The First Month Of 2010 Has Blown By!!

Posted: February 9, 2010

January has been an incredible month at Mt Bethel – especially in the Encounter service!

Here’s an overview:

  • Worship attendance is up a whopping 45%!
  • 16 people joined the church through the Encounter service.
  • 22 people got connected to a small group through Encounter!
  • Our volunteer base in Encounter increased by 20%!
  • Half of the DNOW host homes are families who attend Encounter.
  • Your giving spirit has been nothing short of awesome!

We are well into February and I’m excited about all the cool things happening your lives.  Let me know how God has impacted you during January 2010?

Jody

Three Voices

Posted: July 7, 2009

John 10:27 (NASB): “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Do you ask God for guidance regarding life decisions? Do you believe God can speak to you regarding your situation? These are very important questions because many people (Christians included) don’t believe God will speak to them.

At any point in time we hear three voices which we must recognize and separate. The voices are our own voice, the voice of satan, and the voice of God.

Imagine that you are in a conversation with three people all at the same time. Each of the three people are trying to give you directions to a particular destination. All these voices, speaking at the same time, makes it impossible to know what direction to go because you can only give full attention to one person. This is the scenario that is replayed over and over again as we try to hear God’s voice regarding the direction we need to go and the decisions we make.

Do you ever “talk to yourself?” Let me answer the question for you – YOU TALK TO YOURSELF. Your voice is developed from all the life experiences you have had throughout your life. Our voice speaks based on our perception of reality regarding our past history, our present situation, and our expectation for what will happen in the future. But you may or may not have an accurate perception of reality. It is crucial that you are aware of your own voice because your preconceived notions can interfere with hearing God’s voice.

The second voice we hear is the voice of satan. In John 8:44 (NASB) Jesus describes Satan by saying, “he is a liar and the father of lies.” In 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Satan is described as one who “disguises himself as an angel of light” for the purpose of deceiving people with his lies. Satan is a counterfeit. He is always trying to imitate the voice of God by speaking in what seems to be truth, but ultimately leads people away from God’s truth.

The third voice is the voice of God (the Holy Spirit). Just as satan is “a liar and the father of lies,” who only speaks partial truth so that he can distort it and deceive you, God’s voice (the Holy Spirit) is the voice of all truth. John 6:13 (NASB): “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” Based on this passage the Holy Spirit is: 1) the voice of all truth, 2) guides us in the right direction, and 3) He discloses what is to come.

Satan’s goal is to do just the opposite. He wants to: 1) distort the truth, 2) guide you in the wrong direction, and 3) keep you from seeing God’s plan for your life.

Hearing the voice of God is the birthright of every born-again believer. God is always speaking – the real issue is can you hear Him. Your ability to hear God’s voice is based on three things: 1) Being a believer (born again), 2) filled with the Holy Spirit, and 3) discerning the three voices.

A.W. Tozer on True Prophets

Posted: June 14, 2009

Great industrial concerns have in their employ men who are needed only when there is a breakdown somewhere. When
something goes wrong with the machinery, these men spring into action to locate and remove the trouble and get the machinery rolling again.

For these men a smoothly operating system has no interest. They are specialists concerned with trouble and how to find and correct it.

In the kingdom of God things are not too different. God has always had His specialists whose chief concern has been the moral breakdown, the decline in the spiritual health of the nation or the church. Such men were Elijah, Jeremiah, Malachi and others of their kind who appeared at critical moments in history to reprove, rebuke and exhort in the name of God and righteousness.

A thousand or ten thousand ordinary priests or pastors or teachers could labor quietly on almost unnoticed while the spiritual life of Israel or the church was normal. But let the people of God go astray from the paths of truth and immediately the specialist appeared almost out of nowhere. His instinct for trouble brought him to the help of the Lord and of Israel.

Such a man was likely to be drastic, radical, possibly at times violent, and the curious crowd that gathered to watch him work soon branded him as extreme, fanatical, negative. And in a sense they were right. He was single-minded, severe, fearless, and these were the qualities the circumstances demanded. He shocked some, frightened others and alienated not a few, but he knew who had called him and what he was sent to do. His ministry was geared to the emergency, and that fact marked him out as different, a man apart.

