Hosanna Today, Crucify Tomorrow

Palm Sunday. Yesterday marked the day in history where Jesus rode into town on the back of a donkey.

Worship took place that day. Many shouted "Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of The Lord!" Many threw down their cloaks and palm branches. I'm sure it was quite a gathering of worshipers. 

Preparing for worship this past Sunday, I was thinking a lot about this triumphal entry...Particulary I was thinking about the worship problem that was taking place.

Was there authentic worship of Jesus taking place? Sure. Was everyone who was shouting and waving branches an authentic worshiper? Probably not. 

In fact, it was just a few short days later that many of those people who celebrated the arrival of Jesus, were shouting "Crucify Him" with a multitude of people.  

Their response was dependent on the crowd, rather than the Christ.  

What about you? 

Week after week we gather in churches. We sing, we shout, we worship. Really it's an easy environment to worship Jesus. But what about in the work place? What about at home? Or at school?  

When everyone else is shouting "crucify Him," will you choose to blend in, or shout "Hosanna!?" Do you see the parallel? 

An authentic worshiper of Jesus unashamedly, unapologetically, and when the heat turns up, declares that Jesus is Lord! An authentic worshiper ascribes worth, and honor, and glory to the man, Jesus, despite what the crowd thinks.  An authentic worshiper has surrendered his heart.

Without our hearts, our worship is in vain. Without our hearts, our songs are worthless.  

As you enter into Holy Week, examine your heart before a Holy God. Lay down the sins for which he was crucified, and rejoice for the Savior has come!  

Good Friday Prep

Check out this preview for our Good Friday service at Harvest Bible Chapel in Granger IN.  Services at 5:30p and 7:30p.

I'm excited about the creativity and effort of my team this year. It's been great to partner with Harvest Rochester, and one of my best friends in ministry, Brent Thomas. Together we've planned and produced the elements for Good Friday and Easter this year at both of our churches. It was definitely a cool thing, being a church plant, to pull in more creativity and production power.

This week begins final preps, rehearsals, staging, and all of that stuff. Expectant and excited for all that the Lord will do this weekend. If you're in the area, be sure to make it!  

What Are You Submitting To?

As humans, we are naturally creatures of habit. It is pretty plain to see that as humans we easily adapt our lifestyles to habits, rituals, and routines that make up day to day living. But why do we choose the routines that we do? What makes us habitually set aside time for specific things throughout each day? Could it be where our worship lies? I believe so. As creatures of habit, who naturally worship, we make time to elevate that which we give worth to. Daily we submit ourselves to things like technology, TV shows, sports, "Hollywood drama," etc...the list goes on.

As followers of Jesus, and hopefully transformed worshipers, we face the challenge of living, breathing, and acting on behalf of Christ rather than the world. No doubt it's a challenge, for though we love Jesus, we live in a distracting world, and have a self-centered nature; BUT we choose to submit ourselves to that which we give worth to...that which we worship!

Romans 12:1-2
I appeal to You therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy, and acceptable unto God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is perfect and acceptable and good.

What if we submitted ourselves to the Word of God, everyday, not just as a "devotional," but as the divine story that God has written for our lives? I'm guilty of this, but sometimes God's Word is so easily lumped in with all the routines of ones day, when it should be the governing script for every move that we make! To do this it takes not only a transformation and renewing of our self-centered minds, but also a daily work to submit ourselves to God...which is our spiritual worship!  Imagine if we all worked as hard at elevating spiritual disciplines in our life as we do at setting aside time to watch American Idol or Dancing With The Stars or read Facebook...etc. 

When worship begins to expand outside of Sunday mornings into the rituals and routines of our everyday lives, more naturally will we submit to spiritual disciplines! When we submit ourselves to being worshipers, who are living out God's story, we will find that repentance, devotion, communion, forgiveness, adoration of Christ, and things alike will begin to shape our daily thoughts, habits, and routines. Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:31 "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever You do, do it all to the glory of God." So yes we can eat, take a nap, and even watch a TV show, but the issue lies where we submit ourselves! Are we elevating that "hobby" as what we submit to, or are we approaching it through a transformed life, fully submitted to the truths of God's Word. There is a difference, and the latter will help us view things as a worshiper of Christ and not of the world! May we consciously strive to be worshipers who submit ourselves to God's Holy Word, for it is the script to our story, and holds the steps we must take as our lives reflect the glory of a Holy God!

