Josh Hatcher's Blog

Core Value # 4. Transformation through Cell Groups

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:50:00 +0000

Core Value # 4. Transformation through Cell Groups (A12 format) – We believe the best
place to experience life change, meaningful relationships, and effective
mission is in cell group.

The Bigger Open Arms gets, the smaller it has to get...
Most churches max out at about 80 people. Why 80? because that's all the more people that a really good pastor can maintain relationships with.
Once a church starts to get past that point (and we are well past that point) the breakdown occurs... and like a rubber band, any new growth starts to stretch out, and then when people don't feel connected to "the pastor", the church snaps back down to a small number again, never breaking through to its potential.

It's really not a biblical model. The biblical model involves Jesus, hanging out, and sharing life with 12 or so guys, and equipping them to go out and hang out with more. Sure, Jesus had hundreds of "disciples"... there were hundreds of people that followed Jesus while he was on the earth. Sometimes THOUSANDS would come out to hear him speak.
But Jesus picked a group of about 12 people, (and got even closer to a smaller group than that, Peter, James, and John) and invested in them, teaching them, training them to go out and invest in, teach, and train new believers.

If we read that accurately, and believe the Great Commission, than we see that what Jesus gave the disciples was then meant to be passed on, and on and on and on....

That's why we've built our small group model the way it is, so that it keeps going, and going, and going, and going.

If you look out across our church, and look for people whose lives are being transformed, and I guarantee you, there are some... it's happening through our cell group ministries. One cell group "adopted" a homeless guy, helped him get a job, helped him pay rent, gave him a car, and just became his friend. The guy is now a hardworking, single dad, that is doing well with his life!

This is just one story out of dozens of stories of life transformation at Open Arms.

If you want to know more about our cell group format, check out this information, and watch my message about "Community" if you haven't seen it yet!

http://www.openarmsbradford.org/community/a12.html

http://www.openarmsbradford.org/echurch/2008/09/growing-closer-to-god-part-5-community.html

Core Value #3. Every member a minister and a missionary

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:11:00 +0000

Let's dive in further into this blog series on our Open Arms Core Values. What is this crazy thing all about?

Core Value #3. Every member a minister and a missionary* – We believe God has called
every person to proclaim the message of Jesus to the lost and serve in team
ministry using their God-given resources of Time, Talents, and Finances.

Matthew 28:
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Mark 16: 15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

Acts 1: 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

The Great Commission is recorded in a few different passages, from the perspective of a few different authors. They each highlighted different things that Jesus said and did that day.
It’s important to understand that the Great Commission was given, not just to twelve guys in robes, but to every person who considers himself a follower of Christ.

1 Peter 2:
9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Peter tells us that we are a royal priesthood… each of us that follow Christ have a calling to perform.

It’s important to note that ministry is not meant to be done by the “Pastor” or the “paid professional.” The work of reaching the WORLD for Christ is bigger than an all of the pastors in the world can do. The work of reaching just BRADFORD for Christ is bigger than what all of the pastors in town can do.
This scripture tells what a pastor’s job is.
Ephesians 4: 11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

The pastor’s job is not to do all the work. It’s to equip the people of God to do that work.

At Open Arms, this core value is both a blessing and a challenge.
It’s freeing to know that we have the freedom to actually do ministry. We can dream up ideas, and work with our TEAM (which can be a cell group, or a group of people interested in working together on a project)
But it also means that we need to do the work and support that work with our prayers, our service, and our finances.

If we don’t, it won’t happen. Trees don’t get cut down by themselves. The lawn does not mow itself. People don’t come to church just because a building is there, they need to be invited. The electric bill doesn’t just get paid, and poor people don’t just have food, the PEOPLE OF GOD need to give.

Open Arms is a job for all of us. Let’s pray about where and how we can serve, how much and how often we should give, and in what ways we are gifted to serve God.

Core Value # 2 - Authentic Disciples

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:49:00 +0000

Let's take a look at our Open Arms Core Values. What is Open Arms all about? How does it function? What makes us tick?

Core Value #2. Authentic Disciples –We believe the true measure of faith is
demonstrated by one's obedience and that we need to have healthy avenues
of accountability in our walk with Jesus.

There are a lot of people who call themselves Christians. There are a lot of people who believe in God. In fact, check our these statistics from the Barna Group:
Faith Groups
8% of US adults classify as evangelicals (2007) (see Evangelical category for more information)
35% of US adults classify as born again, but not evangelical. (2007)
Atheists and agnostics comprise 10% of adults nationwide. (2007)
7% of the US population identify with a faith other than Christianity (2007)
69% believe in God when described as the all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect creator of the universe who rules the world today. (2007)
8% believe that God is the total realization of personal human potential. (2007)
But the boxes people check on a survey or a census does not necessarily accurately measure a relationship with Jesus.

An “Authentic Disciple” is someone who really follows Jesus. They not only talk the talk, but they walk the walk.
Sure, they aren’t perfect, they make mistakes…
but everyday, they get closer and closer to what God wants them to be.

They chose to obey the principles and commands that God laid out in His word.

They are not liars.
They are not cheats.
They are generous givers.
They are faithful and committed to their spouse.
They help poor people.
They don’t gossip.
They are forgiving.
They tell their friends and family about Jesus.

