NVCCC Youth Conference- Harrisonburg, VA

This past weekend I returned from the Virginia Mountains, spending Friday- Sunday at a Presbyterian Conference Center- Masanetta Springs.  The grounds were gorgeous and the time with the youth from Northern Virginia was forever etched on my heart. 

Spending 3 days with the Northern Virginia Chinese Christian Church was an amazing trip.  I have led this conference for years so it was very special to see many of the dynamics of the youth are still intact from year to year, but also that things change.  I spoke to about 30 youth from middle school through working adults in what they call the english ministry.  All the parents would gather and worship in their Chinese tongue, the children and young adults did the same, but only in English.  I was the featured speaker.  I was blessed to bring my wife and three kids with me.  The church was so generous in hosting my whole family and it did add a dynamic that will not soon be forgotten.

I hope to be sharing some memorable moments from my trip but in one of our 5 worship gatherings we experienced a defining moment.  As usual, I was feeling free to be very open and quite confrontive about certain things that I was sharing about.  In general I was sharing how the need to totally love and serve Christ is totally essential.  At one point I asked those who were certain of their love for God to stand up and identify themselves as so.  One precious girl stood but leaned over at the chair in front of her.  I asked her from the podium, "are you ok?", thinking she might be sick or something.  She replied, "is it ok if I half way stand up?"  Without thought I quickly replied, "Absolutely not.  You need to sit down, because to serve and love God cannot be a question of deliberation but of commitment."  That young girl had tears in her eyes throughout the entire sermon.  I was wondering if somehow I may have been too direct, especially to a middle school student.  But the reality was that she was one of the ones I know that I was most impressed with.  It took guts to do and say what she said.  It was a miracle for that conversation to take place in the setting we were in.  And yet, the directness simply set the tone for the reality that God is just not satisfied with comfortable, status quo Christianity.  I loved that girl's honesty, her sincerity, her passion in the struggle.  It was real.  There were no masks and hypocrisy, only pure heart wrestling.  I so respected her for that.  And in a strange way, I felt excited for her because our 8 hour car drive was all for her.  That one girl was a soul that I knew God would touch that weekend.

Later in the weekend, maybe in the night session that very day, this sweet Chinese middle school girl, convicted to the core of her heart at how the Living God Jesus Christ deserves to be worshipped by a people who are not ashamed to live for Him alone and nothing more or less, gave her heart and life to Christ.  I was so humbled and in awe to watch God do what only He can do.

I thank the Lord for the opportunity to know these precious people, a church filled with uncommon love.  And I am so grateful to be used to sow into this fine fellowship and be a part of the work that the Lord did on their precious hearts.

Getting Free- A Few Thoughts

Sorry for the quiet blog.... so glad you are still tuning in and I hope that you are being blessed by the entries.  Today I share a piece from friend and fellow pastor in Kenya, Caleb Ochieng.  Caleb writes a lot on relationships and how we are constantly operating in lower level living because we are being influenced by true demonic oppression and attack.   We are not simply "just depressed,"  or "frustrated".  It is essential to remember that we are in a battle and that it is a key to hold fast to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God which gives us wisdom on how to relate and operate effectively in relationships.  In this writing I share two things from Calebs work 1) self examination and 2) praying for those coming against you. 


Breakthrough from controlling and influencing spirits


"The simplest way to overcome these forces and to live positively in God is to do the following. The list is not exhaustive, it is just a clue:

1. Acknowledge your limitations and sins. Do not allow pride and deception to convince you that you are ok and do not need a personal examination. For something to gain power over against you it must find its relative in you. “The prince of this world is coming but he has nothing IN me” john 14:30. What is in you is the force. What is on you cannot affect you much. It is what comes from within a man that defiles him. (Mk. 7:15, Mt. 15:18-20). In most cases people who are innocently suffering in the hands of others tend to think that they are righteous and their persecutors are wicked. They look forward to the day God will judge those people who afflicted them that they forget to “examine themselves to see whether they are still in the faith”. (2nd Corinthians 13:5.) You too have sins that should be confessed, sins of hatred, selfishness, anger, bitterness, self-righteousness, etc.

2. Pray for them. We have to remember it in our minds that it is when Job prayed for his three friends that God restored his fortunes two times what he had at the beginning. (Job 42:10). It was when Abraham had prayed for Abimelech that God “remembered His promise to Abraham and visited Sarah. Genesis. 20; 18; 21:1. Look at how the two breakthroughs were connected. You pray for those who have mistreated you and you are next in line. What you make happen for others, God makes it happen for you. Your breakthrough is always linked to your human enemies. If you pray for them and bless them you will encounter your own breakthrough almost immediately. If you hold on to their sins against you, God will hold on to your sins against Him and that will be a ceiling upon your head against the flow of God’s goodness. Remember it is seasonal. Breakthrough is always seasonal. It is not present always. It happened to Abraham at exactly the time when God had promised to give him a child from his loin. It happened to job at a time when God had decided to restore Job’s fortune and health. Had he refused to pray for his enemies the blessing of restoration would have just passed by. "

Pastor Caleb rightly suggests that many of us are burdened by unforgiveness, bitterness and unresolved conflict.  Instead of focusing on the hurt and anger, we would do well to pray for our adversaries and perhaps the demonic noose would be loosened around our own day to day experience and walk.

