God Really Does Know Me!

Psalm 139:16
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

Does God really know me?
Has He truly fashioned and set in place the days I live through?
I think maybe the answer is yes.

One of the things that has happened over my 16+ years at Rapha, is I have seen God reveal himself to men in various ways. Sometimes dramatic ways because they need to see a super natural God at work.

At last night's Bible study, we had finished and had begun to pray for those who wanted prayer, when one of the men began to ask questions. He is a very passive/introverted man, so for him to speak in a group was not the norm. This particular man's life has been one that no one would want to have for their own. Lot's of bad decisions by him, and lots of bad decisions by his family, have left him scarred and broken. Psychiatric hospital's, rehab's, jail, constantly being beat down verbally by relatives as having no worth at all has taken a toll on this man. He sees himself as having no worth to anyone. He walks around with his head down and will not look you in the eye. Never smiles. But in this Bible study, God came to him last night and touched this man. 

At one point, I asked if I could pray for him. He said, "yes."
One of the things that God does, and I cannot explain the "why" of it, is that from time to time, as I am praying, I will see names in my mind. I know it sounds flukey and weird, but trust me, over the years, this has been one of the ways that God uses to get the men's attention, and let them know that He knows more about them than they realize. As I began to pray for this man, the name "LEON" appeared. So at the end of the prayer, I explained how God speaks to me using names, and I asked him if he knew a Leon. He said, "No, I don't know anyone by that name." No one in the family, or friends that he knew had the name "Leon". As I finished, I just chalked it up to me missing it. But then it happened. The man's eyes grew wide and he sat there looking at me in amazement. The name of the judge who probably saved my life was Leon Archer. He began to relate stories about this judge. What he'd done for this man. How he had bent over backwards to see that he got all the help he needed. "Why would God do that?"He asked. I replied that God wanted him to know that He knew even the smallest details of his life. I grabbed him and gave him a big bear hug and said, "And God just wants you know how much He loves you."

I sat with him for a while after the Bible Study as he continued to talk about Leon the judge. The man came alive. He became animated and full of life. He told me that he felt like he had hope, that maybe there was something to this God after all. God's Spirit was at work on and in this man, as we sat there talking and it was wonderful to see the results. As we left the chapel, the man headed off to his dorm. He stopped and turned to me..."Thanks, Bro. Mike!" "Hey,it wasn't me...it was God. Don't every forget that." Please be in prayer for this man that God will continue to completion this work that has been started. 

God on you...
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John Barnett Is Coming! Living Sacrifices Worship Conference 2014

John Barnett will be joining Carl Tuttle at the Gadsden Vineyard next Thursday, Friday and Saturday for the 2nd annual Living Sacrifices Worship Conference. 

John's roots go deep in the Vineyard movement as a songwriter, worship leader, teacher and mentor. For over two decades, John has remained out of the limelight while quietly penning songs such as "Holy And Anointed One", "Father Of Lights", "Throne Of Grace" and others that have become standards in the churches around the world. Over the years, John has developed a musical style that is simple and unique, keeping an unrefined edge to his songs while maintaining a close eye on theological content. This sound he calls "Congregational Americana", blending folk, rock, country, bluegrass and pop together with worshipful lyrics and singable melodies to create a timeless expression of worship.   




Over the years, my taste in music and my desire to worship have become one in the same. I did not find much use for what was passing as "Praise Music". It was way to formulated for me. A good friend of mine called it "ear candy"....sweet to take in but no spiritual value what so ever. Then I heard another friend play a John Barnett song, "Heaven Came Down".  Thus began a search to learn and hear more about his music. I was not disappointed at all. That is why I was so excited to know that he, his wife Marie, Danny Daniels and Chris Lizotte were coming to Gadsden to be a part of the first Gadsden Vineyard Worship conference. I was not disappointed. You need to understand why I am writing this. There is a collective worship voice out there that is writing, producing, and recording some pretty incredible worship music. John is one of those writers. His CD "Never look back" has been playing on my mp3 player for well over a year now. No matter how many times I hear the song "He Has Overcome"....I am still stirred deep in my spirit to find renewed hope that no matter what I face today, Jesus has overcome. Jesus...Christ my Lord, Christ my God....Christ my king.

