“NIMBY…”

July 24, 2011

Radical:

“NIMBY…”

Matthew 10:5-6

The term “Mission”, as defined by Webster, means: “the act or an instance of sending.” Webster further defines mission as: “An important assignment carried out for political, religious, or commercial purposes, typically involving travel.” Spreading the life changing Message of Jesus Christ is something we have all been called to do. In Matthew 28, Christ gives us the great commission, “…go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt 28:19) Often, we see the term ‘nations’ and apply a geographical component so that in order to heed the great commission, we must travel outside our borders and share the Good News. That is absolutely true. But the term ‘nations’ actually means ‘people’. And we don’t have to travel to other countries to share the life changing Message of Jesus Christ . We should be living it out in our daily lives and sharing it  with the people in our own country, communities, and neighborhoods.

Missions is something we see as a trip abroad, building churches, shelters, homes, etc… for people of other countries. While that is true, it also means to share the Message of Christ (be missionaries) to those in our own communities. In Matthew 10:5-6, Jesus told His disciples, “…Don’t begin by traveling to some far off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try and be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood.” (MSG). We don’t have to look abroad to see people who are lost, hurting, and in need of a Savior. They live on our street.

Challenge: Actively witnessing to those in our own communities and neighborhoods through our conversations, but more importantly, the way we live our lives is a difficult proposition and one many shy away from. It often seems we take the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) mindset. Hey, it’s a radical undertaking because it means we must be a living testimony, a daily-living testimony, for Christ. It is easier to go abroad because to people we have never met or will likely never meet again, we can be exactly who we want them to see us as being…which is usually who we truly are. The challenge this week, and every week, is to be the person God created and look for opportunities to be a missionary at home. Because whether you believe it or not, to those you live around and interact with, you already are.

Prayer: Lord, You are sovereign. I thank You for Your grace, Your blessings, Your love, and Your forgiveness. I know You have called me to be a living testimony for You and to share Your love and message of salvation with others. I also know that means share it with people at home as well as abroad. Please help me be the witness You have created and called me to be. In my own strength, I know I fall short. Lord, please be my strength, live through me, and use me to spread Your love and life changing message.  In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

For more about getting involved or supporting Servant Warrior Ministries, visit www.servantwarriorministries.org.   

“Side B…”

July 17, 2011

Real:

“Side B…”

1 Peter 1:6-9

It hasn’t been that long ago that we listened to music on records or albums, the vinyl type that was played on a record player. I can still hear the 33 played at 78…chipmunks! Those old enough to remember are laughing in nostalgia. We can now get individual songs electronically. Back then, there were smaller, vinyl, records that had an A side and a B side. The A side was the hit song and the B side was another song from the artist’s album and usually not slated to be promoted as a ‘hit single’. It was simply a song to fill the back side of a record. In the life of a new believer in Christ, the A side of the record is this awesome, incredible, eternal new life with Christ and the decision for Him to be their Lord and Savior. The B side, however, is equally as awesome but a bit scary, painful, and not for the marketing posters. When someone accepts Christ into their hearts, their life is changed forever. That decision also propels them right into the middle of an all out war…against them. New Christians, and even older Christians seeking to get closer to the Lord, pose a threat to the devil. And he will do everything he can, as quickly as possible, to stop this life direction and choice. That means he will come with everything he has, from all sides and sources. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us “…the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” And, to use an analogy from the jungle, a baby antelope, or one that is wounded, is much easier prey than one that is older, faster, and/or experienced….and a part of a larger group.

Challenge: As Christians, we need to reach out to, take responsibility for, and be real with people seeking a new life in Christ. They need to know that a decision to accept Christ as the Lord of their life is the greatest decision they will ever make and one that will radically change their life forever. It is one that will bring them into direct and eternal fellowship with the all powerful and sovereign Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Great I Am, the Beginning and the End. They also need to know it is a decision that will bring about an all out spiritual attack intended to stop that ‘life’ before it gets started. They need to know, and we need to remember, that the devil loses (Revelation 20:10), earthly troubles have benefit (1 Peter 1:6-9), Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33), and that believers are heirs to the throne of Glory (Galatians 4:7) and will live forever (1 John 2:17).

