Monday Blog: The Presence of the Ghost

Have you ever heard the phrase, "You look like you've seen a ghost?"  

It often follows a situation where someone looks disheveled from a tragedy or maybe they run into someone from their past.  As we approach the end of this year and look for ways to reach our cities and communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I want folks who encounter Christians to leave the presence of Christians, thinking, "Did I just see a ghost?"  I'm really saying, "be his presence."  Let the Holy "Ghost" in you live in such a way that people see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.  I want our love and mercy to beg more questions from your community and when appropriate, give an account of the hope that you have.   

I really boils down to 3 things just as it did with Jesus that showed 

and proved he was the Messiah and show and prove we are his followers:

Life - Jesus lived in such a way as to explain and usher in a great redemption of Israel and ultimately the world.  Jesus' life stood in opposition to the world view employed by both the church of his day and the government.  He went to real, people with real needs, living in oppression and learning the status quo from their leaders and challenged them to be better, be redeemed, and ultimately be his church.   (See John chapters 3 & 4).

Death - Substitutionary atonement teaches that Christ became our substitute.  Sin, must die and so instead of us, it was Christ, who didn't know sin, became sin for the world.   (See Galatians 3:13, Romans 3:23-26).  When Jesus asks us to die, he is asking us to empty ourselves of everything representing the worldview of the broken system.  In order to follow Jesus and ask others to do the same, we have to die to the system of this world and receive Christ and as we are emptied, we are filled with him.  In the same way, we are the hands and feet of Jesus by emptying and giving of ourselves to this world. (See Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 5:1-5).

Resurrection -  N.T. Wright wrote in Surprised by Hope (page 128-129), "The resurrection is the sign that death is defeated (I Corinthians 15).  Many Christians talk about death in a way that suggests it isn’t actually so bad after all.  But if Christians allow death to rule in the realm of physicality, then ultimately the doctrine of creation is in jeopardy -- the doctrine that God remains the good creator who loves the world that God has made and who is not going to abandon it.  WOW!  This is the resurrection, and when the world sees the resurrection in us, they are seeing the faith of people that have been resurrected from the old life to a new one (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) but they are also seeing that God hasn't abandoned them.  

What a beautiful existence the Christian life is.  

The life of Christ teaches us everything we need, to be his hands and feet for this world.  What a gift, what grace and what promise from God that drives us everyday to his ask for his filling in our life.  Once we die to self and receive Christ, this presence is the parousia right before us.  We realize the most important truth of all; we can't do it, without his presence in our lives.  Once we have this presence, there is nothing we can't do.  We can't love outsiders or those who reject us, but he can.  Don't pray that God would teach you to love as he loves.  Pray that he would fill you so full of himself that his love would be your love, in and through you.  Don't pray for peace.  Pray that his peace would infill you.  Don't imitate him in your own strength, otherwise we are nothing more than a miserable replica.  But if it is his presence than it is him imitating himself and he is very good at being God.

A Couple Questions for further discussion:
1.  Where in your life did the presence of the Holy Spirit actually frighten you (good or bad)? 
2.  Where have you seen the presence of God at work in your life these last 30 days? 
3.  Where has God used you to be the hands and feet of Jesus?  How did your sacrifice and/or service teach you about the presence of God?  

Further Reading:
Surprised by Hope, by N.T. Wright
Simply Jesus, by N.T. Wright
Resurrection Faith, article by N.T. Wright, The Christian Century, 12/18/02 pp. 28-31

Tuesday Text: Doubt in the Dark/Promise in the light

"Don't doubt in the dark, what God promised you in the light."  - Pastor Lesley Byrd's quote from Sunday's worship close.

How have you seen this in your own life?  What tragedy or struggle have you faced where you doubted God, and how did you see victory?

Saturday Sneak Peak: Live in the Moment

Looking forward to sharing what God has placed on our hearts. After a tough week for our church fsmily and undoubtably the Hill family, We're going to push pause on the current series and instead Bill is going to share a talk called, "When Life Gets Rocky".

