C a t a l y s t.

Catalyst...
The definition of this word, is, "a person or thing that causes an important change to take place" (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/catalyst).

I had an amazing opportunity to attend "Catalyst West Coast" (http://www.catalystspace.com/events/westcoast/) last Thursday-Friday (April 23-24, 2009) at Mariner's Church, in Irvine (the O.C.), California.

I went with all of the staff guys from Northstar. We had a blast chilling/bonding as a team, but also I was blown away by what I learned, and what God taught me. Many of us said the phrase "Catalyst is like drinking water from a fire hydrant" several times during and afterwards. This, although not from a cursory reading, is a good thing.

Andy Stanley opened up things by challenging us to never forsake the vision that God has given us for ministry. "The higher you move up, the more uncertainty there is," Andy said, "no matter what organization you are in." He went on to say, "Uncertainty, is not an indication of poor leadership, It's ok to be uncertain, but not ok to be unclear. Our plans may change, but the vision remains the same. Sacrifice plans for the sake of the vision. In times of uncertainty, be honest with your leaders and followers, and confidently express your uncertainty." http://www.northpoint.org

Me: The most important thing that Andy said I think, was that we all need grace. Not only the grace to be forgiven of our sins, but the grace daily from God to live, lead, love, and learn that we do not know it all.

My goodness, I don't like writing long blogs, and can already tell this is wanting to be long. What if I just gave everyone a "one-quote wonder" from each speaker, so you can get a "taste of being at Catalyst." ;-)

Guy Kawasaki, "Niche thyself" (unique, valuable) http://www.guykawasaki.com

Catherine Rohr, "Prison Entrepreneurship Program has a 98% employment rate."
http://www.prisonentrepreneurship.org

Craig Groeschel, "Be a Line 3 Christian...I believe enough to give my life for it." http://www.lifechurch.tv

Ravi Zacharias, "Secular Psychologists now say that the sacredness of life has vanished, we have plundered life." Ravi also said, "We need to understand the Dimension of Eternity, Set your minds on things above, on the indestructible character of God." http://www.rzim.org

Brian Houston (Hillsong Church), "Build HIS church, provide an environment where people can flourish." http://www.hillsong.com

Nick Vujicic, "I would be dishonoring to God if I didn't live my life believing that I can change the world." http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org

Conversation on Justice/Anti-Human Trafficking Panel (Jeannie Mai-Television Host, Naomi Zacharias/Wellspring International, Bethany Hoang/International Justice Mission): "27 Million people are in slavery today to sex trafficking." http://www.wellspringinternational.org, http://www.ijm.org

Erwin McManus, "We should be more committed to the dreams of others, than our own." http://www.mosaic.org

Rick Warren, "You can't win your enemies to Christ, only your friends." and "The job of a leader/pastor is to move someone from 'Come and see,' to 'Come and die.'"
http://www.saddleback.com

Jud Wilhite, "What's funny in photoshop, isn't funny in real life." and "Delegate, give power away." http://www.centralchristian.com

Francis Chan, "Our churches are stoppable. I'm astonished at how scared they are. When do we pray for boldness?" http://www.cornerstonesimi.com

Impacting Your City (Luis Palau http://www.palau.org and Kevin Palau, and John Bishop-http://www.livinghopechurch.com) God used them to serve the Portland community, and 25,000 came to the outreach event!

Perry Noble, "Leadership is as easy as listening to God..We can get too far from the vision. If we were more concerned about repentance than attendance, revival would sweep the U.S.A." http://www.newspring.cc

I don't know what more I can add to the above, other than the fact that we were drawn closer to God through worship (music), led by Hillsong, Steve Fee, and others.

As soon as I swallow all of the water that I have been drinking, I will let you know what I have processed, and how. You can pray for that. I know things are different, in a good way. And Las Vegas will not be the same because of what is to come (His goodness). I am hoping and trusting that many Eastern Europeans and youth who live here will get a drink.

Grace on "Good?" Friday.

Today here in the good 'ole U.S.A. we celebrate "Good Friday." Surprisingly yes, we still -do- celebrate it publicly. But what is Good Friday? and as some (including myself) believe, what is Good Wednesday? (Long story for another blog Lol).

