It looks like to me that if you apply the idea of community far enough, it will eventually encompass everything and everybody in one form or another. How cool is that?

It’s REAL cool, I’d say….
There are many other ways to define community, but one of my favorites is this one -
“it’s who you do life with.”
So my question today is “who do YOU do life with ??”
Life is a lot more fun, rewarding and easier when you do it in community.

So here’s my challenge – as we begin this year 2012 if you’ve never been involved in real community, we here at Belmont want to invite YOU to consider walking out on the diving board and taking the leap! I can say with great certainty that you won’t regret it.
We’ll be offering more great ways to get connected, to get involved, and to find your place than ever before…there is something for everybody. Guaranteed.

Come bring your piece of life and join with us in all that community has to offer !

I dare you…….

Actually, I DOUBLE-DOG dare you…..

Come on in, the water is very fine !

EVERYTHING.
This is the greatest news of all time.

A different world now.
With real hope.
Real life.
Real joy.
Real love.
With all things made new.

As we enter this season, I pray you can and will take some time this season to rest, and refuel, and look beyond the ordinary to the extraordinary event we are all part of. And I urge you to take every opportunity to spread it near and far. Be an agent of joy and hope. Spread the Good News.

I wish each one of you the Merriest Christmas ever.
May we all remember the real story of Christmas, and may it fill us anew with joy, hope and peace.
God bless us every one.

Last weekend my wife asked if I could make a quick run to Wal-Mart for some diapers, wipes and a gallon of milk.

As it turns out I was at Wal-Mart at the wrong time. You know those times when you are guaranteed to stand in line a minimum of 20 minutes no matter what aisle you choose?

So there I was with my diapers, wipes, gallon of milk and my Twitter account. I spent the next quarter of an hour scrolling through and reading different articles and blogs about the world in which we live. Meanwhile swarms of people and life were moving peripherally all around me.

I paid for my diapers and now warm gallon of milk and as I walked out the door I felt the gentle prodding and questioning of the Lord…

 “Andy, what if I wanted you to pray for someone? What if someone was in need of simply seeing the returned look of kind eyes and a friendly smile? …Son, would you have known?”

We are all still Americans; we
are all still enjoying the benefits and opportunities and struggling with the difficulties
and problems that accompany trying to live out the Great American Adventure in
some form or other.  So I want to share
the following message from our first Commander-in-Chief, George Washington.

I suggest you read it slowly,
maybe more than once, ponder the message and remember who we are and what we
are called to be about. And may we all be truly grateful for all we have and
have received.

I pray that this Thanksgiving
Day will truly be a day of celebration and reflection for you and yours.

It is no accident that we are here, now. We were born for such a time as this.

George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Whereas it is the duty of all nations
to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful
for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas
both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend
to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to
be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of
Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to
establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November
next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great
and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that
is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our
sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of
this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold
mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and
conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and
plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in
which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our
safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted
for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we
have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the
great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and
supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon
our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or
private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and
punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by
constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws,
discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all
sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to
bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge
and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among
them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal
prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

George Washington

To this day, I still love the feel of an ice cold wind blowing across my face. And when given the chance here in Tennessee I always take the opportunity to go out for a walk on those cold blustery days. I don’t perhaps use my childhood imagination on these occasions but I do take a moment to remember them. I also take a moment to thank the Lord that He has always kept me warm. He has always kept me fed. He has always given me a home.

Nowadays on my wintery walks I take my young sons with me. I watch with a certain joy as their little cheeks turn red and their eyes squint against the frigid winds. I wonder to myself what they might be thinking or imagining as their old man marches them through the wintery sleet.

Now, all three of my sons were born here in the South. My wife is proud that they are like their Mama, Southern born and bred, and the truth be told, they don’t hold the same natural affinity for those wintery days as I do. Sure, they like being out with Dad, but not for too long mind you. They can take an hour of cold but that’s about it. So when we return from our wintery walks and we can see the warmth of our front porch light I take the time to remind them; isn’t it good to have a home? Isn’t it good to be warm? Isn’t it good to have some marshmallows in our cocoa…

For the most part, I love being a dad. If you’re a parent, you understand that statement. My boys are old enough now that I can begin to share with them and explain Kingdom principles that are integral to how we choose to live as a family. Being that they are still ‘youngish’, my wife and I have ample opportunity to review and demonstrate the concept of sharing and giving quite often. When a baby learns the word ‘mine’ it’s a word that isn’t easily let go of.

My family is like most I know, we have to stretch a dollar, we don’t live beyond our means, we honestly don’t have excess, but still…we don’t go without the necessities, so it’s safe to say that we have plenty.

What I hope my boys walk away with is that you don’t have to be secured in a place of abundance in order to be secure out of giving from what you have.

