BARE NAKED VALUE OF A CHRISTIAN

#CONNECT UPDATE - latest blogpost at www.patrickgrach.com.

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A CHRISTIAN IN OUR CULTURE?

Don't miss this illustration from Shantung Compound.

To Albania or Bust

After 30 hours of travel, we arrived in Tirana, Albania.

While it was eventful - weather delays on the runway at JFK that incentivized us to race through the airport to make our connecting flight to Rome. Only to sit on the tarmac for hours waiting for 30 other flights to take off in front of us.

We made it Rome enthusiastic, then wrangled our way onto the plane for Tirana.

Our team of six will be up early to get to work helping make need repairs and improvements on the Bible School here, before heading to the city of Shkodër for the Convoy outreach event with Adopt-a-community.

Personally, I feel humbled to be here, half way around the world, to share the love of Jesus and show His compassion to a people that I have never met, and know so little about.

What do we have to offer? What difference can we really make?

My conclusion today - the love of Jesus and His gospel are universal messages of compassion and are relevant in every language, tribe, and nation. We are not here because we're Americans or because we have something better to offer them. We are here as representatives Christ, and our only mission is to make Him known. We'll keep you updated. As of now, we'll be back up and ready to work in 5 hrs, so to bed we go.

Thoughts (that apply TODAY) by MLK Jr

I've tweeted several of Martin Luther King Jr (in honor of our national holiday TODAY) quotes, but here are a few of his best speeches and sermons. You can research and read more here.

His most famous and quoted speech, "I have a Dream" from August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C. (read here) or watch here.

"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.


Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.


But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free... In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check... It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note... America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."


But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.


We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy... The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.


...we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹


I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."


...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.


...With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.


...And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:


Free at last! Free at last!


Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

An imaginary letter from the Apostle Paul, that he wrote for a message in 1956. This imaginary letter MLK Jr wrote on behalf of Paul seems very appropriate today in 2012!

"For many years I have longed to be able to come to see you. I have heard so much of you and of what you are doing. I have heard of the fascinating and astounding advances that you have made in the scientific realm. I have heard of your dashing subways and flashing airplanes. Through your scientific genius you have been able to dwarf distance and place time in chains. You have been able to carve highways through the stratosphere. So in your world you have made it possible to eat breakfast in New York City and dinner in Paris, France. I have also heard of your skyscraping buildings with their prodigious towers steeping heavenward. I have heard of your great medical advances, which have resulted in the curing of many dread plagues and diseases, and thereby prolonged your lives and made for greater security and physical well-being. All of that is marvelous. You can do so many things in your day that I could not do in the Greco-Roman world of my day. In your age you can travel distances in one day that took me three months to travel. That is wonderful. You have made tremendous strides in the area of scientific and technological development.


"But America, as I look at you from afar, I wonder whether your moral and spiritual progress has been commensurate with your scientific progress. It seems to me that your moral progress lags behind your scientific progress. Your poet Thoreau used to talk about "improved means to an unimproved end." How often this is true. You have allowed the material means by which you live to outdistance the spiritual ends for which you live. You have allowed your mentality to outrun your morality. You have allowed your civilization to outdistance your culture. Through your scientific genius you have made of the world a neighborhood, but through your moral and spiritual genius you have failed to make of it a brotherhood. So America, I would urge you to keep your moral advances abreast with your scientific advances.


"I am impelled to write you concerning the responsibilities laid upon you to live as Christians in the midst of an unChristian world. That is what I had to do. That is what every Christian has to do. But I understand that there are many Christians in America who give their ultimate allegiance to man-made systems and customs. They are afraid to be different. Their great concern is to be accepted socially. They live by some such principle as this: "everybody is doing it, so it must be alright." For so many of you Morality is merely group consensus. In your modern sociological lingo, the mores are accepted as the right ways. You have unconsciously come to believe that right is discovered by taking a sort of Gallup poll of the majority opinion. How many are giving their ultimate allegiance to this way.


"But American Christians, I must say to you as I said to the Roman Christians years ago, "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Or, as I said to the Phillipian Christians, "Ye are a colony of heaven." This means that although you live in the colony of time, your ultimate allegiance is to the empire of eternity. You have a dual citizenry. You live both in time and eternity; both in heaven and earth. Therefore, your ultimate allegiance is not to the government, not to the state, not to nation, not to any man-made institution. The Christian owes his ultimate allegiance to God, and if any earthly institution conflicts with God's will it is your Christian duty to take a stand against it. You must never allow the transitory evanescent demands of man-made institutions to take precedence over the eternal demands of the Almighty God."

REPOST- Fishers of men, not keepers of the aquarium

I often read blogs, books, and writings from pastors and authors who communicate concepts I think, but in a more effective manner. So, rather than try to compete, I just repost theirs.

Great thoughts by Pastor Steve about the focus, philosophy, and Cause of The Church and why we do what we do! Enjoy!