-  Thanks Pastor C

Discipleship

I cut and pasted my wifes homework assignment for today's blog post.  it blessed me much and hope it will you too- Stuart

I “CHRISTIAN SERVICE” study 31

Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost; He lives inside of you.

You have been bought with a price; your body is not your own. Therefore glorify God in

your body and spirit which are Godʼs. I Cor. 6: 19-20.  We arenʼt alive just to exist. We arenʼt saved just to make it into heaven. We are to work and work is fun, creative, fulfilling, and satisfying. Iʼm talking about spiritual work. Our tools for spiritual work are prayer, Holy Spirit, word of God, fellowship. Iʼve never thought of it this way. We have a PURPOSE FOR LIVING!!! That is so amazing. I take that for granted b/c most of mankind live purposeless lives. Sad.

My purpose keeps me going when Iʼm going through tough times.  God doesnʼt want me to serve Him out of fear or duty but out of LOVE FOR HIM!! Jesus came to seek and save the lost & I must do the same because He is my master and my example of whom I am to follow. Jn. 13: 12-17.  I never knew DISCIPLESHIP means service.  It really encourages me to be reminded that “whatever I do, I do it unto the Lord, heartily, not unto men” Col. 3:23-24. When those whom Iʼve labored for act stupid and drop out of the race, my efforts arenʼt in vain b/c what we do for the least of these weʼve done it unto the Lord. Also, itʼs not over till the fat lady sings (thatʼs not in the bible) and even though people seem to quit, talk trash, act a fool...the word of God does not return void, it will accomplish what it was sent to do. God is the God of the impossible. I must surrender these people to His miraculous working hands & never give up on them! I can

be a better servant by guarding my heart so that when people reject God I donʼt get angry with them & the enemy canʼt use that hurt to make me want to quit the race, thus Iʼll be able to continue serving with a right heart until Jesus comes back.

Confession for Community

A good friend of mine Caitlin, forwarded a sweet message from an awesome writer....Deitrich Bonhoffer.  He makes a quote about community and how to "realize it".  We often cry that fellowships of faith are so lame and lacking AUTHENTICITY.  Why this is so dear to my heart is because Christ has adopted His children into His family and calls us to learn how to cultivate community of faith.  This community is different than elks, kiwanis, rotary, alumni.  It is founded on the spilled blood of Jesus and if all it is, is a bunch of people we hang around with for an hour on Sunday, it is no wonder we are simply going through the motions while checking off our "to do boxes."  .  Read the excerpt from DB:

"In confession the break through to community takes place.  Sin demands to have a man by himself.  it withdraws him from the community.  The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation.  Sin wants to remain unknown.  It shuns the light.  In the darkness of the unexpressed it poisons the whole being of a person.  This can happen even in the midst of a pious community.  In confession the light of the Gospel breaks into the darkness and seclusion of the heart.  The sin must be brought into the light.  The unexpressed must be openly spoken and acknowledged.  All that is secret and hidden is made manifest.  It is a hard struggle until the sin is openly admitted.  But God breaks gates of brass and bars of iron (ps. 107:16).  Since the confession of sin is made in the presence of a Christian brother, the last stronghold of self-justification is abandoned.  The sinner surrenders, he gives up all his evil.  He gives his heart to God, and he finds the forgiveness of all his sin in the fellowship of Jesus Christ and his brother."

FOCUS

I am thinking today of a lot that is going on in my life.  Trying to keep a balance of the regular- like gathering together a sermon that will help build up the saints.  Always enjoying that.  Praying through developing our small group system for accountability and such, which sounds maybe easy, but can be tricky.  Continuing developing a youth ministry that needs to be in place by Sunday week and developing a dance team ministry this weekend.  Sometimes I think I am a glutten for punishment.  Why do I do this to myself? 

Taking JJ to football practice was rough too for me as his dad.  He was matched up against some beasts of boys and looking at it from the sideline it is easy to yell, "get em boy, press in there!"  But man, those boys were big and they looked like high school running backs (J is 9).  One kid got slammed and it wasn't but a couple of plays later that JJ was on the sideline with a leg bruise.  I asked him on the way home if he was scared (I knew I was).  He really got choked up but said yes.  I told him how in football, you really got to be bold and aggressive and how playing half way can only get you hurt.  We went home and I spent a lot of the night thinking how I could bulk his muscles up really quick without using hgh steroids.  I thought about taking him through a crash course on tackling and buying the big puffy "dummies" and pads...I thought about another knute Rockne speach about intensity and passion and giving your body for the team. 

