Losin' It

Matthew 10:39 “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”

It was a about a month ago that the Holy Spirit quickened my wife and I, as we walked into our home after leaving members of our church whose car was their only means of shelter and others who find their serenity in the cover of local parks, that we did not come here for ourselves, but for the people of this city. 

We came to a realization that we were throwing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars into a place that we considered home for the purpose of only laying our head down to sleep. It was Jesus himself who said, “the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). We spent most of our days at work or church and realized our home of comfort was becoming a retreat from the call that God had for us. Our resources were now being subdued by this house when every service we would be praying that God would bring more resources to help the needs of the community. My wife and I knew we had to make a decision and it wasn’t going to be a very hard one.

We surrendered our gated community home for a simple efficiency we created at our church. But oh did the scripture in Matthew 10:39 ever come true.  We were living to pamper ourselves, but who were we to deserve it.  It would have been easy to come up with excuses to justify the means of our living.  After all we had just lost all our furniture in our previous home to the war of bed bugs. Didn’t we deserve a fresh new life? Yet we felt a yearning in our spirits that something wasn’t right.

Living in this efficiency we now have a peace that surpasses understanding, as we lay down at night knowing that we can minister to those who are in need and can provide more resources to our community. They see our intentions and know that we are not helping with an outstretched arm only to run back to our so-called fortress of safety. 

Since the move we have seen growth and faith in the lives our people.  It is wonderful to wake up in the morning and go into the sanctuary before the presence of God, as well as maintaining it, without a time limit of having to rush to get home. Surely we have found life by loosing what we considered to be life here on earth.  The life we live may not be ideal to the world, but this is the call that God had for us and we are willingly embracing the shelter of the Almighty.

One thing is for sure to all believers, that God did not call us to build our lives here on earth, but to build our lives in Heaven’s gates.  Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of creating your life. Lose it in Him.

Live a life of obedience to God even when it calls you to give up what you consider life because only then will you find it!         

http://praisechapelhollywoodfl.com/help/how-we-help-you/

Raffle Tickets

THIS IS THE LAST WEEK TO PURCHASE RAFFLE TICKETS - SUNDAY IS THE DRAWING

 

Praise Chapel's 2 Year Anniversary Celebration is October 2, 2011

 

I'm selling $5 Raffle Tickets to support this Celebration.

 

CASH Prizes:

            1^st = $100

            2^nd = $75

            3^rd = $50

            4^th = $25

Winners will be announced at the Celebration Service but does not need to be present.

 

Prizes will be given out in person or mailed to unknown individuals.

 

If you would like to purchase tickets let me know. J

 

You can pay on our website via paypal http://praisechapelhollywoodfl.com/help/donate-2/

 

Feel free to forward to people who maybe interested.

 

Check us out for more info:  www.praisechapelhollywoodfl.com

 

Or if you would like to give a generous contribution towards our 2 Year Celebration to help with the festivities that too would be greatly appreciated!

 

Sanctuary! Sanctuary!

Psalm 63:2 “I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.”

Whenever I come across the word sanctuary, I think of the Disney cartoon-movie “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”, where a woman is running to the church screaming ‘Sanctuary! Sanctuary!’ in hopes of being protected and sheltered from her accusers. That is exactly what the church is supposed to be; a place of refuge, a shelter for the needy, a beacon of hope, a sanctuary. The place where you can see God and gaze upon His power and glory!

In modern day churches we have learned to accept the tax collector and the CEO’s of Bubba Gump’s (fisherman). We say yes bring them to the church, get them connected, and allow them to turn their lives back to God. Having the affects that Nicodemus had where he wanted to return all the money he had cheated people. Sounds like a big Tithe! Don’t get me wrong, that is great and has the power of God in changing a life around.

But what about the people who can’t do anything for you? The gypsy, who has no place to live and rejected by society.  The hunchback people frown upon because he looks different. The poor man that smells as a result of days without showering.  The alcoholic lady who drinks her problems away and fears people are going to judge her if she steps foot in church.  The man who lost everything because of medical bills for his sick wife. Can they run into a church screaming, “Sanctuary! Sanctuary!” and actually see the Lord and gaze upon His Power and Glory?

