american idols

a silversmith named demetrius, who made silver shrines of artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. he called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "men, you know we receive a good income from this business. and you see and hear how this fellow paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in ephesus and in practically the whole province of asia. he says that man-made gods are no gods at all. there is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty." when they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "great is artemis of the ephesians!" (acts 19.24-28)

sometime in the mid-50's AD (not 1950's, just 50's), paul - while traveling around the mediterranean sea starting churches - visited ephesus, one of the great cities of the ancient world, complete with its temple to artemis, one of the 7 wonders of the world. while there, he called people out for worshiping and serving idols - gods that don't exist. this really hacked off demetrius, who made his living through the idolatry of others. he made little silver relics that represented artemis, the city's official 'deity' and number one tourist attraction. paul saw their obsession with artemis and let them know boldly that there was no artemis, only Jesus.  it was a gutsy move, as it led to a riot and citywide confusion, in which the angry people of ephesus dragged paul before an official, seeking to get him killed or at least tossed out of town.

2000 years later, things are much the same. here we are, having had the truth of the gospel taught throughout our land for well over 200 years, and yet you and i still have our idols - our non-gods who we allow to be god over us - and we can still get pretty bent out of the frame when someone challenges us on them.

but paul was right. they are not gods. there are no other gods. only Jesus.

this story needs to challenge us today to identify our idols, and to get rid of them. angry defense of things in our lives that rank above god have no place in the lives of Christ-followers. this isn't to say that material things, or relationships, or goals or aspirations, or education, or fun are evil. but if they are our obsession; if they take first place in our lives - or better put, if our relationship with and service to God is lessened because of them - then they are idols. plain and simple. if they have achieved some kind of divine status in our lives, they are robbing God of his rightful place.

i encourage you to go back and read through the entire story: acts 19. put yourself in the place of demetrius and his customers. then identify your own idols. pray that God would lessen their force in your life. and start cleaning them out if you need to.

memorize this verse this week...

"I am the Lord; that is my name!
      I will not give my glory to anyone else,
      nor share my praise with idols."   (isaiah 42.8)

risk. restore. repeat.

church signs typically have one of two affects on me. they either make me laugh - out loud - or they make me cringe, wanting to get to the sign and strip it of its message, which too often is condemning or judgmental. frankly, i hope THRESHOLD never has one of those change-the-message signs. they're just plain tacky.

at the same time, i love words. i love using words, studying words, sometimes thinking of just the right words to convey what needs to be said. so i sometimes also find myself wondering, if we DID have a church sign... hmmmmm.....

i've been reading the gospel according to luke recently, trying once more to get a better understanding of this man whose name i bear, who i aim to follow most closely. as i read through luke's rendition of Jesus, vis-a-vis the whole church sign idea, i find myself contemplating some words. they might not land on a church sign, but i think they convey what Jesus was about...

RISK.

one of the first things Jesus does in his public ministry is to go to his home church to preach. it doesn't go real well. in fact, by the time he says 'amen,' the congregation is ready to throw him over a cliff. whoa. can't say i've ever had THAT kind of reaction (if you ever have felt that way, thanks for keeping it to yourself. really.). following that, he begins aggravating the religious leaders by seemingly violating their rules, to the point that by the early verses of chapter 6, they are already wondering how to get rid of him.

didn't Jesus realize how risky these things were? i think he did. in fact, i'm certain of it. Jesus knew - as should we - that living according to the directives of God's kingdom is risky.  it won't be well-received by some people. but Jesus, and his followers, do it anyway.

RESTORE.

another thing i noticed in the opening chapters of Jesus' ministry is that he seemed to have one focus - to restore people. according to the dictionary, restore can mean to bring back to an original condition, or to bring to a state of health, soundness or vigor. for some, it was physical healing - restoring one's body to a healthy state. for others, it was psychological or psychiatric - driving out the demons that plagued them. for still others, it was spiritual - forgiving sins as only God can do.

i love this about Jesus, and am passionate about being a church of people who seeks to do the same. the recent challenge to be out there blessing people is all about this, all about saying or doing things that make people more whole. things that bring restoration. this is the goal of both Jesus and his followers.

