"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus................Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -----and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:19, 24-26 NIV
It has been a rough month, or to be honest a rough couple of months, and I have struggled with attending church, doing devotionals, writing my blog, and the ministries I have been involved with I haven't been faithful to in attendance, participation, and preparation. Many of my friends have told me that this 'withdrawal' is understandable due to the harshness of the storms, but I have been uneasy and out of sorts.
That old phrase, "Barely keeping my head above water" comes to mind when I reflect back upon the lack of movement that has characterized my past few months.
Sunday, I attended church for the first time in a few months. Pastor Dave was happy to see me and told me that he wanted to meet with me later in the week to catch up on things. He's aware of the trials that I am experiencing and commented that I am weathering them well. But, it was his sermon that threw me into fits for the week and as much as I have tried to write about what I am thinking, the words just have failed me. Until I read the section to a friend of mine who was driving me home from work yesterday due to the car problems.
This section of Scripture wasn't even part of the sermon Pastor Dave gave, but was immediately following what he had referenced in Hebrew about what a covenant is. He's doing a series on Ephesians and he wanted us to understand what the covenant is, what it is about, and the impact of it upon our lives. I must confess that I wasn't tracking well, and skipped to read a bit past what Pastor Dave was discussing.
And I haven't been able to let go of it all week.
I've been walking around for the last month like a whipped puppy, trying to stay out of the way of the semi that has been barrelling through my life. Trying to maintain; not excite or incite anyone. Just existing, not living.
My friend asked me last Thursday if I had been doing my devotionals, reading for the leadership program, or even spending my morning time with God. I had to confess that I hadn't. I've been on sabbatical, if you wish to call it that, from the chapel ministry for three months now. And the only devotionals I have done are the ones that I get in my email account. Too often, lately, I have been skimming through them, for God has been seemingly absent at the switchboard when I call. As if He too needed a vacation from the life of me.
Guiltily I struggled to restart my devotionals, write to my blog, and generally reengage in life, for even if it's feeling like it ain't worth living, it is the only one I've got. And I've tried looking at other Scripture, writing about what I feel is being pointed out to me in the words spoken there, but nothing has come of it....no easy flow of words to express my discontentment and weariness. These sets of Scriptural verse have captured my focus, and the meaning I was seeking in them seemed to be hidden in a dense fog............
A sailor will tell you that they train and train and train until the job; either as a military, sail, or powered sailor, takes over any required thought, any deep philosophical discussion that might be needed when faced with crisis, either foreseen or unpredicted. In the open sea, or even in an enclosed water system, seconds can cost you life, limb, or property as the sea is an unforgiving force that knows no grace or mercy to throw at those who are hapless upon its horizons.
Any sailor will tell you that even as the storm rages, catching you unaware, response times are of the essence and life or death will result in you fighting forward despite the apparent hopelessness of the situation.
So it is with followers of Christ. We must train and train ourselves to revert to 'natural' tendencies when the world around us hates us, ridicules us, and mocks us. We must seek out the truth when the storm clouds gather, or even in the midst of the storm.
We must fight against our natural human tendency to gather the wagons, separate ourselves from the pain and isolate ourselves from help. We must stand open, regardless of the situation, and rely on the confidence that allows us to walk into the presence of God. We must focus only on the promises of the One who is capable of delivering.
By staying in the Word, despite any reasoning not to. By gathering with brethren that know us, love us, and want to cheer us on through the difficulties. By being held accountable when all we want is a little 'grace'. Gathering despite the feeling that we really don't want to 'deal' with the community.
Movement, as Scott Engleman would say, despite the pain, the fear, and the desire to stand still.
And then we can start healing, overcoming, and be victorious.
Thursday, May 15
Thursday, May 8
Powerful testimony of a fallen warrior.
"A man's pride shall bring him low; But he that is of a lowly spirit shall obtain honor. Proverbs 29:23 ASV."
