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Doing What You HAVE TO When Others Don’t Understand

by mike p on February 27, 2013 in Faith / Belief with No comments

What do you do when you feel compelled or led to do something that others just don’t understand?

It could be a move… a job offer… it could be a life-change situation – end of a toxic relationship. It was a situation where you felt compelled to do something, to act, and no matter what you did or how hard you tried to explain it, others just didn’t get why you HAD to do what you HAD to do.

Most people take the path of comfort, of acceptance, of success. Why would you go into something that might fail? Why would you go into something that isn’t a sure thing? I experienced this 14 years ago when I left my job to make the jump into full-time ministry. People thought I was crazy. I had my dream job, great benefits and compensation was really good for a man my age. But I couldn’t run anymore: GOD WAS CALLING ME and I had to follow.

We experienced this almost 3 years ago when we announced that we were planting a church. So many told me that a church like Vertical wouldn’t work in this area. But once again, I could not run anymore from what had been burned into my Spirit – i HAD TO DO THIS, even if I failed!

What do you do when you feel compelled or led to do something that others just don’t understand? You know, sometimes we have to follow God’s leadership even if it doesn’t make sense to those around us. If you are a christian You ask God again, “God are you sure?” and then you do what He says. It’s doesn’t matter what the facts say, The facts are just facts – God is not limited by the facts – God is supernatural, He operates outside of the facts – He makes the facts, factual… And nobody tells Him what to do. He can reach down and pull you out of the hole you’ve placed yourself in… What is God telling you to do? You can’t be flippant with this… you can’t just say what do I wanna do then call it God. That’s not what this is… this is, “God, what do you want me to do?” and you continually prayerfully ask that – then you do what He says.

Do you know His voice when He speaks to you? [27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27 ESV)

Bring What You Have and Watch Him Use It

by mike p on January 31, 2013 in Faith / Belief, Message Series with No comments

It was a miracle indeed.

[15] Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” [16] But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” [17] They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” [18] And he said, “Bring them here to me.” [19] Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. [20] And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. [21] And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:15-21 ESV)

The disciples didn’t do the miracle. Jesus did the miracle. They brought Him what they had – which wasn’t adequate to get the job done – and HE used it.

He used them. He used them to do a miracle.

You probably think you have nothing to offer. Or what you DO think you have isn’t as good as that other person. Bring what you have. Bring what you have, offer it to Jesus along with yourself and watch Him work a miracle through you.

Jesus isn’t looking for the most talented people – He’s looking for the most willing people. Are you willing for Him to work through you? I challenge you – TODAY – say that prayer, make that call, take that step, follow through on that promise you made that you haven’t… DO something and allow God to use you.

Preparing to Fast

by mike p on January 10, 2013 in Faith / Belief with 3 Comments

Vertical Church will do a 6 day fast beginning at sunrise on Monday, January 14th through sunset on Saturday, January 19th.

As we go into this new year we are asking God to increase our faith. The purpose of “The Path Fast” is one of personal devotion and spiritual cleansing. As Psalm 25:4 says, we are praying and asking God, “Make me to know Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths.” Fasting is one of paths that God uses to increase our faith.
The goal of fasting isn’t doing without food – the goal of fasting is to draw nearer to God. During this time we are connecting with God and disconnecting from our busy lives. Work hard to remove some of the distractions of your life (tv, facebook/twitter, video games, texting) and replace that time with things that will nourish your spirit (the bible, prayer, a spiritual book).
We want everyone to participate in the fast in one of 3 ways:
  1. A Specific Food or Activity Fast – Omit a specific type of food from your eating. Example: all red meat. all processed or fast food, or sweets. You may fast from a regular activity or habit like Facebook or TV. Some may do a combination of all of this. Important thing: have a plan and stick to it.
  2. Daniel Fast – Consist of fruits, vegetables and water only. Also omitting distractions (tv, facebook/twitter, video games, texting)
  3. Juice Fast – Fruit and vegetable juices and water only.
  4. Water Only – This is the normal fast referred to in the Bible, how Jesus and the early church fasted.
If you are going to be successful it’s important to prepare. It’s easy to prepare for a water only fast – but for others (juice or Daniel), having the necessary items will help you to be more successful. Below is a sample of some fasting menus.

Fruits, Vegetables, Juices, and Water 

Breakfast

• Fruit smoothie with whey protein 

Mid-­‐morning Snack

  • Fresh fruit or fresh vegetables Lunch
  • Raw vegetable salad with light, organic dressing and vegetable broth soup Mid-­‐afternoon Snack
  • Fresh fruit or fresh vegetables Dinner
  • Fresh salad with light, organic dressing and steamed or grilled vegetables 

    Sample Menu 2: Liquids Only

    Breakfast

• Fruit smoothie with whey protein 

Mid-­‐morning Snack

  • Herbal tea or vegetable broth soup Lunch
  • Raw, juiced vegetables Mid-­‐afternoon Snack
  • Fresh fruit juice or fruit smoothie with whey protein Dinner
  • Vegetable juice or vegetable broth soup 

    Sample Menu 3: Modified Daniel Fast

    Breakfast

• 1–2 servings whole grains with fresh fruit juice 

Mid-­‐morning Snack

  • Fresh fruit or fresh chopped vegetables Lunch
  • 1–2 servings whole grains; fresh salad with legumes and light, organic dressing Mid-­‐afternoon Snack
  • Fresh fruit juice or fruit smoothie with whey proteinDinner
  • 1–2 whole grains; fresh salad with legumes and light, organic dressing 
We will have a daily online devotional for each day of the fast to guide you as you take the Path towards a greater faith.