I promise if you come to this years Living Sacrifices Worship Conference, you will go away renewed and filled with a sense that (1) God is still in control and (2) Now more than ever, we need to learn what it truly means to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

Check out Gadsden Vineyard Facebook for detail and costs to the conference.
God on you....
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I Saw A Walking Dead Man

Habakkuk 2:5
Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, He is a proud man, and he does not stay at home.
Because he enlarges his desire as hell, and He is like death and cannot be satisfied.

Trapped....
Oh, you can move about. Hold down a job (if you can). Travel and visit other towns. But you can never escape the prison that is inside. The place where your thoughts, your emotions, and your feelings are locked away and not allowed to be free. A prison where you constantly are belittled and beat down. A prison where every time you look into a mirror you see only a person who has no value to anyone. On top of all of this, your will has been taken away and you suffer from a a raging case of wrong desires and an appetite for things that will only add to your pain and suffering.
Trapped.
Welcome to the wonderful world of addiction.

Recently I was sitting in a local fast food restaurant trying to put the finishing touches on a teaching I was to give. People were coming and going, and I was oblivious to what was happening around me, when suddenly I hear, "Bro. Mike!" I looked  up and there he was. I haven't seen him in a number of years, and his appearance caught me off guard. There had been rumors that he'd return to the old life. Sobriety had been to hard for him. Marriage gone wrong. Bad friends. Not going to any meetings had started him down the slippery slope to where he is today. He probably didn't weigh 120 pounds. Eyes sunken and dark. Skin looked waxy, and a smile revealed that he'd lost some teeth. He tried to put on a good show, telling me how he was doing well, and that it was good to see me. But the eyes don't lie. They were dead....lifeless. There in that moment, I felt such sadness coming from him. It was if he was crying out saying, "Please help me..do something!" All offers I made to him were rejected. I don't believe it was him that rejected it, I do believe it was the addiction talking through this man."I can't go to rehab...I've got to much to do. Maybe when I get caught up, I can take the time off and get myself straight." Tomorrow is a wonderful day to someone in addiction. There is nothing that cannot be accomplished.........tomorrow.

I reminded him that it was never too late to get help or to turn this whole mess around. He agreed, but his words were hollow and empty. I did not want to lay any more guilt or shame on him than he was carrying around. Such will only drive someone deeper into their addiction. I got a chance to pray for him. He hugged my neck and asked that I don't quit praying. I assured him that I would never stop praying for him. I guess part of the reason I'm posting this today is that I'm asking you to join with me in praying for this man. Let's call him "BOB". That isn't his real name and I have my reasons why I'm not giving it. Please pray that God would remind Bob of all the things He has done for him in the past. Ask God to break off the hardness of the heart and blindness from the eyes, so that Bob can't hear and receive the truth. Ask God to put His people in Bob's path so that he will be lead to a place where he wants to give up and get help. Ask God to cover Bob with His protection, and not allow the enemy to kill him. Thanks....you guys are the greatest.

God on you....
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I Was Born To Be A Sacrifice

Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifices, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable (rational) service.

I love this picture...."Get back on the altar".
We are terrible at climbing down off the altar before God completes His work in us. We grow restless. We grow impatient. We forget who really is in control here. After all, Jesus didn't say, "I'll follow you." Did he? No. We are called to follow Him. But our old nature, from time to time, wants to raise its ugly head as if to say, "I'll take it from here God....you go take care of all that mess in the middle East"

In Jerusalem, when an animal was taken to the Temple to be sacrificed, that animal was a means of reaching God. The very aroma of that animal, as it was burned, became a sweet smelling savor to God. It wasn't the act of slaying that animal that brought God's favor, but rather the heart, intent and motive of the one who sacrificed.

