Tommy Mitchell / The Rurban Church Blog

To Know Christ!

In Philippians 3:10, Paul speaks of wanting to "know Christ!"  Did you ever stop to think about Paul's desire? We see Paul was clearly "driven" by the Gospel! It is incomprehensible that he would have declared that he wanted to "know Christ" without some idea of how to accomplish that goal!

If we were to say today, "I want to know Christ," how would we go about it? Paul did not just want to know "about" Christ - he wanted to "know Him!" 

We have a tendency today to want to know "about" Him!  Think about it!

Do we know "about" His grace - or do we "know" His grace?  Knowing "about" comes through studies, information, talks, discussions etc.   On the other hand, "knowing" comes through time spent with Him!

So, do we know "about" His forgiveness - or do we "know" His forgiveness?

Do we know "about" His comfort - or do we "know" His comfort?

Do we know "about" His holiness - or do we "know" His holiness?

You get the drift! We need to "know" Christ! That comes through time spent with Him - obeying Him - becoming more and more like Him!  That is how we "know" that we "know" Him versus knowing "about" Him - when we become like Him ourselves!

I Reckon Jesus Knew What He Was Doing! Do We?

Generally speaking, I think we all agree that Jesus knew what He was doing while walking on this earth! I'm pretty sure we don't have too much if any "arm-chair quarterbacking" on His methods and strategy!  Which leads to the question - do we know what we are doing?

I'm am really pumped about Sunday's upcoming message! Jesus is sending out 72 folks to engage the population!  One might note that His method of discipleship was basically two-fold - watch what I do - and - go do it!  Jesus' concept of discipleship was not weeks, months, years of study followed by ....nothing!  This tends to be our method!  Take a class on how to share your faith in Christ with another person - and then - follow through by never sharing our faith!  Then make constant statements about how we are "not ready" or "not trained enough" to do so!

Jesus had a different method! He threw His disciples into the deep end of the unsaved pool and said - "go for it!"  When we study Luke 10:1-20 this Sunday, we are going to see an ALIVE and ALERT bunch of folks!  Nothing quickens the senses and causes us to depend on Jesus more carefully than walking into unfamiliar territory!  I'm leaving out a lot (because I am preaching on this topic Sunday) but when the 72 returned, they were pumped! They were excited! And what is really neat is that Jesus was pumped right with them!  They were all men of God on that day - and they all shared in the victory and the power of God!

Jesus knew what He was doing! He was engaging men who believed in Him to immediately act on His word -to obey Him sooner than later and leave the results to Him!   We tend to take a different approach - acting only if we are almost certain that we can control the circumstances and the response!  That approach may rarely produce results, but it will do so without any power and leadership of the Spirit!  

Come to worship Sunday! We will discover the power of "Doing Kingdom Work" as we go "Forward in Faith!"

Revelations on Revelation! UPDATED!!!!

There are three remaining Wednesday nights for the Revelation study at ABC! I was going to do one chapter a night the next two Wednesdays and be through, but I just could not!  As I was writing the study today I found such uplifting truths and puzzling phrases!  

Can you imagine life that operates in a glorified state versus the way we know things now! There is a phrase, powerfully important in Revelation 21 that simply says, "and there was no longer any sea!"  Imagine that! We operate in a very hydro dependent mode now! We need water to drink just to survive! The oceans impact climate in ways we are still discovering, but particularly in developing weather patterns that produce rain and drought! We need the rain to produce water to replenish the earth, water our plants, grow our food, and keep our bodies alive!  Aren't we about 98% water?

The big news in that one little phrase "and there was no longer any sea," is not so much the fact that we will no longer need water, but that all life itself will be energized in a totally different realm!  We will not only be water free, but life itself will be sustained fully by the glory of God!  There are endless ramifications of all this!  Right now we might be inclined to say, "but I love sweet tea" or "how will I make it without coffee?"  Trust me - it will never enter your mind because life will not be better - it will be perfect in ways that as the song says, "I can only imagine!"

Life sustained by the glory of God!  Ponder on that a while!

