Harvest Thoughts

Till We Have Faces: A Christian's Search For Authenticity

 

“But God… while we were still sinners…”    -Romans 5:8

 

Isn’t it amazing the amount of emphasis the unbelieving world puts on the church of Jesus Christ in terms of its “separate-ness,” its “other worldliness.”  Its “righteousness” and virtues are both boons in the eyes of certain ‘outsiders,’ and as burned out ruins by many more.  Oftentimes, the church is viewed as the broken toy that used to entertain the Western world until Europe grew up and crushed it with Reason.  It’s also, incredibly, seen as a phenomenon by others; a source of hope and spiritual devotion that somehow mankind developed a need for, and, in that it ‘scratches’ that sociological ‘itch,’ it’s great.  –“But, it would be ideal if those people got over it, if they could,” would come the honest, skeptical reply.

 

More amazing is how much emphasis the church of Jesus Christ itself puts on its own “holiness,” “righteousness” and “spiritual discernment!”  When we’re not stealing children from their families because our American dollars let us do it- “in Jesus’ name” ( http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cb_haiti_americans_detained )- then we’re disclosing certain oracles pulled from God’s omniscience to television audiences all over the developed world, outlining private discourses the people of  a certain Central American country has had with the devil, and the deal writ in blood that forged their “pact” ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5TE99sAbwM&feature=fvw ).  Simultaneously, we maintain that we are “free,” we are “healthy;” we “are rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing;” it’s the others who need to change!  Is it any wonder why the ‘un-churched,’ or the ‘pre-churched’ don’t know the gospel and don’t really care to?  -We’re just like them, they know it, we’re just illusioned by our airs, them content with what present reality brings, and unconcerned with the hypocrisy so often on display within the ranks of the “saintly.”

 

“For when we were still without strength…”    -Romans 5:6

 

It’s almost as if those inside the church and those outside are similar.  And, maybe they’re similar in more ways than one or than both of them would like to admit?  -Are you seeing where I’m going with this?  Since when did it become unfashionable in the Christian church to forbid boasting in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 11:30), to refuse confessing our sins to one another (James 5:16) and to fail to restore each other with faith-filled words of forgiveness and friendship (Galatians 6:1&2)?  Was it, because of “what it might look like if I sympathize with him or her;” if I bear my arm and show the scars of my past to another?  “What if they think I’m weak and lose respect for me?”  -Sound familiar?  A little mental justification as to why the work of living Christ-like and reconciling a world to God might not be your “cup of tea?”  ~  Write it down!

 

Now, just in case you’ve been a good Bible student, or a thorough and researched arguer, and looked up the verses I’ve only excerpted from, let me quote them completely, then explain their context, as I see them.  Lastly, I’ll make my thesis plain.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    -Romans 5:8

And, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”    -Romans 5:6

 

These verses, along with each of the nineteen brother and sister verses in Romans 5 say loudly the greatest single truth of the crucifixion (when Jesus hung on the cross as God in our place to make us one with God): that Jesus’ righteousness is the singular basis of every person’s right-ness with God, the Father.  Jesus did it, no one else.  His own ability, grandeur, as God, and Messianic selection accomplished rescue for His Bride, the Church, and purchased the right from God to spare us from His own just punishment against all our ugliness and disobedience of heart and mind, and lavish grace on us as children and friends.

 

  However, chapter 5 cannot be separated from chapter 6, where Paul writes, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves as slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness” (Romans 6:17).  In other words, the fact of Jesus’ authority over sin, and His purchasing of us for His pleasure and our eternal, wrath-free joy, even His immense, divine power, won’t stop Christian people from choosing to, in Paul’s words, “present (themselves) as slaves to obey… sin leading to death.”  We still have to choose to do what we know is right, to choose His way.  He wants us to choose obedience towards God and His word, in light of the fact that He loves us, and that He died on our behalf.

 

My thesis, then, reads like this: Jesus’ purchase of sinful men and women for His own purposes did not come to His church like an excuse to separate and “unplug” from our day to day lives and neighbors, even our global family within humanity scattered abroad.  He purchased us for God by His blood on the cross so that we would be raised up before his broken world- as He was- bleeding, suffering the loss of our own lives in order to give life to the weeping or indignant, huddled masses strewn around our own lives’ crosses.

 

Pretensions are a waste of time and a veil for pride.  Satan loves a phony and a weak-willed man or woman; both are easily toyed with and turned away from truth or the will of God for their lives.  Instead, what grows up before them is a jungle of confusion, dense and impenetrable, till scared and utterly debased they break and cry out in truth to Him; no airs then, no doubts or hesitations.  The pain of tasting the fruit of their pretensions purged the soul and brought them to their knees again, before a powerful and patient God.  Then, and only then, will he or she boast in their weaknesses; they will have lost the will to live for themselves, if even only for a day or two, or a month or a year.

