Be the Church

"....... there was not a needy person among them"

Acts chapter 4

In the first church, every one sold all that they had and they supported each other. If someone needed food, they were given food. If they needed shelter, they were given shelter. If they needed a doctor, they were prayed over and healed. Everyone freely gave and freely received. If you are familiar with Shane Claiborne, he has done an awesome job of recreating this type of community in what he calls "The Simple Way." These communities have popped up all over the country over the past 5 years and are built around the idea of biblical community. Its a beautiful picture and model for us to learn from and hopefully apply to our lives in some form or fashion.

I have been convicted lately of my own lack of giving and my self centeredness. I continually find myself looking at my self or mine and Kendall's life with the attitude of improvement. Now progress and improvement is not a bad thing, I believe we are supposed to work towards building something with our lives and becoming successful to an extent. But as we do that I believe we are to continually challenge ourselves to sacrifice more and to give more, to extend our blessing. Our goal should never be to become comfortable, because even if you become comfortable, you will never be satisfied and the striving will never end. I have come to realize with the help of my wife that there is so much more fulfillment and satisfaction in simplicity. God never meant for us to be comfortable or for us to get everything we want. Following His path is supposed to be a challenge and if there is no challenge clearly laid before us then we need to seek it out. I continually ask myself this question:

What is your faith costing you?

Usually the answer is "not enough, or nothing at all." I believe it is the same for most of the church, the body of Christ. It should cost you something. That can be your time, your lifestyle, your material desires, your plans, the American Dream, or money. These are easy expenses for the gift of salvation and a relationship with our creator. Others around the world and even in America occasionally pay a much higher price. 171,000 people are killed every year for their faith and hundreds of thousands more face persecution daily for the same gift. We go to church for an hour on Sunday and consider that our sacrifice while others are literally laying down their lives in obedience and pure devotion to the one and only true God. I have had to continually fight against the lies I am told by this world. Like, I need a new car, I need to buy a house, I need new clothes to look the part, I need the best phone, I need Netflix, I need, I need, I need. The world, especially America has conditioned us to believe that we need all these things when in reality what I need is to get rid of some of these things.

This has gotten very long winded and I didn't mean to write this much. My original reason for writing tonight was to express my desire for us to be like the early church. I believe we should be supporting each other, especially those who are on the front lines of the mission field. The majority of missionaries come off of the field for financial reasons and their investment into the lives of the people they serve comes to a stop. I am convicted of this because I do not give enough. I don't make much money but I have enough to go out to eat occasionally, to buy coffee, to buy wine, and to purchase other unnecessary things. We need to support our brothers and sisters in the mission field. Make a sacrifice and support someone you know who is serving God and spreading His word of life.

"If a brother of sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them 'go in peace , be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?"

James 2: 15-16

You can support my good friend Mark Hutto as he serves as a missionary in India by clicking on the link below and donating to this account: SAsia-Htt.MBH

Mark Hutto in India

Compelled by the burden

"How I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols" Ezekial 6:9.

This is God response to years of disobedience by the Israelites. They knew God but turned from Him to things made by human hands. I believe God feels the same way as He looks at the world around us now, especially America. We have turned to our subtle idols, tv, clothes, cars, jobs, phones, and self fulfillment. We have become comfortable and lost sight of the one and only God who has given us life. I pray for God to burden you and I for this dark world. Let us be moved by Gods heart for the lost, the decieved and the comfortable. We are the light in the darkness and Jesus is our hope!

Much love

Tongues

Let this be a blessing to all who read. God moves in amazing ways.

As we drove back to our dorm, the car was silent. My mind was racing with questions and my heart was full of joy. Tyler was still drying his eyes and wiping the snot from his nose as his girlfriend began to talk about her exams the upcoming week. She and Stephen were desperate to break the uncomfortable silence. We had just witnessed something that none of us would ever forget, especially Tyler who would never be the same.

I had only recently begun to walk with the Lord and was slowly being introduced to the power of the Holy Spirit. Tyler had turned from all forms of religion years before in his teens, stephen was raised Catholic but didn't really practice and Megan's religion was sailing. All that to say we took an eclectic group to my roommates pentecostal church that morning.

We all sat upstairs in the back row of the church, trying to be as discrete as possible. At this point, I realized how uncomfortable this was about to be and in turn began to get a knot in my stomach. my friends were going to think I was crazy for bringing them to this church where people shake tamborines, yell and speak giberish whenever they feel led. I had only been to this church once and that was my first time hearing someone speak in tongues which was a little odd to me but I was able to brush it off. This service started off pretty normal but I quickly realized this service wasn't going to be like the first one I came to.

During worship, the pastor began to pray and speak in tongues. He said he felt like the spirit was moving us to have a service of prayer and healing. I was ready to run for the door when my roommate who had invited us asked if we would be willing to go downstairs and pray with him. We were cornered. Just where God wanted us.

We circled up with my roommate, Cedric, and a few others who all began to pray at once. I couldn't stop thinking about how awkward my friends felt or what they were going to think about this. What I really needed to do was trust in God's plan. Cedric began to pray in tongues and kept it up for a solid 10 minutes. My mind was racing, Stephen was awkwardly looking around, and megan was closing her eyes and waiting for it all to be over.

