Thoughts on Life and Leading

Letha and I just returned from a quick trip to Guatemala. God’s hand was on us, we had an excellent trip. I will post some thoughts and pictures tomorrow.

Best blessings, everyone!

I appreciate the loyal readers of my blog. I want you to know that it will be a little quiet for the next few days. All is well, I am just tied up with some travel and ministry projects. I’ll fill you in in a few days.

In the mean time, here are two ideas to keep you focused:

What did God say? If you know the answer to that, you are on the right track. You find that answer in His Word and through His Spirit.
Are you willing to do whatever God says? If your answer is “yes”, you have it made. If your answer is “no”, back up and repeat step one.

Regardless of the question, the answer is obedience to God. He is looking for people who will serve Him with reckless abandon and great faith. Let’s do it.

Grace!

Rick

You may be in real need of the practical teaching that Sticky Relationships will provide. Some of us are great at relationships, some, not so much. So let me extend an invitation:

If you would rather be alone than be with family and friends.
If you are estranged from loved ones.
If you are holding on to an offense.
If you resist commitment in relationships.
If you can’t trust people.
If all of your relationships are short-term.
If you feel distant from God.
If your marriage is in trouble.
If you are lonely.
If you have none of these problems but you have a friend who does.

I invite you to attend one of our 3 worship services tomorrow or, listen on-line.

God has the wisdom it takes to help our relationships stick.

A friend asked me to write a post for his blog site. I did so and he posted it yesterday. Reading it may give you a bit more insight into the direction I hope we are going.

You can find his site it at benliles.org. Hope you enjoy!

Grace, everyone!

Rick

In my reading today, I came across a verse I never recall reading before. I have read it, I just don’t remember it.

“All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.” II Samuel 14:14. New Living Translation

The context is a woman discussing with King David how he needs to bring his exiled son, Absalom home. The application is much greater. This statement reflects the heart of God toward us. We all really are dying. Once we are dead, it is over. But God does not disregard our morality or disrespect life. He is working to reconcile us to Him. We have all been separated from Him by our sin and we are all dying as a result. But until our very last breath, He is doing what He can to bring us to Himself. This is what gives hope to the death-bed repenters, to those who wait until their very last moment to call on God. While this is a very bad idea and an incredible gamble, I believe that millions of people will be in heaven who lived for Jesus only their last few moments on earth.

The bigger idea is that God loves us and does not want us to be removed from Him. He is devising ways to bring us back to Him. He allows trouble to come, blessings to come, whatever it takes to get our focus on Him.

God will move heaven and earth if necessary to bring you to Him. That’s how much He loves you. He is not giving up on you. Even if everyone else in your life quits, He will not.

Richard:
“Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that low’r’d upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.”

(Shakespeare: Richard The Third, Act 1, scene 1, 1–4)

While I appreciate those who are, I am no fan of 16th century English Literature. My grammar and writing skills got me through college Lit classes. I can however, identify with Richard in his hope for a brighter future. He is hopeful that the crowning of his brother, Edward IV as King will bring about better days for his family. The well-known quote from this piece is often misused. The phrase, “The winter of our discontent” is not meant to stand alone. His “winter” has turned into glorious “summer”. This is actually a positive statement.

I am in a “summer of discontent” of sorts. While it is not yet summer, the next few seasons for us are bringing many opportunities to see glorious things take place. These things will not happen unless I experience a season of discontent now. When properly utilized, discontentment can be one of the greatest motivators know to humankind. When we are discontent to the point of discomfort, we act. I am uncomfortable and I am getting ready to act.

Please don’t think that I am unhappy. Discontentment is not mere unhappiness. I would categorize my discontentment more as “unrest”. I see issues that need to be addressed and problems that need solving. I live in a community that I consider to be a mission field. I am watching too many people muddle their way through their mundane lives while Christ offers abundant and exciting adventures to them. Around the world, there are hungry kids who need to be fed and communities that need churches. The pain of people troubles me enough to get involved. I am discontent enough to try to do something about it. This is the summer of my discontent.

I am hoping that, by winter, I will be in a season of contentment. The plans are to engage ministry on some new levels. There are some new projects that are breathing down my neck and I am anticipating some solid progress within the next six months. That being said, I realize that there will be another level of discontentment that I will face, just around the corner. That’s one of the ways God keeps me motivated – He allows me to encounter new issues, new causes and new passions.

For anyone who wants to confront me with Philippians 4:11-12, I Timothy 6:8 and Hebrews 13:5, save it. A cursory reading of these verses will show you that the writers are addressing our need to be fulfilled in Christ. I get that. My issue is, Christ won’t let me be comfortable where I am – He wants me to be discontent enough and passionate enough to actually do something that makes a difference.

