The Powerful Spirit of God!

We often hear that the Spirit of God is powerful.  But sometimes we don’t allow ourselves to see it in awesome ways.  I was privileged enough to see the Spirit of God in full power last week and I need to put this story out there for anyone who reads this blog.  If you doubt that God can do amazing things in peoples’ lives, keep reading.  If you want to be encouraged in your faith, keep reading.

Last week, June 22-27 was the annual week of Centrifuge camp for Bethel’s youth at Skycroft.  18 students and 6 adults from our group arrived Sunday evening.  The worship that night was energetic with a band leading music, great videos, and a great camp pastor who was powerfully proclaiming the Word of God all week.  But there seemed to be a strange spirit in the worship center.  There wasn’t freedom to worship, and a lot of students from all the church groups seemed lifeless and didn’t seem to enjoy a time set aside to worship our Creator.  Something was up.  And I didn’t know what it was.

Our camp pastor, Paul, mentioned to the adults the next day that he could sense a wall up between the students and God.  Monday night’s worship- same thing.  Tuesday night, seemed the same almost.

But Tuesday night, some things started coming to a head.  The worship time seemed to be a little more freeing, but the big change came in the church group devotion time.  The group time was the last thing of the night before the fun free time activities before bed.

Dave, on our group leaders, opened up the time just asking if anyone had questions about what they’ve been hearing so far in the week.  He was hoping honest discussion would get started that would lead to the root of the problem that seemed to be built up.  What ended up happening was several of our students opened up about family situations.  I realized that there was a lot of hurting and pain from relationships with parents and others.  And what I think happened was that these things were creating walls in the hearts of our students that wouldn’t allow them to freely worship God.  Reconciliation was needed between some of our students and others.

I heard things that night from students that I haven’t heard yet in my youth ministry experience. Things that I won’t print here, but things that showed there was some real hurting going on inside of the students I pastor.

By Wednesday, I felt like something had to be done.  Especially since I was leaving late that night to go to Michigan to perform a wedding, I just couldn’t stand leaving knowing the spiritual condition of our students at the time.  So that night’s group time, we did something a little different.  And what ended up happening blew my mind and made me stand in awe of the powerful spirit of God!

That afternoon I went out and got some terra cotta dishes (a type of pottery).  It ended up being the best $30 I’ve ever spent for these guys.  That night during our group time, we went down to a fire pit area that was very secluded.  I opened up to them about what I’ve been seeing happening all week.  I told them I felt like there were unresolved issues with parents, friends, or others that were getting in our way of worshipping.  As they came to the area, I handed them a terra cotta dish.  They held it the whole time I explained this.  I shared with them the scripture from Matthew 5:23-24 about being reconciled to your brother before coming to the altar of God.  I then asked them to picture that painful situation they were experiencing in their dish.  I then invited them to go to one of the blankets that were nearby and take the hammer that was there, and crush that dish.  This was a symbolic way of giving that situation over to God.  I told them it wasn’t about smashing their father or friend, but about getting rid of their hateful attitudes and bringing themselves to a point where they could ask forgiveness or forgive.

God’s hand was working the whole day to prepare Bethel’s youth for that evening. Paul preached that night on forgiveness, and all of their Bible studies throughout the day focused on the topic of forgiveness.  Paul’s message was powerful, but what I saw from God’s Spirit was even more powerful!

I played a guitar softly in the background to just give students time to pray and give these situation over to God.  Then I was able to experience students going up to the blankets and completely destroying these dishes.  I mean obliterating them!!  And many students wept over the broken pieces of pottery that laid before them.  I saw freedom coming out from such a simple tangible thing of breaking up a piece of pottery with a hammer.  But what I saw next blew my mind.  Students were getting up from those blankets changed in their spirits.  They were going back to the others and praying over them!  Putting their hands on them and praying for them!  Even students who didn’t know each other too well were praying for each other.  I’m picking strings on a guitar while watching all this.  It seemed like as students were crushing pieces of pottery, God was crushing their hearts and restoring them with a new freedom and attitude of joy to be with others and to be in His presence!

