MatthewPruett

Non Believer in Church for the First Time

2011-12-22T11:58:00.000-05:00

Okay, I’m not a Christian, but I’ve finally made the decision to come to your church this Sunday. Don’t expect much from me though. If something comes up, I might not, but right now, I’m planning on it. I feel like I need to go, but I’m not sure why. I want to tell you a few things about myself before you meet me.
1. I’m not going to understand religious language or phrases so be aware of that when we talk. I don’t understand slain in the spirit, God is moving in me, covered in the blood, I need to die to self, you just need to be in the Word, what you need is a new life, etc. If we have conversation filled with religious talk, I’m probably not going to understand half of the words...and maybe think you’re a little crazy.
2. When you ask me how I’m doing, know that I don’t trust you. I’m probably going to lie and tell you I’m fine. It’s not that I don’t want to tell you; it’s just that I come from some pain and am not sure if I trust you yet. How about you tell me your story first? If I like you and get the vibe that you’re not trying to capture my soul or anything, I’ll tell you mine.

3. I’ve got pretty rough language, and I can be bitter and angry about some things. If I sense in you a mindset of superiority, I’m out. If you are just waiting for your turn to talk instead of truly listening to me, I’m not going to be interested. Don’t expect me to be exactly like you.
4. Don’t make a big deal of introducing me to everyone you know. I understand a couple of people, but please; don’t set up a welcoming line. I’m just there to check it out; I need a bit of space.
5. I’m going to be looking for genuine interest in me. I don’t want to feel like your personal salvation project or be a notch on your “I saved one” belt. If this Jesus is who you say he is, then I’m looking forward to seeing him in you. That’s how it works, right?
6. I’m going to have questions. I need truth, not your preferences or your religion, so can you just tell me what the Bible says?
7. I need to feel welcome. Is there a time limit or something on my visit before I’m supposed to feel unwelcome? I mean, I’ve been to other churches, and there seemed to be a push for me to make up my mind or something. How long until I’m unwelcome?
Thanks for hearing me out. I’m pretty sure I’m going to come this Sunday. But I might not.

More Focus on Ministry

2011-12-21T16:03:00.002-05:00

Here are some more things I have Learned in 27 years of ministry.

There is NO substitute for the Word! People hunger and thirst for it, and nothing will satisfy those desires but God's Word!

If you stay in constant communication with The Father, HE will tell you what to preach and teach. People will sometimes try to tell you what to preach, DON"T LISTEN! They are not God!

You can't preach what you don't know. You as a leader MUST commit the greatest portion of your time studying and listening.

There are prophets and scribes. Scribes have head knowledge, literary skills, and communicating skills. Prophets speak what has been REVEALED to them. Both are needed but people are desperate for revelation! You can get a "spin" on a verse almost anywhere.

Creating energy does not replace the presence of the Holy Spirit!

Deacons are not the "Church Police"

Jesus changes people, not you! Our job as leaders is to bring people into His presence. He will take care of the rest.

Keep Focused

2011-12-17T17:29:00.005-05:00

After being in ministry 9 years and pastoring 18 years after that there are a few things I have learned. I would like to share some insights with you if you are a ministry leader.

1. You probably are not serving the Kingdom well if there is not some people angry at you, mad at you, or speaking negatively about you on some level of social media! If Facebook, and Twitter existed in Jesus' day can you imagine what the Pharisees would have posted. You MUST keep your focus on JESUS and NEVER listen to the negative.

2. When people are being saved and discipled, you are doing the right thing.

3. There are sheep, (saved people) and wolves, (People who look saved, but eat the sheep) Acts 20:29-30. You are responsible for the sheep. Not every person who comes in is or will be a sheep. Trust the Holy Spirit and love the sheep.

4. Every body has a colon, even the body of Christ. Every now and then it needs to be used! If the colon stops working, before long the body is rendered useless and full of toxins that can cause death.

5. When number 4 happens, let it! You will be taken apart by some who do not understand, but again, FOLLOW JESUS and stay a healthy body.

6. Ultimately there are those all around us who are hungry for Jesus! The lost will be won, the saved will be discipled and the church will grow.

