THOUGHT'S AND MUSING'S

 

James 5:10-11 /   "Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of Jesus the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

Sitting here with my first cup of coffee, my thoughts tend to roll and tumble in my brain. I love this time of morning when everything is fresh and the day hasn't had an opportunity to compete for your attention.

I have distanced myself from all the political upheaval that seems to be the super-norm of our nation. Don't get me wrong...I have prayed and will continue to do so for God's will to be carried out during this next season. But sometimes, I feel as though we get drawn into a "bigger" picture and forget about the things and people around us.

It's always been my belief that I can only take care of what God has given to me. In this case it would be my family...........the ReCovery Church..........and Northside Baptist, and everything associated with those three things. That is what God has clearly called me to  lay my hands to. So why should I neglect these three things to run around wringing my hands and posting on Facebook all manner of stuff  about the state of our nation. Not saying we shouldn't be involved in our voting process, we should. But sometimes I think we lay hands to things that God never intended us to, at the expense of those He has called us to serve.

My aspirations are very small...To simply reach out and show the way to that one who is still trapped in the darkness of addiction. It's about the one. The church seems to think mass production is the way. If God has called you to that, then rest assured that He will grant you grace to see it through. But that doesn't mean that every pastor........every church......every denomination should strive to become the largest, the most affluent, the one other churches look up to. Seems to me, as I read Scripture, I see Jesus interacting more with "One" person that with multitudes. By the way, the crowds came to Him, He didn't have to promote himself.

Maybe if we simply preached the whole word of God, the crowd might come to see what was going on. Promoting Jesus instead of our next program. Lifting the name of Jesus instead of our own name. 

I never will forget one afternoon after I had started full-time in ministry. I was at the church and received a phone call. Of course it was a nice young man who wanted to help me and show me how I could grow my church. He was all full of vim and vigor, with a bubbly voice of optimism. I listened to his spill, as he went on and on about his ability to grow churches. Finally when his pitch ended, I thanked him for considering me, but told him...."You know, what I read in Scripture is that this is Jesus' church, and He said that He would build it. I think I'll stick to His plan, but thanks for calling."

i know I've kind of drifted from the verse I put at the top of this post.... I guess what I've been trying to say is that "Blossom where you are".  Don't let the cultural winds take your focus off of Jesus. Be patient in suffering and find the heart and direction of God. I don't think we can go wrong if we practice these things.

Sorry 'bout the ramblin'

God on you....

mbb

THE BREAD IS IN THE RED

 

( "The Bread Is In The Red" is a phrase that John Wimber use to say, in referring to the words of Christ in Scripture. John believed that if one simply devoted themselves to the words of Christ, such an endeavor would create growth and maturity if the words were applied.)

Matthew 7:27
And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell and great was its fall.

Things coming down from above.....
Water rising from below.....
Winds blowing from all directions......
Being beaten from every side......
Collapse.
It wasn't sudden.
It wasn't unexpected.
It happened over a period of time.
Signs that a storm was brewing came to herald its arrival.
Temperature drop.
Wind increasing, at first a pleasant gentle breeze, but later it descended with all its fury.


But the outcome of this event was never in doubt.
The house would not be able to stand against the weather.
The house itself was well built.
The foundation that was chosen for it to be built on wasn't.
It had no substance to it. It was not solid.
The foundation itself was subject to the weather.
It was affected by the rain, the flood and the wind.
The foundation offered no protection to those who built there.
It could not save them.

Need I write more?
Jesus.
Just Jesus.
On Him.
In Him.
That is the solid place.
A good place to store my faith.
To put my trust.
To secure my hope.
To bind my love.
To lash my salvation.
Jesus.
Just Jesus.

All else is passing away.
All else is crumbling.
Not my hope.
Hope in Jesus.
Just Jesus.

mb

YOU JUST NEVER KNOW!!!

 

You just never know.....

After our service last night, Wayne Wimpee, Todd Bagley and I were talking about the current situations when it comes to live meetings. People aren't coming to meetings like they use to before the pandemic hit. 