I like my summer of discontent.

I know they are all important, but this Sunday’s message is pushing its way onto the urgent list in my soul. It is about relationships. And we are terrible at them. In fact, bad relationships are the number one problem for most people I know. It is difficult to even have a conversation over 60 seconds in length without someone bringing up the fact that their spouse or kid or boss or neighbor or friend is driving them nuts. Weekly, I talk with people who are ending their marriage, leaving their church, quitting their job or estranging themselves from their family. It is a big problem. And God has answers.

“Sticky Relationships” is a title I tweaked from a book entitled “Sticky Church”, written by Larry Osborne. Although the book is about how churches can help people to stick with them, my message is not based on principles taught in the book. I just borrowed the title (and look of the cover) because it seemed an appropriate way to describe the theme. It is more palatable than “You Had Better Be Deeply Committed to Your Family and Friends”, even though that is my point.

Help me spread the word about this message. By the way, I am using a pretty crazy creative element in the services at the Palm Beach Gardens campus. A bit risky. Maybe even bordering on improper – sounds like fun, huh? Here’s a hint – it has something to do with Velcro.

My prayer: “God, help us to love like You love.”

Even though we were tired yesterday from all of the Easter celebrations at Maranatha Church, Letha and I spent the afternoon packing new clothes for orphans in Guatemala. We are headed down there next week for a quick trip to see Jessica and Josh and to take needed supplies to the kids at Casa Shalom Orphanage. It is exciting to think about how much they will enjoy the new jeans, shirts, shoes and underwear we are taking.

We are also in the planning stages of a larger group trip we have scheduled for this summer. At this point, a team of 15 people are going to Guatemala to serve on-site at Casa Shalom and the Rio Bravo Feeding Center. Team training will begin shortly and we are expecting an awesome and effective trip.

Jessica and I continue with our Peru prep and fund raising. Next month we travel to Lima and Cuzco to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. As part of our journey, we plan to help a children’s ministry center in Southern Lima. For more info, watch the video below (posted on March 28) or go to Maranatha’s outreach website: wecanshareit.org.

Honestly, it is not “back to missions”. Most of what we have done over the last few weeks as we prepared for Easter has been missional. Our vision was to take the message of Jesus to lots of people – and we succeeded. What I am doing this week is simply a different expression of the mission. This part is global as compared to a local expression.

I love every second of it.

Our observation of Easter is now history. It has been a busy week and a lot of hard work and prayer went into our activities. Our staff and volunteers served with passion – thanks so much to each one of you! I do believe that it was worth it. We had several people who made the decision to follow Christ. We made some new friends. We reached out into our community and put the love of Christ on display. We enjoyed four very inspirational worship events (that were packed!) that have the potential of changing lives.

A ton of people who are part of our church family were out of town and missed what God did. We got some complaints – about people sitting in their chairs, about us not serving coffee and donuts, about us changing a few things from the past. But we are not going to let those things keep us from celebrating an amazing week. I do believe that it was worth it. Easter is a victory! We believe we were successful in carrying out the mission of Christ! That is victory!

Now my pastor’s heart kicks in (if you were at the main campus for Easter – you’ve seen my karate kick!) and I am praying that this is more than a once-a-year shot. I am asking God to change lives and to connect people with His church. We will then know what success is.

God bless you all – let’s live resurrected lives!

This morning feels way different from last night. We commemorated the crucifixion of Jesus in our Good Friday worship event last night. It was a highly emotional and introspective time of worship. All day, and for the past few days, I felt the spiritual repercussions of what Jesus went through in His final days. I realize that many people avoid dealing with the suffering of Christ. This is their loss for you cannot fully engage in resurrection if you have not experienced the tomb.

This morning feels different. I was up early, long before the sun. As it started to rise and the orange and pink streaks were painted across the eastern sky, I felt a lifting of my spirit. Although it is not yet Easter and, technically, our observation is that Jesus is still in His grave, the sun brings new life. I will not wait until Easter morning to celebrate the victory of Christ over death!

Tomorrow morning, Christ followers from all over the globe will gather to honor Jesus, the One who died and rose for us. It will be a true celebration!

Don’t wait for tomorrow. And please don’t end your celebration with the setting of the Easter sun. Jesus lives today, tomorrow and forever! And because He lives, we live. Let’s live lives of resurrection.

Easter blessings to all!

A blessed Good Friday to you. Today, we remember the death of Jesus on a cruel cross. Everything changed from that moment forward.

Luke 23:33-34 When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.” (MSG)

We have no clue what we are doing, we need a Savior.

Worship with us at Maranatha Church tonight at 7:00. Our focus will be To The Cross.