Prayer: Lord, You are sovereign. I thank You for Your grace, Your blessings, Your love, and Your forgiveness. Thank you that I am new creation in You and that You are my very present help in times of need. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, beaten down, and discouraged by earthly troubles and the attacks of the devil. Lord, please be my strength as I want to live my life for you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

For more about getting involved or supporting Servant Warrior Ministries, visit www.servantwarriorministries.org.   

Detour Ahead

July 10, 2011

Relevant:

Detour Ahead…

Proverbs 14:2

Let’s set it up:  Above you is a sky so bright that it hurts your eyes. The temperature is about 80 degrees. The car, or motorcycle, is washed, waxed, and loaded with essentials for a ride. You drop the top and/or windows, and off you go. There is nothing but open road, fresh air, and…well, you get the picture. All of a sudden, you see brake lights up ahead…and they are not moving. As you get a little closer you see a flashing light and an orange sign that says “Detour Ahead”. Man, oh man. Just when I thought everything was going great, this happens. Sound familiar? By the way, I was referring to your life. Or how about this? You are driving…same blue sky, same fresh air, same shiny machine, and you come to a fork in the road. It’s decision time. What makes you take one way or the other? Past experience?  Knowledge of one road or the other or where they end up? Knowing what you will experience or come across if you go one way? Not sure what will happen if you take the other way?

On the road, you never know what you are going to experience and you never know when you will have to take a detour or come to a fork. Sometimes God gives us forks, where we are given the opportunity to choose a direction. One way is the direction that will take us toward Him, another way takes us away from Him, and another takes us back home. Other times, He will drop a detour in our path where we lose a directional option leaving us to go either forward in the direction He has determined or back to where we were.

Challenge: Think about some of the detours and forks you have come upon in your life. Each one impacts us differently and causes us to go in one direction or another. Depending on the severity of an event, occurrence, situation, decision, it is often times very difficult to take the road that takes us close to God. If something has happened that really turned your life upside, or that hurt you significantly, or created a circumstance that is very painful or one that if you ever revisit again it will be too soon, choosing to go in a direction that we know will inevitably bring us face to face with whatever it is that caused the course change is, in many people’s eyes, on the side of being a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic. God says different. In His word, God speaks through the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans and tells us that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” (Rom 8:37 NIV) Paul goes on to say that “neither death nor life, neither angels or 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.” (Rom 8:38-39 NIV). Christ told us in the book of John, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV).

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your grace, Your love, and Your forgiveness. I am grateful for Your sovereignty, Your guidance, and for the fact that nothing ever happens to me that has not already passed through Your hands. So often, the road I find myself on is dictated by circumstances beyond my control.  Other times, it is all my doing. Lord, as my life changes direction, I pray that You will take over the driving as well as navigational responsibilities. Please give me the strength to relinquish my grip on the wheel. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

For more about getting involved and supporting Servant Warrior Ministries, visit www.servantwarriorministries.org.   

“Freedom’s Cost”

July 3, 2011

Relentless:

Freedom’s Cost

Galatians 5:1

This week, week of July 4^th, we celebrate our nation’s freedom. Unlike the Founding Fathers and patriots of the early colonies, we do not live under the tyrannical rule of an evil king. We do, however, live in a world ruled by one who, by the way is as real as King George III, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8), who lies and deceives (John 8:44), and who would like nothing more than for us to remain chained to the sins and destructive ways that keep us from experiencing the freedom that comes with God’s grace and love. There is absolute freedom in the grace given to us through Christ…but the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23).

