Daily Caffeination 09/30/08

No Other Gods

"Do not worship any other gods besides me. Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish. You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god! " -Exodus 20:3-5

What does it mean when God says, "Do not worship any other gods besides me"? It means that we are not to allow anything or anyone to takes the place of God in our lives.

That god could be a career. It could be a possession. It could be a relationship. It could be so many things. But the Bible tells us, "Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts" (1 John 5:21).

Scripture also warns us about idols that include objects or carved images. Before we dismiss this as an issue from the Old Testament period, let's consider how many religious icons and images we have in our culture today. While I'm not saying all of these are necessarily wrong, I am saying that we don't need them to worship God.

Sometimes people say, "I need these things to remind me of God." But a person who knows God, loves Him, and is living in fellowship with Him does not need an image or a representation of God to worship Him.

A dependence on such things indicates the absence of an inner spiritual life. Jesus said, "For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth" (1 John 4:23--24).

We don't need images. We don't need icons. We don't need symbols. God tells us, "Do not make idols of any kind." Give Him your undivided love.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffeination 09/29/08

Without Condition

Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. -Ephesians 1:5-6

There are a lot of people who think they should keep the Ten Commandments because they are under the impression that God will punish them if they don't. But the fact is that God loves us, and we should keep His commandments because we are aware of this.

We need to know that God accepts us as we are. We don't have to do anything to earn His approval. We don't have to do anything to merit His love. In spite of our shortcomings and in spite of our sins, God loves us.

Some people come from homes in which their fathers never expressed love or showed any affection toward them. Therefore, they take that image of their earthly fathers and place it on their Heavenly Father. They spend the rest of their lives trying to earn the approval of God, who already has given His approval to them.

He loves us just as we are. Of course, He doesn't want to leave us that way. He wants to change us so that we become more like Christ. Even then, God loves us when we do well, and He loves us when we fail.

Realizing this should cause us to want to love Him. As 1 John 4:19 says, "We love Him because He first loved us." So instead of wanting to keep God's commandments to earn His love, we should want to keep them because of His love for us. We should want to keep His commandments because we know they are right. It all comes down to our motives.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffeination 09/26/08

Therefore, Love Your Neighbor

Jesus replied, " 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " -Matthew 22:38-39

When Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as yourself," He was not saying that before you can love others, you must first love yourself. That is the common interpretation we often hear, but that is not correct. Jesus is not teaching self-love.

Essentially, He is saying that just as you already love yourself, as you already care for yourself and think about yourself, you are to love your neighbor in the same way.

We already love ourselves. As the apostle Paul said, "No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it . . ." (Ephesians 5:29). And that is true.

Sometimes people say, "I hate myself. I'm so ugly. I'm just so horrible. I just hate myself." Really? If you truly hated yourself, then you would be happy that you were ugly, right?

Why is it that people who say they hate themselves spend all their time talking about themselves? "I hate the way that I look," they will say. "I hate this about myself. I hate that about myself."

No, the fact of the matter is that all of the attention they shower on their own lives proves they love themselves. The truth is, we all love ourselves.

Jesus is saying, "You already love yourself; therefore, love your neighbor." He goes on to say that if you do this, as well as love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind, then all the commandments of God will be fulfilled, because you will naturally do the things that please Him.

Daily Caffeination 09/25/08

Committed to Learn

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
-2 Timothy 2:15

Have you ever had one of those golden opportunities in life to share the gospel, and you found that you just weren't prepared? Or have you had someone fire some really hard questions at you, and you were rendered speechless?

After I had been a Christian for two weeks, I felt I needed to get out and do something with my faith. I was walking down the street and who did I run into but my very close friend from elementary school. I started witnessing to him. He was listening, and he was open. It seemed as though I was making some progress. I was getting excited.

I didn't notice, however, that someone else was eavesdropping on our conversation. He walked up to me and said, "I have a few questions for you."

I thought, No problem. I have been a Christian for two weeks. I think I can grapple with most theological issues at this point. Fire away.

So he fired four or five pretty tough questions at me. I can't even remember today what they were. All I remember is that I was dumbfounded. I didn't even have a clue. I was ashamed. I was embarrassed. But worst of all, I felt that I had let the Lord down.