REPEAT.

when someone is on a mission, and they are accomplishing that mission, they keep on doing the same thing, over and over. Jesus went from place to place, healing people. period. sure he taught things along the way, but most often, those teaching were either about restoration, or in reaction to those who didn't like what he was doing. no matter. he repeated, over and over, words and acts of restoration. even as he hung dying on the cross - and this is only in luke's story - Jesus told the thief beside him that he would be in paradise by the end of the day. that is restoration in the most complete way.

RISK

RESTORE

REPEAT

if i had a church sign, i think that's what i would put on it. 

feeling like a dog?

so, 3 months in to the year, who's still at it? anybody out there still reading through or listening through the bible? if so, you're a quarter of the way home! that's awesome!

others of you feel like dogs for not reading as much as you want to or should - and usually because you just don't know how.

getting through the bible and having a fuller understanding of its overall story and message is life-changing. but so often, we either feel like we don't have the time or the know-how.

i want to use this week's post to teach you how to spend time with a small amount of text - just one chapter, or maybe even just one story - letting it sink in. drawing life from it. letting it permeate and transform you.

it's done by choosing just one chunk of the bible, and asking just three questions...

IMPORTANT: before you begin reading, pray and ask God to reveal to you answers to the questions you are going to ask.

1. WHAT IS TRUE ABOUT GOD?

as you read a chapter or a story, read it all the way through once. then go back and re-read it slowly, looking for answers to this question, what does this tell me about God? if you are reading stories in the gospels, the question might be, what does this tell me about God in or through the words/actions of Jesus?

2. WHAT IS TRUE ABOUT ME?

what do you learn about yourself? what has God done for you? how ought you to live? again, if reading stories where God or Jesus interact with people, can you put yourself in their situation? if you were there, how would you feel? what might change? how would your relationship with God be informed or transformed?

3. WHAT NEXT?

after reading and considering the first two questions, close your bible and ask yourself, what should i do with this? is God calling me to think or live differently? be still and let God speak to you apart from the words on the page. close your eyes and just listen quietly. then end your time by thanking God for what he has taught you.

this is a simple yet powerful way to interact with God's word as Christ-followers have for centuries. you don't need a class or a degree in bible or theology to interact with and hear from God in this way. and the blessings are fantastic.

hey, by the way - are you still out there blessing people? send me your stories!

tweet tweet

i'm taking a few days off here at the end of the week, so this post is gonna be quick.   two things.

1. happy birthday, midweekjolt! 

this week marks one year since this blog began. as one who loves to start new things and struggles to see them through, this is a milestone! 52 weeks. 52 posts! sure do hope that at least a few of them meant something to at least a few of you. thanks for reading. shall i continue?

2. tweet, tweet!

this won't appeal to all of you, but social networking online is the rage, as many of you know. i see many of you already on facebook. and i am finally committing to twittering as well.

twittering is nothing more than sending and receiving updates known as tweets. anything you're doing, or have just done, that you want to share with your followers, you send it out as a tweet. 

for example, through twittering, i know that one pastor i follow - one i have never met, but admire - was off yesterday and went to the national museum of history in DC - and this morning his tweet reminded me that i am God-commissioned according to Colossians 1.

another pastor i follow in L.A. is in NYC. 

i'd love to see our tribe of Christ-followers follow each other on twitter - we can use it to let each other know who we're blessing out there. imagine asking someone if you can pray for them, getting a positive response, praying, then letting us all know - all in a matter of minutes! it will make our day! all of ours!

and you can tell that blessed person that if it's OK with them, you'll invite a couple dozen others to join you immediately. how cool is this?!

if you're interested, here's what you do...

visit TWITTER online and set up an account. quick and easy. 

start hunting others from our tribe, and follow them. you can begin by looking at my profile where you will already find a handful of us. trust me, it snowballs in a hurry.

then - and for me, this is the key - set it up so you can tweet on your phone. this is what makes this work! no matter where you are, within seconds, you can send a tweet to let us all know:

I JUST BLESSED SOMEBODY!

you in?

let's go get 'em!

(how-to video)

go think about that

when i was a kid, i got spanked a few times, but those never really bothered me. it was "one and done," you know? i mean, ok, a few swats hurt, for a second, but then life was on again! i could get over one of dad's spankings pretty dang quick.

problem is, he figured it out pretty dang quick, too.

so he changed the punishment. 

when i screwed up, he made me stand in the corner.