Sure, they’re not perfect. They make mistakes...
That’s why they surround themselves with people who can hold them accountable. People who can ask them, “So How’s it going man? Are you doing anything you shouldn’t be?”

They allow themselves to be questioned so that they can truly be shaped into who God wants them to be.

Scripture says that: As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens the face of another.

That means that REAL followers of Jesus are not lone wolves… they run in packs.

I can remember two guys that lived on the floor of my dorm in college. Keep in mind that I went to Liberty University, a very conservative Christian College with a lot of rules, including mandatory dorm curfews, and a dress code. (We had to wear a tie to class.)

One young man in the dorm was raised in an evangelical home, went to a Christian school his whole life, and knew exactly what was required of him.
But he was cynical and rude. He took pleasure in picking on people. He also snorted Ritalin to get high, snuck booze into his room, and had underage drinking parties in his dorm room. He would not listen when people would confront him, but would get defensive and sometimes violent if people challenged his lifestyle. He didn’t go to church regularly. He was greedy with his money. (and he had a LOT of it.) He hated black people, and would sneak out at night to meet up with his girlfriend and have sex. Even though he did these things, he believed in God, and considered himself a Christian.

Another young man was a preacher’s kid. He struggled with authority, he hated the strict rules that Liberty placed on it’s students. He struggled with pornography and masturbation. But he was honest. He surrounded himself with guys, and confessed his sin. He asked for help and accountability to overcome his struggles. He read his Bible, he faithfully attended church, and tithed his meager income. He prayed daily. He struggled, but he was repentant, and open to people helping steer him.

It’s one thing to say you have faith, or that you trust God. It’s another to actually do what God says. The Faith of an Authentic Disciple is measured by his Obedience to God. And he’s willing to be held accountable to that.

Core Values #1 Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:05:00 +0000

Let's take a look at our Open Arms Core Values. What is Open Arms all about? How does it function? What makes us tick?

Core Value #1. Prayer –We believe that all we do should start, run, and end thoroughly
saturated in prayer.

Prayer is arguably the most powerful tool in our arsenal as Christians.
It takes many forms, it accomplishes many things. Prayer is to us as a Swiss Army Knife is to Macguyver.

We often get this “Bedtime Christianity” view of prayer. That if we say certain words before we go to sleep or before we eat, we will be blessed. Or if we ask God for help when we need it, he will appear like a magic genie and answer our prayer.

While it is certainly a good thing to thank God for our meal, to pray before bed, and to bring our requests to Him, prayer is so much more than that.

It’s talking to God, and listening to God. It’s plugging in to His power, by agreeing with what His word says. It’s laying hands on people and then asking God to heal them. It’s a meditation more powerful than yoga… It’s crying out to God when you don’t even know what words to pray, and when the Spirit inside you prays on your behalf.

It’s a microscope as we examine ourselves before we eat a piece of bread and drink a cup of juice, asking forgiveness for our sins.

It’s a source of strength when people stand against you, criticize you, lie to you or about you, and you ask God to bless them, and do good for them.

It’s not like an email, that you send and wait for someone to read and respond.
It’s not like a cell phone call that gets dropped in the middle.

It’s a living, breathing part of a face to face relationship with a real God.

All of this sounds fine, but without real life application, it’s just a bunch of words.
Let me tell you a few stories about the power of prayer.

I used to live in Roulette, and would have to drive about an hour to Bradford at three o’clock every morning. The winter time was the worst. One time (well, lots of times actually) I fell asleep at the wheel. I had to pull over for a few minutes, and splash snow on my face to wake up.

When I approached the top of Red Rock Hill, I feel asleep, and found myself veering into the lane of traffic. I knew that I could not make it down that hill without crashing. But somehow, I was able to stay awake enough to stay on the road. In fact, I drove several miles completely asleep.

When I got to work, my dad called and asked me, “What in the world happened to you this morning?” He had been woken up from a sound sleep, with this incredible pressure and feeling that he should pray for me. I explained what happened to me at 3:45 that morning. He had been awakened at that exact same time, had got up out of bed and prayed me all the way into work that morning.

My grandmother has had a number of heart problems. Several surgeries, lots of meds, and at this time, a lot of pain. She was convinced that she was having another heart attack.

We were sitting in Pizza Hut, and as she told us about it, I leaned over, laid my hand on her back, and prayed, trusting that God would heal her heart, and that nothing would be wrong with her.

When she went in for a stress test the next morning, the doctor pulled out two pictures of her heart.

“Geraldine, this picture is your heart a year ago. Do you see the lack of blood at the top? This is your heart from this morning. Do you see this artery that goes from the bottom to the top? This was not here a year ago. Sometime in the past year, your heart grew its own bypass surgery.”

Grandma told the doctor when it happened, at Pizza Hut the day before when I prayed for her.

I remember another time, when I was in severe emotional pain. I had been “eaten alive” by the church that I was serving in. People had turned against me because of my allegiance to a pastor that they strongly disagreed with. When he left, they turned on me, and said horrible things to me and about me. It was painful. It was difficult. I didn’t even know what to do or say, or even how to pray. So I laid down on the floor in my office and just cried. For hours, I cried to God. I couldn’t even say anything to Him, because I was hurting so badly. I just laid there, and I could feel this warmth, comforting me, healing me, and loving me. I walked out of there with enough strength to make it through.

