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If You Invited Jesus Into Your Heart Then Raise Your Hand

Sunday 29 July 2007 at 05:55 am I have heard this type of a call for decision so many times and I have to tell you for many reasons I am convinced that it is not from the Lord.

When ever this type of “invitation” is given it is inevitably preceded by a theologically weak presentation of the Gospel. I am so tired of the Jesus has a free gift you should take it sermons. Jesus never preached that sermon, or Paul or Peter. The appalling lack of Lordship in these messages in my mind is paramount to hearsay.

This type of “invitation” almost always contains the “prayer of salvation”. The very idea of I will pray these magic words and if you repeat them then you’re in drives me crazy.

We just finished an event at one of our properties that used this style of “evangelism”. It resulted in a bunch of hands going up and nearly 50 decision cards put in my hand. As the counselor bought children to me I would ask “So why are you here? Why did you raise your hand?” Only two could answer the question for me and I knew that they had made professions before. As Rick Stover pointed out this is even more dangerous in our Hispanic communities where Catholicism has such a hold on of our people. My biggest fear comes from my own life. I was baptized at seven, noticed I did not say saved because I really had no Idea what I was doing. Now am I saying you can’t get saved young, absolutely not some of the greatest Christians I know got saved young. But no one had really taught me what it meant to be a Christian. The result of that baptism is that every time the Holy Spirit convicted me of my need for a savior then Satan said “you have already done that.”

We will be following up with all of kids who filled out cards to help them understand what it means to be a Christian and to make Jesus Lord.
ScottyB | No trackbacks | one comment

I Love Apartment Youth

Tuesday 24 July 2007 at 8:40 pm I have been teaching at-risk youth for about a dozens years now so I think that I understand them pretty well. Of course you all know how I feel about experts, (nothing scares me like an expert). Well today I was using Psalm 1 to teach them abut how God expected us to live our lives. So I asked them if Quon had told them that he was going to hook up with his girl so he had told his mom that he was staying with them and asked if they would cover for him if she called. They all agreed to do that with very little hesitation. Then the Holy Spirit told me to ask the question this way. What if I had called them and told them that I was going to step out on my wife and if she called I needed them to all say that I was with them. Well they are said NO WAY. I carried my lesson from that point to the end.

What is pretty amazing is many of those kids do not live in a home with two parents, yet they still knew that Marriage is something sacred. I pray that each of them will find the person that God has for them and that they will have a marriage that will reflect Jesus’ love for the Church
ScottyB | No trackbacks | No comments

learning from the wise

Tuesday 24 July 2007 at 7:27 pm

So one of my youth, a 14 yr old teenager really reminded me today why and how to minister today. So her mother was having a bad day at work, and when she saw me walking towards her house to say hi to them, she shared that bit of info with me and how her mother might like someone to pray with her. * hint hint* She was very sensitive about her family and her surrounding, and though she may have seen me openly pray with other people, she still nonetheless understood the power of prayer. The visit with her mother was very much welcomed, and I had the privilage to watch the Lord minister to that family through His Word and prayer. What great joy it is to know our problems are all opportunities to bring us closer to the Lord and to bring others to Him! 

This evening was just another great reminder how God can speak through anyone, especially young mature teenagers who love their family. Why couldnt I be more like that when I was 14?!  :)

George | No trackbacks | one comment

Higher Learning

Monday 23 July 2007 at 09:57 am Training Students for Urban Ministry: An Experiential Approach is a book by John Edwin Fuder who teaches at Moody Graduate School. He wrote a 282 page book on how on how to training students for urban ministry. I thought to myself I have been training students for urban ministry for 12 years and there is no way I could write 282 pages on the subject. After reading the book I came away with little or no growth in the area, although he drew a flow chart on the process.

I am just simple enough to believe that instead of writing 282 pages on the subject. I just try to apply the principles that I have learned from reading about how Jesus trained the disciples.

• Show people how to minister
• Teach people how to minister
• Pray for people to minister
• Push people to minister

Jesus spent time with the disciples. He modeled the process for them. He took time to share with them how to carry on ministry. He prayed for them as they started ministry and finally he pushed them out to actually do ministry. After he sent them out he met back with them and listened to their stories and offered further instructions. Jesus was big on teachable moments. You have to spend time working or listening to someone to capitalize on teachable moments, Jesus had no problems spending time with the people he wanted to teach.