You might be asking yourself, "How could that Friday when Jesus died be good?" Well that is a great question actually! It is horrible that we as humans killed on a cross (crucified) God's perfect gift to us, His Son, Jesus the Messiah. Did God know this would happen? Sure. Was it part of His perfect plan to rescue people like us from our rebellious ways? Absolutely! So, why is it good? Well, Good because, see, we as people have a HUGE problem. That's huge with 10 to the 20th power attached to it. S I N. That is our problem. Not just a church word, it's real day-to-day stuff. We lie to each other, steal, lust, puff, brag about ourselves, cut people off in traffic, take God's name in vain. See, we as people do all of these things, because, it's our nature to do so. And what do we deserve for this? It may sound harsh, but it's not, we deserve to be separated from God forever. See, God is perfect, and cannot look at any of us who have sin. The good news is that Jesus His Son, died in our place, on the cross, to PAY for the HUGE insurmountable sin debt that we all have. Isn't that good news? See why it's called Good Friday?

OK, you might be telling yourself. That's great. SO Jesus died for our sins. Now what? Well, it's not enough just to know these things. We must receive them for ourselves. If you know about flying, buy a ticket, yet never get on a plane, the ticket pretty much doesn't help you out, right? Well, Jesus has paid for our debt of sin, and He simply says "Anyone who receives Me, to those people I will give the right to become children of God, simply by believing in My name-" -paraphrased from the Gospel of John. Once we change our mind about our sinful lives (repent) and believe (trust) that Jesus died for us, we are radically, powerfully, rescued from our sins, and transformed into the new, amazing person, that God intends us to be. WE get a new Passport, a heavenly one, to the Heavenly Kingdom! : ) "God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom he loves" (from Colossians), Isn't that something to be thankful for? If you never have admitted to God that you have blown it (sinned), and received Jesus' payment for your sins, isn't today a great day to do just that? On Good Friday?
: ) Simply just pray and do just that. God will hear. He's always listening to those who ask to be rescued.

And three days later, He arose : ) (Proving that He is the Messiah, and can make us righteous before God).

HE knows what is in the darkness...

I stumbled across this verse from Daniel the other day. It was really encouraging later to find out that it was something that God had encouraged some friends with previously, (2:22) but they hadn't found the reference yet to Daniel.

"It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows that is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him." Daniel 2:22 (Old Testament, The Bible).

This verse has really encouraged me, as I serve here in Las Vegas. It would be easy to "curse" the darkness that is present here (This Present Darkness). You don't have to go very far. Just drive down a major cross street and you will see it. But, instead of cursing the darkness, what if we claimed this promise from God?

God is the only one who can reveal "profound" and "hidden" things. As much as Modern Man would like to think he could do these things, he simply cannot. Man cannot even balance a national budget, prevent crime, stop abortion, prevent wars, stop human trafficking, stop the practice of child soldiers in Africa, or most importantly, Man cannot change a human heart...

If we would only be in touch with God, through a personal relationship with Him, through accepting the free gift that His Son Jesus gave us (His death on the cross for our sins). When we receive His forgiveness into our lives by faith, we then can know the profound and hidden things God offers, which are revealed in Christ (in whom are hidden all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom-Colossians 2:3, New Testament-The Bible).

Once we know Christ, we will realize what Daniel says above...God reveals truth, He already knows what is in the darkness. He is not surprised by anything that happens here in Las Vegas, or any other city in the world...And most importantly, "Light dwells with Him." If we want to be in the light, we should walk with Jesus. He said, "Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life" (The Gospel of John, Chapter VIII, Verse XII).

So, the next time you are frightened by the darkness (physical or spiritual). Remember whose you are, and remember that He dwells in light. He is ready and willing to reveal the profound and secret things...Just ask Him.

Prayer IS the Battle.

So yeah it's funny how sometimes when God calls us to do something new, like say, picking up everything you own, and moving 1,941 miles across the United States of America, to a desert (surrounded by snow-capped mountains) that you might have to "figure out" things...Some of the questions I've been asking have been...

1) How do you reach around 15,000 Eastern Europeans in LV with an urgent message?

2) How do you even find those people?

3) How much cigarette smoke can you actually take in (second-hand) w/o getting lung cancer? (Seriously, in some of the cafe's it's bad. You need a fog light to find your way around ;)

4) How can I even meet the people in the first place, to reach them with the life-saving message, after I've found them, they being one of the 15,000 people in a city of 2,000,000 people?

