It's NOT my name at stake....

"For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own."

1 Samuel 12:22

Many of you might not know what's going on in my world right now...so here it is. About 6 weeks ago I found out a friend of mine (who also happened to be our Sr. Pastor) was feeling led to another place in ministry. Honestly I felt a little disheartened. I felt like we were holding on to this rope together and making great progress together in ministry and then one day my friend just lets go! Now I know that's not how it went down...I know and believe he followed God's call... but in my flesh it just didn't feel right. I felt it wasn't the right timing. I thought to myself...really ... "right now God, you're calling him to leave." I mean there is so much on the line... a church that desperately wants to become a movement of God here in Austin, Texas. A beautiful city where 92% of our community does not know how much they are loved by my amazing God. I see broken lives and hurting people everywhere I look and now I'm asking, "God, what now?"

So after I had a few weeks to be still, get away, and be alone with God and vent ... I have to say I am greatly refreshed! Yes I confess I'm in a church that has buried its "talents." Yes I confess I'm in a place where we have horded what God has entrusted to us as a treasure instead of graciously pouring it out as a offering on the lives of those in our community. Yes, I confess we have been more concerned about looking religious instead living righteously. Yes we have been more concerned about "judging people's deeds instead of meeting their needs." But here's the deal ...none of these things have to do with my friend leaving. He graciously and faithful served here in this place for 6 years. He was used by God in a very strategic way. And what God has reminded me of today is this... HIS CHURCH cannot fail! It will not fail! Why? Because it doesn't depend on one man. "We" are the bride! The church, the people of God have been entrusted with an amazing calling... to go out into our community and be the hands and feet of Christ. We have been called to go make make disciples of all nations!

I am extremely excited this morning because while we have lived out a riskless & powerless Christianity in the past ... our GOD refuses to let us stay there! He never gives up on us and He longs to rescue and restore the brokeness of our lives! I believe we are poised here at GHBC to become something we have never been before for the glory of our GOD! I praise God that we are losing ourselves in the process! I have some amazing brother's and sister's in Christ who are ready to risk all that they are so that they might begin to live off of His reputation. And here's the thing about living off the reputation of God...IT CANNOT FAIL! You see when we begin to live our lives for the sole purpose of bringing Glory to our God; when we begin to thirst for his power and his presence more than the popularity and pleasures of this world, HE shows up!
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the only name, the only reputation that really matters in my life and the life of this church is HIS NAME!

God I pray that we (your people @GHBC) would not turn to worthless things that cannot save. I pray that we would not trust in programs & performances but instead that we would totally rely on the power of your Spirit that brings life through your word. Father may we completely trust that you have us right where you want us. God forgive us for ignoring the cries of the thousands upon thousands of far from God people who have been entrusted to us in this city. May GHBC become a place where lives are transformed and where broken people can begin again!

Not Ashamed...
Bill

Alone but not forgotten...

"And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD."

1Sam. 3:21

These are the last words of Ch3. A chapter that describes a dark day in the life of Israel. A day where God's voice was no longer heard. A day where sin was no longer hidden but celebrated. A day when there was no one leading the people of God. No one left to speak for Yahweh. And yet God refused to give up on them. He raises up yet another man, Samuel whom he would use to restore & rescue his people.

I don't know about you, but I have gone through times in my life where Gods' voice seemed non existent. Where his power and his presence were absent. There have many days I have felt all alone. But I am encouraged this morning because I see a God who never gives up on me. I see a God whose grace, mercy and love never fails me. Listen even though Israel was far from God ...God was not far from Israel. My God is a God of long suffering. A God who loves me with an everlasting love. He waits and he waits and He waits so that He might show His mercy. And these words closing out Ch1-3 are beautiful to hear. "the LORD appeared again at Shiloh...the LORD revealed himself to Samuel..." Shiloh was to be the place that Israel centered there "lives" around. It was the place of worship. It was the place where the Ark of the Covenant rested...it was the very place God's presence dwelt among his people. It was to be the central focus, all consuming passion of there lives. And yet somehow, somewhere they got off course... and now they found themselves in a place they did not want to be, alone... but they were not forgotten.

I love the fact that my God even though I may struggle at times, still pursues me. I praise God that He uses all things in my life to draw me back to himself. The promise I have this morning is this...if I will "Be still..." and center all that I am on all that He is...and seek Him thru his word ...he will speak. He will reveal himself to me! God I praise you that you're not a God who ever lets go of me. God just as you spoke to Samuel through your word, God may you speak to me today. "Here I am LORD, your servant is listening."

