By DC
Recently, I had a conversation with someone about the movement of God’s Holy Spirit during the worship services. Their feeling of energy and excitement is shared by so many others as we walk into the presence of God to give Him adoration. I see the evidence of that Spirit flowing in a young couple that sits on the front row and worships our God with everything they have and I see it in the face of others as they raise hands to honor Him. It makes me excited for Sunday to come. I am expecting GOD to show up.
Something was said in that conversation that I am reflecting on this morning. The essence of it was this; How much more amazing would worship be on a Sunday morning, collectively, if we all would live a life of worship on Mon-Sat, individually. What would happen if the songs we sing together were just an extension of the adoration we give Him every other day. What if we came together with such great anticipation that we wouldn’t be able to stand it. We would be lining up in the parking lot at 7am waiting for the doors to open because we would just know that something powerful was going to happen.
Are you with me on this?? Do you live in anticipation??
By DC
Let me share something I read recently that speaks to each one of us regarding our tendency to be average in our walk with Christ or, as the scripture calls it, lukewarm.
Question: What do you do when you realize you are lukewarm?
Answer: You do something drastic!
If some small change would have made the difference in your spiritual life, you would have made the change a long time ago.
You might:
-Start a seven day fast and devote extra time to seeking God.
-Take a sabbatical and pray like you haven’t in years.
-Confess to your spouse, your elders, or to trusted friends and ask for help.
-Seek spiritual counseling from another pastor or counselor.
-Take the week off and go to a hotel alone with no cell phone, no computer, and no books but the Bible.
-Read a children’s bible and pretend like you’re hearing the gospel story for the very first time.
-Repent to your family for your lack of spiritual passion and leadership.
-Tell your church honestly that you are struggling and invite them to pray for you.
-You might turn off your computer now and go somewhere and cry and repent deeply.
-Whatever you do, it should be drastic and you should do it before another voice talks you out of it.
What areas of your life to you seem to be lukewarm right now?
By DC
Some of you think of crazy speeds when you hear the word fast. You may think of fast food or fast cars. I want to challenge you to think differently this week about that word and join me in a “fast”.
In the Bible, people often fasted as a physical act of worship…. Moses did it, David did it and as an ultimate example, Jesus did it. They chose not to eat or drink (except water, usually) for a period of time for a specific purpose. It takes some commitment but it works!
I am asking that you join me this Friday (Aug 7) for a fast specifically asking God to bless the Kingdom effort here at BACC. Make it a time of connecting to God, by disconnecting from everything else. If you can’t do an entire day, then fast for a meal, or fast from TV or the computer. Fast from sugar or fast from caffeine (word of warning though, if you fast from either of those last two, you might want to give your family a heads-up. You will probably turn into someone they don’t recognize!) Whatever you can do, do it to honor God….
what do you think?
By DC
This past Saturday, we have several people passing out invitations to our new worship services to different neighborhoods. Later on that afternoon, I got an email from Kelly Wiggins about her experience with her little boy Luke and I just had to share it with you… She writes: “Luke went with me this morning to hand out the cards in our assigned neighborhood. We walked for two hours straight in the heat, up and down the hills and he didn’t complain one time. He was so excited to be “telling people about God and that his church is really cool”. Every time someone would open their door he would hand them the card and tell them “it’s for Bedford Acres and they should really come because it makes Jesus happy.” If only all of us adults had that kind of child like faith and excitement what things we could do!! I was one proud mom! We had really good results in our neighborhood so I hope others did as well. See you tomorrow at our really cool church…” I’m not sure anything else needs to be said… don’t you agree?