We thank our Lord Jesus Christ for crushing the chains that have held us captive. We thank Him for setting us free from sin through His shed blood. (Rev 1:5) His death, burial, and resurrection have given eternal life to and made the crimson stain of sin as white as snow for those who call on Him and ask Him into their heart as their Lord and Savior. He has given us ultimate freedom through His unconditional love and grace. We bring everything to Him at the foot of the cross…and walk in victory and in freedom through the redemptive power of Almighty God. Amen.

Challenge:  The battles men face on a daily basis and the chains of pride, fear, lust, arrogance, failure, idolatry, and others that men struggle to free themselves from are no different today than they were in the beginning. However, we are reminded of Christ’s sacrifice and that He “…has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.” (Galatians 5:1, MSG) The plight for freedom throughout history resonates through the words of Scripture, through patriots, and warriors, and is a battle cry for the men of today.

Prayer: Lord, Your word tells us “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37, NIV) We know that the fight for freedom has ultimately been won. We march today under that great banner of victory, washed by the blood, armed with the Word, dressed in the armor of righteousness, believing and thanking You for what You are going to do. We pray that we will recognize who the enemy is and claim victory as we are ready to face every challenge by Your causative and overcoming power. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

“Freedom Secured”

Hello, all. I can’t believe it is July already. The year has certainly flown by. Since we are here, we might as well celebrate our freedom. We thank our Lord Jesus Christ for crushing the chains that have held us captive. We thank Him for setting us free from sin through His shed blood. (Rev 1:5) His death, burial, and resurrection have given eternal life to and made the crimson stain of sin as white as snow for those who call on Him and ask Him into their heart as their Lord and Savior. He has given us ultimate freedom through His unconditional love and grace. We bring everything to Him at the foot of the cross…and walk in victory and in freedom through the redemptive power of Almighty God. Amen. Now that is an Independence Day message!

I’m sorry. You thought I was talking about our nation’s freedom and the celebration that comes every year on July 4^th, didn’t you? We certainly cannot forget that. Nor can we forget those who, throughout our nation’s history, sacrificed, some ultimately, to ensure the freedom we enjoy today as citizens of the greatest country on the face of the earth. The fire, the passion, the power of God that inspired and empowered early warriors…radicals…patriots…who went against the establishment and the chains of tyranny, who held firm to their faith in Almighty God and the belief that all are created equal, and who risked everything to live and to worship as free men, is alive and well. The fuel that has propelled men, heroes from all walks and abilities, throughout history is ready to be ignited in the men of today.

 Unlike the Founding Fathers and patriots of the early colonies, we do not live under the  tyrannical rule of an evil king. We do, however, live in a world ruled by one who, by the way is as  real as King George III, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8), who lies and deceives (John 8:44), and who would like nothing more than for us to remain chained to the sins and destructive ways that keep us from experiencing the freedom that comes with God’s grace and love. “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” — Patrick Henry. There is absolute freedom in the grace given to us through Christ…and the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)

The battles men face on a daily basis and the chains of pride, fear, lust, arrogance, failure, idolatry, and others that men struggle to free themselves from are no different today than they were in the beginning. However, we are reminded of Christ’s sacrifice and that He “…has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.” (Galatians 5:1, MSG) The plight for freedom throughout history resonates through the words of Scripture, through patriots, and warriors, and is a battle cry for the men of today.

“They tell us Sir, that we are weak — unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed…? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature has placed in our power.” — Patrick Henry

The Truth tells us “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37, NIV) We know that the fight for freedom has ultimately been won. We march today under that great banner of victory, washed by the blood, armed with the Word, dressed in the armor of righteousness, believing and thanking Christ for what He is going to do. We pray that we will recognize who the enemy is and claim victory as we are ready to face every challenge by Your causative and overcoming power. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Until next month…Keep it real…Keep it vertical…and Armor Up!

Jeff Searcy is a highly energized & radical servant of the Almighty, husband, dad, founder of Servant Warrior Ministries, executive, strategist, speaker, & average golfer. For more information visit www.jeffsearcy.net and www.servantwarriorministries.org.

The above article is from the July 2011 Power Source Magazine and can be found at www.powersourcemagazine.com.