Back to Square One

Many years ago, while we were teen ministry pastors, the Lord gave us this little song to express the importance of going back to the basics:

We were face with deadlines; before the bills came due
We asked a miracle from God, but it all fell through.
I know what the Bible said, but still my dream is dead.
I confessed the positive verse; mere words that fell to earth?

Square One: Did I really hear God’s voice?
Square One: Understand what You say?
Square One: Have I totally counted the cost?
Square One: Dared to truly obey?

Satan does the evil deed to destroy and steal what’s ours,
So I thought this was a trial to show God’s overcoming power.
Is my motive selfishness? My inner goals simply pride?
I want to know from this day on, How to walk by God’s side.

Square One: Did I really hear God’s voice?
Square One: Understand what You say?
Square One: Have I totally counted the cost?
Square One: Dared to truly obey?

Last Sunday's teaching, Empowered by God, was all about being filled with the Holy Spirit. It was one of those Bible basics teachings. We’re going back to square one. Now that we have more people attending who have very little exposure to church and religious terminology, we find it very necessary to go back to that simple message about the love of God, the purpose for Jesus Christ dying on the cross, and the role that the Holy Spirit has in our lives today.

We are absolutely giddy with excitement about the journey we are about to take together. For the remainder of this year, we’re going to get back to Biblical basics like: What it means to be born again; who is the Holy Spirit; what are the gifts of the Spirit; what are the fruit of the Spirit; what it means to live by faith; and how to live with a passion for God that draws others to Him.

Over the past two years, we touched on these topics in brief segments within other subject matter. However, in this season we have become a group that is hungry for the Lord’s Presence, Word and Purpose. We can now move at a pace that will build up our new people and fine tune those who may have been on this journey for many years.

We recall those years when our sons were small little guys, daily exploring the world around them. It was a wonderful thing to see life through the eyes of our toddlers. Everything was new. Many things captured their attention that we had long since taken for granted, ignored or overlooked. That’s what it feels like to be the pastors of this church family.

It’s great to watch you guys fall in love with Jesus or discover a part of your purpose. It touches our hearts to watch God touch the heart of someone who never knew how much HE loves them. It blesses us to watch God drive fear, regrets and sadness out of your lives. There are many things that we “veterans” in the church have taken for granted and you guys have brought freshness into our gatherings. That’s because old things have passed away and all things have become new in you. You have reminded us of how awesome it is to be a child of God. In these ways, you have taken us back to square one.

God’s Not Mad at You; But Are You Mad at God?

We listen to Christian music as we work on our secular jobs and last week I was listening to one of Israel Houghton’s songs called Surprises. One of the repeating lines in that tune is the writer declaring about God, “You’re not mad at me…” What a wonderful thing it is to know that God isn’t angry with us, especially not in the ways that have been portrayed in movies or sermons. However, I had to pause for a moment as the Holy Spirit whispered this little thought, “That’s true that I’m not mad at My people, but many of My people are mad at Me.”

As a teenager I used to read about the end times and how there would be a great turning away from God. I often wondered how such a thing could ever take place. However, in recent years, we have watched it come to pass. As big name ministers have fallen and as Believers have gone through bankruptcy, foreclosures, divorce, accidents, incidents, natural disasters and the loss of loved ones, in their grieving process, many have turned their anger toward God.

We believe that part of the reason the turning away is happening so fast is because thousands were fed and groomed on faulty doctrine. They’ve been told that if they just name it and claim it, they will have whatever they speak. They’ve been taught that faith and prayer would move God’s hand without understanding the true meanings of faith and prayer.

They’ve been told that they are always above and never beneath. They’ve been told that they will live victoriously with nothing bad ever touching them. So when they hit the same trials and crisis that everyone else in the world has to face, many were so disillusioned that they came to a conclusion that God’s Word doesn’t work, and therefore they’ll just take care of matters on their own. If God won’t help and protect them as it was promised, then they’ll just fend for themselves.

Ever since we first accepted the call into the ministry (in 1991), we have observed many Believers taking this course in their life choices. For twenty years we have watched people cave in to this ploy of the enemy. Now we live in an era where so many Believers are angry with God that church attendance has dramatically dropped all across America and church doors are closing faster than churches are being planted.

There is so much hostility against God in the land that we now have a wide open door for the citizens of these United States to be brought under total control and domination of its government.

Please hear us carefully. This is not doom and gloom prophecy. What we are about to tell you is very real. Next year, the Health Care bill is going up before the Supreme Court. Its passage would mean nothing short of total government takeover. Those who have read the fine print, of the soon coming law, have discovered that the Health Law requires that everyone eventually receives a computer microchip under their skin on their hands or forehead, just as the Bible predicted thousands of years ago.

We are merely one Supreme Court decision away from the next stages of the One World Government dominance that the Bible foretold. We are in the same patterns that played out just before World War II with the agenda of Hitler and his regime. Those who do not learn from history are always destined to repeat it. While many Believers are going on with their lives, mad at God and rejecting His love, purpose and will, they are playing right into the hands of the enemy of their souls.

How are your pastors responding to all of this? What should you be doing? From this point on, we are going to be even more intentional in pressing after God as HE takes the Urban Life family to the next level of brokenness and grace.

We just experienced a powerful weekend in the Lord’s presence that led to chains of fear and doubt being removed. One person testified of being delivered from the fear of failure. We all witnessed one visitor committing her heart and life to Jesus. We witnessed the return of a brother who’s been away for a while. As a pastor, I was freed from the lie the enemy planted in my heart six years ago, that nobody wants to hear me preach or teach the Word of God. We believe that revival has come to Urban Life. We encourage you to come and jump into the waters that have been stirred!

If you know you’re harboring anger against God because of something He allowed or something He did NOT do for you; today is the day to humble yourself. His ways are higher than your ways and His thoughts are higher than your thoughts.

Many of us know the story of Job and how he eventually got so down about what God was allowing Him to go through that he began to curse the day he had ever been born. That’s when God stepped in and said, “Dude, (urban version) You don’t know me like that! Where were you when I formed the world? You don’t have any idea what you’re saying.” Growing up in the inner city I often heard people say to someone who had stepped out of line, “You betta check yourself!”

That’s kind of what the message is today. We all had better check ourselves and our attitudes about God. Yes, He’s full of love, mercy and grace, but when we walk around harboring anger and resentment towards Him, we run the risk of walking out from under His protection and right in to the trap of the enemy.

Turning away from God in your attitude can eventually lead to turning away from God in your heart. When you turn away from God in your heart, you have no idea how far into the gutter your heart will lead you. So let’s come together, family. Drop the hostility towards God and run to Him with a broken and contrite heart.

Some of us are in a battle in which we are resisting discouragement, disappointment and disillusionment with family members, friends or spiritual leaders, like pastors. We insist and encourage you to press your way through it. There's an old school song that says, "I have decided to follow Jesus... No turning back, no turning back. If none go with me, still I will follow... No turning back, No turning back."

Please make every effort to join with your sisters and brothers in our weekly gatherings. We only get to meet once a week, so let's make the most of the time that we have. We don't know how much longer we have in America before serious persecution breaks out against the church; or it could be an outbreak of revival. We believe that we can make the choice, but it depends on our personal pursuit of God in this hour.