Have we allowed church to become so high tech that people are afraid of touching anything in fear that something expensive would break? Or that those in real need of sanctuary won’t dare to enter, in fear that they would be the first to be accused if something was missing simply because of their appearance? Do the preparations of media systems, stage lights, displays, and handouts consume our minds more than the faces of the hurting that are present in the service? Creating an inviting atmosphere in the church is significant, but not at the cost of keeping people away.

The “Sanctuary” is the Lords! It is His sanctuary and He says go! Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame (Luke 14:21). Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full (Luke 14:23).

These are the people whom his house are supposed to be full of.  Sure we can go out and put door hangers on every suburban house because the Lord cares for them too.  We can target a specific group and build a mega church on that type of people, but what about the call to go into the alleys and behind the hedges?

We may have a lot of “feeling” experiences in His sanctuary, but can a person walk in and actually say, “I have seen the Lord in His Sanctuary and have gazed upon his power and glory.”

Church has to be more than a Christianized pep rally and return to being the Sanctuary; a place of refuge. A place where the poor, the crippled, and the outcasts can come and say, “Sanctuary! Sanctuary!”

Today Is All I Need

Matthew 6:34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Oh, trouble's a ton, or a trouble's an ounce, Or a trouble is what you make it. And it isn't the fact that you're hurt that counts, But only how did you take it. A line from one of my favorite, Classic Poems “How Did You Die?”, by Edmund Vance Cooke.  Troubles are going to come and according to the above scripture they will come daily! Note: there are troubles waiting for you tomorrow!

Planning and strategizing for the future and events are good, it keeps the vision flowing. We do it all the time in the church, the momentum is always moving, seasons are always changing, and direction from the Spirit is always leading. However, at the cost of worrying how they will be accomplished is something different and uncalled for.  Of course it’s only “natural” (emphasis on the word natural) for us to want to worry and figure out every means and end to our strategies. We’re not only natural beings, we’re SPIRITUAL beings and the testing of our spirit lies within these troubles.

Working with people in the church and outside of the church is always a colorful experience of different personalities.  Anytime you find yourself having to deal with people you will learn that people are not all the same and every person deals with things differently.  That said, its amusing to see the responses of people under pressure and it's amusing to see myself under pressure at times.  To see them in the midst of all the hustle of planning things out and wondering how things are going to get done.  Will we have enough? Where will the money come from? Who’s going to oversee it? It’s no wonder why the word ‘worry’ starts with a ‘W’ because almost all the questions associated with it do too! Who? What? When? Where? Why? HoW?  With so many questions of self concerns containing this single letter God is waiting for us to trust in him so he can take these questions and turn that W into a statement … WoW! God loves to wow his people when they learn to trust in him.

Worrying about the things of the future is not in our control.  Sure continue to plan and strategize, but don’t worry about its results.  Whatever happens is going to happen and we can’t control the outcomes, but if we did all that we knew we could do with all that we had available to us, then it was a job well done.  Many always quote, "All things happen for a reason", but it's in the times of trouble and worries that we forget about that. However all things do happen for a reason and if something didn’t go the way you planned or strategized, then know that God will use what you did wholeheartedly for the sake of his glory! 

I can’t control tomorrow but I can make my choices for today.  Today is all I need!

Praise Is What I Do

Psalm 34:1 “I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.”

In our Wisdom Wednesday Bible Study Groups, we are studying the book of Ephesians and in last nights study we were talking about understanding the Power of God. Paul’s prayer for the church was that we would "know" God, but also "understand" God (Ephesians 1). In our discussions we learned that understanding the Power of God will result in having a victorious attitude over Satan and our situations. We know that the enemy is out there to tempt us and is trying to destroy us. The outcome of these temptations and at times failures, are a series of emotions such as; depression, guilt, anger, shame, tears, etc.

Many times believers will walk into a worship service with emotional disturbances. They can’t enter into praise because they have become a prisoner to their feelings. Something happened in their day and that now disrupts God's time and now worship just doesn’t seem like an option.  Faces of anger, tears of defeat, irritable statures fill the seats of what are supposed to be children of God in worship to him.