7. Not everyone who says "I've got your back", does.

8. Your greatest issue with people will be, being misunderstood.

9. Remember your calling is from God, not people.

10. The one who called you is Faithful!

New Season

2011-10-10T21:25:00.006-04:00

The fall colors are fabulous this week! It seemed that they changed overnight and the change is truly overwhelming, one that I never tire of! There is change in the spiritual season as well. It would be great if the change in the spiritual season were as predictable and noticeable as the fall change. One could see and touch the change, but in the spirit the change is more subtle but just as powerful. I can feel it! It is exciting! Change is on the way, and change is good. Even in the physical seasons, change is hard on many of us. I had a friend in the burial vault business a few years ago that played in the same band as I, and we were planning an event that the band needed to be at. My friend said he probably couldn't make it because that was the middle of his busy season. BUSY SEASON IN THE FUNERAL BUSINESS? I thought that was crazy but come to find out it is true. There are many, especially elderly who may be sick, seem to pass on when the seasons change. You know, it is the same in the spiritual realm as well. A change may come, a season change, in a church, and it is really a good change, but there are some who may die during the change. They may not be able to handle the stress of the change, or the logistics of the change, or the social upheaval of the change, or the stirred waters of the change, but the change will come, and change is good. But some seem to die spiritually because they are tied to the status quo. Psalm 55:19b says, Because they do not change, therefore they do not fear God. Change brings us closer into the presence of God. It challenges us, it presents us with crossroads where we MUST make a decision, and the decision is always ours. Live or die, and sometimes it is that drastic! Our church is entering into a season of change that I personally am incredibly excited about. What does it look like? I don't know yet! But on the other side I will be able to tell you. Is it going to be good? YOU BET! Decide with me to embrace the change, to expect the change, to love the change, and see the best in the change, just like we are doing now looking at colorful leaves. Let's embrace what God the Holy Spirit wants to change in all of us!

Leaders

2011-07-19T15:04:00.004-04:00

If you are in leadership in ministry and you are passionate about what you are called to do, then you MUST understand that your life is not like anyone else's! In ministry you truly live in a glass house, most everything you do is known to all so we must guard ourselves. We must guard our tongues, actions, and motives. We do not have "rights" as other people, we gave them to Christ when we submitted to ministry. We MUST be different! This is not to say we ever put on an air of being any better than anyone, because we are not, BUT we must live our lives beyond reproach! We must live our lives so that people will WANT to come to Jesus. The very first miracle Jesus did was at the wedding feast. The interesting thing here as Max Lucado points out was that Jesus and his disciples WERE INVITED to the wedding party! as the bride to be is putting together the invitations I can hear her say, "Let's invite Jesus and his friends, they really are fun to be around!" Let's face it, you would never invite anyone to your party who will crash it! Jesus lived His life publicly and people were drawn to Him. We as leaders MUST strive to do the same!

Another thing we MUST do as leaders is to pray that Christ will reveal the "religious spirit" in us. His words were condemning only to the religious leaders who rejected His teaching. But, it is interesting to note that we see the element of the religious spirit rising up in them when they saw Jesus and made the comment in John 12:19 that the whole world has gone after Him. What they were really saying, as they spoke in the religious spirit was, "Jesus is taking people from our congregations, and we MUST stop Him!" The religious spirit in leaders will bring the judgment of Christ quickly and obviously stop anything HE wants to do. It is time leaders to take inventory, look inside and see if we would say the same thing about any person, or church who is bringing people to Jesus. Would we stand back and say "There are too many people attending there, there must be something wrong. We must speak negatively about this and stop them!" That is a religious spirit that is manifested in a spirit of competition. Competition is a good thing when the entire team competes, for the prize is great! But in a religious spirit, one, two or three who feel like they are the "star" players will certainly make the team lose.

People are watching and listening, Leaders, let's show them we are serious.

Godly Men

2011-06-07T15:01:00.003-04:00

I had a wonderful conversation today with a brother that really sharpens me. I have needed a close relationship with someone in the ministry that I can relate to, talk with, and pray. When we get together there is no agenda and I love that. Why is it that so many people in ministry on various levels seem to always have an agenda other than Jesus! Some want to "fix" you, others want to argue that if you aren't doing ministry the way they see it then you are totally missing the mark and the others just want to condemn what you do or say. Then there those who have the "secret" agenda wanting your time as a friend just to find out if you are doing something better than they are followed by those who want a position in the ministry you lead. And always there are the ones who want to know if you are following the rules to the letter! Accountability is a very good thing and certainly needful, but where are those who just love Jesus, His body (which every part is different), and His ministry? Where are the ones who read the bible more than someone else's opinions or teachings? Those to whom the bible is the greatest authority instead of a man's created doctrinal thesis? Where are those who seek to have the heart and nature of God? 1 John 4:8b, For God is Love! Where are those who are content with the size of the ministry God has given them and do not want to feed a competitive spirit?
Thankfully today I have found a friend who fits into the categories above mentioned. I cherish the friendship deeply. Thanks Jeff!

Religious People

2011-06-05T22:17:00.003-04:00

I always love hearing from some of the other men in ministry that God is using. One of the foremost themes that keep coming through is, you can't listen to men. If you aren't making religious people angry, then you must not be doing something right, and I will add to that if you are leading people to Jesus and still making religious people angry, then you are REALLY doing something right. One thing I have truly found out through 18 years of pastoral ministry is that people who think at some point are your best friends many times are the ones who turn on you the greatest. This is the time you MUST have your vision from God embedded into your spirit, mind and thought processes. NOTHING any man can do or say will turn you from this place of vision. You can't let a brother or sister who turns on you, the words they may say, and the people they may talk into turning against you as well change your vision. Vision then MUST be from God because these times do hurt, but God gives comfort peace and strength. Ultimately, when Jesus is proclaimed, made famous, and people are saved and being matured, don't worry about what the religious crowd says. We must remember, they were the ones who killed Jesus. BE STRONG!

