Kidney Stone #6

I am here at home wondering why I feel like a Mac truck hit me? Then I remembered that I had a kidney stone yesterday. Well we think that's what it is - it hasn't "officially" arrived yet.

Then to top it off, Anneka got a high fever yesterday. Tylenol, Motrin and an ice cold shower (that didn't make her day) and we finally got it back down. God answered prayer on that one.

I was so tried last night I fell asleep in my recliner - and that's where I woke up this morning. I can't remember the last time I did that.

So how are we doing? Well every time I stand up the room starts spinning. So I sit and nap a lot. Anneka wakes up just to go to sleep. That's good for her.

Betty has been a Florence Nightingale through all of this. She is tired though.

So rest and plenty of liquids are the plan for today.



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Is Casey Anthony in Palm City?

Well, according to news reports, it is a distinct possibility. My answer to that is - so what?

Casey was tried and found not guilty last year in the death of her daughter. A jury of her peers simply couldn't convict her of the crime she was accused of. I found it interesting that after the fact, legal analysts all agreed that there was no way a jury could convict her - anyhow.

Casey was also tried in the court of public opinion. That one didn't go so well for her. With journalists dispensing biased opinions and the public coming to their own conclusions - Casey was found guilty by many people. So while she will not have to do time in prison - she will pay in public.

Now, if she has found refuge at a local church here in Palm City, that would be a story I would like to hear. What events took place that led her to this point? What connections were made? Why?

Some people may think that the church and it's leadership have lost its mind. I would have to suppose that those people also are convinced that she is guilty too. How could a church support such a bad person?

Let me help you out here.

For Christians, justice isn't something that we are to take into our hands. The Bible is clear that God gives governments the authority to rule. The State of Florida has ruled. Secondly, God says that in the end, everyone will be judged and that He will do it. In fact Jesus said it, don't judge other people. So what do Christians do? We do what Jesus would do.

We help people belong. Jesus accepted people on the bus with all of their nasty baggage - regardless.
- He connected to a tree hugging tax collector.
- A bunch of untouchable lepers.
- A woman snatched from an adulterous bed.
- And a host of other black sheep

Long before they believed - they belonged. When people know that they will not be rejected for their past, in other words - accepted - they are open to a new hope and future. Accepting people doesn't mean that we give them a license to keep doing what they have done. It simply means that we don't reject them.

Now I can hear people say, "How can you condone someone like that?" Like what? Someone accused of murder? In my years of pastoring I have known real murderers, thugs, rapists, child molesters, drug dealers and the like. They have never hurt the churches I pastored, threatened anyone or ever left me with the feeling that my church was in danger. But gossipers, backstabbers, criticizers, manipulators and little people on power trips have done more hurt than good many, many times over.

If Casey is here in Palm City and if she has taken refuge at a church (no it isn't the one I pastor) why don't you just leave it alone and let the church do what it does best. Love, accept and forgive. The State of Florida is done - The big name journalists are finished - let the church have a chance. I think that you will be surprised but the outcome.

Vision Part 2

Tomorrow is part 2 of FFWC vision for 2012. I am really excited about this part. Why? I always get stoked about God's power in your life. I heard a pastor one time talk about The God Factor. Do we factor God into the equation of our life. Career + God = What? Marriage + God = What? Get the picture. So if we take FFWC + God = what can we imagine.

Ephesians 3:20 - Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

What can we imagine tomorrow? Life Group at 9:30 a.m., Morning Worship at 10:30 a.m.

When Will It Rain Again? (It's about the recession)

No we're not in a drought.

But in the Old Testament we find that rain is a VERY important part of the Israelites daily life. So much so that they would worship false idols for it. They believed that rain would fall from heaven because of these false idols. Rain was as good as money. Because it was a agri society - no rain meant no crops. No crops meant no money. No money - BAD!

Let's fast forward a few thousand years. What do people worship today for money? Just like the Israelites, when times our tough we look to God for provision. But are we worshipping God or god.

Now here is where we can get messed up. The Israelites still worshipped the Lord God Jehovah while worshipping the other false idols. Here was their thinking. They worshipped the false idols for the rain and then worshipped God for everything else. See where I am going here? Do we do the same thing today? We come to church and ask God to help us - then Monday - Saturday what will we do to make a dollar.

