XEE

It's that time again...

Another XEE class is about to begin. It is going to be an incredible time of discipleship and training. This year we are pleased to have Mr. XEE himself, Adam Bond, here as our fearless instructor! Adam is probably one of the most passionate men I know when it comes to reaching the next generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He comes from a rich pedigree of EE giants (his father Rick Bond is the vice president of youth EE).

The class will meet on Thursday nights from 6 to 7 p.m. and will run for 7 weeks. The fist class will be held on Thursday, February 4th.

So, I hope all of you (both students and adults) will come out and join us! If you have any questions please contact the Out-reach department @ 954-334-5069

For His Kingdom...

Devastation...

As many of you know, Haiti was hit yesterday by a massive earthquake. The epicenter of the quake was most prominent and devastating in and around the capital of Port-Au-Prince. Numerous buildings and land standing structures were violently shaken and their foundations severely compromised. Entire communities have been left in literal "rubble." Countless people have been affected by this catastrophe either in injury, displacement and even death. The great majority of these people are residents of Haiti. However, with this small country lying only miles from south Florida, this tragedy has crossed many waters in order to touch many victims locally here.

So it is, whether there or here, many Haitians and their family now know first hand real and painful loss. Families have lost touch of loved ones still living within Haiti's boarders and it is often this state of "not knowing" that is very difficult.

We know, as Christians, that God was not and is not surprised by this event. He, through His own mysterious yet, loving purpose, has allowed this earthquake to take place. He is not removed from Haiti, but quite the opposite, He is likely more near now than ever. Thus, it is our responsibility as servants of God and His church, to pray for the people of Haiti and their families both here and there. We must pray that God would be plainly and mightily noticed in this time. He is the God of all comfort and is the ONLY source of true and real comfort for all those struck by this great disaster. We must diligently pray for not only physical rescue but spiritual rescue as well. In all of this, we must look to Christ as the author and finisher of our faith and find our hope and peace in Him.

So, to all my Haitian friends, brothers and sisters... I am praying for you!

"The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."

- Numbers 6:24-26

For His Kingdom...

1st post of 2010

What a humbling moment it is to realize that this is the first blog post of this new year - 2010. It seems like such a serious responsibility! I mean, what if it is terrible? What if it makes no sense? What if it is just more of the same old thing? To be honest it is terribly frustrating to put the beginning of 2010 into words. It's an often difficult matter to spell out my hopes and heart; to lay bare my thoughts, musings and perspectives. Perhaps the only comfort is being able to say that "it will only get better after this." At any rate, here goes.

At this very minute I am sitting @ my desk in my office listening to Shawn McDonald's marvelous song, "The Rider On The White Horse." I find it to be truly marvelous for a number of reasons. 1) The entire song consists of only these words - "someday I'm going to see the King." 2) The musical arrangement is magical, it moves me in a deeply emotional way - almost reaching out and pulling me into the story it tells. 3) The profundity of the song. Someday we will see the King.

Now, I've had this album in my possession for at least 2 years now and have only recently given it the attention it deserves. In fact, I started listening to it about 2 weeks ago, just before the new year. The above song appears in the 2nd slot on the playlist and when I heard it I was immediately hooked. I'm sure that I have listened to it at least 150 times since that fateful discovery.

So, why all the hype and publicity for this song, this artist you might wonder? Well, it's because I was touched and moved by something he created, something he did. He is using his talents, gifts and abilities to serve the Lord and His church! This is a wonderful thing! It is also a reminder that we (I) need to be about the Lord's work as well; using the talents, gifts and abilities that He has given to me to serve Him and His church. This is our calling, our duty and our blessing.

The song itself is also quite inspiring. In it's simplicity of lyrics it is also deeply complex in its theology. After all, someday we're going to see the King! I mean, one day I am going to be face to face with the King of Kings, the Lord of heaven and earth, the Creator Himself - that's AMAZING! But, what exactly does that mean for me today? How do I live and operate with that knowledge and hope this day, in this moment? What does this faith - let's call it what it is - look like? For it's one thing to sing along to this catchy song, it's a whole other thing to ingest it, internalize it and make it my own expression of the hope that resides in my innermost being.

Thus, in 2010 I want this to be the anthem of my life! I want to live every day as if that day I'm going to see the King! This is my hope, my earnest desire! Sure, I'm not going to perfectly accomplish this, but I'm striving! Strive with me. One day you too will see the King!

For His Kingdom...