The Circle of Life

2011-02-14T11:14:00.001-05:00

When I was 11 years old my mom, brother and myself were involved in a horrific car accident. Luckily no on lost their life but my injuries placed me in the hospital for an entire summer. I had never really been sick and was totally afraid of doctors because they had needles. This time there was no escape. Needles were necessary for my survival. After months of recovery I had a setback and had to return for another surgery. I was still so incredibly terrified of doctor’s offices, needles and surgery. It was a total unknown for me and I felt so vulnerable and small. Dad was my source of strength for me during those times. He was always calm, even knowing the severity of the situation. He always spoke words that comforted my terrified heart. We would ride together to the doctors and dad would speak of fishing, camping or swimming, the things I loved most as a little boy. My mind would be taken off the day’s possibilities for a while. I sometimes would get so scared I would tremble, and he would gently place his hand on mine and I would feel peaceful strength.

Decades have passed since those times, and today I had to take dad to the doctor for a follow up on some serious things going on with him. I saw him walk by the window and come through the door. The look on his face was recognizable to me. I felt the same thing when I was 11. He had papers in his hand that had been given him by the doctors office to fill out before his arrival. I asked to see them wanting to make sure they were filled out correctly. He handed them to me and his hand was trembling. My hand trembled when I was 11. Love for him surged up within me and I had such compassion. I reached out and hugged him and said “How bout some coffee Pop?” He nodded and his anxiety eased some. We sat down with our coffee and talked about what a pretty day it would be to go fishing. His anxiety eased some more. As we made our way to the office we talked of camping, fishing and being in the woods. These are the things he has loved all his life. I loved them at 11.

We sat in the doctors office side by side and when they called his name I gently patted him on the hand and said “I’m going in with you.” He totally eased in his spirit. So did I at 11. Today I am so glad that I can somewhat repay him for all he did for me. It is not that I feel like I owe him, for I could never repay that, but that I can show him my love for him, just like he showed his love for me in such a great way when I was 11. I love you pop, you’re going to be just fine buddy

Americana

2011-01-25T19:32:00.000-05:00

Recently I had a conversation with a friend from Mississippi that brought back childhood memories that had been tucked away and covered with the business of time. I was 14 years old in 1968 and lived deep in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina. I had never seen a big city, I had never seen a rock concert, and had only been in 2 of the 50 states. I, like most all of my friends were products of our culture. We only had 3 TV stations to choose from and that depended on what the clearest one was that day or how much tin foil mom folded on the rabbit ears. I had no idea that there was much of a world that existed outside of Haywood County. My exhilarating moments would come at the planning of a camping trip, and maybe a trip to the river, or in the darker parts of my life knowing that my best friend had actually gotten a whole pack of cigarettes and we were going to camp out and smoke them all! Life was very simple for us then. I was familiar with the smell of dirt, and hardwood trees, the feel of a fish on my line and the sound of a wood hen in the early dawn. We flew paper airplanes and kites made with broomsage and drawing paper. A summer day walk to the river provided the social networking of the neighborhood kids as we swung from a grapevine swing in a maple tree into a large pool of cold water.
About 100 yards from our house my dad and I built a “camp”, which was a 6’ X 8’ plywood building nestled in a pine thicket. It was complete with a small wood burning stove and a set of bunk beds that were the width of a car seat, (actually they had been car seats). I loved that place as it was my personal sanctuary. That Christmas I got a Panasonic AM FM radio and immediately found a place for it on a makeshift shelf at the head of the bottom bunk. After dark many evenings in the winter, I would make my way to the little cabin, build a fire and turn on the radio. It took a while, depending on the weather, but finally I would hone in on 1510 AM, WLAC “Blues Radio” from Nashville Tennessee and hear things that ignited something deep within me. I felt like their DJ’s were personal friends and I knew them by name, “John R., Gene Nobles, and Hoss Allen. Then there were those Record stores that I could only dream of, Randy’s Record Mart and Ernie’s Record Mart that in my mind were greater than any modern day superstore, simply because WLAC DJ’s said they were.
All my friends were taken with the new sounds from England, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Cream, and the American rockers such as Steppenwolf and Jefferson Airplane. For me, music that spoke to my spirit was different than all my friends. At night I would go to the camp, lean back on the wall with smoke from a stale cigarette floating upwards. Sounds would fill the little space nestled deep in the Scots, Irish traditions of generations that almost seemed in total rebellion of their roots. Here in this spot this backwoods country boy was introduced to a sound and spirit that would shape his thoughts and feelings forever.
One Sunday evening as the last vestiges of light dimmed from the winter sky, I made my way to the little camp. I lit the lantern and laid kindling in the stove. Before long the fire crackled loudly and the warmth of dry white oak burning filled every corner of the little sanctuary. It was snowing and the radio wasn’t cooperating like usual, but after much fine tuning I found WLAC. With the station set I leaned back against the wall and the announcer in a low deep tone said, “Tonight we are going to feature the Reverend Cleophus Robinson who is in town this week. They are in the studio with us tonight and are going to start things off with a song called “ ‘Jesus…. Will Never Let You Down’ “. For just a moment there was silence, then this voice that had spirit, soul and power began pouring through the speakers singing those very words. Never in all my life had I ever heard anything like it. The rhythm, the tone, the spirit, the feeling and the power was about more than I could stand. I found myself laying down my stale cigarette and singing along with The Reverend. I felt it and it was powerful! The soul of a people, the power of the spirit, and a groove in the music that had a white mountain boy standing and swaying, singing along with a man 600 miles away. When the singing was through I felt exhilarated and peaceful but wanted to sing some more. It was then the Reverend began to preach and again I had never heard anything like it before or since. There was music in his words, spontaneity in the congregation, power and soul in his delivery, and for 45 minutes I was carried away to a foreign land full of friends and wonderful music that I desired to be part of. When it was over I felt tired and peaceful. I had participated in the nightly service with The Reverend. I came to know him and love and respect him, his music, and his message. After that night I knew that there was music that stirred me and I wanted more. Never was I satisfied with anything else. I was changed!
Many years have gone by since that night and the little camp no longer is there. Great pines stand where it once was and all that occupies the spot where the radio sat on a make shift shelf is a pine branch. That place is special ground for me. It seems no one I try to explain it to can understand the power and importance of it. There are times that I go to that spot and remember a night long ago when things were simple. A night when a fabulous man who I never met made a change in me that would last a lifetime . Thank you Reverend Cleophus Robinson. Your memory and music are in my heart forever!