Prayer is the gasoline of Open Arms. Nothing can run without it. So pray for your church leadership. Pray for your community. Pray for your family… just spend time with God, and let Him speak to you.

To read more about Prayer, check our Pastor Mike’s Powerhouse Prayer Series.

Complacecy

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:47:00 +0000

Complacency
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
com·pla·cen·cy /kəmˈpleɪsənsi/
Pronunciation[kuhm-pley-suhn-see]
–noun, plural -cies.
1. a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.

Proverbs 1:32 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

Revelation 3:15-16 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth

To be a Christian and Complacent is an oxymoron.

The life that God calls us to is not one of comfort and peace, but one where we battle, we serve, we sacrifice.

Yes, Jesus promises and dispenses comfort and peace... but not in such a way that we are lulled to sleep by it, but rather refreshed, so that we can go out and serve.

Lets ask ourselves: Have I been complacent? Have I allowed the enemy to steal my joy? Have I become discouraged? Lazy? Tired? Weak? Flabby? Faithless?

Ask God to help your zeal be renewed. Commit today to be PASSIONATE for Jesus, and not complacent.

Kingdom First

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:35:00 +0000

If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead. - William Law
---------------

Matthew 6
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
-----------

As we wrap up our study on "The Kingdom" this weekend, I thought this quote from William Law in reference o Matthew 6 was quite moving.

Are we seeking the things of this world ahead of our desire to seek the things of God?

Do we care more about our paycheck, our overtime pay, our satellite tv, our unlimited texting plan, our SUV, our Friday Night dinner out at the pizza joint, or WHATEVER?

Put your passion for knowing Jesus more at the forefront.

Make it the first and most important thing in your life.

Because in the end, you can't take your cell phone or your nice house with you.

Happy Happy Fourth

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:57:00 +0000

Happy Birthday USA

Happy Birthday too, to Isaiah And Michaelah!

and Happy Tenth Anniversary to my wife Zoe!

Replacement for Mike

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:53:00 +0000

hmm... Pastor Mike is out of town.
Maybe we should get this guy to replace him.

;)

Pastor's Pray for Politicians

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:16:00 +0000

YEAH, BUT... (the biggest enemy to WHAT IF)

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:29:00 +0000

I was listening to Reggie McNeill, the author of "Present Future" and other great books on church growth. He's a grumpy old southern codger that really has his finger on the pulse of the new Christianity... he was talking about how FEAR kept him from experiencing God's best for him...

He said that the biggest enemy to God's best is YEAH, BUT...

Statements that begin with YEAH, BUT... are motivated by fear. And they hold us back, like chains around our feet.

I hate bugs. I despise insects with a passion. I was successfully able to avoid a bee sting all the way until sixth grade, when one flew in my mouth and dug his little stinger into my upper pallet.

Ticks, Wasps, beetles, ladybugs... keep them ALL away from me.

That passionate fear of bugs reminds me of Indiana Jones and his fear of snakes... I can overcome it when absolutely necessary, but I still hate them.

My kids, unfortunately have learned this fear, and called it their own. They informed me yesterday that the downstairs bathroom was "Closed Until Further Notice". It seems a giant hornet had moved in, and it just made more sense to walk all the way upstairs when nature came calling.

I of course, "man-ed up" and wiped out the fiery little critter, and saved the day. The whole time I was choking back the urge to side with the kids, and just leave the downstairs bathroom closed!

As we enter this summer, with visions of WHAT IF in our heads, there is going to be a lot of temptation to say, YEAH, BUT...

What if serving God cost me everything?
YEAH, BUT.. what if everything meant that I would have to give up my cable tv, or my cell phone?
What if serving God was something I loved to do?
YEAH, BUT.. what if I have to quit my job to do it? We got to have an income?
What if everyone did their part?
YEAH, BUT... I'm no Mother Theresa, and I don't think I could do the things she did....

You get the point, right?

When we are envisioning this new and exciting future that God has for us... these YEAH, BUT.. statements of fear can cripple us, and keep us from the destiny that God wants to share with us!

He wants us to reach out into our community... YEAH, BUT... I'm not a preacher, and the guys I work with don't want to hear about Jesus.
... so what if you don't PREACH to them, but show them love! They should already know that you go to church, and the you believe in God... why not pour LOVE out on them, and accept them for who they are, and be patient with what they do wrong?
CS Lewis says this about the way Christians are supposed to be:

"Pure, spiritual, intellectual love shot form their faces like barbed lightning. It was so unlike the love we experience that its expression could easily be mistaken for ferocity."

We know that we are supposed to be generous, and give God the first part of our income...
YEAH, BUT... I'm already having a hard time making ends meet! If I give, I won't be able to pay my bills....

Guess what! God's Math is different. All I can say is that I have tithed for more than ten years now, and while I've been in tight places... I've never been without. When I choose to be generous and give a gift to someone over and above that tithe... it ALWAYS comes back to me! One time, I painfully gave 20 dollars to a person in need, and God supplied 400 dollars in gifts and income from unexpected sources within the next two weeks.