Then we broached the subject of "live streaming".  Was it a good thing? Was it a bad thing? Did live streaming a service make it easy for some to stay away and enjoy the comfort of their own home? Bottom line of our conversation was..."If one person is helped or reached because of a live stream, then it was worth it. Little did I know how true that statement would be by the time I arrived home.

When I got home, Vicki asked me..."Do you know who was watching tonight's service and from where?" I replied that I had no idea. Turns out a lady from New Zealand was watching. She had a special prayer request for us to pray over.

First off, her name is Sylvia.... Her request centered around her daughter, Caroline......and her grandson, Maui. Sylvia's desire is for both of them to grow and mature in their relationship with Jesus. What she wrote to me in the message that was sent, was more than a casual "pray for my family". It was heart-felt and had passion for her family. I immediately returned her message with a reply that our core family at ReCovery Church would be praying for her and her family.

New Zealand....who would have ever thought that a message that was preached in Gadsden, Alabama would have an impact on a family in New Zealand. This God is something else, isn't He?

Please join with us by adding your prayers for Sylvia and family. Never downplay what you do for God. There are no small things...or small offerings...or small sacrifices when you are obedient.

God on you....

mbb

CATCH THE FIRE 1998

 

Hebrews 12:29
For our God is a devouring (or consuming) fire.

Is it possible that it really has been 22 years?
Lot has happened since then. 
For one thing, I'm twenty two years older. Not complaining, simply stating a fact.
October 6, 1998, I made a journey to Toronto to attend the "Catch The Fire" conference.
Toronto plays an important part in the history of our church. In fact, I would say that what took place during that conference laid the foundation for everything I do today. Had no clue that such would happen....just a knowing that I needed to go there and experience this move of God for myself.

A good friend of ours, Randy Horvath, had called us in 1994 to alert us to the fact that something was going on at the Toronto Vineyard, and that we'd better get up there to check it out for ourselves. Several from Gadsden Vineyard made the trek to see what all the hubbub was about. Turned out that God had begun a move of His Spirit and it was growing with each passing day. The ones from our church who attended came back changed. They would never be the same. There was a new hunger for God, for His word, and to participate in His Kingdom work. In other words, they were not content to simply sit in church any more. God had let them have the keys to the car (so to speak) and once they had tasted driving they didn't want to go back to the old way of doing things.

I was not able to be a part of these early journey's to Toronto.
It wasn't until the fall of 1998 that I was approached about going.....by myself.....alone....no one else. I said o.k.
Wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I was open to whatever God wanted to do.

I flew out of Birmingham on Monday Oct. 6th. - 7:45 a.m. headed North.
The one thing I felt for certain about was that God had told me I was to go and observe. He would show me what I was to bring back. 

Prior to my trip, I'd been having dreams. May not sound like much, but I really don't dream. Let me rephrase that. I don't remember dreams. If I do, then I take them to be from God. I'd had several dreams in the days before leaving, and they all centered around one thing.....Blue's music. In one, I was in a library looking for a book. Jim Bentley was with me, and we were moving up and down the isles in search of a book that I didn't even know the title. At one point Jim turned to me and said, "Here, you're going to need this."
He handed me a book that had a cloth cover. The cover was a faded blue, almost like jeans that had been washed a gazillion times. The title of the book was embossed on the front..."THE BLUES WAY". I took the book, asking Jim, "Why this one?" He replied, "I don't know. I just know that you're to need it." As I type this, it suddenly dawned on me that Jim didn't say that I needed to read this book....Just that I was going to need it. 

My initial impression of the conference on the opening session, was that I felt like an intruder. Like I had wandered into a private party and was going to be asked to leave at any moment. Of course I tend to feel this way at anything or place that is new to me. As I moved into the main auditorium, my ears were filled with the most wonderful, and beautiful sound I'd ever heard. There was worship going on, but it was a different kind of worship. It was "Blues" worship. Turned out that the worship leaders for the week were Bryn Haworth and Dave Markee, both incredible musicians from England. Both had toured and recorded with the heavy weights of the music world. Here they were together leading the worship for the conference. Blues? The book Jim gave me in the dream was "The Blues Way"....hmmmmm. Are you trying to tell me something? Yes He was. And yes He did. This style of music would become the basis for everything I have done in recovery. Why this style? Because it truly speaks to the heart of those who are struggling with addiction. In the natural, blues music is nothing more than an outlet for the pain and misery one is going through. Take that same music and turn it into worship, and you take the pain and misery and give to the Healer, Jesus. Big difference.

