Psalm 1:6
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Job 42:17
So Job died old and full of days....
Do you ever stop for a moment and think about life? Do you ever just relish the moments that really have no major significance or purpose? I find that with each passing day, I am a testimony to the fact that this "God" stuff really works. Not my doing, understand, but His. At this point in my life, I truly understand the picture that I chose to head this posting today. The ear-buds sitting on top of the Bible. The "new" and the "old". It could be that it symbolizes a new way to "hear" the word of God. It could be that it stands for the next generation being brought into the truth of who God is and what He says He can do. Which ever way you look at, I am now a voice that wants to train and equip those who are in the generation that is seeking to find it's place. As singer/song writer Joe Walsh so aptly stated the obvious, "I'm a Analog man, living in a Digital world. I gave up trying to be cool or hip or whatever the word du jour' is for being in touch with the current culture.
Monday's are a really good day for me. I usually get to the church around 9 a.m. . Jim Bentley is upstairs in his office, and when I make my appearance, he stops what he's doing and comes down to join me. We sit and go over the events of the weekend. Saturday night's with Vineyard Recovery and Sunday morning's with Gadsden Vineyard Church. Both part of the body of Christ that most refer to as "the church", but both very different in the approach and direction they are headed in.
Gadsden Vineyard Church is all about a marriage of the word and the Spirit. To teach from a practical life experience complete with problems and situations that sometimes don't have answers as to how to solve them. It is a time of freedom and a sense that God is there and He truly does want to touch and heal and restore those in need. It is also a great place to just understand how much God does love you. In spite of the mess we make by our bad choices and decisions, He stands ready to draw us into His presence if we acknowledge our mess and turn to Him as the only means of finding real life and purpose on this side of heaven. Jim has an incredible gift for hearing and seeing what the Spirit is doing in a service. I have watched him time after time, stand still, saying nothing....just listening for the Spirit, and then walk over to someone and begin to pray with them. Sometimes the prayer is for them only to see and experience a God who would come and lovingly touch them.
Those who call Gadsden Vineyard Church home are a diverse group. Young, older and "Tween's" all make up the family who meets on Sunday's. The worship is equally as diverse, as multiple worship leaders call GVC home. Each week is musically different, as each worship leader brings their style and set list to offer as a sacrifice of praise to God. You go away from GVC encouraged and what I refer to as "put back together--read for the coming week."
Vineyard Recovery is focused primarily on those who are either still in their addiction or have begun the journey in recovery. We try to simply love on everyone who comes through the door in Saturday nights. I had someone visiting last Saturday night who regularly attended recovery meetings each week through out the city. They wanted to know how long VRC lasted, as most recovery meetings last any where from 2 to 3 hours. When I told him that we usually run for one hour, he looked at me and said, "no way"...to which I replied "Way!". The one thing I have learned over the years is that you need to say what you've got to say and get out. Don't over expound on what is being taught. Boil it down to the simplest of messages that still contain the heart of the truth, then deliver it. Some people have a problem with that kind of thinking, and they have told me on numerous occasions that I'm not leaving God time to minister when we meet. My reply is that in the 16+ years of working in recovery....it's all about attention span of those present. This isn't a criticism, it is simply a truth that I've seen. If you have something to say then you need to keep it between 20 and 30 minutes. Anything over that and you've lost those who are present. So we try to not drive this down as "the law or recovery" but we do hold to it as much as possible. If you can't say what God has put on your heart in the 20/30 time frame....You might need to find a different group to teach to.
Now the one thing we don't skimp on at VRC is ministry and time to minister. We will continue to pray and minister to those who need it long after the meeting is over. We are not in a hurry to cut short what God is doing in the lives of those who come forward for prayer.
Back in 1999 when we started our first recover meeting, House of Blue, I began to see a very strange assortment of people showing up week after week, and I could not figure out why. They were "Ravers" and "Goth's" as well as those into witch craft and the occult. They would come and you could see God working on them. They were totally taken by what we were doing. Funny part is that we didn't set out to draw a specific group or type...we were just wanting to have a place where addicts and alcoholic's could come and not only hear some truth, but experience the Love of God. I remember talking with Jim one day, posing the question as to why all these kid's were showing up. It couldn't be the music because it wasn't anywhere close to what they were listening to. We were playing "roadhouse" worship. I remember Jim laughing and asking me, "You don't see it do you?" "See what?" I replied. Jim went on to say, "You're the dad they never had. You love them, that's what the draw is." I've never forgotten that. So I guess today, I'm no longer the dad, but have graduated to being the "Grandfather". You know what? I'm o.k. with that. As long as God will let me, I'll continue to love on folks and tell them the incredible good news that they don't have to live in sin/addiction any longer.
Thanks for letting me share.
God on you...
mb
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