A few minutes later I started to put in some praise music and faded in and out of sleep on the couch in the play room.  In the pitch dark the lyrics began to stir my spirit.... "Holiness, holiness, is what i long for....Lord, what can I give in return for all you've given me?"  I started to envision my son dancing with the dance team with his sisters and other kids from the church.  I thought eternally, what really mattered?  Tackling country bovine boys from the county seat or worshipping God and developing a love and passion for the Lord. 

Don't get me wrong, I am believer that we should be the best we can be in whatever we do, but in perspective.....ONLY what we do for Christ will last.  The Hall of Fame will not last the melt down of the earth, only the worship and love we show to God and each other.  Oh well, dance and football practices are both up on Saturday.  -   Stuart

A Matter of Perspective

I have had the privilege of spending a lot of time with my youngest daughter Syd lately.  JJ and Alex are both back to school.  Heather leads a Wed. a.m. community group meeting for our church and I spend pretty much every Wednesday for a few hours alone with her.  We also get time going to pick up the kids or watching her "bubba" play in his tackle football league.  Recently at Atlanta Bread restaurant I tried to "kill two birds with one stone."  I had a few minutes before I needed to be home with Syd and I convinced her (ok bribed) to go get a cookie so I could check my emails.  One of the joys of the financial crunch is lack of cable/internet at home!  So I am a wanderer now...a wi-fi signal junkie.  As Syd crunched on her cookie I was in a moment of bliss, replying to my 27 emails that piled up in a few days of no email exposure.  While we talked about barbies, our next daddy-daughter date, our dog Scooby, and the reality of how upset she was that although we went to the library and two parks, we went to the "wrong" ones...she demonstratively let me know that her cookie was not enough bribe to divert my half hearted replies.  As I looked down at her from our high raised table I noticed her looking up.  Not to be too much distracted by her inquisitive glances upward, I dove back into my final email, frantically replying so as to expedite my brief absence of total attention to Ms. Royall.  Then came the sentence of the week:

"Daddy, how come people put gum under the tables?"

Ok, so maybe that doesn't hit you like it did me, but what I got from that one statement:  PERSPECTIVE.  Frantically typing and trying my best at balancing relational devotions vs business responsibility (ok, ducking quality time is better).  That comment totally smacked me out of my unrealistic multi-media escapade.  The diverted Atlanta Bread trip was officially over.  I shut the computer and was totally amazed.  We walked out hand and hand, and got back to our "scooby" talk enjoying a ride of 7 minutes home through our neighborhood.  I was reminded while I was surrounded by unrealistic pressure to respond to emails, buy off kids with cookies and divert conversation with quick glances and one word "uh huh's"..... Syd sees gum underneath the table.  Perspective.  It is amazing what two people observe in the same setting.  For whatever it is worth, this is my inspiration so far this week.   - Stu

Sincere Love

"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.  Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible through the word of God which lives forever." 1 Peter 1:22-23.

This word is a good word.  The words that stick out to me are bolded for this discussion.  Sincere and fervent.  Going through some stuff and not really feeling loved you know, not valued and struggling with how to deal with a few bretherenses.  Trying to be a part of a company of people who are committed to Christ and each other.  So often, petty stuff just gets in the way.  To love sincerely....hmmmmm. What is that?  Sincere : not hypocritical or deceitful; open; genuine.  Well that is good.  We are to be open, not to pull punches.  Not to "act" like everything is ok and it isn't then go around with a mask on, acting like we are alright.  God tells us to love the brethren with sincerity.  I think I love loyalty so much because it is committed.  I know who I am with.  When relationally I come into a conflict with someone I fear that it all is going to get undone.  I am going to lose it.  So my fear naturally makes me put on a mask.  Act like it is ok.  Even if it isn't.  Man that is hypocritical.  God is wanting not just kindness love.  Not just patient love.  Not just forgiving love.  But sincere love.  You know when Jesus told Peter that he knew about Peter forsaking him.  When Jesus rebuked the religious Pharisees.  When Jesus spoke to the Father in agonizing pain, "Father, why have you forsaken me?"  I am longing today for sincerity.  God I want to be sincere.  With my brothers.  It is so hard.  You know, cause in yeilding to sincerity, it means to take off masks and take risks, but the reward is written in Peter's epistle as he says that we actually PURIFY our SOULS through obeying the word of truth  through the Spirit (of the Living God living in us as believers) by HAVING SINCERE LOVE- for our brothers.  So put it more directly....insincerity is not only falling short, it is DISOBEDIENCE.  That means impurity.  Wow.  Too often I think that if I am not truly true with my brothers and sisters in Christ it is a choice.  Just my choice, but in reality, witholding sincerity is wrong.  The last part here is fervent love.  You know as we grow in sincerity, we probably will lose some dear friendships cause truly many people can't handle candor.  Many people don't want sincerity, they want casuality and distance.  Well that is impossible in the Church of the living God.  When we take risks to love with sincerity, I have to believe that we will see solid friendships become more solid.  Through the fires of testing.  When that happens, loyalty is birthed.  Loyalty to our friends and brothers, and a redefined loyalty to our Christ.  That momentum is the birth of fervency in relationship.  How much ferver do you feel towards your church brethren?  Catch a fire and make our hearts sincere Lord!  - Stu

