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The Gospel of Gump

November 8, 2009

During our Bible study tonight, I mentioned a scene from the movie Forrest Gump.  I would tell you the scene I referred to, but it is not relevant to this post.  So, instead, I will leave you in the dark and force you to use your imagination if you would like to continue.

The other day, I was on Facebook and a friend of mine was talking about Forrest Gump’s life lessons and sermon material.  It strikes me funny that that in the same week, I used a scene from the same movie as an object lesson.  It could probably be argued that the two are related and that my reading the post on FB led to my using it and…oh, who cares…again, not relevant.

The point of the post is in that first “g” word…Gospel.  The term “gospel” is very much defined as “good news”.  Sometimes, we get this really holy feeling that since the Bible is divinely inspired, it is the only source in the world for “good news”.  I realize that you might cry foul or even declare me as a heretic, but hang in there for just a moment.

When I was a very young man, I watched  a movie named “Jerry Maguire”.  The movie was R-rated, contained some inappropriate scenes, and inspired me to enter full-time ministry.  Yeah, you heard me correctly.  In the middle of all of the language and innuendo, God spoke to me about my future and His call.  Hmm…good news.

I have had similar moments that have occurred reading Stephen King novels, attending death metal shows, and playing basketball.  There is “good news” in all of God’s creation.  Psalm 19 refers to God’s creation declaring His glory.  I tend to find God in the most amazing places.

So, I encourage you to search with me.  Look for good news anywhere it can be found.  Then, share it with others.  That is spreading the gospel.  That is something worth doing.

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A New Name

November 4, 2009

“To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.  I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him that receives it.”  - Revelation 2:17

For those of you who do not read the Bible on your own, you need to know that you are missing some of the most thought-provoking writing you will ever come across.

I came across the above scripture in my reading this week and it has haunted me (in a good way) for days.  In this passage, the Lord is speaking to  the church in Pergamum about their faithfulness to Him.  He is encouraged by their perseverance in a difficult place, though He does have a problem with some of the people holding to false teachings.  Ultimately, His words of encouragement ring through.

To him who overcomes…

I have never been an overcomer.  Understand, I can persevere with the best of them.  Stand strong in a difficult time?  You got it.  But overcoming is more than just standing firm…it is standing and then prevailing.  The Bible says that we are overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony and that we love life but do not shrink from death.

See, I have the ability to overcome because of Jesus.  But, I do not always exercise that ability because of me.  The man that is inside of me is not an overcomer.  To hear my name does not conjure an image of an overcomer, but, more likely, a coward.

…some of the hidden manna…

Manna was what provided for the Israelites during their time in the wilderness.  It was a daily food item that they could not save, ensuring their complete reliance upon Yahweh.  When I become an overcomer, I am completely dependent upon God for my success.  My own abilities do me no good.  Only His daily provision will suffice.

…a white stone with a new name…

During the days when this passage was written, a white stone was used in various arenas as a symbol of victory.  Elections were held with a white stone given to the victor.  In court, a white stone was held out by the judge if the accused was to be acquitted of his crime.  Even at festivals and events, a white stone was often used to gain admission like a ticket.

See, when I am presented with a white stone, Jesus is granting my acquittal and my victory.  He is declaring the contest over and handing me my trophy, one that is completely owed to Him.  He has made me an overcomer in spite of myself.  My name, which represented my past filled with failures and defeat, is cast away.

And He gives me a new name.

“They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” – Revelation 12:11

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Praying for a Number

November 2, 2009

We have decided that in order to officially set ourselves in order, we would like to have 20 Christian adults that are willing to begin the church in Crestwood.  This might not sound like lofty goals to some of you, but to begin with ZERO and be sitting currently at SEVEN, it is a pretty large number to aspire to.

My first instinct as a church planter, is to begin holding services, reach out to the community, and let the growth begin.  But, through prayer, deep thought, and some wise coaching, I have realize that to take that approach would be a formula for disaster.  We need solid Christian adults in order to reach the lost in our community.

Of course, our process to grow to SEVEN has not been a simple one.  You might think it just consists of asking, “Hey, you want to help us plant a church?”, followed by, “Of course, I have been waiting my whole life for someone to ask me that”, but that is not how it usually goes.  The first part is kind of like that, but so far, we have received far more no’s than yes’s.

At first, it was a very hard thing for me to hear someone say “no”.  I thought that if I was so passionate about this (after all, I left my job and home to come here), then everyone should be.  But, lately, God has been letting me know that it is alright for someone to not join up.  The truth is, I would rather hear a “no” now, than find out the answer is “no” by failure to follow through later.

But I digress.

I am not used to praying for a number.  In every ministry I have been a part of, I have tried to downplay the importance of attendance numbers…I still do.  I believe that if the work of the ministry is being done, who cares if it is to ten people or one thousand.

This is a different type of number, though.  It is not a number to gauge our attendance or progress.  It is a solid gateway to the next phase of the process.  If we cannot find 20 adults to help us do this, then we will not move forward to the next phase of the plant.  Now, that is a different type of number to pray for.  I can get behind that.

So, pray with us for these 20 people.  We need them to plant this church.  We will not plant it without them.  Pray with us.

Posted in Church Planting | 2 Comments »

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