UPDATE! I can hardly wait until tonight! The blessing of this book are fabulous! We will really have a good time with the scripture tonight!   Try to imagine life existing in a completely different realm!

Random "Goose Chasing" Thoughts!

Here are just a few random thoughts thus far that are burning a hole in my heart and brain!

1. God is not boring! If you think God is boring, or if you are bored spiritually, go on a mission trip! It will rejuvenate your spirit and wake you up spiritually!

2. Worship in the elements! One of the key differences between the modern church and the experience of the disciples and the early church is weather!!!! We worship corporately (and most times privately) in a clean, sterile location, like a church building or our homes!  But they were taught and worshiped together in storms, rain, climbing mountains, walking in the dry dust, on the hillsides etc..  So, find a less than perfect shelter in the rain to worship God - pray outside in the dark - sing to the Lord outside as the sun rises - have some friends get together by a lake  or pond to do a Bible study!  I love it!

3. When God gives you a passion, it becomes your responsibility! Has God given you a passion for something? Then don't try to pass it off to someone else. See what God will do with you!  Allow His passion to grow inside you and have tangible expression in the world.  See how God will provide for your passion, how He will equip you for the passion, how He will resource the passion He has placed in your heart!

4. Remember that God uses the "unqualified!"  When God places a passion in our hearts, we too often respond that we are not "qualified" to do it!   Godly, spirit-filled passion will trump qualified indifference every time! (see 3 above)

5. Change of place + change of pace = change of perspective!  Direct quote - page 50, Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson, Multnomah Books

6. We need to use more imagination!  It is easier to pray from memory than imagination - maybe I should say - it is lazier to pray from memory than imagination!  We can get into such a rut that prayer becomes a mindless and really heartless exercise!  A memorized blessing for food! A standard prayer for the sick!  A very generalized prayer about our sins!   Studying this idea of using our imagination more in prayer reminded me of my life verse in the scripture -  ²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

He is able to do more than we ask - or imagine!  Surely that truth will unleash us for greater service, less routine, more chasing of the Goose - (following the Spirit).

7. My prayer is for ABC to be known for Goose Chasing! (following the Spirit!)  I don't anything else to really say about that one! May it be so!

A Very Rurban Moment!

Since we have a lot of country roads out here in the country, we get to see a lot of country things.  Today, at the risk of being gross, I beheld one of those moments - perhaps mixed with some kind of life truth!

The county was bush-hogging the shoulders of the road! Close to where you turn off the main road to go to my house, they either hit and killed or hit a dead armadillo! It was not a pretty sight. When I came home from work I noticed that even the buzzards weren't having a picnic. 

Now, you know, I figured that it must be bad when you are so nasty that even a buzzard doesn't want you! The bible says that "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6 ) in the sight of the living, holy God.  We can get pretty bad - and pretty nasty - but God is so amazing - the bible also says "that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound!  (Romans 5:20 )  

You know what that means - you and I will never be as nasty as a dead armadillo because of God's grace!

Liar, Liar! Interesting new Sermon Series

Sunday I will begin a series of messages entitled, "Liar, Liar!"  Satan is the father of all lies and he works constantly and tirelessly to deceive us.  He gets our attention focused on a lie that is in direct opposition to the truth of God's Word.  When he is successful in that endeavor, the lie brings us into a bondage, a stronghold from which only one thing can free us - the TRUTH!  Jesus is the TRUTH! He is the living Word of God and brings the power to the WRITTEN Word of God.  The TRUTH will do what???? Set you free!

I can hardly wait to preach this series of messages.  It will deal with the top lies that Satan uses to defeat God's people in specific areas of our lives.  Be praying, anticipating, and inviting people for the next several weeks.

A Great Revival!

Last night we studied Revelation 7.  Just a few thoughts that flow from that scripture!

1. Never doubt that God is at work behind the scenes. Things may look impossible - but God is at work!  In the midst of the time of tribulation, moving into THE GREAT TRIBULATION, God produces 144,000 sold out, solid, Jewish evangelists!  WOW!

