stopping to help too.

Now you need to understand, I am utterly NOT mechanical. I know next to NOTHING about what is going on under the hood of a car - especially if it isn't doing what it is supposed to be doing. However, Bruce is VERY mechanical. We helped the fellow to get his car out of the road and then Bruce went to work on the car. I used the little Spanish I knew to talk to Carlos and before you knew it Bruce had the car running again! We didn't say a word to Carlos about God or Jesus - I probably could have if I had been in practice - but as we went on our way I felt like I had just touched the Lord's fellowship for the first time in the past seven days. Is it possible that we met the Lord broken down on the road? Matthew 25:40 would seem to indicate that we did.

Perhaps God let me get dry and hungry for His presence so that I would sense it so clearly when I encountered it with Carlos this afternoon. If so, may He not let me forget to seek His presence even amongst "the least of these."

This encounter this past Sunday has stayed with me over the past couple of days. I am hungry to do a Servant Evangelism project between now and Christmas.

I actually have one in mind - not nearly as ambitious as the roofing project we did! I was thinking about contacting one (or several) stores at the mall and finding out when their busiest projected time will be one weekend. Then I will ask permission for a group of us to station ourselves around at the exit area cash registers and offer to assist customers with large packages to their cars. It is simple and inexpensive and will give us opportunities to talk with these folks while we are waiting for someone to serve and while we are serving!

What do you think? We would only go for an hour - two at the most. I believe the impact would be tremendous! All I need now is some volunteers. The two dates that I have in mind are the 8th or the 15th, but we could do it later too. I am leaning towards the 15th to give me a little time to promote the outing and to do all the planning. Please respond in the comments if you would be willing to help.

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
Matthew 25:31-40

Gratitude

2007-11-22T10:27:00.000-05:00

"Thank you."

Such a simple thing to say, isn't it?
Apparently not. How often to YOU say it daily? Weekly?
Be honest now, are you someone who is known to others as a person expressive of gratitude?

Okay, enough questions. On this Thanksgiving Day 2007 I want to make a clear statement: "I am thankful." God takes top spot on my heart's list of those to whom I am indebted, of course. Apart from the enduring grace of my loving Heavenly Father I would have nothing but he fleeting fancies of this perishing world to serve as my focus of effort and affection. He has liberated me from that futility by providing for my eternal life through faith in His son, the Risen One, Christ Jesus.

Family, friends, faith, fun, fulfillment and forever . . . I am so blessed!

"Thank you, God, for freely giving to me without condition. You have paid the price for my eternal life, provided for my every true need, placed me into genuine community, and promised that the best is yet to come. I am grateful, eternally grateful. Thank YOU, Lord."

Happy Thanksgiving, Carol, Kelley, Kristin & Chad, and Norma Jean; Happy Thankgiving, Gilda & Bill, Judy & Bill, Terri, Chad and Alex, and all the extended family; Happy Thanksgiving, Rochester-in-laws; Happy Thanksgiving, StillWaters community; Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends from Florida, Michigan, South Carolina and North Carolina (and from Canada, where you beat us by over a month when it comes to Thanksgiving!); and, Happy Thanksgiving to our brave and sacrificial members of the US Military Branches: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy. Without your thoughtful and selfless service as warriors securing our peace and freedom we would have neither reason nor opportunity for a national celebration of thanksgiving today. God bless and protect you, every one. Come home safely and soon.

May every person reading these words experience sincere gratitude of heart for all the marvelous blessings we share in this life, the promises of fullness in the next, and the subtle miracles we luxuriate in each day. Remember your Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ, or come to Him in faith today. Express your thanks to those around you for their personal additions to your life. Serve one another in humility and the power of the Holy Spirit, in the name of Christ and know the delight of your Heavenly Father.

I wish you well, regardless of your circumstances. "Be thankful in all things, for this is the will of God for you, in Christ Jesus." He loves you. Return the favor in thankfulness.

And to each of you who have graced my days, "Thank You."
Really.