Real Life Fellowship – Richmond, VA

Hey Everyone,

I know that its been a while since I’ve been able to post but not too worry I’ve been busy working on trying to get capability to upload our teaching files on a weekly basis here. I’m happy to announce that my friend Jay has once again come to our rescue and it looks like we’ll be able to make exactly that happen from now on!  

This week we begin with a message from 1 Peter 1:13 entitled “Our Response, Part 1 – Guard Your Mind” In subsequent weeks I hope to begin uploading from the beginning of our study so that others can catch up and follow along as we all learn what God has to say to us through this incredible book.

For this week by way of an introduction : To know me is to know that I love driving trucks. Doesn’t matter what kind. I’ve just almost always owned some type of truck. One thing common to almost all of my trucks, (a few go back a ways to predate this technology), and actually to all cars today is something called the “Brain” or ECU. This is usually tucked up under the dash somewhere, sometimes in the engine compartment wrapped in foil to protect it from the heat – but somewhere your car has a brain. 

This brain controls almost all of the functions of your car: all the electrical, some mechanical (which is controlled by the electrical system). Without it your car will not operate as it was intended. We found this out first hand back when we lived in Miami. One of our trucks had the brain malfunction and it would not run. Wouldn’t go in gear at all. The mechanic told us that we were looking at about a $2k replacement – just for the part!  Well after I recovered from fainting I decided to try and locate one myself in a junkyard and do the repair. Well, I found one and got it replaced but I learned right then and there that if the brain’s not functioning properly nothing else will either.

Listen, just like the brain in your car, inside your skull you have an approximately 3lb jelly like playdough looking mass that is the world’s greatest supercomputer! And this supercomputer in your head controls and governs every system, every function, everything about you physically and mentally. And if it begins to malfunction it will have a catastrophic effect on behavior, mood, desire, motivations, and decision-making.

Satan knows the importance of this play dough in your skull too! He knows that it controls everything about you and he and his demons are incessantly trying to penetrate it. If your mind is left unchecked, unguarded and undisciplined you are vulnerable to his attacks which often lead to moral and spiritual failure. 

Let’s listen in as we learn what God’s word has to say to us about this important subject.

Serving Him with you,

James

 

 Guard Your Mind - 1 Peter 1:13: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I have had privilege of travelling all over world: Caribbean, Canada, Europe, Eastern Europe (former Soviet Union: in Kiev, Ukraine when voted to leave Soviet Union), Far East to China…

Always love visiting places! Seeing new sites, learning about new peoples, etc… But 1 thing always true no matter where I had visited or ministered – I LOVED to come home! Back to family, friends, routine, my own house, own restaurants, own car, own bed, My dogs… etc. You know what I mean. There’s just something comforting about the familiar.

Ever taken family vacation by car? Ever notice those final miles seem to take forever? We used to take a couple of trips to Disney World each year. Kind of like mini vacations. I always noticed that the miles going out seemed to fly by but on the return trip those last 20-30 miles seemed to take forever! However, what agreat  feeling it was when we finally turned the corner of our street! 

If you’ve followed this blog at all you know we’ve been studying 1 Peter.  Know what’s special about 1^st Peter 1 –Its really an encouragement about “GOING HOME” for the child of God. 

Well as I’ve announced in a previous post we’re making our way through 1 Peter on Sunday mornings. And if you didn’t know the focus of the book is to encourage Christians to focus on heavenly things (heaven, salvation, Jesus, eternity, etc…) when things start to happen. Well as soon as we announced where we were headed in our study things began to happen.

Without revealing any details let’s just say that I certainly feel that RLF is under some sort of attack. Family after family has been accosted with tragedy or trials of some type or another.

I’m hoping that God’s Word is sufficient for them and me. Well i know its sufficient, the point is will we trust it to be or will we try to fight out way through and “make it on our own.”

Right at the beginning of the letter Peter expresses a wonderful phrase.. “grace and peace.”

Here’s to praying for both in abundance no matter what you may be experiencing. God in His great mercy has given us a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus. One that does not fade or spoil.

Serving Him with you,
Pastor James

Jumped into 1st Peter this morning. Not sure how long we will camp out there but with all the good stuff Peter had to say it could be a while! :->  Prepping for this message and even now reflecting back on the morning I am reminded how often I fail to live what I believe. Everything we’ve been studying for the past 6 weeks has been leading up to this series. And even with all of the studying I’ve done just to get ready for it I still find myself discouraged at times. The great thing though is, we have a hope, a hope that is secure and stored for us in heaven. We can lose jobs, money, friends, loved ones, our houses and health but there are a certain few things we will never lose as God’s children: Eternity, our salvation, Jesus, Heaven, our relationship with God the Father, His Word. None of those things can be taken from us. The greatest blessings in all the world are stored in heaven – awaiting us. Peter lifted the chins of his readers of that first letter. Our chins can be lifted too! Our mental security, our hope, is really an offshoot of or thought life. If we will but shift our focus from things we can and one day will lose, to those things we can’t ever lose then hopelessness and despair will become a thing of the past. Replaced by hope and security in our position in Christ and eternity.