To such men as this the church owes a debt too heavy to pay. The curious thing is that she seldom tries to pay him while he lives, but the next generation builds his sepulcher and writes his biography, as if instinctively and awkwardly to discharge an obligation the previous generation to a large extent ignored…

The Progression of Sin

Posted: June 13, 2009

Where does sin begin and what are the effects of sin?  In Romans 1 the Apostle Paul gives us the answer to this question.  There is a progression of sin and  Paul says it starts when we:

Step 1:  Romans 1:18 = Reject the truth. When we reject the truth of the Scripture we ultimately start down the road to destruction.  When we reject the truth the next step is …..

Step 2: Romans 1:21 = Distorted thinking. Paul writes that their thinking “became futile” and in doing so their “hearts became darkened.”  They claim to be wise, but they became fools.  When there are no absolutes in the world and we take God out of the equation, our thought processes are faulty, our conclusions are inaccurate, and our bad decisions begin to bring judgment upon us.  Distorted thinking leads to ….

Step 3: Romans 1:24-25 = Idolatry. Our distorted thinking makes us look into ourselves instead of looking up to God.  When we make our thoughts, ideas, and opinions the law of life instead of the will of God we ultimately become self-centered and not God-centered.  What does modern day idolatry look like?  Where do you spend the majority of your time and money?  Who/What does our society worship?  Idolatry always leads to …..

Step 4: Romans 1:26-28 = Sexual immorality and moral perversion. Idolatry always leads to sexual immorality and moral perversion.  Look around our world.  Pornography is a multi-million dollar business.  Recent studies show that the sale pornographic material is greater than the NBA, NFL and major league baseball combined.  Internet pornography is climbing the charts as one of the leading causes of divorce in our country.  Child sex trafficking is a growing business and Atlanta is the center of commerce.  Rejecting the truth, distorted thinking, idolatry, and moral perversion lead to …….

Step 5: Romans 1:29-31 = Chaotic lives and society. In these verses of Scripture, Paul, tells us that sin brings us to a place of no restraint.  We become a people and a society that is corrupt and without self-control.  The next stage is …..

Step 6: Romans 1:32 = Complete Impenitence. When sin is full swing and at it’s worst, society, begins to approve of (even applaud) the sins of others.  This is also the state of the person who has no conscience of God.  They’ve turned from God (the truth) for so long they loose the ability to see truth.

This is a sobering picture of what happens when we deliberately turn from the truth and we expel God from our thinking.

Tell me what you think?

Jody

SIN: THE REAL TRUTH

Posted: June 9, 2009

The Encounter team is really excited about the move to the fellowship hall for the summer.  Many people are working double time to make the transition as smooth as possible.  I hope you will come out and join us – it’s going to be awesome!

This past Sunday we started a new series in Encounter titled “Sin: The Real Truth.”  Sin is a word we really don’t like to talk about, but it’s vitally important that we understand the effects sin can have over our lives.  But remember what Jesus said about the truth?  He said, “Knowing the truth will set you free!” (John 8:32)  Over the next three weeks I want to dive into the Bible so each of us can  know the “Real Truth” about sin.  I think our lives will be better for it.  If you missed the first message you can listen to the podcast or the video should be up by Wednesday afternoon (6/10).

Join us this Sunday as I’ll deal with the issue of “Temptation.”

Jody

Mt Bethel and Facebook

Posted: May 31, 2009

Last year, a group from Mt. Bethel attended Saddleback Church’s small group conference. It was an amazing event for all, and we gained a greater understanding of the limitless potential small groups can have within our congregation. One of the more interesting concepts was small group networking and management software available for churches. These different networking softwares have great features for managing and connecting people into small groups, but they also have the ability for small group leaders to connect with their groups and to create group discussions among the members of the group. This one feature was my favorite because it allows small groups the ability to stay connected in a really unique way outside of the small group meeting times and to have ongoing discussions about relevant topics.

