Emmanuel Christian Fellowship - McGregor, TX

Check out Ashli’s video!!!    CLICK HERE!!!   OK…I’m just going to keep feeding you blog sites and links of these amazing kids!  Ashli is one of those racers who brings so much stability and God juice to the squad and her team!  She is amazing!  Read her stories, pray for her and follow the journey!  Ashli is a world changer!  She is making a difference  Patti and I love her so much.   -Mike-

Check out Stephanie’s blog!!! The World Race is a giant net that catches all types of fishermen.  These kids come from all kinds of places, all kinds of backgrounds, with all kinds of gifts and talents.  Patti and I are constantly amazed at what they can do individually and collectively!  Stephanie Pridgen may be the best writer that The World Race has ever had.  Her writing usually comes from a deep place and always moves our heart!  Do your self a favor and get acquainted with Stephanie’s stuff!  It is beyond good!

This is an experiment.  I preached at Black’s house last week in Colorado Springs and this is the “outline” of that message.  The Queen Mum suggested I put it on paper…so here it is.   It really doesn’t belong in a blog, so just consider it a Bible Study.  Yeah…print it off, get yo Bible and dig.  Send me a text message if it helped.   Peace!  - Mike -

KILLERS OF OUR CALL
-    We have to come to grips with the fact that there is a “call” on our life.
-    Quit thinking in terms of public “ministry”
-    Realize that there is a purpose and destiny that drafts us into a “call”.

1 Thessalonians 5 (highlights)
V:5  We are sons and daughters of light and life.  Do our attitudes and behaviors reflect that?
V:8  Give attention to the spiritual atmosphere in our heart…be sober…alert to such information.
V:11 Does the juice coming off of our life edify and build up others?
V:23  Blameless which requires us being aware of our condition.

-    We have to wake up and live in “agreement” with our call, destiny & purpose.
-    The following are the exact opposite of the release of Christ thru us.
-    These things kill the effectiveness of our “call”.

#1 -  ANGER PACKAGE  Colossians 3:1-10

V:8 – The Anger Package
•    Anger – {orge} impulsive natural animal instincts
•    Wrath – {thumos) heated rage, fierce indignation “looses mind”
•    Malice – {kakia} wickedness…wants to return the favor of a wound.
•    Slander – {blasphe} blasphemy…willing to use a lie to spin untruth
•    Abusive Speech -  {aischologia} will use old wounds to dig up leverage.

-    Anger is a power demon that will run interference for control.
-    Anger is the root of depression.
-    If anyone was ever justified to be an angry person, it would have been Jesus Christ!  But, He was not angry at anyone.  Ever.

#2 – JUDGEMENT  Matthew 7:1-5

-    The most disturbing thing about this is that these are HIS words.
-    He points out that hypocrisy is the root of our judgment.

V:2 – “the way” we judge ends up being “the way” we are judged.  We release a judgment and it returns upon our own head.

Galatians 6:1 – We have no business judging how lost people sin.  They are only doing what lost people do.  It is their job description.

We do have responsibility to confront “with love” and “because we love” in the Body, with restoration and healing in mind.  Anything else is just mean and loveless.  There is a warning in this verse that just seeing the sin will release the possibility of our facing that sin and temptation in our own life.

#3 – UNFORGIVENESS  Matthew 6:14-15

The story  found in Matthew 18 tells us that if we are not willing to forgive…anyone and everyone…we release a curse of “torment” upon ourselves.  Most bondage has legal right and access to our life because we won’t forgive.  Forgiveness doesn’t have to make sense.  In fact, most times it makes no sense at all!  But, it is a CHOICE to be free from the spirit of death that steals our joy, peace, happiness and ultimately our “call” to affect people and life with Kingdom.

Luke 17:1-4  Again, we lovingly have a responsibility to hold brothers and sister of the faith to truth…but, if we don’t love them…we have more to get right than they do.  Every time we are sinned against, we MUST chose to forgive.  HE forgave everything!!!

1 John 1:8-10  We do not have the right to NOT forgive.

So now what?  What do we do?  Simple questions.  So here is a super simple answer…R E P E N T!  Drop your rocks, get in touch with your own sin, confess it, release it and go and live again.  The Father moves toward brokenness and a humble spirit.  Receive His forgiveness!  It’s better than sucking on the bitter herbs listed above!!!