Wisdom

What Proverbs Says about Counsel:

 "Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed." Proverbs 15:22

"Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. " Proverbs 11:14

"for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory." Proverbs 24:6

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. " Proverbs 12:15

"Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." Proverbs 19:20-21 

"Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered." Proverbs 28:26 

"Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life." Proverbs 4:13 

"Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life." Proverbs 4:13 

"There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel." Proverbs 20:15 

I keep this note of verses in my phone. It reminds me from time to time how vital it is to stay connected, transparent, and open with others in the faith. 

 

I am valuing more and more, older men who take the time to sit down with me and talk about life. Men who have better prayer lives than me, men who know scripture better than me, and men who have just been through more experiences than me.

 

Accountability. Wisdom. Counsel. Transparency. All vital for following Christ, and growing in Christ. 

 

Who are you gaining wisdom and counsel from?  

 

5 Years

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Today marked 5 years at Harvest Bible Chapel. 5 years since I took my first Worship Pastor position. 5 years since my wife and I followed the Lord and moved to South Bend, IN. 

A lot has happened. All of it is a testimony of God's grace. In the past 5 years, we've been blessed with 2 beautiful little girls, we've made incredible friends, and we've seen the Lord build our church.  What started as about 100 people in a gymnasium has turned into nearly 1,000 people in a permanent facility. God is good. 

It is such a blessing to serve the Lord in ministry, and follow His leading as a Pastor. It is for sure accompanied with questions, doubts, high times, and low times, but the Lord's call on my life has not changed. 8 years ago, the Lord laid on my heart a desire and a passion for biblical worship, and for the Church. My prayer has been that wherever the Lord chooses to lead us, that He would use us to help produce passionate, contagious worshipers of Jesus Christ, who seek to glorify Him alone. My heart was full today as I read some cards and emails from people in my church, and as I worshiped loudly and passionately with our church. It's so encouraging to hear about and see worshipers being equipped, made, and changed. 

Lastly, my incredible wife has made following the Lord in ministry as easy as it could ever be. Her faithfulness to trust me, to follow me, to endure with me, to persevere with me, and to worship the Lord with me speaks so loudly of her dedication to Jesus Christ and the importance of advancing the Gospel and making worshipers. She is so sacrificial when it comes to our family, our church, and our home. I praise God for her faithfulness and prayers that are vital to my ministry...it is more than anyone could know.

All the glory belongs to Jesus Christ.  "I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service..." (1 Tim. 1:12)

Give Thanks

The Bible has a lot to say about living in a spirit of thanksgiving rather than one of worry.

It's simple to understand, but so often thanksgiving takes a back seat to worry.

So often the cares for tomorrow bring a spirit of anxiety rather than a spirit of thankfulness to God right now for all He has done and is continuing to do.

Paul's epistles convict me of this so much. He writes in Philippians 1:12-13, while imprisoned:  

"I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ." 

Paul had a lot he could've worried about; A lot of unknowns that he could have been anxious about. Instead, he found reason to give thanks in his current circumstance. He replaced His worries with the greater purpose of advancing the Gospel, and I'm sure his attitude of thanksgiving testified greatly within the prison.

If you can't find anything else, live with thanksgiving in your heart because of what Christ did on the cross. But I think if we look close enough, there are hundreds upon hundreds of things to give thanks over, rather than worry. 

You can't change tomorrow. You can give thanks today.   

A God Who Hears

Do you ever feel like God is far off? Maybe your circumstances, or the outcomes of things that you didn't expect have led you to feel like "where was God in all this?" Or, "Did he even hear my prayers?"

What about your worship? Are there times when you sing, or think, or respond wondering if God cares or hears? 

I love the truth that an imprisoned Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus: 

"...in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him." ~Ephesians 3:11-12

Wherever you find yourself, and whatever you may be going thru or struggling with...and it's okay to struggle. Paul was suffering in prison; Always remember that in Christ Jesus not only does God hear our prayer and receive our worship, but He grants you access to cry out to Him. And you can have the confidence, that without a shadow of a doubt he hears you.

There is an invitation for those who follow Jesus. An invitation to cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. 

No matter how distant or quiet God can seem in different trials or circumstances, allow the assurance that God hears you and wants to hear you ignite prayers of faith and unashamed adoration in your life.  He is always there, and He loves you with the love of a perfect Father. 

LIFT 3.30.14

LIFT is something we've started doing once a month at Harvest, and it's simply an hour of worship for the college community. We've had a really good turn out, and last night was our second night. Not sure where it will go; if the Lord provides people to make it happen more often that would be killer. For now, it's refreshing to meet new people from all over the community who love Jesus, and to worship together.