Tyler began to cry and hit the ground with snot pouring out of his nose and tears soaking his palms. He cried the entire time Cedric prayed. No one understood the words Cedric was saying and no one knew why Tyler was breaking down but we all stood there waiting and wondering what was taking place. It was powerful, we all felt the presence but none of us could describe it. Cedric prayed in tongues unknown over Tyler for about 10 minutes then we were out the door.

Later that night, Tyler came to me so perplexed by the power of God. He called Cedric that night so confused. He asked, "How did you know all of that?" "You were talking about things I have never told anyone. No one knows about my dad or my childhood" "How did you know those things you prayed over me this morning?"

Cedric had no idea what Tyler was talking about. He had prayed in a foreign tongue, a language of the Spirit and had no idea what he was saying. Tyler heard the voice of the Spirit. God touched Tyler's life that morning through the power tongues. Tyler has never been the same. God captivated his heart that morning and Tyler has been following our Lord and savior ever since. We serve a great God who can meets us where we are however He wants.

I have had some bad experiences with gift of tongues being abused or misused in the past but on this God used the gift of tongues to save a life. I felt compelled to share this because I believe God wants to do miraculous things in our lives if we will let trust Him to do so.

Burdened for the Deceived

I served food tonight at the homeless shelter with an Indian woman. I had never met this woman but felt compelled to carry a conversation with her. I asked her about her life, her family, her work, why she served, if she went to a church and I shared my life with her in the process. As I spoke to her about God leading me to Honduras and calling me to serve those in need, she nodded her head with understanding but was visibly uncomfortable. I discovered she was Hindu after telling her about my best friend who is currently on his way to India as a missionary. She was not offended but she also didn't stick around for long after the food was served. Her reason for serving was because she felt good afterward, she felt like she needed to help. We all have something built into us that needs to serve. We were created in God's image and fashioned according to His will. He became the greatest servant to ever live so obviously we are going to feel good when we serve. It's what we were built to do! Our generation of 20 somethings and younger have been led astray by the biggest lie ever told, "it's all about me." We are consumed by materialism and temporary fulfillment. Even in the church, we often only participate if it works for us. We need to step it up and create a challenge. Our generation is too comfortable and content. The world around us is as dark as it has ever been but we are too focused on our video games, sports, clothes, car, job, or even growing our ministry that we miss what's right in front of us. Jesus say's "Love your neighbor." Start there, serve someone where you are. I guarantee you no matter where you live and what you do there is someone who has a need, try simply listening. You will be rewarded, there is a piece of you that is crying out to serve someone. Go out and find a challenge, do not settle for what this world has to give. Take hold of what God has for you.

As I left the shelter tonight, I felt God say that His heart breaks for the deceived. We must boldly share His message, but you may need to earn the right to be heard first.

The Way!

This is not a game.

It's Life or Death.

Truth or a Lie.

Eternal Glory or Eternal Punishment.

Jesus Christ is the only way.

Repent, Believe, and Follow the One and Only True God!

Edith

Edith is a woman who has been burned into my memory because of her loud personality and role in my life. She is a 40 year old, disabled black woman who lives in the projects of Charleston.

As I stood in the parking lot of an abandoned gas station cooking hot dogs on a portable grill, I began to wonder if what we were doing was crazy. Some friends and I had felt compelled to go to the projects of Charleston and set up a table offering free food and the love of Christ. At this point, we hadn’t gotten much more than some confused looks and a few honks from the passing cars. I began to question our purpose and if we were doing this in vain or in God’s name. My answer came soon after that from a short stocky black woman yelling at us from about 50 yards away.

Edith got our attention 50 yards out and carried a conversation all the way to us without ever changing her tone. Within minutes she realized that we really were serving free hot dogs and that we just wanted to talk to people. She said, “y’all don’t go anywhere I will be right back.”

10 minutes later we had a line of about 20 people waiting to eat with us and to here about Gods call on our lives and theirs. It was like Edith was the voice of the homeless. She was their advocate checking out the new guys to see if we were worth the trip.

This was the first of many interactions with Edith over a period of time that allowed me to get to know her life very well. She opened up to me and shared about her family and her dark situation in the projects. I will never forget what she taught me about self esteem, hope and

the confidence that can be found within.

I was driving her home one day and she told me her apartment was the one with the sunflowers. I continued driving and looking for a door with a wreath or a sunflower door mat when right there, in the line of identical public housing apartments, was a 5 foot tall sunflower. I asked Edith about it and she came alive. She told me how she had to go to the housing office to get permission, then she planted the seed and watered the seed and watched it become what it is now. She was so proud of that sunflower and for a moment she wasn’t the woman in the projects, she was the woman who grew a sunflower.

Edith opened my eyes to one of the biggest traps in poverty; Lack of motivation and self worth. If the world says you are worthless, you will be worthless. But we are all capable of something; Edith grew a sunflower. Help someone discover that something.

The Cost of Discipleship

"For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment."

- Apostle Paul

1 Corinthians 4: 9 - 13

The Apostles gave everything up for the Lord. They laid the foundation of the church which we stand on today. I am forever grateful for those who suffered and bled for Christ and for me. Without them and their choice to obey God, I may not have heard the beautiful message of salvation which so compels my life today. I read this scripture this afternoon and was once again challenged to stand up and do something with my life. We are not called to settle for comfort and Jesus never promised ease. We are called to lay it all down and follow Him no matter what the cost. I asked myself today, "what is my faith costing me?" Ask yourself the same.

"If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me"

- Jesus