Here's a great blogpost by Steve Furtick of Elevation Church from February 7th on Leadership, Ministry Perspective:

- - -

People ask me all the time how we’ve been able to see so many people come to Christ in five years.

Outside of the favor of God, I could give you a lot of specifics. Tell you a lot of things that we’ve done. But none of it will help you until you make a decision we made in the early days of our church.

And that was the decision to be more focused on the people we’re trying to reach than on the people we’re trying to keep. As others have said, to be fishers of men, not just keepers of the aquarium.

We’re not going to cater to the personal preferences of the few in our pursuit of the salvation of the many.

And that includes if the few is ten people when we’re pursuing one hundred.
Or 5,000 when we’re pursuing 10,000.
Or 10,000 when we’re pursuing 20,000.

Most people and churches aren’t willing to do that. They’re keepers of the aquarium. They say they want to reach people, but in reality they’re more focused on preservation than expansion. On keeping people rather than reaching them.

They let saved people dictate style. Saved people dictate focus. Saved people dictate vision.

The result is a room full of saved people. Not people getting saved. Why? Because the people you’re trying to reach aren’t interested in the church that has been created by the people you’re trying to keep. If they were, they’d be coming. But they’re not.

For some reason, right here is where people usually play the discipleship card. They’re trying to disciple the people they’re trying to keep. They accuse you of pitting evangelism against discipleship.

But that isn’t the case. I just believe true disciples should care more about making disciples than freeze framing the church the way it was when they became one. Or wanting twenty-six programs customized to their liking. If the mark of Christian maturity is a bunch of people who want to create a museum glorifying and preserving their personal preferences and then sanctify it by calling it a church, count me out.

Some people say why can’t we have both? You can. Focus on the people you want to reach and you’ll keep the people you want to keep. Let the rest walk. They’ll find a church elsewhere to graze.

The way I see it is they’re just occupying the space of a person who needs to hear the gospel. You’ll fill their seat.
And it will be with the person who needs it the most.

Travel the World- Make a Difference

I love travel.  I love seeing new places,  experiencing new cultures, and I even love plane food! (shocker, right?)

But more than all of that...I love it when I can make a difference in someone else's life.  Someone who may not speak the same language as me.  Someone who may not have their own bed (much less their own car, iPod or fridge full of junk food.)  Someone who is a sinner just like me.  Someone who didn't know Jesus yesterday, but is covered by grace today.  All because I chose to save a few bucks and go on a Missions Trip.

Lifehouse Church East is taking 7 Missions Trips in 2011, and I seriously think you should consider going on one of them (whoever you are out there in the virtual world).

There's something for everyone, whether you're a homebody or an world-traveler:

• Dresden, Germany: June 20-27
• Quito, Ecuador: July 1-8
• Dominican Republic: July 16-23
• Church Plant, Hedgesville, WV: September 1-11
• Convoy of Hope, Hagerstown, MD: September 23-24
• Dominican Republic: October 8-15
• Dream Center, Los Angeles: October 15-23

Every destination has a city full of hurting people who need the hope that you have. So before you say "no" because of time, money, or other concerns...promise me this: you'll pray about it.  Deal?

Deal.  (I can see all of your virtual heads are nodding yes right now.)  So while you're praying about it, pick up a MISSIONS PASSPORT at the Info Center this Sunday, or email brian@lifehousechurcheast.org for more info on upcoming trips.  You can also watch a video of my good friend Lisa talking about her experience on one of the recent LHE Missions trips HERE.

Travel.  See the World.  Make a Difference. (And I'll eat any leftover plane food you don't want.)

Growing stronger as a Jesus-follower

At Lifehouse, we're kicking off our next Life Commitments Course THIS Sunday!

Sign up now by emailing info@lifehousechurcheast.org.

This is an exciting 8-week discipleship course that teaches commitment to God and commitment to the body of Christ (the church).

We believe the church is a family; and it takes commitment to build a strong family.

The course is an interactive teaching with video illustrations, gifts assessment tests, and plenty of group discussions. The process concludes with an overnight retreat (called Encounter Weekend), where students are given the opportunity to deepen relationships with others in the class, review the material, and allow each person to individually experience God’s presence in a life transforming way.

If you want to go deeper with Christ, get more involved at Lifehouse, and build strong relationships with others who want to do the same, then join Life Commitments.

If you're wondering what your next step is at Lifehouse, and you have not YET gone through Life Commitments, this is the course for you!

Sign up TODAY!

Check out our discipleship map

Please RSVP- Unquenchable Life Seminar TOMORROW

All Lifehousers are invited to join us for the Unquenchable Life Seminar!

Please RSVP immediately and register here, so we know you're coming and have lunch ready for you.

"Life can leave you feeling empty, dry, and insignificant, but don't you long for something more?  A life that outlasts death.  An identity that's more than what we see in the mirror or what we write on a resume.  We long to accumulate what can never be spent.  To serve something more than ourselves. We long for the Unquenchable Life..."


