More On Effective Church Action

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.

A Warning

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.

Wonderful News!

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."

Unbelief vs. Faith

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

An Admonition From the Word...

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

Attitude

Attitudes:

Tonight Bruce was praying for our attitudes and something that he said spurred this thought:

Good, bad, or indifferent, our attitudes are a direct reflection of our faith and belief in, and knowledge and understanding of God's claims about Himself.

Time and time again - in the Scriptures, in my own life, and in the lives of others around me - I see the evidence to support this claim. The degree to which we understand God's claims about who He is and the degree to which we BELIEVE those claims is constantly played out in our attitudes. In fact, our attitudes become a billboard on which the world can see how well we know (and trust) God. Sadly, all too often our "billboards" are advertising something that the world around us just doesn't want. If John Piper is right in saying, "God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him" then how much glory is God receiving from our lives?

Although several scriptural examples come to mind, the story of the Israelite spies' report of the promised land provides both good and poor examples of attitudes in action. The account can be found in Numbers 13:25-33 and Numbers 14:1-12 The text quoted below comes from the New Living Translation.

After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley.”

As the leaders of the tribes who had gone to spy out the land returned they brought back tremendous reports of the goodness of the land. They even brought back a bunch of grapes that was so big that it had to be carried on a pole between them! They began their report by acknowledging that the land was every bit as good as God had told them that it was. So far so good, right?

Yet on the heels of the acknowledgment that God had been truthful about the goodness of the land was a BUT. Had the spies left the "BUT" out they would have been fine as they described the strength of the inhabitants of the land. Their attitude showed right away that they didn't believe that God would keep His promise to them.

Now enter a good example. Caleb was one of the twelve sent out to survey the land. As the other spies began to horrify the people with tales of fortified cities and even GIANTS, Caleb tried to calm the people, "Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” Caleb's attitude demonstrated his FAITH that God would do as He had promised and deliver the inhabitants of the land into their hands.

As Caleb's words began to calm the crowd, the fear of the ten other spies rose, and they persisted in their declaration that the war was a lost cause before it even began.

But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

Their words were the last straw and the unbelief of the congregation was revealed through their response.

Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!”

First it began with grumbling against Moses and Aaron and they let themselves get so carried away that they even accused God of plotting their destruction.

These are the same people that had seen the ten plagues that God brought against the Egyptians, resulting in their freedom. They were the ones who had walked on dry land through the midst of the Red Sea and had witnessed the destruction of one of the mightiest armies in the world at God's hand - they hadn't lifted a finger in the battle. These people had eaten manna every day and they had quail without hunting for it. Their flocks and herds were fed and watered as they passed through the wilderness by God, and yet they accused God of wrongdoing.

I hate to admit that I too have committed this great sin. I have allowed myself to accuse God of not loving me and not caring for me in the midst of a great trial - and I used the very air that He gave me to breathe to do it with. My attitude was reflective of how little I knew and trusted my God.

Moses and Aaron knew it was time to duck. They fell on their faces before the Lord as one last effort was made to curb the bad attitude of the congregation of Israel.

Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

But the people would not be restrained. Instead, they became even more irrational. They were hysterical, acting as if the armies of the promised land were encircling the camp, when in reality there is no evidence that they were even aware of or concerned about any pending Israeli invasion.

But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle. And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?

Why was God angry? Because they had treated Him with contempt and refused to believe someone who could not lie after all that He had done for them. The end result? Everyone over 20 years old died over the next 40 years in the desert except for two people - Joshua and Caleb. Why? Because they believed that God would do what He said and their attitudes demonstrated this belief. God said of Caleb, "But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land." Numbers 14:24 NLT

Now, if you aren't reading closely, you might think that I am advocating a sunny disposition in the face of all of life's trials. That isn't my point. My point is that our attitude is a REFLECTION of our belief in God's goodness and His care for us. As I have endured the trial of the past year, I have gone through stages very much like the children of Israel. There have been moments, as I confessed earlier, that I have accused God of wrongdoing. Thank God that He is patient with us and understands why we do things better than we do ourselves.

It is evident from the scripture that good things follow those whose attitude reflects a firm belief in God's goodness and His care for them. Just consider Job, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Daniel, and Paul and Silas. All saw glorious deliverances on their behalf because their faith was reflected in their attitude, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY they saw the people around them influenced to believe in the Lord God as a result of their rewarded confidence. You see, their attitudes were powerful tools in the hands of God to bring people and glory to Himself. However, if we seek the attitude as a means to the faith we will encounter futility as certainly as a dog sledder who tries to hitch the team behind the sled and coax them to push.

Their attitudes were the direct result of what they had learned about God through the Scriptures, and, perhaps just as importantly, by their experience and remembrance that He had always been faithful to keep His covenants and promises.

How can we attain to this knowledge of God, this godly confidence, this faith and belief? Ephesians 4:21-24 exhorts us:

Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT

Another thing that has helped me during this period of trial in my life has been to acknowledge the wonderful ways that I have seen God move on my behalf. I have majored on not focusing on the worries of tomorrow - there have been plenty of worries for each day! As I have done this, I have been less blinded to the many provisions that God has made for me, and I have begun to trust Him even when I have no idea from where the next provision will appear. The confidence that I have is this: "God is good and His lovingkindness is everlasting."