We currently don’t have the ability to purchase small group networking software, but we do have the ability for our small groups to stay connected, and it’s totally free. The many different social media sites have made it possible for people to connect and stay connected to friends and family all around the world. Using these sites you can send messages, chat (audio and video), and share pictures and video of special occasions. These sites also give you the opportunity to create special interests groups. Using Facebook, for instance, you can create any kind of special interest group you would like and invite people to join those groups. There are several hundred of these special interest groups alone on Facebook related to Mt Bethel. For example, there is our main Mt. Bethel group, a Mt. Bethel Missions group, an Encounter worship service group, multiple youth groups, and many small groups. There are presently around 2,000 members of Mt. Bethel who use Facebook (WOW). I use Facebook as a way to stay connected to our congregation and the different Life Groups I facilitate.

I would like you to consider using Facebook as a means for staying connected with your Life Group, Sunday School class, or Bible study group. I’ve asked Mickey Mellen, our webmaster at the church, to show you in this short video how to create a group using Facebook and some of the creative ways you can use this technology to stay connected. Oh, by the way, it’s FREE!!

Disturb Us Lord

Posted: May 28, 2009

“Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore.

“Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim.

“Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push us into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love.”

Yes Lord, let it be so.
Confront us with our complacency and fill us with a Holy Hunger that is insatiable.
Instill within us a Divine Desperation to see Your Kingdom come and to cease from building our own kingdoms.
Pull the rug out from under our frivolous ambitions and give us eyes to see our own true motives and frailties.
Send us into the depths of  adversity, if need be, to cause us to stretch our hands toward yours, lest we perish.

We admit and confess to you that we have no way of knowing you, and your ways, without your divine intervention working in us to show us the way.  Lead us on Father , lead us on.

Prayer of Sir Frances Drake, circa 1590

….and my prayer tonight for us.

Jody

Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone

Posted: May 21, 2009

Meet one of my good friends and fellow MB members Betty Hornsby.  Betty’s a member of the choir, Life Group leader, and volunteers in the front office of the church.  Recently she went with a group to serve the homeless on the streets of Atlanta – so I asked if she would share her experience.

I was very anxious about the 7 Bridges experience. Ben, my husband, had been before but it just didn’t seem to be my thing. I volunteer at the church in the office and we have worked on the Great Day of Service but minister to the homeless? That was really putting myself out there. Jody Ray had challenged us to be dangerous Christians and to step outside our comfort zone. I reasoned that if Jesus were here today that He would be helping the least, the last and the lost. Why not me?

It was an eye opening experience to meet with Christians from other churches who had also answered the call. Our friends, the Gallentines, encourage me and help me to know that I would know what to say and do when I met the people who lived under the bridges. After prayer and an inspirational talk from Pastor Seven, the founder of this ministry, we are off to the first bridge where we meet a woman who was talking with her friend. She is happy for the nourishing bag lunch, which a group of people had prepared. Not many people are under that bridge but we left lunches and prayed for them. A group of young people is there from Alpharetta United Methodist as well as several young people from our church. I am so impressed with their boldness as they hug the people and offer prayer and encouragement.

The second bridge is very steep and not one I will approach since I don’t have the best back but there are a group of men sitting at the curb that we talk with. One is a former truck driver from Brooklyn who is very friendly and happy for the good meal. His hands and body are so dirty. Another man looks out of place with his polo shirt, clean pants and boots. He says he hasn’t been there long and I wonder if he will accept this as a way of life or whether he will get off the streets. Again, the rest of the group doesn’t find many people under the bridge but they leave lunches and pray.

The third stop was in the shadow of the dome of the state house. We are told by Bob, a leader, that many of the people had been rousted by the police in recent times and that they had moved to another place. All that polished beauty and manicured lawns contrasts the dirty, matted quilts where people had slept the night before. The simple belongings are clustered in some open spaces and someone has even made a little lean to out of orange construction material. We again pray and leave lunches. We see a young man who has a forlorned look in his eyes but gratefully accepts the bag lunch as well as a hygiene kit. He is given a hug and we hope that he knows that we care about him.