 

That’s a special time, when all is Christ, and “having been set free from sin, (we) became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18).  It’s a free time, a joyful time; it’s a moment sweet and filling, welling up into Hope.  And, Hope, it says, “doesn’t disappoint” (Romans 5:5).  –I could use some, A lot of that!  What about You?

 

“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    -Romans 5:7&8

Cast Your Cares Upon Him

Have you ever been so overwhelmed with the cares and worries of life that you’re not quite sure what to do or where to turn next? Or, might I put it this way: Have trials, tribulations, concerns and the everyday routines of life taken a toll on you that you feel helpless and hopeless? Friend, if you answered yes to these questions, you are not alone. Many people, including myself, stand feeling a sense of helplessness and hopelessness due to the situations and circumstances that we experience in life. We must understand, however, that we cannot control what life brings our way and what is dished out on our plate. Nevertheless, what we can control is our response to what we encounter in life and, therefore, find hope in the Lord Jesus Christ when we turn to Him for help.

The Psalmist writes and encourages us to cast our cares on the Lord (Psalm 55:22). David, the writer of this Psalm, writes from his own experience of battle with his adversary. One can detect from reading and reflecting on the heart of David in this Psalm that he was deeply troubled and under a great deal of pressure—day and night he was distressed and constantly at battle with the struggles of life. David was a man who openly and honestly expressed his cares and concerns with the Lord. In fact, the lesson that King David learned was to allow the pressures of life to lead him to his knees in humble prayer and submission to the Lord. From the perspective of the carnal nature and of the flesh, however, the pressure, anguish, frustration, distraught and animosity that David encountered in life led him to want to flee from his problems altogether. I think we can understand because that is naturally what the flesh desires to do—flee and run away!

Can you track with David? I know I sure can. At times, the troubles of life just seem to be so overwhelming that the most logical thing to do would be to run away from the problem(s) to where we escape the storm. But, what did David do? Did he run away and hid from his adversary and merely hope that life would work its way of out? No. The answer is not fleeing from the situation, but calling God into the situation; not the natural solution of escapism but the spiritual solution of prayer.

The verse goes on to say in Psalm 55:22 that the Lord will sustain us. David writes, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.” In other words, when we cast our cares upon the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob does not only promise to carry our burdens, but also promises to sustain us. Let me tell you, friend, our God is a God who is waiting and longing for His people to run to him, casting our cares upon Him. He is waiting for us to stop running from the problems of life and to run to Him, the problem-solver, to fix the problems. He promises that when we cast our cares upon Him that He will sustain us and allow us to experience His peace in spite of difficult and burdensome situations.

To conclude, I want to ask you a question. Do you know that God cares for you and loves you so much that He sent His son Jesus Christ to die for you? Do you know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who is waiting to walk with you and help you carry your burdens? The Bible says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Jesus died for you and for me knowing that we could not carry our burdens alone. In fact, we were not created and designed to carry our burdens alone. Jesus came, however, that we might lay down our burdens at the Cross of Calvary and live a life of freedom whereby the frustrations, anxieties and burdens of this life do not consume us. 

Let us today permit the Holy Spirit of God to flood our hearts so that we don’t carry the heavy burdens of life with us any longer. And let us be a people who do not run from life’s struggles, but face them with the Lord Jesus Christ paving the way of righteousness under our feet.

Brian  

Last Sunday's Message

Hey Pastor Craig,

Your message this past Sunday really inspired my husband and I. We hadnt been to church for 2 Sundays in a row and I was basically not feeling close to God. Our neighbors asked to go to church with us so we all decided to go. The last part of your message really spoke to us. Our finances are really messed up. We are in debt, I have no job, we are barely making ends meet, etc. The last thing you talked about was how if we arent tithing and fasting, you wonder why God isnt answering your prayers, etc.

Well we decided we were going to fast on Monday(no food or water) for 24 hrs about our financial problems. WOW! God really showed us. Robert did NOT want to fast 24 hrs do to "his workout plan would not go well" and i snapped back and said "whats more important, your exercise or our finances". So anyways round 1:00 i was ready to give in, my head was pounding from not having caffeine, i was starving and I remember you saying the devil is gonna tell you cant do it, etc and i just took many naps to help pass the time til my husband got off. He finally got home at 3:00, i told him i was terribly sick and had to have something, so i ate crackers, peanut butter sandwich and threw it up within 20 min. LOL, i also prayed for God to get rid of the lazy spirit hanging over me, i just put 2 and 2 together and thought that was why i was throwing up, meanwhile my husband said it was from not having my coffee, i was having withdrawals.

Anyways, so on Tuesday, I got a call for a job interview on Thursday, PRAISE GOD and then on Thursday i got a call from Mass Mutual to talk to me about what to do with my 401K from my previous employer. I have 18,000 to either cash out and pay taxes on it or put in a Roth IRA. I also got my w2 from my previous employer today so i can get started on getting my tax money back.