We know that following Jesus is hard. We know that going to church and a cell group requires time and commitment. We know that serving in children's ministry, or the worship team, or in the media booth can be stressful and difficult...
but instead of saying YEAH, BUT...

let's gulp down that fear, and do what has to be done! God will meet you there, and do amazing things with your obedience!

Trash Evangelism

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Sat, 24 May 2008 15:51:00 +0000

Check out this video from Off the Map..

what little act can you do this week to show someone that Jesus loves them?

Best Ribs Ever

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Thu, 15 May 2008 22:16:00 +0000

I had to travel to Batavia, NY to visit Northgate Church ( http://www.northgatefmc.com )

On the way home, my friend Andy took me out to eat at Alex's Place ( http://www.alexsribs.com ) near the Batavia Downs Race Track.

I had the Half Rack Lunch Special - Garlic Ribs with BBQ on the side, coleslaw, fries, and a bowl of Cheesy Pepperoni Soup.

These were by far, the best ribs I've ever tasted in my life, and perhaps the best restaurant I've ever been to in my life.

The establishment looks like an old speak-easy, and it was a little darker inside than I prefer, but again, the food was ABSOLUTELY amazing, and if any of you are in the neighborhood, I highly recommend getting ya' some ribs!

Evidence of an Afterlife

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:56:00 +0000

As we approach Easter, and we look at the story of Jesus, and His resurrection from the dead, I thought it might be interesting to look at this spectacular story from a skeptics viewpoint.

I know and believe wholeheartedly that the Bible is true. I don't need logic, or anything else to convince me of it. If the Bible said something I didn't agree with it, I know that I am the one that is wrong.

That being said, People often think that scripture is just a bunch of made up stories... that they are illogical, or irrational, and innaccurate.

Lee Strobel is a former Atheist that was converted to Christianity as he started researching ways to disprove the Bible.

The following videos are some that he produced that look at the resurrection, and the evidence and logic that prove that it is true.
People may say we are crazy for believing this whole Jesus thing.... but the truth is, the argument holds up to scrutiny. Our faith is NOT blind faith, but faith based on true historical accounts, not mythology or legend.

Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? Part 1

Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? Part 2

Die For a Lie

Earliest Reports

Shadow of the Almighty - Jim Elliot - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:36:00 +0000

I'm really getting recharged as I read this book. It's a wonderful biography of a powerful man of God. It's different than most biographies, because it is filled with quotes and clips from Jim Elliot's journals and letters.

Elizabeth Elliot fills in details as needed to weave them all together, but to actually read what was going on in the head of a man so passionate about Christ as Jim Elliot is refreshing, and makes me feel like I've just plugged in to a power source, and I'm sucking in electricity to fill up my batteries. (I say this as my laptop light blinks, because it's not getting enough electricity...)
The Call

Jim Elliot had some awesome thoughts on the concept of a "call" from God to do ministry. In Christian circles, the "call" is when someone feels God is telling them to go into ministry.

Elliot didn't like the response he was seeing to such thinking.

Our young men are going into professional fields because they don't "feel called" to the mission field. We don't need a call; we need a kick in the pants. We must begin thinking in terms of "going out" and stop our weeping because "they won't come in." Who wants to step into an igloo? The tombs themselves are not colder than the church. May God send us forth.

The two things that motivated Jim more than anything else was his passionate relationship with God, (A living God that spoke to him everyday.) and a broken heart for the billions of people going to hell without Christ.

Supernatural Power

And it was in the context of that relationship that Jim sought power from God to do the work.
He spoke out of frustration at one point of his life, after seeing very few people won to Christ:

No Fruit Yet. Why is it I'm so unproductive? I cannot recall leading more than one or two into the kingdom. Surely this is not the manifestation of the power of the Resurrection. I feel as Rachel - "Give me children or else I die."

He was frustrated with the complacency he saw within the church, and the lack of the people to take hold of God's power in their lives. He attended a missionairy conference while in college and wrote this:

Think for a moment of the potential here: students from all over the country and other parts of the world, met here specifically to study missions. How long shall we sit analyzing, questioning, arguing, discussing, before God lays hold on us with power to thrust us out to the billion and a half who have not yet heard? But one can pray- and this I ask of you all Lay hold with all your powers upon the Lord of the Harvest, that He would make the effects of this convention resound in dark places for His Name's Sake.
Dangerous

Observing this complacency in the church led him to write one of my absolutely most favorite quotes of all time.

We are so utterly ordinary, so commonplace, while we profess to know a Power the Twentieth Century does not recon with. But we are "harmless" and therefore unharmed. We are spiritual pacifists, non-militants, conscientious objectors in this battle-to-the-death with principalities and powers in high places. Meekness must be had for contact with men, but brass, outspoken boldness is required to take part int he comradeship of the cross. We are "Sideliners" - coaching and criticizing the real wrestlers while content to sit by and leave the enemies of God unchallenged. The world cannot hate us, we are too much like it's own. Oh, that God would make us dangerous!

This has been my prayer for a long time... that we who call ourselves Christian (including me) would live with the kind of abandon that Jim Elliot did. No fear holding us back... No attachments keeping us from giving our all to Him.... Nothing. Absolutely NOTHING should be able to keep us from obeying God. The penalty for not obeying Him is the death of billions of people. They are all around us, and without us being willing to take ridicule, or a fist to the eye, or maybe as Jim Elliot did, a spear to the chest, they will not find the eternal hope that God gives them.

