By DC
John 11 …This chapter is famous for so many things. Obviously, the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead itself is a huge part of it. It’s also the home of the famous “Jesus wept” verse, but perhaps more importantly is what happens directly after this story. This is the point, at which the “teachers and religious leaders” decide enough is enough. This is where they decide that it’s time for the gloves to come off and for Jesus to be stopped.
What was it about this miracle that finally pushed them over the edge. Maybe it’s the following that Jesus is certainly going to gain once word hits the streets that he raised a dead man. Whatever it was, the time had come. He had done enough to prove to them he was the ultimate public-relations headache and they had to take him down.
Ironically, their actions directly led Jesus to the place where He would perform his greatest Miracle…
By DC
When I was a kid, I can remember all 7 of us piled into that old dodge and going places. It was like our own little rolling freak-show, with yours-truly being the highlight act. Being the circus that is was, often times when going to the store, only one of my parents would go in and leave the rest of us imprisoned in that van with the other parent as the Referee.
I can remember sitting there watching people jockey for the certain parking spots. It amazed me that there were seemingly always spots up near the front and people just passed them up. It didn’t take me long to realize that you must have one of those cool blue things hanging from your mirror to get to park there. I thought maybe it was for VIP’s. Soon I realized that those spots weren’t reserved for VIP’s, but rather for those who couldn’t walk very far or for those who were disabled. They were for the handicap. As a little boy I can remember thinking, “I hope when I get old enough to drive, I am handicap so I can always park in the front”.
The fact is, I am handicap. Maybe not from a physical ailment, but make no mistake, I have a disability. This week in our continuing “Miracles” series, we look at story that shows us Jesus through the lens of the Handicap. In fact, it’s very setting is a literal parking lot for the disabled. It’s found in John 5:1-15 and it is a powerful picture of what is available to those of us who desperately need a touch from the Healer.
I have to ask the question… What’s your handicap? How has the presence of Christ healed that which cripples you??
By DC
It’s a simple word that changes the entire landscape of the story. It’s only two letters that causes Jesus to take a double take (vs. 23). That word is “if”. Rarely do we see Jesus have the kind of reaction that we see here, but it definitely causes us to take notice.
Sunday, we will look at, what i call, the Miracle of “if”. It’s found in Mark 9:14-24. You’ll read of a desperate father who needs a miracle… I know almost all of us can relate to the desperation in his words, but my question for you to ponder is this, does “if” ever cross your mind? Do you ever wonder “if” God can do what He says? Maybe you’ve tried to believe, but your doubt wins out. If that’s you, then this story is your Miracle… What’s your “if”?
(Related Scriptures: Hebrews 11:1, Romans 10:17)
By DC
Do you still believe in Miracles??? It seems that is a question that many circles of believers seem to debate these days. No one seems to discount the truth that Miracles did happen but they seem to be discussed as if they happened a long time ago and in a galaxy far, far away. Why do so many of us have no problem believing that God did miracles, yet doubt that He still does them. Maybe our struggle isn’t as as much that He can do them, but that He won’t. That’s what befuddles so many of us.
Join us in the next several weeks as we begin a look at some of the miracles of Scripture. We’ll begin this Sunday with a story from Mark 4:35-41 of Jesus calming the storm… (There is a parallel story in Luke 8:22ff) I know that God will reveal himself to be the one who did, who can, and who will do the impossible.
Have you ever had an experience where God calmed a storm in your life??
By bjacobs
I recently read an article inspired by some ideas in C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. Basically the argument put forth is that the reason God doesn’t just prove his existence by some great sign in the sky, and the reason he doesn’t make a personal appearance to each and every one of us, is because he doesn’t want us to have 100% proof of his existence.
But that doesn’t make any sense, right?
Well, these guys propose that us believing in God is a choice we have to make, and that choice would be taken away from us if we had proof of him. Proof would basically force us all to believe in him, and God doesn’t want to force us to do that. It would be a roundabout way of making us puppets, but God wants us to be independent beings with free will.
I’ve never thought about it that way.
But then why does it have to be a choice to believe? Even if we are forced to believe, we still have the choice to obey, so then our free will would still be intact. Additionally the Bible tells us that nature reveals the existence of God, and that no one has an excuse to not believe in his existence, so in essence his creation does reveal himself already.
So why doesn’t God give us proof? Why doesn’t he show himself like a neon sign in the sky for all to see?
Maybe it’s because our idea of “proof” is so convoluted. What would proof of God’s existence look like? What would we accept? Scientific proof? I’ll address this idea of scientific “proof” in another article.
Maybe God not visiting us all and giving us proof is simply a matter of human beings being separated from God. We don’t get to experience his presence and glory in our daily lives because our world is disconnected from him.
Or maybe it’s that our relationship with God is about us going to him, and not him coming to us. We have to seek him, not stand around and demand he reveal himself to us.
Or maybe it’s a matter of God becoming mundane. It’s in our nature to get bored with what we already have figured out. No matter how amazing, once we see something every day then it becomes mundane to us. Or if everyone everywhere had an encounter with God, then these encounters become normal and mundane. If God’s existence was just another fact in the encyclopedia of common knowledge, then it would be mundane. And God is anything but mundane.
Instead, experiencing the mystery of God’s existence is a journey, one which ultimately reveals his awesome glory to those who travel it. I think it’s better that way anyway.
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?
By DC
**NEW WORSHIP TIMES**
Tomorrow morning, several of our people will come together to become Hands for the Kingdom.
We will be canvassing our community telling of things that are going within the body of Christ here at BACC, specifially the launch of two services. It is my prayer that God opens doors during this effort for people to find a Hope and a Peace that they never knew existed. This is about impacting people for HIM. I hope you’ll join us in the worship center at 9am tomorrow to be HIS Hands…
“Not to us oh Lord, Not to us, but to your name be the glory because of your love and faithfulness..” Psalms 115:1