"jeffrey, you go stand in the corner and think about that!"

i hated standing in the corner!

standing in the corner meant standing still. 

not moving. not playing. just being.

i hated standing still. still do.

i understand now, of course, that punishment - standing still or otherwise - is not about a good parent having the final say or of inflicting pain simply because he or she is bigger than the child. discipline, and even punishment, is about correction. correcting behavior that is unhealthy or even dangerous for a child.

proverbs 3.11-12 says,

my child, don't reject the Lord's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you.

for the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

as christians, when something bad happens in our lives, something that seems to stand us in the corner, something that we don't like, we blame the devil. we've been taught that satan hates God, and God's kids, and since we're one of them, satan is always gunning for us. so when something happens that doesn't seem to be in our best interest - as we define that - we blame the devil. and of course, he often is to blame.

but not always.

this proverb - quoted again in the new testament (see hebrews 12.5-11) - teaches us that God can be involved in our discomfort as well. God does discipline us, he does correct us, because he wants us to live lives that are healthy for us and honoring to him.

if you are suffering right now - sick, rocky marriage, out of work, unhappy, depressed, in a bad circumstance - could it be that God is disciplining you? is it possible that God has you standing in the corner right now, trying to teach you something that is ultimately for your benefit?

i wish i had a magic formula to give you so that you would know for sure. but at least take the chance to think about it. to pray about it. to examine your heart and turn yourself and your circumstances over to God yet again.

and while you're standing in that corner, please don't miss a couple key words in this proverb:

God corrects those he loves, those in whom he delights.

God does love you. he is crazy about you! and as so many fathers have said, his correction probably hurts him more than it hurts us. but he acts out of love.

he ALWAYS acts out of love. that's a guarantee.

now you go think about that.

you better sit down for this

reading through the old testament is always interesting. there are always new things, always things i feel like i have never read before. i came across one of them recently.

we all know - or should - that one of the 10 commandments says this:

remember to observe the sabbath day by keeping it holy.

i've read a variety of commentaries over the years, and had many conversations over the full meaning of this commandment.

does it mean no work on sunday?

does it mean no work on saturday (the original sabbath day?)

does it mean i also shouldn't go somewhere that makes someone else break the sabbath rule?

or does it just mean that at least once a week, i need to rest, and to give God some undivided attention?

those questions aren't fully answered for me even now, though i do have some convictions about them. but as i read further into exodus this time around, i noticed that the mandate to observe the sabbath kept coming up, again and again (exodus 16.23-29; 20.8-11; 31.13)

and then i came to this.

anyone who works on the sabbath must be put to death.

(see exodus 31.14-15; 25.2)

i'll leave you to meditate over this on your own.

i'm taking today off.

more actual grace

before you read this post -- if you have not read the one dated march 5, you will want to do that first. this is an amazing display of the care and glory of almighty God...

PART ONE is an email from debby castellow, the artist who drew the picture of emily rose... only she had no idea who emily was!

March 5, 2009

Dear Jeff,

We've really got to quit meeting like this! Just joking....I assure you you will be amazed at what I have to say! Last year this time after the prayer vigil you read a prayer I wrote during the vigil, to the Lord...This year it was my crayon drawing...to the Lord...You see I love those prayer vigils...I love spending time with God...I love Jesus and learn to love Him more everyday...Without Him I am nothing....seriously.

It has taken me some time this morning to quit crying after reading your blog. As usual God has touched my heart in a really profound way through all of this. To know that God works His love and grace through my feeble attempts at giving Him my heart is just very humbling ...

When I write, when I draw, when I am creative I am very open to God's leading. About 3 weeks before the prayer vigil I kept thinking God was urging me to paint a large canvas with the most beautiful purple I could mix....I saw in my mind, this beautiful, blond girl standing facing this brilliant yellow-white light (in my mind she was facing Jesus on the Throne of Grace...) She was wearing purple with blue undertones...When I got to the station at the prayer vigil, I knew it was the time to put it to paper...I knew in my heart that this was the place to draw the image I had seen...When I paint or draw or write it's like God takes the brush or pen and I am just along for the experience...I can lose all track of time and what's going on during those moments...it's just full of peace and total enjoyment....refreshing. At any rate as I was drawing with the crayon I was not happy with her hands because they were empty and I felt prompted to place a red rose in her right hand (signifying "I love You") and the goblet in her left (signifying "serving the lord" and communion with Him). Her purple and blue dress signify her being a part of God's Kingdom and the blue undertones represent being a part of the Family of God, chosen by Him. Now I can totally say I had no idea why I was prompted to share this drawing, I just knew it was what I could give to Him in the way of worship at that moment at that station. As a matter of fact I blushed after I pinned it to the curtain, wondering if anyone might find it much too intimate to display for everyone to see...I commented on Sunday after worship though to my husband that I was so glad that I could finally worship God with a people that understood intimacy with God...I could truly worship and not be shamed...Jeff your message Sunday actually was very freeing to my heart! The kissing thing... Ha! Thanks for being bold in what you preach.