I stopped playing the guitar and asked if anyone wanted to share anything.  And between tears, some students shared the situations they gave over to God.  It was powerful.  Then, they asked to sing some more!  So we did.  By the end of the night, the entire group was sitting in a circle singing praises to our God and praying together.  The spirit of joy in that place was indescribable.  Walls had been shattered and the spirit of God moved freely in that place.  In their prayers, even the students termed that evening a “revival.”

I can’t completely describe what happened.  It was one of those things that you just have to experience.  But so often we harbor bitterness or let other things control our lives instead of giving them over to God.  Then we’ve forfeited the freedom that comes through Christ.

After that experience, I felt much better about going to Michigan.

I love the people I am privileged to minister to.  There’s a great group of students at Bethel who have experienced God’s Spirit in an amazing way.  I hope they never forget it.  And there’s probably a lot of people still out there who need to experience God like this.  Pray for it.  Seek it.  Find it.

 

My First Wedding

On Saturday, June 28, 2008, I officiated my first wedding ceremony in Big Rapids, Michigan.  What made it even more special was that it was for my great friends Dave and Crystal Stuart.  We left Centrifuge camp real late on Wednesday night to drive to MI.  We got there about noon on Thursday.  We had a great weekend enjoying the new part of the country I’ve never been to and also being with friends from Baltimore who traveled with us.

The weekend left many memories for me.  It was my first time driving a BMW touring motorcycle (given to me by Crystal’s dad to use for the day on Saturday!); my first time driving through Toledo, Ohio (Holy Toledo!); my first time eating Mackinac Island Fudge Ice Cream (very good, and named after the bridge that takes you to the U-pers!); my first time ripping a toenail off (that hurt…those pool floaty mats…); and my first time pronouncing two people husband and wife.

There’s a lot of firsts in life.  And this definitely is one I’ll never forget.  Honor isn’t even the word to describe what it was like to be up there with Dave and Crystal and do this for them.

 

The Bible in 90 Days

I very strongly encourage you to pick up this Bible (it’s on sale at His Way Christian Bookstore in Ellicott City for $14.97) and commit to intensely reading through the scriptures like this.

The way it is set up is that you read 12 pages daily (the way this Bible is set up) and you’ll be done in 88 days (you get 2 “grace days”).  It goes straight through the Bible, starting in Genesis and working through Revelation.

It’s pretty intense and is a big commitment.  But the value of reading straight through the Bible is invaluable.  You could do this with any Bible, but this one is already formatted for organized reading.

Read the Word of God at least for knowledge; read it daily for nourishment; read it mostly because it is life.

 

Mistaken Identity

Click here to watch the video that just aired on the Today Show this week about two girls from Taylor University who were involved in a fatal vehicle accident a couple years ago. One girl died, but not the one the authorities reported! The girl everyone thought was dead was struggling to stay alive in the hospital, and the girl in the hospital was actually the one who was thought to be dead. It doesn’t make sense how this could happen, but it has brought these families together now, along with the surviving girl to share the story and give glory to Jesus Christ for what He’s done for them all! It’s remarkable.

What’s even more remarkable to me is that my good friend, Dave, went to school with Laura, the girl who actually died. Laura continually shared the love of Christ with Dave throughout high school and he didn’t seem to truly understand it. But through this accident and her death, Dave attended the memorial service after not seeing her for a couple years in college. Dave actually came to know Christ through the testimonies given at that memorial service! Laura’s work in Dave’s life weren’t in vain. It just took something as tragic as death to be a part of God’s plan for Dave to come to a saving knowledge of and now a life led by Jesus Christ.

Dave is going to come share this story when he speaks to Bethel’s youth at FUEL in a couple months.

Here’s the video from the Today Show.

 

A Lot Going On…

Well, you can see again that it’s been a while since my last post.  I’ve been extremely busy with a lot of different stuff going on.

I started coaching JV baseball at a local high school. It’s a solid 2 months with 13 young guys.

A new worship time is starting at Bethel, which I’ve been a part of planning.

I am starting a new thing called “ASK,” where my teenagers (or any others now) wrote down a bunch of questions and I’m trying to go through and give them real, Biblical answers.  You should read this ongoing process of teenagers asking life questions.  Go to bethelyouthonline.com and click on the ASK logo on the homepage.  I’ve only gotten a couple responses up, but I’m working on them.  It’s giving me a lot of insight into my teenagers, which has been really interesting…in a good way!

I’ve started preaching through the new vision statement with our youth at Bethel.  We have a new vision statement that is going to keep us focused on what we’re doing.  You can find more information about that vision statement at the youth website, and also listen to the podcasts of those sermons from that website.

There’s a lot going on, but for you faithful readers, I’ll try to be more diligent in writing what’s on my mind here.

 

Too Comfortable

This picture looks like a lot of churches today.

I read this from the editor of a magazine I subscribe to:

“If we want different results, we can’t keep doing things the same way, right?”

I think he’s hit it right on. We often desire to see change in our churches. We would love to see growth, a greater impact for Christ in our communities, more effective outreach, and the list could go on and on. So many people want to see things differently, but then they continue to be satisfied with just being comfortable; just doing things they way they always have been done.

I had lunch yesterday with a great friend of mine who serves on a large pastoral staff of a large church and he was sharing some frustrations with me of how the church and even some staff maybe have become too comfortable with the way things are. There seems to be no desire to change, but simply to do things the way they’ve always been done. And maybe in a large church it’s easy to be comfortable–there’s no budget trouble, there’s people staffing every area of ministry, and attendance is stable.

But what if attendance starts to drop or at least doesn’t rise for a couple years? What happens when people start to panic because the budget isn’t being met? Then things might change. Then leaders might start thinking more of what their church could be instead of preserving the way it is now.

Praise God for problems churches go through! I say that only because I’ve seen the hope that comes through some of the petty problems that end up showing the true sides of people, but in the end, show the glory of God. Praise God that our budget, which is just a bunch of numbers we threw on a piece of paper, sometimes is in trouble! Praise God that we sometimes can’t find people to commit to serving in an area of ministry! Praise god that people are starting to wonder why we’ve had the same numbers for the last two years!

Maybe these churches will realize that everything in the world is changing around them, and they must be able to reach a changing group of people. And maybe our large churches who are tempted to sit back, relax, and just keep moving on, will realize that they have a huge potential to be even more of a light for Christ in their community.

We can’t be comfortable; we must be committed.

“If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain.” -1 Timothy 6:3-6

That last sentence in this letter to Timothy from Paul in Scripture sums it up. What should be the only contentment in our lives? Godliness. Is your church completely full of godliness? Is your community completely full of godliness? Are you completely full of godliness? Then we shouldn’t be comfortable.

We have much to gain…

 

My Life Revolves Around A Computer

It’s been a while since I’ve written on here, so I’m going to try to update more often.  Sorry to all of you faithful readers…if there are any.

Just this week, my laptop “crashed.”  I was updating some software and when it wanted to restart, it never came back on.  It’s being fixed now, but for a couple of days now, I’ve been without my main computer.  All my files, programs, software, calendar, contacts, etc., are all gone!  They should be able to be saved, but I’ll find out.

I realized when this happened how much of my life really does revolve around the computer.  It tells me when I need to be somewhere.  It has all the important information for me to pay my bills.  I listen to podcasts and read articles all online.  And it’s a major form of communication for me with email.  It’s sad that when the computer crashed, I was wondering what I was going to do!  I had to actually write on paper and used printed resources!

It’s been an eye opener to some degree.  Having too much of a dependence on any one thing is not good.  So I’m looking for new ways to do what I’ve always done.  I can’t cut the computer out of my life, but there are certainly things that I can do without it.

So here’s to being without my computer; but at least my wife let me borrow hers to post this!

 

Field Trip to Hell

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Satan prowls around this earth like a roaring lion, and we think it’s a petting zoo.

Maybe the title of this post alarms you somewhat because I used the word “hell,” but it is a real place. I’ve been so frustrated lately with seeing people who claim to be Christians petting this lion called Satan like it’s no big deal. The language used, actions, things heard or looked at, and the blatant apathy toward God by people who profess to follow Him is a clear indication that there is no realization of the spiritual warfare going on around us. Satan is very real!

Listen to God’s Word:

“3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

“10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:10-18

Why would Paul take time to warn and present a plan of action against the spiritual warfare going on around us if it wasn’t an issue? Yet we play around like it’s no big deal. One day, some people are going to find themselves devoured; maybe it will hit them then.

Field trips are used in school to give students a first-hand look at something they learn about in the classroom. It gives students an actual experience with the subject of their learning.

I’ve given a couple Scripture references above that could teach someone about how real Satan is (and there are others too), but what will it take for people to realize that Satan is real and wants to devour them, but that Jesus Christ has victory of Satan, sin, and even death! It’s almost like we should load up buses of people and take them to hell so they can see that it’s real! Though this is impossible, I’m not sure right now what it will take to get some people to realize what’s happening around them. One day they’ll realize, but then it will be too late.

How can we help people understand how powerful Satan is on this earth, and help them understand what Jesus Christ did for them by dying on the cross for their sins?  I’m not perfect, and I mess up still.  But that’s why it’s called warfare.

Let’s put the lion back in his cage.

 

My Ministry Philosophy

I have been challenged lately to put things from my mind into print. It helps to write things down, not just think them. I’ve been taking my thoughts about what I do and why I do it and writing them out. This is the second part to my previous post, “Why I Do What I Do.”

Whether you’re a parent, student, pastor, or stranger, here’s my philosophy of ministry- how I believe it should be done. Some of it is specific to youth ministry, most of it is not.
————————————————————————————–

I believe ministry should be…

Relational, allowing the life of the leader to show Christ through his life as he interacts with others.

Scriptural, not neglecting the power and clarity of the Word of God for entertainment or fear of upsetting someone.

Practical, making Scripture relevantly come alive so that people can understand the power it has to change their lives.

In the end, when someone leaves a ministry that I am in leadership of, I would hope that I have done everything possible to help their faith mature to the point where they would stand firm if they were persecuted, even to the point of death, because of their relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

Why I Do What I Do

I got a call from one of my high school girls one night to ask me questions for a paper she had to write for school. She was supposed to interview a ministry leader, and I was grateful she thought of me. In fact, I’m really glad she did, because it has helped me define why I do what I do.

So what do I do? I pastor (shepherd, or lead spiritually) students mainly. I’m privileged to pastor parents. I’m blessed to pastor in a church.

So what was the question? This girl asked me this: “What is the scriptural basis for what you do?”

Wow. I thought for a second, then chimed out the first thing that came to mind because I really had not thought about that before. It’s sad, I know, but I’ve honestly never thought about it. I’m glad she asked. I told her the scriptural basis for what I do is found in 2 Timothy 4:12: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” I lead student ministry because I really do believe the impact this verse can have in our churches today if our student’s would understand it and live it out.

But could there be more of a reason behind what I do? I know God has called me to pastor, but I’m not writing to share that story. I’m writing this to share what God showed me when I started searching out a more sincere answer to this question.

So what is the scriptural basis for what I do? I found it. Look at what God showed me.

Ezekiel 2:1-7 (with my emphasis)

1He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” 2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. 4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’ 5 And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.

Ezekiel 3:8-11 (with my emphasis)

8 But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. 9 I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house.”

10 And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. 11 Go now to your countrymen in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.”

Ezekiel 3:17-21 (with my emphasis)

17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.

20 “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 21 But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

So why do I do what I do?

Because there is a bunch of rebellious people out there towards God.

Because there are obstinate and stubborn people out there towards God.

Because there is no reason to be afraid of this rebellion, obstinacy, and stubbornness.

Because God’s Word must be spoken, whether they listen or not.

Because God gave us the responsibility to warn people of their rebellion, whether they listen or not.

Thanks, Nicole, for asking such a thought-provoking question.