2. Never doubt that God can do a great work in our time!  As carnal and secular as our society has become, it is nothing in comparison to the days of the tribulation.  Yet we will see the greatest world-wide revival ever known in those last days.  People from every nation, tribe, language and people will be brought to Christ. If God can (and will) bring that GREAT revival then - He can do it NOW as well!

3. Never give up!  Regardless of the hard hearts of the unsaved, or the opposition of believers, or the direct opposition of governments - God's purposes will be accomplished in the world in those last days - and God will reward you - Christ will refresh you - God will wipe away every tear!!

4. Give those who block God's plans over to Him!  Sadly, there are always people who think their job in life is to block the work of God. These are folks within the church!  Don't let them bug you or overly burden you. Don't hate - don't be frustrated.  Just hand them over to God! He can take care of those things. Just be faithful in what God has called you to do. He rewards faithfulness - results are up to Him!

Can God Provide?

Yesterday we walked through Psalm 78 during Morning Worship!  There are a few "Big Ones" in that chapter worth remembering!

1. God is an awesome provider!

2. Seeing doesn't mean believing! Some people say, "If I could just see God do a miracle in my day - then I would have no trouble believing."  God's people saw His mighty acts over and over - and still asked, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

3. Unfaithful people expect everyone else to be unfaithful!

4. Faithlessness breeds forgetfulness.

5. Assurance is one of the first casualties of sin!

6. You really have to trust God to see His provision.

7. Being on the wrong side of God is the absolutely worst place you can be!

Revelation 4 - The Crescendo of Praise!

The study of Revelation is truly a blessing - challenging - yet a significant blessing!  One of the key features of chapter four is the crescendo  of praise - with more and more groups joining the praise of God throughout chapters four and five. 

In an unexpected way - chapter four and five reveal something about the unregenerate church today!  There is a stark contrast between the unbridled praise in those chapters and the reality of most worship today!  One might argue - well, that is in heaven in the presence of God!  Ah ha!!! That is what worship is today - in the presence of God - who indwells His children! 

A point that I could not pass up making - God will change our bodies when He comes for us - but He will not change our hearts!  They have already been changed!  If we are not warmed by the spirit of God now; if we are not filled with praise for Him now; if we are not captured by His love - inspired by His grace - if we are not motivated to service now - the time of entering heaven is not going to change all that!!!! The time of entering heaven is in serious doubt!!!  When the Lord saves - He gives us an eternal heart- an eternal spirit!  But is for more than giving us survivability, endurance, and eternal longevity!  It is about giving us His heart - His passion - His purposes!

If our "Christian" experience is all about finding a church that "pleases us" or a minister that coddles us or a church organization the fits our demands - and if our hearts and faces are chiseled in stone and unfeeling for the praise of God - well - - -that may very well not be a "Christian" experience.

In my lifetime - I have heard with my own ears the proclamation of "Christians" that they will do all the worship and praise in Heaven - but not now!  This is most often in relation to expressions of praise and worship on Sundays and living flat out for Jesus now.  But they miss the point.  Heart change for heaven takes place now - not in heaven! 

Truly food for thought - and makes one mindful of Matthew 7:21 - "Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father."

One thing is for sure - it always helps to hold up real worship (Rev. 4&5) and compare our worship and lifestyle. 

Digging Down Brings Forth Precious Stones!

When we started studying Revelation, I knew that the first three chapters would be rewarding - and fairly predictable.  After all, they are probably the easiest chapters of Revelation.  Tonight I start into chapter four. Now, chapter four is not difficult - except that chapter 4:1 is used by multitudes of people as a proof-text of a pre-trib rapture that some see as a secret rapture and others as a public rapture.  (I don't mean to be harsh by using the phrase proof-text) 

So, tonight I will spend some time talking about the rapture and some of the history involved with it.
What I do know is that God's word is rich - means what it says (not what I want it to say), and releases valuable gems to those who take the time to dig!

The longer I live, the more I know about the word of God.  The longer I live, the less I know about the word of God.  Sounds contradictory, but I am figuring that a lot of folks will know exactly what I mean!  The more that I know - the more I realize my limitations.

Oh, to see Him one day face to face! And know even as I am known! Now that will be THE DAY!