In my travels the most hospitable and giving people I’ve ever encountered have been people with the least…who gave from what they had…and mind you, they gave joyfully. Whether it was a meal, a bed or time…it was the attitude of giving that was and continues to be so humbling to me.

Jesus keeps these thoughts pretty plain and simple for us doesn’t He? “If you have two coats and your neighbor has none…” Well hopefully you can figure out the rest.

So, where does all this lead and why is this blog titled, “What’s Hiding in Your Closet?”

Today I was the Belmont POC. (Pastor on Call) At 9am I had my first call. He was a gentleman from the street. Very friendly, polite, he was my age. His need was simple. It’s turning cold outside. He isn’t always guaranteed a spot with Room in the Inn and he needed a coat. A winter coat. Something to keep him warm. There is no warmth of a front porch light currently waiting for him as he turns the corner.

I hadn’t been in the pantry for a few weeks so I didn’t really know what was available.

What wasn’t available was a winter coat of any kind regardless of size. I was able to find a large windbreaker and some sweaters, but a winter coat would have been nice.

It’s that time of year. Folks will be coming in now most every day looking for simple needs: warm coats and blankets.

So tonight I’m going to go home, and I will use the opportunity to tell my boys who I met today. I’ll tell them this story and we’re going to talk a little bit more about giving and sharing around the dinner table tonight. However, Kingdom stories are intended to be followed with action, so we’re going to apply it.

Now, I don’t put a whole lot of hangars to use in my closet…but maybe I’ve got an extra coat hiding in there somewhere that I can bring to the Isaiah 58 pantry… maybe you do too…

What’s hiding in your closet?

~peace.

“Oh yes…I need to call that guy and set up an appointment….and I need to move some money over to checking so the house note won’t be late …and I need to put up the weather stripping on the old windows…” I try to get this all under control and get back to sleep, but after lying there for a few minutes the next wave comes…” Oh man, I forgot about that prescription, it’s $ 160.00 a month AFTER my insurance and I just can’t afford that … the stock market is falling AGAIN…oh yeah and I think that guy is mad at me and how do I need to handle that ??…” ….sound familiar?

I really hope not. Truly I do.

But there’s no question that fear, real gut wrenching, stomach churning, sleep missing, hand wringing fear seems to be in no short supply in these times we are living in. It permeates much of life – our jobs, the economy, our finances, our health, the global mess we see every night on the news.

I think sometimes that we live in the most tumultuous times ever. But then I think about all the terrible times throughout history – plagues, diseases:  smallpox, typhoid, influenza, cholera, and influenza, so many others. The great financial breakdowns, the terrible natural disasters, the great wars and conflicts, famines, so many hardand awful things and events.

And then I think about when Jesus lived, and how those times were, living in a land occupied by a foreign army, poverty, disease, people possessed by demons. Yet Jesus was never overcome by all that. He kept reminding us that we could have peace in the storm,  that we could have a different peace than the world offers:

            John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives
do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the
world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

So WHY am I so afraid?? Why am I feeling all this fear?

I have decided that all this fear is ultimately tied to my unbelief…the unbelief that would undermine my whole life if I let it. It’s the fear that God is NOT who he says He is, and that He won’t do what He says He will. That in the end I can’t trust Him, that He will let me fall. He sees the sparrow but He doesn’t see me…or doesn’t want to.

Or worst of all, God may demand something from me I don’t want to give….my life, my money, my comfort, my security. Or maybe some SUFFERING…I don’t seem to be into suffering very much these days…

So… what am I trying to say here ??

I’m saying that there has always been, and will always be trouble in this world. Jesus warned us about that.

Thus I have gone back to my original deal with God, the one I made with Him when I got saved, when I said I wanted to follow Him and for Him to do what He wanted in my life., and we’ll see how that goes. Obviously, at the time I wasn’t even sure what that meant. Well, I know now. And the deal still stands. He is God, and I am not, and that’s how we’ll proceed. Let’s go back to where all this began.

And I am making up my mind that I’m going to stand up to all this fear, wherever it comes from, and keep moving, keep following Him, keep pressing to see His Kingdom come, not mine. I’m good with that.

I invite you to join me, to remember your deal….it’s probably a lot like mine. In fact, I suspect there’s only one deal. But it’s the right one. And here are some of the reminders that I need; we all need to stand, to push back, and to remember who He is and consequently, who WE are.

To  quote my friend Gordon, “Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior is strong, and weak in no way.” He was, is , and will always be the Rock.
So I have climbed back up on the Rock. It’s better up here. A lot better. Come join me, there’s room for us all.

Psalm 27:3
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

Psalm 91:5
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.

Isaiah 35:4
Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.”