A friend of mine, Al, is very active in ministering to the homeless in North Carolina, running a ministry called Church in the Woods. I have had his website posted to my blog for some time now, it's under the "brother's and sister's websites". Too often, we think that we have to run overseas to meet the needs of the poor, homeless, and needy while those who are easily accessible remain in the darkness.
Al is not one of those people who ignore the near-in-need. Al used to be an AP reporter and his writing/musical abilities are awesome. All used for the Kingdom, all given back to the God who gave it to him. I aspired to be half the writer he is. But Al isn't the sole focus of this posting, though he is the one who wrote the following testimony.
It is a man who became his friend, brother, and an inspiration to the world from a little town in North Carolina………..
I will let you read what Al wrote, both the personal posting on www.outofthewild.com and the obit in The News & Observer.
-- Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. - John 12:24
This is both a prayer request and a praise report. I guess they usually are.
On Tuesday night, during our small group/home church/healing/prayer thing, a good friend of ours died.
Paul was an ordained Baptist minister who led a fairly large church at one time. Then he kind of fell away from God, not in a big way. Just stopped reading his Bible for four years and bobbed along, doing good works and feeling kind of empty.
God started reeling him in last year. He showed up for a homeless outreach and got plugged in with us as friends. Another couple he met there had him do their wedding. He met our autistic son, Parks, and fell in love with Jesus all over again through him.
I'm tearing up as I write this. The story keeps growing as I type, deeper and richer and wider, like the river of living waters flowing from the temple.
Paul decided to start a home group and, since he lives very close to us, we joined in. People started showing up, uninvited; always carrying a burden or brokenness that miraculously found healing and peace there in Paul's home.
The group grew to 30 people. Paul began mentoring several men, including a former drug addict who has since been adopted by the entire group as he goes through a full year of a very tough treatment program.
At God's request, Paul turned one room of his home into a prayer room. People began flocking in, again finding peace and healing in ways they had never experienced. He was in the process of turning his garage into a worship area this week (God, was it only a few days ago?)
Tuesday night's meeting was wonderful, as always. At the Lord's leading, all our songs were about love. Parks was dancing with joy in our midst. We had prayed for two people.
Then things started to get a little strange.
Paul's wife, Linda, took a call from the hospital. Paul's elderly father had fallen at his rest home, landing flat on his face and breaking his nose. He was OK, but was probably going to spend the night at the hospital.
Linda handed Paul a note with this information as he walked across the room to get anointing oil, preparing to pray for another woman.
He took the oil in his hand, turned to face us and smiled. Parks, on the other side of the room, started walking towards him, smiling and saying what sounded like the word "heal."
Then Paul said, "Jesus" and fell to his knees, his eyes focused somewhere to my right near the windows.
Then Paul fell like an axe, flat on his face.
For a moment, everyone thought he was just full of the Holy Spirit, but the fall was too abrupt. In fact, he broke his nose when he hit the ground.
I believe he died and God accepted his spirit before that final fall.
Two nurses in the group worked feverishly doing CPR while we prayed and called 911. Paramedics spent at least 30 minutes trying to revive him. Linda tried to get Parks to lay hands on Paul, but he put his hands in his lap and just smiled, as if to say, "He is complete now, how can I heal him?"
We were all rocked by the loss of Paul, even as we grew to accept the idea that God had taken him at the perfect moment, when he was fully restored to Him, surrounded by his family and friends.
And we began to realize that, in God's perfect timing; we were ready to carry on with the love Paul had planted in each of us.
I drove out to see Ricky, our friend at the drug rehab center, praying the death wouldn't derail his recovery. But where once that might have been an excuse for him to give up, now he felt a burden to carry on Paul's legacy, to one day mentor someone else.
Ricky will be one of the guys giving their testimony at Paul's memorial service.
After all the hubub, I sat down and went through some emails. The last one I got from Paul was about bringing in a speaker for a conference on Living in the Kingdom.