Yeah so if someone can help me stretch that into a couple hundred pages maybe I will write a book too!
ScottyB | No trackbacks | one comment

Buy Here -- Pay Here

Saturday 21 July 2007 at 8:56 pm So with Kristi getting ready to be released to drive again I was sensing the urgency in finding a car today. I was committed not to accruing any additional debit, one car payment is one too many. I looked at Craig’s List but had no peace with the cars listed. This led me and Kristi and the local buy here -- pay here lots, and it ended us at a Cash Only lot. It was quite interesting. I had a small amount of money to put on a car. I realized that I was shopping with my people. I found me an Isuzu SUV that should get me around a year and leave Kyle with a car. I learned a lot to help me help people when it comes to finding a car. Things like you can buy about the same car at a cash only lot for what a down payment will cost you at a buy here -- pay here lot, or like you can get more of a car than you think for $1500.00
ScottyB | No trackbacks | No comments

Life Within the Cycle

Friday 20 July 2007 at 10:26 am The other day we had a small riot at the Wake County jail. When the paper reported on the riot and listed the names and addresses of 11 inmates who were going to be criminally charged for starting a riot. I had an awful awakening, 9 of the 11 inmates were from streets within our Mission Points. I knew a couple of the guys personally. God reminded me that it was critical for us to reach these communities, he also reminded me that our youth tend to look up to these guys. These are the guys that their moms are attracted too, the guys who move into their home but never marry their mom. These are the guys who introduce them to crack and sell them lies about Gangs and easy money. These guys are all part of the cycle and are trying to pull our youth and kids into that cycle that destroyed their lives, their parent’s life and even their grandparents live

I am counseling with a lady who grew up being mentally abused by her parents, which led her to marrying a man who had been mentally abused by his parents, this lead to him mentally abusing her. So now she is unable to shut up the demons that keep telling her she is a failure and her life is ruined. She desperately does not want to allow her children to end up in the same cycle. Her protecting them from this has left her alone and alienated from her family.

'The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation. Numbers 14:18 (ESV)
Now I am not a subscriber to generational sin. I was wondering if I could reconcile this verse with the painful cycle that work with everyday. I am not convinced that I can. If you can add to this study for me please do.
I am convinced that a scripture to use to help keep people from falling into Satan’s cycle is:
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Collisions 2:8 (ESV)
All I know is that if we are going to help our kids escape this awful cycle is we better be getting to know them, understand their home situation and be praying, loving and teaching them about who they are in Christ. I am pretty sure we can’t do that with an hour a week.
ScottyB | No trackbacks | one comment

Christian Commitment

Tuesday 17 July 2007 at 06:57 am In Matthew 5:33- 37 Jesus said:

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. (NKJ)

Jesus was teaching us not to take oaths. He said why swear to something you have no control over. How can you swear on your life when your life is God’s hand? When people in the apartments often want me to believe something the use the phrase, I swear to God. Jesus told us not to swear to God, probably because he was tired and hurt of all the oaths made in God’s name that are not kept.

Jesus also goes on to tell us that if our Yes will mean Yes and our No mean No then we no longer have a need for oaths. When a Christian tells you something then you should say to yourself I know they will keep their word. The sad part is as Christians we ignore this teaching, as we do much of the teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. I deal with people in the church every week telling me they will do something and then not keeping their word.

In multi-housing ministry it is critical that we our Yes mean Yes. People get lied to all the time. They are given empty promises every day. One of the things that set us apart from the world is that mean what we say!
ScottyB | No trackbacks | No comments

can I count the ... years

Sunday 15 July 2007 at 4:00 pm

So in ministry, the years can fly by without much notice, sort of like life when one is not careful. I've heard how some men wake up one day and find themselves married with kids, a dog or cat in the laundry room, and wondering where the first 30 odd years of their life went. Nothing so much wrong there but an introspective reflection on ones life seems overdue.

Thats how I felt when greeted last Wednesday at Valleybrook Apts by a former resident and her children, or teenagers I should say. She told me her daughter was 9yrs old when I teaching Kids Club and Youth nite at the community center, and now their daughter is 16... 16! Regardless of whether that is true or not, and that the mother may have miscounted the yrs, the gentle reminder from within myself was still there nonetheless... questions like how long have I really been working in Valleybrook, or where did the time go, and more importantly, have I been faithful, diligent, and consistent in sharing the gospel and my real life these 7 or however many years with those whose paths I have crossed? What impact have I made for the kingdom of God, and for his glory? 

After going home with that in mind, I decided to ask myself the question again, "What eternal impact am I making, honestly, in the lives of those I meet for the glory of God, given the time He has blessed me with on in this world?" Hmmm... good question eh? Good question indeed... 

 pensive and prayerful,

George

George | No trackbacks | No comments

You can't Live a Sacrifical Life if you're not willing to Sacrifice Something.