Too Much Free Time

Just happen to be in a new focus of study right now.  Reading a book that I have always wanted to read but never have made time for.  Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured for Christ.  Ok, if you have never read this book and are a Christian you probably need to repent now.  I know I am!  Wurmbrand lived through torture and imprisonment in the communist control of Romania.  I know little of his life, but I am seeking to learn more.  He is a true example of faith.  I am dealing with some stuff in the local church.  Thinking about how we as Christians often slip and slide around in sin and mediocre living.  After reading half of his book (Wurmbrand), I think "western Christianity" is so weak and anemic because we are simply bored.  We are not DOING ANYTHING.  I will leave you two excerpts of the book, examples of the suffering that his fellow underground church members endured during the harsh communistic rule....

"One of our workers in the Underground Church was a young girl.  The Communist police discovered that she secretly spread Gospels and taught children about Christ.  They decided to arrest her.  But to make the arrest as agonizing and painful as they could, they decided to delay her arrest a few weeks, until the day she was to be married.  On her wedding day, the girl was dressed as a bride- the most wonderful, joyous day in a girl's life!  Suddenly, the door burst open and the secret police rushed in.  When the bride saw the secret police, she held out her arms toward them to be handcuffed.  They roughly put the manacles on her wrists.  She looked toward her beloved, then kissed the chains and said, 'I thank my heavenly Bridegroom for this jewel He has presented to me on  my marriage day.  I thank Him that I am worthy to suffer for Him.'  She was dragged off, with weeping Christians and a weeping bridgroom left behind.  They knew what happens to young Christian girls in the hands of communist guards.  Her bridegroom faithfully waited for her.  After five years she was released- a destroyed, broken woman, looking thirty years older.  She said it was the least she could do for her Christ.  Such beautiful Christians are in the Underground Church." 

One final story to share: 

"It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners, as it is in captive nations today.  It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating.  A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their terms.  It was a deal; we preached and they beat us.  We were happy preaching; they were happy beating us- so everyone was happy.  The following scene happened more times than I can remember.  A brother was preaching to the other prisoners when the guards suddenly burst in, surprising him halfway through a phrase.  They hauled him down the corridor to their, 'beating room.'  After what seemed an endless beating, they brought him back and threw him- bloody and bruised- on the prison floor.  Slowly, he picked up his battered body, painfully straightened his clothing and said, 'Now, brethren, where did I leave off when I was interrupted?'  He continued his gospel message."

I think what is lacking in our Western church experience is too much freetime.  God emblazen us with a passion for the Christ, and not be satisfied with church attendance and simple Bible study.  Let us share the gospel even to the point of ridicule and shame.  -  Stuart

All That I Have ( a song by Niyoki) to the Lord

I'm making an assessment of what I have to offer You....and it falls so short of what You deserve.  I just want to show You, that I am thinking of You.  If only I could shout it throughout the earth.  Searched all over only to find there's nobody like You.  You have given me everything, can I give it back to You?  What can I render for all that You've given? I want to give more of myself to You. Hear my expression of love and fulfillment.  My soul does cry out, it's longing for You.  As a deer panteth for the water, so does my heart cry out for You.  And I just want to show You, that I enjoy You....I want to please You more, I really do.  I know you for just who You are.  I'm amazed You think of me.Your Omnipotent in all You do. So I will give worship at Your feet.What can I render for all that You've given? I want to give more of myself to You. Hear my expression of love and fulfillment. My soul does cry out, it's longing for You. As a deer panteth for the water, so does my heart cry out for You.  All that I have, is Yours.  And all of my praise is Yours.  All of my time and all of my service is Yours.  And I want to give you more....more, more.....more.  It's not enough what i give You.  Help me to give you MORE.

Hurry Up!

Ok....scary picture.  I am running out (of pictures not words HA!).  Pray for a brother.  Just reading another church brochure for small groups out of DC, and here is the footnote (National Community Church) out of DC.  The small group brochure is SWEET, and what their director of small groups (Will Johnston) says is even SWEETER.

"Despite being one of the fruits of the Spirit, patience isn't something we discuss often.  I've been doing a lot of thinking about patience recently, and I've found it to have far-reaching implications for our happiness, our definition of success, even our relationship with God.  Proverbs 15:18 tells us that "a hot tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel."  An impatient person is quick to react, often without full understanding, imposing the certainty of his or her view while still being ignorant of reality.  A patient person fosters peace by remaining calm and taking time to figure out what's really happening in a given situation.  A community that has no peae, whose members are constantly on the defensive- or the offensive- because they are impatient and react without thinking will not continue to grow together.  They will always reserve, hold back, so as not to cause a fight.  Or they'll get so angry that one day they simply walk away.  In 2 Timothy, Paul writes, 'Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage- with great patience and careful instruction.'  Spiritual growth doesn't happen overnight.  Fallen people don't always respond immediately to correction or advice.  Patience with others when they don't act as quickly as we would like results in spiritual growth, for them...and for us...over the long-term.  A community that doesn't grow, well, it's nearly pointless.  It may be fun, which is good, but one of the central purposes of Christian community is that we continue to spur each other on to become more like Christ.  It's a long process.  We can't give up on one another.  I know I often get fed up with people when they're not where I'd like them to be, but then, I'm not where I'd like to be either: How patient are you?"      Good word.  Lord help us to have that fruit fully!- Stu

Use The Weapon!

