Jesus Knew The Reason For The Season

This is a video clip I produced with my son Kristopher when he was a baby. It took over 4 hours to just film the clip between feedings, diaper changes, crying spells, and just making sure there was enough footage to work with. Amazingly, in the studio, the editing began to unfold in such a "God Moment" of inspiration! I can't began to explain how this clip just came together! It has touched the lives of many people who have watched the clip. It's our desire, as you find yourself at Eden's Edge, that you will be blessed this Holiday Season and the year to come. As you watch this video clip, let each of us be reminded of the cost it took for us to enjoy the life we live. Thank you God for your Love, Mercy, and Forgiveness - and the gift you gave us through your Son Jesus Christ!

Anne - "Tell me about your faith."

A story of a woman named Anne...

Recently, there was an individual named Anne who got in contact with me... Anne is a very educated and successful business woman. A wonderful mother dedicated to her home and community. In the course of our discussion, I asked her: "Anne... Tell me about your faith." She paused for a moment, a little surprised and shaken by my question, and said: "No one has asked me about my faith for a very long time." From that moment on, as if it were the first time sharing, Anne talked openly about her faith. Amazingly, after a couple of more conversations, Anne has 'come back full circle' to her faith. She has started attending church again; and, she has expressed a grateful heart to God - thanking me for praying for her and encouraging her to regain her life back through her faith in Jesus Christ. The following is an email she recently wrote me. I have shared with her about cultivating Eden's Edge Church; and, her response is a great source of inspiration and encouragement to us and what we are to be about as a church..... Listen!.... Everyone!!... Right outside our church doors... thousands of individuals are right there!... THEY ARE RIGHT THERE!!! Just like Anne... waiting for someone to ask: "Tell me about your faith."

I hope you are blessed by reading the following. I pray it challenges us to get back to where we belong - A heart for people just like Anne!

Todd,

I wanted to get back to you sooner on this, but it turned out to be a busy week. Eden’s Edge Church is inspirational. I can see why everyone is interested. I feel certain that God wants all of His children to understand that there is not only redemption, but healing. If God is calling you to give this message to others, then you need to listen carefully to everything that He needs you to know.

“For years I have tried to hide my hurt by declaring myself fiercely independent. I didn’t need anyone. Not my father; he abandoned me. Not my mother; she hurt me. Not my husband; he never knew me. How hard it must have been for God to watch me continue to fall, but knowing that without pain, I would never learn or be willing to depend on him completely. I closed the door to love because I thought that I was not lovable. All the time desperately wanting to be loved, but never allowing anyone close enough for fear that they would confirm my unworthiness. “

God did not intend for me to go through the pain, nor did he intend for Adam and Eve to live outside the garden. God created the Garden of Eden as a home for his children to enjoy. He provided for their needs, asking that they take care of their home and obey the rules that were designed to keep them safe from harm. Adam and Eve made the choice to live outside the garden and that choice came with consequences, but God was still willing to offer them redemption and healing.

“I wanted a relationship with God, but I wanted it on my terms. I didn’t give him my whole heart and allow him to heal my soul. What an amazing realization; love was there all along, all I had to do was open the door and invite him in. I never really understood why so many people cried at youth camp when they ask Jesus into their heart. I ask him into my life, but never into my heart. I understand now and the tears of joy come freely, with that understanding.

For the last four years I have blamed God for my unhappiness. I couldn't understand why things went wrong. I thought I was following God and doing the right things. Now I can see that I wasn’t following God’s leading, I was trying to work things out on my own and hoping for his approval. I was following my timetable, not His.

God has certainly gotten my attention. Apparently He knew all along what my soul was seeking. He was just waiting for me to be ready and to cry out for his love to heal my broken heart, waiting patiently for me to be willing to depend on him, instead of myself. I realize now that He wants me to know him as more than my savior; he wants me to know him intimately as my father, my rescuer and my heart’s desire. I not only need to remember who I am and my relationship to him, I need to allow him to know me and heal me. “

We can no longer live in the garden as a consequence of sin, but God has offered us redemption and healing. He wants to know us intimately. He wants all his children to live at Eden’s edge, as close to him as possible.

A wise man wrote, “God would not give us the inspiration and ability to do something miraculous unless He was already placing the same desire in the hearts of others. It’s just a matter of when and where your paths cross that it will become a reality!”

I feel blessed that God has allowed our paths to cross. You have an amazing opportunity to lead others to Eden’s Edge. It is unlikely that the enemy will take this sitting down. I will be praying that God will keep you strong.

Godspeed,

Anne

Thankful For Our Churches

THEME VERSE:

Colossians 3:15-1715Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

We are thankful for:

Our Time in sharing together.
Psalm 100:3-53 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

QUESTION: When this verse talks about entering His gates with thanksgiving and His court with praise, what have been some of your most enjoyable thoughts when we come here every Sunday Morning? Let's be honest... Have there ever been other times when we just didn't want to show up for Church?!! (Laugh) What have been some of the most memorable times that we have shared together with the people at Church? Do we feel these times shared together are truly an expression of entering His gates with thanksgiving and that we are most certainly entering His courts with praise?