Join me and other guest speakers THIS Saturday April 9th at UNQUENCHABLE, a one day seminar that will inspire and refuel your spiritual life.


This event includes powerful worship experiences, inspiring teaching sessions, corporate prayer gatherings, and the opportunity to choose from several interactive workshops that cover topics such as: The Fire of Prayer & Worship, Living for a Greater Cause, Finding Purpose in your Gifts, Understanding God & Money, and Building an Unquenchable Community.


Free lunch and childcare are available for pre-registered guests, so feel free to reserve your tickets below or visit http://unquenchableseminar.eventbrite.com for more information.  Isn't it time to experience the joy of The Unquenchable Life?

Check us out on Facebook.

Online Ticketing for THE UNQUENCHABLE LIFE: ONE DAY SEMINAR powered by Eventbrite

How the Enemy Attacks- Plot 6

Finishing up this series on how the enemy attacks those who follow God and His purposes, we examine the final plot against Nehemiah, as He works to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

First, let's recap the previous plots:

1. The enemies first attack - friendship and flattery.

2. His second line of attack is just the opposite - insults and ridicule.

3. If these fail, he'll come at you with threats and discouragement (which both lead to weariness).
4. The next set of attacks are internal. They are Selfishness and Strife.
5. When we are faithful and become strong, the enemy comes at us with Seduction and Slander.

Nehemiah 6:10-14 tells the story of the enemies' final attacks against Nehemiah, as he works to complete the "great work" of God. These strategies are the late-stage, final attempt of the enemy to destroy God's work in and through our lives. He knows that if these attacks fail, we will stay the course, complete the work of God, and God's purposes will prevail. These are desperate times for Satan, which call for desperate measures. At this point, he pulls out the stops, and uses anything and anyone to destroy us.

One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.” Nehemiah 6:10, NIV.

The enemy of God, so also an enemy of Nehemiah, hires a friend to betray and try to intimidate him. Shemaiah locks himself in his house as a ruse of his own personal fear for life, and ask for Nehemiah to come. Then, he gives a false report and tries to get Nehemiah to betray his convictions and Cause, and in fear, cower from finishing the work of God.

There's the enemies tactic:

• betrayal- use those close to us to lie and bear a false message,
• intimidation- the message of the betrayal is intended to intimidate us away from following Jesus and doing the work of God,
• betrayal of the Cause and convictions- personal betrayal with an intimidating message can lead to internal betrayal of our own values, convictions, and betrayal of the Cause of Christ.

How did Nehemiah respond?

But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. 14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me. Nehemiah 6:11-14, NIV.

The antidote to Betrayal and Intimidation from the narrative and response of Nehemiah:

• Recognize our position- "should a man like me...?" If Christ is in us (Gal 2:20) and for us, then who can be against us (Rom. 8:31)? We are bought by Christ through faith in the cross and His resurrection (1 Pe 1:18-19), and empowered by His Spirit (Acts 1:8). Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). We are more than conquerers through Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37). Convinced that Jesus-followers should not run away from intimidating reports? Good!
• Be Selfless- "should one like me go into the temple to save his life?" Nehemiah recognized a critical element about serving God and HIS Cause- it's not about ME! The Cause is about God and His Kingdom. Our suffering, even death, is not necessarily bad, and it is not our place to attempt to preserve or protect our own life. We are workman and servants of God. We do His bidding and will. He is responsible for our protection and He will accomplish His work in and through us.
• Discern the lies- "I realized that God had not sent him..." Nehemiah quickly recognized that fear and quitting are NOT from God, therefore, Shemaiah must be a false witness hired to betray. When someone says something that stirs fear and it makes you feel intimidated away from following God and His purposes, this is NOT from God BUT from the enemy!
• Don't betray the Cause or Convictions- the enemy will use anything or one to betray and intimidate us away from following God and His purposes. Anything or anyone that tries to get you to hide from your calling or God's purposes through your life is being used by the enemy. They are sent to intimidate you from staying the course and fulfilling God's purposes. Cause and Conviction are absolutes in our lives. We must never flatter or shrink from our faithfulness to sharing and showing God's love and communicate the hope of the gospel.
• Hide in God's presence- the one irony of this strategy, was that Shemaiah tried to get Nehemiah to cower in fear by running into the temple of God. While it would have been fear that motivated Nehemiah to physically hide in the temple, Nehemiah did follow that guidance. He fell headlong before God's presence and hide himself under the safety, wisdom, and courage of God. Instead of running for our lives from God, run to God. Run into the shelter of His love, power, and presence.

How is the enemy trying to intimidate you? What is he using in your own life or relationships to betray you away from following God's plan for your life?


Fired up,
-Pastor Patrick
www.lifehousechurcheast.org

How the Enemy Attacks- Plot 5

Examining Ezra and Nehemiah, we discover the strategies of the enemy AND the antidote from God to overcome these attacks. If you follow God and His purposes, then you will be opposed by God's enemies (Ephesians 6). These spiritual attacks can be both internal and external.