I have had so much to share with all of you,  but as things would be we are challenged not having an internet service at the moment.  Please pray that I would have good wifi strategies in the days ahead :).

Praise report....I called a medical company dealing with part of Heather’s surgery.  They were about to send our bill to collections.  We were so encouraged when I called them and asked them to set up a payment plan.  They totally forgave the entire $2,000 bill.  Minor detail.

Now a word by Derek Prince in his book “Secrets of a Prayer Warrior” that I thought would inspire:  “There are 3 main weapons (spiritual) 1) the Word of God, 2) The Name of Jesus, 3) The Blood of Jesus.  We use these weapons by these means: Prayer, praise, preaching and testimony.  Ephesians 6 states that there is no weapon of offense or attack, until we come to the sixth item, which is the Word of God.  If you do not use the Word of God, you may be able to protect yourself, but you have nothing to attack Satan with.  If you want to put Satan to flight, if you want to get him out of your way, out of your home, out of your family, out of your business, if you do not want just to tolerate him and hold him off, the weapon you must use is the weapon of attack, the sword of the Spirit the Word of God.”  

In thinking of this writing the picture I get is Sylvester Stallone in those ridiculous "Rocky" movies being nailed over and over and over and all I could think was...."Rocky, you have to punch back."  Many times I feel that is how I fight in the spirit realm against Satan and his cohorts.  I have a tough chin...I can take a tough week, negative reports, ridiculous odds, challenging health and finances, unbelievable reports and relational challenges.  This writing makes me see myself like a prize fighter taking a beating.  "I'm still standing," I say, but then again, I'm not really throwing any punches.  Today I was encouraged to not just stand against the onslaught of the enemy but to search the Word of God diligently to find the wealth of ammunition that I can USE against the enemy.  Are you discouraged today? Overwhelmed? In pursuit by negativity?  Grab the Word and see what it says to your circumstance.  Call it out of your mouth and declare it over your situation.  The promises of God in the Word are not only to encourage us but to be used as a WEAPON.  Prince says in his book that a Bible sitting on a shelf has no power, but one that is appropriated is very powerful indeed.  Fight the good fight of faith with the WORD herd! - Stu

Free Falling?- Trivia Answer and Award

Ok... so the winner of the trivia contest is Pastor Jeff Hoglan from North Carolina!  J-dog, your next starbucks is on me when you make it to Myrtle!  For the rest of you, you can check out the cartoon and get a more complete story from Acts chapter 20.  So it is totally not a bad thing to preach long, even though it is not acceptable in our current culture.  Remember the Apostle Paul went way beyond the normal 20 minutes preaching until sunrise.   Just a piece of advice:  If you are ever in one of our services and we go beyond 60 minutes of preaching, please, please don't sit next to a window, especially if we are on the 3rd floor.  I would hate to have to "fall on you" like Paul did, I am not sure we would have the same results :)

Sermon Online

Just wanted to invite ya'll to view our weekly sermon's online through the blogosphere.  To the right of the current post, note 180-web resources as a section on this blog.  Under the resource tab, you can click either our church webpage "180-degrees.net"....also you can click the "sermon's online" link to take you to vimeo.com where you can view the past sermons that I have preached at 180, online.  Special thanks to bro. Michael Tucholski and John Mashburn (the guy in the pink thing in the last post) for all their work to make this a reality.  

PS... if you don't like long sermons, don't even go there....I am a truly longwinded brother.  Just ask Eutechus (see if you get it....winner gets a free coffee with me at Fresh Brewed. I dare you to guess.)

-Stu

Hot Mash In Pink

Ok...so I am not so spiritual.  Shoot me.  Here is my good friend John Mashburn.  This just proves to you that 180 is not only a crazy Jesus Freak church but one that knows how to loosen up and smile a little.  John, you look great in pink hats and whatever the heck that is around your neck....

Pray for me, I need more inspiration to write a relevant blog post!!!!!!!!!!  Ha!

Stu

Ugly signs

Just a crazy story.  When we say "to God be the glory"... here is what I mean.  So a long, long time ago maybe over a year ago a brother in the church suggested we put out a sign before services.  We used to do that when we were on the other side of town.  I thought is a good idea and so we encouraged him to build it, which he did.  After a while an artist added to the sign with paint and addressed it in a really impressionistic and fancy way.  Every event we had the artist would repaint the sign with the event and then back over it again with the church meeting info for Sundays and such. 

