Hopefully you heard the horrible news about the 7.0-magnitude Earthquake that destroyed the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  Confirmed deaths are at least 150,000.  As I was watching the news video of dead bodies lying along the streets, it occurred to me that the urgency to find those who remained alive under the rubble was of utmost importance.  Leave the dead behind, focus on finding those who are trapped alive…

The rescue workers sense that urgency on the grounds.  They see it right before their eyes.  Our campuses are full of dead hearts that will spend eternity separated from Christ.  Do you see them and sense the urgency to proclaim the good news of Christ to them?  Is there a better cause to give your life to?

Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth more laborers… 

Lance and I were in Las Vegas over the weekend meeting with State Collegiate Leaders from the Emerging Regions of the US.  These leaders serve the least impacted areas of the country...the NorthEast, NorthWest, and Upper Midwest.  I had two takeaways from our time together

1. There is no secret formula to reaching this next generation for Christ.  God is at work and blessing in many ways and through many forms of Evangelism.  The Magic Bullet of old isn’t firing…yet the Gospel is still alive and well.

2. With the present Economic situation, these smaller churches/conventions are proving that more really can be done with less.  Most of them are operating with little or no budget at all, yet having to think more strategically than many of us ever will.  Work smart and pray a whole lot.

We need to pray more diligently for these Regions who are on the front lines of moving the Gospel forward in some of the most unreached parts of our country.  They are looking for partners from Texas to build long-term relationships for sending students to help during the Summer and short-term trips during strategic times of the year.  Will you go?

Check NAMB Summer Missions for more info…

Last weekend we had what I like to call a “shindig” right here in Grapevine.  INTERSECT 2010 was absolutely phenomenal and a huge thanks to all of the 400 leaders who came to the Statewide Retreat.  We were challenged, encouraged, and hopefully a little wet (if you went down the massive slide at the water park). 

2010 saw the beginnings of an Awakening.  An Awakening to Reach, Connect, and Equip the next generation of Collegiate Leaders in Texas to be ambassadors for Christ, actively spreading the message of reconciliation across our campuses.  This movement can’t blossom unless you play your part and play it well.   

Jesus changed the world with 12; can we reach Texas with 400?  I’m certainly confident that we can.  Look forward with great anticipation for INTERSECT 2011 and invite another leader in your area to join us

Aubrey Malphurs is correct – “The Church is the hope of the world, but the hope of the Church is Leadership.” 

It has been said that the central anchor of the Titanic weighed over 15 tons.  That’s nearly 14,000 lbs to be exact.  This, however, is miniscule when compared to the ship’s weight – some 46,000 tons!  That’s almost 43 Million pounds!  Yet this anchor was sufficient to hold the world’s largest ocean-liner in a single spot amidst crashing waves.   That’s unbelievable.

That ocean-liner, however, pales in comparison to our great God.  And that anchor pales in comparison to the Word of God.   These two are synonymous and all-sufficient.  When I think about what the Church does, make disciples, it bewilders me to think how we are to do this if we are not controlled, framed, and anchored by the Word of God alone.  It seems that everything else is so much more “trendy” to today’s college student.  Yet if this isn’t anchoring everything we do, how can anything else compare?  What shall we use to turn dead, cold hearts into living, affectionate, and zealous ones toward the glory and greatness of Christ?

If I may be bluntly honest, we tend to spend more time building smaller anchors than utilizing the power of the only true one.  If we are attracting students to ourselves, our programs, our events, or our gatherings rather than to the all-sufficient Word of God, we are not overwhelmed by it’s power.  May we see the Scriptures for their supreme purpose and raise them high above the waves of compromise in order that the gospel may be rightly proclaimed and Jesus seen as infinitely valuable.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God; for all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.  The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord remains forever.  And this word is the good news that was preached to you (1 Peter 1:22-25).        

Today it begins…

Have you seen the movie Iron Man?  It’s my friend David’s favorite movie.  The story is of a genius engineer, Tony Stark, who, upon attaining a severe heart condition, builds a custom armor suit of “Iron,” which when worn, enables him to wield super-powers that ultimately allow him to overcome evil.  It’s quite fascinating and it sounds a little familiar doesn’t it?  People with severe heart conditions, in need of something supernatural to give them power over the darkness in the world? Ahh…yes.

The power of the Spirit in our lives, is no small power.  You see, Genesis 1 declares that this power “hovered over the face of the deep” and worked alongside the Father and His Son to Create the entire cosmos.  Then, according to the Bible, the unthinkable happens – this powerful Being comes to dwell in the hearts of men who believe upon Christ by faith alone.  Hard to imagine isn’t it?  In some circles, talk about the Spirit is taken to the extreme.  But in others, it’s power is hardly acknowledged and even at times maybe even hindered.  Yet isn’t this the only power that moved the Church along throughout the book of Acts, and the only Spirit that edifies the Church in 1 Corinthians 12-14?  That groans within us according to Romans 8?  This Spirit is also the One sent by Jesus to His disciples in order that they might combat the world and even overcome it (John 16,17). 

Many times we fear the work of the Spirit and spend more time trying to control it, than embracing it and getting out of its way.  It will spread like wildfire through our ministries if we will yield to its power, rather than trusting in our own.  May we long for more of the Spirit – more of its power in us working through us and working among us.

These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:25-27).

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