James

Seems Religious expression is under attack from our schools again. Follow this link in order to see the whole story.  http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-odd/20090427/ODD.Church.Sermons/      Well truthfully I can’t say from our schools because I do not know for sure who is driving this latest attempted form of censorship. To be sure academia has denounced Christian thought and attempted to ridicule it out of existence. This could be the result of years and years of indoctrination by a humanist secular society in our education system. It could even be just a scared bureaucrat who decided that he/she wasn’t going to lay it on the line for something they aren’t a part of regardless. However, the result is the same… Religious, no make that Christian speech seems to be the only unprotected form of expression in America. Strange that this would happen in a school system since so many of our institutions of higher learning were started for the purpose of religious education. It also seems a bit contrived in that we are now in the post-modern era and as such rationality has given way to relativity. I would think that a sermon series of “Great Sex” would be seen today as incredibly relevant! Last time I checked the 1st Amendment was available to ALL Americans – even those with a religious bent to their worldview. Not so sure? Check it out for yourselves… First Amendment – Establishment Clause, Free Exercise Clause; freedom of speech, of the press, Freedom of Religion, and of assembly; right to petition,

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

The end result here is a veiled attempt to regulate and censor Christian thought and bully churches into only speaking a politically correct version of the Bible.

I seem to remember a story from Scripture about the Apostles Peter and John being arrested and thrown in jail for speaking the truth regarding Jesus. In the end they had to chose whether it was better to obey GOD or man. I for one believe that they made the absolutely right choice.

Preach the WORD… New Hope Church and Pastor Cadle and shame on you Brevard Public Schools for claiming that the series was not appropriate for elementary school children. I don’t know but it seems that when the church is meeting in the facility, school is not in session. Therefore, what is and isn’t appropriate for the elementary aged school children is entirely up to their parents – the same ones bringing them with them to church each weekend. NOT the school system of Brevard County Florida. If parents who received the mailers don’t want their kids hearing Biblical teaching on the subject they don’t have to bring them.

James

Well today was pretty amazing. Had all sorts of wonderful people show up to help us pack and move on Saturday. Honestly I wasn’t sure what the day would be like. We needed to vacate the house we were in but weren’t sure just how long it would take to make it happen. it just goes to show what a committed and determined group of people can accomplish! The entire house got broken down, packed up, moved, loaded in and the bedrooms reassembled in about 8 hours! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! And that goes out to all those who helped – in whatever capacity and also to GOD for bringing such incredibly people into our lives. He truly is merciful.

Well here we are getting ready to move for the 3rd time in 9 months. Actually my 4th time but who’s counting? :-> After much diligent searching, and praying and asking GOD for guidance we have located a house for us to rent. You’d think that this being a military town there would be more rentals available – Not So Much! Its been difficult to find rentals, let alone rentals in our target area. So, this one is a little bit further out than we had originally hoped for but not too far that we can’t get connected. We’re excited about getting to settle in finally. This house sits on 1 acre, half of which is wooded. The backyard is level so maybe we’ll be able to afford that trampoline Zachary has always wanted now.

It never fails to make me stop and contemplate what GOD might think of all this stuff we are trying to move. Its amazing how much you can amass, even though you have been steadily downsizing all along! I just remember a verse of Scripture from Matthew that speaks volumes at times like these: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Mt 8:20). Some people believe this this refers only to Jesus poverty. I think that might be over-simplifying it a bit. I think upon reflection, that we certainly see that Jesus is indicating His current state; however, I also think that if we look further we can be reminded of just how much He gave up in order to come here.

Lord, help me to keep my life in perspective. No matter how much I downsize or hold on to – none of it is eternal. Only the things done in you last.

James

Had a great day in the LORD this past Sunday. Got a chance to talk about the “Mystery” as described in the Book of Colossians from the New Testament. Great word on the hope we have because of what the Holy Spirit was able to accomplish after Jesus’ death AND resurrection. Been trying to illustrate the messages each week and this past Sunday was no exception. We were able to utilize some containers to show how we are no longer in sin but are now in Christ and He is in us. Additionally, we illustrated the idea of being transferred or conveyed from a life in bondage to sin to the land of God’s Son, even while we are still here on earth! Cool Stuff to be sure.

Have had one family visiting consistently for the past four weeks. Praising the LORD for them but asking Him to bring us more. Still wanting to figure out how to really communicate the truth of what awaits those who die without a relationship with Christ. I am convinced that if we truly understood that then we would live our lives dramatically differently. We’d be making time for neighbors and friends and family who don’t know Jesus instead of just trying to keep our part of the wheel turning. God help me – to see what you see and to be bold to declare who you are.

Until Next time,

James

Had a great time of celebrating our Heavenly Father this past weekend! 5 guests were in attendance as well as the usual crowd of suspects.  :->  (look at that sideways in case you don’t know what that is).  Everyone’s still excited and working hard. We’re all learning what GOD really expects of us in terms of how Jesus modeled His relationships, especially with respect to those who didn’t know Him yet!  Amazingly, not only were people drawn to Him, but He made time, significant time at that, for those most of us would say aren’t worth ANY time. He “INVESTED” His life in them and then “INVITED” them to experience eternal life through a wonderful relationship with GOD. Over these last three weeks we’ve learned that there’s a party in Heaven every time someone comes to faith and that GOD doesn’t want us being guilted into sharing our faith with others. Rather, we ought to respond out of grateful hearts for all He has done for us and invest in those around us. 

We’re praying for opportunities to get to know folks better and invite them to hear the gospel. We’re excited about this coming Sunday – Easter! Please join with us in asking GOD to allow us to be a part of changed lives in the Metro Richmond area as He calls people to Himself.

Until next time, I’m serving Him with you,

James