After a while the sign just got put in the back of the church.  180 functions out of a coffee house so there is no signage at all for the church, so we pretty much function via word of mouth.  About 5 months ago I started being convicted to put the sign out, but I wanted it to be pretty.  So I told all the painters/artsy types to paint it all angles and edges not fru fru.  Well that didn't go far because who do you know that is artsy wants to paint stencily?  So I took it home and put about 2 days into it.  Making it all lines and edges, painted the whole sign black with freehand lettering.  At best it resembled 2nd grade cursive, but it was done by golly.  Next thing I know the sign got taken to a yard sale and was relettered.  I could have died.  Only because the sign ultimately kept sitting and never being used. 

Well this weekend I took out that old sign and for the second week in a row sat it on the sidewalk.  Ironically, one side of the sign isn't even finished.  It is a bit ridiculous, but I am so frustrated about this thing that I put it out in its deplorable space, hoping someone came in from the other side that they might see the "finished" signage and details of worship and our meeting.

Well, the service was fine as we talked about not worrying and reading Matthew chapter 6.  I felt the presence of the Lord was with us.  After service on the way out I was instructed to talk to a man who did not feel comfortable coming up to prayer.  I asked him as I introduced myself how I could help him.  He responded in tears, "I want to know Jesus."  We went to the back room and I listened to learn of this homeless man's story.  He had only been in a church 2 times in his life.  Now at 43, he was homeless, broken, and ready for God to forgive him of all his sins.  It moved me for sure.  Well the process for salvation doesn't change for economics we all know well, so we prayed to the God that cares and Jesus came into that man's heart I am sure of it. 

Just tonight, I was going through the information that new attenders fill out for us and put in our "giving box".  One of the fields of questions we sort is, "How did you hear about us?"  The man's answer:  "Sign out front."

Here's to ugly signs

-Stu

Juicing Stones and Love

Heather asked me last night why it is that I put such random pictures beside my blogs, and to tell you the truth, I just want to share my family and church and life.... so randomness of pictures is somewhat of the norm.  Here is one from my little man JJ before we moved to Myrtle Beach.  Behind me is the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton, VA. 

Ironically I can use this picture to explain my day.  Feeling crushed a bit.  Discouraged; misunderstood; hard pressed.  The armor suit was a "Armor of God" outfit that came with scriptures from Ephesians 6.  I definitely needed the armor today!  As we labor from day to day in the kingdom so much is done to establish the truth of the kingdom and the freedom that comes with knowing Christ.  Addicted, mental and miserable people exchange their weights for the freeing love of God and the forgiveness that pulls away all remnants of sin's tainting in life.  Insecurities vanish.  Fears are done away with.  Shy and introverted people become bold and impassioned for Christ. 

In the midst of all of this tough day I had to examine what was so tough about it.  The lack of love around me.  We gather and talk about how good God is and how passionate we are about being followers of God and all the while having little love at all for the people called to be our family (the church).  I am learning that the scriptures are true when they say in 1 Corinthians 13 that if I could give my body up to be burned, or have faith to move mountains or could speak in tongues of angels and know all mysteries but have not love it is NOTHING.  My frustration with people today is that I just want them to love each other....just want to, not actually do it (smile).  I was talking with some dudes...close dudes....ministry partners, and when I was told one didn't like the other and didn't even want to, I wanted to throw up.  I was like, "huh?"  "Well, I guess I better just quit the ministry and all that I am doing because it isn't worth jack squat if that is how you want to feel and stay."  And I truly mean that. What good is it without the WANT TO? Who wants to be a church that "tolerates" each other.  Yuck.  Ooogaly boogaly.  Don't get me wrong.  People get on my nerves daily.  But, oh how I receive them, I just love them, I hope for them, I believe that God is gonna get em, get a hold of em.  You know, the "never give up on people."  Don't get me wrong, there is a time to distance and a time to confront with boldness, but that doesn't mean the love is missing. 

God help me.  Help our church.  Help 180 to want to LOVE each other.  You know?  Really, just want to.  In the end of the day a dear brother sent me a word that said,  "His life is like an orange, cut in half and ground, over a juicing stone and poured in a cup."  Talk about humbling.... I just wanted to fall down thinking about that statement...feeling far from it.  He was saying that about my life.  At the moment, I just wanted to throw oranges.  Feeling my life is amounting to little when the attitudes that I experienced in the church were so anemic regarding the basic LOVE that Christ gives and calls for us.  But then again, that is what the juicing stone is....it is gut wrenching, but we sit on it.  Let it tear us up....give ourselves.  Thanks bro for sending me that encouragement.  I was ready to get off the juicer, but praise God, Love is going to be the foundational value in 180 if I have to eat the juicing stone til I go home.  It is worth it to suffer and press to the greater place of love even if we never see it actualized.  Praying for more love.  -  Stu

