Now is the Time

I remember that day very well. We were in the middle of a week long bicycle trip, riding nearly 50 miles each day, spending the nights in local churches, devouring home cooked meals and delicious desserts. We couldn’t ride enough miles to keep the pounds from collecting on our bodies. But I digress. That morning we awoke to a strong downpour of rain. No thunder, no lightening was seen, only rain and lots of it. Everyone packed up the gear in silence. Some younger folks among us looked worried. We knew we had several miles to go to reach our next stop. The longer we waited, the more difficult the day would be to reach our destination. Finally the decision was made by the leader—prepare to ride. Get your rain gear on, we leave in 20 minutes.

 Sometimes decisions in life are made even more difficult because we hesitate. We wait for perfect circumstances or crystal clear evidence that its time to move. But, as the writer of Ecclesiastes says, if we wait for perfect weather—we will never start or plant or harvest.

 Some had proposed that we wait before we shut down Douglasville. Other say, let’s wait to start until we have more money set aside. Let’s wait until we have more people. We have waited for too many years. We have allowed buildings to fall into disrepair and now the costs to fix them up have risen. We have reached our point of finally taking that step of faith, trusting Jesus to provide.

I write this devotion only one day after our last Sunday at DCC. I need to collect something from the auditorium, but have hesitated to go into the building. Feelings abound within me. Have we chosen correctly? Have we moved at the right time? Have we interpreted correctly the signs that God has provided?

 Yes, yes and yes. No time is perfect to do what we have done. No circumstance is completely assured of no difficulties or challenges. We walk in faith. When over 600,000 Israelites begged Moses for a chance to go back to Egypt, to the life of slavery—he pointed them to a greater God than the gods of Pharaoh. Our God is great—and He is with us every step of every day. We are on our way to greater heights for our Lord.

Paul

Leading the Way

“Hey guys, watch this and try to follow.” It is words like this that have kept emergency rooms busy from time to time. We need to measure carefully those who claim leadership capabilities before we blindly follow.

Satan is the father of lies. He will make every attempt to lead God’s church in a direction which eventually leads to destruction.  But like Peter, when bid to step out of the boat and walk towards Jesus, we must make sure our eyes are clearly focused on the Son of God.

Jesus claimed on many occasions that He would be killed and within 3 days He would arise–triumphantly conquering death and sin. In Mark 14:28 He said, “But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee and meet you there.”

This Lord’s Day is Easter. This particular Sunday celebrates Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the grave. By doing so, He has achieved salvation for all who will accept Him as Savior and King. This thought is paramount in Christian teaching. But what is there that must come next. Being saved and then sitting around in glory of all that Christ has done for us. There is more for us to find, in addition to salvation.

Jesus is going on ahead of us–leading and directing us in our way of living. He has set the example for us in how we should treat those around us. We must walk in His love–abiding within His example–doing as He did. Jesus gave food to those who were hungry.  He provided both physical food (feeding 5, 000 +) and He gave them spiritual food.  Jesus provided physical healing and care for sick, but also came not just as a physician of physical needs, but to bind the forces that affect us negatively in our spiritual walk. Jesus came to earth to die for our sins, but also to live as an example of how we must interact with the world around us. That is how the church must live as the salt and the light in our world.  Being a Christian is more than singing praises on Sunday, for it includes the responsibility to act like a loving Christian to those we encounter each day.

We celebrate Jesus resurrection this Sunday–but how’s your life going on Monday? Look to Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith–for He is leading the way.

Paul

The Oncoming Light

The time in the tunnel is tough. It’s dark; it’s intimidating and it can be lonely. Like Elijah of old, we find refuge in a dark cave to be somewhat comforting, protective and certainly compelling. But there is that light that gleams in the distance. To some this is just the on-coming train–the doom that is destined to be ours for attempting such an adventure. Statistics speak loudly. Re-inventing an established church is near impossible. Teaching the old dogs a new trick is down right tough. Many have failed–and few, very few have succeeded.

Velocity’s birth is now official, with our recent vote by our former body, the new bylaws have shifted all responsibility from the old work to the new work. Yesterday we were hope–today we are reality. New birth. This is something God has used on us for many years. Nicodemus learned about it from Jesus. Those 3,000 souls on Pentecost rejoiced in their new birth. And now Velocity officially gives glory to God as a body of Christ enjoying a new birth. From the generosity of our previous entity, we now have both the privilege and responsibility to do the work of the Lord in a new and dynamic way.

Now for the next several weeks, we undergo our time of preparation. The church plant team will spend time on their knees in prayer. We will visit other church plants for inspiration and instruction. We will begin to live lives of service–instead of talking about it. We will model our actions after the same person whom the church in the first century modeled after–Jesus. He worshiped–He connected–and He served–giving 100% of His being to God, because of His love for the Lord. We can not do any less.

I know for certain now–that light–the one I have seen at the end of the tunnel is not the oncoming train wreck–it is the Light of the World–waiting to walk with us in our new adventure of faith–Velocity.

