It’s easy to make yourself look and smell presentable for the church on Sunday mornings, but are you simply going to church – or are you being the church ? Are you bringing the church with you everywhere you go ? Are you representing the church admirably out on the streets and in your own homes ? Are you investing in your church family ? Do you care for and love your brothers and sisters within the church family ? Are you living Life to its fullest with your church family ?
Sadly a lot of people of the world think of church as that building down the street that has the steeple up on top of it and lots of cars in the parking lot out front on Sunday mornings. They think of the church as a brick and mortar building. It is their ritual to go to church on Sunday mornings, be seen, be heard, and then disappear until next Sunday morning.
Bringing the church family to what’s considered to be an unconventional location such as a movie theatre, a school, a banquet hall, a hotel, a park, a beach, and in each other’s homes states just that. It doesn’t matter where you are. The Bible says, “For where two or three gather together as My followers, I am there among them.”
We must always be the church, and never let our guard down. The enemy awaits in the darkness when we are weak. He will strike at anytime. Represent the church well. Be the Disciple that God created you to be. Expand God’s Kingdom everywhere you go.
Here’s a song about a young woman who has clearly hit rock bottom. She’s ready to end her life as she knows it. She takes a knife. She cuts. Deeper and deeper. The blood flows as she cries. But then a miracle truly occurs. Jesus Christ comes in to rescue her from the darkness. He saves her from the enemy. She believes. She’s got new eyes. She puts down her life for Christ. A new Life begins. Thank You Jesus for all of your miracles on this fantastic journey. It’s in the lyrics:
This morning at Life Pointe Church we kicked-off a 16-week message series on the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians.
We worship a Triune God – that is – a ‘3-in-1’ God, for He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We serve the will of God the Father. We are redeemed by the sacrifice of God the Son. We are empowered by God the Holy Spirit. THAT is who God is. The all-powerful God. The unlimited God !
He is the God that pulled me out of the darkness during the Summer of 2006. He led me into the daylight. He told me to follow Him – and trust Him. I did that. When the world used me, rejected me, and then threw me aside God picked me up and rescued me. He ended my previous sad and miserable life as I knew it. He led me to this new Life – this ‘Fantastic Journey’. He can do the same for you. If you follow. If you trust.
Don’t ask my love. Where is it that your peace comes from ? I found it in a disappearing world. I found it in the beauty of the world. I found it in a disappearing world. It’s in the lyrics:
The saga that is the flagship weekly series of this here blog continues now:
My Land, Lake, & Sea Adventure – So I left my home bright and early this past Saturday morning, and after brief pitstops at Chevron and Starbucks to fuel up (in more ways than one) I jumped on Florida’s Turnpike and headed north to Southern Boulevard (U.S. 98) in the West Palm Beach area. My first stop was the legendary Lion Country Safari in nearby Loxahatchee. It’s been there for as long as I’ve been alive – 43 years – but this was my first visit there in at least 20 years. I spent about 4 hours there, and I enjoyed every single minute of it. It’s fun to hang out with the lovable animals big and small. After the animal adventure I ventured over to the Big Lake Okeechobee for my first-ever up-close visit. I’ve seen it from way up in the sky in a jumbo jet, but never from the ground. It was quite the tranquil scene. Who knew that the lake had little mini waves brushing up against the rocky shoreline ? From the lake region I proceeded back to the Florida east coast. I ate Dinner at Red Lobster for perhaps the first time in about 16 years, and then I headed over to the Atlantic Ocean to check out Fort Pierce Inlet State Park which turned out to be a most surprising treat (and unbelievably not on my itinerary). I dig that joint ! The scenery was awesome and picturesque, and the beach was vast and beautiful. I could hang out there for hours on end on a future visit, and I probably will.
Lion Country SafariLake OkeechobeeFort Pierce Inlet State ParkFort Pierce Inlet State Park
Renaissance Community Church – This past Sunday morning I ventured over to the local movie theatre complex in the heart of Stuart Florida, and I was a First-Time Guest at Renaisance Community Church. I was immediately welcomed and introduced at the front door of the joint, and after that it was a near-continuous flow of welcomes and introductions from those who serve and lead there. They’ve been doing church in their movie theatre for about the same amount of time as us (at Life Pointe Church). The service itself was awesome. There was about 35 minutes of “Praise & Worship’, and the band itself could best be described as inspirational country rock. Think of four hair-challenged white dudes in their late-40s / early-50s with a younger female background vocalist that totally rocked my redneck face off. They were truly kool dudes, and the guitarist dude was totally ballistic like that. You could definitely determine his ultimate joy for Jesus. Lead Pastor Rick Evans preached the timely, relevant, and practical message, “Where To Get The Power You Need”. He taught from the following Scriptures out of The Truth: Job 6:10, 1 Corinthians 4:20, Psalm 68:35, Isaiah 40:28 & 31, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Psalm 41:3, Romans 7:18, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Philippians 4:13, Proverbs 29:23, John 15:5, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 11:1, 1 Corinthians 2:5, and Romans 8:17.
Jupiter Florida – After a scenic drive through Jupiter Island capped off by an educational visit to the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum on a warm and breezy Sunday afternoon I ventured down the road to the Burt Reynolds & Friends Museum which incidentally is certainly not the easiest place to find. It’s located in an odd-looking building that resembles a former office building complex that’s been converted one too many times through the years, and it’s located at a non-descript corner of an intersection that if you’re not really paying attention to where you’re going you’ll drive right past it without even noticing it at all. So I parked my car in the plain-looking parking lot right next to the main sign that identifies it as the museum. I walked up the sidewalk from that sign to what appeared to be the main entrance, and I walked right in to the museum. But the place was a mess inside. There was construction going on, loud tools being utilized by workers, and nobody in sight. As I began checking out the various displays on the walls and all around the construction areas I wondered if the joint was actually closed to the general public for repairs. But then I saw another dude and then a couple checking out the displays, so I was fine. The place was indeed open for business. Here’s the kicker though. As I eventually made my way around to the other side of the building I came across the real main entrance where two older ladies were welcoming the few visitors who entered – and also collecting their $5 admission charge ! After I made my way completely around the museum I introduced myself to one of the ladies at the front entrance. I explained to her that I had inadvertantly entered the building through the other (rear) entrance, and that I had just now realized the mistake I made when I saw visitors being warmly welcomed at the door that I didn’t enter through. I signed the visitor’s guestbook, paid my $5, thanked her for the fun time I had, and then left the museum through the main entry and exit. And that’s how I unintentionally broke in to the Burt Reynolds Museum on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I didn’t mean to do it. I’m a tourist. I can get away with doing crazy stuff like that.
God has great plans for each and every one of us, but are we willing to listen to Him ? He’s created a fantastic journey molded especially for each and every one of us, but are we willing to trust in Him ? Are we willing to follow Him as He leads us, or would we rather go at it alone ?
I lived life alone for over 30 years, and in the end it didn’t work out all that great for me. So I turned it all over to God some 44 months ago. He rescued me from the world. He saved me from my dying life. He led me to the greater things that he had in store for me in this new Life. I didn’t trust Him for over 30 years, but I surely do now, for I have personally experienced His glorious miracles. With His guidance and His direction I tore down the walls and the barricades that the world had put up all around me. I realized that the world had nothing else for me. But Jesus Christ has everything for me. He has everything that I’ll ever need. Because I trust.
God – I’m willing. I’m willing to Live and share my new Life. I do it all for You.