Instead we sit behind our comfortable salaries, our shiny cars, and 300 channel cable TV packages. We spend more on our family cell phone plan than we do funding the Kingdom of God. And when challenged with this fact, we get indignant, because, "who is this guy to tell me that I have to give this up. I NEED this."

No. We need to sacrifice. We NEED to get disconnected from the things of this world. We need to get plugged into Jesus, and then stop being "church people" and start being PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW CHRIST.

To follow Christ means that we "take up our cross"... it means that we lay down our lives...

"Josh, I love Jesus. I am willing to give up anything to follow Him!"
- Yeah? What if it meant losing your job? What if it meant selling your house and moving into an apartment next door to the projects? What if it meant giving away all your stuff, and moving to Guinea to work with our friend Pastor David Coker? What if it meant breaking up with that girlfriend? What if it meant telling your kids that you are canceling your internet service, or your cable tv, or your cell phone, or selling that second car, and taking out a second mortgage on your home, and giving the money to fund God's work? What if it meant admitting to your wife that you are looking at porn? What if it meant face to face forgiving the guy that raped you? What if it meant the whole world turned against you and what if you lost everything?

Wait... it DOES mean all that. It is going to look different for each of us... but the call to sacrifice... the call to live a dangerous faith... the call to abandon ALL for Christ is extended to all of us... And we need to be aware that Jesus never meant for our lives to be easy... or comfortable... or happy...

it might be those things.. because Jesus DOES want to bless us...

but what we are is "sheep for the slaughter"....

I still have about half of the book to finish.... but this quote, written years before Jim was slaughtered by the Waodoni Indians on the shore of the river in Ecuador.... while he was trying to share love with them. It's almost eerie. Did he KNOW his death was looming if he obeyed God? Who knows. What we do know, is that we are all called to follow in Christ's footsteps... to sacrifice... whether it is our lives, or our comfort, or our own wants and desires...

"We are the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise." And what are sheep doing going into the gate? What is their purpose inside those courts? To bleat melodies and enjoy toe company of the flock? No. Those sheep were destined for the altar. Their pasture feeding had been for one purpose, to test them and fatten them for bloody sacrifice. Give Him thanks, then, that you have been counted worthy of His altars. Enter into the work with praise.

Shadow of the Almighty - Jim Elliot

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:24:00 +0000

I am reading a book called Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot by Elizabeth Elliot.

Jim Elliot is one of the missionaries that was killed in Ecuador in the 1950's... the subjects of the movie "End of the Spear"
You can read more about him here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Elliot

Elliot's faith was amazing, and my borrowed copy of the book is quickly thickening with little yellow post-its marking my favorite parts. (on almost every page)

I thought I would blog about some of the things that I found interesting.

Personal Convictions
Jim Elliot's convictions were solid. He held his convictions firmly, and he would not budge to do what God had told him not to do. I don't hold to the same convictions, but I respect the way He consistently lived what he believed. Jim would not attend school dances, and he thought Christians had no role in war or politics.
He considered himself a "citizen of heaven", and NOT a citizen of any kingdom on this earth. That, in his mind, exempted him and prevented him from getting involved with politics. Had he been drafted to fight in World War II, he would have been a contientious objector, refusing to serve based on his spiritual convictions.

Again, I don't share those convictions, but I love how firmly Jim held to his.

Education

The book quotes this passage from 1 Corinthians 8

We should remember that while knowledge may make a man look big, it is only love that can make him grow to his full stature. For whatever a man may know, he still has a lot to learn, but if he loves God, he is opening his whole life to the Spirit of God.

Jim lived by this. He got a college education at Wheaton, but often wrote in letters and journal entries about his frustration with the way education distracted him from his relationship with God.

He was a god student, but when his grades started to suffer, he wrote to his family that he was working mainly on his degree of "AUG", which he called his "Approved Unto God."

Elliot wrote, "The acquisition of academic knowledge (the pride of life) is a wearing process and I wonder now if it is all worth while... What thing better can a man know than the love of Christ, which passes knowledge? Oh to be revelling in the knowlege o Him, rather than walling in the quagmire of inscrutable philosphy!"

One Track Mind
Jim went to school because he sensed God telling him to go there. He didn't get involved with many other activities, because He was focused on training his life for the rigors of missionary work. His friend accused him of having a one track mind.
Indeed, his friends also wrote that Jim frequently prayed "O, God, my heart is fixed."

Jim knew that he was going to wholeheartedly strive after Jesus, and nothing would sway that.

His one track mind even changed his feelings toward the things he used to love, but now felt less important as he compared them with Christ.

He said of a football game: "The shouting seems a useless process... far better to be shouting God's praises." That's not to say he didn't enjoy or get into the game, just that he seemed to care less about it than he did about God.

Prayer
Jim wrote this in his journal:

March 22 : I lack the fervency, vitality, life in prayer which i longfor. I know that many consider it fanaticism when they hear anything which does not conform to the conventional, sleep inducing eulogies so often rising from Laodicean lips; but I know too that these same people can acquiescently tolerate sin in their lives and in the church without so much as tilting one hair of their eyebrows. Cold prayers, like cold suitors, are seldom effective in their aims.