Are you peculiar?

2011-01-19T14:38:00.003-05:00

I always have loved what Peter said about believers in Jesus when he stated in 1 Peter 2:9 that we are a peculiar people. There are two ways to view this verse. First a religious view, then a spiritual view. First the religious view of being peculiar from the standpoint of a lost person, will see the religious person somewhat like an actor. They are peculiar in the way they dress only one time per week to assemble in a building with a $10,000 spire on the roof. They are peculiar in that from the outside there is always turmoil on the inside. Consistently the groups are banding together in communities to bring the leader down and replace them with someone else, of whom will too be ran off in a short while. Songs are sung that are hard to relate to musically and sometimes hard to understand. There is a lack of true joy in the offering of worship being sung. There are religious catch phrases said that sometimes seem like "code" that worldly people don't understand. Waitresses hate Sundays because of them for the most part they don't tip well and complain a lot about the food. I can understand how a pagan can see a religious person as peculiar. BUT, a spiritual person who chooses to live as Jesus is 180 degrees peculiar. I believe these are the ones Peter is talking of here. They meet in some weird places sometimes, and don't seem to put a lot of stock in a building. They seem to really love all sorts of people regardless of color, status, appearance, or any other perceived issue. When the world says to get all you can for yourself, these peculiar ones will give away most of what they have to help someone else. Their worship services are alive with a love for the one to whom they are singing and there is joy and respect of others and of leadership. They are not complainers and choose to make Jesus an example of how to live. They are not seen in heated arguments with each other. They don't isolate themselves from the outside world, instead they immerse themselves in it so to make a difference. They have truly "put on" Jesus Christ, and Jesus is seen instead of the individual. My prayer is to be more and more consumed with Jesus, focused on living in the Spirit, and making count what is truly important. As Paul said in 1 Cor. 13, "The greatest of these is LOVE!"

Thoughts from the internet cafe

2010-09-24T12:50:00.001-04:00

So it’s Friday and I’m sitting at the bookstore trying to hide and work for a few minutes. Outside the traffic is nonstop, almost bumper to bumper, and inside where it is supposed to be somewhat calm there is activity in every booth. A concerned lady is making cell calls trying to get hold of a son who is in need of help, another man is meeting with a lady about building a website for him and everyone in the room now knows his name, his business, his history and all the people he has talked to on his phone, (at least 13) in the last 20 minutes. The business phone just rang with a piercing electronic sound, and so goes this peaceful Friday morning at the local bookstore. I now know the ring tone of every person in the store, as all their phones have rang with the consistency of a throbbing migraine headache. I think through my afternoon packed with a wedding rehearsal, a meeting with an associate, and finalizing Sunday’s plans, as Saturday will be packed with wedding formalities. Busy is the order of the day!

On the wall across from me is a serene picture of the little white church at Cataloochee with a lone elk grazing in the foreground. The setting is late fall with an orange yellow hue glowing from trees nestled in a soft blanket of fog. It looks so peaceful, quiet, and comforting on this hectic Friday. I long to be there, maybe just sitting and watching the lone elk graze, or maybe listening to the gurgling splash of the crystal clear creek, or maybe even taking a nap on the ever so soft grass surrounding the little church. Just knowing it is there, just like it looks in the picture, except for the color, brings peace to my soul, that maybe sometime in the future I can make the 18 mile trip to visit this place where time seems to stand still. That’s it, time standing still.

We all know that time does not stand still, all we have to do is look at our lives to realize this truth, but maybe at this place it can slow down just a little. Why is it that we feel we have to be productive even in our leisure? We can’t just rest, we have to ride, swim, ski, hike, play hard, and come home to rest. Is this what God intended for us? Somehow I don’t think so, because the Word tells us that God rested, I mean RESTED! Maybe before the fall of man into sin, God would sit at Cataloochee and rest, maybe He would gaze out over the ocean he created and allow His creation to minister to Him. We do not know how God rests, but we do know that He does rest.