God is AWESOME! Your message encouraged me and reminded us of Gods promises and also what we need to do. i have been spending more time with God and LISTENING to him after i pray. THANK YOU

Sincerely,

The Young Family

USED BY PERMISSION

Jim and Casper Go To Church

Thankful for Non-Religous People

I am up early at 4:21 this morning reflecting on what makes Harvest Church Norfolk such a great church. It is certainly not great because we are all perfect people. At Harvest, we readily admit that, "We are all broken people, but God is putting us back together again." At Harvest, this is not only spoken often, but it is believed and it is so true. This embracing of an obvious truth has become a major reason why Harvest is such a great church. It makes us all free to be normal, not wacked out, super-spiritual, condemning and condescending to all others, hate to be around, "Christians." Do you know what I am talking about? Those "Christians" who instantly find a way to raise their status higher than anyone around them. They have more "gifts," more inside information with God than anyone on the planet. They have that, "when you get to my level you will really be deep and tight with God" attitude. Their attitude and actions make me sick. Yeah, I said it. They make me sick. And for the record, Jesus didn't like that crowd either. If our church were like that I wouldn't attend it. That "holier than thou, come up higher" attitude literally turns my stomach. I want no part of it. But Harvest is different. At its very core our motto rings true, "We are all real people pursuing a real God." And because it is such a core value at Harvest, when someone begins to attend with that religious stuff on them, they either quickly get better and lose it, or they don't stay long and leave considering us "poor elementary Christians." Hey, I am so okay with that. Considering the options, I'll stay real. Their evaluation doesn't concern me, only His does. So at 4:20 I woke up with this horrible thought, "Wouldn't it be terrible to be the pastor of a group of religious people? You are always judged. You can never do enough. Everyone is faking perfection. The expectations put upon you are more than anyone can bear. But instantly, once I was fully awake, there came this warm, wonderful, and comforting thought; like a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate on a cold wet day, I am so glad I am a part of a normal church family. I am free to be me and you are free to be you. We can't fix ourselves, but God is under the hood. His grace is enabling and teaching us how to walk blamelessly before Him. At Harvest we are having fun serving our Lord together. And that is just how church should be.

Veteran's Day Thank You

WE REMEMBER AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL!

To all our military members and family,

I am amazingly thankful for all of you. Before living here in the Hampton Roads area I had a deep appreciation for all those serving in the military, but since moving into this area, that appreciation has grown leaps and bounds. The Harvest Church Norfolk family consist of probably 70% or more of those who are in military families. For me to have the privilege to work, laugh, cry, pray and serve with so many of you, has given me a much better inside look at the tremendous sacrifice all of you give. The deployments, the change in orders, and the uncertainty that you face everyday is costly. Truly freedom is not free. You, and many before you, are paying and have paid that cost, some with their own blood. Today, I and so many other Americans, salute you. Today is a day of thankfulness and resolve. Resolve, that this great sacrifice will not have been in vain. President Abraham Lincoln said it best, "It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Gettysburg Address, November 19. 1863

What Are You Waiting For?

 If you could obtain one goal from your life, what would it be? Or, if you could obtain one aspiration that you would like to achieve, what would it be? Every human being will be confronted to ponder these questions, and I assert the answer to these questions will directly influence the direction our lives will take. Perhaps, you have also been asked the question: What is your purpose in life? Or, if you are a student your mentors and advisors have asked you: What do you want to do with your life when you graduate? Where is God calling you? These are valid questions that we must be able to answer.

 I can think back to my undergraduate years of study where all I desired to do was play the drums. In fact, that is all I ever did: play the drums and refine the craft of percussion—often up to 6 to 7 hours a day. Yes, I know I was a bit out of control, but my desire in life at that time was to become a professional drummer. I expected to be able to put bread and butter on the table by making a living playing the drums. That was my goal, desire, and ambition in life—not a bad goal to set, right? However, in the midst of searching for the meaning of life, I found myself looking everywhere for answers except to God. This time of my life was extremely empty and miserably. You might ask, “Why were you miserably?” You knew what you wanted to do with your life; what’s the big deal! The reason why I was miserable was because I had yet to discover the meaning and purpose of my existence here on earth. I didn’t know my Creator who created me from the very beginning, and I didn’t know what I was to do with my life. However, as soon as I surrendered my life to the Lord, another question arose, which I needed to answer: Lord is this Your plan for my life; is this what would most glorify Your kingdom and exalt the name of Jesus?