I made a commitment that day--a commitment to study the Bible so I would not be caught in that position again. I can't say that I have the answer to every question now. Nor am I suggesting that I can resolve any difficulty any person has, because I can't. But I did realize that I needed to equip myself if I was ever to be used by God. And you need to equip yourself too.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffeination 09/24/08

Your Irrevocable Calling

"For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable." -Romans 11:29

It is dangerous to align your calling and your vocation as dependent on each other. God calls us into relationship with Him. That is our foremost calling. It is from this relationship that our "physical" calling results. Whether that is to be a teacher, a stockbroker, a nurse, a pastor, or any number of vocations, we must realize that when He calls us, the change in vocation never changes His call on our lives. It is a mere change in the landscape of our calling. This is why it is dangerous to associate our purpose and calling too closely with our work. When we define our work life exclusively as our calling, we fall into the trap of locking up our identity into our vocation. This promotes aspiration because of a need to gain greater self-worth through what we do.

Os Guinness, author of The Call, describes the great artist Picasso, who fell into this trap.

"'When a man knows how to do something,' Pablo Picasso told a friend, 'he ceases being a man when he stops doing it.' The result was a driven man. Picasso's gift, once idolized, held him in thrall. Every empty canvass was an affront to his creativity. Like an addict, he made work his source of satisfaction only to find himself dissatisfied. 'I have only one thought: work,' Picasso said toward the end of his life, when neither his family nor his friends could help him relax." [Os Guiness, The Call (Nashville, Tennessee: Word Publishing, 1998), 242.]

What happens when you lose your job? Do you lose your calling? Do you lose your identity? Do you lose your sense of well-being? No. Calling involves different stages and experiences in life. Disruptions in your work are an important training ground for God to fulfill all aspects of His calling on your life. Trust in your God who says your calling is irrevocable and that all things come from Him.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Message from this Past Weekend

This is the message that I preached this past weekend at Crosslight Assembly in Petersburg, VA. I am very fortunate to have an amazing church family at Crosslight and still consider Pastor Mike a great friend and mentor.

Pursuing God Through Service

It is so ironic we call church services, church services and for the most part we set in our chairs and we observe the music and even sing the songs, we listen to and hopefully apply the message that is being preached into our life.

But for the most part there is not a whole lot of service taking place in a service.

Three weeks ago, we had an event in Washington DC called Convoy of Hope at RFK Stadium. The event was originally scheduled for Saturday, September 6, but because of tropical storm Hannah that came into town with 40 mph winds and a downpour of rain, we had to postpone until Sunday, September 7.

We encouraged people to go to service by serving at Convoy of Hope on Sunday instead of going to church.

It was more important for us to be the church than to go to church. By the way, it is impossible to go to church…we, God’s people, followers of Christ are the church, so where we go the church goes.

Through acts of service we put God on display. I want to show you an example of the impact we can make as a church when we stop worrying about going to church service to worship, but we as the church worships through acts of service.

Let us look at our main text this morning Romans 12:1 states, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. “

The word worship is the Greek word latreia, which means “divine service”. When we offer ourselves in acts of service to God, it is worship. It is holy and pleasing when we offer all of ourselves, heart, mind and soul to spiritual acts of “divine service.” What an amazing way to pursue God!

I was eighteen years old God when called me into ministry. I just had come to faith in God and, I had a lot of issues that I was still personally dealing with and I was for the most part uneducated Biblically. As I stepped out and began to actively serve in the church I was attending, my faith started growing and my pursuit of God became more intense. During this time of serving and pursuing God it wasn’t so much what God was doing through me, but it was about what He was doing in me.

When God empowers us with His gifts. It is up to you and I to use those gifts. He gives these gifts so we can offer back to Him in worship and so we can offer it to others in divine service as an act of worship.

Singing a song is just one small expression of worship. But to live out our faith through serving others is such a huge tangible act of worship.

When the church becomes the CHURCH that He has called us to be we can become change agents in our world and culture.

I believe churches need to reach beyond their walls. Good deeds create good will and provide the opportunity to share good news.

What would happen if we asked ourselves, What would happen if instead of people serving inside the church, we put the same effort into serving in our community with, no agendas.