My encouragement to you today is the same I am speaking to myself. Let’s rest, let’s take a day and do absolutely nothing! Somehow I believe this is in some kind of small way choosing to be like our creator.

A description of an intelligent fool

2010-09-14T12:11:00.007-04:00

Psalm 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
Psalm 92:5 O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. 6: A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.
Proverbs 14:16b ....a fool rages and is self-confident.
Proverbs 18:2 A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart.
Proverbs 18:6 A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows. 7: A fool’s mouth is his destruction,
Proverbs 23:9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Proverbs 24:7 Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;

And once again who is a fool? Psalm 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

Oh, and by the way, Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

It's way to easy to be religious

2010-08-31T11:46:00.004-04:00

In Matthew 7 Jesus speaks a powerful warning to all people, especially those in the "business" of religion. So many times we are quite adept at discerning an action/deed in someone's life as sin, then making our choice as to how that deed should be punished thus fulfilling the meaning of judgment found in Matthew 7:1. Many leaders will even be quick to mark someone's sin, discuss it, speak of how appalling it may be, and how that person must surely be punished. I believe this very type of action is what has emptied many houses of worship across the globe. Jesus calls this type of action being a hypocrite, which means actions do not line up with words, and many people thus are offended and wind up wounded as a result. As leaders begin to isolate themselves there becomes less accountability for their own sin, and sin is realized in others more quickly than in themselves. As leaders we must continually and in all circumstances be weighing our life with the Word, and observing how they line up together. I believe nothing is more destructive to a young disciple than seeing a leader not live what they speak, and most often this begins in our homes. The day we live in demands that we as leaders of the New Testament Church live our lives openly and clearly in front of others revealing what is truly inside, and if we are filled with the Word, then that is what our "inside" will look like.

This demands that we first take inventory of ourselves before we ever look at someone else and take inventory of them. We must daily be searching our hearts for sin and confessing it openly before God before we will see a move of God in our midst. Pride must fall, and we must realize our guilt before a Mighty God. As John writes in 1 John 1:8, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Remember this is the GREAT apostle John, and he says WE, which is including himself in this group! As leaders we must realize the same thing John realized and do 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Living a lifestyle of grace will certainly bring about consternation from others and we must be willing to endure the fire that comes with it as none of us are perfect, but we must press on toward the mark of the high call of God in Jesus. Many will dredge up situations from the past, blog about how you may be the greatest hypocrite alive, or secretly send you unsigned mail, but it must not deter you from your goal of living your life as close to Christ as you can! We must have grace implanted in the very core of our being and exercise it at every opportunity available.

Bottom line for leaders, if your children or spouse were to be questioned as to your life at home knowing that their words would never leave the table, what would they say? How would they describe their life so far with you? We can never be the leader in our religious circles that has impact on the world if we do not start at home first, or God Himself will call us a hypocrite. We will be called into light only to find our words and our life did not match up. Today is the day to look inside and realize there is great grace available, Today is the day to remember that His grace is NEW EVERY morning, just for you!

A Leader MUST first be broken

2010-06-01T14:29:00.002-04:00

An interesting item was revealed to me today in Nehemiah. As many of you know when Nehemiah questioned how things were with the Jews and Jerusalem the news that Hanani gave was 137 to 150 years old! It would be like someone saying today that the south lost the American Civil war, or that Abraham Lincoln died. This was old news, actually it was news that could have gone something like this, "Things are like they have always been, nothing has changed in 137 years"!

Instead of hearing this like most of us would, Nehemiah hears it and is moved to tears, prayers and fasting. He sits before God and weeps, mourns, and prays for MANY days at the hearing of this word. He is a broken man for the status quo at home. Through his brokenness a vision was born, and a mighty miraculous work of God through Nehemiah changed the entire landscape of the Jewish nation, and in a VERY short time.

Today how many of us can say, "Things are like they have always been, I don't know of anything much that has changed recently." Maybe we need to seek to be more like Nehemiah, to be able to be broken for our people, our communities, our country, and our cities. That we would be broken to sit and weep for them, fast for them, and mourn for them that they would be re-built spiritually. If you are a leader, I ask that you join with me in this prayer and we can begin to see God move in His people as he uses our brokenness and tears.

Giving it up

2010-04-27T17:05:00.003-04:00

I've not blogged in ages. This seems foreign to me actually! This has really been a wild year so far and one that I will never forget. It has been good, but wild! I will be having a daughter in law soon, my house will be empty after 31 years, but they are serving in the most incredible way at church! Chris and Ami are such a blessing to me and the body of Christ!

I've never worked as hard as I have been these last few months and it is time for a break somehow, I know God will work that one out for me.