Our Hands in helping others.

2 Corinthians 9:11, 1211You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

QUESTION: This has to be one of my favorite verses! We see so many people give of their Time,Talent, and Treasure in the life of ministry. And why do God's people give? Why do you and I give Sunday after Sunday? Because our giving is an overflowing expression of our thanks to God - mainly for what He has done in our lives through His Son Jesus! A church that gives in ministry is a church filled with gratitude. You can tell how thankful a ministry has become in their relationship with Jesus Christ by HOW they give! Tell us about a few occasions when the people your church gave beyond their means in ministry.

Our Anticipation in believing the vision.

Daniel 2:22-2422 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. 23 I thank and praise you, O God... You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream..."

QUESTION: Wow! What an awesome verse! You know, during Daniel's time, Daniel was the only one in the region who could interpret vision! What an undaunting task! Everyone was waiting on Daniel... think of that kind of pressure! You and I know how challenging it is to cast a clear, compelling, and concise vision before a congregation. At the same time, it's not all about us and what we SEE. We want vision to be shared among the people who attend our churches. We also desire our congregations to have a sense of ownership related to anticipating and believing the vision. If we could elaborate for a moment, as we prayerfully lead our churches - what are the 2-3 non-negotiables that we grapple with in relation to the vision we know God is directing our ministry towards. What is the vision for the people of our churches? How do we see ministry unfold in the next 2-3 years?

Our Name in remembering the past.

Psalm 42:1-4
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

QUESTION:When I read this verse I think back to the moments where ministy brought me a great source of joy... Oh how I am thankful for being able to remember the past. In the opening video clip, we may have noticed the hand on door knobs opening and closing doors... We have established our churches as a viable ministry in the community. God has blessed tremendously - no doubt we are thankful for our name in remembering the past in how our churches have gotten started and recognizing the growth in where we are today. Some of us may still want to live in the day of "ministry past" but you and I know time doesn't stand still. We have to move forward. God rarely repeats the exact same miracle or spiritual movement in the life of a ministry twice. God desires to move afresh in a ministry - to prepare us for something new. Sometimes for new ministry doors to open, we have to close other doors. In remembering our name in the past... what have been a couple of pivotal doors that were opened that have brought us to where we are today? Are there any doors that have been stayed - kept opened way too long that we need to close? How would you encourage this church and other churches to open new doors in ministry?

Our Kindness in praying for others.

Philippians 4:5
5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

QUESTION: This is another powerful verse! How many times have we all been anxious for something to happen in ministry? When there is this assurance that our Lord is near to us, this realization has a calming effect. We can operate out of gentleness. Keeping this truth in mind, how can we better our prayers related to the ministry of our churches? If I were to ask you how you and the people of your church have been praying this past year for the ministry direction of this church - be real with us this today - how would you summarize this and define this in a few words or statements?

Our Faithfulness in knowing Jesus.

Ephesians 1:15-17
15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Our Understanding in giving.

1 Corinthians 15:57, 5857...thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.58Therefore,... stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Question: We all know how emotionally draining it can be to ask a congregation to give of their Time, Talent, and Treasure - especially in our economic conditions today. Example: What was it like to encourage a congregation to give during a past building campaign? What were some of the struggles? What were some of the joys? Did we ever feel like some of the churches' efforts were done in vain? Once a goal in giving has been met, how do we celebrate and get geared up in our giving towards a new ministry venture?

Our Love in reaching the community.

Corinthians 4:14, 1514...because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Pulling Yourself Together When Everything Is Pulling You Apart

Finishing well!

Isaiah 38 (The Message)

¹ At that time, Hezekiah got sick. He was about to die... Hezekiah turned away from Isaiah and, facing the wall, prayed to God: "God, please, I beg you: Remember how I've lived my life. I've lived faithfully in your presence, lived out of a heart that was totally yours. You've seen how I've lived, the good that I have done." And Hezekiah wept as he prayed—painful tears. ^4-6 Then God told Isaiah, "Go and speak with Hezekiah. Give him this Message from me, God, the God of your ancestor David: 'I've heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Here's what I'll do: I'll add fifteen years to your life... This is what Hezekiah king of Judah wrote after he'd been sick and then recovered from his sickness: In the very prime of life
I have to leave.
Whatever time I have left
is spent in death's waiting room.
No more glimpses of God
in the land of the living,
No more meetings with my neighbors,
no more rubbing shoulders with friends.
This body I inhabit is taken down
and packed away like a camper's tent.
Like a weaver, I've rolled up the carpet of my life
as God cuts me free of the loom
And at day's end sweeps up the scraps and pieces.
I cry for help until morning.
Like a lion, God pummels and pounds me,
relentlessly finishing me off.
I squawk like a doomed hen,
moan like a dove.
My eyes ache from looking up for help:
"Master, I'm in trouble! Get me out of this!"
But what's the use? God himself gave me the word.
He's done it to me.
I can't sleep—
I'm that upset, that troubled. 16-19 O Master, these are the conditions in which people live,
and yes, in these very conditions my spirit is still alive—
fully recovered with a fresh infusion of life!
It seems it was good for me
to go through all those troubles.
Throughout them all you held tight to my lifeline.
You never let me tumble over the edge into nothing.
But my sins you let go of,
threw them over your shoulder—good riddance!
The dead don't thank you,
and choirs don't sing praises from the morgue.
Those buried six feet under
don't witness to your faithful ways.
It's the living—live men, live women—who thank you,
just as I'm doing right now.
Parents give their children
full reports on your faithful ways.