Here are previous plots with links to those blogposts:

1. The enemies first attack - friendship and flattery.

2. His second line of attack is just the opposite - insults and ridicule.

3. If these fail, he'll come at you with threats and discouragement (which both lead to weariness).
4. The next set of attacks are internal. They are Selfishness and Strife.

If all else fails, the enemy tries to tempt us away from our focus on living for God and following His purposes in our life. The fifth plot of the enemy is through SEDUCTION and SLANDER. These attacks come when you've been GOOD and FAITHFUL and the work of God is strong, powerful, and intimidating to the enemy. These are some of his final strategies.

"I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates..." Nehemiah 6:1, NIV. Just before they finish the work of God.

Since he can't directly attack or threaten you, and the internal battles haven't worked, the enemies of God will work on your own desires. Your enemy will leverage your appetites and desires against you. He'll tempt and seduce you away from the work of God. He'll pull out the stops, appeal and tempt you.

Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me... Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. Nehemiah 6:2,4, NIV.

The enemies of God will try to seduce us away from God's work by offering treatise, compromise, tempting opportunities, and delicious pleasures. They look good and sound good, but they are intended to distract and draw us away from God, His work and purposes. And how did Nehemiah reply?

...so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Nehemiah 6:3

Nehemiah was not tempted or lured away. He held to his resolve and maintained his commitments to God and His people.

• guard against temptation,
• recognize the voice of the enemy, even if he comes with a sweat, seductive voice or the promise of pleasures,
• remember your Call and Cause,
• renew your Commitment and Resolve.

When the seduction didn't work after several attempts, the enemies resorted to name-calling and slander.

Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king... so come, let us confer together.” Nehemiah 6:5-6,7.

When you are doing God's work and following hard after God's purposes, expect God's enemies to stir up lies and rumors about you. In fact, if there aren't lies, slander, and rumors being spread about us, then we may not be doing much for God and His Kingdom.

How did Nehemiah respond? Did he retaliate? Fight back to defend himself? No...

I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” They were all trying to frighten us... Nehemiah 6:8-9, NIV.

Nehemiah knew the rumors were a lie, and called it what it was. "You're just making this up to scare us, and try to discourage us from continuing the work of God in this great project/ cause." He didn't expend a lot of energy answering their questioning or defending himself, but simply stated, "Nope, that's not true!" And then continued about the work of God.

Leaders, Jesus-followers, don't engage the enemy in lies and defending against lies. He's the master of deceit, and only the guilty have to be defensive about their trustworthiness and truthfulness.

Best guidance I've ever received when under attack of lies, slander, and attacks against my reputation: STAND on TRUTH! Let Christ's character be your defense and His omnipotence, your protection. He will defend the defenseless.

• Guard your heart against temptation and don't come down from the Great Cause of God.
• Recognize the enemy. He's the one trying to lure you away from the Work of God.
• Remember your call and renew your commitment.
• Don't engage the enemy in rumors and lies NOR try to defend your reputation.
• Stand on truth!

How the Enemy Attacks- Plot 3

Jesus-followers are in a very real battle, not against people or politics, but against the enemies of God (Ephesians 6). If you follow God and His purposes, then you will be opposed by God's enemies.

The principles of how these enemies attacks and the antidote to those plots are found in Ezra and Nehemiah, which Lifehouse studied in January, as we went through the Unquenchable Series (subscribe to our podcasts). Here are a series a lessons about spiritual battle, that I didn't cover in that sermon series.

1. The enemies first attack - friendship and flattery.
2. His second line of attack is just the opposite - insults and ridicule.

When these attacks fail, the enemy comes at you with threats, discouragement, and weariness.

His goal is to leverage your exhaustion and fear against you -  to get you to quit without actually having to go to battle. Read Nehemiah 4, where the enemies are strategizing in anger,

“They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat."
Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”
Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.” Nehemiah 4:8–12, NIV.

The enemies threatened the Jewish people from the outside, and stirred up fear. In the midst of the threats, the people were already growing tired and discouraged.

When you are faithful to doing God's work and obedient to His purposes in your life, guess what? You get TIRED and DISCOURAGED and face THREATS! The enemies of God don't want you to follow God, and they certainly don't want you serving Him and building His Kingdom.

So, what do we do when we get weary, discouraged, and face threats?

"I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” 
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work. Nehemiah 4:14–15, NIV.

Nehemiah rallied the people and encouraged them to muster their strength. How?

• He reminded them that GOD IS FOR US! And if God is for us, who can be against us? See verse 20, Nehemiah states, "God will fight for us!" Awesome!
• Then, he challenged them to NOT be AFRAID. If God is on our side, whom shall we fear?
• Then, he challenged them to BE on GUARD. While working for God, we must guard our hearts and recognize that the enemy is constantly strategizing to destroy us.