Let's take it a little farther. Because this blog is rated PG (pretty good) I can't tell you how the Israelites worshipped their false idols. But the phrase "That's messed up!" could and would be used frequently. So when they were around the temple (church) they behaved like God wanted them to behave. But when they were around their idols (the rest of the week), well, "That's messed up!"

Are we one person in church and another in the world? Why? Can't we trust God to provide for ALL of our needs? Or do we feel that He needs a little help. If the person you are during the week isn't the same person who attends Sunday morning, then you are you serving - really? The Israelites didn't get it. They served a false god that didn't exist, there fore didn't answer their prayers for rain which in turn separated them from God who could really answer those prayers.

I wonder if Jesus ever looks down on us and says, "That's messed up!"

Churches Stealing Sheep

One of the things that REALLY bugs me about pastors and churches is sheep stealing. That's when a church moves into the area and "suddenly" they are running in the hundreds, sometimes thousands. How did they do that? They stole sheep.

Now don't get me wrong. Do I believe that God is birthing new churches everyday? - YES! I support it and encourage it. But here is where I start getting ticked off. How are you going to grow that church?

I hear new pastors tell me - "We're going to offer a SUPER kids ministry. An AWESOME youth ministry. A GREAT worship service." That's great, but why? Their answer is usually, "We're going to offer something better." This is where I get off this train. Better shouldn't be the goal. Why?

Churches who suddenly grow do so because they offer a "better" ministry or church. Then when people who are active in other churches see that this church is doing a "better" job than there church - "poof" - their gone!!

Why do I have a problem with this? Who decided that what the original church was doing was wrong? I can her you now, "Oh but Pastor Russ, it isn't that they were doing anything wrong, it just wasn't meeting there needs." Hmmm! Really? Who said so? If the church was being faithful to it's vision and mission - if the church was doing God's will in the lives of it's people - what could be better?

Better is a marketing strategy, not a Biblical principle. It's more important to do what's right, than what's better. If a person is at the right place at the right time doing the right thing for God, then who has the right to tell take them away from that. Now before you start sending me emails about "Oh, Pastor - we wouldn't do that." Then tell me why people who attend the "better" church target people from other churches? Why do they tell them, "Oh you don't want to attend that church - we are so much 'better'". Why do they run other church down in the community in order to make themselves look "better"?

Here's an idea. If you want to start a church. Determine that you are going to win the people who are have no relationship with Jesus - people who haven't found a church home - people who need help. Determine to be Jesus and not King David. If you don't understand that last statement then read 2 Sam 12.

Is doing your best a sin? No - never. But if your goal is to be "better" than everyone else in town - all you are doing is building your kingdom, not God's.

When prayer and fasting is tough

So we are praying and fasting is week! We want to see a move of God in our lives, our homes and in our church community. But why is it so hard?

Well first of all. The devil doesn't want you to do to it. It's that simple. Prayer and fasting empowers you - destroys his plans against you - make you the winner and him the loser. So he will attack where ever he can. In e last eight years my family has never been sick at the same time. What's even weirder - none of have the same thing. Hmmmmm.

Secondly, you don't want to do it. It requires sacrifice. I know, tough. But we don't like it. But sacrifice is still the one thing we need to embrace. We don't like discomfort - but there are more important things than being comfortable.

What will I gain out of this. Prayer and fasting has an incredible impact on the inner man. Why do you want to do this? Whatever God wants to do in your life - it's going to start there. Reread that last sentence. It all starts deep inside of you.

Pray and fast. Let God do something wonderful, terrific, exciting and life transforming in you today!

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Sunday Night Reflections

This morning was AWESOME!!

Breakfast was great! Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen. If we do that again, I think we might try to put a omelet station in.

Worship was really, really good.

We got some really good video of the service this morning. Will be posting some of it to our website soon.

Jesus made belonging first. This is important.

Family Matters!!

It's all about People!!! Somebody say AMEN!!

Prayer and Fasting WILL change this church!

2012 is going to be a great year to do great things for Jesus!!