Every few months, I am made aware of a statement or opinion that continues to arise, to the point that I am tired of hearing about it. It has happened again.

In the past month and a half, I have heard too many people utter the phrase, “I hate change!”. Of course, this was in response to someone challenging them to do something different in their lives. Now, we must state the obvious, not because it needs to be said but because it always comes up in the discussion. Change for the sake of change is not necessarily a good thing. There isn’t much value in transitioning something just so you can say that you did. So leave that line of thinking behind. I am addressing the necessity of change in our everyday life.

The people that I have heard describe their loathing of change live in a rut. They want things to remain that way. Someone with a better idea comes along, someone who is not afraid to risk, not afraid to challenge the status quo, and their innovative ways are met with the compelling argument, “but I don’t want to change!”. I can’t tell you how frustrating that phrase is to people who are trying to make the world a better place in which to live.

I don’t believe the people who say that they have sworn off change. I think they want other people to change, to meet their needs. They simply don’t want to go through the effort of changing themselves. Maybe a more accurate statement would be, “I only want other people to change. But please don’t require any cooperation from me.” They will be more than happy to enjoy the benefits that the change brings about.

Here are 3 good reasons to embrace change:
-Nothing good ever happens unless someone changes something. Everything from a good meal to scientific advancements result from someone taking the initiative.
-New life springs from change – without it we all die. Every time a baby is born, things change – drastically!
-Lack of change results in boredom. Who wants to live in prehistoric times? Life is meant to be exciting.

Think about this further:
If you can do better than you currently are, change needs to happen.
If a problem can be solved with change, bring it on.
If the life of someone around us can improve if we change, we have a responsibility to change.

What if Jesus has said to God, “I hate change!”? He would have stayed in heaven and we would have all gone to hell. He would have refused to go to the cross.

One final thought:
We all are willing to change when we hurt badly enough. Pain is a huge motivator. Let’s not wait until the pain is unbearable before we cooperate with transition.

Honestly, this is why I hate the “I hate change” philosophy so much. Those who refuse to change are hurting. Their lives aren’t as fruitful as they could and should be. Resistance to change is a trap that holds them back, confines them to repeat the past. I want to see them free.

I love change. It is the essence of life. The next time one of my friends says, ”I hate change”, I am going to change friends. 🙂

I am not the judge on who is a Christian and who is not. If I were, heaven wouldn’t need so many mansions.

But I am wondering how a person can identify themselves as a follower of Jesus Christ and not believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. They are out there – the people who buy into salvation and new life in Christ but coming back from the dead is a little over the top! So apparently Easter means nothing to these people. What will they be celebrating when they dress up and come to church this Sunday?

Here is my take on the issue: It is completely futile to put your faith in a dead man’s ability to raise you from the dead. It doesn’t matter that Jesus died for you if He is still in His grave. There is no redemption in His death unless He resurrected.

The resurrection of Jesus from the grave is THE MOST central concept of our faith. If Jesus did not resurrect, we remain dead in our sin. Paul said, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. “ 1 Corinthians 15:14-15 (NIV)

So, take the leap. Put your faith in what God says. Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected from the dead. He is alive and is coming again. And everyone who follows Him is alive!

That’s what Easter is all about.

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

You may donate by visiting wecanshareit.org

OK, I rethought my last post. I was determined to keep my eyes on the immediate project, our outreach efforts to the children of Peru. But with the arrival of Palm Sunday and Holy Week tomorrow, we have to put first things first.

Passover begin at sundown on Monday. The week of Passion will be upon us. The greatest need of humankind will be met by the Sinless One. The emotions of this week, for those who take time to look closely enough, will take us for a ride.

Palm Sunday, although the beginning of the “end” for Jesus, is a day of great triumph. Jesus will overcome! He will complete His task of being the Savior of the world. And we have reason to celebrate!

Palm Sunday at Maranatha will feature a message from the Gospel of Matthew 21:1-11. Read it thoroughly. We will discuss the ironies of the events of that day. And in the end, we will rejoice with others at the plan of salvation that God has brought about.

God awaken us to your love, your life, your salvation!

Salvation is now!
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Although some pretty cool things have been happening this week, I am staying zeroed in on “Project Peru” this week. We shot some new video today that I will post tomorrow. Once that is up, we will explore some of the new things that God has done this week.

Suffice it to say, we are heading into Holy Week with some momentum!

If you have yet to make a donation to Project Peru, please take a look at the video two posts down or visit wecanshareit.org to check your options. I am serious about helping these needy kids in Peru. We need to make an investment into their lives.

Jump in!