20 God saves and will save me.
As fiddles and mandolins strike up the tunes,
We'll sing, oh we'll sing, sing,
for the rest of our lives in the Sanctuary of God...


I pray the verses above are encouraging to your situation. Hezekiah knew first hand what it was like to see his leadership position start slipping away. In this instance, it was due to Hezekiah's health - I am also certain Hezekiah's pride in the way he showcased his wealth and leadership expertise also begin to crush his ego when opportunity began to slip through his fingers.

Yet, God allowed Hezekiah to suffer - in order to make Hezekiah realize he is only human, like the rest of us, and to ultimately bring him back to a full trust and reliance upon His faith in God. Hezekiah sought it with tears... and God honored his request and gave Hezekiah additional life and years in serving his God.

If God can do this with Hezekiah, God can do this with us.

"Holding on while Being Pulled... Let it GO!"

Turbulent waters has caused us to be frightened of the current; and, we have found ourselves clinging onto branches sticking out of the water... or our feet caught and hung by debris in the water... and there we are... "Pinned" by some obstruction hoping to find some personal and/or ministry resolve to get us to the "safer" side of the shoreline... we see the bend ahead in the river; but, we are petrified by the unforeseen of what may be on the other side of the twist and turns in the current. We hear the roar of the water... and we assume the worst... "so we stay put"... hoping something will give. Perhaps... inching our way to the side of the shoreline... but why? If we do that... it's the end of the trip. We will never know what is downstream. We have come this far - so we can't give up now. Don't cut the trip short! So, we have to do something... if we stay put.. we sit there constantly reminded of the rushing current - it does not stop... we feel the physical toll our bodies are taking... we feel our aching muscles - the cuts and bruises of what we have endured thus far. This experience has caused us to become numb to our calling and uncertain of our purpose. But we can't stay put! We have to let go... go with the flow... embrace the current and SEE what is around the bend - it's all apart of the journey!

The best way to Pull ourselves together when everything is pulling us a part - is to just let go! It's letting go of the "tug-of-war" rope... and watch the opposition fall to the ground... sure the other side may have won the competiton (in their own minds)... but look who is still standing?

IT's not about us! Like I have shared... if we can't let it go... ministry has more of a hold on us than we do of it. Can we step away for a moment... lay the rope down... release ourselves from whatever obstruction there is in the water... to just "go with the flow?" and let's trust and believe the best is yet to come on the other side of the river bend?

Notice how it was initially Isaiah who spoke on Hezekiah's behalf. Noticed how Hezekiah FACED the WALL... reminding him about climb upward and what it is going to take to get to a better place. Notice how Hezekiah wrote a note of thanksgiving AFTER he was restored, AFTER he recovered, AFTER he had gotten to a better place on the other side of the river bend! I want to encourage you to not speak about positive change until YOU are certain it is ready to be shared! Just keep these moments to yourself for right now... and God will give you the right season to share openly about your growth and blessings you have learned once you get to the other side of this!

State of the Church - "Looking Through Stained Glass Windows"

It's not about us "Having a Revival" that means we are already dead - CPR? - "Church Put to Rest!" God knows HIS Church is alive and well!! And God desires to BE there in our midst to get us to where we need to be! We don't need a "Retreat" that means we have turned our backs and ran away. Nor should we say we need to have a "Crusade" my my... when is the church going to learn that those typographic words so alienate and demoralizes us as Christians and distance us from the very culture we are trying to reach? Obviously WE are way behind the times. people say: "I don't like organized religion" We all know that's a 'cop-out' mentality. If churches were on top of their game, consistent and certain of what they are to BE about - then there would be no need for such comments. People would flock to our doors! Or maybe God is wanting on us to first "turn church inside out" and honestly admit we have failed our congregations and communities. Bill Hybels has said: “The local church is the hope of the world, and its future rests primarily in the hands of its leaders.” So, we best get a clue and get after it.

We all know, rather it is people or programs,... there is dead wood in the water that is holding the church back. THIS is the greatest injustice a ministry can experience. Somewhere along the line... we have to call the tough shots... and cut to the quick, count our losses, regain our direction and force forward, it's not a matter of being indignant towards others or being manipulative or playing hardball... Churches fail in moving forward because we become enablers of dysfunction by bad Leadership decisions and problematic Church Programming. We can not continue to pacify crying congregations by plugging ministry holes while the ship is still taking on water. Something has to give. I'd rather grab a few 'working' planks and start surfing the high seas... rather than going down with worrisome folks in a sinking ship.