Not Ashamed...Bill

Are you living out of position?

"Here I am... for you called me..."
1 Samuel 3:8

This morning as I read about the heart and life of Eli the priest I was reminded about how important "position" is in own my spiritual life. I really believe that the major struggle I face in the Christian life is trying to stay centered on the very person of Christ. There are so many distractions, so much of this world tempting to draw me away from a pure and simple devotion to Christ. Man I want to live out of the overflow! As you read this chapter you will find that Eli had become completely comfortable and complacent with the things of God. He had lost all sensitivity to hear Gods' voice. And yet here was a man that worked in the temple... the very place where the worship of God was supposed to take place. Where people saw the very glory of our God, the place where hearts were changed and lives were restored, where sin was forgiven and yet Eli had lost his awe of God. And when we lose our awe of God, when we lose our ability to hear God's voice, we will also lose our ability to see God as he really is. In (v1-2) it says "And word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent... At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. " I think this is a huge statement because it screams to us about the importance of remaining in a place spiritually where we not only hear God's voice but see him clearly. Unfortunately Eli had lost the ability to do both...why...because he was in his OWN PLACE!

As you finish reading the chapter you see the consequence of living the Christian life out of position...(v17) " He said, "What is the word that He spoke to you?..." This is Eli asking young Samuel to tell him what God had spoken. Eli was so out of position with God that the "priest" couldn't even hear the voice of his God without the help of a young temple servant. Eli had lost his ability to hear from God. Eli was out of position spiritually. Our sensitivity to Gods word and his voice is always an indicator of the spiritual positioning of our lives! Where are you this morning? When was the last time you clearly heard the word of God speaking to you!

God my prayer today is that you would not find me in my own place. God may I have the heart of Samuel, who when hearing your voice said "Here I am..." God remove anything and everthing that dulls my senses to hearing your voice and seeing your face! Father I pray as Samuel did, "Speak LORD, your servant is listening!"

Not Ashamed...Bill

It matters how you live...

"Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD."

1 Sam. 2:12

A few months ago I was doing the most ungodly thing you could do...I was getting in my morning run...(I believe running is reserved for hell). Anyway as I was running it hit me that my son was 10 yrs old. It like took my breath away! I had a panic attack right there...I started doubting everything I was doing as a parent...I kept thinking, have I done enough, what have I instilled into his heart, Man am I screwing this kid up or what? I mean he only has 8 more years at home then he's on his own. Who will he become and will he live a life that honors God? All these things began to flood my mind. But what that moment did for me was push a reset button in my life about what is most important! It reminded me of this simple truth-"I am leading my family everyday, the question is where am I leading them?" They are following me...the question is where am I going? As a parent it is a very sobering thought to think that my boys are watching, modeling, and replicating every word, attitude, and action I live out of my life. And I will admit that sometimes I can be careless in how I talk to Debbie or how I handle stress or bad days in ministry. But I praise God for passages of scripture and moments in life like this morning where God pushes the reset button for my life.

In reading 1 Samuel Ch 1-2 you see a stark contrast between a family that lives to glorify God and honor Him at all cost, and a family that carelessly walks through the religious rituals of faith. In Ch 1 we see a woman (Hannah) who desperately cries out to God, in faith to open her womb. And when God answers her prayer, she immediately offers Samuel back to the Lord (C1v28) "as long as the child lives." And then we see the priest Eli and his 2 boys who actually serve in the Lord's temple and who could care less about the things of God. C2 v12 actually tells us that the sons of Eli were "worthless men; they did not know the Lord." Now my question is how did they get to the place where they became worthless men, men (not boys) who did not know the Lord. I have to believe their arrival at this place in life was not by accident. It was intentional. I'm just not sure it's where Eli wanted to intentionally lead them! As you read there story, you will find out that Eli's sons abused their positions as temple servant's and actually despised everything about the Lord and their work in the temple. (c2v17) And then you read that Samuel continued to (c2v26 )"grow in stature and favor both with the Lord and men." Two very different families. Two very different leaders. Two very different outcomes! Samuel would go on to lead the nation of Israel and eventually crown the greatest king of Israel, King David. The 2 sons and their father would all 3 die tragically the same day. What a waste!

Listen it matters how we live! It matters what we watch! It matters how we talk! It matters where we go! Everything in our family hinges how we live out our faith before of kids! You are leading your family somewhere, and be sure they will follow you...the question is where are you leading them?

God my prayer today is 1 Samuel 2:35... "And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever."

As for me and my house we will serve the Lord...


Not Ashamed...Bill