During this political season during a time when politics has become the Elephant in the room, so many people put the their trust and hope in the powers of men and women to make changes. Instead of allowing the world, the government, and the culture to influence the church, the church needs to step out and start serving, it is going to be through our genuine acts of service that we the church can begin to influence the world and the culture. I am going step out on a limb here, it is not going to be our vote on November 4th that will change our world. It is going to be acts of service from church that will bring change.

It will be us serving our communities and not the ones we put into office. It will be us without any agendas caring for the least of these.

What is our motivation for serving as act of worship?

1. LOVE (Love for God and Love For Others)

One of greatest ways we can worship God is through serving Him and serving those that He created. He hasn’t called to focus inward, but to look upward towards Him and outward towards others.

The picture of this is found in one of my favorite passage of Scripture, known as, the Great Commandment, Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39)

The greatest definition for compassion is this, showing love with your action. If we truly love those that we do life with and are around every day we must be willing put action behind our words.

Christ demonstrated this in His life and ministry. As His followers, we are called to demonstrate this same compassion for others.

It is because I love God and want to honor Him and worship Him, I choose to love others, just as He loved us.

What does it mean to love others? We can look at 1 Corinthians 13: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…”

This is not just the definition for love in marriage between husband and wife…but this is a definition for all followers of Christ that we are called to put on display through our lives.

If we love, if we hold onto this definition of love…it never fails.
While we still sinners Christ gave His life for us.

We must be willing to give all everything we have to worship Him through acts of service. Look at verse in Romans 12:1 - I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Love is an action…it is a verb. We have been given a great capacity to love and yet too often we fall short of that.

It is easy to love people who we are nice and those that are like us. We are also called to love out enemies.
The ones that we are called to love, many times are the ones that least deserve it or least expect it.

Another motivation is…
2. To Bring Glory to God

God did not give us gifts to promote ourselves and bring us glory, but to make Him known and bring Him glory.

Isaiah 26:8 says, Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

It is not about us…it is all about Jesus. It is offering the hope and grace that He provides. It is about the forgiveness and love he offers to those He has called us to serve and invite them to follow Him.

I think we invite people to go to church, instead we need to invite people to follow Christ. We invite people to follow Christ through our actions.

St Francis said, preach the gospel (the good news) and use words if necessary. Our actions speak so much louder than our words, both in positive ways and negative ways.

I think the church as a whole is so good about letting people know what we are against, we as the church need to be better about letting people know what we are for, the great way we can do this is through acts of service.

Our acts of service should always bring glory to God. It should be about making Him known and His Kingdom known.

Jesus didn’t come to be served, but He came to serve.

Jesus even washed the feet of the disciples, even the ones who would later betray Him and the one who would deny Him three times.

Jesus came to offer the living water to the Samaritan woman at the well.

I believe each of us are a part of God’s production, we each have a part to play. We hold our own copy of the script and our ears practice the art of listening, we listen to our cues for our turn to speak, our turn to act, and our turn to obey.

When we step into God’s story and begin to be doers; God’s story becomes more than static history; becomes more than white noise; it becomes living history. God’s story becomes our story, not through unengaged recollecting, but by diving in, by getting plugged in, by getting involved, simply by becoming doers through serving and experiencing God’s Word in action in and through our lives.

Our lives, the things we do should always bring Him glory, Him name should be more famous than any other name.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Lives will only be transformed through name of Jesus Christ! There is no other name in Heaven or on Earth that has the power to change a heart or transform a life.

However, we are called to be His hands and feet. We are all called to serve, we are all called to make disciples.

Final motivation should be…

3. Seeing people cross the line of faith and follow Christ

Acts 2:42-47 - 42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

We have never been told if we had great services that God would add to our numbers. However, if we serve and take care of those in need God will to those being saved.

There is no greater joy than seeing people come to faith in Christ, and professing their faith.

Matthew 28:19 - Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The great gifts that God has given us needs to be put into action…they need to be used.