I chuckled, thinking, "He won't need to hear to speaker. He's living in the kingdom now."
And the rest of us?
We get back to work building the Kingdom here on earth.
Sorry this is so long. It's just pouring out. But here are the prayer requests:
For Paul's wife and children, for their peace, strength and financial resources to hold on to their home.
For Paul's young men, that they bear fruit from the love poured into them.
For our small group, that we continue to meet and grow in love.
________________________________________
Paul Jones
Paul Jones, a spirit-filled follower of Jesus and a guide and mentor to many area Christians, died Tuesday night during one of the many prayer meetings held at his home in Cary. Jones, 54, an ordained Baptist minister, often told the story of how he had fallen away from his calling to heal and evangelize. But in recent months his faith had been rekindled as he performed weddings, baptisms, and healing services and opened his home to anyone needing prayer.
He died of a heart attack, just as he was about to pray with a member of his Upper Room Fellowship. His last word was "Jesus". Dozens of friends were there, praying, supporting one another and sharing stories of how Paul had touched their lives and strengthened their faith.
Jones, a self-made businessman who worked with computer hardware, always found a way to provide for churches and charities as well as individuals in need.
He also was committed to expanding God's kingdom.
In fact, the day he died, Jones was sending out invitations to a conference to be held in Raleigh on Living in the Kingdom.
Now he is truly living there.
Jones is survived by his wife, Linda and children, Jason, Kristen, David and Benjamin.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that people donate to the Jones Family Memorial Fund at Hope Chapel in Apex.
Published in The News & Observer (serving Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina) on 5/8/2008.
May we all have the ability to have our lives not end but to live on in the touch we have given to another to continue the good work God has started within us. God has promoted Paul to greater things and I believe he will be one of the warriors in the front near Christ when the Army of God rides to retrieve their own who continue the battle here on Earth.
Good and faithful servant, be at rest. We shall meet upon the field of righteousness and glory with our King.
A friend of mine, Al, is very active in ministering to the homeless in North Carolina, running a ministry called Church in the Woods. I have had his website posted to my blog for some time now, it's under the "brother's and sister's websites". Too often, we think that we have to run overseas to meet the needs of the poor, homeless, and needy while those who are easily accessible remain in the darkness.
Al is not one of those people who ignore the near-in-need. Al used to be an AP reporter and his writing/musical abilities are awesome. All used for the Kingdom, all given back to the God who gave it to him. I aspired to be half the writer he is. But Al isn't the sole focus of this posting, though he is the one who wrote the following testimony.
It is a man who became his friend, brother, and an inspiration to the world from a little town in North Carolina………..
I will let you read what Al wrote, both the personal posting on www.outofthewild.com and the obit in The News & Observer.
-- Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. - John 12:24
This is both a prayer request and a praise report. I guess they usually are.
On Tuesday night, during our small group/home church/healing/prayer thing, a good friend of ours died.
Paul was an ordained Baptist minister who led a fairly large church at one time. Then he kind of fell away from God, not in a big way. Just stopped reading his Bible for four years and bobbed along, doing good works and feeling kind of empty.
God started reeling him in last year. He showed up for a homeless outreach and got plugged in with us as friends. Another couple he met there had him do their wedding. He met our autistic son, Parks, and fell in love with Jesus all over again through him.
I'm tearing up as I write this. The story keeps growing as I type, deeper and richer and wider, like the river of living waters flowing from the temple.
Paul decided to start a home group and, since he lives very close to us, we joined in. People started showing up, uninvited; always carrying a burden or brokenness that miraculously found healing and peace there in Paul's home.
The group grew to 30 people. Paul began mentoring several men, including a former drug addict who has since been adopted by the entire group as he goes through a full year of a very tough treatment program.
At God's request, Paul turned one room of his home into a prayer room. People began flocking in, again finding peace and healing in ways they had never experienced. He was in the process of turning his garage into a worship area this week (God, was it only a few days ago?)