I would be more than happy to meet the family with you and talk more about this drawing. In the meantime, please let them know that, that moment for them was directly from the Lord to their hearts at just the right time and in just the right way. And for that I am very happy and encouraged and honored to have been a vessel for Him to use!

In His love, Debby

PART TWO is a follow-up from emily's stepdad, mark mcelvey, dared march 9, 2009

In other words, she didn’t know us. She didn’t know about Emily. She didn’t have anyone else in mind. It was a drawing, an offering that God directly inspired her to do. She talked with us after the service Sunday, and she told us that she doesn’t do anything in purple, as a rule. She said that she thought maybe she’d draw one of her granddaughters, but their hair is much shorter, and the hair in the picture kept getting longer and longer.She doesn’t draw people, she mostly does landscapes.In other words, it was nothing she would choose to draw. Nothing in her life directly influenced that work.It came straight through her heart and hands from God to us. To all of us who miss Emily.

After reading that, if there is any room for doubt left in your hearts and minds about who God is, how He takes care of us all, and where Emily is now, then I don’t know what anyone can say to change your mind.

Psalm 71:20-21
Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.

Isaiah 25:8 
He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces;

Lamentations 3:31-33 
For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Romans 8:39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:52-57

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

actual grace

last december, emily rose, a junior at butler high school, went home to be with Jesus following a battle with leukemia. since then, her family has found a home at threshold, mainly because of the way members of the church have reached out to them in the ways they do best.

this week's blog is a bit different - i wanted you to hear from emily's stepdad, mark. the following is a testimony to the tangible activity of God in the lives of his people.

As some of you know, Amy, Brendan and I are now members of Threshold Church. THD reached out to us during Emily's illness and during the aftermath in a way that made us want to be a part of your worship and ministry. We first visited on Sunday December 28, 2008. We were planning on going to Elevation Church, but they didn't have worship that Sunday, and Amy and I were determined to go somewhere to be close to God on the first Sunday after Emily's service. Amy, Caleb, Zach and I attended, and uncharacteristically sat on the second row. As a long and proper Baptist, I'm more of a back row guy, but somehow we ended up at the front.

As the praise band started their second or third song, "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" we felt the spirit touch us. We had chosen that hymn for Emily's service just 5 days before. Then as pastor Jeff began to speak about 2008 coming to a close, and all the trials, all the hardships, all the financial hardships, the job losses and the deaths in the family, we began to feel the spotlight on us. We felt singled out, tagged, touched, lifted up. We knew in our hearts before the service even concluded, that THD was where God wanted us to be. To serve Him there.

After the service we spoke with Jeff, whom we'd never met before. We introduced ourselves, but he cut us off, saying "I know who you are. I was praying and worried during the whole service that what God wanted me to say wasn't too raw, too difficult, too soon for you." We assured him that while he may have been apprehensive, and we maybe wouldn't have wanted to hear what he said, that God knew it was what we needed to know.

Since that time, there have been many more moments, random meetings, school dedications and meetings, dinner with friends, that have been tough in the moment, sometimes tough immediately after, but, ultimately, in His perfect time, what we need and what we embrace.

This weekend, Threshold held a 24 hour prayer vigil tied with the youth's 30 Hour Famine for hunger initiative. It was held at the clubhouse in our neighborhood. Several prayer stations were set up to direct our prayers and reflection. Some of the stations directed us to look inward and confess to God our sins, our worries, our burdens. Some directed us to look outward to others, to help and to pray for them. One station was different, though. It was very open ended. It consisted of an easel with a large drawing pad attached, a wall for display and pins to affix the drawings. No directions were given, no suggestions, nothing to guide us except our selves and our prayers. Some pages were hung with scriptures, some with prayers. Some were simple drawings of the cross. Some were elaborate drawings of Christ's wounds, or images superimposed on the cross. We were there at about 10 pm Saturday night. Sometime between when we left and 7 am on Sunday, someone drew the newly posted picture (see the top of this blog). It, along with several other pictures, was displayed at the church service the following morning. As of now, we don't know who did it, or even for certain that they had Emily in mind. It doesn't really matter either way. But God put that image in someone's heart. Someone was compelled to draw a picture of a beautiful blonde young woman, with a rose in her hand and surrounded by purple light, entering into a glorious light.

We showed it to Jeff after service, and he immediately said "That's your girl, entering into God's glory." Michelle Gardner told us when we showed it to her about "actual grace". That is when God provides a tangible "something" for us to see, to hold, to cherish, as a reminder of His grace. We had not heard the term before, but we do believe that it applies totally to this picture.

Once again, our idea of "coincidence" is defeated. Our concept of God's sovereignty, His power and His Plan, however, is reaffirmed and heightened.

To whoever drew this picture, thank you. If you would tell us who you are, we would like to thank you personally. If you are not comfortable with that, then please know that we have already thanked God for you and your expression of caring. We will frame the drawing and we will hang it with respect and thankfulness to remind us where Emily has journeyed ahead of us.

(from Jeff - if you are the artist of this picture, or know who is, you can get in touch with Mark and Amy by emailing me, jeff.gardner@thresholdchurch.com)

the furious longing of God

"i am my beloved's and his desire is for me"

- song of solomon 7:10 (esv)

as i spend time with you guys, as we worship together, as i pray for you during the week... i find myself wondering how fully you realize or believe in the fury of God's love. the power. the enormity. the intensity.

it's just one more reason to be in the Word constantly, because as you are, you discover this more and more. but just in case you are one today who doubts it, struggles with it, doesn't feel it - 3 thoughts...

1. meditate on the passage at the top of the blog. read it. reread it. think on it. meditate over it. own it. trust it. believe it. i came across it in chapter one of a new book i'm reading called, The Furious Longing of God, by brennan manning. i recommend anything he writes. the dude knows Jesus, flat out. listen to him.

2. watch this video. it's brennan. it's got a promo tag on the end for an upcoming event - you can ignore that. but listen carefully to the rest. good stuff.

3. attend the Threshold 24-hour prayer vigil this weekend, for just an hour. details are in the weekly e-newsletter or on our homepage, VIGIL. carve out an hour to hear and experience this amazing truth - that you are loved by the creator and lord of the universe. don't just acknowledge it in your brain. feel it in your soul. it's the deepest truth you will ever encounter. don't brush it off and just get on with your busy life. tune in.

i'll be praying for you guys this weekend at the vigil.

see you sunday!

here's the info on the book, in case you're interested.

The Furious Longing of God

by Brennan Manning

will starve for food

26,000 children will die of preventable poverty, disease and hunger... today.

14,000 of them from hunger and malnutrition alone.

840 million people do not get enough to eat - that's 1 in 7.

21 billion people live on less than $2.00 per day.*

i was hungry and you fed me... when you did it to one of the least of these... you were doing it to me.  (Jesus our Lord, in matthew 25.35, 40)

a week from tomorrow, february 28, the youth of THRESHOLD will begin a 30-hour famine. for over a day, they will refrain from eating and will spend time instead learning about the plight of world hunger and praying for those dying from it. they will also be raising money to help feed those in need. in other words, they will starve for food.

for more info on what they are doing, see FAMINE.

during the same weekend, february 28 - march 1, you are also invited to participate in events focusing on others.

I. FAST. while the youth go 30 hours without food, consider joining them, for at least one meal. skip just one normal meal and spend the time praying for others. visit the 30-hour famine website to learn more about global hunger. make yourself aware. go for a walk and consider how many people around the world must walk for miles to get food or even clean drinking water. and pray.

II. PRAYER VIGIL. pair your fast with an hour or two at our second annual prayer vigil. this 24-hour event was held on good friday last year, but we have moved it up this year to coincide with the famine and the food drive (see below). we have rented the clubhouse in providence hills neighborhood (mckee at pleasant plains roads) and will have it set up with 8-10 prayer stations, from 7AM on saturday to 7 AM on sunday. it will be an amazing time for intimacy with God. you'll experience prayer perhaps like never before as you visit various stations where you might do some reading, draw pictures, write a letter, watch a video, listen to music or just quietly pray. last year's reviews were tremendous. sign up now online to reserve your hour.

III. FOOD DRIVE. following the success of our october '08 effort, which bagged 4000 pounds of food, we are doing this again. on sunday, march 1, following worship, we will distribute around 2000 bags to homes in several local neighborhoods (not the same ones as last fall). it will only take about 30 minutes. the following sunday, march 8, we will collect the bags - same volunteers, same neighborhoods. all food collected will be housed at the common cupboard for local distribution. sign up you or your cell now online.

THRESHOLD is a movement, a church on the move. we exist for one purpose: to glorify God by being the expression of Jesus in our community and beyond. clearly Jesus taught us to feed the hungry - that's what next weekend is all about. i urge you to join in all the opportunities being provided. better yet, engage in these activities with your CELLmates!

"we beg you, master, be our help and strength. save those among us who are oppressed, have pity on the lowly, and lift up the fallen. heal the sick, bring back the straying, and feed the hungry. release those in prison, lift up those who falter, and strengthen the fainthearted. let all nations come to know you, the one God, and your son Jesus Christ, and us your people, the sheep of your pasture. amen."  (clement of rome, c. AD 92-101)

* info from www.30hourfamine.org

on your knees

To touch is to heal, to hurt is to steal.
If you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel
On your knees, boy!

- from U2, Mysterious ways

in the past month or so, danielle has had surgery twice. 

once to fix a hip, the second to fix the first. an infection set in after the first surgery that wasn't pretty and needed to be gotten out of there. it didn't seem to go a whole lot better than the first. she's a very young woman and to see her on crutches last sunday, making her way to the Lords Table, dragging her leg along behind her, was a difficult thing to watch.

i was invited to drop in on her super bowl party sunday evening (i know! what in the world was she doing hosting a party? well, she needed company and had a lot of help - kudos joe!) 

when the game was over, four of us from THD remained, along with danielle and her hubby mark. we were cleaning up the kitchen a bit and decided that we needed to pray for danielle. so we seated her on a chair and gathered around her, laying our hands on her shoulders.

and we prayed. honestly. boldly. emotionally.

danielle went to the doctor monday. she didn't seem to feel any better and was anticipating the worst. but later monday, her facebook status read...

danielle is infection-free!!!!

not bad for one night of prayer...

(honest note: we weren't the only ones. a lot of prayer had already been going up on her behalf)

van called yesterday. 

she was so excited, she just had to tell someone! i was the lucky one.

during the summer of '02, THRESHOLD was still in the womb - yet to be born until september. but those of us whom God called in the pre-natal phase were gathered one sunday afternoon. i asked all who were present to write down three names. names of people who either didn't know Jesus as Son of God, Lord and Savior, or someone who wasn't close to him at this point in their lives. one of the names van wrote down was michael.

she called yesterday to tell me that she had just talked with michael. he had been to THRESHOLD sunday for the first time. he found the worship and the talk to be very personal and emotional. tears flowed. God had his attention and was opening his eyes. he is so excited about what is going on in his spirit!

not bad for 7 years of prayer...

you get the point, right?

PRAY.

constantly.

st. paul puts it like this in 1 thessalonians 5.17: NEVER STOP PRAYING (nlt)

sometimes the bible seems really unclear.

not here. no excuses this time, baby: Never Stop Praying

sometimes you'll pray once. sometimes for 7 years. and sometimes for a lifetime.

but let's lose the attitude that somehow leads us to believe that God owes us an answer - the desired answer - on our schedule. 

just pray. for as long as it takes. 

after all, it really is a privilege. when we pray, we are seeking the face and the heart of God. and just being able to have the right to do THAT is amazing, really.

the desires of your heart? God really does want you to bring them to him.

why he waits so long sometimes is not worth the time it takes to breathe the question. 

it's only time lost from prayer.

so... what are you waiting for?

on your knees.

what you need to do today

let's get right to it this week.

i want you to be debt-free.

i don't want to use today's blog to toss out a dozen scripture passages about money. or to use fancy word construction to convince you. or to appeal to your emotions. i really don't think i need to. do i?