Saturday 14 July 2007 at 7:21 pm On days like to day I realize how little God needs me. It was a day when everything that could go wrong did go wrong. After a series of events, that should have been comical but I wasn’t laughing, I was loading up for a block party on my own. I was in horrible spirits and my attitude just plain stunk. I loaded up most of the needed stuff and got in the truck, poor Tim who came and had to ride there with me as I was stewing over the circumstances.

Now here is where you figured I would say once I got on property everything was fine. More times than not that statement is true but not today. Today it just got worse. So I pouted and felt sorry for myself as I cooked and worked the block party. Things kept happening that upset me and when the thing was over I said to myself, “GOOD!”
Then I started talking to the people who had been there and realizing that in spite of my attitude that God had showed up at the block party and ministered. He had even ministered through me.

So once again it proved to be true that showing up is most of the work! It hit me as I was thinking how I had not had a day off in two weeks, in order to live a sacrificial life we must be willing to sacrifice and any sacrifice worthy of God is going to hurt a little to lay it down. Let me tell you. It is worth it.
ScottyB | No trackbacks | No comments

Looking Forward to Look Back

Friday 13 July 2007 at 10:27 am God is leading me back to being a vocal visionary

I am looking forward to see the lay-missionaries that God is going to send to Mission Raleigh this fall. There is so much work to be done in Raleigh I can’t drive down a street without hearing communities crying out for Jesus.

God is leading me back to being a vocal visionary and radical prayer warrior. We will be prepared to train and prepare the missionaries that God sends our way. We are going to drop the glitz and get back to the simplicity of the ministry, B2B—Back to the Basics.

I love my calling.
ScottyB | No trackbacks | No comments

Tough Love

Wednesday 11 July 2007 at 11:06 pm They say our kids need tough love.


I can’t even remember how many times I have been told, “What the kids and youth you work with need is tough love!” I have been told this by people who have never met my kids and by people who are quitting the ministry.

Well I am here to tell you I agree with them. Our youth and kids need tough love. They need people who are tough enough to love them where they are. I am not sure why people think yelling at my kids or taking snack away is tough love, when it is really lazy discipline. I will get loud sometimes but is the exception not the rule. I have learned over the years that getting quiet is better than getting loud.

Now this is not to be confused with be firm and having high expectations. I believe in my kids and I will push them to achieve excellence. I will lay down the law when it needs laid down. But in the end I want them to leave knowing that Scottyb loves them.

Our kids do need tough love. I bring them tough love every day. That would be Love tough enough to leave heaven and come to earth and allow nails to be driven into Love’s hands and feet and die on a cross for our sin and conquer death to got to the Father of Love and be our advocate. That is the Tough Love that saved me!
ScottyB | No trackbacks | No comments

A Couple Random Stories

Tuesday 10 July 2007 at 8:04 pm Some days just lend themself to Random Stories.

The funniest thing happened today. Ok it is not really funny but you will see where I am going. I work in some of the highest crime rate communities in Raleigh. Sometimes I will go weeks and not see any crime happen in those communities. Oh now it is happening because I see the effect of the crime. I can be in any community at any given time of the night or day. Today I stopped by a gas station right off a main road right down from my church and as I was coming out with my Pepsi a drug deal goes down right in front of the station. You always think about drug deals going down in the places I work but the drug problem is as big in suburbia as it is in the inner-city. I can guarantee you most of the people who live in North Raleigh wouldn’t be caught dead at Raleigh North to buy their drugs.
Speaking of middle class people and Raleigh North I have another funny story. Every now and then I will see that middle class white kid in Raleigh North. You can tell by looking at their face, a mixture of desperation and fear, they are unsure of there surroundings. Well this kid was looking for the house to get his hook up but couldn’t find it. He was just standing there looking like he was going to cry when I walked up to him and said, “Can I help you find somewhere?” He looked at my shirt with the cross on I t and mumbled something about being ok and started walking toward the house where the drug dealer just got busted. So I yell out, “Hey she is out of business. They drug her out of there a couple days ago.” He turned around and just stared at me. I said “I might be able to help you find where you are looking for. Is you preferred supplier Bloods or a Folks? I only ask because if you are a regular with the Bloods and buy it from the Folks then somebody might just pop a cap in you. “He looked at me and got into his car and drove off.

I just wanted to share a couple random stories about drugs in our city.

ScottyB | No trackbacks | No comments

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