Why should God be held accountable for the way we feel? Don’t we make our decisions? Can’t we decide what will bother us and what will not? Don’t we understand that Satan is at work in trying to destroy our lives? If we understood this then we should and would want to worship God react towards the enemy! Praising the Lord at all times is a constant attack towards the enemy in reminding him that he can try to mess with your life all he wants, but it will only produce constant speaking of his praise!

No matter how you feel or what you’re going through continue you to praise the Lord at all times! Speak his praises constantly.  Nobody can make you feel the way you do not want to feel. Everybody makes their own choices.  Choose to praise. Praise is what I do!

Watching You

Psalm 11:4 “But the Lord is in his holy Temple ; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.”

I once read a cartoon comic about an employee who was caught by his supervisor doing nothing.  When the supervisor asked why the employee wasn’t doing anything, the employee’s response was “because I didn’t know you were there”.  That is the way most Christians live their lives.  Christianity is about faith, believing in an invisible God.  However, because Christians can’t see God, the human instinct assumes he’s not there, he’s not watching.

Our minds assume that God is only present when we pray or when we go to church.  Presuming that God doesn’t see anything we do in secret or he’s too big and too busy to involve himself in our personal lives makes God into some type of genie that is only around when rubbed upon. We need to understand that he is Omni-Present, he’s always there and always watching.

Truth is, God watches everyone closely.  However, he’s not just watching in entertainment, he’s examining every person on earth.  The way we live our lives is not only being watched, but examined by God! Though he may be in his holy Temple and ruling from heaven, he is still very concerned with every person on earth’s personal lives.

If you’re a believer, start living a life like you believe God is real and really watching, examining, your life.  It’s funny because whenever a person knows that they are being watched by someone they value important, they tend to perform a whole lot faster and better. 

Let’s value our God and know that he is watching you.

Weakness

2Corinthians 12:8-9 “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

I used to hate talking in front of people, whether it was a small group or a big crowd I dreaded having to speak up in front of others.  Even if it was as simple as introducing yourself by saying your name in the class room, as the teacher went from student to student asking their name, my stomach would turn and I would begin to have a mild panic attack as sweat would form from my head and palms. Simply because throughout all my years of grade school I was made fun of because of my voice. I had a high pitched voice and it embedded fear and low self-esteem in me.  

This was my weakness.  I could recall many nights screaming in my pillow hoping, praying, that I would lose my voice only for it to come back deeper, normal. Kids were the worst because they have no fear of telling people what they think or how they feel such as, “Why do you talk funny?” That was the question I determined to avoid and it created so many roots of sarcasm and harshness in me. There were also many times I would cry my eyes out to God begging that he would take it away.  I felt like an outcast and bullied. Thoughts of suicide haunted my mind.

Even after my conversion the effects of having such a weakness would hold me back from many things that God wanted to do in my life.  Most of my prayers growing up were that God would change my voice.  I related to Paul, begging and pleading for the Lord to take away my weakness and he never did.  Still he chose to use me.  When I was 16 years old I was asked to start teaching the Junior High Sunday School class and the panic came back. I said no and that I didn’t like kids. I knew they would make fun of me, but God had different plans. He pressed upon my heart and spirit and I knew I had to do it. At the age 18 I was asked to become the Youth Pastor and again the same situation, but I had to be obedient to his commands. From there I even became a Bible Study leader. In every one of those moves I still dealt with my weakness and insecurity.

Just because a person becomes a believer doesn’t mean that everything is going to be perfect. You’ll still have to deal with insecurities and weaknesses, but the best part is you’re not alone.  His grace was all I needed and His power does work best in weaknesses. I couldn’t allow my weakness to stop me from doing the work of God because His will needed to be done. Yes I tried to run from it every time, but just as with Jonah, he will find you and you will end up doing his will in the end. I can now boast about my weakness because it was in it that the power of Christ did work through me.  He did eventually change my voice after a night of radical worship, but that’s another story, but I know it was only because of my faithfulness to him through my weakness.

So the next time you catch yourself begging God to take away a weakness, know that he hears your prayers, but now is not the time. He wants to use that weakness so that the power of Christ can work through you. His grace is all you need.  Don’t allow your weakness to birth insecurity, depression, or fear.  Tell the Lord; show yourself strong in my weakness.  “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.” (Psalm 37:5) I can now boast in my weakness because His will was done and lives were changed!