the economy is awful, and even if it weren't, too many of us just aren't living financially in a way that honors and glorifies God. and if the reason that we are on planet earth, according to His Word, is to bring Him honor and glory, then we all have work to do.

but even if you don't give a hoot about God's view of money right now, do this anyway. do it for yourself and your family. get this debt-monkey OFF YOUR BACK!

so here's the deal: take the rest of the time that you would normally spend reading this blog, and sign up for Financial Peace University.

i hope by now you know it's a 13-week seminar on sunday nights that will teach you all you need to know about managing the account God has entrusted to you in this life (you haven't forgotten it's really ALL His, have you?).

6:30 - 8:30 PM.

something for every one of your kids.

and only $99.

that is precisely $7.62 per week.

you can afford this. you NEED to afford this.

i guarantee you'll make the $99 back in the first week or two if you do what you're taught.

but if you need a scholarship, just ask.

and by the way threshold isn't making a nickel off of this, for any of you who still think this church is all about your money.

ok, so go.

sign up. 

hurry up, i'm sure you've got a bunch of stuff to do today.

and if you already have... Thank You!

Details:

Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University

13 Sessions, beginning February 8

Each Sunday through May 24, except Easter and Mother's Day

$99, and well worth it.

Care provided for kids of every age (high school students are encouraged to take the seminar)

DEADLINE! Sunday, February 1.

actual grace

tuesday was a gift from God. one of those tangible gifts of actual grace that give us those seemingly all-too-rare glimpses of his hand at work, reminding us that he is real and that he is at work. i've seen them over the years, when i have had the eyes to see. and i'm sure i've missed a bunch of them when i've had my spiritual head up my own assets, worried so much about myself that i had no clue that God was anywhere in the vicinity.

but tuesday i saw it. actual grace. God's tangible activity.

it snowed. not a lot. but it did. i heard that it hasn't snowed in charlotte enough to cover the ground since 2004. but tuesday it snowed.

and as if that weren't gift enough in itself, it was also inauguration day.

now forget about politics, okay? there's just something about each of these that reminds me that we get second chances. that no matter how bad the past, there is a future. that while there may be decay in our rearview mirror, our rearview mirror is showing us what we are leaving behind.

i have never been one to make much of a new year. to me, it was just the next month in a long, long linear processional. a new year was often more annoying than promising. i put the wrong year on my checks for a week or so. i couldn't get a treadmill at the gym. last year's calendar got put on a shelf and i couldn't find it when i needed to refer back to something that happened only a couple weeks earlier.

but not '09. not this year.

this year, for some reason, i am excited. i am optimistic. i am expectant. i fully anticipate seeing and hearing life-changing stories this year like never before. growing closer to God. learning how to glorify him more and more in everyday life. learning his better and applying it more often. embracing his people in small communities where we can love, trust and serve one another. getting ourselves freed up and healthy in any and every way necessary, in order to stand ready to serve God and those he points us to, whether across the world or across the lunchroom table.

our staff met all day yesterday to map out 12 months of opportunities intended to help us all move into and through one of the best years of our lives. in a few weeks, we'll put that calendar into your hands. but even before you receive it, i hope you'll be praying. pray that God will move in you with his Spirit in ways that will help you commit to the things that are most important this year. ask him to show you very clearly where you ought to be engaged and active for his glory and your own health. beg him to take away the resistance, the laziness, the fear or the apathy that keeps you from worship or cell or service.

promise to read his word this year. promise your kids that you will lead them spiritually this year. promise your spouse that you will get out of debt this year - or at least make a significant dent in it. promise those who ask you that you will in fact finally join their cell. promise yourself that you will leave your comfort zone for one - just one - significant serve experience.

'09. it's a new year. a year full of promise.

the snow and the events of tuesday are now also in the rearview mirror.

but don't miss their message.

God is present. every day is a new one. He gives second chances.

Father, we thank you for the moments when we are clearly reminded of your presence and your hope. so many of us need the eyes to see that right now. we need that promise. we need that anticipation. we want so desperately to be drawn by your Spirit into this new year. change us. transform us more into the image of your Son Jesus.  cover our sins like a blanket of new snow, and inaugurate in us a new heart, ready to live solely for you and your glory. receive our humble and expectant pleas in Jesus' name. amen.