Tuesday night's meeting was wonderful, as always. At the Lord's leading, all our songs were about love. Parks was dancing with joy in our midst. We had prayed for two people.
Then things started to get a little strange.
Paul's wife, Linda, took a call from the hospital. Paul's elderly father had fallen at his rest home, landing flat on his face and breaking his nose. He was OK, but was probably going to spend the night at the hospital.
Linda handed Paul a note with this information as he walked across the room to get anointing oil, preparing to pray for another woman.
He took the oil in his hand, turned to face us and smiled. Parks, on the other side of the room, started walking towards him, smiling and saying what sounded like the word "heal."
Then Paul said, "Jesus" and fell to his knees, his eyes focused somewhere to my right near the windows.
Then Paul fell like an axe, flat on his face.
For a moment, everyone thought he was just full of the Holy Spirit, but the fall was too abrupt. In fact, he broke his nose when he hit the ground.
I believe he died and God accepted his spirit before that final fall.
Two nurses in the group worked feverishly doing CPR while we prayed and called 911. Paramedics spent at least 30 minutes trying to revive him. Linda tried to get Parks to lay hands on Paul, but he put his hands in his lap and just smiled, as if to say, "He is complete now, how can I heal him?"
We were all rocked by the loss of Paul, even as we grew to accept the idea that God had taken him at the perfect moment, when he was fully restored to Him, surrounded by his family and friends.
And we began to realize that, in God's perfect timing; we were ready to carry on with the love Paul had planted in each of us.
I drove out to see Ricky, our friend at the drug rehab center, praying the death wouldn't derail his recovery. But where once that might have been an excuse for him to give up, now he felt a burden to carry on Paul's legacy, to one day mentor someone else.
Ricky will be one of the guys giving their testimony at Paul's memorial service.
After all the hubub, I sat down and went through some emails. The last one I got from Paul was about bringing in a speaker for a conference on Living in the Kingdom.
I chuckled, thinking, "He won't need to hear to speaker. He's living in the kingdom now."
And the rest of us?
We get back to work building the Kingdom here on earth.
Sorry this is so long. It's just pouring out. But here are the prayer requests:
For Paul's wife and children, for their peace, strength and financial resources to hold on to their home.
For Paul's young men, that they bear fruit from the love poured into them.
For our small group, that we continue to meet and grow in love.
________________________________________
Paul Jones
Paul Jones, a spirit-filled follower of Jesus and a guide and mentor to many area Christians, died Tuesday night during one of the many prayer meetings held at his home in Cary. Jones, 54, an ordained Baptist minister, often told the story of how he had fallen away from his calling to heal and evangelize. But in recent months his faith had been rekindled as he performed weddings, baptisms, and healing services and opened his home to anyone needing prayer.
He died of a heart attack, just as he was about to pray with a member of his Upper Room Fellowship. His last word was "Jesus". Dozens of friends were there, praying, supporting one another and sharing stories of how Paul had touched their lives and strengthened their faith.
Jones, a self-made businessman who worked with computer hardware, always found a way to provide for churches and charities as well as individuals in need.
He also was committed to expanding God's kingdom.
In fact, the day he died, Jones was sending out invitations to a conference to be held in Raleigh on Living in the Kingdom.
Now he is truly living there.
Jones is survived by his wife, Linda and children, Jason, Kristen, David and Benjamin.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that people donate to the Jones Family Memorial Fund at Hope Chapel in Apex.
Published in The News & Observer (serving Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina) on 5/8/2008.
May we all have the ability to have our lives not end but to live on in the touch we have given to another to continue the good work God has started within us. God has promoted Paul to greater things and I believe he will be one of the warriors in the front near Christ when the Army of God rides to retrieve their own who continue the battle here on Earth.
Good and faithful servant, be at rest. We shall meet upon the field of righteousness and glory with our King.
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