The answer is, pretty simple once you think about it...

Prayer...

See, lots of us in the Western church think somehow that prayer is something we do AFTER the battle. The battle? That would be something that William Wallace would engage in...But what about the Spiritual Battle...could it be sharing a message from the Truth, sharing the life-saving message about Jesus, saving your marriage, feeding the poor, helping those with HIV, showing God's love to someone stuck in prostitution, etc...But, even though all of those things are important...We, I have lost the battle if I haven't prayed, First.

Prayer IS the Battle. Here is what Paul, one of the greatest prayers, and goers, said about it in The Bible "Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone." from the book of Colossians, in the New Testament. Chapter IV verses II through VI.

Walking by Grace in "Grace City."

So I've been here nearly four weeks now! Time flies. I am so thankful for all that God is doing here. I am serving part-time as Youth Pastor at Northstar Baptist (a church plant/re-start) in Northern Las Vegas. The last few weeks we truly have seen God's grace at work. Not only have many visitors been coming, for Pastor Mike's "Fireproof" series, but 3 people indicated decisions last week to Trust Jesus and His sacrifice to be forgiven of their sins, and start their bran-new relationship with God. Much praise, props, and thanks to our Great God for what HE is doing there. Please keep us in prayer this coming Sunday, Feb. 15th, we will be showing the "Fireproof" Movie, and also Mike will be sharing the gospel at the end. Also please pray for God's direction, and guidance for the Youth Ministry.

The other day I actually awoke at 6:00 A.M. (I know many of you are probably sitting at your computer in disbelief), but when God reminds you to wake up, through speaking to your heart, it's a great idea! : ) I had needed some time to get away from "The city." Sometimes the sites and images which just simply come into view by driving through the city can distract you. I had a great time getting away to Red Rock National Canyon, just literally <10 miles West of Vegas. We recently had some snow, and inspired by Photographer Peter Lik (whose incredible galleries decorate the strip's casino malls), who took a picture of Red Rocks, just after the impressive December Snowfall. So, I had a great time reading the Word, praying for myself and for the city, for Eastern Europeans, for Northstar, and for God to get the glory props and credit for what HE is about to do in Grace City...."Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." Romans 5:20b

Also keep the Eastern European Ministry in your prayers. I have many leads, and God is opening many doors. Please pray for wisdom to know which avenues to follow, and which streets to u-turn. Also I am overwhelmed at opportunities to share the gospel with people from the follow countries: Israel, Brasil, Albania, Bulgaria,..and pray for those I've also met from Russia, Serbia, Bosnia, and other places. God is at work here!

Life in Grace City.

I suppose that you could say I am getting "settled in," to a city of 2,000,000 people! But, I also guess that could take some time. It's exciting to see the little things that God does each day to encourage me, and remind me of why He brought me here.

Two days ago, in human terms it could have been a pretty "discouraging day." I had the opportunity to run into 2 or 3 Eastern Europeans at the Stratosphere Hotel (where many work). However, both of them were definitely not interested in a "Church" for Eastern Europeans, or spiritual things. In fact, the Ukrainian college-age girl I talked to, claimed to be Agnostic. I simply smiled at her, and thanked her for her time, saying "Dasvadanya" (Goodbye in Russian). My other Albanian friend who works there, had asked prayer for her husband who has sick of late, (which I agreed to), but because of their circumstances, they were not able to meet.

As I walked into the Stratosphere that day, "You and Me and all of these People" by Lifehouse was playing..This is a song that God used to confirm to me last July that indeed he had led me to Las Vegas, just after being able to share the good news about Jesus with two German friends...So to hear it again, was grace. And as I walked out, Michael W. Smith's song "Your Place in This World" from the Album Go WEST Young Man, was playing...So again, grace, encouragement, in what otherwise could have been discouraging. And as I walked to my car in the parking garage, on the 5th level, I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets imaginable...God's reminder, that He is Sovereign, loves Eastern Europeans far more than I could, and is working...It's my job just to Trust Him...He will open the right doors, in His timing, I just have to keep praying, seeking, asking, knocking. And I ask you to do the same. ;)

Great Awakening of 2009?