What are practical things you can do to serve? How can pursue and worship God through serving? It starts by caring about those that Jesus cares about. It starts by allowing your heart be broken those things that break the heart of God. It starts by sacrificing…

-Start by sacrificing your time…I put a lot of time and energy into the Convoy of Hope event. I stood out in the rain the Saturday we had to postpone the event to let people know that the event was postponed…why? It wasn’t about me…it was to offer hope to those who are hopeless…it was to show the love of Jesus, it was done to make him known

-Start by sacrificing materially…give of your finances to missions, to causes, to needs and not to our wants. It was because of Crosslight's generous giving that allowed Lora and I to come to Washington DC to serve. We have the opportunity to have such a huge impact and influence in Washington, DC in one weekend I had the honor to preach and minister to over 800 at two different location and have my message go out over a podcast/webcast that is seen and heard by several thousand people. God has giving us an opportunity to give back generously more than we have ever before toward ministries, towards missions…it is true you can never out give God.

-Go on a missions trip…you will get more out of one missions trip serving others than you will ever get from 52 weeks of church services. At NCC we are tithing our church to missions not just financially, but we are taking 10 trips over the next year and taking atleast 150 people a tithe or our church on a missions trip. I am leading a trip to Trinidad. I believe God will bless you in proportion what you give to missions and how take care of the poor.

Every gift God has given us. Our pursuit of Him in a life worship through serving is not designed to make us bored…His desire is to give us a life full of adventure. Scriptures tells us that Jesus has come to give us life and life to the fullest.

I think too many Christians are suffering from boredom, because they are not doing anything for God. They aren’t living out their faith as God has called them to live through the adventure of serving.

Daily Caffeination 09/23/08

The First and Greatest Commandment

Jesus replied, " 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " Matthew 22:37-38

Some years ago, around three hundred whales were found marooned on a beach. Scientists speculated that the whales had been chasing sardines and became trapped in shallow water when the tide went out.

Now that's an amazing thing. By chasing little sardines, these gigantic creatures were ultimately led to their doom.

Many people waste their lives chasing sardines, so to speak. They major on the minors and have no clear focus or objective in mind.

But God tells us what should be the primary goal of every Christian. If we can get our priorities straight in this area, everything else will come together. In fact, if we can get these two principles operating in our lives, then all the commandments of God will become a natural outflow of our commitment to Him.

What are these principles? One, " 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind' " (Matthew 22:37); and two, " 'Love your neighbor as yourself' " (verse 38).

When Jesus spoke these words, He was identifying what should be the focus of every person. Essentially, He was saying that love is the basis for all obedience. If you really love God, then you will naturally want to do the things that please Him.

It has been said, "If you aim at nothing, you are bound to hit it." What is your highest priority in life? What are your goals?

We all channel our energies and passions and thoughts toward something in life. What is it for you?

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffeination 09/19/08

Be Careful What You Ask For

And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul. -Psalm 106:15

I sometimes hear people say, "I have been wrestling with God in prayer!" My first thought always is, "I hope you lost."

If you have been trying to bend God your way, then that is a problem. Prayer is not trying to move God your way; it is moving yourself His way.

In fact, I'm glad that God hasn't said yes to every prayer I have ever prayed. When I look back on some things I've prayed for, I realize that if the Lord would have allowed them, they could have destroyed me. They were not the right things or the right situations. So God graciously and lovingly said no.

In John 15:7, Jesus gave an incredible promise regarding answered prayer. He said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." From the original language, this verse could be translated, "If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My word is at home with you, I command you to ask at once for yourself whatever your heart desires, and it will be yours."

When I read a promise like that, I gravitate immediately toward the part that says I can ask whatever my heart desires and it will be mine. But before that, Jesus said, "If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My word is at home with you. . . ."

If this is happening in your life, then you are going to want what God wants. If you maintain a living communion with God and His words are at home in your heart, then your outlook, your desires--and in time, your prayers--will change.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffeination 09/18/08

(This so appropriate as we go into prayer for a little guy today as a staff at 9:30. We will be praying for God's will.)

The Mother Who Prayed

Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. -Matthew 15:28

When we are praying for something that we believe is the will of God, we should not give up. Keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking--that is what Jesus told us to do.

In fact, when Jesus saw the great faith of a mother from Canaan who was doing this very thing, He gave her carte blanche, so to speak: "Let it be to you as you desire."

This mother believed that what she was asking was the will of God, and she would not give up.

Maybe you, like this mother, have a child who is under the devil's influence today. He or she has rejected your influence, at least for now. It is tough, because you have raised this child in the ways of the Lord. The very thing you have prepared your child for--to become independent--has happened. My advice is, hold on. You will come through it.