BE
Jim wrote this of a speech he gave in college:

...beyond 'believing' and 'behaving' in the Christian life, there is also 'being'...
Be not ignorant
Be not decieved
Be sober
Be vigilant
Be mindful of the word
Be steadfast

Exclusion of All but "The Will"

Jim wouldn't date in college. He had a girl that he really liked. (and one day married) but until God confirmed that they should be together, he was content just to be friends. He refused to let anything in his life if it distracted him from God.
Elizabeth wrote this:

Jim enjoyed to the full all that he believed God had given him to enjoy, but he felt it wisest to exclude from the sphere of activity anything which had the power to distract him from the pursuit of The Will.

No Inheritance
Jim journaled after reading about the Levites in Deuteronomy 9 and 10, and their lack of inheritance. Jim said "Lord ifv you will bu allow me to take this set apart place, by your grace, I will covet no inheritance. Nothing but Christ."

Jim wanted only Jesus, and nothing else mattered to him. His "heart was fixed."

Looking for Truth

Jim looked at scripture as alive, and thought that God would reveal new truth through it. It was not to be locked into rigid interpretation, but rather to be read with fresh insight each time. And if he didn't get something fresh, sometimes he would get frustrated.

Yesterday though I had plenty of time for study and read the chapter faithfully, and earnestly sought truth that would be fresh, I cannot say that I found any. Perhaps I sought too hard. Perhaps I strove with the Spirit and frightened the Heavenly Dove in my eagerness. Teach me, Lord, how to listen and not always seek to squeeze truth out of scriptures which you have not yet chosen to open. My study and prayer time is not yet what I would have it.

I like how he talks about God "unlocking truth" from scripture when He is ready. I've seen it happen like that.

In the 40's and 50's "fundamentalist" Christianity was a popular movement, preaching dispensationalism... that God moved in different ways at different times. People would often look at Jim and scratch their heads at his ideas, because he didn't fit in to their cookie cutter picture of a Christian.

Jim said this in his journal:

2nd Timothy 2:9 says "The Word of God is not bound." Systematic theology- be careful how you tie down the word to fit your set and final creeds, systems, dogmas, and organized theistic philosophies! The Word of God is not bound! It's free to say what it will to the individual and no one can outline it into dispensations which cannot be broken. Don't get it doen "cold", but let it live - fresh, warm, and vibrant- so that the world is not binding ponderous books about it, but rather is shackling you for having allowed it to have freecourse in your life. That's the apostolic pattern....
The Great Calvinist - Armenian Paradox

I'm not going to get into the details of this theological debate. I consider myself an "Armenian" rather than a "Calvinist", but I also respect both viewpoints, and I think that sometimes, even though we seem to contradict each other, it's all a matter of how you see the same thing from another angle.

I have found few others who take this position, because most of the time, people want to argue and argue and debate and debate endlessly over which one is right on the issues of freewill and sovereignty.

I love Jim's position, which acknowledges the bit of a paradox. ...and those who are arguing about foreknowledge, election, and such: read those verses 14:26 and hen look how the apostle is willing to leave it a paradox. "God gives repentance" and "they recover themselves." Yes, I'm Naive, but I'm glad to be in such a case.

There's a lot more to discuss about Jim Elliot, so I hope to post the rest of my notes soon.

Shining Bright Part 3 – Justice

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:32:00 +0000

Christmas time brings out the best in people. People often call it the “Christmas Spirit”. We should really try to emulate those qualities we see at Christmas time all year round. It’s not really a Christmas Spirit, but a Christ-like Spirit.

Throughout the month of December, Open Arms will be looking at what it means to “be a light”. Join Josh Hatcher on his blogging journey through the virtues behind illuminating the world around us.

Justice –

“That’s not fair!” says any given child on any given day to any given parent.
“Life is not fait!” retorts any given parent to any given child on any given day.

Justice is our response to the fact that “Life is not fair.”
Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
What God requires of us to be lovers of mercy, and doers of justice.

Justice does not mean that we go and don vigilante masks, making sure crime is punished,.

Justice means that to those who have been dealt an “unfair” hand, we offer to balance the scales.

International Justice Mission is an organization that fights for justice all over the world. Here is there mission statement.

“IJM exists to protect people from violent forms of injustice by securing rescue and restoration for victims and accountability for perpetrators, ensuring that public justice systems work for the poor.”

They work to free women and children that have been sold into sex slavery. They work to prosecute the heads of child pornography rings. And much more.

But the heart of what they do is mean, not to bring punishment to the offender, but to bring recompense to the victim.

That is what justice is. It’s built on the foundation of compassion and mercy.

It does involve punishment, but the point is to bring wholeness to the broken.

Life is not fair. The leading cause of death in our world is a lack fo clean drinking water.

My brother came back from Bangladesh last week, and he says that the whole country is covered in dirty water, and people drink it, despite the fact that they empty their chamber pots into it, and bathe in it, and clean their cattle in it. They drink it despite the fact that it contains arsenic.

And they drink it to their death.

Andy Anderson and Randy Morvant of the Baobob Foundation told me that 90 percent of the children in Guinea die stillborn, because their mothers do not have clean drinking water.