There's more to do and less time to do it in it seems like these days. I think we all need to make a list of what is really important and stick to doing that only. The things that will last are all that is important. What will last? You need to make that list yourself of course with eternal life at the top, then the treasures we store up in heaven. What is left after that is really not that important. If you think what treasures we are laying up in heaven, then how we love Jesus, our family, and His body are at the top of that list. I am finding out that a servant of God is really not worth much if they don't love, sacrificially. I am learning more and more all the time that I don't matter, and that I need to give myself away so others will be blessed. I believe that is what Jesus did and He sure is a good model. So love is at the top of the list. How do we love? Is our love storing up treasures in Heaven? Is our love for our spouse sacrificial? Is that love storing up treasures in Heaven? Are we loving our children so that we will see those treasures someday?

Jesus forgive me for being self centered and teach me to give myself away as you did.

Holy, NOT happy

2009-12-22T23:53:00.004-05:00

I remember a wise old man of God preaching and his words were like this to the congregation, "I'm not here to make you happy, I'm here to make you Holy!" It seems today that so many people in ministry want the opposite, to be liked instead of possibly hated. I look at the old prophets and those fellows really had a hard time! Isaiah had to do some things he really did not want to do, as did Jeremiah, and was REALLY rejected by the majority of people, Ezekiel, the same as Amos, remember he was told to go home no one wanted to hear his words, Jonah had to do something he really did not want to do, Elijah was found running all by himself to find a place to hide and even asked to die, simply because he had obeyed God's Word. And how about Jesus, think about it, they killed Him, Stephen was killed as well, and how many times was Paul attacked not only verbally but physically. Do you get the point? Are you in ministry on any level? What are you trying to achieve? If we follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit and embrace the heroes of the bible as our example, the ministry might well be a lonely place. Listen to the words of Jesus in Luke 6:26a, "Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you! My point? I can look at my life and say without doubt I have honored God in decisions I have made concerning ministry, but some of the decisions were with great cost, some of the decisions made some people furious, but every one of them brought a greater number of people closer to the living God! Actually if we take literally the words of Jesus we just read and weigh our life as ministers against them, some one will be your enemy right now and it will break your heart, BUT PRESS ON! Look at the Heroes in the Word and follow them! We may have to do many things we don't relish doing, we may find ourselves running, we may find ourselves asking God to not teach that message or make that decision because we know someone will hate us for it, BUT KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS AND MAKE HIM YOUR EXAMPLE! Never cave in to the addiction of needing accolades of mere man, but strive for the words to be spoken, "Well done my good and faithful servant!" Christ needs leaders today with backbone, GO FOR IT!

2009-10-27T15:23:00.002-04:00

This has been a fabulous week in many regards! As I look over the new additions to the FCC family in just the last three weeks I am overwhelmed to say the least, not to mention the new additions to the new worship center. Gods favor in many ways have been poured out in salvations, and in opportunities to serve outside the walls of the church. Sunday there was an opportunity placed before the church to spend time one on one with students at a local school and six people immediately rose to the call, with more following! There are opportunities to serve as chaplans at local ministries on a regular basis, counseling those in need, and the "One Church" group has grown from 5 to 11 churches in only 2 months! If you want to do physical labor there are immediate opportunities at the school we have adopted, and also here at FCC in building the new worship center. As we move into two services we will have opportunities to serve in EVERY area of our church from parking to prayer ministry. One ministry in particular that is going to have great needs this year is the homeless shelter, and if you desire to serve in any way from food preparation to ministry you can be used. There is a wood cutting day planned for November 21 and any and all help possible will be needed. The wood will go to those in need through Mountain Projects. We will also be collecting loose change to be collected by many churches in the county and given for the specific need of heating oil. And then we all have the opportunity to tell a family member, neighbor, or co-worker about salvation found in Jesus. That is an opportunity EVERY believer has almost every day. Then there is support in giving financially. In the most incredible way God has spoken and FCC has risen to the call. In a time where many churches are struggling financially FCC is now operating in "the black" due to great giving and timely financial management. We are pledged to minister to a needy world in a way that many have not chosen to do today. I personally would like to see the day that FCC rises to ministry taking on the homeless shelter totally, provide counseling and rehab for addictions, provide for single parent homes, be involved in every school in our county, and the list could go on and on. One thing I know, and has been proven in the last 3 months, FCC is THE place to be to be a part of ministry. I am truly grateful!

Time

2009-10-26T12:59:00.005-04:00

It's been 3 weeks since I have broken my foot and it seems like a year in a way, because I have had to slow down for this time. There have been many days in the first two weeks that I could not get off the recliner, forced to sit and occupy time. This has been the best thing to happen to me in a while, as strange as it may seem to say, again because it has forced me to slow down, spend time with God, read, study and pray in a way that I haven't for a while. Our lives in the year 2009 are moving at light-speed pace, and there is not enough time to do the things necessary for what is truly important in our lives. We think that some things are important, and they really are not. We will spend our time, money, and energy in places, and on things, that have no eternal significance. Our children and grandchildren have eternal signifance but is spending $1200 and 218 hours in sports over a 3 month period of time going to build them eternally, equipping them to spend forever with God, or is it accomplishing something that will be wasted time 30 years from now? Sports are OK, but you get the idea. How many hours are spent watching TV, and what eternal investment is it? How about time spent on the computer, reading secular opinions, and the list could go on. So for the last few weeks I have really seen how much time I waste and where my time needs to be spent, in equipping, building, and preparing for an eternity with God, instead of wasteful spending on self.