You’ve seen it haven’t you?  I’ve watched it countless times.  Having grown up in a small community that was fortunate to have a public swimming pool, lots of kids spend their summer days hanging out at the pool.  It seemed daily that there was another 5, 6 or 7 year old kid who climbed the 3 meter diving board to make that inaugural leap of faith into the sparkling bed of liquid blue diamonds.  It always played out the same…the slow climb to the top, a parent, a brother or sister on the side of the pool chattering away encouragement or rebuke, the shuffle towards the end of the handrail and ultimately that last couple of steps to the end of the diving board.  It was at the end of that sandpaper textured board where a decision had to be made.   What didn’t look so high from the side of the pool, now appears to be a sure free-fall into nothing larger than a toilet bowl.  Fear sets in.  The mind squeals that death is probably certain.  Knees knock, a war with the will ensues and some actually back away, grab the rail and shimmy back down the ladder.  The pool I grew up at wouldn’t allow the back-track to the ground.  Jumping off was the only exit.  Tears would show up and many a lifeguard actually had to climb up the ladder and enforce the poor kid’s plight.   Plenty of fingernail has been gnawed up there, but ultimately the leap of faith, leap of terror, leap of freedom and conquest of the goal ensued.  It was rare for a kid not the march straight back to the line and “do it again”.  But the first time to pursue the unknown is sobering and can be quite life changing.

We’ve been talking a lot about “transition” around ECF.  It does seem that the whole world is in movement with some kind of divine orchestration for change.  Hindes brought a great message when he was here.  Most sermons for the past few months are saturated with the ingredients of transition and change.  We are in “it” and we know it.  Wished that made it easier!

Jesus went thru something very similar with his disciples.  For three years he hung out with his boys.  They saw first-hand what only the rest of the world has read about.  They knew him, how he smelled, what he liked to eat, knew that he had a different way of looking at people.  You couldn’t guess in a million years how he was going to respond to anything.  He had changed their world and every one had an opinion about Jesus.  The buzz of living around Him was like a drug.  Like him, love him, hate him…you knew when He was around or engaged in a moment…anything could happen.   Life was good.  Life was crazy.  People everywhere were clamoring for something from him.  It was intoxicating and draining at the same time.  Quiet with Jesus was so precious.  His undivided attention to a question or issue had to be like liquid gold.  What a ride for a bunch of goobers He called to follow him!

The most familiar text in His transition speech is found in John 14.  It’s emotional enough, but Peterson’s way puts a little sugar in the medicine.  It goes down pretty smooth.  “Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me.  There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you?  And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live.  And you already know the road I’m taking.”  Thomas said, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”  Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me.  If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”  Philip said, “Master, show us the Father; then we’ll be content.”  “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don’t understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, ‘Where is the Father?’  Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren’t mere words. I don’t just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.  “Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see - these works.  The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it.  From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it.  Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.  “If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you.  I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you.  This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!  I will not leave you orphaned.  I’m coming back.  In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me because I am alive and you’re about to come alive.  At that moment you will know absolutely that I’m in my Father, and you’re in me, and I’m in you.”

I have to believe that Jesus knew exactly what the boys needed to hear!  I also have to believe that he had total confidence in their ability to transition into their destiny without becoming emotional mush  in ladder climbs and shuffles across narrow and shaky planks.  Without saying it, he tells them that they need to grow up in their faith, assume some responsibility for the plan and to become “effectual doers” of the Word!  Not easy words for them to process back then.  Not easy words for us now considering our fragile narcissistic culture.  BUT, He knows.  He knows everything.  Everyone one of us has to let go of a rail that directs us back down a trail to our past and what appears to be the illusion of safety.  The leap requires faith and a stomach for a little free falling!  Yippers, we’ve never been here before.  But, we had never been to the last place we just came from either.  IT IS time to go.  It is time to jump.  It is time to put it all out there on the edge.  It really is time to allow Father God to be OUR Father.  I say we jump!  I say we find out.  I say we obey the passion inside of us for what He has promised.  Up we go..toes to the end…lean into it…launch yourself…enjoy the ride!

Oh yeah…it helps to scream…”CANNONBALL!”

Much much much love!

Mike

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO!  

“Unusual” is the only word I can think of for this!

Pray hard!

Mike