Syd Snores On

Was praying today and just plain thankful for a full and rich life that God has given me.  This am woke up ready to have a full day....plans to meet with a brother and a couple of meetings.  Train wreck to that day....wake up to Alexandra having a full on reaction to her anti-biotics for her staph infection.  Hives all over, red splotch and itching all over.  The 3rd time we had to take her to the doc in 8 days.  She seems to be leveling out, so thanks for all your prayers.  After picking up some meds for Alex, I headed out to encourage a sister in the Lord about her admin assistant ministry.  She was growing weary in it all and I had the opportunity to just listen and give some feedback about the 3 or 4 things she was doing great and where she needed to focus.  She was relieved as we prayed and gave her concerns to the Lord.  I was able to make it out and meet our soon to be newlyweds and move them from house to house from 1 to 7.  It was a lot of stuff, but we had great opportunity to connect, laugh and goof off about all that they didn't but should have sold at a yard sale!  From there I was able to come home and just walk the dog and hang while my family enjoyed monopoly jr.  Syd got scared tonight so she wanted to "sleep in the big chair" near me.  That is where I am now....just thinking about this day and the goodness of God.  I am looking forward to a day tomorrow meeting with a brother at 10 am over coffee, discussing his weekly Bible study.  How Jesus is speaking to him.  How I can just support and pray with him and he for me.  Then off to meet another pastor who is trying to get his ministry off the ground.  Planning to listen and just encourage him to get the vision, clarify the vision, execute the vision and then evaluate the execution.  He will be great, I just know it.  Following that I have the privilege to speak to a men's breakfast at Sunset Beach Community Church on Saturday am.  Somewhere in there I get the privilege of shutting in with Jesus and getting in His word, knowing he will lead me to have "something for the people" on Sunday.  Again we will be training 3 new members in a class on Sunday and installing a new worship leader as well.  All of this along with am wake up calls to kids on my bed, wet dog noses, sweet hugs from my beautiful wife and the challenges of balancing it all.  There is no greater joy than to be where you are supposed to be and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to do just that.  Thanks for listening to my rambling....I wish you could hear little Syd snore, you would laugh!  Stu

This is the day that the Lord has made.  Surrounded by a group of kids that are healthy.  Alexandra's staff infection has totally turned for the better.  What started as a boil has now "leaked" and her anti-biotics have helped her turn the corner.  She can now walk pain free and now has a good "itch" going on.

Heather continues to heal from her surgery.  We were told six weeks for recovery, but hearing from other folks, it can take up to a year or two to really get the body back to feeling right.  We thought perhaps something was off.  We are just slowing down on the timetable for healing and allowing her body to adjust, while not pushing it too hard.

The kids pick up school again on the 23rd of this month.  Jeremiah will be a big 4th grader.  Alex will be in the 3rd grade and Sydney will be around mommy's apron one more final year.  Think it may be time to adopt!  We won't know what to do without a little pooter scooter around the house. 

The challenges have been many in this season.  Mainly the reality of launching into full time ministry with a small church.  The house is on the market and we are continuing to hold on and trust God for all that is necessary for this season.  Our kids have stayed fed, the lights have stayed on and by God's grace my wife still loves me, trusts God's leading in our life and is my most stalwart supporter and defender.  Facing lack in the face is a challenge many people are facing in our current economy, and we know that at any point the Lord will be breaking through this present struggle to the place of breakthrough.

If you know of anyone wanting a beach house in Myrtle tell em to respond to the blog :) 

Well, your prayers are essential for us crew.  God is doing great things in the church.  Marriages the right way are coming together.  Drug addicts are getting delivered.  Just today an atheist called one of our church members and asked if I would come by and pray with her.  A young agnostic named Christian (I know... no I didn't make it up), has been attending our services every Sunday night.  She stays around the front of the cafe and does not venture in the services, but it is obvious that God is drawing her.  One of our members left for New York to get things right with her family after years of neglect.  I know I should write more, but for now, share in prayers of thanksgiving with us as God continues to deliver, heal and bring folks to stable places in life, solidifying their everlasting and eternal hope in Christ.  Pray for a miracle of provision for our home and that it would sell.  We feel the Lord wants us to downsize so that we can have less need and can give more to focus of the work of the Lord.  The needs are too great in our current situation.... time for a breakthrough. 
Thanks for partnering with us in this season in prayer.