Are You in a Church that is Spiritual or Religious?

2009-10-12T18:46:00.010-04:00

I think I live in the most religious area of the world. That is not a good thing. In looking through "Outreach" magazine recently and there was a page called "Where Are the Outreach 100 Churches" where there were six categories of which North Carolina was on the very bottom of the list of fast growing churches. I thought we were the bible belt of which was supposed to be evangelical and constantly growing, but that is evidently not true. As I look at my county, I would have to agree with these figures, so why are we called the bible belt? Good question. I think that this area should be called the religious belt instead of the bible belt and let me give some reasons in the form of questions. As I speak of religion it is in the context of doing "things" and simply having meetings, instead of pursuing a deep, growing love relationship with Jesus, and leading others to Him.

1. When the name of your church is more important than people coming to Christ. The acid test is this question, would you be willing to vote for a name change of your church if it meant more people coming to Jesus? If your church name is more important, then you should just go ahead and close the doors.

2. How about changing or even dropping your denominational status if it would mean a great number of people coming to Christ? Same holds true as above, and it takes conviction to move out.

3. Do you have a big savings account in your church? Are there funds in the checking account that a group of leadership will not spend on something that will see people come to Jesus?

4. Do you have a lot of activity and social events that many attend? Are the attendees new people, are they lost, or are they always the same people who always come?

5. When new people come are they welcomed by those who have been members for for a lifetime, are they made to feel welcome from the time they enter the parking lot, or are they left alone.

6. Do people worship, or do they just sing? Is the musical part of the service full of life, or has it become routine?

7. Is there a person or a group who controls things behind the scenes including the pastor? Can this person or group be questioned without retribution? Does this person or group ever bring lost people to Jesus or to the church?

8. Is the main focus of leadership, (deacons, elders etc.) seeing lost people led to Jesus and the depth of the Word preached and taught, or is their discussion always just business?

9. Do you feel obligated to attend your church simply because it is your "family" church, are you growing in the things of God?

10. Do your missions involvement only involve giving money, or do your church members get involved "hands on" in being missional to people?

These are just thoughts and questions that I have concerning the spiritual condition of our area. I believe the focus had been taken off what is needed and placed on personal issues. Lost people being won and discipleship of new believers are not the two most important issues. I believe there is hope for our area to change from being religious to being passionate about Jesus and His ministry.

Sabbath Rest

2009-10-09T09:03:00.002-04:00

This has been a challenging but good week. I am amazed at how fast I seem to travel lately, along with the rest of the world, and there seems to be diminishing time for the things that are important as demands knock through the cellphone and email. I have complained some about this to God and I have found myself this week spending every day in my recliner with a broken foot. No, God did not do this, but He is using it to slow me down and spend some quality time with Him. He is also impressing on me that resting is actually biblical and necessary. It hit me again this week that the Ten Commandments are not suggestions, but commandments and number four tells us to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. The sabbath, a day to rest, and we are told by Jesus in Mark 2:27 that we were not made or created, to observe the Sabbath, but that the Sabbath was made for us as a time to rest and keep holy. I think very few people make this a priority to observe, myself included, but I believe that if we started resting one day a week it would change a lot of things. OK, just thinking here. I know that this week of unintentional rest has been good for me, as I needed it more than I realized, but it took a broken foot to get here. I am finding out that there are some things that truly can wait, but the most important cannot, my restful time with God my Father. For that there is no substitute.

A Great Question for a Christian

2009-10-05T10:45:00.002-04:00

What would be the greatest question for a believer to ask God? There are many questions people would want to ask like are there other life forms in the universe, why did you make Yellow Jackets, what will heaven really be like....., and you could go on and on. but as I meditate on what the greatest question for me to ask today would be, I came up with something a little different. For me, I want to know "Am I living up to my potential as Your child, am I missing something, and if so will You show me so I can change?" Sure I want to know about Heaven, but today I am on earth and here to do a work as all believers are, and I NEED to know from My Father where He wants me to join Him in His work. See, as I travel to Asheville and stop for lunch, He may be working in the heart of the waiter who serves me, as I visit in the hospital He may be working in the construction worker on the ladder in the hallway, or He may be working in the phone call coming in that I don't recognize. Bottom line, I don't want to miss anything.

On another note, I am overwhelmed and so grateful for all the INCREDIBLE leaders we have at FCC! Thank you!!!!!

