The city is crying!  Can you hear its cry and sense its pain.  We are living in a broken world where people are nothing more than a toy of the enemy as Satan reaps havoc in their lives.  ‘We the church’ are to be the ‘Salt’ and ‘Light’ that rescue these people from the deep pit that they are finding themselves in.  Take a moment and stop to listen for the prayers of little kids that are praying for God to help their mom and dad to love each other again; or the single parent praying that God will help them with the stress of life.  These stories along with many others are very common in our city.  They may be your neighbors, or those who you are working with, and even those who are in your family.   You have the answer!  What will you do with it?  This morning I would like to challenge you to hear the cries of our city.  One day you and I will give an account for its souls.

Memorial Day

It is very easy to become comfortable under the blanket of security and freedom for which we live under. We often forget the great price that has been paid and is being paid to provide it for our lives.  We like busy little ants run here and there accomplishing all our little tasks consumed by the stress of climbing our individual corporate ladders.  In attempt to gain a spot in history or to leave a legacy that might somehow prove to ourselves and those around us that we are successful.  The whole time, there are men and women who have laid down their dreams, their legacy's, and their futures in order for us to even have the freedom to choose our paths.  This weekend take the time to STOP!  Take the time to acknowledge the sacrifice of so many heroes that we may never know by name but their blood was shed to give us freedom.  To every soldier that paid the ultimate price for this country, we want to say thank you for giving your life to give us freedom.

The Greatest Treasure

Many years ago in the country of Israel there was a man, a traveler of sorts, which was making his way up to Jerusalem.  As he was walking he discovered a shortcut that would take him through a farmer’s field and would save him quite a bit of time.  Knowing that it was custom for farmers to allow travelers to use their field for travel he quickly shifted his direction through the field.  As he walked through the field he tripped on something that was protruding out of the dirt.  So he went back and discovered that it was not a rock, a stick, or a clump of dirt. Rather it was the corner of an old wooden box.  So he quickly began to dig as fast as he could to find out what this box could be.  When he finally got the box loose from the ground he quickly opened it to see what was inside.  Sure enough it was just what he thought and more. It was a great treasure that must have been buried there years before.  He could not believe what he had found.  However, what was he to do because he did not own the field and it would take everything he had and more to purchase it.  So he buried the box back into the ground, marking it with his special code.  He then went away jumping and rejoicing about what he had found.  After a short time he was able to sell everything he had in order to get the amount of money he needed to buy this field.  Soon after purchasing the field and with great joy he went to claim the treasure he had found.

Jesus used this story to tell us how valuable the treasure of Salvation and the Kingdom of God is for our lives.  Many of us have discovered the grand value of the Trinity (Jesus, God, and Holy Spirit) in our life.  Once we discovered it we gave away our whole lives in order to gain the riches of eternity.  The Bible says that if you keep your life, you will lose it.  However, if you willingly give your life to God, He will give you New Life (the treasure) like you have never experienced before.  Isn't it time to give up and sell out your life, in exchange for the kind of Life God intended for you to have.  It isn't hard. In fact it is very easy.  Just surrender and seek out God.  The Bible says, "He that seeks me will find me."  Now is your time, this is your day to discover abundant life!

Our City - Our Church

Our City! That is right, it is our city.  In the parable of the talents the master gave each person responsibility for a talent.  Later, for each person that was faithful with that talent, they were given authority over cities.  I believe that Bethel's Rock's talent is the cities of South Minneapolis, Richfield, and Edina.  They are our church.  This church does not consist of the small percentage of people that meet within the walls of this auditorium every Sunday Morning.  Our church includes all the families of these three communities; families as small as 1 or as big as they come, each family finding themselves in very different surroundings.  It would be easy to search out only those who live in stable and prosperous environments.  However, the reality is that true religion reaches those who are hurting, broken, and worthless in the world’s eyes.  They, as well, must be our focus.  Why? It is the defining trait of the church that has life and is fulfilling the Great Commission.  When we stand before God one day we are not going to receive a merit badge for how clean and nice we kept the church building.  Rather our faithfulness will be determined by the impact we made in the lives of people in our city.  Statistically we are told that 90% of people will not make the choice to visit a church.  In fact, most people never even consider their need for a church.  That is probably true of people that even attend church on a regular basis.  Here is the reality, if we are going to successfully impact people in our city, we must leave the four walls and enter the arena where the war is being fought.  We must go into the places where the lost worship and we must present the gospel with love and with power.  No longer can we depend on the four walls of the church to be the access point for leading the lost to God.  Now you and I must become the church and introduce people to the God who has changed our lives.