In Darfur in Sudan, people are starving to death, and being murdered by raiders that are stealing the little bit of food they get dropped in by airplane.

In Uganda, young boys are being forced to fight in a brutal war.

Boy soldiers are still reported to be conscripted in Sierra Leone.

Girls in Thailand are China are being sold as sex slaves to people all over the world, including in our own country.

This should propel us to action. Justice is not just knowing that life is not fait, but doing something about it.

When we see a wrong, we should try to right it.

There is a celebrity campaign that says that if we all give a little, we could literally end world poverty.

I’ve also heard it said that if every church going American gave their tithe, and if every church gave a minimum of two percent of their income, that funding word missions would never be an issue.

How beautiful would it be if we all were hell-bent on defeating the forces of hell that wreak havoc on this earth! What if we worked to try to right the wrongs we see around us? It would change the world.

Shining Bright Part 2 – Integrity

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:30:00 +0000

Shining Bright Part 1 – Kindness

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:18:00 +0000

Made All Over Again: 2 Corinthians 5

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 12:43:00 +0000

2 Corinthians 5: 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin^[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The beauty of this makes my eyes well up. We're not talking about the kind of religion that just changes the way we dress, or changes the way we act, or the way we talk...

We're talking about us being MADE all over again. If we accept Jesus, and do as Paul urges us to, and become "reconcilied" to God, then we are "in" Christ, and we become a brand new creation.

And the beauty of this ransom is this... Jesus, who never screwed up, took my punishment. Through my acceptance of that, I am RE-MADE.

We need to keep this in mind... because in other passages of scripture it is clear, that though we are a new creation, we still have our old nature in us. It's an unfortunate part of the world we live in... earth is ruled by sin and destruction, and SOMEDAY... we will be completely delivered from earth and its curses.

In the meantime, if we've given our hearts to Christ, and been reconciled to God, than we are a new person, created to withstand the assassins of earth and to overcome the temptations that lead to death.

We were made to win.

Which makes it all the more sad when we lose.

Let me encourage you.

You are strong enough to beat this sin that is holding you back. You have been re-made by God, and have superpowers to withstand these assaults. Really. You do.

You do not have to live like you used to live. You can be free. You can be victorious. It is not easy, but war never is.

We are at war. We are at war with our own flesh. We are at war with spiritual forces.

On a Side Note: Don't misunderstand the war metaphor into thinking that Christians who think differently are at war against you. Or that the non christian with a different belief system is out to get you, or that you should be out to get him. We are not at war against people. We are NOT at war against belief systems.

We are at war against our own sin. We are at war against our enemy the devil.

And we've been given the strength to overcome.

Of Lifting Veils and Seeing God

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 14:01:00 +0000

In 2 Corinthians, there is some insight about the separation between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

The Old Covenant.. or the Law given to Moses in the Old Testament, that man was required to keep if they wanted to be right with God....

is called the "Ministry of Death" and the "Ministry of Condemnation"

Paul clearly is referring to that Law that Moses brought that was "letters engraved on stones".

He says that the LETTER KILLS...

And even though that Law was about DEATH... Moses got all shiny when God gave it to him.

And if the Law of death had so much power that it made Moses all shiny, how much more awesome should this new covenant be?

What is this Old Covenant and why does Paul equate it with death?

A covenant is a promise, a contract, a deal.

The Old Covenant was God promising to be with His people if they kept His rules.

His rules, were IMPOSSIBLE to keep, and He knew it... and it carried a death sentence.

God loved His people, so He made a way for them to let someone else pay the price...
an animal would have to die, and its blood would represent their own.

So in other words, if I screwed up royally, and sinned against God (which I would.. because His rules were impossible to keep. No one is perfect, all have sinned) I had to give up one of my sheep to die for me.

In the book of Job and Psalms, this is referred to as a RANSOM... or a payment meant to bring freedom.

That freedom could only come from death.

And how beautiful it was, when sins were forgiven. They did not cry at the death of their prize sheep or bull... they cried out of gratitude for God's forgiveness.

But then comes the New Covenant.

Jesus dies once, as a ransom for all.

And that death pays for our sins when we accept it as our own.

For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory

For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.

Paul says, "You think Moses was shiny? Wait till you see how shiny you get when Jesus pays for your sins! You ain't seen nothing yet!"

Then the rest of the passage in 2 Cornithians can be interpreted to say that we no longer have to live by the law, but instead, we get to walk in relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit. We get to have God's presence with us, and we can take off any veils, and look right at Him, as we join Him in His work.

We were once slaves to that law, but now, because God's Spirit is with us, we have FREEDOM.

And now, that we get to hang out with God's Spirit, it's like looking into a mirror, and every day, we see that we're looking more and more like Jesus.

For More Study:
If you want to study God's word some more, and look up the differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, you can find a comparison chart here. The website is pretty "old school", but if you print it out, and look up the scriptures, you'll see what a beautiful thing God gave us in this New Covenant.

1 Corinthians 16: Can't We all just get along?

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 20:58:00 +0000

This passage might just seem like Paul is wrapping up his letter, saying his goodbyes so he can get lick the envelope and send it off... but there is a lot of insight here that we could learn from.