The one thing about being a member of the Vineyard that has captured my heart has been the love of worship that is found among the people who are a part of my family. The love of literally climbing up to lay on that altar and give ourselves to God as worship. To honor Him...not for what He has done, but for who He is. To ascribe majesty and glory to Him for His character and nature. For it is from these things, character and nature, that real love was birthed. It was from this love that God chose to leave heaven and come down here to our world. It was from this love that Jesus saw His mission to completion. You see, Jesus climbed up on that altar. He gave Himself once and for all to break the power of sin. He became sin to break the penalty of sin. And He rose from the bonds of death to destroy the presence of sin. And He did if for me....a sinner. One who was hopelessly lost and without power to save myself. He died for me. Jesus is the ultimate living sacrifice. 

The altar is not something we go to every Sunday or Wednesday to climb upon so we can become that "living sacrifice" Paul wrote about in Romans 12. The altar is daily before us. It is there in the morning when we first wake up. It is in our workplace and school. The altar is at the grocery store and the Doctor's office. We can't run from it, nor should we wish to. Our lives and what other's see in us, as believers, is defined by our worship. If my life is truly His, then everything I do and say becomes worship unto Him. We can't escape the fact that we are called to live a life of worship to Him in front of the world. 

Matthew 5:16 reads Let your light so shine (or shine in such a way) before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. The daily realization that we become worship unto God, illuminates us with His light. This enables others around us to be touched and awakened from their own spiritual slumber so that they see our good works. See that there is something different about the way we live and do business with the world. Scripture doesn't say, "By their religious tracts you shall know them." It says we are defined and known by our love for God.

I think I'll just stay here on this altar. I feel like praising God some more.
God on you....
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VRC Worship Video

Post by Vineyard Recovery Church.

Thanks to Deb Hooks for posting our "unplugged" worship from Saturday night when the power was out.

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The Cost To Follow

Luke 17:32
Remember Lot's Wife.

I posted an interview with Carol Wimber, wife of John Wimber who was founder of the Vineyard movement. Why? Because she speaks of a some what radical view the church has a hard time dealing with. Oh, they talk about it. They espouse it. They have even created offices and special positions where those who want to can embrace and flourish. What is it I'm talking about?
Leaving every thing behind.

When God calls you to come into this new life with Christ, there is a line of demarcation. A line that you cross that totally separates your old way of living from this new call to follow. The moment you take that first step in obedience to answer His call to salvation, your life is no longer your own. Now we don't really want to think about it this way. Why? Because society tells us we should expend ourselves on carving out a lifestyle of comfort and pleasure. That such is the main goal, and should be the focus of our time here on planet earth. God has different ideals.

Does this mean we are all to shuck our existence, put on long brown robes with sandals, and live on a mountain top secluded from others and grow organic vegetable while we meditate? No. Funny thing about priests and nuns....they found out that they may be able to separate themselves from society, so to speak, but they can't separate themselves from their own passions and desires, personal struggles and battles. But truth be known, we (the church) should be teaching that when you do come to Christ, your life is truly not your own any more. Funny part in all of this is if in fact Christ has called you to follow Him, then you will not experience any true joy or happiness until you answer that call. Realizing that it costs us everything to follow. That is a bitter pill for some to swallow.

So why a verse about Lot and his wife. Because, to me, she stands as a sad example of a person who could not walk away from their old lifestyle. I won't go into a long explanation, but suffice it to say if you read the account in Genesis, you'll see that Lot made choices that took him and his family into a lifestyle of sin and darkness. They became citizens there. They participated in the government and became a part of the community. There may have been some ego involved, since they came from living in tents, wandering around the desert, to living in the big city with all its attractions. Anyway, God took them out of the city and told them to not look back, but Mrs. Lot couldn't do it. She longed for one last look at the place her heart loved. Whammo!  She became a pillar of salt. Not exactly the way I want to wind up.