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Romans 8:15
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

You can’t talk about Camp Widjiwagan without mentioning the two, count em’ – TWO 100 foot waterslides. These are not just huge fun, as you careen down them at speeds exceeding 70 miles per hour (o.k., I made that up) but hey, it FEELS like 70 miles an hour as your tear down the slide toward your crash landing into the lake. But the slides offer more than this – they offer folks the opportunity to challenge your friends to RACE down, to compete in an Olympic – style event where there can be only one winner. I was indeed challenged to a vicious, no quarter given race by Dara Bacon (me – “may I ask why you are challenging me – just curious? “ Dara – “yes – I’ve already beaten everyone in our small group, and you’re next”.) And, world –class sportsman that I am, I can admit that she beat me, though it was unbelievably close. But the loss has made me re-think my theory that a larger mass + gravity will produce greater speed than a slimmer, sleeker, more athletic profile….and I am investigating some claims which have emerged that she may have jumped the start a little early, which would result in a default win for me…stay tuned for the results…

I also want to give props to the Mercante family, Tony, Michele, and their sons, Michael, 10 and Nicholas, 7. As a result of an innocent squirt gun incident some years ago (involving the boys primarily, but maybe mom and dad too, now that I think about it) the boys, Michael & Nicholas, now show up at the Blast each year loaded up with the state of the art technology in water guns and water – based weapons of mass destruction. The Mercante’s snuck up on me while Jim Davis and I were helping with parking as people arrived. As I walked off one of the lots I turned to see a 10 and 7 year old waiting for me, with strange weapons of watery destruction, the likes of which I had never seen before. As they quietly approached, I also realized that my own water gun (a formidable weapon in its own right) was out of water. I was in a rough spot. I held up my weapon, and told them I was out of water, and that they had me… and they did. But then their parents, Tony and Michele came up and saw the deal.. Tony stopped the boys, said “it’s not right to shoot an unarmed man” and in an act of fair play I do not ever expect to see again, opened up the cooler he was carrying and proceeded to help me RE-LOAD my water gun. It was unbelievable. Then Tony stepped away and the battle began. And A 7 & 10 year-old unleashed their futuristic weapons and proceeded to soak me as I have never been soaked before. I emptied my water gun on the boys, but they pressed on. I was no match for them. I congratulated them (and their parents) for the clear and overwhelming victory. I told them, and I tell everyone reading this, that these are NOBLE and HONORABLE people, and I honor them and their victory. So if you have never been to the Belmont Blast, you have no idea of what you are missing. All of this and more awaits you if you will come join us. And yes, I took some tough hits, and suffered some losses. But I am strong, and I will recover, in time.

I will survive.

And I can’t wait until next year.

Later, Leviticus 9 records the fire of God falling from heaven, consuming the sacrifice and the people responding in worship. This was the origin of the fire that was to be kept burning continuously. The fire was not started by Moses or Aaron. Its genesis was not of human hands. The fire came straight out of heaven from the Presence of the Lord. Its beginning was heavenly… divine.

Spiritual… and physical… at the same time.

Imagine now, how radically important it would be for the priests, in fact for the entire community of Israel, to keep this fire burning. If storms or neglect were to snuff out this fire what would that mean? Could they just light another fire? Would God simply send more fire?

As I spend time in the prayer room here in Kansas City I understand that I am tending a fire that is on the altar of my life. This fire originated from heaven. It is the Spirit and He lives in my physical body. I am commanded to tend His presence in my life… daily. I think too often I (we?) look for the extraordinary, supernatural event akin to fire falling from heaven. Now, I believe in those times, events, and supernatural God moments. I cherish those times and even pray for them. However, the encouragement of Scripture is to keep the fire burning continuously and not let it go out. In the NT, Paul tells Timothy to fan into flame… (2 Timothy 1:6). The emphasis is on cultivating the Presence of the Spirit (fire) in our lives on a daily basis.

Daily.

Protecting it during storms.

Being mindful of it during the stress of life.

The Presence of God in our lives needs to be cultivated continually.

Have the storms of life threatened to turn the blazing fire of God into a smoldering ember? Have we neglected our daily relationship with the Spirit of Jesus for other “important” things?

I pray grace upon each one of us to remain in Him, tend the fire and be consumed by it.

What attracts me to this place is not what I can see with my natural eyes. It is what is going on in the unseen realm. I envision that if I could see the unseen in this prayer room, it would be akin to the day of Pentecost and the tongues of fire that were consuming each of those in the Upper Room.

Fire.

That is what draws me.

To be consumed by the Holy Spirit and His fire.

These young people are laser focused. They are burning ones.

In my heart I am resolute. I don’t intend on standing on the sidelines and watching them be consumed with zeal. I am crying out to God for fire. Fire that is fresh. Consuming. White hot. Nothing short will satisfy me.

Cry out with me for fresh fire. Divine encounters. Pure love revealed. Age, personality and ethnicity doesn’t matter. The Spirit is free and available for all of us. Jesus came to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire (cf. Matt. 3:11).

May the God of all grace consume each of us with the Spirit of Jesus.