 A living church is a church that is walking and moving in and out of its community.  A dead church will be found in the coffin of a church building leaving the world to wonder why it hasn't been buried yet.   Bethel's Rock is a church where you can come and experience the Life of Christ.  Every day God is leading us through this city and opening up opportunities for us to help people one person at a time.  Come join us as we fulfill an impossible mission!

This Sunday, we get to celebrate one of the greatest institutions God ever gave to man, Motherhood.  Had Adam had a mother who knows how things would have turned out.  Mothers have an amazing ability to connect with their children like no one else.  On Mother's day there are more phone calls made than on any other day.  So what will you do today for the woman that allowed her body to be used as a playground so that you could have LIFE!  Think about the tireless hours that have gone unseen and those sacrifices that were noticed have been in many cases forgotten.  She is worthy of your love and respect every day, but make this time today a reminder that she really did carry you, a breath of God, into this world.  Many times she could have taken you out, but her mother's grace restrained her from following through.

Before I was a Mom

Before I was a Mom -
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth every day.
Before I was a Mom -
I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or peed on. I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life
so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.
Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Married to the King

If you have been under a rock for the last month you might not of heard that there was a wedding among the royal family of England.  It is amazing how many people are captivated by this story of a future king marrying a young lady who will be the new princess.  They estimate that two million people will make their way to England only to be left outside while the wedding is going on.  They more than likely did not receive an invitation, but want to be a part of the hoopla that surrounds an event like this.  Others will sit in their homes, some in the United States, who will have to wake up early in the morning to watch this wedding.  Even though many of them hate the thought of having to go to a wedding of a family member. How crazy is that?

The Bible talks about another wedding that will have far more prestige and fame than any royal wedding you have experienced on this earth.  In fact, for this wedding you don't need to dream about what it might be like to be invited, or even to be in the wedding party.  For this wedding you can be the Bride!  Now I know for some of you men that sounds a little awkward and weird.  However, it is all true.  The Bible says that Jesus, the King of Kings, is planning a wedding and one day he will return for his Bride.  Now this Bride is not one person, but plural in reality.  The Bride of Christ will be everyone and anyone who is willing to give their life to Jesus.  So you can be the Bride in the greatest Royal wedding of all time.  However, if you are that person who would say, "I am not really into this Jesus guy.  I believe him and I will follow some of what he says because it is good stuff to live by. But I don't know that I want to be His bride. Take his name?  I don't think so!"  There are many that will take this approach.  They love to be around the wedding, the groom and the bride, but they will be satisfied to just keep their seat to watch the whole affair.  My friend with this I want to be very clear.  There will be no human spectators at the Marriage of Christ with His Bride.  In fact, anyone who is not the Bride will be left outside.  That's right you will not be allowed to just hang around the royal family of Heaven.  Instead you will dwell among the 'Living Dead'. 

So you can sit around dreaming about what it might be like to be married to a Prince, or you can begin preparing to marry the King of Kings and experience it for yourself.

Truth

In our American culture we are taught to question everything.  To consider nothing as being certain.  All things can change and we should be ready to accept the reality that there really is not truth.  This is a philosophy that is pumped through our educational system.  It is a philosophy of chaos and confusion.  That may explain the increase of disorder that we see in our so called enlightened society.  Although there are many things that do change and certainly there are things we believe today that we will not believe tomorrow. There is also a foundation of truth that will never change nor even be shaken.  These truths can be discovered in the Word of God, the Bible.  For centuries people have been trying to diminish the authority of this book and the existence of its author, God!  Yet from generation to generation this book continues to be the best-selling book not only in whole of history, but it holds the top spot in each generation.  In fact no other book has influenced cultures more than this book.  It is a book that contains 66 separate books, written over a 2000-4000 year period, by over than 40 different authors, and it does not contradict itself one time.  Even today you can open this book and it is as relevant for our life today as it was for the very first people who read it.  Why? The Bible says, "Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my Word will never pass away."  Essentially it is saying that we will come and go.  Skeptics will come and go.  The United States will come and go, but God's Word, God's History; God's Kingdom will always be there! Whatever attack critics and scientists may bring against the truths found in the Bible they will only discover they are fighting against an eternal power that will far out live their own lives.  In fact, just recently a noted secular archaeologist stated that there has never been an archaeological discovery that has disproved the truths in the Bible. Rather they have only encouraged its validity.  So stand firm on the truths of the Bible, they will never leave you lost.