 Friend, did you know that God desires to use you in mighty ways to impact and advance the Kingdom of God? The Bible says that every single person was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), whether you believe in Jesus Christ or not. Furthermore, I would like to challenge us with the following statement: God wants to work in and through our lives to advance the Kingdom of God here and now on planet earth. What part am I to play? How do I fit into the “big picture” of the puzzle? We can get an idea of how to answer these questions by looking at the current condition and state of the church.

 One question that I have been wrestling with for quite some time is how some churches can thrive and attract people, and other churches die away. The sad reality is many more churches are closing their doors than churches opening their doors. American church statistics have reported that 3500-4000 churches close their doors each year.[1] Why is it that half of all churches last year did not add one member to their congregation through conversion growth? I’m not sure I have the answer to these questions, but I do believe I can present an antidote to the problem. The antidote can be found in Mark 10:43, which says: “...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” Churches that provide opportunities for people to serve are those that will flourish in the Kingdom; however, those whose desire is to cater to the comfort of the people and allow them to watch and live passive Christian lives are those that will die away. Churches that want to be great in the Kingdom will be the ones who truly demonstrate a heart of service to the people of God. In addition, churches that want to make the greatest impact in the Kingdom will be those who become a slave to all. This is also true in our individual lives as well. Those that desire to be the greatest in the Kingdom must serve. It is not an option; the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.

 Consequently, this leads me to ask another question, which happens to be the title of this article: What are you waiting for? Are you a Christian who likes to sit back and watch other people do the work of the Kingdom? Or, perhaps you have bought into the mindset that “doing the work of the Kingdom” is only for those who are ordained ministers in the church. Friend, being deceived into this mentality of thinking will not only hinder your own walk with the Lord, it will also hinder what the Lord wants to do in your life to expand His Kingdom, and to be God’s witnesses to all the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Our God is a mission-oriented God, and we have the remarkable opportunity to co-labor with the Creator to make a difference in our world. It is time to wake up, seize the day, and reach the lost for Jesus Christ.

 It is not so much what we want to do with our lives as it is answering the call to what God desires to do in and through our lives. We must no longer sit in the pew on Sunday mornings with the expectation to hear a crafty message and to go through the motions one more time. It is now time to get busy producing for the Kingdom! The Bible says that even Jesus, the Son of Man, did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Friend, if Jesus, the Son of the living God, was called to serve, you bet we are called to serve as well. May we be a people whose hope is in the Lord God Almighty, and whose desire is to turn everyday, ordinary seekers of truth into eternal producers for the glory of God!

So, again, I ask the question: What are you waiting for?

brian mcgee

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[1] George Barna, Twentysomethings: Struggle to Find Their Place in Christian Churches, http://www.barna.org.

Love in what? ...

 

‘Τεκνία μου, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ, ἀλλὰ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.’

“Children, do not love in word, neither with the tongue, but in action and truth.”

 

     – 1^st John 3:18

 

 

Is it possible for us to read this and separate loving only in word with not loving at all? 

Frequently, when this verse is mentioned it’s implications are only cursorily explored; “When we say we love our neighbors, but we don’t give them a hand with the groceries…”  “When we say we love our Christian brother or sister and we don’t confront them with the things we see in their lives…”  “When we say we love our spouse but we don’t put the toilet seat down even though we know they don’t like it…”  First of all, if I were your neighbor and you came over, picked up a grocery bag out of the trunk of my car and then began following me into my house, I wouldn’t think “love” was driving you to do it but “crazy.”  Secondly, confronting your fellow Christian IS a loving thing to do, but it’s simplistic and immature if it’s ALL that’s done.  In other words, without real depth of relationship experienced and proven through actions and shared time together, the words seem hollow, judgmental, pretentious and uncaring.  And, as far as the toilet seat analogy goes, come on!  Being husband and wife is much more than toilet seat positions and toothpaste in the sink.  The illustration is superficial at best, not coming close to penetrating to the heart of what John is talking about in his letter.  His message to the wife or husband would be something more like, “When you say this Tuesday is ‘date night,’ and then cancel it for gossip with the girls or games with the guys or work, you are NOT loving your spouse.”  Saying one thing and doing another is unloving, is not in line with God’s character and not a hallmark of His Kingdom.

 

...More to come.

 

    -SRD

 

 

 

"These Words" ~ Natasha Bedingfield

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=995O4irnepo&feature=channel

If church is putting you to sleep you should try Harvest!

 

Amazing Workers

"You have many workmen: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as men skilled in every kind of work in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the LORD be with you." 1 Chronicles 22:15-16

What an amazing God! He assembles the team, He gives the vision, He supplies the provision. Oh how wonderful it is to serve such a loving Master. Truly, "His yoke is easy, and His burden is light." Not so, when we are striving, doing our own thing and then asking God to bless it. Come under the yoke with Jesus today. Let Him take the lead and simply walk along side of Him. At Harvest Church Norfolk we are witnessing such an amazing assembly of people "skilled in every kind of work." It is a delight to watch!