When life drop kicks you , what becomes  our motivation, what's our plan? Could it be, that to build the type of church God is calling us to be means this is all part of the plan?  That it's all part of the motivation to continue to empty ourselves so God increases to the fullest?  

Come check out the talk tomorrow and invest in your community.  Now more than ever 100 days of Intentional Community really means something.  

Love you all,
Nomadis Dante

Friday Final Word: Bringing Hearts Together

Today's Final Word came comes from Jim Caple, Pastor of Church for the Beach.   Jim is a long time friend of Bill Stanley and they served together several years ago in Indialantic.  Jim along with his wife Beth and their 3 kids live and serve their church in Indian Harbor Beach and meet weekly at Doubles Beachside.  

Bringing Hearts Together

God used a tragic situation this past weekend to bring the hearts of at least two local churches together.  Last Friday morning, while out of town to speak at a Men’s Retreat, I received a phone call from Bill at Nomad Community Church, with an urgent prayer request about his friends and fellow Nomader's. After praying, I immediately sent out a mass text message to our church family.  Others in our church family were also made aware of the situation from other personal connections between our two churches. Prayers were prayed, groans were made, and tears were shed in the homes and prayer closets throughout that day and coming weekend.  As we gathered as local church bodies on Sunday morning, we prayed corporately for baby Jackson and his family.  Over those three days, God drew our hearts together, as the Church, in prayer.  We knew it would take a miracle for baby Jackson to recover here on earth and we knew God was able to accomplish this miraculous intervention.  

Unfortunately, that was not His will. Little baby Jackson went to be in the presence of Jesus on Monday morning instead.  As I reflected on the miracle that Jesus’ Church - His Bride - His Body asked of Him, I saw another miracle at work through this event.  The hearts of two local churches came together in unity through prayer for a family in crisis.  In today’s modern church - this is a profound happening, but it shouldn’t be. 1Corinthians 12:24b-26 says that “God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”  So many times, we look at this passage only in regards to the local church and forget that God has a plan for His Church.  His plan is that all who confess Jesus as Savior and Lord have become a part of His Body that is called to function together through the Church.  1 Corinthians 12:27, goes on to say, “now you are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

It is time for the Church to come together in suffering, in honor, in joy, prayer, in devotion, in love, and in unity so that there is no division in the Body as we all have equal concern for each other - the Church.  Why?  For the sake of those who are not yet a part of the Kingdom.  In John 13:35, Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  Let the church love the Church and all its members so that all men will “know" we are His disciples.  

Saturday Sneak Peak: Michael Bartel

Nomad is excited to welcome on Sunday, our friend Michael Bartel, from F.R.E.E. Internationa.  He lwill be speaking from Luke 10, using the Parable of the Good Samaritan. He will also give us some ideas how we can fight human trafficking in our own community.  You won't want to miss this great pastor speak his heart on social action.

Friday Final Word: Love It / Hate It

I love it but I hate it, is the famous line from physical trainer Tony Horton, founder of P90X.  During the video, Ab-Ripper X, Tony can be heard saying that all infamous phrase as he coaches up the crowd, also working out along side them.  Basically he understands the love and passion that comes from working hard to be healthy.  But he also knows how hard it is to achieve and even harder to appreciate as the body enters muscle failure and burns within.  But he loves it because next time he'll be that much more ready for the pain of the workout. 

In a nutshell it describes my week, especially the last 24 hours of ministry.

I LOVE IT / I HATE IT!

 I LOVE IT:  That the talk Sunday motivated many, namely myself to get busy in the city learning and living the truth.  That it got us thinking and talking theology, culture and strategy.   I HATE IT:  That it's really being put to the test the end of this week.  It burns spiritually like that work out.  

I LOVE IT:  That to the best of my knowledge, our pastor team is as tight as I've ever seen.  We are helping each other through sickness, transition, family issues, and most of all, caring for each others souls!  I HATE IT: That there is so many needs that my team has to tire like the end of a P90X session.

I LOVE IT:  That so many are discovering the blessing of serving others and being very successful in doing so.  I HATE IT:  That there are still others who fall away because the assumptions they hold on too are greater than Gods power in their life.  