This week I spent there (Oct. 6 through 11) was incredible. The reason it was so wasn't fully realized until later. I'm a person who likes to record his thoughts and experiences on paper. So I kept a running journal during my time at the Catch The Fire conference. This has allowed me to revisit my journey from time to time and see how God's hand was upon the entire event. Like I said earlier, this conference was the foundation for what I am doing today.

I've been in a lot of meetings, but the one I attended in Toronto will always hold a special place in my heart. This was where God gave me direction that is still in play today. He started me on a journey that I could never have chosen for myself. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to go to Toronto and to be changed by a God who is still in love with those outside His will. Those who are living under a cloud of depression and misery that we call addiction. 

Like I've said before...here in 2020, it has been a long strange journey.

God on you....

mbb

OLD FAITH? IT IS SIMPLY FAITH THAT HAS BEEN TESTED

 

II Corinthians 4:17
For our present troubles are small and won't last very long> Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.

II Timothy 3:1
You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be difficult (perilous...stressful) times (events, situations and circumstances).

October has always been a time for change for me, and the meetings that I lead. It is as though God turns the page spiritually, and prepares me for the coming days. I've been witnessed to this over the past 22 years. Can't explain it.....don't really understand it.....just know that it is true. With this in mind, if you look at our country,and the direction it is taking morally and spiritually, you can't help but see that God is not very welcomed in society or culture. As the moral climate goes south, and the majority decides what is acceptable, it's not hard to see storms on the horizon. World wide economy is teetering on failure. Governments wrestle with how to keep from failing. People are looking for government not only to define their personal lives, but to take care of their needs.

As a follower of Jesus, I'm sure you've heard the verse from II Corinthians 5:7
"For we walk by faith, not by sight." What if this behavior becomes the very way of life we have to embrace to live. I'm talking about day to day existence. Our reliance on God to show us what to do, where to go, what to say becomes the difference between life and death. Not trying to be dramatic....just saying.

As long as humanity looks to itself, and its leaders, while rejecting God, things are only going to get worse. I think I can honestly pull out to explain this behavior, a line often said when speaking of addiction and recovery......"You cannot be the problem, and the solution." In others words, humanity keeps making decisions that are sin/flesh driven, and not seeking God, thinking they are coming up with solutions to the country's problem.

I think those who can move into a life of faith,while relying on the economy of heaven for their survival, will have a completely different view than what Fox News, CNN or any other news source may be broadcasting. You see here's where I'm crazy enough to believe God. If things do get dark and hard, I truly believe it will be the perfect time for the REAL church to rise up and do what it was called to do. Feed the hungry...clothe the naked....see people healed.....see people freed of demonic oppression.....and salvation coming in waves. I want to be a part of such a move of God. When times of trouble come that affect everyone, the natural tendency is to fear. But fear turns us into a selfish people. We look to our own needs over those of anyone else. If I am trusting God, then I rest in the assurance that He will see me through. What I'm talking about isn't a pie-in-the-sky-rainbows and kitty cats religious view of God. I fall back on the word and believe that when we are instructed to "walk (live) by faith", that is exactly what I want to be doing. Not saying it will be easy...but it is what's on God's heart.

Thanks for letting me share:
God on you.....
mbb

INVESTING YOURSELF---WHAT DOES IT "PROFIT" TO GAIN THE WORLD AND LOSE YOUR SOUL?"

 

Isn't it funny how you can read a scripture over and over and yet not really see it. I came across such a verse this morning, reading in Mark chapter 16. I can't tell you the number of times I have read this, and even taught on it, but today it took on a whole other meaning and view.