Paul

Hurdles

New church plants have many hurdles to overcome, but nothing in the amount of hurdles that face the hybrid or transitioning church that chooses to re-invent itself within a community. In fact, the outside community will accept the new direction of an old church, much easier than will the old church accept the new direction. People get set in their ways. Traditions become golden. What was good for us yesterday should be good enough for today. Why can’t they do as we did to be a part of this church. On and on it goes, as the old church struggles with new ways.

Recently I have emphasized a need to let go of our traditions, our old tired ways and face the future with open minds and hearts to allow God to direct us to new ways. This is not going to be easy. For even the Israelites were forced to wander the wilderness for years because they could not accept the Promise Land’s potential problems and differences from their previous life. “Let’s turn around and go back”, they cried out to Moses. Go back to what–slavery, suffering and death. I agree with the Apostle Paul, we must not look back, but press on to the future–to the finishing of our faith.

The hurdle that is most needed to overcome is a double sided coin. On one side we must realize God is the judge, not us. We must leave our condemning ways behind. We must approach all people with the eyes of God who loves them. We accept people where they are and teach, pray and lead them to a relationship with Jesus. We can not expect them to change first and meet Jesus second. The secret to that non-judging attitude or approach is to really live a forgiving lifestyle. We must understand the need to forgive those who reject us or reject Christ. We must learn to forgive those who turn away from our offer to help or give. We must forgive as Christ forgives, turning a cheek, walking another mile, or giving away our cloak, despite the reception. A hurdle indeed that every Christian will face when they examine the path to the cross. These are exciting times in which to serve Jesus–don’t miss out on Velocity.
Worship–Connect–Serve

Paul

Atlanta Fest

Just received a brochure about Atlanta Fest going on this summer at Stone Mountain Park, June 19-21. Great line up of Christian Artists will be on stage, plus local talent as well. Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp and Barlow Girl are but a few of the headliners. There is a web site, Atlantafest.com which will give you the scope.

Paul

The Hand of God

Our leadership meeting last evening ended in prayer. We prayed for God to guide the decisions made that they be in accordance with His will. We prayed for doors to open and if God wills, for doors to close. We were willing to accept His direction for all of our decisions.

Today, I had a visitor at the office, who had previously made an offer on some rental properties we are selling to raise funds. His bid was too low and he stopped in to explain why he bid what he did. I informed him, we now had an written offer, much more than his and he agreed we should pursue that one. In our conversation he found out about our church being for sale, and informed me he had a preacher friend who just might be interested. Great, bring him over. And in conversation with my guest, he told me he used to drive commercial buses, but now serves as a driver for a company which leases buses to churches for trips. I said I was interested because we were planning to check into selling our bus. One thing led to another, and before you know it, I am in our bus barn, cranking up the bus and talking with my guest’s boss about the details on our church bus. They are planning to visit us later to give a price on the worth of the bus to them and to any other end user we might negotiate a sell.

As my guest left, I stopped for just a moment and spoke with God. He had done just what we ask Him to do last night at our leadership meeting. He took a door which closed, and proceeded to open another door and while at it, possibly open a few more doors to help us raise the needed funds for Velocity. The hand of God was quite evident in my office this morning. I was reminded of Nehemiah, pleading his case to rebuild Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 2:18
¹⁸ Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.

The hand of God is always at work, leading those who are willing to follow.

Paul

No Rules–Really Now

My message to our future church planters of Velocity certainly will be memorable. This past Sunday, dressed in blue jeans, I stood to preach the sermon entitled, “Our number one rule-is that we have no rules–only relationships”

Jesus encountered a Jewish lifestyle encumbered with rules; rules about rules; and more rules plus traditions. Velocity is stripping away the rules and replacing them with relationships. Jesus spent a lot of ink (ok, voice) in the sermon at the mount dealing with living under law verses living within relationships. Murder, adultery, encountering enemies, and more in Matt. 5:17-48 are all expanded by Jesus to replace a “rule” with a relationship. Velocity will not be encumbered by lists and rules, but be guided by relationships. Really, yes really.

First, our relationship to God is paramount. Our worship brings us to God to both receive and give. His command to love Him with all of our heart, our soul, our mind and our body means we make decisions in our life, based on the best possible relationship we can develop with our creator.

Secondly, we connect to one another in Small Groups, developing a relationship to accountability partners, close friends, and new friends in the name of Christ. We learn, we pray, we celebrate and we fellowship with one another.

Thirdly, we serve the world around us. We build relationships of servitude. Whether giving a cup of cold water in Jesus name, giving away blankets and coats to the homeless, washing windows, cleaning bathrooms or whatever service project can be found–we serve–we build relationships with the world, not to become as they are–but to show them the bridge of love to become like God. This is real Christian living and demonstration of God’s love in our lives.

Yep, the only rule we have is that we have no rules–only relationships. Velocity–living for God at the speed of love.

Paul