That thing you may believe is the worst-case scenario might be the step toward bringing your child to a true, heartfelt faith. The rebellion may be difficult to endure right now. But it also may be short-term, and it may be what it takes to bring your child to a place of realizing his or her own need for Jesus Christ.

Our kids need to get these convictions in their hearts as their convictions, not just as Mom or Dad's convictions. It may mean a detour into the land of the prodigals. It may mean hitting bottom. But don't give up. Keep praying. Our children can escape our presence, but they cannot escape our prayers.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffeination 09/17/08

Not Home Yet

"But many who seem to be important now will be the least important then, and those who are considered least here will be the greatest then." -Matthew 19:30

A missionary couple who had served for many years in Africa were returning to the United States. Leaving Africa with broken health and no pension, they felt defeated, discouraged, and afraid.

As it turned out, President Teddy Roosevelt was traveling on the same ship. Of course, it caused a great commotion as everyone tried to catch a glimpse of the president, who was returning from a hunting expedition.

The missionary commented to his wife, "Something is wrong. Why should we, who have given our lives in service to the Lord all these years in Africa, come back and not receive any fanfare or attention? And this man, who has done nothing more than just go on a hunting trip, is the center of attention. It just doesn't seem right."

When the ship arrived, a brass band played and the mayor welcomed the president. The missionary was so discouraged. "It isn't fair," he told his wife. "Why have we not received any attention or adulation for what we have done? God is not treating us fairly."

She said, "Honey, why don't you just go tell that to the Lord?" A little bit later, he was smiling. His wife said, "You look different. What happened?"

He said, "Well, I told the Lord how bitter I was that the president received this tremendous homecoming, while no one greeted us when we returned home. Then it seemed as though the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and said, 'Son, you are not home yet.' "

God sees those things you do for Him, and He will bless you. But remember, we are not home yet.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffeination 09/16/08

God's Fellow Workers

Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. -1 Corinthians 3:8

In 1 Samuel 30, we find the story of David leading his men to a successful battle. As they were returning home, those who had stayed behind and watched the camp and the supplies met them. But some of the troublemakers who had fought in the battle didn't want to give any of the spoils of the battle to those who stayed by the camp.

I love what David said: "But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike" (verse 24).

Whether God has called you to serve Him in such a way that people see you, or whether He has called you to serve Him by supporting others who are seen, God will bless you and reward you in that final day.

Maybe you feel as though your life isn't really making a difference or that what you have to offer God doesn't mean all that much. You will be in for some surprises in heaven, because what may not seem very valuable on earth will be of great value in heaven.

I read a story about a man who found an old, blue-and-white vase while he was cleaning his attic. He took it to the auction to sell it, thinking he would probably get $20, $30, or maybe even $100 for it. To his utter amazement, the vase sold for $324,000. It was an original, 15th-century vase from the Ming dynasty.

What may not seem that valuable now will be later. Until then, we need to be faithful with what God has given us to do.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffeination 09/15/08

Sibling Rivalry

If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. -1 Corinthians 12:26-27 NLT

I think there may be three big surprises in heaven: One, many of the people we expected to see won't be there. Two, many of the people we never expected to see will be there. And three, we will be there.

Remember the story of the prodigal son? He went out, tarnished the family name, consorted with prostitutes, and threw away his fortune. Then one day, he came to his senses and returned home. His father ran to meet him, smothered him with kisses, and threw a big party. It was a great celebration.

Meanwhile, the prodigal's older brother was out in the field, heard the commotion, and wanted to know what was going on. He was told that his younger brother had returned home. But instead of rejoicing, he was angry and jealous.

This can happen with us. We see God bless someone else in a tangible way, maybe with a promotion at work or another blessing of some kind. Or maybe God puts His hand on a certain individual and begins to use him.

In the midst of all this, we might say, "Lord, wait a second. I have faithfully served you all of these years. How is it that this Johnny-come-lately pops up, and you are blessing him? It isn't fair. I am much more godly. I am much more committed. And most of all, I am much more humble."

The fact of the matter is that we should rejoice whenever God is being glorified and the gospel is being preached.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffeination 09/12/08

Will You Enter?

"Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff." -Numbers 20:11a

Will you fulfill the destiny God has for your life? Perhaps you have never thought about it. God had a perfect plan for Moses to lead the people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. It's been said the hardest place to score a touchdown is from the goal line. You're almost there. But there is something about crossing over that makes those last few yards the most difficult. Moses failed at the goal line, and it prevented him from finishing well a glorious life of service for God.

The people of Israel were complaining that they did not have water to drink. It was another of many tests for Israel. Moses inquired of God and God said, "...Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water" (Num. 20:8a). Moses, in his frustration and anger with the people, began to act on his own and made a strategic mistake. Instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock twice with his staff. In spite of his disobedience, the rock poured forth water.

God was calling Moses to a different dimension. Moses was to use his words to speak the miracle. However, he not only lost his temper, but he also took credit and dishonored God. He used his staff, the symbol of his work life as a shepherd, to force the provision.

When we become callous, we can use our skills and abilities to force what we believe should happen. We take control. When we do this, we are in danger of failing to enter the Promised Land of blessing from God. Living in life's spiritual dimension requires patience and obedience. Beware of solving problems in your own strength. God wants to bring you into the Promised Land of His blessing. But it will require walking in the spiritual dimension.

Daily Caffeination 09/11/08

Bad Company

Peter said, "I swear by God, I don't know the man." And immediately the rooster crowed. -Matthew 26:74

Peter's denial of Jesus did not happen over a period of seconds or minutes, but over a period of hours. An hour had passed from the time the first person said, "You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean," to the time Peter made his second denial. He had ample opportunity to hightail it out of there, but he remained in this situation.

It just reminds us of the fact that no person is safe from temptation except the one who flees from it. Peter, having been warned by Jesus himself, of all people, should have avoided any place where he could be weakened. He definitely should have steered clear of all roosters.

I would have said, "Are there any roosters here? Because I'm leaving if there are. The Lord mentioned a rooster."

Greater men and women of God than most of us certainly have been compromised by lowering their standards and allowing themselves to be drawn into sin.

People like Solomon. Samson. David. They all found out the hard way. Are we better than they were? Are we more spiritual than they were? I don't think so.

If someone like Simon Peter was capable of falling, then surely we are. 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us, "Bad company corrupts good character. " Peter was around people who were dragging him down spiritually.

Are you in a similar situation today? Have you entered into relationships where people are dragging you down? Maybe it's a romance. Maybe it's a close friendship. Are you finding yourself compromising your principles to fit in and not offend anyone?

Perhaps you need to reconsider who your friends are. Perhaps you need to make some immediate changes.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Check Out Pastor Mark's Article

I want to encourage each of you to check out Pastor Mark's article from Leadership Journal, I could not agree with him more. He talks about politics, especially where we do church in the heart of politics, it is a part of the culture of our city and it is a part of the lives of many of the amazing people who attend NCC. I appreciate the leadership and wisdom of my lead pastor.

Check out the article here.

Daily Caffeination 09/10/08

His Will, Not Mine

He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine." -Matthew 26:39

There are some people who teach that we should never pray, "Not my will, but Yours be done," because it supposedly voids what you have just prayed for.

What nonsense. If Jesus prayed this, certainly we should follow His example.

He gave us the same pattern in the Lord's Prayer when He said, "May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). I never need to be afraid to say, "Lord, Your will be done."

Then there are those who say that we should only pray for something once; otherwise, we are demonstrating a lack of faith.

Yet Jesus taught His disciples, "Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened" (Luke 11:9). We give up far too easily sometimes.

We won't always know the will of God in every situation. Then there are times when we will know the will of God, but we won't like it. Finally, there are times when we will know the will of God, but we don't understand it.

I like what the late D. L. Moody said, "Spread out your petition before God, and then say, 'Thy will, not mine, be done.' " Moody concluded, "The sweetest lesson I have learned in God's school is to let the Lord choose for me."

Have you found that to be true? We must never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffeination 09/09/08

Destined for Greatness

"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." -2 Corinthians 1:4

It has been said that it takes a steady hand to hold a full cup.

God was planning to give a full cup to the apostle Paul. So He took Paul away and put him into obscurity in the desert of Arabia for a time.

We are not told what happened there, but we can only presume that he drew close to the Lord in fellowship and communion. It was there that Paul refined his theology, as evidenced in the New Testament epistles that God inspired him to write.