First notice that Paul encourages them to set aside a portion of their income to fund ministry. He's hoping that people will do it so they don't have to pass the plate.... (which indicates that people weren't giving to God's work as they should the last time he was there....) let's be sure to set aside a portion of our income to fund God's work here on earth...

Then Paul gives instructions for how they should respond to Timothy... He says that everyone should accept him... Timmy was a young preacher, and I have a feeling he was often rejected because of his age. (Reading through the letters Paul wrote to Timothy give me that opinion.)

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 14Do everything in love.

GREAT ADVICE for all of us in any day....

Then Paul gives them some more advice about people serving the Lord in Corinth.

15You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, 16to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it. 17I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. 18For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.

Paul tells them to "submit" to the people in their vicinity who are serving the Lord...

It's the same word that Paul uses to describe the relationship between husbands and wives in other passages...

The word submit carries the connotation of a pillar, or a support... Paul is saying that these men are honoring God, and encouraging the family of God, and they are doing what the others in Corinth aren't doing... refreshing people's spirits... and because of that, they deserve recognition, and as I interpret this, authority.

And to submit to authority doesn't just mean blind obedience... it implies support...

Are we pillars of support to the people in leadership above us?

I know. Just for the record... I'm not talking about myself, even though I am in church leadership.

I'm talking about the people that lead ministry over us... in my case, Pastor Mike, who is my cell group leader, and the other members of the "hub"... Do I support them with my words and actions?

Are we encouraging and refreshing and supportive to our cell group leaders? Our pastors? Or the other people that are in leadership?

We may not always agree... if we did, we would be very boring... differences in opinion can bring balance and harmony...

But we should always be supportive, even when we disagree.

It's something we've lost in our culture in general... as distrust of leadership has been a major tenet of "americanism" since the 60's.

We often disagree with those in authority over us, and we demand our rights.

We forget that our right is to disagree and voice that... in a civil and respectable manner...

Our responsibility is to submit to the authorities over us, even when we disagree, as long as it doesn't cause us to sin against our conscience.

Rights and Responsibility go hand in hand.

INTERACT ON THIS BLOG AT OUR FORUM.

Set Free - The Extended Cut

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:39:00 +0000

It’s important to look at life with the original design in mind. From the very beginning, we were created to be free. God told man that he was free to eat from any tree in the garden…http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Inner Healing for Dummies

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:34:00 +0000

I am not a trained psychologist, or counselor. I have had some therapy, though, and I've learned that a lot of the process I went through makes a lot of sense, and I believe it can help others in their journey of finding healing for those mental and emotional wounds.

Click HERE to read the rest of this article.

Dry Bones

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 22:28:00 +0000

Dry Bones…

I’ve been reading in Matthew the past several weeks. Really camping out and getting into the teachings of Jesus. He’s a pretty cool guy. And he’s got what I like to call “testicular fortitude”… Standing up to the political and religious leaders of the day and calling them on the carpet.

Click HERE to read the rest of this post.

Wallets and Wheelbarrows...

noreply@blogger.com (joshhatcher) — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 22:04:00 +0000

i know... i have a vested interest in the topic.... so for some of you.. it might seem like I'm only writing this "because all that church cares about is money."

So to set the record straight.. yes.. the church is my source of income.

BUT.. long before it was... God showed me something.

Before Zoe and I got married, when we were poor college students, I heard a preacher talk about tithing. I knew that God liked a cheerful giver, and i knew that the Old Testament talked about tithing...

but I didn't realize the power in it.

So, after a little theological debate over whether we should follow "the old testament" or not, Zoe convinced me that we should tithe off of our income. (Since the new testament encourages people to give up everything... I figured the top ten percent was a good deal!)

The old testament scripture in Malachi says that if you bring in your tithes and offerings, God will open the floodgates of heaven... and pour out blessings on me..

Since that first day that we started tithing, money has been tight on occassion... i've lost a job or two... and had struggles..

but we've always had our needs met in one way or another... often miraculous ways..

but the past few months... God has been speaking to me about real generosity.. and giving more than that minimum....

And I've decided to test it out.. I'd brought my tithes to the church... but not my offerings...

so around Christmastime... I started looking for needs..

And money was tight.. very tight.. but I started looking for someone whose needs were tighter.. and after some serious convincing from my wife.. because I wasn't willing to give it up... we gave money anonymously to help someone out.

I am not telling you this to toot my own horn. I'm sharing it because I want to prove to you the power of God.

Over the next couple days, people started giving us christmas cards with money in them...

We recieved 20 times what we gave as a gift.

And then, our income increased, so that we can actually pay the bills! (which we were struggling with at the time)

We also took that opportunity to give more.

That passage in Malachi says that God will "rebuke the devourer"... we all know who that "devourer" is... the force in this world that breaks things down... that makes tires go flat, and clothes wear out, and food go bad..

Well... we took the car in to get it inspected last week.

Darrell's called me later that day to tell me that it passed inspection.

That might not sound lke a big deal... but Zoe and I have NEVER had a car pass inspection without us needing to put in at least 100 dollars worth of work.

The tires on the back have been on it for two years, and are still allright for driving.

God is preserving our possessions.. so that we don't have to spend more.

Anyway.. I write all this so that you can see that when you follow God's plan for money, He keeps His promise to bless you.