Thrown to the Crocodiles – God’s Plan?

by mike p on January 8, 2013 in Faith / Belief with No comments

Written on Thursday, January 3rd, 2013 – 8:07 a.m.

The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.” (Exodus 2:2-10 ESV)

I have heard people say, “How could Moses’ mother put him in those Croc-infested waters?”

It was God’s plan. Because she did this Moses not only lived but was raised in the most powerful house in Egypt, a “son” of Pharoah. This enabled him to get a great education, privileges, observing leadership and a stature he would not have received as a young Hebrew man. His stature, the fact that people knew him, no doubt helped him when he returned to Egypt as deliverer with a command to the Pharoah: “Let My (Hebrew) people go.”

I was just thinking how much I “get” this story.

43 years ago this morning, in a hospital in Waterville, Maine, a young lady whom I have never met gave birth to me. In a time, unlike today, when it was totally unacceptable to be pregnant and unwed, she carried me to term in order to give me life. She could have chosen to deal with me in a much more private and convenient way and spare herself the pain and shame of being pregnant. She didn’t and for that I am eternally grateful.

After birth she proceeded to sign papers giving me to a Catholic orphanage. I have seen so many adopted kids struggle with this. They feel unwanted, a loss of worth – “why didn’t she want me?” I have never wondered that. I don’t know why – I just haven’t. Actually, I am very grateful that she chose to place me in that orphanage, for in doing so (like Moses mom choosing to put him in the river) she set in motion God’s plan to make me who I have become.

If my birth mother had not placed me in that orphanage Mary Pittman would not have been my mom…
If Mary Pittman would not have been my mom I would not have moved to Lumberton, NC, in 1974…
If I had not moved to Lumberton, NC, in 1974 I would not have met Keyna Spivey in 1986.

Which sets off a whole other set of “if I had not’s”:

  • If I had not met Keyna Spivey in 1986 we certainly would have never married, missing out on the closest, most meaningful earthly friendship I could ever imagine. I cannot imagine life without Keyna.
  • I would not have had the unbelievable privilege to be dad to Madison and Matthew, my most prized possessions…
  • I would not have met Eric Rich somewhere around 1993-94…
  • I would have not have met Jesus Christ through Eric at Westside Baptist Church on April 13th, 1997…
  • I would not have lived at 1801 N. Pine street, Lumberton, Keyna and my first home…
  • I would not have experienced God’s call to ministry on the back porch at Pine st…
  • I would not have had that conversation with Dennis Harrell and Hubert Waddell which brought me the opportunity to love and serve Hyde Park Church for 11 years…
  • I would not have become friends with Donnie Paschall…
  • I would not have served on staff with Brandon Meadows, beginning our friendship…
  • I would not have had the opportunity to see hundreds and hundreds of people meet Jesus Christ as Savior…
  • I would not have felt the burden for this city and region that God grew inside of me. God planted me here years earlier for this purpose, which means…

I would not have started Vertical Church. And you would not be reading this right now.

I am certainly no Moses and apologize for correlating his story to tell mine, but my prayer is that my story reminds you that the tragedies in your life may actually be the building blocks of God’s plan.

Shout out to the lady who let me live. #muchlove

“But I don’t know HOW to Increase my Faith!”

by mike p on January 3, 2013 in Faith / Belief, Message Series with 1 Comment

Faith is such an incredible and mysterious thing.

I was reminded of this today as I was reading Genesis 15, the story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, to Him. I was struck by Abraham’s willingness to listen to such an incredibly CRAZY sounding request from God. I guess Abraham was getting used to “crazy”After all,

  • God told the childless Abraham that he would have more children than the stars in the sky – he was over 75 years old, his wife: 65. (Gen 15)
  • An angel tells him that God is going to destroy the city his nephew lived in. God allows him to rescue the nephew just in the nick of time (Gen 18)
  • He finally has the promised son – at 100 (!!!) years old. Sarah was 90. (Gen 21)
Most people would say, “I would believe God too if He had done for me as much as He did Abraham.” But catch this: Abraham didn’t have faith because of all he had seen – Abraham saw all that he did because he had faith. The key to Abraham’s experience wasn’t seeing God at work – Abraham saw God at work because he (Abraham) had faith that God would work. (Romans 4:3 ESV) says,

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

We think “being better” will cause our faith to grow. Getting our actions in step is a great step but God’s blessing on Abraham was not because he was so righteous. Abraham’s faith in God actually stumbled when he decided, because his wife was so old, that the only way to have a child was to father one with his wife’s younger female slave. Not very righteous at all, huh, which proves God didn’t choose Abraham because of his moral character.  Being “better” will help improve your spiritual life but it is not going to increase your faith. Abraham’s faith in God (belief in God and His promises) overcomes his failures.

So how then, DOES a person increase their faith? If you want your faith to grow in 2013 you must prepare yourself to trust God – to believe things that you sense Him saying to you and leading you in.

“But I don’t know how to do that!”

Hang with us, we’re gonna teach you, and it starts this Sunday with Week One of “The Path – The Application Trail”.

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