Do you think I can hike 25 miles? With a full backpack? In 13,550 ft Andes Mountains elevation?

And, on a related note, do you care about needy kids?

I am raising money to help assist a Children’s Ministry Center in Lima, Peru. They feed, educate and provide medical care for 330 impoverished children. Their leader, Pastor Dario Lopez is a trusted man who has invested the last 20 years caring for these children. Our financial support will allow this great work to continue and to expand.

Here is the plan: My daughter, Jessica and I plan to hike the Inca Trail in Peru in May. The trip is approximately 25 miles long. I am finding sponsors who will support my trek on a per-mile basis. The money will be collected before (for those of you who actually think I can make the trip) or following (for those of you who think I am a wimp) the trip. I am actually hoping to hand-deliver the funds to Pastor Lopez when we arrive in Peru so your faith in my hiking ability is pretty vital.

Here’s all you need to do. Go to Maranatha’s outreach website, wecanshareit.org and read the details. Or, you can watch this video on youtube.com or click on it below. A paypal page has been set up for your convenience. You may also simply place a check in the offering at one of our services at Maranatha, but please be sure to designate “Peru” on your envelope. One more thing: and this is important. Let me know if you plan to support and how much you plan to donate. If you plan to give one dollar per mile, obviously the total amount is $25. I am looking for your total amount pledged. This will assist us as we set and reach our goals. My preliminary goal is $5,000, an amount easily attainable for us. That means that I need 200 people who will pledge $1 per mile. Or 100 to pledge $2 per… you get the idea. Of course, if you want to pledge $200 per mile, we will reach our goal!

Thanks for your support. Pray for us as we are in training for this demanding hike. I have a lot of motivation to complete it!

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

Support Project Peru here: wecanshareit.org

Thanks very much!

It’s a beautiful Friday morning in south Florida and we are getting ready for a day off.

Some personal stuff:
Letha’s birthday is tomorrow so we are planning some celebration time. Going to enjoy a couple of Cardinals baseball Spring Training games and eat steak for dinner tonight. I am trying to get her to plan a shopping trip – we’ll see. She is so low maintenance!

Letha’s dad, Dave, is visiting with us for a couple of weeks. He is a joy to have around but I feel for him. His wife Mary passed away last January and he is not rebounding so well. I can’t say that I blame him. We are just embracing the time that we have together while he is here.

We are missing Jessica a lot since it’s been Christmas since we have seen her. These are the stretches that make it tough. We have scheduled a trip in April to go see her – I can’t wait.

Some ministry stuff:
I am getting ready for more missions activity. We are working on two projects: one for Peru and one for Guatemala, both to benefit needy children. On a total of 3 trips this Spring/Summer, we will take needed supplies to orphans, deliver finances to help build a Children’s Ministry Center and lead a large team of families from Maranatha on their first short-term missions experience. This missions activity is close to my heart and is one of the greatest expressions of my calling. It also helps keep me relatively sane.

Maranatha is gearing up for Easter. We are hoping for some momentum to pick up and carry us through the season. We are having a difficult time getting people to come to worship events on a consistent basis. It just seems that so many things compete for the attention of our people. Maybe we will see a surge of commitment in the next few weeks. If we don’t, it won’t be because we are not trying. In fact, we are pushing hard to see this happen.

One thing I am really enjoying right now is a small group that we have put together. We are meeting with several young couples on Wednesdays. They are a great group and are really jumping in to some important spiritual growth concepts. It is exciting to see how bright they are and how they are growing in our brief time together.

Some vision stuff:
I am meeting regularly with a Vision Team for Maranatha. These guys, along with our staff, are putting together some very important ideas for ministry effectiveness. I think the church will see the results of their work in a bunch of areas. I get inspired by meeting with them.

When God speaks to me, especially in areas of changes that He wants me to make, it usually feels like agitation to my spirit. He makes me uncomfortable enough to want to change. I have been agitated in several areas for some time now. We are now dialoging our way through some adjustments that God is bringing about. By nature, I am not much of a risk taker, but God is certainly making it clear that some risks are going to be necessary if we are to see His plans fulfilled. We are praying and planning now but soon will launch into the vision casting stage of the process. I am cautiously anticipating a positive reaction from the people of Maranatha. By this time next year, if all goes well, we could be a different church.

Just 3 bullet points for you to go with:
Do something today that matters; that will outlast you – that’s what God asks of us.
Put God first. If He is not first on your list, He isn’t on your list. God doesn’t settle for second place.
Find someone to serve. Give something away that you aren’t using. Surprise someone with kindness.

Peace!

These clips are by Ed Stetzer at the recent Verge Conference Letha and I attended in Austin. Watching this may help you understand where I am headed.