Living in "Grace" City... (as many like to call it Sin City, and rightly so for so many reasons)..."but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more" (a verse in the Bible from Romans).... I have experienced God's grace in many ways since arriving, including learning to navigate traffic. Just the other day on W. Flamingo, I passed 2 wrecks on the way to the office. I was thankful for God's "traveling grace," indeed. Meeting other "newbies" here (who are trying to share Jesus' love with those in Vegas), is always encouraging. I wonder if God is answering the prayers of 10,000 who descended into Vegas on October, 2007 for the Call (prayer conference). Indeed regardless of the theological persuasion of the conference, God answered prayer. Here we are!

Settling in involves a lot of things that you may not think about for church planting, such as numerous trips to Wal-mart, Doctor's, Churches, local Vegas cuisine such as "Marie Callenders," (good home cookin'), the 215, E-W Traffic, seeing and praying for "The Strip," which can be seen from virtually any point of the city. What does church planting look like so far for reaching Eastern Europeans in Vegas? Well, so far it has involved Prayer, sharing idea's with others, more prayer, visits to local European markets, restaurants, etc. I am thankful to have met a Russian believer who is praying about how to be involved. God was already at work, I hope to join Him in that work which leads me to...

Blackaby. We (Nevada Baptist's and others) were privileged to hear from Henry Blackaby, his son Richard Blackaby, John Franklin, and Dr. Dwayne Mercer, at the 2009 Nevada Evangelism Conference. You'd think that listening to 3 sermons in succession would get boring, but not when you are hearing such deep spiritual truths from the Lord through these guys. Questions raised such as: Is America already enduring minor judgments from the Lord to wake up the church to our mission? Are we fully surrendered to all that God wants to do in and through us? Are we willing to pay the price in praying for awakening, revival, and being open to however God wants to use us? These are very brief snippets of the Conference, hopefully I'll share more later. Ultimately, God was glorified! That's what it's all about. And may He keep receiving all the glory from all of us for what He has done, is doing, and will do!

The Journey.

30 hours, +/-..1,950 miles, 2 days, 2 vehicles, 3 very tired people, Beautiful sunsets, skies, Texas, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, Black Bart's Steakhouse (in Flagstaff...you have to check it out!)...These were some of the fun-filled experiences on the Journey out to Las Vegas. Most importantly to remember is that God protected us on the way here, and my Dad and brother as they flew back to Tennessee.

After recovering, I've been able to spend some quality time with the Lord, as well as unpacking. I met up with some of the other "new" church planters, and was encouraged to hear how God had brought them across America to Sin City--Make that Grace City, as I like to call it.

Prayer. This will be the initial focus. Please do it on behalf of the work that God is already doing here in the lives of Eastern Europeans (this didn't start the day I arrived Lol). God is already at work, drawing Eastern Europeans to experience the grace and forgiveness that only Jesus offers, here in Grace City. I will be focusing on meeting with Eastern Europeans, finding practical ways to serve, and looking for open doors for the gospel (this could happen immediately, or take time). Also I should begin helping out at Northstar Baptist soon with their youth program, as well as occasionally substitute teaching here in Clark County, Nevada. Some exciting opportunities ahead!

Four Days Out.

Friends,
Greetings from Chattanooga. I hope you are having a great start to the 2nd full week of 2009-in great anticipation of God's goodness to be revealed in your life this year! I know often things are difficult, and we all face many trials, but I'd like to share with you the privilege I had of being ordained yesterday at my home church, Woodland Park Baptist, here in Tennessee. What a humbling, yet exciting opportunity! If you'd like to listen to the message by my friend and former youth pastor, Bryan Johnson, click here: http://woodlandpark.org/messages/ (click on 1/11/09 P.M. -Bryan Johnson, "What happens in Vegas."

But, yeah, in four days, I will be packing up and heading West, for a 26-30 hour journey! If you think about praying for safety as we travel, that'd be great...Still a bit of packing and goodbye's left-and of course the first Smallville episode of 2009! :-) (I hope it's as good as 24's episode last night). But I'm excited about the journey, and can't wait to tell you what God is doing in Las Vegas, to reach Eastern Europeans (who live there) with the good news about Jesus Christ.
More to come...

By His grace,
Jeremy