The fourth stop is near the area that the horses are kept for the carriage rides. Here we encounter more men who are sitting in discarded chairs at street level and under a bridge. One of them serenades us with his own gospel music. We have seen Bibles at some of the stops and realize that this is what many cling to for hope. An older man used to play football with Morris Brown College and talks sports with our son, Will and my husband, Ben. His knees are hurting and we talk about bringing him a brace for his knees when we come back. This area is very messy with discarded clothes and litter and I wonder how someone can live like this. The men seem content to be there and with there life.

What a day! I have not been afraid and I have felt comfortable talking with all the people that we have met. They seem to appreciate our being there and the food that has been brought. I wish that they would want to get off the street but this is their choice. It is my choice to do what I can even though it is small. A person wiser than I assured me that we are not responsible for the results, only the effort. It tugged at my heart to see people live like this and it inspired me as I watched people care for the bridge people. God’s commandment was that we should love others as He loves us. I saw this in action. Sometimes, being dangerous is good.

Betty Hornsby

The Chronicles of a Dangerous Church

Posted: May 20, 2009

I’m changing the focus of “my” blog.  I’ve decided to take the “my” off of it and change the title to “The Chronicles of a Dangerous Church.”  The idea is to highlight people, events, leadership and Scripture that chronicle the church (the people) outside the walls of the church (the building).  If you have any thoughts or suggestions please contact me.  Your thoughts and feedback are not only welcomed, but appreciated.

jody.ray@mtbethel.org or 770-971-2880

Thanks

Jody

Reaching Your Potential

Posted: April 29, 2009

Our trip to work with the “7 Bridges” ministry this past weekend was awesome!  I was excited to see members of our church working with other churches sharing God’s love with people who needed food and clothing.  At the end of the day, as I reflected on all that we had encountered, I realized that we gave food and clothing to every single person that lived under those bridges and not a single one of them will go hungry tonight.  Our church has great potential!  When we come together, joined by great vision, there’s really nothing we can’t accomplish.  There is nothing that we can’t overcome together.

Webster’s Dictionary defines potential in this way: “Something that has power; something that is very potent, but it’s unrealized and hasn’t come into being.”  I’m not saying that we don’t do awesome things together as a church, but I do believe we haven’t come close to realizing our God given potential.

If we are going to reach our potential, we must develop “spiritual vision.”  Spiritual vision is knowing where God is calling you to go and then having the faith to pursue that calling.  Spiritual vision is the ability to see the direction God is leading you – it’s having the ability to “walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corin. 5:7)

Proverbs 29:18 states: “Where there is no progressive revelation the people cast off restraint.”

What this verse is really talking about is having “spiritual vision.”  When you don’t have  ability to see things in the spirit, you run the risk of chasing every whim that comes your way, and you never get to where God wants you to go.  Ultimately, you will never reach your God given potential.

I want to give you four things spiritual vision will do for you.

Spiritual Vision will ….

1.  Help you make difficult decisions. When you have a clear revelation of what God’s calling you to do you will be able to make difficult decisions because you know where you’re going.

2.  Cause you to pay the price. Your God given potential is bigger than you are – that’s why it’s God given.  If it’s not bigger than you are, then you aren’t seeing the capacity of your potential.  Do you have a dream inside of you today?  Then it’s going to cost you something to get there.  When people don’t know where they’re going, they’re unwilling to pay the price to get there.

3.  Cause you to overcome your fears. When you really see what God wants for your life and when you understand your potential in Him, your insecurities will vanish.  Fear is the greatest road block to reaching your potential.  You must overcome the temporary fears if you want to reach your potential.

4.  Cause you to live for the eternal and not for the immediate. Many times people don’t reach their potential because they react to temporary circumstances instead of focusing on the big picture.  The greatest problem in the world today is our obsessive desire for immediate gratification.  Pursuing the immediate gratifications in life will always keep you from reaching your potential.

Dr. David Yonggi Cho is the senior pastor of the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea.  The church has 900,000 members and 3,000 pastors on staff.  WOW!!  Dr. Cho once said something that is imprinted in my mind.  He said, “Tell me your vision, and I’ll tell you your future.”  Because if you can’t see it – you can’t have it.

I want you to know that you have great potential!  The God who created you has already given it to you, but you must go get it!  The key is having spiritual vision to see where God is leading you even when your present circumstances make it look impossible.