What better season than Thanksgiving to ponder the many blessings that God has poured out upon us - the many provisions that He has made on our behalf? When we focus on the promises already fulfilled, we can patiently endure while we wait for the promises that have not yet been fulfilled. GOD IS FAITHFUL!!! GOD LOVES ME!!! GOD LOVES YOU!!! HIS PLANS FOR YOU ARE FOR GOOD AND NOT FOR CALAMITY TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE! It is hard to have a bad attitude when you meditate on all that.

Go get to know God. Spend time with Him. Consider all of the things He has done for you. As you do, you will find that your belief is growing deeper and deeper and your confidence will not be so easily shaken in the next storm.

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Romans 14:17-19 NLT

Good Quote (Thanks again, Luke!)

"Who stands fast? Only the man whose final standard is not his reason, his principles, his conscience, his freedom, or his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all this when he is called to obedient and responsible action in faith and in exclusive allegiance to God--the responsible man, who tries to make his whole life an answer to the question and call of God."

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever!

Here is a great link to a video about a Muslim Imam who had a "road to Damascus" experience and gave his life to the Lord!

Muhammed's Story

How exciting to know that God didn't and doesn't limit His exploits to the ones we have read about in the Bible! He truly is the same yesterday today and forever! We don't follow a dead religion or a guidebook of dos and don'ts. We serve the Living God who created all things! Can we believe Him to do exploits through US?

How Badly Do We Want It?

Our church is in a state of transition. For months we have been busy putting in foundations - building relationships with each other, bringing key players onboard, learning what it takes to make things run, getting people in the right positions, and developing a church personality. It is pretty safe to say that our foundations have been laid in and are pretty solid. Now begins the work of becoming significant in the life of our community.

The big problem with significance is that it involves actually getting outside of our little safe havens and our comfort zones into the real world of our community. To be significant, we have to be willing to get up next to people and develop enough relationship with them to earn their trust. That is both scary and messy. It is scary because we have to be willing to put down our masks and "stand naked on the battlefield" so to speak. We have to be real about our shortcomings and our trials and risk the judgment of our neighbors. We have to be willing to let our lives be interrupted by the needs of others.

It is messy because as we are able to be vulnerable in front of our neighbors they will find it easier to be vulnerable with us. It is in that vulnerablility that true ministry begins to happen. As their masks come off we discover that their lives are as messy or messier than ours. We discover brokenness, and loss, and need right in our own neighboorhood.

I am reminded of a testimony shared by Scott several months ago about his time in China. He talked about how one of his evenings was interrupted by a neighbor who had gotten drunk and locked himself out of his apartment. Scott was able to help the neighbor out and as a result a lasting dialogue has been continued between the two of them - a dialogue that has allowed Scott to effectively share the gospel with this man.

The October 20 post at Our Daily Blog really seemed appropriate to our situation. here is an excerpt:

...as much as Jesus desired to minister to His own people, He was compelled by His Father to bring the Gospel to these others (the Gedarenes) who were hurting and broken.

No matter where you are today, God will call you to go to the "other side." Just as He led His own disciples, Jesus will bring you into the lives of needy, wounded people.

No matter how different they are from you, or how much you abhor their lifestyle, they are part of the reason Jesus put you in this world. If you are unwilling to follow Jesus into these darkened places, you will miss the joy of the harvest He has intended for your life.

- Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

So the question that we really have to ask ourselves is, "How badly do we want it?" How badly do we want to be an agent of change to Salisbury, NC? Are we willing to overcome our fear, our inconvenience, our insecurity and our prejudices and offer our lives as a sacrifice to God to be part of His solution to the hurting people in our community? I pray to God that we will.

God please give us the grace that we will need to overcome ourselves and go wherever You send us. Fill us with belief in who You have told us that You are. Cause our hearts to abound in love for You. And cause our lives to overflow with that love to our neighbors - even the unpleasant ones. Forgive us for our fear and unbelief and self-righteousness. Cause us to be pleasing to You. Amen.

Fear Or Faith?

"No matter how wonderfully you have built your life, sooner or later, you will face a situation that forces you to choose between faith and fear. It is in these moments that the very foundations of our lives are revealed."
-Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

Just go ahead and click here and read the whole article. Excellent, excellent, excellent.

This devotion sums up what I have been learning for the past 8 and a half months in the crucible. (...Make that the past 20 years in the crucible...)

Are we doing the things that we do out of fear or out of faith? Is our "wisdom" really fear disguised as wisdom or is it real godly wisdom? I submit that we are hounded by fear more than we have been willing to admit. There is a full post coming soon that will deal with the subject of fear. In the meantime, let my old friend Jim Laffoon open your eyes to something you may have not seen before.

More On Fear

"...once the enemy of your soul learns how to manipulate you through fear, you will be running for the rest of your life, unless you turn around and face him through the power of God’s Word."

- Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

Quote Of The Day

Even as faith is your greatest friend, so fear is your greatest foe. In fact, fear is the enemy’s version of faith; even as faith will bring you into the reality of God’s promises, so fear will bring you into the reality of the enemy’s tormenting threats.

- Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog