invite someone

This Sunday starts ONE, the newest series at Maranatha Church. I am usually not much on hype, I know of too many cases where big promises were made by aspiring preachers only to result in disappointed worshipers.

But this is one you don't want to miss. I will be challenging everyone to make God first priority in life. We have some specific things we are targeting. It will be fun but it will be a bit demanding on our comfort zones.

Can you do your best to attend on Sunday and bring a friend?
Palm Beach Shores: 8:00 AM
Palm Beach Gardens: 9:30 and 11:00.

If you live too far away (a one hour drive is reasonable, isn't it?), we forgive you, but you have to listen online!

For more details, check out Maranatha Church.

big news coming

I am preparing for a leadership meeting at Maranatha Church this Sunday evening. If you are a leader and are coming to the meeting, buckle your seat belt. We have some very exciting news for you! If you are not a leader, this is something you will be hearing about soon. I hate to be secretive (it always seems so disingenuous and manipulative) but the timing of the release of this information is crucial. Suffice it to say, the last quarter of this year for our church will be seismic.

Be listening…

starts this sunday @ Maranatha Church

One-Promo from Maranatha Church on Vimeo.

click here for details

jessica and josh

We got some big news last week. Jessica and Josh (our daughter and her husband) have been invited to serve as Directors of Casa Shalom orphanage in Guatemala! This is the childrens home at which they have worked for the last 2 plus years. We are very proud of and excited for them.

This is a huge responsibility. They will be the legal guardians for 50 children. They will lead a staff of 10 full time and 5 part time employees as well as a school staff. They are in the mid 20’s.

When you get a chance, pray for Jessica and Josh and their new venture. They are currently in the States raising their budget for the coming year. Money is tough to come by, but they are working hard at it.

For more info on their work, take a look at their blog or like them on facebook.

Grace!

a change of pace

Today was a bit different for me, as will be tomorrow.

I attended and participated in a 4 hour and 35 minute funeral service today. Bishop Alonzo Palmer of the New Testament Church of God passed and today he was laid to rest. 23 pastors spoke at his memorial service. I was honored to be among them. This extended event set my usual routine on its ear. I usually lock down on Saturday to do final prep for the Sunday worship events at Maranatha Church. I pray, listen and make adjustments. Today was different. I left home at 9:15 and did not return until 5:00 or so.

All of that is OK because tomorrow’s message has continued to evolve in an unexpected way. While speaking at our Palm Beach Shores location last Sunday, I got the distinct sense that this week’s message was going a different direction. It has been doing that all week. I am still delivering part 3 of A Confident Future and still launching from Isaiah 41:10, but that’s about all that hasn’t changed.

God knows I am a scripted person. I like to plan. I like to know ahead of time what is going to happen. And sometimes, God lets me know who is driving. This weekend is one of those times.

Thanks for keeping it fresh, Lord!

vision lives forever

I spent a couple of hours with a friend yesterday. He has a terminal diagnosis from his doctors. They have informed him of his short time left.

He spent the entire conversation talking about a project he is working on and hopes to complete by a certain date. This date goes beyond the amount of time the doctors have given him. I’m confident that he will complete the project. I am not sure that he will be around to see it’s fulfillment but I believe the project will be completed and that he will be responsible for its completion.

Vision doesn’t stop because life does. Real vision outlives us. True vision resonates long after we are gone.

Do something that outlives you.

one sign of a good church

This Sunday, we will enjoy a membership luncheon at Maranatha Church. This is a time for us to discuss the topic of church membership with some great people who have more recently been involved in the life of the church.

Church membership is a dicey topic these days. People seem hesitant to join the church. “Membership” in a church is a frightening proposition for lots of folks. Joining a gym or a warehouse shopping club is not a big deal but commitment to a church is apparently a mine field for some.

That being said, I plan to share with our new prospective members one way in which they can spot a good church that they should join.

What is one sign of a good church?

It has needs. Things about it that you don’t like. Obvious issues in a variety of areas. And here is the kicker - these needs should be something that you can address and meet. If a church is functioning in perfection without you, you are not needed there. If it will not change whether or not you join, don’t bother. You need to be able to make an impact. And the church needs to need you.

I get disturbed when I hear of people who find something wrong in a church and decide to depart to another church that does not have that problem. I think the better approach is to try to be a problem solver.

I always joke with people who are considering membership at Maranatha. I say, “we are not a perfect church. If you are looking for one, keep looking. And, if you ever find the perfect church, please don’t join it. You will only ruin it!” Seriously, the church is imperfect because we are imperfect people, and we are the church. If God directs you to a church and you spot imperfections, ask Him how you can be involved in making things better.

If you are at a church where you can use your gifts and abilities to improve the ministry, that is a good church. And you should become a member.

Coming to Maranatha Church October 2010

pure ministry

Today’s worship experiences at Maranatha Church were remarkable for gut level, raw ministry. It started at our Palm Beach Shores location. Although we are right in the middle of a beautiful sea-side community, many of the people coming to the services don’t have it all together. The coffee and donuts we served were the first meal one guy had eaten in a couple of days. One couple had stayed up too late drinking (or maybe they started early in the morning!). I saw at least 3 people that I am sure are living on the street.

Our Palm Beach Gardens campus brought more of the same. Hurting people came to the services. I talked to people with serious marriage troubles; a guy who has been without electricity for 3 weeks; a couple of people with significant health issues … and the stories go on. Our prayer partners prayed with a woman with stage 4 cancer - the doctors have given up hope.

We are right where we need to be. Our locations are no accident. God knew that our communities would need us. We want to offer life-giving ministry and I believe we are. We want to see lives change, and we are. I never want to be in a sterile ministry environment. I can’t connect with people who have it all together. If God ever sends us perfect people, I doubt that they will feel comfortable.

It is humbling to think that we may have made a difference for someone today. Actually, we didn’t help anyone. God did.

proud to be a tither

I was raised in a home where my parents tithed… to the penny, on every cent that was made. Letha was raised in a similar atmosphere. She and I have tithed our entire lives. That means that 10% of everything we have made all these years has been given to God. When I made $150 a week at my first full-time ministry job, I tithed. And we have never been poor. We have always had a decent home to live in, a safe car to drive, could afford medical care, have had plenty to eat, have even had money for some fun things in life.

God has been faithful to us because we have been faithful to tithe.

Tithe means “one tenth”. We cannot give God less than ten percent of all we earn and call it tithe. According to the Bible, here’s how it works: God gets the first ten percent of whatever we make – we give it to the church (the storehouse where it is distributed to meet the needs). Anything above that ten percent is called an offering. At the risk of bragging we personally target giving away over 20 percent of our income though tithing, offerings and charitable contributions.

“Paying tithes” is not an accurate term. This is not like paying the electric bill. Everything we have belongs to God. Tithing is simply giving back the small portion that God requires.

Some people who throw in a ten dollar bill at offering time think they are tithing. Unless they made only $100 that week, they are not tithing. I am amazed that some people give nothing to the church and yet take advantage of all of the ministries that the church offers. How do they sleep at night? The latest statistics show that is costs the average church in America about $2,000 per person attending (not families) to operate a church. It costs a lot of money to operate buildings, provide a staff, support missions, help needy families and provide other programs. Another way of looking at it is: for every person who gives nothing, someone has to kick in an additional $2,000.00. Who’s going to do that? And who really wants someone else doing that for them? The result is, churches are almost always pressed for enough money to operate effectively.

This article is not guilt motivated but I’m sure it will make some people feel guilty. The point is, God can do more with the 90% He leaves you than you can do with 100%. Do you trust God or not? Are you willing to be identified as one who steals from God? (Malachi 3:8). I guess a bigger point is: God blesses obedience.

Go ahead and take the leap. Give God the first 10% you make. I have NEVER seen a true tither in financial trouble. I have seen them need to be frugal with resources but I have NEVER seen a tither homeless.

People of Maranatha Church: fair warning – you will be hearing more about this in the near future. But I’m not going to tell you when. :)

the essence of missional

I saw something recently that really rang my bell regarding sharing with others. Most of you know that my daughter and her husband are missionaries to Guatemala (their blog). They are currently in the States raising their salary for the coming year. They have been visiting churches, presenting their work and building relationships.

On Sunday, they were invited to Salem Community Church in West Palm Beach, FL. This church was founded and is led by Serge Jerome. Serge is from Haiti and the vast majority of the people in his church share his heritage. I was struck by the profundity of a Haitian/American church financially supporting North American missionaries who work in Guatemala. Having just returned from Haiti two weeks ago, I can attest to the fact that their country is in absolute dire need for every penny they can get. The people of Salem Community Church have every reason in the world to form the opinion that they have obligations at home. No one would blame them if they sent every spare dollar back to families in their homeland. They all lost loved ones in the January earthquake. They all have family that are homeless. They all know people that are hungry and helpless. Yet they chose to give to two 20 something missionaries who are taking care of orphans in Central America. Astounding!

This elicits several emotions in me:
Gratitude for people who have little, but give much.
Anger at people who have plenty, but share little.
Shame at how much more I could give away.
Passion to help Haiti more.

One thing for sure I know: God will bless the great people of Salem Community Church!

still trying to recover

I know I’m going to sound like a whiny butt but I am still trying to catch my breath from Sunday. We had our usual 3 morning worship services at Maranatha and I was privileged to be able to speak in them all. But Sunday evening took on a life of itself. I was asked to speak at Central New Testament Church in Mangonia Park, Florida. As part of my denominational responsibilities, I was asked to install a new pastor. The former pastor, Bishop Alonzo Palmer passed away after 60 years of ministry and 30 years at CNT.

This church is primarily a Jamaican/American church. Their worship reflects their culture and time is not an issue. The service lasted 3 hours and 50 minutes. They introduced me at around 8:30 PM. I was hungry, tired, sweaty (it was hot in there) and I needed a shave. Remember, I had preached first at 8:00 AM at our Palm Beach Shores location. It was 12 hours later and I was still going. Not having the strongest of preaching voices, and realizing that they wanted me to “preach”, I gave it all I had. About 20 minutes into the message, I felt my voice going. But I finished strong and the people responded favorably.

I felt like crawling home that night, I got home around 10:15. It was a great experience but I am still feeling the effects. My voice is still scratchy.

God bless the great people at Central New Testament and Pastor Henry Wisdom!

salesman or preacher?

One of the more difficult things I have ever tried to do is to convince someone to believe in something that I did not believe in.

At times, preachers are guilty of preaching a “gospel” they aren’t living. I am not necessarily referring to the problem of duplicity or a hypocritical lifestyle. I am more talking about the times when a speaker deals with a difficult topic and does so because he has to, not because he is passionate about it or buying into the concept being presented. He is not there himself but he is trying to get his followers there.

This Sunday’s message could be (won’t be) an example. I am talking about A Confident Future. People really need this message because there is so much trepidation about the future. People are scared of an uncertain tomorrow. So my job becomes giving them a biblical view of the future and showing them how God has promised to be with them no matter what.

I have to believe this or I have no business trying to talk others into it.

I do believe it. I do not believe that the future will be easy. I know it will not be problem-free. And I am not dumb enough to try to sell people on the idea of times getting better. But I know for sure that God still loves us and, even though He has told us that things will get very difficult in the future, He will be with us and He will see us through. I am confident about the future.

I am not selling that. I am living that.

come together

At one of our worship services on Sunday, a practicing Buddhist (yes he has been attending our church for about 2 months) asked me why there are so many branches and denominations of Christianity. Why are you guys so fragmented? Why do you have so many Bibles?

Then he said something that stabbed my heart:
“And it’s no wonder why young people in America are running away from your churches.”

After I got over my initial defensiveness, I was able to express my quick view and explain how I see things differently. I am not an overly denominational guy, although I do belong to a particular tribe (Church of God). I don’t see a great denominational divide, at least not as much as there used to be. The particular areas where I am involved are not defined according to sects or labels. I see a lot of people from a lot of backgrounds doing the work of the Lord.

But I see his point. We give ammunition to our detractors. Every time a church splits, the reputation of Jesus suffers. When denominations fight publicly, we all pay for it. When two Christians squabble like little children, we chase people away from Christ.

Let’s get it together. Get over your pettiness. Stop the wars between churches. If you have something against another Christ-follower – forgive and move on.

I am praying that my Buddhist friend comes to Jesus. I am hoping that our behavior inspires that.

i don’t want to be a crabby old man

I blew it yesterday. After church, Letha, Jess, Josh and I went out to lunch at a local restaurant. We were seated at a booth a few feet from a large family: mom, dad and 5 younger kids. We noticed immediately that the kids were loud and unruly and I was annoyed right off the bat. Since the kids were little, I had trouble seeing them all. When dessert was delivered to them, the kids raised their hands and yelled. The dad joined them. I was a bit shocked at how loud they were and I looked over, giving my best “what is wrong with you?” look.

The family finished their meal and left, walking by our booth. Dad left first, leaving mom to herd the kids out. When she passed, the mom looked sheepishly at me and said quietly, “sorry”. I immediately felt like the biggest jerk in the world. I got the feeling she was overwhelmed both with five kids under 8 and with her useless husband.

I don’t want to be a crabby old man. That means I have to stop being a crabby middle aged man.

“Love is patient, love is kind…” I Corinthians 13.

Haiti - parting shot

On our Last day in Haiti, we are experiencing the typical questions and emotions. Did we do any good? Is this place and are the people we met better off because we came? What are we supposed to do with this once we get back home?

I think an appropriate scripture is Matthew 25:37-40: ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (NLT).

In a strange kind of way, I feel like one of “the least of these” that Jesus referred to. I am not hungry or naked or in prison but I am in poverty in many of the ways I live.

When I see the people of Haiti, the people in this community, coming together for prayer and worship every morning at 5:30, I realize I am poor. This morning, they were singing at full volume: “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.” These singers lost loved ones in the quake in January. These worshippers have lost everything since then, most of them living in a tent city on the side of a hill with no comforts and little to eat. Yet they sing that everything but Jesus is sinking sand.

I am poor.

Without fail, every missions trip I have experienced left me with the feeling that I came to help but was helped. I came to serve but was served.

I am one of the least.

Haiti day 3

On day 3 of our visit to Haiti, we witnessed a great story. My buddies, David and Paul Weaver, who lead a church in Vero Beach, Florida, met up with the family of a guy (Walta) who is part of their local church back home. He immigrated from Haiti six years ago without his family and has not seen them since. The ladies in the picture are his wife and oldest daughter; the gentleman, his brother. David and Paul took video and photos of the family and emailed them to Walta, back in the States and talked on the phone while he viewed them. His family had traveled 3 hours one way in terrible conditions just for this meeting. He was overwhelmed with emotion during this personal connection with his family. It was an amazing moment. Not a dry eye in the place.

David and Paul said this experience was worth all of the effort and expense required for the trip.

Just another reason why we do this stuff.

day 2

Today, our second day of visiting Haiti, was intense. We worked hard in the heat, putting up several large tents at churches and at a Bible school. This project allowed us to travel, riding in the back of a pickup truck, all over the city of Port au Prince and beyond. In fact, we drove within 30 miles of the Dominican Republic border.

The need of this nation is immense. Mile after mile of utter destruction. The news video from the January quake did not tell the story. And the people are literally all over the streets. Tent cities and homelessness are very common.

I remarked at one point, "I haven't seen anyone smile." There is so much sadness and anger. In fact, several young men yelled obscenities at us throughout the day. They weren't angry at us, they just hate life, and with good cause.

I would describe Haiti as despairing. I sense much hopelessness. The need is overwhelming.

We all feel so insignificant, as though whatever we do, we will not begin to make a difference. But i know better. I know we are helping people. I believe we are making a difference, albeit small. And I cannot succumb to hopelessness.

God help Haiti!