See how the enemy uses both external and internal strategies?

• Threats from outside, 
• Fear, discouragement, and weariness from inside. 

Finally, Nehemiah was able to recognize the enemy! We have both an external and internal battle. We must fight on both fronts- outward threats and internal fear and discouragement.

In the face of these strategies:

1. Recognize the enemy- both external and internal.
2. Rely on God, He will fight for you and don't be afraid.
3. Rally your strength.
4. Be resilient- stay the course and keep working.

How is the enemy trying to threaten you to quit, while victory is so close at hand?

How is the enemy using your own emotions of fear and discouragement to weary you? 

Where do you need to stay the course?

How the Enemy Attacks- Plot 2

When you are obedient to God and His purposes, then you are also in opposition to God's enemies and those that the enemy uses to strategizes against God's Kingdom. Great! It's assured by Jesus in the Bible that Christian will face persecution, hardship, and attack. Satan will oppose us when we pursuing God and build His Kingdom. The principles of how the enemy attacks and the antidote to those plots are found in Ezra and Nehemiah, which Lifehouse studied in January.

The enemies first attack - friendship and flattery.

His second line of attack is just the opposite - insults and ridicule.

When friendliness and flattery don't work to slow you down or stop God's work in your life, then expect mocking and insults.

Here's some humor to illustrate this second plot of the enemy.



Now, for a less sacrilegious example straight from the Bible,


When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”
3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!” Nehemiah 4:1-3, NIV.

Do you notice the patter when you read? Sanballat and Tobiah were angry, so they ridiculed the people, mocked Nehemiah, and made fun of their "great efforts" and belittled them.

Plot 2 - what does the enemy hope to accomplish through insult and ridicule?

• to discourage us,
• to make us feel like failures,
• to make us doubt God and His power in us,
• so that we'll give up and stop working for God's Kingdom.

Nehemiah's response and our principle to overcome the enemy's strategies?

Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Nehemiah 4:4, NIV.

The antidote to Plot 2?

• in face of discouragement, prayer and worship!
• when feeling like failure, depend on God's strength rather than our own!
• in face of doubt, endure by faith! 
• in face of temptation to quit, NEVER GIVE UP! If it's God's work, then it's worth all sacrifice and any price. Endure hardship until the end!

Prayer is the antidote to worry and fear. Trust God, depend on God. Hand the situation over to Him. Read Psalm 36-37 to hear King David's response when he faced this attack of the enemy.

Why does the enemy attack in this way?

There is pride, selfishness, and genuine evil in the world. Someone people genuinely don't like it when others are about God's Work and care about His Church and His people. Nehemiah explains why his enemies opposed him.

When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites. Nehemiah 2:10, NIV.

The lesson in the "why"? When you are about what God is about, care about what God cares about, and are passionately engaged in the Work of God, don't take attacks PERSONALLY! Understand that the enemy of God will attack anyone that is doing the Work of God. The attack is against God and His Church not against you specifically.

Lesson #8 from 2010: DON'T EAT!

I enjoy eating as much as anyone, especially meats and sweets. But there are seasons when we must learn to NOT eat. First, you can watch this guy to learn why you shouldn't eat "ghost peppers". But I'm not writing about avoiding foods that will light your intestines on fire, but about a critical principle in life and ministry.

DON'T EAT YOUR SEED.

If a farmer started with a single seed, what would he do? Cultivate the soil. Bury the seed. Water. Fertilize. Weed around the growing seed to protect it. At harvest, the seed might produce100 or 60 or 30 fold. Then what? Does he eat the entire harvest? If so, what will he plant in the spring?

A wise farmer knows to only eat what he must, so that he can sow even more seed in spring, and expect an even greater return the next harvest.

What's the point?

In ministry and life, we have a choice: enjoy the moment, eat our "seed" of financial resources and time OR only use what we must so that we can invest our finances and time into more fruitful ministry and the Cause of Christ.

Christ called us to be "good and faithful" AND to allow the grain of wheat to fall to the ground and die. When we follow the example of Christ, and willingly give up our life and agenda for Christ, our life (seed) produces a harvest- some 100, 60, or 30 fold.

Jesus promised, "If you are faithful with little, you will be entrusted with much. But to those who are not faithful with little, even what they have will be taken and given to those are already have much."

Are you eating away the little seed you have or are you investing it into what matters for eternity?

Lesson #10 from 2010

It's not the BIG plans but the LITTLE steps that matter.

Here are a few sub principles that undergird this one:

• under promise, over deliver. And when we can't deliver on the promises or expectations we've given, we must come to you and tell you honestly, and explain why.
• set realistic deadlines, eventually they arrive.

There are lots of big dreams and bold ambitions buried among the tombs of cemeteries. Why? There is a great divide between dreaming and doing the necessary action steps everyday to arrive at that dream.