V.1 - When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.

So what's the big deal? A group of women going to do a good thing, right? Yes, they are going to do a good thing.........a thing that was expected to be done when someone died. An act that showed their love and devotion to Jesus. Take a second look at this verse. You don't see any of the guys there. The men who stood with Jesus and followed him during His time of ministry have all skedaddled. 

The thing I had never noticed was that these women had "BOUGHT" the spices. For whatever reason, my jumbled thoughts always saw "BROUGHT". Big difference. In other words, these women had purchased these spices to honor Jesus. It costs them something. It cost them something personal to perform this act of love. They gave of themselves.

No different today....If I am going to be a follower of Jesus, it will cost me. You may be asking, "What will it cost to follow Him?"  Are you ready for this? It will cost me (and you) everything. When you see and find the true value of who Jesus is, then giving up everything to follow Him seems like a small price. Truth be known, everything of this world either rusts, breaks, or simply disappears over time. Stock markets crash and wealth is lost. Bodies wear out and break down with age and health is lost. Selfishness and being self centered breaks down and destroy's relationships. And the list goes on and on and on. 

I don't even have to mention how addiction is the killer of lives. Yet we refuse to change. we refuse to see the light and the life that is found in Christ. I fear that too many slide over the edge into eternity holding on to the things of this world, believing that such will afford them comfort and safety. What a horrible thought to be awakened to the fact that everything you held dear was merely stubble and had no power to save you. 

Paul, in Romans 12, writes that we are to "Present our bodies as a living sacrifice". It doesn't call for us to present all our material possessions. It doesn't call for us to bring all our investments, stocks and bonds to lay on the altar. No! The altar demands that I climb up and lay down to the will of God and become a "Living Sacrifice".  This is a daily action I take, because doing so removes "self" from the equation of how to live this day. I place myself under the will of God to simply listen, follow and do as He directs me.

Think on these things....
God on you....

Mbb

DRINKING THE SNAKE OIL OF DECEPTION

 

In the early days of this nation, you had peddlers going around selling all manner of concoctions that cured everything from lumbago to warts. Usually referred to as "snake oil" salesmen, they promised the moon but delivered little. Gullible folks would shell out their hard earned cash in order to find out for themselves whether this miracle cure worked or not. Trouble was that by the time they came to the understanding that they had been "had", the salesmen, along with the money, was long gone. Moved on to a new town and a new crop of rubes to be fleeced.

People in addiction or like those rubes mentioned above.
The nature of addiction sets them up so that they look for the easier, softer way. In other words, they don't want to follow the path to sobriety like it is laid out. Why? Because they are smarter, they can find a shortcut that will give them the same results. They are looking for the "Snake Oil" of recovery.

I like the way the Message Bible states such behavior in Matthew 7:13 - 14

Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire , easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The to life---To God, is vigorous and requires total attention. The snake oil sellers are still out there, only they are peddling a new type of oil. One that promises the moon but delivers little.  Isn't it funny that the greatest and most cunning seller of snake oil is found in our minds. It twists our thinking and creates what I refer to a

Addict-a-logic. To put it plainly, that is the state of reasoning when under the influence of the addiction that seeks to keep us in its grip. What sounds insane to someone who isn't addicted, is perfectly logical to the an addict. That is why they are so susceptible to the lures of their own thoughts and illogical reasoning. Such reasoning tells them:

"Meetings? I'm not going to go to any meetings. What good would they do me?"

"Sponsor? You mean I need to call someone when I'm having a craving?"
"No way am I doing a 4th and 5th step. I'm not laying out my business to another person."

Such thinking guts the very heart of the recovery process, and keeps the individual bound up with the fears and guilt and shame that is a result of their past. But such people will gladly drink the snake oil of addict-a-logic. Twelve simple steps that lead to freedom and a new life await you, when you're tired of drinking the snake oil. Twelve simple steps that will lead you to the cross of Christ, and there you will find healing for your body and rest for your soul.
Sounds to simple doesn't it?

God on you....

mb