GAINING PEACE in TROUBLED TIMES

(Excerpt taking from sermon in series Adventures of Everyman: a study in the Minor Prophets. Message on Book of Habakkuk- listen here)

What do we do in troubled, difficult times of suffering and hardship?

Habakkuk teaches us to PRAY BY FAITH!

In order to PRAY BY FAITH,

WE DISCOVER PEACE IN GOD’S GOODNESS

Habakkuk DISCOVERED peace in God’s GOODNESS through PRAYER.

Not just praying, but HOW he prayed. He spent time ALONE with GOD in PRAYER,

Habakkuk 1:2 (NIV), How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?

Habakkuk 2:1 (NLT), I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guard post. There I will wait to see what the LORD says and how he will answer my complaint.

How prays like that? What sounds audacious to you, God hears as authenticity.

Each time Habakkuk prayed like this, those prayers are followed by a response,

Habakkuk 2:2 (NLT), Then the LORD said to me…

The timeless principles revealed in the conversation between Habakkuk and God.

Habakkuk TRUSTS in GOD'S GOODNESS:

Habakkuk 3:1, 2 (NIV), A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet… 2 LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day…

The METHOD of Discovering PEACE IN GOD’S GOODNESS THROUGH PRAYER that Habakkuk modeled is explained by Paul,

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV), Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s not instructing that feeling anxious is wrong. BUT that we can overcome those anxieties and deep moments of anguish through prayer.

Not just casual prayer, but a powerful, PEACE-producing prayer. How?

What did Habakkuk do and Paul instruct?

Step 1: PRAY- express request or concern to God. Tell God what you want him to do.

Step 2: THEN BEAR or PETITION. Tell God why you want him to do it. Petitioning is a desperate cry of explaining they why behind the what.

Lay open the fears, weights, burdens of life. God is not afraid of our anguish or despair. Lay it open before Him.

Not only pray to ask God for what you need, but explain to Him your worries and fears that lay under those requests.

When we SHARE our fears and anxieties with God, we will SURRENDER those to Him.

Habakkuk submitted His troubles and sorrow to God.

Step 3: PEACE- Then, in surrender and vulnerable SHARING, God gives us a gift of PEACE, 

Habakkuk 3:18-19 (NIV), …yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 2 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. 

In surrender, we discover the PEACE IN GOD that Paul said is beyond all understanding. 

Incomprehensible to have inner rest under such weights, troubles, or overwhelming circumstances. SUPERNATURAL!

Step 4: GUARDED- This PEACE will “will GUARD your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“GUARD” means to “referee” In surrender, peace “governs” our heart and minds, like a referee calling fouls and keeping our thoughts, attitudes, and anxious heart from running out-of-bounds. He keeps us from getting derailed. Peace protects us IN GOD through trouble.

Hagerstown Convoy of Hope TONIGHT & TOMORROW!

Calling all churches and volunteers!

It is now just 1 DAY until Hagerstown Convoy of Hope 2011. Two last minute reminders:

1. Tonight, Friday, September 23, 7:00 p.m. – Volunteer rally – LifeHouse Bethel, 515 E. Wilson Blvd., Hagerstown. There will be a LOVE OFFERING taken to help with Convoy expenses. We are trusting God to help us meet the remaining budget needs with your help!

All volunteers are invited to join us tonight!


2. Tomorrow, Saturday, September 24, 7:00 a.m. – Volunteers should arrive at Hagerstown Fairgrounds Park ready to serve in the power and strength of the Lord!

Invite anyone in need of HELP and/or HOPE!

THIS weekend, there are NO individual churches, just an army of Christians serving one Christ and one Church in a revolution of love!

Is May 21, 2011 Judgment Day?

Several news stories have made these billboards and car wraps mainstream. Harold Camping and his Family Radio are declaring all around the world that THIS Saturday, May 21st, is Judgment Day.

So, are these predictions accurate and biblical? And how should people respond to this prediction?

Is this prediction accurate? NO. As Melody says, "Don't go Camping with Harold!"

But to answer the question, let's take a moment to break down why.

First, will there be a Judgment Day?
The Bible promises that there will be a Day of Judgment, and day when God will judge the wicked and the righteous. This is foretold in the Old Testament, and often called the Day of the Lord or the Day of Wrath (Joel 2:31; Ezekiel 13:5; Isaiah 2:12). Jesus was very clear about the coming judgment of God against sin and evil (Matthew 24-25), and then the apostles reinforced this teaching through their preaching and writing (Acts 10:42; 17:31; Romans 2:5-16; 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Timothy 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:5; James 5:7).

A Day of God's Judgment on both the righteous and the wicked is restated in the Apostle's Creed, "He will come again to judge the living and the dead."

What about the "rapture"?
This is a little more complicated, since the word never appears in the Bible, but is taken from the Latin word translated from the Greek in 1 Thessalonians 4:15- 17 where Paul states,
"According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (italics and underline added for emphasis)

Certainly, there is clear biblical evidence that believers of Jesus will be taken up to be with Jesus at some point in time, and that there will be a separation between Jesus-followers and the unrepentant. This separation will be the beginning of judgment on both the wicked and the righteous.

So What? There will be a point in time when God judges all mankind, and Christians are hopeful and expectant of a moment when they will be raptured to meet Jesus and receive their eternal reward.

At some point, time as we know it, will cease and the end will come.

Will it be May 21, 2011 at 6pm PST?
Probably NOT! I say probably, simply for the same reason why Harold Camping is wrong, because we do NOT know! If I claimed to know for certain that Jesus was NOT coming back on that date, I would be in as much error as Camping is for claiming that Jesus will return at that point.

The Bible is clear about trying to predict the Day of Judgment or the Rapture. Jesus clearly stated,
"He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority."
Acts 1:7.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[a] but only the Father." Matthew 24:36. Jesus was teaching about the end of times, and made it clear to his listeners and followers that they should not speculate on dates and times.

Harold Camping is just making this stuff up? Okay, I've got to be a little brutal here. If you read his stuff, then compare it with even the most basic Bible study and apply an ounce of logic, it's obvious to all that his calculations and prophesies are absurd. Better writers and research than me have spent considerable time laying out the error of his ways, so google and you'll find plenty who debunk his calculations for a variety of reasons (here are a few links: COG site, overview of Camping, and here). But here are a few thoughts specifically regarding Camping and his "research":

• he's been wrong before and won't admit it (prophesied the same thing in 1994), and he is among a shameful group who have done so and obviously been wrong,
• he believes that he's the ONLY one who has received this revelation- that's code for "cult". When your "truth" or "prophesy" requires special revelation in order to re-interprete what the Bible and what is blatantly apparent to others, you're wrong.
• he and his followers claim to be the only "true believers" and that this understanding has been given to them. The Bible makes it clear that true believers are those who put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, through Jesus' death and resurrection on our behalf. That's all that's required! You don't have to believe in nonsensical calculations to be a believer, in fact that might very well illustrate a lack of true understanding and faith in God. See it for yourself in his book (full text available), writings, and commercials.
• his calculations and mathematics are off. Camping states in his writings that he has "learned" the true dates of the creation, flood, etc. Basically, what that means is that he made them up, because they fit conveniently into his projections. His dating is faulty and significantly off.
• his calculations are based on nonsensical "numerology". Camping associates numbers with meaning, then uses those numbers with his associated meanings to create equations to prove the conclusions that he has drawn. Example: 1978 = 2 x 23 x 43; 2 symbolizes those who are to bring the Gospel; 23 symbolizes wrath; 43 symbolizes judgment. He made these meanings up. Some numbers in the Bible do seem to have significant meaning and are consistently see as a pattern to reinforce that meaning (7 = completeness; 40 = suffering). However, these are never used to generate prophesies or predictions, and are only helpful for illustrative purposes. Additionally, Camping randomly takes numbers that he's added meaning to, then multiplies them, squares them, and in many other ways manipulates them to come up with a still inaccurate date of 5/21/2011.

How should Jesus-followers respond to this prediction?

• View Camping as a false prophet according to Deuteronomy 18:22 and 2 Peter 2:1-3,

"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping."

• Live urgently and without shame, remembering that the "day is short" and judgment is at hand, since life is only a "handbreadth" and a "vapor." Second Peter 3 gives clear instruction on what to do in these moments: beware of false prophets, remember God's promises and judgments, urgent share God's message.
• Share the message of salvation of Christ with everyone without being ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God to salvation for all who believe. In fact, conversations about judgment and end-times may give you an opportunity to share Jesus with people (however, don't try to scare them into believing)
• Point people to JESUS- He is TRUTH!

How should everyone else respond to this prediction?

• Obviously, Campings predictions give lots of fodder to atheists and naysayers who want to slam Christianity and disregard their faith and faithfulness. These are like black-eye moments on the church and Jesus-followers across the globe. However, faithful Christians should rest in God's faithfulness and not be intimidated by those who mock or slander the true Church because of some false prophet. 
• BEWARE- recognize that the clock will stop one day, time will end, and there will NOT be a second chance. While it probably won't be TOMORROW, it will be A tomorrow! Jesus said that he would return like a "thief in the night", when people are not ready or expecting Him.
• So, be ready and expecting Jesus' return. If you are not ready, simply put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, confess that you are a sinner, and received His forgiveness and salvation. 
• For more info on becoming a Jesus-follower, check out this incredible website: www.jesus.net/

Hope you found this meaningful and fair from a Christian and biblical perspective.

Purpose of Doubt

“Faith which does not doubt is dead faith” -Miguel de Unamuno

Many contend that we shouldn’t doubt, that doubt is some how the enemy of our faith.

However, doubt isn’t our enemy. God is big enough for our questions and doubts. The Bible deals with people who struggled with doubt and hard questions head on:

“I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me… when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness." Job 30:20, 26, NIV.

Many biblical heroes of the Faith doubted and struggled with dry season in their journey with God! Men like Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Elijah, Samuel, John the Baptist, and even Jesus’ disciples.

David expressed, under inspiration of Holy Spirit, his doubts and spiritual dryness.

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent." Psalm 22:1-2, NIV.

Circumstances led to doubt. Experience trumped belief. Pain darkened his faith.

So, if doubting isn’t unbiblical or an indication of a lack of faith, what do we do with it?

We Walk by Faith.


How? To Walk by Faith, Explore Your Doubts.

God doesn’t correct doubt and spiritual struggle, but teaches His followers to embrace these seasons as part of their faith-journey.

We’re not robots programmed on how to think nor lemmings in a mindless religious cult. Jesus' called us to make "disciples" which means literally "students".

Investigate, study, explore. (see 1 Peter 3:15-16)

When hard questions arise, don’t run from them, allow them to drive you to deeper exploration of the Bible, heightened understanding of truth, and an emboldened faith. The greatest struggles in doubt forge our strongest convictions.

To walk by faith, trust.

"All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 8 “He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” Psalm 22:7-8, NIV.

But faith isn’t just a blind belief. Faith is substance. Faith is active.
How do we demonstate trust? In a bridge? We are willing to rely on it and put our life into care. This trust is earned and learned. Observed and experienced.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17, NKJV.

Faith grows as we hear and read God’s Story in the midst of scar stories.

We are invited to trust what we discover to be trustworthy- that Jesus is the Son of God.

To walk by faith, obey.

LORD, I praise you in the great meeting of your people; these worshipers will see me do what promised. Psalm 22:25, NCV.

The word “faith” in Greek is means both to trust (rely on) and obey. Not just belief, but my dependence on truth produces action.

And in Hebrew, there is no separation between knowledge and action. To" know" means to live accordingly. We often “know”, but don’t respond. Faith means that my actions match my beliefs.

God’s story intersects with our story, and the scars of Jesus heal our scars.

Invite your FRIENDS & NEW Sermon Series

Don't Miss Out or Miss this incredible opportunity to invite your friends to Lifehouse. Hopefully, this video will inspire you to invite everyone you can to join us THIS weekend for Spring Fever Sunday:


TAG, YOU'RE IT! We'll do our part making it a great experience and helping people hear and experience the Gospel and be touch by God's transforming power. But you've got to do your part by inviting them and talking them about Jesus.

Kicking off new sermon series (with a title that you may remember from last year):




You don't want to miss this series. PLUS, we'll be passing out the NEW study guides to go along with this series. This is one of those sermon series that your friends will want to hear.

TAG, YOU'RE IT!

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 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.

Pray for the People of Japan - links to news coverage

The images are staggering and devastation unimaginable. As the Church, let's pray for God's comfort and healing for the people of Japan. We have many missionaries and friends there.

Pray that recovery efforts are fruitful and lives are saved.

Text TSUNAMI to 50555 to donate $10 to @ConvoyofHope Disaster Response efforts gearing up to help in Japan.

Links to watch footage and coverage of the tsunami that has hit and devastated so much of the nation:

houses burn as tsunami devastates Japan

• Sky News in Japan video shots
• Photos of the tsunami and destruction by ABC News
• Watch huge whirlpool formed by tsunami videoed by BBC News.

Faith VS Fear

It would make great reality TV, but no one would sign up to have their faith tested. Would you be a contestant on Faith versus Fear? Here are some indicators of how you'd be tested.

You might be controlled by fear if you think:

• Ambition: The journey of a thousand miles sometimes ends very, very badly.
• Despair: It's always darkest just before it goes pitch black.
• Limitations: Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can walk.
  
• Mistakes: It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others.
• Wishes: When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor.
• Potential: Not everyone gets to be an astronaut when they grow up.
  

The above were taken from www.despair.com. Now, you know I have a dry sense of humor.

HOWEVER:

• Faith knows that darkness, pain, hurt, and hardship are the pathway to greater revelation of who God is and how He works in and through our lives.
• Faith sees those moments, not as an end BUT as the front end of a miracle.
• Faith sees risk through the eyes of God's power and Spirit, which is limitless and all powerful.
• Faith chooses to believe rather than plunge into fear, worry, and doubt. 
• Faith wrestles with deep emotions of anguish, fear, doubt, frustration, and despair BUT is not overtaken by them. How? Not through self-inspiration, but through TRUST in God. Faith allows God to overcome through us.
• While fear worries, faith prays!
• Faith does not look to God to avoid suffering BUT to discover my joy in Christ goes deeper than suffering, lack, or hurt.
• Faith does not ask for comfort BUT learns that Jesus-followers have a peace that surpasses all discomfort in this lifetime.

Okay, not preaching, just explaining from personal experience. Maybe we've all been entered into the reality show of life called "Faith versus Fear".

What are your faith vs. fear stories?

Scars: a story of despair

Sermon audio and video testimony online NOW!

Here's a link to download or listen to the most recent sermon.

Here's the video for the video trailer that introduced the sermon. Tough, messy scar story, but if you listen to the sermon you'll discover how God can bring people THROUGH seasons of despair, depression, and anguish.