Ok I am piggy backing . . .

I read Pastor Steven Furtick's blog yesterday and I cannot get these thoughts out of my head. So after you read this or before you may want to read it at: http://www.stevenfurtick.com/personal-development/stop-the-hop/  Awesome Pastor with some very helpful thoughts.

Ok I understand there are not any perfect churches out there. We all have short comings and downfalls. Why? Churches are full of human beings which includes the Pastor.

A little background. I pastor in a city of just under 250,000 people that has one major university (Texas Tech) and three smaller colleges (South Plains College, Lubbock Christian University, & Wayland Baptist). As you can see two of them have Christianity as their foundation. Which adds to my point. We also have more than 350 churches in our city. Lubbock is a lot like Charlotte, NC which has 720 churches for a population of just over a million which is where Pastor Steven Furtick pastors.

Could we all just stop dating the church:

1. The prettiest or most handsome.

2. The most popular.

3. The one that will get us noticed.

4. The one that is the most fun.

If we could all just find a place to put down some roots and go M. A. D. (make a difference) not get mad. Lord knows there is enough of that going around.

Why plug into one local church?

1. Jesus said that is what He was going to build. 

2. We are better together. 

3. Unity (not sameness) is where the blessings are.

4. Isolation is dangerous.

5. That church needs you and you need them. (community)

Church hopping is just going to stunt your growth. Get in one place and get F. A. T. (FAITHFUL AVAILABLE TEACHABLE). That is why I believe that church hopping is a form of rebellion. I know that may be radical for some of you, but why else would people continually go from one place to the next?

1. Consumers
2. Celebrity search
3. Needs not met
4. Hurt
5. It is too big

GET IN ONE PLACE AND USE THE THOSE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM THAT HE HAS GIVEN YOU!! Fall in love with Jesus and His family.

The simple thoughts of :

Ed

SHUT UP ACCUSER!!!!!

You may be familiar with this Bible verse. If so let it be a reminder of something you know. If not I think you will be encouraged today.

Rev 12:10

10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,

"It has come at last—

salvation and power

and the Kingdom of our God,

and the authority of his Christ.

For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
before our God day and night. NLT

FOUR KINDS OF ACCUSATION:

1. INHERITED - We have all sinned because we are descendants of Adam. Rom.3:23

2. IMPOSED - This put on us by others choices and actions that we are connected with.

3. ACTUAL - Yes, we did we are guilty. REPENT 1 John 1:9

4. INTERNAL - We refuse to forgive ourselves.

Look at this picture of how Jesus would take care of the ACCUSER.

Zech 3:1-2

3 Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel's right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, "I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire." NLT

Then Jesus actually did it in the New Testament:

John 8:10-11

10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" 11 "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more." NLT

TELL THE ACCUSER IN YOUR LIFE TO SHUT UP AND THE LORD REBUKE YOU!!!

Be Blessed,

Ed

Keeping Christ In CHRISTmas - A Heart for ONE

(Pictures are from Generations Church 12/19/2010)

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,t for he will save his people from their sins.”

 http://read.ly/Matt1.21.NLT

Jesus came to SAVE US from our sins! WOW!! I know this is no heavy revy for most of us, but it is worth reminding us why He came. Guess what? It was not so that we could receive gifts because HE IS THE GIFT. Do not get me wrong I love to receive gifts at CHRISTmas but the point of CHRISTmas is way beyond gift giving.

The FATHER'S HEART WAS ON DISPLAY in the CHRISTmas story. I preached about it on Sunday (you can listen at www.generationslubbock.com). Just click on the sermon player on the home page or go to Generations Church in itunes and you can listen to the podcast.

A HEART FOR ONE LOST SHEEP:

• owner left 99 and went after one
• how much time, energy, and money do we spend on the 99 versus the one that is lost
• more joy in heaven over ONE lost - found.

A HEART FOR ONE LOST COIN:

• of what value was it???
• she moved furniture and swept
• until she found it (determination)
• called, texted, emailed all her friends about the joy of what was lost is now found

A HEART FOR ONE LOST SON (daughter)

• he thought it was about "ME" (we do this)
• wasted it on PRODIGAL LIVING (use your imagination)
• humbled
• confessed - WHEN WE MESS UP WE NEED TO FESS UP
• Dad was waiting (so is God)
• cut covenant "here" v. 23 (significant because he did not have to clean up) God does not care where you have been, what you have been doing, nor does He care who you have been doing it with. All He cares about is where you are going which is why he sent us a SAVIOR, MESSIAH, KING.