Big dreams and bold initiatives feel illusive and unrealistic. And they are, especially if they're God-size and God-led. Those kind of Kingdom- dreams should scare us and leave us feeling like we will fail if God doesn't intervene. But should we sit around and wait for God to accomplish His dream in our life? NO!

How are we responsible to live out the BIG dreams of God in our life?

1. Pray and listen to God to receive God-sized dreams that will accomplish His purposes for our life, and advance His Kingdom rather than our agenda.
2. Develop clear strategy to accomplish this dream, set objectives and timelines,
3. Develop measurable, realistic, actionable small steps that daily move you in the direction of fulfilling the strategy of the dream. Attach reasonable timelines AND deadlines to these action steps.
4. JUST DO IT! Every day we must do the hard work of acting out our dreams by taking action and laboring. 
5. Prayerful seek out the resources (people, finances, etc) needed to accomplish the objectives of the dream.
6. Share and give away every small "win" or victory along the way. Give God ALL the glory! No matter how hard we've worked to fulfill the dream, God gives the increase and produces the results through us.
7. Adjust the strategy and action steps as needed but NEVER loose sight of the BIG dream. When you fail, don't give it, it was just a good lesson in achieving the ultimate dream.

Dreams are lived in the little, daily steps. We only make it to the mountaintop if we're willing to pay the price in preparation, pain, hiking, and enduring.

As a reference, read Collin's, Good to Great, chapter on the Flywheel Principle or a brief overview here.

Every little step leads in a direction.

Are you taking small steps toward God's purposes and plans for your life? Or are you stepping one direction but dreaming in another? 

Take-aways from our Leadership Advance weekend

Just got home from our Leadership Advance planning weekend with the pastoral/ staff team of Lifehouse. Here are some take-aways:

• First, this wasn't a retreat, but an advance, because we're not retreating to escape but to plan to move forward. Not semantics, Cause!
• We are full of "holy discontentment". We're not satisfied with our level of experience with God or our impact for the Kingdom of God. We want more of God and more of God's purposes.
• We're a band of mis-fits. Most of us on the team honestly think that we don't belong anywhere else, feel inadequate for the responsibility we've been entrusted, and really believe that God does extraordinary things through very ordinary us.
• Failure isn't failure if God's in it and we learn and grow through it.
• We only want to dream what scares us and demands God to show up!
• We've only just begun!! We're on the very front end of what God wants to accomplish through Lifehouse and our team. There are more lives to be changed, hearts transformed, and souls saved.

I've returned feeling excited and overwhelmed at the same time. I feel the tension between believing by faith in the impossible of God and the reality of what it actually takes to implement those BIG dreams!

Huge "thank you" to our amazing leadership team!

Stand Firm: concluding 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting

Our focus in prayer today is for fruitfulness and faithfulness. Read John 15:1-11 as a reference point, and let's pray for "much fruit" through pruning, so that we are able to see increased impact in our community, many transformed lives, changed hearts, saved souls- all to the Father's Glory!!

When we are fruitful and faithful, the enemy will attack to discourage us, frustrate us, and lead us to believe that we should quite. But that is no time to quite. Instead,

"Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9.

Here's a very encouraging letter written by an anonymous pastor from the jungles of New Guinea explaining His situation to the preacher John Yates:

"Man, it's great to be in the thick of the fight, to draw the old Devil's heaviest guns, to have him at you with depression and discouragement, slander, disease! He doesn't waste time. He hits good and hard when a fellow is hitting him.

You can always measure the effectiveness of your work, by how hard Satan hits back. When you're on your back with fever and at your last ounce of strength, when some of your converts backslide, when you learn that your most promising inquirers are only fooling, when your mail gets held up and some don't bother to answer your letters, is that the time to bail out?

"No Sir! That's the time to pull out the stops and shout hallelujah! Satan’s really getting it and he’s launching an all out attack. And all of heaven is watching and asking: 'Will he stick it out?'

And they see who is with us…and they see around us the unlimited reserves, the boundless resources, and they see the impossibility of failure with God on our side…how sad the angels must be when we run away from hard times. Glory to God! We're not going to run away. We're going to stand."

So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, BE ENCOURAGED, STAND FIRM, NEVER GIVE UP to the GLORY of GOD!

How to stay the course and NOT give up

I'm fired up! If you know me or have ever gotten an email from me- you've heard this. If you know me well, you know it's true, almost all the time. It's not an act.

So, here's how I stay so committed (with passion) to the course of ministry, responsibility, and to my community? Here's my response:

CALLING:

• A certainty that I am doing what God destined for me to do, specifically in planting Lifehouse and in raising up other church planters. Very little else fuels me for long except the confidence I have that God called me to do this- He choose me, I didn’t choose Him.
• Constant reminder from passages of Scripture that have gripped me from the beginning of my call (Jeremiah 1:4-10; Joshua 1:1-11 and 3:1-6).
• Vision is a picture of the “preferred future” (Leading at a Higher Level). I can close my eyes and see, at least generally, what my purpose is, even several years down the road. I know for a fact that I’m still on the front end of completing the work that God has called me to. Since I know this is the beginning, I’m resolute in finishing. My dream is to lead a Kingdom-impacting church for a long time (LHE) and through Lifehouse, develop as many church planters as possible then send them out to plant as many churches as possible.