 I LOVE IT: That I can truly call each of you my best friends.   I HATE IT:  That it sometimes takes sicknesses like Theos (bone marrow transplant 20+ days ago.).  That it takes these things to slow down long enough to whisper, "I love you, you are valued, God is with you,". 

 I LOVE IT: That I get to travel the globe preaching the love of Jesus.   I HATE IT: That I have to leave my friends Todd and Amber as well as Richard and Judy during the most difficult time in their lives.  And that my friend John is at his hearing and I can't be there! 

 I LOVE IT: That the hospital hall way was filled with dozens of loved ones, most of which have dedicated their lives to following the teachings of Christ.  I loved seeing them love on one another.   I HATE IT: That they need answers I can't give.  A touch I can't employ and a power I cannot possess.  

 I LOVE IT:  We have a new baby to celebrate Nomad, little Jackson Hill.   I HATE IT: That I can't hold him or even know his prognosis 14,000 feet above sea level on this flight to Chicago.  Holding my prayer cross, uttering to God my pain as if it was my own son.  Praise you God.  I trust you for this workout. 

 I LOVE IT: That inspite of the pain the voice of God seems the loudest.  His spirit feels like it is on me like a warm blanket, Jesus holding my head up like a trusted friend, the wholly father pushing me back into the center of the ring, to finish the job, while whispering to my heart, "I am with you!  I already finished this!".   I HATE IT:  That I know my humanity will cause me to miss something, a lesson I am sure to receive from another hardship in the future!

In the fear of exhausting you with sorrows, let me encourage us with great fear and trembling.  Like my workouts, I realize the valuable truth of all.  What Satan means to use for harm, God uses for victory.  What the world considers failure, god considers blessed. 

You see, it hits you;  we can't truly have what we love without experiencing what we hate.  We can't conquer what we hate without showing what we love, we really love it.  We can't hate, what we truly hate, until we are willing to give up what we love. When we love we reach a capacity to see how others are loving too and we don't have to be a hero and go it alone.    

 

Is this what the teacher meant?  We lose our lives trying to find it, but find our lives when we first lose it..  Is this what it means to journey without a place to lay our heads?  Are we as a church family experiencing an "Emptying as Christ".  I know!  I'm there too:  I LOVE IT BUT I HATE IT!  

SO, whatever happens today or tomorrow or the next day:  ONE THING I KNOW! Stated plainly in our Credo, "YOU, NEVER WALK ALONE!"

Theo and family, never alone.  Todd, amber and family, never alone!  Jan and Barbara, never alone!  Templetons, Martinezes, Shockeys, never alone!   Vicki Huffman, never alone!  Denise Viscuso, never alone!  Lois, Margaret, Doris , never alone!  Alex, Allison and other college students who are away from us are still never alone!  Seattle Huffmans, Gazdaghs, Holmes, and soon to be Schmitts who've moved far away,  are never ever alone!  Heather, Gene, Dylan,  and Mark and other young adults In that familiar desert place, are never alone. Teens and kids are never alone!  It may feel like it occasionally but if we lean into the hurt and unknown, we realize it's true.  I AM NEVER ALONE!   

 There are so many more I could have named, but time for landing in Chicago permits me to close.   I LOVE IT: That as long as their is breathe in the lungs of just one faithful follower of Christ, you'll never walk alone!    I HATE IT: Because I wish it could last forever.  Wait a minute, it does last for eternity.  I guess I hate it we have to wait so damn long!  In the mean time church,  let's keep loving it, however long it takes, so others will someday love it too!

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.  Then you will overflow with confident honor through the power of the Holy Spirit.".  - Romans 15:13

"The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." - Romans 16:20

Nomadis Dante,

Pastor B

DISCUSSION POINTS:

1.   How did this post speak to you personally? 

2.  Describe one of your own Love/Hate scenarios.  

Tuesday Text: Surprise!

"To the sinner and the self-righteous, grace comes at an equally great surprise." -  Louie Giglio, Passion City Church

What do you think Louie means by this comment or how have you seen its truth in your own life?