Do you know one who is LOST but needs to be FOUND? Our assignment from heaven this CHRISTmas is to go after ONE and that will KEEP THE CHRIST IN CHRISTmas.

 

Ed

ALL IN THE FAMILY

I AM LIVING A BLESSED LIFE!! Thanking God for the greatest gift of all HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 

Matthew 1:21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,t for he will save his people from their sins.”

Along the way I have been blessed, and continue to be blessed. 

• March 4, 1976 I came to know Jesus
• June 1977 Called to ministry - continuing in the present
• July 15, 1978 Married a great gift of God - Connie Cassell
• July 7, 1979 My first born Jeff (strong with a sense of justice about him)
• May 6, 1982 My first and only daughter Denae (most like me)
• September 15, 1984 Lance (the sneaky one in a good way)
• Son in law (Chris) and Daughter in laws (Lacey & Olivia) the greatest!! 
• Grand Kids . . . the best!!

I could write so many more dates down here of significant times in my life but I will refrain. Let me ask you a question. What are your numbers? No, not the lotto! Recall your significant dates and count your blessings from the Lord. This verse was mine and Connie's memory verse for the year. WOW!! What a year!

Psalms 40

5 O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.NLT

I get the privilege of pastoring a GREAT church Generations Church (www.generationslubbock.com). We are young and we are not what we were and we are not what we are going to be. 

I am still amazed at how God has opened doors for me to travel the country and the world to share His love. Regardless whether I am standing in front of a group of 20 or 2000 I am still very humbled by the opportunity I have in schools and churches across the country and around the world. Humbling!!

I was in Barnes Noble reading yesterday when a lady asked if she could sit opposite me? Of course I said yes and I just continued to read in my NOOK and drink my tea. She had a stack of books that I guess she was trying to decide what to buy. In a moment she struck up a conversation about the NOOK. It was obvious that she was an avid reader, so I shared with her all about my NOOK. 

Our conversation continued and I found out that she was a retired English teacher at Monterey High School (I graduated from there). I knew of her but I never took one of her classes. We had shared wonderful memories of common friends. She (Joann Corbett) is still so full of passion for teaching that in her retired state she now oversees 12 student teachers out of the Texas Tech school of Education. It fired me up to see her passion at her age.There was nothing dramatic that happened in our conversation except her PASSION FOR LIFE and her continued sense of MISSION influenced me greatly.

Check your numbers and see who has influenced you and who you are influencing.

Have a BLESSED CHRISTmas SEASON

Ed

Lets ALL have LAUGH

Prov 17:22

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.NLT


Laughter is such a powerful key that unlocks and opens the door to our hearts.

There is always a lot of laughter in my house. My wife is known for her laugh and her sense of humor. Here are some thoughts about laughter. I HOPE THEY ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY! The picture here is in our house.

• Laughter is contagious
• Laughing with others is a release
• Laughing at yourself keeps you humble
• Laughing at someone can be dangerous
• Laughing at others expense is rude
• Laughing in adversity can bring you hope

Ps 126:5-6
5 Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest. NLT

Who Are We Fighting

Culture wars - Generation gaps, speak of some kind of difference we have in relation to others.

WHY DO WE FIGHT EACH OTHER?

We should fight the destructive evil forces of:

• addiction (drugs, alcohol, porn)
• dissoulution of the home (divorce)
• demon of debt (bondage)
• violence (anger)
• cancer (often caused by unforgiveness)
• disunity (not sameness)
• apathy (medocrity)

http://read.ly/Matt11.12.NLT

http://read.ly/Eph6.12.NLT

DO NOT FIGHT EACH OTHER . . . C'MON MAN!!!

Ed

Finding Faith in IMPOSSIBLE Circumstances

Faced with impossible news, impossible trouble, impossible health issues, or impossible relationship drama, or impossible finances. THERE IS A WORD OF HOPE FOR YOU!!

Luke 1:37-38
37 For with God nothing will be impossible." 38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. NKJV

We are truly blessed beyond measure when we take the promises of HIS WORD at face value. We put our hope, trust, & confidence in Him rather than a system, money, or a person.

Luke 1:45
45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." NKJV

I want to spend this CHRISTmas season living like Elizabeth's description of Mary. Which for me would be translated this way. . .

LETS BE FILLED WITH THE ALREADY WHILE WE ARE LIVING IN THE NOT YET.

• My marriage
• My Church (building)
• My family
• My ministry vision
  

Find the CHRIST in Christmas and put your FAITH there  . .  so your impossible circumstance will turn to a miracle life full of answers.

But let me warn you there is not an EASY button in life only in the fantasy world of advertising is there and EASY button that will instantly solve your crisis.

Follow Faith
Ed