FOCUS: this encompasses 2 critical areas:

• Giftedness: staying narrowed in my unique destiny, temperament, and calling. I realize that I’m not that good at a lot of things, but extremely gifted in a few areas. So, I leverage the areas I’m strong in, do those better, and keep developing/ releasing/ coaching other leaders to do everything else! This is huge! When I’m busy doing what I’m not gifted at or passionate about, I feel de-motivated, uninspired, and I won’t stay the course.
• Eternal perspective: the Cause of Christ grips me so completely and passionately that I can’t help but recklessly abandon myself to His purposes for my life, regardless of the cost, sacrifice, or hard work. My prayer everyday,

“Oh Lord, may what I do TODAY matter for ETERNITY so that the population of heaven will increase because I got out of bed this morning!”

• This isn’t always easy, that’s why I need prayer time and devotions- to keep me focused and centered on the WHY.

DREAM TEAM: having highly committed leaders around me has been one of my greatest strengths.

• This requires lots of invest of time, conflict resolution, prayer, and high level of faith in people, and a critically important ability to see the potential in others and to invite them to leverage their potential in God’s Church. I have a passion to see people WIN and excitedly BELIEVE in them more than they believe in themselves.
• Read “Building a Dream Team” in Courageous Leadership, by Bill Hybels. When other high level people join you, it’s emboldening and empowering. When they sacrifice alongside of you, it makes you believe in the Cause even more, and you recognize that the Cause is bigger than you.

PRAYER: I know it sounds obvious, but I’ve bathed every step of ministry and life in prayer, and especially in seasons of fasting. When you know your walking in devotion to God, hearing from Him, and radically living His purposes- you can’t quit!

I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight

What consumes your attention and passion? What's worth giving your life to and for?

Here are my notes from this past Sunday's message, including the letter I read from the missionary to Iraq:

Listen to I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, by U2. What are you hearing in this top hit? What message do you connect with in the lyrics?

I personally grew up having "carrots" dangled in front of me, by my parents, teachers, and spiritual leaders to keep me motivation. These "carrots" eventually consumed my attention? Most of them revolved around grasping and living the American dream.

However, I discovered that these carrots weren't worth living for, but especially worth dying for. I became discouraged, and maybe even disillusioned. what’s worth dying for. Even faith seemed led by those who had practice without passion, content without conviction. I longed for what would so inspire, grip me that I’d give my life to and for?

What in this life is worth your life? Can you live your entire life only for this life?

Meet a group of guys who were "going crazy" in Acts 4.

Background to Acts 4, they seem “crazy”.

What has so gripped you, that you can’t help but speak of what you’ve seen and heard? What is it about you that “astonishes” people?

Big Idea: Follow JESUS!

Why give my life to Jesus? Why be crazy about Him, surrender whole life and purpose to Him? Why would Peter and John be so willing to face threats, persecution, even death for the sake of Jesus? (see Acts 4:20)

Only when the truth of Jesus takes hold of your life, will you be unable to give your life to any thing else. Only when you become so aware of his love and sacrifice for you, do you willingly give your life and all to Him?

What has He done for me? What did they see and hear? (Acts 4:12)

Well, examine the example of Jesus Christ: he gave His life as a ransom for our sin. Sacrificially died to pay the penalty for our sin. Took our place. Lived perfect sinless life, then, in his perfection, took the full weight of all our sins upon himself, and paid the full price for all those sins through his own brutal death. But sin couldn’t hold him down in death, and Jesus triumphantly rose victorious over death and the grave, and offered all who believe in Him new, eternal life.

We don’t follow religion, church, others in faith, BUT Jesus. He is our Cause, our faith.

Is our life marked by Jesus? Or are we still trying to make our way, find our carrot to chase?

What else consumes my life? Everything else will disappoint!

Once you find Jesus, and discover that He is worth living and dying for, then what?

Big Idea: FOLLOW Jesus!

When our life is centered, focused, aimed solely at Jesus, we are transformed. (see Acts 4:13)

What was their mark of greatness? What caught their persecutors off guard?

Peter and John had “been with Jesus” and it showed through them. Does your experience, your prayer life, worship, study of God’s word so impact you, that it transforms you?

Is it obvious that you’ve been with Jesus? Does it astonish anyone around you?

Following Jesus is extreme, risky, and astonishing.

When we follow Jesus, we follow His example, live boldly, walk in faith and faithfully.

When we follow Jesus, our life is not our own, but abandoned to His Cause and purpose.

Are you willing to surrender to HIS will? To decrease so that Jesus can increase in your life? Are you willing to be seen as ordinary so that Jesus is know as extraordinary?

Didn’t count their life worth anything other than to follow Jesus. (see Acts 4:29-31)

It's not ancient history, but a contemporary struggle voiced by U2. Echoed by a generation that wants to see what is worth living for? Even dying for?

Lived everyday by millions of Jesus-followers under extreme persecution, living an amazing faith, offering astonishing obedience, and extraordinary sacrifice: Karen Watson, lived from 1973-2004, and was killed as a missionary worker in Iraq by terrorists.

Dear Pastor, You should only be opening this letter in the event of my death. When God calls there are no regrets. I tried to share my heart with you as much as possible, my heart for the nations. I wasn’t called to a place, I was called to Him. To obey was my objective, to suffer was expected, His glory my reward… The Missionary Heart cares more than some think is wise, risks more than some think is safe, dreams more than some think is practical, expects more than some think is possible. I was called not to comfort or to success but to obedience. There is no joy outside of knowing Jesus and serving Him. I love you and my church family. In his care, Karen.

Imagine if we lived like this.

Does my biblical presentation seem simplistic? This big idea to basic? You ask, "Is that it?"

It’s like the egg and bacon breakfast, the chicken got involved and contributed to the meal, but the pig was totally committed and all in.

Imagine we actually lived totally consumed with the person of Jesus and committed to following Him with abandon? Imagine we discovered His love, forgiveness, peace, joy, and then shared it with the world?

Would those around us be astonished, because they know that we’re just ordinary, not-that-smart people who have BEEN with JESUS?

A Scary Prayer

Recently I have felt an increased awareness of a tension that I think many find challenging. It's this- the world vs. eternity; living for the now vs. living for eternity; wanting more vs. giving more.

So, today in our staff prayer, I prayed a very uncomfortable, scary prayer, and I even thought of retracting it as it was coming out of my mouth. But I mean it and I really believe God will answer it.

Here's what I was thinking before I prayed, "God, this is so hard for me, and the flesh side of me doesn't even want you to answer my prayer. But here goes..."

"God, help me to surrender fully to you and live only for eternity,
so that this world has no grip on my life.
I don't want to be consumed with what this world has to offer or what I can gain.
Help me so live for eternity that I will make any sacrifice, surrender every care, and submit to your perfect will. And give me such a firm grasp on eternity, that it doesn't even feel like sacrifice. Help me live only for eternity!"

Will you pray the scary prayer, "Help me live only for eternity"?

How would the answer to that prayer change your life?

How to discover and live your destiny

I found a profound principle while reading Exodus that reveals how you can discover your purpose and live your destiny (and it's quicker than reading Purpose Driven Life).

I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent... Exodus 31:6-7

Do you see it? What an amazing principle! Allow me to explain:

• First, we discover what we are uniquely gifted by God to do and be- these are skills, talents, and abilities. In this case they were skilled craftsmen.
• Secondly, we must recognize how these skills/ talents fit into God's perfect design for building His "temple", i.e. the Church. See, in this passage, God already laid out a design for the tabernacle, and the craftsmen need to follow precisely what God had planned.
  
• Third, be and do it!

Some spend too much time trying to discern the "will" of God for their life, and they haven't bothered to look at their own hands and ask, "what can I uniquely contribute? what do I have to offer?"

Others are so busy using their gifts and talents, and they have any found success in the process. But they haven't bothered to ask God, "What's your design for my life and talents?"

Finally, some people know their gifts and even how God wants to use them, they're just limited by fear, laziness, worry, busyness, or something- so they never actually "just do it!"

How has God both uniquely gifted you and how does that fit into God's perfect design for the church?

GUEST BLOG: DEAN PETERSON on The Art of War

I just finished reading SunTzu's classic work and it is well worth your time if you haven't read it yet. There are some great leadership principles and practical wisdom. My only recommendation is to get a well organized version. There are several translations and the commentary provided is often as solid as the text. My version was too choppy with its commentary. Just wanted to share a few thoughts and hopefully stir a personal examination of the work.

LESSONS:

• There is no substitute for purpose and preparation when engaging in battle.
  
• "You must have a vision of victory before you can achieve it."
  
• The commander who has dared to dream of taking impossible ground and then prepared his army to attack with a bold maneuver that takes the enemy by surprise will find success.
  

Isn't this our calling in poignant terms? We must have a God-sized vision of reaching people(bold evangelism) and we must train ourselves and the rest of the church(discipleship) to conquer new ground. What bold strategy will we employ? What creative and biblically relevant things can we employ in battle?

Finally, there are five faults which cripple leadership:

• recklessness (not properly preparing and understanding the conditions of the battlefield),
• cowardice,
  
• a quick temper,
  
• delicacy of honor(a fragile ego),
  
• worry which produces inaction rather than making swift decisions.

Hope you all have a great day. It is an honor to serve with you in battle.

"Strength and honor",
Dean