Jesus paid so that you could have real life not just in Heaven, but also while you live on earth.  Do not pass up the opportunity to experience the Life of Christ living in you.  Sure there are a lot of fears and worries that you may have, but they are not coming from God.  Remember God will never give you more than you can handle, but will give you every good gift that you allow Him to give you.  Trust God and take that step closer to Him. 

Money Can't Buy Joy

There is so much confusion in the world about how to attain happiness and a state of bliss.  However, we understand that eternal bliss, joy and peace are the fruits of a person that has spent time with Jesus.  Don't lean on quick gimmicks and empty pursuits to provide you with the strength and contentment that you desire.  They will only leave you wanting more and in the end they will never fulfill their promise.  Recently, on one of the prevalent reality TV shows that you can find on television these days, a harsh reality was exposed before our eyes.  A group of wealthy men who were involved in the financial industry in New York gathered together and were discussing how much money they would have to have in their account before they would tell the man upstairs (their boss) to go fly a kite.  They were young and ambitious men so you can imagine the tone of their conversation. Each man shared their number and they were all very lofty and ambitious figures, but they justified it by describing their affluent lifestyles.  It eventually came to a man that, unlike the other men, gave a number that he felt was adequate for him to live a modest lifestyle in the Midwest.  When he shared his figure of 3 million dollars with the rest of the group they laughed and began to mock his low aspirations.  In their mind he was settling for a less than average life. 

There are people all around us that are falling for this lie.  The lie that the things this world has to offer them will bring them all the Joy and happiness that they long for.  Instead all they will find is the empty sounds of regret and the constant struggle for more. 

1Corinthians 1:25 "For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."

Friend, do not lean on your own means and security to find the Joy that you are searching for.  For the Bible says that, that pursuit is foolishness, but it is a wise man who pursues the One who gives true Life and Joy.

On the Edge

A few weeks ago my family and I made the trek from Phoenix, Arizona north to view one of the seven natural wonders, the Grand Canyon.  What can be said about this enormous hole in the ground that drops between 5000 to 6000 feet (one mile) from rim to the basin?  The beauty and awe of the mere landscape is breathtaking.  There is something about the view that makes an adventurer like myself curious as to what it might look like if I could just get a little closer.  Just get right to the edge of the canyon so that I could look down even further.  Even though there are warnings posted all over the parks and on every safety wall "Stay away from edge, behind the walls," people are still drawn to live that moment on the edge.  Sure there are those that yell at the adventurers to return back to the safety of the wall, but what fun is that?  Besides, they are the ones missing out. Right?  I am sure that is what every person was thinking right up to the moment they slipped and fell thousands of feet to their death.  During the long descent to the canyon floor there is certainly time for them to consider how they should of heeded the advice of the Ranger, the signs and the tragic stories of others who fell to their death. Yet now it is too late!  They are but another tale in the history of the Grand Canyon.

 People are a lot like this when it comes to the way we live our life.  Signs are posted, people of wisdom giving us instruction, and it is all very clear.  However, for some reason we often find ourselves wandering to the edge of a grand gulf we call Hell.  We know that to fall into it will bring eternal death.  Yet there is a curiosity that is compelling us to get just a little bit closer to the edge.  If I can just get a little closer than I can see what is really going on done there.  That is the tragic error of so many Christians as well as sinners.  They believe that getting close to the edge of Sin and Hell will not lead to 'Death'.

 Lot, in the Bible, made the same mistake.  When Abraham asked Lot to chose what land Lot wanted, Lot picked the land just outside of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  It wasn't like he was picking land in the Cities, they were just around the cities.  Later in Genesis when God is ready to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their great evil behavior we find Lot not outside the city but living in the City square.  He got too close to the edge and fell in!

 If you are living your life on the edge, I would encourage you to return back to the safety of the walls God has put there to protect you.  His Word, commands, and principles are life for your soul, but also for your life here on earth.  Allow them to be your protection.

Take Captive Every Thought

Have you noticed the confusion and unrest that is increasing every week in the world around us?  The news organizations are overwhelmed with excitement over all the news they have to report.  It seems like people are becoming more and more on edge as the security they once felt is slipping through their fingers.  As they sense instability shake the foundations they have stood on for many years, they begin to respond to those difficult changes with great resistance.  From the Middle East to Capital buildings in our own country, people are violently protesting anything and everything that sets them sideways.  It is almost like we have thrown to the wind all restraint and order for the sake of getting what I want; creating a state of disorder and confusion. It is interesting that all of this unrest is closely aligned with the entire financial crisis that the world has been going through.  As the Bible clearly states, people will serve either God or money.  Now 'money' it turns out has left them hopeless and they are searching for something to revive that hope once again.

Where is all of this coming from?  Is it coming from mere differing opinions that have clashed for years and now they have finally reached their tipping point, spilling out in anger, or is it something more defined than that?  I believe that it is something that we have seen throughout history.  It stems from the very character that Satan has demonstrated through history, to bring destruction to the human race.  He does this using a very simple and cunning weapon, particularly designed to attack our minds.  So how can we as Christians protect our minds and lives from the same attack that we are seeing in the lives of unbelievers around us?  Paul addressed this very thing with Christians in the Church of Corinth.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, AND TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT TO MAKE IT OBEDIENT TO CHRIST."

We cannot stop Satan from using his weapons against our lives. Critical and negative thoughts are going to come looking for a place to roost in our minds.  However, Paul tells us to TAKE CAPTIVE every thought that is set apart from the thinking found in Philippians 4.  When we treat these thoughts as something that are only passing and random, eventually we will discover that these thoughts like seeds have planted a field of anger and criticalness.  Soon our life will be like a field of thorns choking out anything that is fruitful in the Kingdom of God.  Take captive even the little thoughts of negative and critical thinking and you will find that your life will be even more blessed and free.

We Need Relationships

Can you imagine going through life with no other people around?  Hollywood made a film about what this may be like, called 'Cast Away'.  It was about a man that was a victim of an airplane crash and was stranded on a uninhabited island.  During his time there, items would wash ashore and he would quickly make use of them.  After being alone for some time, the man took a volleyball that had floated ashore and he named the ball Wilson.  Why? We need relationships!  Even though relationship can cause some of the deepest hurts in our lives the fact still remains that we must have connection with people in order to survive. 

When God saw that Adam was 'alone', He gave man another person to relate with.  Man had the feeling of loneliness and didn't even know why because there were not others.  However, it was a feeling that went away with the arrival of this person that Adam could only say "Woooooman".  We know her as Eve.  I have shared all of this to make this point, "we need others in our life"!  Even though at times they may hurt us and affect our happiness, we need to recognize that there are some things that we can do and be which will help us to find joy in these relationships. What you will find is that these 'killers' and 'builders' have less to do with the other person and far more to do with us. Open your heart to what God might speak into your life. 

Turning Obstacles into Opportunities

Have you ever noticed how Jesus always seemed to be one step ahead of every obstacle, temptation, challenge, and question that he was presented with.  When reading the New Testament you never get the impression that Jesus was taken by surprise by anything that he would face through His life.  In every moment He had this very lucid way of turning the challenge into this powerful lesson that would lead all who were listening back to the revelation of God.  Was He able to do this because He was God, and we possess no hope on this side of eternity to ever experience the kind of self control and discernment Jesus demonstrated? 

Ephesians 1:8 "According to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven, and things on earth."

Jesus was able to stay one step ahead of every attack, every obstacle, and every temptation because of two reasons.  First, He knew His God and His God's plan.  Secondly, He knew His enemy and the lengths the enemy would go to destroy him.  He walked the path that the Father would set before Him and in the moments of challenge He was not shocked because He was looking for the crafty attack that He knew his enemy would bring against him.  In those moments, if we are connected to our God, just as Jesus was we will share in the same Divine wisdom and strength that Jesus possessed.  Truly we can do all things through Christ who gives us Strength!

Life's Battles

Life has been described in many different fashions or metaphors.  It is true that life is a journey that everyone of us are on.  There is a beginning and there is an end.  During this journey we are faced with a variety of battles designed to steal our victory on earth and to eventually rob us of an eternal position in Heaven.  We cannot stop these battles, we cannot stop them from coming our way, and most of the time we don’t even know when they are coming.  In fact, the only certainty we do have is that we will face battles in our life.  So, are you ready for those times that these moments peek their ugly head. We shouldn’t fear them or look for them behind every tree, but we need to be prepared for them whenever they come.  We need to  be ready to use the shield of faith as we gather the sword for battle. We need to recognize the real enemy that we are fighting against.  It is not people and it is not each other.  We are fighting against a cunning and often elusive foe who, although he was defeated at and by the cross, is bent on destroying our lives and the lives of those around us.  Before we know it the battle is dictating the choices, the steps, and the future for our lives.  Do not allow the battle to change your destiny.  Rather use the weapons of God to win the battle and overcome the devil who is standing in the way.

Remember, keep your eyes on the promises that God has given His kids.  We Win!  We may lose some smaller battles but we will win the war for our life and destiny.