Vicki and I have totally relied on God for the last 20 years. There were times when we wondered if He would come through. But we had to learn the lesson that His timing and our timing were not necessarily on the same schedule. We learned that God IS faithful and that what we read in Scripture is truth. That if we seek His rule and reign in our personal lives first....if we seek His righteousness (His nature and character) then He would add all these things to us. What things? Whatever our needs are....He would provide them. He has never failed us in this regard. There aren't any times of looking back on our past life wishing we had it back. I do not want to go there.


Enjoy the video, and my prayer is that you would gain a clearer picture of where God wants to take you in this journey we call life.
God on you....
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Electricity? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Electricity!

Matthew 5:14
"You are the light of the world...

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

6:21 p.m. --- we are running through the worship set before the crowd starts showing up. "Bang!" light's go off. No power. Ready Kilowatt has let us down. Actually what happened was an accident not far from the church knocked out our transformer. 

We rounded up all the candles we could find, positioning them around the room so as to get the maximum light possible. Phone call to Vicki..."Bring all the candles you have. Power's out." She shows up with a basket full of candles. 

We move worship from the stage to the floor. Acoustic Guitar's, small percussion set, and Wayne's harmonica. Debbie adds the shaker to give rhythm to the music. 

Throw open the back doors to to let the breezes find their way in. Luckily the coffee was already perked. Carrie Elrod brought cookies and snacks to go with the coffee. We aren't going to let a little thing like not having electricity stop us from having church. After all, we ARE the church.

Crowd filters in. Hugs and handshakes all around. Family members find their loved ones and seats are taken. The room is alive with chatter and conversation. Life has now begun to sprout and show itself.I guess we are going to have ourselves an "adventure" service. 

First song is Bob Dylan's "You Gotta Serve Somebody." Crowd begins to worship. Wayne on vocals and harmonica make the song come alive. "It might be the devil or it might be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody."

Song # 2 is a take-back. Bad Company's "Feel like making love" is now and forever more..."Feel Like Praising You!" Crowd really gets into this one. You have to remember, for the most part those who come on Saturday night have never really been taught what worship is all about. That's what we are trying to do by taking back some of the old songs we use to listen to, reword them and let them bring glory and honor to God.  I love the look on people's faces when we crank up one of these take-backs. "Can we do this? Can you sing this song in church?" By this time, I'm really into the worship. We've moved down from the stage and are there among the people. 

Song #3- Amazing Grace. You could sense a lot of gratitude in the room as we sang this one. One older gentleman raises his hands and lowers his face. He is very grateful that God has done a work in him. That this Amazing Grace we are singing about is more than words to a song. To him, it has become life itself. He remembers all too well where he has come from. But he rejoices in where he is today and where God is leading him.

Message is on learning to read  the "white" part of Scripture.
One problem.
The lack of electricity, coupled with the candle light, is not conducive to seeing ones notes. It was impossible to see them, so I spoke from the heart.
Like last week, there was much interaction in the room. That is what I like the most. When message moves into the room and is not confined behind the podium. I'd much rather begin a message and then have the room interact and share their perspective on what they have heard. It usually opens up the door for other verses and other views. 

Ministry time -  One young man needs prayer for emotional stability. He is really struggling with decisions that have to be made, and he doesn't want to make those decisions if he is in turmoil. We pray and God's peace comes to him.

Someone else asks that we pray for him, that he would not go back to his old lifestyle. Fear is a major part of recovery. Fear of going back. Fear of what lies ahead So I always tell people, "a little fear isn't bad. A lot of fear will take you right into the ditch." 

So we close with prayer.
Chairs are being stacked. The core group of VRC has moved into action and begun the process of resetting the room for Sunday morning. Groups of people are gathered all around the room and out to the sidewalks. Laughter, arms around each other. Children getting one last hug and kiss from dad. Life will now move from that little room at 419 Broad street, to homes all over this county and state. I know that what was said and demonstrated in that room was "good" seed. I know that hearts received what was shared. I know that at some point, God will bring forth a harvest when that seed begins to sprout. I may not ever see this happen, but I know that it is good seed. That is why we do what we do on Saturday night, in that little room at 419 Broad Street.
We extend the Kingdom a little more each Saturday we meet.

God on you....
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