New Opportunity

I received a call a couple weeks ago to be the Assistant Pastor of Outreach, Discipleship, and Church Planting at Christ Community Church in Daytona Beach. When I first heard of this opportunity I thought there was about a five percent chance that I would want to move out of Orlando, but sometimes God has a funny sense of humor. In 1990, I partied on the beaches in Daytona, destroyed a hotel room, drank more than any one person should consume in their lifetime, and did many other things that I cannot write about for the risk that my kids will one day find this and use it against me. In 2000, I was baptized in the Ocean in front of the El Caribe Hotel in Daytona Beach and committed my life to never being on the wrong side again. In 2010, I accepted the call into ministry at Christ Community Church.

When I look back at my life I am so grateful that God had a plan all along. There's part of me that regrets my younger years, but at the same time I am thankful that God has used them to mold me into his instrument to be used for his glory. When I look ahead to the future I am absolutely amazed that I get to do what I most desire to do: introduce people to Jesus and teach them to faithfully follow him. God is good.

So in the near future, here's our family's plan.
1. Start worshiping at CCC the Sunday after Easter.
2. Finish Seminary and graduate on May 21.
3. Find a renter for our townhouse in Sanford.
4. Find a house to rent and move to Daytona in May or June.
5. Begin at CCC on July 1.

I would appreciate your prayers as we anticipate what is to come.

The Seed (Part One)

There are two communities of humanity: the first are the righteous who love God, and the second, those who are evil and love self. Many of you who just read this first sentence are throwing your arms up in disgust and are in total disagreement. Stay with me. Jesus speaks of these two communities in John 8:31-32 speaking first to those who believed in Him, "If you continue in My Word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." Then in verse 44 he confronts the other camp, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him." Then in 1 John 3:8-9 (see vv. 10-13 for further study) this idea is more clearly developed, "the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

This is not a new concept to the New Testament, rather this is something that occurred from the very beginning of humanity when mankind fell in the garden. Even if you did not grow up in church, most are familiar with the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and how the serpent tempted them to eat of the forbidden fruit and they caved. Both Adam and Eve gave into this temptation of the serpent and sinned because they wanted to be like God (selfishness). In Genesis 3:15 God confronts the serpent (Satan/Devil), and says, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." Wow, prophecy already in the life of humanity? But this is more than a mere prophecy, this is the foretelling of the coming Messiah who will come from the seed of the woman and save all of her seeds to come (in a Spiritual sense). The word enmity means to go after with hostile intent. To murder. This is some harsh language and sets up a conflict in the life to come for the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent (more to come on that in part 2).

This seed in which God is speaking means descendants. This is not in a bloodline sense, although Jesus birth can be traced back to Adam (Luke 3:23-32). After all, how could the serpent give birth to humans? This is speaking in a Spiritual sense in which even direct descendants from this bloodline are in different communities under different fathers. One will have spiritual inclinations toward God and the other reproduces unbelief. One will follow God and the other will not. You can follow this throughout all of the Bible, in fact, some would go so far as to say that the rest of the Bible after Genesis 3:15 is the unfolding of this very prophecy. The greater question for you today is "whose seed are you?"

Shall We Keep Silent?

I read an article today about my hometown Wisconsin Badgers and the author was bragging about an impressive young defensive back on the team who he believes should have an outstanding year. Among his impressions, the author cited the young man as having a strong faith in Christianity without forcing it down the throats of others. As a Christian I resonate with this statement as there have been too many who have opened their mouths in the name of Jesus in megaphone fashion whom should have remained silent. However, I read into this statement a little differently.

What the world is telling us today is if you want to impress others around you, it's OK to have faith, but please keep it to yourself. Other religions, that's great, but please silence yourself about Jesus. This is the problem I have with this statement: The Bible claims that Jesus is the only way to Heaven and the only way to true life. Jesus claims, "No one comes to the Father but by me." As someone who feels I have been radically transformed by the Gospel and believe it be true, how dare I keep silent? If I had the cure for cancer and kept it to myself the world would say I was selfish and demand I be locked up. But what I have received cures more than cancer, it cures sin and the punishment of sin, which is death. How dare I keep silent.

So when the world around me tells me to be a good Christian and keep silent I have but two answers. One, if I truly love God how can I not speak of Him? In comparison, how could a young groom help but speak of his new bride? How could a new father not speak of his new child? How could a Christian not speak about their Redeemer and Savior? And two, if I truly love my neighbor, how could I not share my most precious relationship with them? How dare I keep silent!

"That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes."--Romans 1:15-16

Shall we keep silent?