reverb

Needy

 NEEDY. Most of us don't want to be considered as needy. You may not see me as needy, but I am. I need the wisdom of God every day. I need the grace of God more than ever. Over the past number of weeks I've needed prayer and healing. I need the power of the Holy Spirit and people around me who are gifted in ways that I'm not to do what God has called us to do! I could go on and on. The point is, it's not all bad to be needy. In fact, listen to what Jesus said to the church in Laodicea...  
 
REV. 3:17 (NIV) You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
 
We were designed to have need. It creates a dependence on God. There's something about being "needy" that opens the door in your life for a miracle! What's the point of faith if you have no needs? Faith is all about trusting God to come through for you!
 
When he does, it will strengthen your faith and create even more need. That's what the blessing of God does. Think about it...if God blesses you with children, you suddenly have needs you didn't have before...baby clothes, diapers, etc.
 
Therefore, admit your need...embrace your need and trust God to meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (PHIL. 4:19).  It's not all bad to be in need!

Family

The mention of "family" rings with sounds of pain for some and peace for others. The longer I live, the more I realize how good God has been to me in this arena. I look back on my years "growing up" with fond memories...except a few of the teen years due to my own choosing!
 
We love being together with our "growing" family. In fact, we were together four nights last week...because we wanted to be!
 
You don't have to read very far into your Bible to see that family is a big deal to God. The further you read, the more obvious it becomes. We were made for family! That's one reason it's so painful when families fall apart.
 
The good news for all of us is this...God has chosen us to be a part of His family! Maybe you haven't had such a great family experience...or have even felt rejected or left out.
 
PS.27:10 (NLT) Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.
 
If you've been "abandoned" in some way by your biological family, welcome to God's family! I pray that Crossroads is a place of healing and recovery for those who have been wounded. I also pray that your whole family becomes a part of God's family...that's family at it's best! (ACTS 16:31-34)
 
ACTS 16:34b (NIV) ...he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God--he and his whole family.  

Invite your "family" to come with you to the campus of your choice as we learn about honor in the home over the next couple of weeks...you never know what God may do!

Family

The mention of "family" rings with sounds of pain for some and peace for others. The longer I live, the more I realize how good God has been to me in this arena. I look back on my years "growing up" with fond memories...except a few of the teen years due to my own choosing!
 
We love being together with our "growing" family. In fact, we were together four nights last week...because we wanted to be!
 
You don't have to read very far into your Bible to see that family is a big deal to God. The further you read, the more obvious it becomes. We were made for family! That's one reason it's so painful when families fall apart.
 
The good news for all of us is this...God has chosen us to be a part of His family! Maybe you haven't had such a great family experience...or have even felt rejected or left out.
 
PS.27:10 (NLT) Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.
 
If you've been "abandoned" in some way by your biological family, welcome to God's family! I pray that Crossroads is a place of healing and recovery for those who have been wounded. I also pray that your whole family becomes a part of God's family...that's family at it's best! (ACTS 16:31-34)
 
ACTS 16:34b (NIV) ...he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God--he and his whole family.  

Invite your "family" to come with you to the campus of your choice as we learn about honor in the home over the next couple of weeks...you never know what God may do!

The Big Mo...

THE BIG MO...Did you watch the Super Bowl this past Sunday? If not, you missed a great game...and a few good commercials. What made it a great game? The "stars" showed up, records were broken, it wasn't a run-a-way win and to top it off, there were a number of momentum shifts. That's what John Maxwell would call the law of the Big Mo at work.
 
When you have momentum, you don't worry about small problems and many larger ones seem to work themselves out. However, when you don't have momentum, even the simplest tasks seem impossible and small problems look like insurmountable obstacles.
 
To further quote John, "An organization with no momentum is like a train at a dead stop. It's hard to get going, and even small wooden blocks on the track can keep it from going anywhere. On the other hand, when you have momentum on your side, the future looks bright, obstacles appear small, and troubles seem inconsequential. An organization with momentum is like a train that's moving at 60 mph...you could build a steel-reinforced concrete wall across the tracks, and the train would plow right through it."

By God's grace, we're experiencing some momentum right now as a church, at all of our campuses. Let's not miss this wave of God's activity. Don't let up in your passionate pursuit of God and His best for you. Keep praying bold prayers. Continue to believe God for the impossible. Reach out in love to those who are near you and far from God. Honor everyone and invite someone to join you at your campus this weekend. Like a championship team, let's allow the Big Mo to work for us!
 

Amazing

AMAZING. I find myself using this word quite frequently. It's a great word and so easy to throw at something significant when I'm not sure what else to say about it. In Scripture, the word amazing is almost always used in reference to the extraordinary activity of God. For example...

PS. 111:2 (NLT) How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them.   
 
PS. 126:2-3 (NLT) We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, "What amazing things the Lord has done for them." Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!

In keeping with that theme and flow, Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." (JOSH. 3:5) This is our theme verse for this year's 21 days of prayer and fasting...January 10-31.
 
God really has done some amazing things among us in the past year...a new campus in Morrison, IL, a new facility for our White Pines Campus and the first ever 24-7 Christian radio station in Tanzania!
 
There is so much to be thankful for and celebrate as one year comes to a close and another commences. I believe what God desires to do in 2010 will be so "amazing" that it will cause years past to pale in comparison! I also know that it won't happen without our cooperation.
 