Nothin but love for ya baby!  -Stu

Don't Settle

Recently talked to a friend about his disappointments and depressions in life.  I didn't want to pick up the phone myself really.  Not because I didn't want to talk but because I was struggling much of the day thinking a lot of the lack in my life.  Lack of this in the church, lack of that in my leadership as a father.  Not being as far along as maybe I thought I should be or whatever.  As dude kept on talking, all I could do is hear that brother wavering on some bad decisions.  A week ago, dude was feeling right on point, feeling like God was speaking to him.  As I listened all I could hear him saying was. "Yada, yada, yada....Jesus is not enough."  Now that is not what he was saying, you know....but that is what I heard.  Depression had begun to set in because his decisions made a week ago that he was passionate about, sure about, strong about left him this weekend, alone, iso/bored and feeling like a loser.  I was asked if God was "punishing me for bad decisions?"  We re-winded the week and recollected that the decisions he previously made were solid.  They were made to glorify God.  They were made to bring order and stability in his life.  But when he made his decisions and the issues exited stage left, all that was left were some crickets.  Can you hear them chirping?  Zero activity in his life.  And you know, I truly felt for a brother, but I didn't want to rescue him from his "narrow gate" that scripture talks of.  Denying self and going for God almost always leads us to death of self.  And folks, death is not fun.  It means sometimes isolation and fear and roads less....I mean never before traveled.  As I began to grab myself from my own depression and downcast state (right before the phone rang), I counseled him on what I knew to be true in the Bible.  Going God's way does not promise to deliver the right away answer, the right now breakthrough, the quick cut solution to all the things we long for (success, companionship, etc). As the call went on we recognized that when we are dying to our "self-life", our agenda, the things that we reason are best for us, we get what I call the wiggle.  That wiggle is the last ditch effort to go back and go to what we know is comfortable.  I asked dude if going back to those things would make him happy....he hesitated and really didn't say much.  I said it a different way explaining that when we wiggle, God will usually do one of two things.  He will wait til we lose the whine.  He will let us keep going through the pain (see Israelites in the desert) until they LEARN to be grateful.  That could be two weeks or two years.  OR.... He will give us what we want.  Now you know what I am about to say, but here goes.  What we want is not going to be what we need.  Why?  Cause it ain't from God.  It is our vision and our desire.  That thing will be fun for a season then God will reveal later, "hey, you are miserable because of what you wanted.  You wanted this and I gave it to you, but guess what, you really need ME."   Jesus.  You are enough for me Lord.  Thank you for the call Dude.  Didn't need to hear all the want in that brother really (I could barely listen to my own), but as I went deep in the Word, You did what you promised You would do (bring remembrance to me of all things.)  As I helped a brother with your Word and your Spirit reminder, You so helped me.  Remember today with me friends.... Jesus is enough.  Period. Don't settle with the wiggle itch, it will only be unsatisfying.  Stand firm with your decisions....Trust God for a GODLY MATE, let God LIFT YOU UP instead of yourself, DON'T CUT CORNERS with your finances etc.... God will bring your blessing as you walk upright before Him.  And His provision will be good and no regret!  DON'T SETTLE - Stu

The Glory of Inconvenience

Hey all.... an update on one of our bay-bays and an intro to a couple new church folks.  First our second child, Alexandra woke up to a very sore and stiff knee.  Red/swollen and apparently what is called a mercer staph infection.  Tons of pain, but now on antibiotics, Alex is her ever ready tough girly self.  Pray for her, need to keep that yuck stuff out of the bones in her knee for now.

Meet Nicole and Landen.  "Nikki" is a new church member, well, she has been with us now for a pretty good while.  She gave me permission to share her story with you.  Coming from a very hard life and running like the rest of the world, Nikki came in to the church through recovery programs held at the church coffee shop.  Her and her boyfriend Louis were committed to coming to church and attending our small group meetings and one on one discipleship training process.  Nikki is Heather's study partner.  Soon after getting involved in the process, they wanted to join the church and are set to wed this month on the 21st.  In going through pre-marital counseling I came to understand that they were living together with 2 kids from other marriages.  I "coached" them to separate for the wedding and live a chaste life until tying the not.  I encouraged them that even if one of them was "sleepin on the couch" we as Christians need to set the standard of godliness even to an unbelieving world.... and MOVE OUT.  Nikki and Louis struggled with this much because of their finances, the kids and the challenges of living, working and churching all in different areas.  The church stepped up and offered to house them and help with childcare.  What blesses me is that the church often tells people how to live, but in reality, nobody wants to step up to the plate to BE A SOLUTION.  WOW.  How inconvenient it has been for little Landen.  Mommy Nikki sleeping on a blow up mattress for a month in a spare play room in the house.  Little Madison coming over during the day.  How inconvenient for their gas....being spent double time with double miles driven doubly daily.  How inconvenient for Heather coming off of surgery, in pain, taking Nikki to go through surgery and then having 5 kids to watch instead of 3.  How inconvenient that everyday these two kids who were solid at home got separated for a season for what? Jesus?  Some would call it super-unnecessary religious fanaticism bordering phariseeism, but as Nikki and Louis stand where shore meets sea with her girls and his boys....and we open up the Word of God on the 21st, I know that all of Heaven will be applauding.  "Way to go kids".  Both of the two will come together not perfect, but changing.  Changing values, changing attitudes and changing lifestyles.  We even know that Landen and Maddy will see a living testimony of how to value God's way of marriage.  Celebrate with me for Nikki and Louis.  A beautiful family and a clean conscience....the Glory of Inconvenience.-  Stu