a quote by Chan has been messing with me this week. I am asking God what a group that enjoys Christ dwelling among them might look like. (Col 3.16) Chan writes (and I paraphrase), it's not that America is rejecting Jesus Christ, necessarily. Perhaps its just that they haven't seen Him. Instead, they have simply seen a very poor knock-off version of what a Christ-follower might be. We live in a time when the term "Christian" has been so diluted that millions of immoral but nice people genuinely consider themselves "good Christians." We have reduced the idea of a good Christian to someone who believes in Jesus, loves his or her family, and attends church regularly.

I am so begging God that people see a radical, impassioned, zealously in love with Jesus bunch of people who love God deeply..... love those around them wildly.... and, as Acts 2 reads in the message, 'people in general will like what they see' in the body of Christ.

Chan's thoughts are wrecking me. I love the church. May the church be consumed by the goodness of Christ and may His beauty, wonder, and grace dwell among us. May we never shrink back from all-encompassing call of the gospel.

By Grace.... For Glory,
Mark

I learn so much from my kids. My kids amaze me. A simple sentence that they brought home from worship a few years ago has left me challenged. Help me not to be okay simply because everything is okay with me. That seems to flow from the heart of God. Everything was okay within the trinity (God the Father, Son, and Spirit), but everything was not okay with us. His relentless love left him 'not okay' and compelled action from the heart of God. May we be 'not okay' and may our 'not okay' leave me and leave us under compulsion......

Mark

I love the Word. The Bible is alive and it gives great chase to me. God uses the Word to challenge me and to compel me and to lead me and to change my view of life. I love reading a section of Scripture and having the Holy Spirit flower a truth that I have seen hundreds of times, yet never actually seen.

I was reading Acts 2.42 and the Scripture reads that 'they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to breaking bread, prayer and fellowship.....' I have read Acts 2.42 - 47 so many times that I can't count. I tend to run toward the amazing things that God was doing among them. You know, the whole 3000 people saved or the selling of stuff or the daily gatherings in order to celebrate Christ or the awe that they seemed to generate by those around them or the constant remembrance of Jesus Christ via communion.... There was so much that was God-sized and ridiculous among them. So, how did this happen? Really, how, for heaven's sake, did all of this amazing stuff happening among them?

The simple answer that I discovered was profound. "They devoted themselves...." "They" were the 3000 new believers, who devoted themselves to one another.... to a passion for the Word... to a longing to serve those around them. They didn't ask someone else to feed them or to nurture them or to mature them. They were a wildly devoted group of Christ-followers. It seems that the Spirit of God in the life of the believer compelled them to be devoted. No excuses.... no weak pursuit... just a radical passion for God and an unimpeded devotion to know Him.

I would love for the people of Crestview to say, 'hey, that bunch of Christ-followers at Emmanuel are devoted... they are devoted to God in radical ways and they are devoted to each other.' God might just do amazing things among us that could be explained only by Him. That would be fresh!

By Grace... For Glory,
Mark

It has been a week.....

- a week of experiencing the death and burial of a friend, who in his death became a national hero
- honestly, there were so many things that were done 'right' in the middle of a situation that was so wrong......
- the OCSO and their support for the Lopez family was remarkable!
- the honor poured out for Burt's life from people across this nation leaves me with a loss for words
- perhaps one of the most 'honoring' moments of my life was to turn left on 85 out of Central BC and to see the streets lined all the way through Crestview and into Niceville with people who bestowed honor and respect for the life (and death) of Burt Lopez. From salutes to hands over hearts to homemade signs to American Flags to beautiful children stopping their ballgame to stand beside the road... it was simply remarkable. As I turned left on 20 in Niceville, I was overwhelmed by the previous 16 miles driven and I was thanking God for what the family was experiencing in the bus behind me. At that moment, God allowed me an incredible glimpse of heaven. Can you possibly fathom the utter joy of walking into heaven?!?! Can you imagine the sheer joy of walking into millions upon millions who stand before the living Christ AND who will welcome us into this wildly glorious fest around the throne of the King. I can truly only imagine......

- this week, our family ministry team ventured to the ATL and they spent three days thinking about how to most deeply and most vibrantly impact families. The outflow of the three days will be felt for years to come! What an amazing time to consider the impact of the life of the church and the life of the family and the synergizing of the two. The potential is abounding.

- Yesterday, as we gathered to worship I was so looking forward to 'sanctuary'. I needed to sing.... to worship.... and to simply be with the body of Christ. One word, from Colossians 3.11, really leaves me challenged. "HERE".... as in, here in the middle of the body of Christ I will find hope and peace and unity and joy and diversity and a thousand other gifts given by God. Here, Christ is all and He is in all. I love to find myself 'here' in the middle of a community of Christ-seekers.

Christ is all. Here, Christ is in all. I am praying that it is evident that He lives among us!

By Grace... For Glory,
Mark