There's another key word and big idea in Joshua 3:5..."consecrate yourselves". More on that next week. This week, let's give thanks to God for His "amazing" work among us in 2009 and for allowing us to be a part of it. Rejoice!!

Gifts and Giving

Gifts and Giving...2009 has been an incredible year of growth and expansion...a new campus in Morrison, a new facility for our WP Campus and the first ever Christian radio station in Tanzania! Thank you for your commitment to the vision God has set before us and your generous giving to see it realized. In the midst of a challenging economic climate, God has continued to provide and He is doing it through you...so thank you!

I believe 2010 is going to be so "amazing" that it will cause years past to pale in comparison! (More on that next week) As we continue to share God's message of hope with those who are far from Him, I want to invite you to prayerfully consider a year end gift above and beyond the tithe that will be put toward the following initiatives...

Campus Development...We will be launching another campus in 2010

Compassion (serving the under-resourced)...Tanzania Partnership

Capital Investment...equipment and real estate

Your giving toward these initiatives will last long after the cookies are gone and the decorations are packed away! God can use your gift-however big or small-to accomplish more than you could ever ask or imagine. (EPH. 3:20) What if all of us gave a year end gift equivalent to what we spent on Christmas gifts this year?  My prayer for you and your family...

May the Lord cause all grace to abound toward you, so that at all times, you'll have all that you need for every good work. May you be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 COR. 9:8,11)

Immanuel

IMMANUEL. I love that name for Jesus in light of all it represents...specifically, the context in which God revealed Himself as Immanuel and in turn, the practical implications it has in my life as a follower of Christ.
 
I find it interesting that the term or name Immanuel only appears three times in the entire Bible in light of its significance. One of them is in Matthew's account of the "Christmas" story....
Matthew 1:23 (NIV) "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

To really appreciate what Matthew intended to communicate by using the name Immanuel, we have to go back to the original prophecy. We'll do that this weekend as we continue our series Christmas Classics with the song, "O Come, O Come Immanuel".
 
The good news is this...because of Christmas, you don't have to go through life alone. Imagine how different our lives would be if we all lived in light of the fact that God is with us?!

Singing

SINGING. I know, I know...you're thinking, "Why are you talking about singing?" Hear me out on this one. Whenever Jesus enters the scene, there's a reason to sing! Re-read the Christmas story and you'll see that singing and rejoicing surrounded the very first Christmas. (LUKE 2)
 
We sing because we serve a God who makes us joyful and gives us a reason to sing. King David wrote most of the Psalms declaring his joy to God. He sang because he had a song.

God loves it when we sing to Him! There's another reason why we should sing. What's that? Singing changes us. Singing isn't just a declaration of joy...singing has the power to make us joyful! So when should we sing?
 
PHIL.4:4 (NIV) Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
 
Does it seem strange to you that a man in prison would be telling those who are not in prison to keep on rejoicing? Our inner attitudes do not need to reflect our outward circumstances. Let me say it this way...It's a choice to rejoice!
 
"Joy to the world. The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room. Let Heaven and nature sing!"

Because of Jesus, we have reason to sing! Sing because He's given you a song. Sing when you don't feel like it and He'll give you a song. Join us at one of our campuses this weekend with a song in your heart. I'll be there making a joyful noise!

Classics

CLASSICS. Some of you love the holidays, while others of you loathe them. Why? For some of you the holidays are filled with great memories and family traditions. For others of you, it's that time of year when the pain of loneliness and loss is intensified.
 
Whatever direction you tend toward, one place we find common ground is in the music of Christmas. Many of the traditional carols are filled with a message of hope and life. Thus the attraction to and love for the classics. They sing of something that we're all looking for...something our souls long for...joy, peace...a time when all oppression shall cease and we can sleep in heavenly peace!
 
I'm confident that this series is going to meet all of us right where we're living. What's true for you and I is true for your family and friends as well...looking for joy and peace in the midst of the added chaos and stress that accompanies this time of year. Therefore, I want to encourage you to take advantage of this "easy invite" series and invite someone to join you at whatever campus you attend.
 
I'm already praying for them to respond favorably to your invitation. By the way, if you bring a friend, you have permission to peak when the opportunity for response is offered. Both of you will never be the same!

Testify

TESTIFY. I was so inspired today! How's that? I met with a gentleman (dude) who the day before asked if he could have 15 minutes of my time because he had a simple question. When we met, he just had to tell me about an experience he had the night before...he couldn't turn off the tears as he was overcome by God's goodness and the realization of all that God has done just for him!
 
After sharing a list that he had written out, he asked, "Am I crazy?" My reply, "No! You're experiencing what we've been talking about in our current series 'MOVE'...God's Spirit is moving in your life in a powerful way!"

As I was relaying the story to Julie, I said, "We have to capture this on video...it's powerful, compelling and refreshing!"

I know he's not the only one. God is moving in many of your lives. You too need to testify (to testify means to bear witness to, to declare publicly or to make known). Testifying to others what God has done and/or is doing is a by-product of being filled with the Spirit...
 
Acts 1:8 (NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses..."
 
Go for it! Be a witness! Tell somebody. Send me an email. I'll celebrate with you! Not only are others inspired when we testify, but the devil is defeated! Rev 12:11 says that they defeated him (the devil) by the blood of the lamb AND by their testimony!