This was typical of how God dealt with many people He was preparing for greater ministry assignments.

When Elijah obediently delivered God's message to King Ahab and Queen Jezebel in their court, he was led away to the brook Cherith for a few years to wait on God. Moses had 40 years of training that prepared him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Even after the young teenager David was anointed king of Israel, it wasn't until he reached the age of 30 that he actually ascended the throne. Joseph was used greatly in the house of Potiphar, but was then sent to prison for two long years.

God was preparing these men for what was ahead, and He was doing the same for Paul.

When you have gone through the desert of hardship, God uses you to more effectively minister to others. Do you find yourself in a "desert experience"? Maybe God has some training in mind for you. Remember, you can never be too small for God to use; only too big.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Convoy of Hope Was Amazing

WOW!!! What an amazing day we had yesterday September 7, 2008. It was a day where we were able to bless over 10,000 guests of honor. We were able to provide a job fair with resume writing, job interview skills, along with having several agencies providing jobs. We were able to do family portraits, serve over 12,000 hamburgers and hot dog. We had a Kids Zone where we had about 10 different inflatables moon bounces and slides, we also had games. We were able to provide community services such as christian legal aid, free life insurance, several DC Agencies were there sharing their services. We also had a medical tent, we shared on proper nutrition, dental hygeine, exercise. We had an area set up for hair cuts, manicures, Mary Kay facials.

We had amazing entertainment and gave away over 80,000lbs of groceries.

On a personal level, I feel so totally blessed to have this opportunity to serve so many in this great city. I was honored to be a part of this from the very beginning as a part of leadership team. We could not have done this without all of our leaders who invested a lot of time and energy who put an incredible amount of time into this event. We could not have done it without the 50 plus churches who were came together around the DC area to partner with us. We could not have done this without the 1200 volunteers who came out to serve our guests of honor.

Here are two articles from the Washington Times and the Washington Post

You can also check out a bunch of pictures here from this amazing event.

To quote my Lead Pastor Mark Batterson, "A year of praying and planning and organizing and networking paid some huge dividends--changed lives. We rolled up our sleeves and blessed the socks off our city!"

I praise the Lord for this amazing opportunity to serve and be a part of Convoy of Hope I am so honored to be able serve those in this city, the city that God has called me to as a pastor. I couldn't ask for a greater life than to do what I am called to do.

Convoy of Hope Special Announcement

Special Announcement
Convoy of Hope has been postponed due to weather.
The event will be held tomorrow, September 7 at 10:00 am.
Stay safe.

Daily Caffeination 09/05/08

Lord of All

"So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." -Luke 14:33

It was George Bernard Shaw who said, "There are two sources of unhappiness in life. One is not getting what you want. The other is getting it."

This statement reminds me of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus seeking answers. Here was a man who, of all men, should have been content and fulfilled. He had great influence and affluence.

Yet in spite of all his accomplishments, there was something missing in his life. He asked, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"

Jesus told him, "If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." Jesus was not implying that by keeping the Ten Commandments one would be saved. Rather, Jesus held the Ten Commandments up as a mirror to this man to show him his sin.

The ruler replied, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"

I think Jesus probably smiled at this. He saw what this man was really all about. So He took it up a notch and said, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

Jesus knew the problem with this young ruler was that possessions had possessed his soul. But Jesus just as easily could have said something completely different to someone else. What is really holding someone back from Christ and further spiritual progress can vary from person to person.

We would do well to come before Jesus and ask, "Lord, is there anything in my life that is getting in the way of my relationship with You?"

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Wasteland by Trapt

I feel so many people outside the church and Christian faith are echoing this song in their lives. I feel so many people are satisfied in living in their own wasteland, they don't understand what living the Christian faith is all about. Many people feel rejected by the church.

My question: Why should people outside the Christian faith listen to our story and God's story, if we aren't willing to hear their story? We are too often answering questions that they aren't asking. As the community of faith we automatically cast people off if they are different from us.

Here is the danger I think we live in as church leaders, we want to micro manage people's lives, we do this in ministry, we do it in life. We want to tell people how they should live their life from our perspective. Just like in business this doesn't work.