Be Different

2009-09-12T18:08:00.004-04:00

Believers in Jesus are called to be radically different than the rest of the world. Somehow we as men have believed that when we come to Jesus we must become really nice men, and that is the reason Jesus went to the cross. Come to church, be really nice, smile and tell everyone things are really good in our life. Don't know about you but I'm really glad John the Baptist wasn't like that. Shoot, if he were here today somebody would be trying to put him in Smoky Mountain Mental Health. Think of it in today's terms, he would be in a remote area of the Pigeon River, maybe little east fork, wearing animal hair clothes, long hair and beard, eating honey and grasshoppers. See it wasn't any different in his day either, but reckon what drew people to him? I hope you guessed it, the power of God, the anointing, and John's choice to not conform to what society wanted him to be, just a really nice guy! What about Jesus, he was homeless, no suitcase of extra clothes, and I don't recollect him having any money, called religious leaders snakes and dogs, told them in public Satan was their father, and wasn't afraid to be who He is! In Revelation He is the King of the Armies of Heaven! He is a warrior, going into battle to win, and to win you have to fight, and there is death for the opposing armies. I am saying all this because i believe it is time to "Be all you can be", but not in the U.S. Army. We need to be this as believers in Jesus, be courageous enough to be different, break the mold, and not afraid to step out of line when He says to. Jesus said of John the Baptist, there was none greater born of women! Then he said that believers in Him were greater than John! Is there anyone out there who would be as bold as John? Would you say and do what God told you even if people wanted to put you in Smoky Mountain Mental Health?

Center Point

2009-09-11T06:26:00.003-04:00

In preparation for teaching through Revelation this week I have had a refreshing of the revelation of Jesus. Jesus is THE center point of all creation! There are so many and varied issues to teach in the Word, but the dividing factor is Jesus. Jesus separates believers from the rest of the world. People will overlook a great mistake made by a nonbeliever, but when a believer sometimes even says one word in a wrong way the attack comes. Why? Jesus! The world doesn't like Him, therefore the world doesn't like believers, but that does not change the fact that Jesus is STILL the center point of creation and that Jesus went to the cross FOR THE WORLD! We must endure hardship, critics, harsh words, and attacks while understanding Jesus died for those who cast such at believers. Jesus is center point in the Word, and He must be center point in our life daily. Continue to look to Him and nowhere else, because nothing else is center point, only Jesus!

7 Necessary Points for Successful Ministry

2009-09-04T14:09:00.004-04:00

If you are in ministry on any level, from teaching a simple class to planting churches there are some things that need to be embraced by us all. There are more but here are possibly the Top Seven.

1. You cannot allow what others think about you to shape your ministry. If you are true to the Word and follow it there will be people who hate you for it. This CANNOT deter you from your goal, keep your eyes on Jesus alone.

2. Some of these will be friends, and even family, that you never thought would turn on you. Keep focused, it was a close friend of Jesus who turned Him over to the ones who killed Him. Does it hurt, heck yeah, but KEEP FOCUSED ON JESUS!

3. If you are blogged about, Praise God for it, don't go back there and read it again HEY if you see it is negative, DON'T EVEN READ IT THE FIRST TIME! EVERY great man of God was talked about negatively by somebody. If someone is not dragging you through the dirt verbally then you are probably not doing anything worthwhile for the Kingdom.

4. Always remember God honors His Word, stay true to it, stay in it, stay close to it. As you speak and live His Word, it will bear fruit. Fruit is not always seen in salvation alone. Fruit is borne in people who are saved and need to mature, be taught, counseled, and loved.

5. STAY TEACHABLE! Never get to the point you believe you have a corner on the market of knowledge. No one lives there. Don't believe your own press reports. None of us are equal with Jesus, we can ALWAYS learn. This means possibly embracing something from the Word that totally changes what we may have believed about something.

6. Know that He has called you to your work. You were not called by man, you are not supported by man, you are not empowered by man, you are called of God, and empowered by The Holy Spirit. We are called to make people holy, not happy.

7. Lastly, ENJOY the blessings He gives for being true to the calling! That only comes from Him!

Self

2009-09-02T21:43:00.003-04:00

Self. Seems like everything on earth is telling us to focus on self. We have been molded since birth to think we are more important than we are. I've been thinking about the servants in the Word. Start with Jesus, he was homeless with no extra clothes but chose to make other people's needs more important, Peter was willing to lay life and family on the line just to preach Jesus, at one time Paul was in a prison, winter coming, and no winter clothes with believers all around, but now one would help him and he had to send hundreds of miles away for a coat, but was grateful to get to preach Jesus. So with this in mind, do we not tend to make little disturbances in our life way more than they should be? I think we would be a little more at peace if we chose to give more of ourselves away every day. Just a thought.

opinions

2009-08-31T18:41:00.002-04:00

Perry Noble is right. If we are going to follow Christ, be obedient, and true to our calling we cannot listen to what people say about us good or bad. If we listen to the good we will begin to believe our own press reports, get the big head, and be filled with pride. Nobody full of pride ever accomplished anything for the Kingdom. If we listen to the bad we will become bitter, angry, and mean, lose our momentum, focus on what man thinks about us and be totally useless. We must continually listen to Jesus and immerse ourselves in His Word. IF we are doing anything else it leads to opinion and opinions are like, well, you know! They all stink. Truth is what is needed so dig in to the Word and let's see lives changed! Honestly think about it, when is the last time you saw someone truly changed from the inside out by an editorial? Who cares what people think. Only one matters, and He is who we listen to and follow. Jesus!