We are all unique, we are all made differently, we all process things differently and God works through each of us in different ways. This is why micro managing is my pet peeve, I do have a tendency to rebel against it and get very frustrated with this style of leadership. I believe God is the one who gives us liberty and freedom and it is He who calls us. If we are challenged to be ourselves and live in the fullness of all that God has for us, we can't be told how to live and do things from someone else.

In my opinion, micro management is a form of god like control and it is very dangerous. We basically tell people how to do things are way and how we think it should be done. We don't allow people to fail or succeed on their own, we don't allow individuals be who God has called them be. In a sense, we create little mini mes instead of devoted Christ followers.

In many ways, I feel this song echoes these thoughts and this theme.


Wasteland by Trapt

You don't ever ask me why
you don't read the signs
you give me way too many reasons
for me to wanna get high

Standing tall between my four walls
and I'm about to fall
so look into me eyes and I say it all

[bridge]
I am lost, I am lost
so crucify me on your cross
whats the cost, whats the cost
to erase what I've been taught
Get off my back dont attack
So what if I fell off the tracks
your master plan, don't understand

[chorus]
I'd rather live in my own Wasteland
I'm already gone
I'm already gone
My own wasteland
I don't belong
I don't belong
My own wasteland

Scream at me until I shut down
Don't hear a sound
can only take so many cheap shots
down on the ground

I gotta go my own way this time
leave you behind
said it all but not enough for your
simple mind

You tell me what you want from me
you never ask me what i need
just let me go just set me free
and turn these nightmares into dreams

I'd rather live in my own Wasteland
And I wont waste another day
it doesn't matter what we say (my own wasteland)
your memories age
and with new age
I'd rather die in my own Wasteland

I'm already gone
I'm already gone
My own wasteland
I don't belong
I don't belong
My own wasteland
I'm already gone
I'm already gone
My own wasteland
I don't belong
I don't belong
My own wasteland

Daily Caffeination 09/03/08

Caring Enough to Confront

Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. -Galatians 6:1

After observing the behavior of some people, you would think they have a verse in their Bible that says, "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, go and tell as many people as possible. And then ultimately go and try to drive that person away." But this is not what Scripture tells us to do.

In Matthew 18, Jesus gave us the steps we should take when it appears someone has fallen into sin (and I emphasize the word appears). First, we must know all the facts. When you hear something about someone, instead of talking about it, determine to go to that person and say, "I heard this about you. Is it true?" Hopefully, you can get the issue resolved immediately.

But to fail to go to someone when you know a sin is being committed is to actually cause that individual, and the church as a whole, the greatest harm. Scripture says, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump" (Galatians 5:9 NIV).

In most cases, you will find that believers rarely approach a sinning believer or allegedly sinning believer. Instead of seeking to help a person who possibly may have never sinned at all, they end up slandering that individual. This is wrong. If you have ever had this happen to you, then you know how painful it can be.

Remember, the devil wants to turn believers against each other. He will attack us from the outside, but many times, when that does not work, he seeks to infiltrate our ranks and divide us.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries

Daily Caffenation 09/02/08

Tabloid Mentality

Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. -Romans 16:17

It seems as though we are living in a day of tabloid mentality. I have never seen a culture and society so obsessed with gossip, innuendos, and rumors. Just turn on the TV and you'll find all kinds of programs that probe into the personal lives of others.

This tabloid mentality has even entered the news media, where reporters hunt for that juicy piece of gossip. The tragedy is that if someone is charged with a crime today, we try him or her in the media before they ever have had the opportunity to enter a court of law where evidence is presented and where they face their accusers.

Sadly, this kind of thinking can even enter the church. When we hear something about someone else, immediately our ears perk up. But what does the Bible tell us? It says that love believes the best of every person. It doesn't say that love believes the worst.

This means that when someone says something about a Christian brother or sister, you should immediately have some disbelief in your heart. The reason is that you are to believe the best of that individual. We must be very careful, because many times we accept rumor as truth. Then to make matters worse, we start repeating what we've heard without checking the facts.

One of the things the Bible says that God hates is the one who sows discord among others (see Proverbs 6:16--19). This is the person who spreads rumors, who spreads innuendos, and who slanders others. God hates this.

Don't be someone who spreads rumors. Don't be someone who gossips. It's wrong. It's sinful. And it displeases God.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries